U.S. patent application number 12/241850 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-06 for heat dissipation module and supporting element thereof.
Invention is credited to Chin-Ming Chen, Yu-Hung Huang, Cheng-Chih LEE, Chung-Fa Lee.
Application Number | 20090194252 12/241850 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40930520 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090194252 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; Cheng-Chih ; et
al. |
August 6, 2009 |
HEAT DISSIPATION MODULE AND SUPPORTING ELEMENT THEREOF
Abstract
A heat dissipation module includes a heat sink, a two-phase heat
exchange device and a supporting element. The two-phase heat
exchange device is located between the supporting element and the
heat sink. The supporting element receives the two-phase heat
exchange device, and the supporting element has a main body
including a bottom part and at least two sidewall parts. An
accommodating space is formed by the bottom part and the sidewall
parts of the main body of the supporting element to receive the
two-phase heat exchange device, and the received two-phase heat
exchange device is attached to the bottom part of the main body of
the supporting element. The two-phase heat exchange device is
located and sandwiched between the supporting element and the heat
sink.
Inventors: |
LEE; Cheng-Chih; (Taoyuan
Hsien, TW) ; Lee; Chung-Fa; (Taoyuan Hsien, TW)
; Huang; Yu-Hung; (Taoyuan Hsien, TW) ; Chen;
Chin-Ming; (Taoyuan Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, PLLC
P.O. BOX 1364
FAIRFAX
VA
22038-1364
US
|
Family ID: |
40930520 |
Appl. No.: |
12/241850 |
Filed: |
September 30, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/67 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 23/427 20130101;
H01L 23/467 20130101; F28F 3/02 20130101; F28D 15/0233 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/67 |
International
Class: |
F28F 9/00 20060101
F28F009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 5, 2008 |
TW |
097104475 |
Claims
1. A supporting element for accommodating a two-phase heat exchange
device, the supporting element comprising: a main body comprising a
bottom part and at least two sidewall parts; wherein an
accommodating space is formed by the bottom part and the sidewall
parts of the main body to receive the two-phase heat exchange
device, the two-phase heat exchange device is attached to the
bottom part of the main body, and a welding material is further
provided between the bottom part of the main body and the two-phase
heat exchange device.
2. The supporting element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom
part of the main body comprises an opening for partially exposing
the two-phase heat exchange device.
3. The supporting element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
opening of the bottom part of the main body is externally connected
to a heat-conductive body contacting with the two-phase heat
exchange device, the heat-conductive body comprises a heat pipe, a
heat post or a solid metallic block, and the supporting element or
the heat-conductive body contacts with a heat source.
4. The supporting element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main
body further comprises at least two locking elements respectively
disposed beside the sidewall parts, and the locking elements of the
main body comprise a plurality of holes penetrated by an external
fastener so that the supporting element is connected on a heat
source, wherein the main body and the locking elements are
integrally formed as a single piece or serve as two separated
components to be assembled.
5. The supporting element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
supporting element is applied with a heat sink, and the two-phase
heat exchange device located and sandwiched between the supporting
element and the heat sink is abutted against the supporting element
and the heat sink.
6. A heat dissipation module, comprising: a heat sink; a two-phase
beat exchange device; and a supporting element utilized for
receiving the two-phase heat exchange device and the supporting
element comprising a main body comprising a bottom part and at
least two sidewall parts, wherein an accommodating space is formed
by the bottom part and the sidewall parts of the main body of the
supporting element to receive the two-phase heat exchange device,
and the two-phase heat exchange device is attached to the bottom
part of the main body of the supporting element, and wherein the
two-phase heat exchange device is located and sandwiched between
the supporting element and the heat sink.
7. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein a
welding material is provided between the bottom part of the main
body of the supporting element and the two-phase heat exchange
device by coating.
8. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
bottom part of the main body of the supporting element comprises an
opening for partially exposing the two-phase heat exchange
device.
9. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
opening of the bottom part of the main body of the supporting
element is externally connected to a heat-conductive body
contacting with the two-phase heat exchange device, and the
heat-conductive body comprises a heat pipe, a heat post or a solid
metallic block.
10. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
supporting element or the heat-conductive body contacts with a heat
source, such as a thermal-radially electronic component comprising
a central processing unit, a transistor, a server, a high-level
graphic card, a hard drive, a power supply, a vehicle controlling
system, a multimedia electronic mechanism, a wireless
correspondence station or a high-level game player.
11. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
main body of the supporting element further comprises at least two
locking elements respectively disposed beside the sidewall parts,
wherein the main body and the locking elements are integrally
formed as a single piece or serve as two separated components to be
assembled.
12. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the
locking elements of the main body of the supporting element
comprise a plurality of holes penetrated by an external fastener,
such as a screw, so that the supporting element is connected on a
heat source.
13. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
two-phase heat exchange device comprises an inner surface disposed
with a wick structure, and a material of the wick structure
comprises metal, alloy or a porous non-metallic material.
14. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
two-phase heat exchange device is a plate heat pipe.
15. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
two-phase heat exchange device is abutted against the supporting
element and the heat sink.
16. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein all
of the supporting element, the two-phase heat exchange device and
the heat sink have sloped bottoms in relation to the spatial
configuration of the actual components, and the shapes of the
supporting element, the two-phase heat exchange device and the heat
sink are mutually corresponding.
17. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
heat sink comprises a plurality of fins, and the amount,
arrangement and orientation of the fins of the heat sink are varied
on the basis of actual requirement.
18. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, further
comprising a fan disposed beside the heat sink for increasing heat
dissipation efficiency.
19. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 18, further
comprising an outer case receiving the supporting element, the
two-phase heat exchange device, the heat sink and the fan, wherein
the outer case comprises an inlet located corresponding to the fan,
and an outlet at one side of the outer case.
20. The heat dissipation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
supporting element further comprises two sides and a plurality of
limit posts disposed at the sides, and the limit posts of the
supporting element limit the displacement of the two-phase heat
exchange device and the heat sink when the two-phase heat exchange
device, the heat sink and the supporting element are assembled.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent
Application No. 097104475, filed on Feb. 5, 2008, the entirety of
which is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a heat dissipation module
and a supporting element thereof, and in particular to a supporting
element utilized to fix a two-phase heat exchange device, thereby
preventing a wick structure damage and deformation caused by
temperature and external forces.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] With the continuous developments in electronic device
efficiency, heat dissipation has become one essential issue in
electronic devices. If heats generated by an electronic device is
not properly dissipated, the efficiency of the electronic device
may lower, or even worse, the electronic device may malfunction or
burnout.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional plate heat pipe
11 applied with a heat sink 13. There is a copper block 12 disposed
on the bottom of the plate heat pipe 11, and the copper block 12 of
the plate heat pipe 11 can directly contact with a heat source
(e.g., a CPU, but not shown in FIGs.) for transferring heats away
from the heat source. A heat sink 13 is disposed on the plate heat
pipe for increasing a heat dissipation area, and the heat sink 13
and the plate heat pipe 11 are combined and connected onto the heat
source by penetrating several screws 14 there through.
[0007] Because only the top of the plate heat pipe 11 is supported
by the heat sink 13 and the bottom of the plate heat pipe 11 and
the heat source does not fully contact with each other, the plate
heat pipe 11 deforms by expanding when hot and shrinking when cold
for large operating temperature changes. Additionally, the
deformation ruins the appearance of the plate heat pipe 11 and the
wick structure formed in the plate heat pipe 11 may be damaged,
thus, decreasing the heat dissipation efficiency of the plate heat
pipe 11.
[0008] To closely combine the copper block 12 and the heat source,
an external force is applied on the plate heat pipe 11. However,
due to the insufficiency of the supporting strength of the inner
structure of the plate heat pipe 11, the plate heat pipe 11 is
easily deformed by the external force, and the wick structure
inside of the plate heat pipe 11 is easily damaged, thus,
decreasing the heat dissipation efficiency of the plate heat pipe
11.
[0009] Meanwhile, a plate heat pipe with a particular shape has
been designed to meet the requirements of different heat
dissipation environments and available spaces. However, a special
mold is required to be formed for the particular plate heat pipe.
Further, because the plate heat pipe is usually combined with or
secured to or prevented from interfering with other components on
the circuit board, recesses or slots must be formed on the
particular plate heat pipe. Thus, the manufacturing difficulty of
the particular plate heat pipe as well as costs are increasing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] To overcome the described deficiencies with the conventional
skills, the present invention provides a heat dissipation module
and a supporting element thereof capable of solving the problems
such as external force influenced structural deformation, damage
caused by temperature expansion and wick structure damage, and
increasing potential application of the heat dissipation module in
different fields.
[0011] To achieve the purposes above, a supporting element for
accommodating a two-phase heat exchange device is provided. The
supporting element includes a main body including a bottom part and
at least two sidewall parts. An accommodating space is formed by
the bottom part and the sidewall parts of the main body to receive
the two-phase heat exchange device, the received two-phase heat
exchange device is attached to the bottom part of the main body,
and a welding material is further provided between the bottom part
of the main body and the received two-phase heat exchange
device.
[0012] Further, a heat dissipation module is provided. The heat
dissipation module includes a heat sink, a two-phase heat exchange
device and a supporting element. The two-phase heat exchange device
is located between the supporting element and the heat sink. The
supporting element utilized for receiving the two-phase heat
exchange device includes a main body. The main body of the
supporting element includes a bottom part and at least two sidewall
parts. An accommodating space is formed by the bottom part and the
sidewall parts of the main body of the supporting element to
receive the two-phase heat exchange device, and the received
two-phase heat exchange device is attached to the bottom part of
the main body of the supporting element.
[0013] A welding material is provided between the bottom part of
the main body of the supporting element and the two-phase heat
exchange device by coating. The bottom part of the main body of the
supporting element includes an opening for exposing the two-phase
heat exchange device. Further, the opening of the bottom part of
the main body of the supporting element is externally connected to
a heat-conductive body that contacts with the two-phase heat
exchange device. The heat-conductive body can be a heat pipe, a
heat post or a solid metallic block. The supporting element or the
heat-conductive body contacts with a heat source. The main body of
the supporting element further includes at least two locking
elements disposed beside the sidewall parts, respectively. The
locking elements of the main body of the supporting element include
a plurality of holes penetrated by an external fastener, so that
the supporting element can be connected on a heat source.
[0014] A detailed description is given in the following embodiments
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The present invention can be more fully understood by
reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with
references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional plate heat pipe
applied with a heat sink;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a heat dissipation module
according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the heat dissipation module in
FIG. 2;
[0019] FIG. 4A is an exploded view of a heat dissipation module
according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein
the heat sink is different from that in FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 4B shows, when all components of the heat dissipation
module in FIG. 4A are assembled, a sectional structure of the
assembled heat dissipation module with respect to line (A-A') in
FIG. 4A;
[0021] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a heat dissipation module
according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein
the heat dissipation module includes a supporting element, a
two-phase heat exchange device and a heat sink, and all of the
supporting element, the two-phase heat exchange device and the heat
sink have relative sloped bottoms;
[0022] FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a heat dissipation module
according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein
the heat dissipation module is provided with a fan disposed beside
a heat sink; and
[0023] FIG. 6B is a schematic view showing the assembled heat
dissipation module of FIG. 6A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] The following description is of the best-contemplated mode
of carrying out the present invention. This description is made for
the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present
invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of
the present invention is best determined by reference to the
appended claims.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a heat dissipation module 2
according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The heat
dissipation module 2 includes a supporting element 20, a two-phase
heat exchange device 21 and a heat sink 23. The two-phase heat
exchange device 21 is disposed between the supporting element 20
and the heat sink 23, and the received two-phase heat exchange
device 21 is vertically abutted against the supporting element 20
and the heat sink 23. Note that the heat dissipation module 2 in
FIG. 2 is inversely placed, thus, the relationship of the heat
dissipation module 2 with respect to a heat source (not shown in
FIGs.) can be clearly presented. That is, the bottom part 202 of
the supporting element 20 of the heat dissipation module 2 is
disposed on the heat source in the actual application. In this
embodiment, the two-phase heat exchange device 21 is a plate heat
pipe.
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 simultaneously, FIG. 3 is an
exploded view of the heat dissipation module 2 in FIG. 2. The
supporting element 20 includes a main body 201. The main body 201
of the supporting element 20 includes the bottom part 202 and at
least two sidewall parts 203 located at the periphery of the bottom
part 202. In this embodiment, the main body 201 of the supporting
element 20 is provided with four sidewall parts 203 configured into
two sets of two opposite sidewall parts 203. An accommodating space
204 is formed by the bottom part 202 and the sidewall parts 203 of
the main body 201 of the supporting element 20 to receive the
two-phase heat exchange device 21. In the assembling of the heat
dissipation module 2, the received two-phase heat exchange device
21 is attached to the bottom part 202 of the main body 201 of the
supporting element 20, and a welding material is provided between
the bottom part 202 of the main body 201 of the supporting element
20 and the received two-phase heat exchange device 21 by coating,
thus, heat resistance can be reduced and heat dissipation
efficiency can be increased.
