U.S. patent application number 10/119794 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-14 for heat conduction pipe.
Invention is credited to Lai, Cheng-Tien, Lee, Tsung-Lung, Wang, Sheng Hua.
Application Number | 20030150598 10/119794 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27657844 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030150598 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee, Tsung-Lung ; et
al. |
August 14, 2003 |
Heat conduction pipe
Abstract
A heat conduction pipe includes an outer pipe (10), a plurality
of inner pipes (20), and a pair of plugs (30). The outer pipe is
made of a material having great heat conductivity, and defines a
pair of openings in respective opposite ends thereof. Each inner
pipe is a sealed vacuum pipe made of a material having great heat
conductivity, and contains liquid work medium having great heat
conductivity. The inner pipes are received in the outer pipe. The
plugs seal the openings of the outer pipe and engage with the inner
pipes. Liquid work medium having great heat conductivity is movably
accommodated in the outer pipe.
Inventors: |
Lee, Tsung-Lung; (Tu-Chen,
TW) ; Lai, Cheng-Tien; (Tu-Chen, TW) ; Wang,
Sheng Hua; (Shenzhen, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WEI TE CHUNG
FOXCONN INTERNATIONAL, INC.
1650 MEMOREX DRIVE
SANTA CLARA
CA
95050
US
|
Family ID: |
27657844 |
Appl. No.: |
10/119794 |
Filed: |
April 9, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/80.4 ;
165/104.21; 257/E23.088 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D 15/0233 20130101;
F28D 2021/0029 20130101; H01L 23/427 20130101; F28D 15/0275
20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L
2924/0002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/80.4 ;
165/104.21 |
International
Class: |
F28F 007/00; F28D
015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 8, 2002 |
TW |
91201724 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A heat conduction pipe comprising: an outer pipe defining an
opening at an end thereof, the outer pipe being made of a material
having great heat conductivity; an inner pipe received in the outer
pipe, the inner pipe being a vacuum pipe made of a material having
great heat conductivity; and a plug sealing the opening of the
outer pipe and engaging with the inner pipe.
2. The heat conduction pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
outer pipe comprises a first vaporizing end and a first
condensation end.
3. The heat conduction pipe as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
inner pipe comprises a second vaporizing end corresponding to the
first vaporizing end, and a second condensation end corresponding
to the first condensation end.
4. The heat conduction pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein work
medium having great heat conductivity is movably accommodated in
the outer pipe, and wherein the second vaporizing end of the inner
pipe is submerged in the work medium of the outer pipe.
5. The heat conduction pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
outer pipe defines a pair of openings at respective opposite ends
thereof.
6. The heat conduction pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug
defines a cavity engagingly receiving an end of the inner pipe so
that the inner pipe is positioned in the outer pipe.
7. A heat dissipation assembly comprising: a heat generating
device; a plurality of heat sink fins; and a heat conduction pipe
extended through the heat sink fins, the heat conduction pipe
comprising an outer pipe and a plurality of inner pipes parallel to
and received in the outer pipe, the outer and inner heat pipes each
containing work medium having great heat conductivity, an end of
the outer pipe being in thermal contact with the heat generating
device.
8. The heat dissipation assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein
each of the inner pipes is a vacuum pipe.
9. The heat dissipation assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the
heat sink fins are parallel to the heat generating electronic
device.
10. The heat dissipation assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein
the heat conduction pipe extends perpendicularly through the heat
sink fins.
11. The heat dissipation assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein
ends of the inner pipes corresponding to said end of the outer pipe
are submerged in the work medium of the outer pipe.
12. A heat conduction pipe apparatus comprising: an outer pipe
having a larger diameter and defining opposite first vaporizing and
first condensing ends; a plurality of inner pipes evenly dispensed
in said outer pipe each having a smaller diameter and defining
opposite second vaporizing and second condensing ends corresponding
to said first vaporizing and first condensing ends; sealing caps
secured to ends of the outer pipe and ends of the inner pipes; and
work medium filled between an interior of the outer pipe and an
exterior of the inner pipe, and within an interior of the inner
pipe.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to heat conduction pipes, and
more particularly to a heat conduction pipe which has a plurality
of inner pipes received in an outer pipe that has a large thermal
contact surface.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] During operation of many heat generating devices such as
central processing units (CPUs), large amounts of heat are
produced. Such heat must be quickly removed from the heat
generating device, to prevent the heat generating device from
becoming unstable or being damaged. Typically, a heat sink is
directly attached to an outer surface of a heat generating device
to remove heat therefrom.
[0005] A conventional heat sink comprises a chassis and a plurality
of fins extending upwardly from the chassis. The chassis of the
heat sink is attached on the outer surface of the heat generating
device. The chassis absorbs heat from the heat generating device,
and the absorbed heat is conducted to the fins. The heat is thus
dissipated. However, the heat sink is conventionally made from
aluminum or aluminum alloy. Therefore the inherent heat
conductivity of the heat sink is limited. Modern electronic devices
such as high-speed CPUs frequently generate copious amounts of
heat. The inherent heat conductivity of the heat sink is often not
sufficient to adequately dissipate heat from the heat generating
device.
