Heat Pipe Structure

Abstract

The heat pipe structure includes a pipe body, hollow groove and capillary tissue. The pipe body contains a heat-conducting end and a radiating end. The capillary tissue of a predefined thickness is adapted to an inner wall of the pipe body. The inner surface of capillary tissue is located correspondingly to the section of the heat-conducting end, where a portion with greater thickness is shaped from another section of the capillary tissue. The portion is of single side, a plurality of sides or annular structure. Thus, the heat conduction efficiency of the heat-conducting end greatly improves. The non heat-conducting sections of the capillary tissue remain still with respect to thickness, and the guide space expands to facilitate guiding of gaseous working fluid to the radiating end, thus achieving an optimum heat radiation effect.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

[0003] Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

[0004] Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] 1. Field of the Invention

[0006] The present invention relates generally to a heat pipe, and more particularly to an innovative heat pipe with a capillary structure.

[0007] 2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

[0008] A heat pipe mainly comprises a pipe body, vacuum groove, capillary tissue and working fluid. According to the operating principle of the heat pipe, a heat source contacts the heat-conducting end of the heat pipe, so that the working fluid evaporates into a gaseous state, and then the working fluid is guided to the radiating end, where the working fluid is condensed into a liquid state in such a cold environment. Finally, the capillary tissue absorbs the working fluid as liquid back to the heat-conducting end as a cycle.

[0009] The capillary tissue of typical heat pipe is shown in FIG. 1, wherein the inner side 12 of the capillary tissue 11 of the heat pipe 10 has a flat surface. It is observed from the known applications that, as the heat-conducting end 13 of the heat pipe 10 is concerned, the heat conduction and vaporization effect of working fluid will be impaired if the capillary tissue 11 is very thin due to the flat surface of inner side 12 of the capillary tissue 11. However, if the capillary tissue 11 becomes thicker, the remaining space of the heat pipe 10 will be cut down, and the flow efficiency of gaseous working fluid will be affected, making it impossible to further improve the heat radiation effect.

[0010] Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve efficacy.

[0011] Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Based upon an innovation of the present invention that the capillary tissue has a partially-thick portion, the heat conduction and vaporization effect of working fluid improves, thus significantly increasing heat conduction efficiency of the heat-conducting end of a heat pipe. Since the non-heat-conducting sections of the inner surface of capillary tissue remain at the same thickness, the guide space is expanded to facilitate guiding of gaseous working fluid to the radiating end, thus achieving an optimum heat radiation effect.

[0013] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a typical heat pipe structure.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the heat pipe structure of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the molding method of the staged capillary tissue of the heat pipe of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows another sectional view of the staged capillary tissue of the heat pipe of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows another sectional view of arrangement of capillary tissue of the heat pipe of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 6 shows another sectional view of arrangement of capillary tissue of the heat pipe with a thick portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] FIGS. 1-3 depict preferred embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments are provided only for explanatory purposes. The scope of the invention is set by the patent claims.

[0022] The heat pipe A includes a pipe body 20, hollow groove 23, and capillary tissue 30 within the pipe body 20. The pipe body 20 contains a heat-conducting end 21 and a radiating end 22, while the capillary tissue 30 of predefined thickness is adapted annularly to the inner wall of pipe body 20, e.g. sintered from metal grains. For the inner surface 31 of said capillary tissue 30 corresponding to the heat-conducting end 21 of the pipe body 20, a portion 32 of the capillary tissue 30 has a thickness greater than said capillary tissue 30 in other sections of the pipe body 20.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, said portion 32 with greater thickness is arranged onto one side of the inner surface 31 of the capillary tissue 30.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 4, a portion 32B with greater thickness is arranged onto a plurality of sides of the inner surface 31 of capillary tissue 30 or in an annular manner.

[0025] FIG. 3 depicts the molding method of portion 32 of the inner surface 31 of the capillary tissue 30. A mould core 40 with an eccentric side 41 is inserted into the hollow groove 23 of the pipe body 20 as a fixture. After the capillary tissue 30 is adapted to the inner wall of the pipe body 20 and then shaped, the mould core 40 is pulled out, thus forming said portion 32 with greater thickness through the eccentric side 41 of the mould core 40.

[0026] Based upon above-specified structures that the heat pipe A of the present invention allows shaping of a portion 32 with greater thickness through the inner surface 31 of the capillary tissue 30, the portion 32 with greater thickness increases the thickness of capillary tissue 30, thus enlarging the volume of capillary tissue 30 and improving the heat-absorbing and conduction for higher vaporization efficiency of working fluid. Since the portion 32 with greater thickness is located correspondingly to the heat-conducting end 21 of the pipe body 20, the heat-conducting end 21 contacts the predefined heat source (e.g. a CPU of a computer), thus helping to improve the overall heat-radiation efficiency of heat pipe.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 5, said capillary tissue 30 is also adapted transversely to an inner wall of the pipe body 20 (e.g. the capillary tissue is only arranged at bottom of the inner wall of pipe body), whilst the portion 32 with greater thickness of the preferred embodiment is composed of a staged section of the capillary tissue 30.

[0028] Referring also to FIG. 6, the capillary tissue 30 is also adapted transversely to an inner wall of the pipe body 20. The difference with FIG. 5 is that the portion 32 with greater thickness is composed of capillary tissue 30 with greater thickness marked at 32 compared to thickness at 31, wherein 31 is now located at the end of the pipe body.

Claims

1. A heat pipe structure, comprising: a pipe body, having a heat-conducting end, a radiating end, an inner wall, and a hollow groove; and capillary tissue of a predefined thickness, adapted to said inner wall of said pipe body, said capillary tissue having an inner surface opposite said pipe body and a portion, with greater thickness than capillary tissue in other sections of said pipe and being located correspondingly to said heat-conducting end of said pipe body.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said portion with greater thickness is arranged onto one side of said inner surface of said capillary tissue.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said portion with greater thickness is arranged onto a plurality of sides of said inner surface of said capillary tissue or in an annular manner.

4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said hollow groove of said pipe body has a mould core inserted therein, forming said portion with greater thickness by moulding, said mould core being inserted by an eccentric side thereof.

5. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said capillary tissue is arranged annularly onto said inner wall of the pipe body, or only adapted transversely to said inner wall of said pipe body.