Shroud for an integrated circuit heat exchanger
A protective shroud includes a top plate, a first side plate that is adapted to be disposed proximate a first edge region of a plurality of cooling fins of a heat exchanger for an integrated circuit, and a second side plate that is adapted to be disposed proximate a second edge region of the plurality of cooling fins.
1. A protective shroud, comprising:
a top plate that includes a first inset region and a first gripping surface, wherein the first inset region is inset from an edge of the top plate, and at least a portion of the first inset region is attached to the first gripping surface;
a first side plate assembly that is adapted to be disposed proximate a first edge region of a plurality of cooling fins of a heat exchanger for an integrated circuit, wherein at least a portion of the first side plate assembly is removable and covers the first gripping surface of the top plate; and
a second side plate that is adapted to be disposed proximate a second edge region of the plurality of cooling fins.
2. The protective shroud of claim 1 , wherein a single sheet of metallic material comprises at least a second portion of the first side plate, the second side plate, and the top plate.
3. The protective shroud of claim 1 , wherein the at least the portion of the first side plate assembly comprises a first removable side cover disposed proximate the first edge region of the plurality of cooling fins, and the protective shroud further comprises a second removable side cover disposed proximate the second edge region of the plurality of cooling fins.
4. The protective shroud of claim 3 , wherein the first removable side cover covers access to a mechanical fastener associated with the heat exchanger when installed on the protective shroud.
5. The protective shroud of claim 3 , wherein the protective shroud further comprises a second gripping surface that is covered by the second removable side cover.
6. The protective shroud of claim 5 , wherein the first gripping surface and the second gripping surface reside on opposing surfaces of the protective shroud.
7. The protective shroud of claim 6 , wherein the first removable side cover is disposed proximate a first subset of cooling fins of the plurality of cooling fins, and the second removable side cover is disposed proximate the first subset of cooling fins.
8. A computer system, comprising:
a first integrated circuit mounted on a supporting substrate;
a first heat exchanger that includes a first plurality of cooling fins and is thermally coupled to the first integrated circuit; and
a first protective shroud that includes:
a first top plate that includes a first inset region and a first gripping surface, wherein the first inset region is inset from an edge of the top plate, and at least a portion of the first inset region is attached to the first gripping surface;
a first side plate assembly that is disposed proximate a first edge region of the first plurality of cooling fins of the first heat exchanger, wherein at least a portion of the first side plate assembly is removable and covers the first gripping surface of the top plate; and
a second side plate that is disposed proximate a second edge region of the first plurality of cooling fins.
9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the at least the portion of the first side plate assembly includes a first removable side cover disposed proximate the first edge region of the first plurality of cooling fins, and the first protective shroud further includes a second removable side cover disposed proximate the second edge region of the first plurality of cooling fins.
10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the first protective shroud further comprises a second gripping surface that is covered by the second removable side cover.
11. The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the first gripping surface and the second gripping surface reside on opposing surfaces of the first protective shroud.
12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the first removable side cover is disposed proximate a first subset of cooling fins of the first plurality of cooling fins, and the second removable side cover is disposed proximate the first subset of cooling fins.
13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein each cooling fin included in the first subset of cooling fins includes an in-cut edge profile.
14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein each cooling fin in the first subset of cooling fins has a smaller surface area than each cooling fin in a second subset of cooling fins of the first plurality of cooling fins.
15. The computer system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second integrated circuit mounted on the supporting substrate;
a second heat exchanger that includes a second plurality of cooling fins and is thermally coupled to the second integrated circuit; and
a second protective shroud that includes:
a second top plate;
a third side plate that is disposed proximate a first edge region of the second plurality of cooling fins of the first heat exchanger; and
a fourth side plate that is disposed proximate a second edge region of the second plurality of cooling fins.
16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are positioned on the supporting substrate so that a cooling fluid can flow through the first heat exchanger and then through the second heat exchanger.
17. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises one of a central-processing unit and a graphics processing unit.
18. A protective shroud, comprising:
a first side plate with a first removable side cover that is adapted to be disposed proximate a first edge region of a plurality of cooling fins of a heat exchanger for an integrated circuit;
a second side plate with a second removable side cover that is adapted to be disposed proximate a second edge region of the plurality of cooling fins; and
a top plate that is adapted to be disposed proximate a top region of the plurality of cooling fins, wherein the top plate includes a first inset region and a first gripping surface, the first inset region is inset from an edge of the top plate, at least a portion of the first inset region is attached to the first gripping surface, and the first removable side cover covers the first gripping surface of the top plate.
19. The protective shroud of claim 18 , wherein the first removable side cover covers access to a mechanical fastener associated with the heat exchanger when installed on the protective shroud.
20. The protective shroud of claim 18 , wherein the first side plate, the second side plate, and the top plate are adapted to form a duct around the plurality of cooling fins.
21. The protective shroud of claim 1 , wherein at least a second portion of the first side panel assembly is fixed.
22. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein at least a second portion of the first side panel assembly is fixed.