[0006] An alternative heat dissipation device has been developed to
achieve greater heat dissipation capability. The heat dissipation
device comprises a plurality of parallel fins and a heatpipe. The
heatpipe is extended through the fins. One end of the heatpipe is
attached to the heat generating device, to be in intimate thermal
contact therewith. However, the thermal contact surface of the end
of the heatpipe is limited by the diameter of the heatpipe. The
heatpipe is conventionally a vacuum pipe, which cannot easily be
made to have a large diameter. Accordingly, the heat conducting
capability of the heat dissipation device is frequently not
sufficient. To obtain a larger thermal contact surface, a plurality
of heatpipes is employed. However, this makes assembly of the
heatpipes and the fins more difficult, and adds to costs.
[0007] It is strongly desired to provide an improved heat
conduction pipe which overcomes the above-mentioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to
provide a heat conduction pipe which comprises a plurality of inner
pipes and an outer pipe receiving the inner pipes therein.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat
conduction pipe which has a large thermal contact surface.
[0010] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
heat conduction pipe which can be readily manufactured.
[0011] In order to achieve the objects set out above, a heat
conduction pipe of the present invention comprises an outer pipe, a
plurality of inner pipes and a pair of plugs. The outer pipe is
made of a material having great heat conductivity, and defines a
pair of openings in respective opposite ends thereof. Each inner
pipe is a sealed vacuum pipe made of a material having great heat
conductivity, and contains liquid work medium having great heat
conductivity. The inner pipes are received in the outer pipe. The
plugs seal the openings of the outer pipe and engage with the inner
pipes. Liquid work medium having great heat conductivity is movably
accommodated in the outer pipe.
[0012] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a heat conduction
pipe in accordance with the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the heat conduction pipe of
FIG. 1; and
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic side plan view of the heat conduction
pipe of FIG. 2 engaged with a plurality of parallel fins and
attached on a heat generating electronic device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to
describe the present invention in detail.
[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat conduction pipe of the
present invention comprises an outer pipe 10, a plurality of inner
pipes 20 and a pair of plugs 30.
[0018] The outer pipe 10 has relatively large dimensions, and is
made of a material having great heat conductivity. The outer pipe
10 comprises a first vaporizing end 12 and an opposite first
condensation end 14. A pair of openings (not labeled) is
respectively defined in the first vaporizing end 12 and the first
condensation end 14. Each inner pipe 20 has relatively small
dimensions. Each inner pipe 20 is a sealed vacuum pipe made of a
material having great heat conductivity, and contains liquid work
medium having great heat conductivity. The work medium can be
transformed between liquid form and vapor form during heating or
cooling thereof. Each inner pipe 20 comprises a second vaporizing
end 22, and an opposite second condensation end 24. Each plug 30 is
a thin disc-shaped plate. A plurality of cavities 32 is defined in
an inner face of each plug 30, for respectively engaging with ends
of the inner pipes 20 and thereby positioning the inner pipes 20.
Liquid work medium having great heat conductivity is also provided
for the outer pipe 10. The work medium can be transformed between
liquid form and vapor form during heating or cooling thereof.
[0019] Referring also to FIG. 2, in assembly, the inner pipes 20
are received in the outer pipe 10. Each second vaporizing end 22
corresponds to the first vaporizing end 12. Each second
condensation end 24 corresponds to the first condensation end 22.
One plug 30 is engagingly plugged into one opening of the outer
pipe 10. Corresponding ends of the inner pipes 20 are engagingly
received in the cavities 32 of said one plug 30. The work medium is
introduced into the outer pipe 10. The other plug 30 is engagingly
plugged into the other opening of the outer pipe 10, to seal the
outer pipe 10. The heat conduction pipe is thus fully
assembled.
[0020] Referring also to FIG. 3, in use, the heat conduction pipe
is extended perpendicularly through a plurality of heat sink fins
40 which are parallel to a heat generating electronic device 50.
The vaporizing end 12 of the outer pipe 10 and the corresponding
plug 30 intimately contact the electronic device 50. The second
condensation ends 24 of the inner pipes 20 are submerged in the
work medium of the outer pipe 10. In operation of the heat
conduction pipe, the work medium in the first vaporizing end 12 of
the outer pipe 10 is heated and forms vapor. The vapor rises to the
first condensation end 14 of the outer pipe 10. The vapor
accumulated at the first condensation end 14 is cooled back to
liquid form and falls back to the first vaporizing end 12. At the
same time, heat in the work medium of the outer pipe 10 is
transferred to the inner pipes 20. The work medium in the second
vaporizing ends 22 of the inner pipes 20 is heated and forms vapor.
The vapor rises to the second condensation ends 24 of the inner
pipes 20. The vapor accumulated at the second condensation ends 24
is cooled back to liquid form and falls back to the second
vaporizing ends 22. The work medium thus continually circulates in
the outer and inner pipes 10, 20. Heat transferred to the heat
conduction pipe from the electronic device 50 is quickly and
efficiently dissipated.
[0021] In the present invention, the plurality of inner pipes 20 is
received in the outer pipe 10. The second vaporizing ends 22 of the
inner pipes 20 are submerged in the work medium of the outer pipe
10. The outer pipe 10 and said corresponding plug 30 provide the
heat conduction pipe with a large surface area for intimate thermal
contact with the electronic device 50. This gives the heat
conduction pipe great heat dissipation capability. Furthermore, the
outer pipe 10 of the heat conduction pipe can be readily
manufactured.
[0022] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *