U.S. patent application number 10/952691 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-01 for cooling apparatus and method for manufacturing the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to HON HAI Precision Industry CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Lee, Meng-Tzu, Lin, Shu-Ho, Yu, Fang-Xiang.
Application Number | 20050263267 10/952691 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34851173 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050263267 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yu, Fang-Xiang ; et
al. |
December 1, 2005 |
Cooling apparatus and method for manufacturing the same
Abstract
A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic
component, includes a body and two lids. The body is integrally
formed by extruding a claviform aluminum stuff and includes a
hollow tube with two open ends on opposite ends thereof and a
plurality of fins integrally extending from the periphery of the
tube. The two lids respectively seal the two open ends of the tube
and form a chamber in the body. A wicking structure is installed on
the inner peripheral surface of the tube. Heat-conductive
evaporable working medium is contained in the chamber for
transmitting heat absorbed by one of the lids contacting with the
electronic component.
Inventors: |
Yu, Fang-Xiang; (ShenZhen,
CN) ; Lin, Shu-Ho; (Tu-Cheng, TW) ; Lee,
Meng-Tzu; (Tu-Cheng, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORRIS MANNING & MARTIN LLP
1600 ATLANTA FINANCIAL CENTER
3343 PEACHTREE ROAD, NE
ATLANTA
GA
30326-1044
US
|
Assignee: |
HON HAI Precision Industry CO.,
LTD.
Tu-Cheng City
TW
|
Family ID: |
34851173 |
Appl. No.: |
10/952691 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.26 ;
257/E23.088 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2924/0002 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 23/427 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101; F28D 15/0233 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.26 |
International
Class: |
F28D 015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 26, 2004 |
CN |
200420046450.6 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic
component, comprising: a body comprising a hollow tube with two
open ends on opposite ends thereof and a plurality of fins
integrally extending from a periphery of the tube; and two lids
respectively sealing the two open ends of the tube thereby forming
a closed chamber in the body, a wicking structure installed on the
inner circumferential surface of the tube, and working medium
contained in the chamber for transmitting heat absorbed by one of
the lids contacting with the electronic component.
2. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the fins
extend radially and outwardly from the periphery of the tube along
an axis of the tube.
3. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the body
is integrally formed by extruding a claviform aluminum stuff.
4. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the
chamber is substantially vacuum.
5. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the
working medium is capable of evaporating when absorbing the heat
generated by the electronic component and condensing after
releasing the heat to the fins.
6. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the two
lids are detachably attached to the two open ends of the tube.
7. A method for manufacturing a cooling apparatus, comprising the
steps of: (a) providing a metal stuff; (b) extruding the stuff to
integrally form a plurality of fins extending outwardly and
radially from a column, the column comprising at least one tube
with two open ends; (c) installing a wicking structure on the inner
circumferential surface of the tube; (d) providing a lid to seal
one end of the tube to form a chamber; (e) supplying working medium
in the chamber; and (f) providing another lid to seal the other end
of the tube and vacuumizing the chamber.
8. The method as describe in claim 7, further comprising a step of
cutting the column after step (b) to form a plurality of tubes.
9. The method as describe in claim 7, wherein the working medium is
capable of evaporating when absorbing heat and condensing after
releasing heat.
10. The method as describe in claim 7, wherein the fins extend
radially and outwardly from the periphery of the tube along an axis
of the tube.
11. A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic
component, comprising: a body comprising a hollow tube with at
least two ends open to communicate with outside of said body, one
of said at least two ends movably facing said electronic component,
a plurality of fins integrally extending from a periphery of said
tube, and a wicking structure installed on an inner circumferential
surface of said tube; a working medium fluently received in said
tube; and a lid installed at each of said at least two ends of said
tube and detachably sealing said each end, said one of said at
least two ends facing said electronic component usable to allow
said sealing lid thereof to heat-conductively engage with said
electronic component and transmit said heat from said electronic
component to said working medium.
12. The cooling apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein said
sealing lid of said one of said at least two ends is circular.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus and
method for manufacturing the same, and particularly to a cooling
apparatus for removing heat from an electronic component.
BACKGROUND
[0002] As computer technology continues to advance, electronic
components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers are
made to provide faster operational speeds and greater functional
capabilities. When a CPU operates at a high speed in a computer
enclosure, its temperature usually increases greatly. It is
desirable to dissipate the generated heat quickly.
[0003] One type of cooling apparatus for dissipating heat generated
by a CPU is a heat sink. The heat sink is formed and made of metal,
such as aluminum, copper, which can efficiently conducts heat. The
heat sink includes a base for contacting with the CPU, and a
plurality of cooling fins for increasing the heat dissipating
surface area of the heat sink. Heat generated by the CPU is
conducted into the base of the heat sink and dissipated to ambient
air from the fins.
[0004] As applying power of CPUs increasing, these CPUs generate
more heat. In order to adequately cool these highly powered CPUs,
cooling apparatus with greater cooling capacities are required.
Thus, a tower-type heat sink has been developed. The heat sink
includes a vertical heat pipe, and a plurality of cooling fins
fixed on the outer circumference of the heat pipe. The fins are
fixed on the heat pipe by a soldering method. When one end of the
heat pipe contacts with a CPU, working fluid in the heat pipe
evaporates and hence the generated vapor flows to the other end of
the heat pipe. The vapor transmits heat to the pipe wall of the
heat pipe and the heat is further conducted to the fins. Then the
vapor condenses to its liquid state. Cooled liquid flows back to
the end contacting with the CPU via capillary action of a wicking
structure installed on the inner surface of the pipe wall. However,
there are usually a plurality of interspaces in a solder between
the fins and the heat pipe, and therefore heat resistance between
the fins and the heat pipe increases undesirably. Thus, the vapor
cannot transmit heat to the fins effectively, and thereby heat
generated by the CPU cannot be dissipated to the ambient
environment efficiently. Furthermore, the cost of soldering is
high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to
provide a cooling apparatus which can dissipate heat from an
electronic component efficiently.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
cooling apparatus which has low cost of manufacturing.
[0007] The further object of the present invention is to provide a
method for manufacturing a cooling apparatus which can dissipate
heat from an electronic component efficiently and has a low cost of
manufacturing.
[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a cooling apparatus
for dissipating heat from an electronic component, comprises a body
and two lids. The body is integrally formed by extruding a stuff
and comprises a hollow tube with two open ends on opposite ends
thereof and a plurality of fins integrally extending from the
periphery of the tube. The two lids respectively seal the two open
ends of the tube and form a chamber in the body. A wicking
structure is installed on the inner circumferential surface of the
tube. Heat-conductive evaporable working medium is contained in the
chamber for transmitting heat absorbed by one of the lids
contacting with the electronic component.
[0009] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present
invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of
a preferred embodiment of the present invention together with the
attached drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an isometric exploded view of a cooling apparatus
in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
with an electronic component;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along line
III-III in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERED EMBODIMENT
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a cooling apparatus for dissipating
heat from an electronic component 60 is shown. The cooling
apparatus comprises a columniform body 10 and two lids 20 engaged
on opposite ends of the body 10 respectively.
[0014] The body 10 is integrally formed by extruding a claviform
aluminum stuff. The body 10 comprises a thermal conducting tube 12
and a plurality of radial heat dissipating fins 14 extending
outwardly from the periphery of the tube 12 along an axis of the
tube 12. The tube 12 is hollow and defines two open ends at
opposite ends thereof. The two lids 20 seal the open ends of the
body 10 respectively to define a substantially vacuum chamber 122
therebetween. One of the lids 20 is attached on an upper surface of
the electronic component 60 and absorbs the heat generated by the
electronic component 60. The chamber 122 contains a small quantity
of heat-conductive evaporable working medium 124 for transferring
heat. The inner circumferential surface of the tube 12 is installed
with a wicking structure 126 for providing capillary action on the
working medium 124.
[0015] After mounting the cooling apparatus on the electronic
component 60, the lid 20 contacting with the electronic component
60 absorbs the heat generated by the electronic component 60 and
transmits the heat to the working medium 124. The working medium
124 evaporates and its vapor flows to the other end of the tube 12.
The vapor releases the heat to the tube 12 and the heat is further
conducted to the fins 14. Then the vapor condenses to its liquid
state. The condensed working medium 124 flows back to the end where
the lid 20 contacts with the electronic component 60 by means of
capillary action of the wicking structure 126. The cooling
apparatus dissipates the heat generated by the electronic component
60 via the working medium 124 changing its phases circularly.
[0016] A method for manufacturing the cooling apparatus comprises
the steps of: (a) providing a claviform aluminum stuff; (b)
extruding the stuff along an axis thereof to integrally form a
column with a plurality of fins extending outwardly and radially
from the column; (c) cutting the column to form a plurality of
bodies 10 each comprising a tube 12 with two open ends and a
plurality of fins 14; (d) installing the wicking structure 126 on
the inner circumferential surface of the tube 12; (e) providing a
lid 20 to seal one end of the tube 12 thereby forming the chamber
122; (f) supplying a small quantity of working medium 124 in the
chamber 122; and (g) providing the other lid 20 to seal the other
end of the tube 12 and vacuumizing the chamber 122.
[0017] In the present invention, the fins 14 are integrally formed
with the tube 12. Using solder is then unnecessary. So the vapor of
the working medium 124 can transmit heat to the fins 14
efficiently. Moreover, the body 10 is formed by extrusion, whereby
the cost for manufacturing the cooling apparatus is lowered.
[0018] It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other
forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present
examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as
illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be
limited to the details given therein.
* * * * *