U.S. patent application number 11/701022 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-07 for liquid cooled heat sink.
This patent application is currently assigned to Man Zai Industrial Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jen-Lu Hu, Hao-Hui Lin, Tsung-Ching Sun.
Application Number | 20080029260 11/701022 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38742372 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080029260 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hu; Jen-Lu ; et al. |
February 7, 2008 |
Liquid cooled heat sink
Abstract
A liquid cooled heat sink includes: a casing having a liquid
inlet and a liquid outlet; and a fin unit provided in the casing
and having a wave-like structure of a multi-fold sheet that defines
a plurality of fluid paths which are aligned in series in a
transverse direction relative to the fluid paths. The liquid inlet
of the casing is in fluid communication with the liquid outlet of
the casing through the fluid paths.
Inventors: |
Hu; Jen-Lu; (Tainan City,
TW) ; Lin; Hao-Hui; (Taitung City, TW) ; Sun;
Tsung-Ching; (Tainan City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DLA PIPER US LLP
2000 UNIVERSITY AVENUE
E. PALO ALTO
CA
94303-2248
US
|
Assignee: |
Man Zai Industrial Co.,
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
38742372 |
Appl. No.: |
11/701022 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/182 ;
257/E23.098 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 3/12 20130101; F28F
3/027 20130101; H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 2924/0002 20130101;
H01L 23/473 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/182 |
International
Class: |
F28F 1/10 20060101
F28F001/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 2, 2006 |
TW |
095213611 |
Claims
1. A liquid cooled heat sink adapted to be attached to an
electronic component, said liquid cooled heat sink comprising: a
casing having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; and a fin unit
provided in said casing and having a wave-like structure of a
multi-fold sheet that defines a plurality of fluid paths which are
aligned in series in a transverse direction relative to said fluid
paths; wherein said liquid inlet of said casing is in fluid
communication with said liquid outlet of said casing through said
fluid paths.
2. The liquid cooled heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein each
of said fluid paths is defined by a path-defining wall that is
generally U-shaped and that has two opposite straight wall portions
and a folded portion interconnecting said straight wall portions,
each of said straight wall portions of said path-defining wall of
each of said fluid paths being formed with a plurality of slits so
as to permit fluid communication between each two adjacent ones of
said fluid paths.
3. The liquid cooled heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
casing has a base that is formed with an attaching protrusion
adapted to be attached to the electronic component.
4. The liquid cooled heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
casing is made from an aluminum alloy extrudate.
5. The liquid cooled heat sink as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
fin unit is detachably mounted in said casing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a liquid cooled heat sink, more
particularly to a liquid cooled heat sink including a fin unit
having a wave-like structure of a multi-fold sheet.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a conventional liquid cooled
heat sink 1 generally includes a base 11 made from an aluminum
alloy extrudate, a cover 12 for covering the base 11, a pair of
parallel side partition plates 13, and a middle partition plate 14
disposed between the base 11 and the cover 12. The base 11 includes
a bottom wall 111, a plurality of first and second side partition
walls 112 extending uprightly from the bottom wall 111, a plurality
of middle partition walls 113 extending uprightly from the bottom
wall 111 and disposed between the first and second side partition
walls 112, and an attaching protrusion 114 extending from the
bottom wall 111 for attaching to an electronic component 15 (see
FIG. 2). The area of the bottom wall 111 is larger than that of the
attaching protrusion 114 for increasing the heat dissipating area.
The length of each of the side partition walls 112 is shorter than
that of the middle partition walls 113. The side partition walls
112 have respectively rear edges that are aligned with rear edges
of the middle partition walls 113 and that are spaced apart from a
rear edge of the bottom wall 111. The side partition walls 112
further have front edges that are disposed farther from a front
edge of the bottom wall 111 than front edges of the middle
partition walls 113.
[0005] The cover 12 is also made from an aluminum alloy extrudate,
and includes a top wall 121, a surrounding wall 122 extending
downwardly from a periphery of the top wall 121, and a flange wall
123 extending outwardly and transversely from the surrounding wall
122. The top wall 121 is formed with a pair of through-holes 124. A
pair of conduits 16 extend respectively from peripheries of the
through-holes 124.
