US Patent 7779529 Method of coupling a device to a mating part

A coupling between a device and a mating part includes an elastic material and perhaps a tensioner coupled to the elastic material. The elastic material is wrapped around at least part of the device. The tensioner or other method is used to stretch the elastic material, thereby reducing the thickness of the elastic material. With the thickness of the elastic material reduced by the stretching, the device is inserted into a hole in a mating part. Then the tension on the elastic material is removed, allowing the elastic material to increase in thickness, so as to fill at least part of the gap between the device and the mating part. The coupling may act as an effective heat transfer device for transmitting (by conduction) heat produced by the heat-producing device, to the mating part, which may act as, or be thermally coupled to, a heat sink.