[0027] The two-phase heat exchange device 21 is a plate heat pipe
with a working fluid, such as water, therein. A wick structure is
formed on an inner surface of the two-phase heat exchange device
21, and the material of the wick structure is metal, alloy or a
porous non-metallic material. When the received working fluid
absorbs heats at a vaporizing end of the two-phase heat-exchange
device 21, the working fluid is transformationally vaporized into a
gaseous phase state, thereby transferring heats away from a
designated heat source. Further, when the gasified working fluid is
transformationally condensed into a liquid phase state at a
condensing end of the two-phase heat exchange device 21, the
liquefied working fluid flows back to the vaporizing end via the
wick structure, thereby being recycled to rapidly transmit heats
continuously.
[0028] Further, the bottom part 202 of the main body 201 of the
supporting element 20 has an opening 205 for partially exposing the
received two-phase heat exchange device 21, and a heat-conductive
body 206 is externally connected to the opening 205 of the bottom
part 202 of the main body 201 of the supporting element 20 to
contact the received two-phase heat exchange device 21. In this
embodiment, the heat-conductive body 206 can be a heat pipe, a heat
column or a solid metallic block. The bottom part 202 of the
supporting element 20 of the heat dissipation module 2 that
directly contacts onto the heat source, or the heat dissipation
module 2 can perform heat exchange by contact of the
heat-conductive body 206 and the heat source.
[0029] Furthermore, the main body 201 of the supporting element 20
has at least two locking elements 207 disposed beside the sidewall
parts 203, respectively, so that the supporting element 20 can be
fixed on the heat source. The main body 201 and the locking
elements 207 are integrally formed as a single piece or serve as
two separated components to be assembled. In this embodiment, the
locking elements 207 of the main body 201 of the supporting element
20 are holes penetrated by an external fastener (e.g. a screw), and
the heat source can be a high thermal-radially electronic component
such as a central processing unit (CPU), a transistor, a server, a
high-level graphic card, a hard drive, a power supply, a vehicle
controlling system, a multimedia electronic mechanism, a wireless
correspondence station or a high-level game player.
[0030] Because the supporting element 20 is disposed between the
heat source and the two-phase heat exchange device 21, the
two-phase heat exchange device 21 is fully and straightly attached
to one side of the bottom part 202 of the supporting element 20
when the two-phase heat exchange device 21 is received in the
supporting element 20, and the other side of the bottom part 202 of
the supporting element 20 contacts with the heat source. In this
embodiment, the received two-phase heat exchange device 21 is
vertically abutted and sandwiched between the heat sink 23 and the
supporting element 20. Also, the surface of the two-phase heat
exchange device 21 is connected to the supporting element 20 by
welding, so that the two-phase heat exchange device 21 is capable
of bearing a larger pressure, even if the two-phase heat exchange
device 21 is not uniformly pressured by external forces or is
influenced by expanding when hot and shrinking when cold, the
problems such as deformation, poor appearance and loosening
attachment in conventional plate heat pipes can be solved, and the
uniformity of the wick structure located on the inner surface of
the two-phase heat exchange device 21 can still be retained for
increasing heat dissipation efficiency for the heat dissipation
module 2.
[0031] Additionally, the shape of the opening 205 of the bottom
part 202 of the main body 201 of the supporting element 20 can be
correspondingly varied according to the profile of the heat source
to be applied. Compared to the conventional plate heat pipe (which
additionally needs to be formed with a particular shape by a
special mold), it should be noted that the structure of the
two-phase heat exchange device 21 of the embodiment does not need
to be changed with respect to the heat source to be applied. Thus,
competitiveness of the heat dissipation module of the embodiment is
increased, and the costs of the manufacturing process and the
special mold thereof can be saved.
[0032] However, the heat dissipation module of the present
invention is not limited thereto. For example, FIG. 4A is an
exploded view of a heat dissipation module 4 according to a second
embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B shows, when all
components of the heat dissipation module 4 in FIG. 4A are
assembled, a sectional structure of the assembled heat dissipation
module 4 with respect to line A-A' in FIG. 4A. The heat dissipation
module 4 includes a supporting element 40 having an opening 405, a
two-phase heat exchange device 41, and a heat sink 43 provided with
two different types of fins 431 and 432. The biggest difference
between the heat dissipation module 2 of FIG. 2 and the heat
dissipation module 4 of FIG. 4A is on their heat sinks. All fins of
the heat sink 23 of the heat dissipation module 2 are similar, but
the fins of the heat sink 43 of the heat dissipation module 4 are
divided into two kinds. That is to say, the amount, arrangement and
orientation of the fins 431 and 432 of the heat sink 43 can be
designed on the basis of actual requirements. In FIG. 4B, the
two-phase heat exchange device 41 received in the supporting
element 40 is partially protruded along the opening 405 of the
supporting element 40, so that the two-phase heat exchange device
41 can directly contact with the heat source (not shown) under the
supporting element 40.
[0033] Further, the shapes of the supporting element, the two-phase
heat exchange device and the heat sink can be designed to satisfy
the spatial configuration of the actual components, and the shapes
of the supporting element, the two-phase heat exchange device and
the heat sink are mutually corresponding.
[0034] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a heat dissipation module 5
according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The heat
dissipation module 5 has a supporting element 50, a two-phase heat
exchange device 51 and a heat sink 53. In order to meet the profile
of the heat source and prevent from interfering with other
components on the circuit board, all of the supporting element 50,
the two-phase heat exchange device 51 and the heat sink 53 have
relative sloped bottoms. That is, the supporting element 50 has a
sloped bottom 5000, the heat sink 53 has a sloped bottom 5300, and
the two-phase heat exchange device 51 have a sloped bottom which
has one top sloped surface 5110 and one bottom sloped surface 5120,
respectively corresponding to the sloped bottom 5300 of the heat
sink 53 and sloped bottom 5000 of the supporting element 50. As the
results, the received two-phase heat exchange device 51 can still
be vertically abutted against the supporting element 50 and the
heat sink 53 when the supporting element 50, the two-phase heat
exchange device 51 and the heat sink 53 are assembled.
[0035] FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a heat dissipation module 6
according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
6B is a schematic view showing the assembled heat dissipation
module 6 of FIG. 6A. The heat dissipation module 6 includes a
supporting element 60 having at least one opening 600, a two-phase
heat exchange device 61, a metallic seat 62, a heat sink 63, a fan
64, and an outer case 65 having an inlet 67a and an outlet 67b
formed at a side thereof. The supporting element 60, the two-phase
heat exchange device 61, the metallic seat 62, the heat sink 63 and
the fan 64 are received in the outer case 65. The fan 64 disposed
beside the heat sink 63 generates airflow to laterally blow the
heat sink 63, thus, the heat dissipation efficiency can be
increased. The locations of the inlet 67a and the outlet 67b of the
outer case 65 correspond to the fan 64 disposed beside the heat
sink 63. Pluralities of limit posts 66 are disposed at two sides of
the supporting element 60. When the two-phase heat exchange device
61, the heat sink 63 and the supporting element 60 are assembled,
the two-phase heat exchange device 61 and the heat sink 63 can be
prevented from lateral movement by the limit posts 66. The metallic
seat 62 directly contacts with the two-phase heat exchange device
61 via the opening 600 of the supporting element 60. When the heat
dissipation module 6 is disposed on a heat source (not shown in
FIGs.) by contacting the metallic seat 62 thereon, heats generated
by the heat source can be conducted away by the metallic seat 62
and then expelled by the two-phase heat exchange device 61 and the
fan 64. Thus, heat dissipation efficiency is increased.
[0036] Based on the described features of the embodiments, the
present invention solves the problems of such as external force
influenced structural deformation, damage caused by temperature
expansion and wick structure damage, and thus an additional cost
for a special mold utilized for forming a particular shape of a
two-phase heat exchange device with respect to the heat source can
be saved. Also, the potential application of the heat dissipation
module in different fields is increased.
[0037] While the present invention has been described by way of
example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be
understood that the present invention is not limited to the
disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover
various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be
apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the
appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so
as to encompass all such modifications and similar
arrangements.
* * * * *