[0006] The side and middle partition plates 13, 14 are also made
from an aluminum alloy extrudate, and are secured to the base 11
and the cover 12. Each of the side partition plates 13 is disposed
between an adjacent one of the first side partition walls 112 and
an adjacent one of the middle partition walls 113, and has a front
edge connected to the cover 12. The middle partition plate 14 is
disposed at a middle position in the middle partition walls 113,
and has a rear edge connected to the cover 12. In such a manner, a
torturous fluid path 17 interconnecting the through-holes 124 is
formed.
[0007] When the conventional heat sink 1 is in use, heat generated
by the electronic component 15 is conducted to the base 11, and is
then carried by the coolant along the fluid path 17 in directions
as indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 3.
[0008] With reference to FIG. 4, manufacturing of the conventional
heat sink 1 is described as below:
[0009] (1) The bottom wall 111, the side partition walls 112, the
middle partition walls 113, and the attaching protrusion 114 are
integrally formed by extruding an aluminum alloy material.
[0010] (2) Each of the side and middle partition walls 112, 113 is
cut so as to have a desired length.
[0011] (3) The attaching protrusion 114 is cut so as to have a
desired size that is suitable for attaching to the electronic
component 15.
[0012] (4) The side and middle partition plates 13, 14 are soldered
to the bottom wall 111.
[0013] Since the base 11 is made from an aluminum alloy extrudate,
each of the side and middle partition walls 112, 113 is relatively
thick. As a consequence, the overall contact area between the side
and middle partition walls 112, 113 and the coolant is limited,
thereby limiting the heat dissipating efficiency of the
conventional heat sink 1.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide
a liquid cooled heat sink that can overcome the aforesaid
disadvantage associated with the prior art.
[0015] Accordingly, a liquid cooled heat sink of the present
invention is adapted to be attached to an electronic component and
comprises: a casing having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; and
a fin unit provided in the casing and having a wave-like structure
of a multi-fold sheet that defines a plurality of fluid paths which
are aligned in series in a transverse direction relative to the
fluid paths. The liquid inlet of the casing is in fluid
communication with the liquid outlet of the casing through the
fluid paths.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
liquid cooled heat sink;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional side view of the
conventional liquid cooled heat sink;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional top view of the conventional
liquid cooled heat sink;
[0020] FIGS. 4A to 4D are perspective views to illustrate
consecutive steps for manufacturing the conventional liquid cooled
heat sink;
[0021] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment of a liquid cooled heat sink according to the
present invention;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a sectional top view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0024] FIGS. 8A to 8D are perspective views to illustrate
consecutive steps for manufacturing the first preferred
embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the second
preferred embodiment of a liquid cooled heat sink according to the
present invention; and
[0026] FIG. 10 is a sectional top view of the third preferred
embodiment of a liquid cooled heat sink according to the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Before the present invention is described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should
be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same
reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the first preferred embodiment of
a liquid cooled heat sink according to the present invention is
shown to be attached to an electronic component 5 for absorbing
heat generated by the electronic component 5.
[0029] The liquid cooled heat sink includes: a casing having a
liquid inlet 421 and a liquid outlet 422; and at least one fin unit
3 provided in the casing and having a wave-like structure of a
multi-fold sheet 3' that defines a plurality of fluid paths 30
which are aligned in series in a transverse direction relative to
the fluid paths 30. The liquid inlet 421 of the casing is in fluid
communication with the liquid outlet 422 of the casing through the
fluid paths 30. In this embodiment, two of the fin units 3 are
provided in the casing.
[0030] Each of the fluid paths 30 is defined by a path-defining
wall 31 that is generally U-shaped and that has two opposite
straight wall portions 313 and a folded portion 315 interconnecting
the straight wall portions 313. Moreover, each of the straight wall
portions 313 of the path-defining wall 31 of each of the fluid
paths 30 is formed with a plurality of slits 311 so as to permit
fluid communication between each two adjacent ones of the fluid
paths.30.
[0031] The casing has a base 2 that is formed with an attaching
protrusion 24 adapted to be attached to the electronic component 5
for absorbing heat from the electronic component 5.
[0032] In this embodiment, the casing is made from an aluminum
alloy extrudate, and the fin units 3 are mounted in the casing.
Note that the fin units 3 can be fixed to (e.g., by welding
techniques) or detachably secured to the casing.
[0033] The base 2 includes a bottom wall 21, a pair of side walls
22 extending uprightly and respectively from lateral edges of the
bottom wall 21, and a partition wall 23 extending uprightly from
the bottom wall 21, disposed between and parallel to the side walls
22, and dividing a space between the side walls 22 into two
chambers 25. The fin units 3 are respectively disposed in the
chambers 25. The partition wall 23 has a rear edge spaced apart
from a rear edge of the bottom wall 21. In practice, a plurality of
the partition walls 23 can be employed.
[0034] In this embodiment, the multi-fold sheet 3' of each fin unit
3 is made from an aluminum alloy foil.
[0035] The casing further includes a cover 4 of aluminum alloy that
covers the base 2 and that is connected to an external cooling
device (not shown). The cover 4 includes a top wall 41 disposed
opposite to the bottom wall 21 of the base 2, and a pair of lateral
walls 42 extending downwardly from opposite lateral edges of the
top wall 21 to connect with the bottom wall 21 and the side walls
22. The liquid inlet 421 and the liquid outlet 422 of the casing
are formed in one of the lateral walls 42 and are provided with
inlet and outlet conduits 61, 62 for connecting to the external
cooling device. The partition wall 23 is connected to said one of
the lateral walls 42 of the cover 4 so as to form the chambers 25
into a tortuous fluid path. Alternatively, the liquid inlet 421 and
the liquid outlet 422 of the casing can be formed on the top wall
41 of the cover 4.
[0036] In use, the attaching protrusion 24 is attached to the
electronic component 5 so that heat generated by the electronic
component 5 is conducted to the bottom wall 21 of the base 2 and
the fin units 3, and is then carried by the coolant along the fluid
paths 30 in directions as indicated by the arrow signs in FIG. 7 to
be transferred to the external cooling device for heat dissipation.
It should be noted that the structure of the heat sink of this
invention can be varied based on actual requirements, such as a
horizontal or vertical position relative to the electronic
component 5.
[0037] With reference to FIG. 8, manufacturing of the heat sink is
described as below:
[0038] (1) The base 2, which includes the bottom wall 21, the side
walls 22, the partition wall 23, and the attaching protrusion 24,
is extruded from an aluminum alloy material.
[0039] (2) The middle partition wall 23 is cut into a desired
length.
[0040] (3) The attaching protrusion 24 is then cut into a desired
size.
[0041] (4) Each fin unit 3 folded and punched from an aluminum
alloy foil is disposed in the respective chamber 25 and is soldered
to the bottom wall 21.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 9, the second preferred embodiment of this
invention differs from the previous embodiment in that: since the
heat sink has a much smaller size, the partition wall 23 is
dispensed with and only one chamber 25 is formed in the casing. In
this embodiment, the inlet and outlet conduits 61, 62 of the casing
are respectively formed in the lateral walls 42 of the cover 4.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 10, the third preferred embodiment of this
invention differs from the previous embodiments in that: the
partition wall 23 is disposed on the bottom wall 21 such that the
width of one of the chambers 25 in the transverse direction
transverse to the fluid paths 30 is wider than that of the other.
The liquid inlet 421 of the casing is in fluid communication with
said one of the chambers 25 having the larger width, and the liquid
outlet 422 of the casing is in fluid communication with the other
of the chambers 25. As such, the pressure drop of the fluid flow
between the liquid inlet 421 and the liquid outlet 422 can be
reduced.
[0044] With the inclusion of the fin unit(s) 3 in the heat sink of
this invention, the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior
art can be eliminated.
[0045] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what are considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *