U.S. patent application number 12/482404 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-10 for thermal module.
This patent application is currently assigned to FURUI PRECISE COMPONENT (KUNSHAN) CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to CHING-BAI HWANG, JIN-GONG MENG, ZHI-HUI ZHAO.
Application Number | 20100139895 12/482404 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42229776 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100139895 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HWANG; CHING-BAI ; et
al. |
June 10, 2010 |
THERMAL MODULE
Abstract
A thermal module includes a blower, a fin unit and a heat pipe.
The blower includes a base, a cover, a sidewall between the base
and the cover, and an impeller arranged among the base, the cover
and the sidewall. An air outlet is defined in the sidewall of the
blower. The fin unit is arranged at the air outlet. The heat pipe
has a contacting plate integrally formed with one of the base and
the cover of the blower. The contacting plate of the heat pipe
includes a dissipating surface attaching to the fin unit, and an
absorbing surface with different portions adapted for contacting
with electronic components, wherein the different portions of the
absorbing plate being at different levels.
Inventors: |
HWANG; CHING-BAI; (Tu-Cheng,
TW) ; MENG; JIN-GONG; (Shenzhen City, CN) ;
ZHAO; ZHI-HUI; (Shenzhen City, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PCE INDUSTRY, INC.;ATT. Steven Reiss
288 SOUTH MAYO AVENUE
CITY OF INDUSTRY
CA
91789
US
|
Assignee: |
FURUI PRECISE COMPONENT (KUNSHAN)
CO., LTD.
KunShan
CN
FOXCONN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Tu-Cheng
TW
|
Family ID: |
42229776 |
Appl. No.: |
12/482404 |
Filed: |
June 10, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2924/0002 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 23/467 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101; H01L 23/427 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.26 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/02 20060101
F28D015/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 10, 2008 |
CN |
200810306086.5 |
Claims
1. A thermal module, comprising: a blower comprising a base, a
cover, a sidewall between the base and the cover, and an impeller
arranged among the base, the cover and the sidewall, an air outlet
being defined in the sidewall of the blower; a fin unit arranged at
the air outlet of the blower; and a heat pipe having a contacting
plate integrally formed with one of the base and the cover of the
blower, the contacting plate of the heat pipe comprising a
dissipating surface attaching to the fin unit, and an absorbing
surface having different portions adapted for contacting with
electronic components, the different portions of the absorbing
surface being at different levels.
2. The thermal module of claim 1, wherein the impeller is connected
to the base, and the cover is over the base, the contacting plate
being integrally formed with the cover.
3. The thermal module of claim 1, wherein the impeller is connected
on the base, and the base is over the cover, the contacting plate
being integrally formed with the base.
4. The thermal module of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe further
comprises a top plate arranged on and connected to the contacting
plate through soldering, and a sealed space is defined between the
top plate and the contacting plate.
5. The thermal module of claim 4, wherein a plurality of posts
extend from the contacting plate into the top plate, a through hole
being defined in each post for a fixing member extending
therethrough to assemble the thermal module to the electronic
components.
6. The thermal module of claim 4, wherein at least one protrusion
extends from the contacting plate towards the top plate, at least
one of the portions of the absorbing surface of the contacting
plate being located at the at least one protrusion and being higher
than other portions of the absorbing surface.
7. The thermal module of claim 4, wherein at least one concave is
depressed from the contacting plate, at least one of the portions
of the absorbing surface of the contacting plate being located at
the at least one concave and being lower than other portions of the
absorbing surface.
8. The thermal module of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is
substantially Z-shaped, and comprises a linear-shaped condensation
section and an L-shaped evaporation section, the dissipating
surface of the contacting plate being formed at the condensation
section, the absorbing surface of the contacting plate being formed
at the evaporation section.
9. The thermal module of claim 8, wherein the evaporation section
comprises an elongated portion connected to the condensation
section and an end portion spaced from the condensation section, a
plurality of concaves being depressed from the contacting plate
corresponding to both of the elongated portion and the end portion,
corresponding ones of the portions of the absorbing surface at the
plurality of concaves being lower than at least one of other
portions of the absorbing surface.
10. The thermal module of claim 9, wherein at least one protrusion
extends upwardly from the contacting plate at a position
corresponding to the elongated portion, a corresponding one of the
portions the absorbing surface at the at least one protrusion being
higher than at least one of other portions of the absorbing
surface.
11. A thermal module, comprising: a blower comprising a base, a
cover parallel to the base, a sidewall interconnecting outer
peripheries of the base and the cover, and an impeller arranged
among the base, the cover and the sidewall, the sidewall defining
an air outlet therein, the impeller being rotatably connected to
the base; a fin unit arranged at the air outlet of the blower; and
a heat pipe comprising a first plate and a second plate connected
together, the second plate attaching to the fin unit and integrally
formed with one of the base and the cover of the blower.
12. The thermal module of claim 11, wherein the base is over the
cover, and the second plate is integrally formed with the base.
13. The thermal module of claim 11, wherein the cover is over the
base, and the second plate is integrally formed with the cover.
14. The thermal module of claim 11, wherein at least one concave is
defined in the second plate, and at least one protrusion extends
upwardly from the second plate towards the first plate, a bottom
side of the second plate at the at least one concave being lower
than other part of the bottom side of the second plate and the
bottom side of the second plate at the at least one protrusion
being higher than other part of the bottom side of the second
plate, whereby the bottom side of the second plate can contact with
electronic components with different heights.
15. The thermal module of claim 11, where a plurality of posts
extend from the second plate into the first plate, a through hole
being defined in each post for a fixing member extending
therethrough.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The disclosure generally relates to thermal modules, and
more particularly to a thermal module which can be easily
assembled.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] With continuing development of the electronic technology,
electronic components such as CPUs are generating more and more
heat which is required to be dissipated immediately. A thermal
module is usually adopted for cooling the electronic component.
[0005] Generally, the thermal module includes a blower, a fin unit
arranged at an air outlet of the blower, and a heat pipe. The heat
pipe includes an evaporating section attached to the electronic
component, and a condensing section attached to the fin unit to
transfer heat generated by the electronic component to the heat
sink. The blower generates a forced airflow which flows through the
fin unit to exchange heat with the fin unit, and thus takes away
the heat to outside. To assembly the thermal module, a plate is
usually adopted with one side thereof fixed with a housing of the
blower and another side thereof fixed with the heat pipe. However,
the plate not only increases a weight of the thermal module, but
also increases a size of the thermal module, which conflict with
the requirement for light weight and compactness of the electronic
devices.
[0006] For the foregoing reasons, therefore, there is a need in the
art for a thermal module which overcomes the limitations
described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a thermal module
according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an isometric, exploded view of the thermal module
of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the thermal module
viewed from another aspect.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a thermal module according to
an alternative embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Referring to FIG. 1, a thermal module for dissipating heat
of electronic components of an electronic device according to an
exemplary embodiment includes a blower 10, a fin unit 20 and a heat
pipe 30.
[0012] Referring to FIG. 2, the blower 10 includes a cover 11, a
base 12, a sidewall 13, and an impeller 14. The cover 11 is
substantially square-shaped, with a portion of an edge thereof
being arced. A first air inlet 110 is defined at a central portion
of the cover 11, and is circular. The base 12 has a profile similar
to the cover 11, and is substantially parallel to the cover 11. A
second air inlet 120 is defined in a central portion of the base 12
corresponding to the first air inlet 110. A supporting board 15 is
arranged at a central portion of the second air inlet 120. Three
ribs 16 extend radially and outwardly from the supporting board 15
to the base 12, and divide the second air inlet 120 into three
parts.
[0013] The sidewall 13 is integrally formed with the base 12, and
extends perpendicularly and upwardly from an outer periphery of the
base 12 to an outer periphery of the cover 11. A space 18 is thus
defined among the cover 11, the base 12 and the sidewall 13. An air
outlet 130 is defined in the sidewall 13 of the blower 10. The air
outlet 130 communicates the space 18, and is perpendicular to the
first air inlet 110 and the second air inlet 120. The impeller 14
is received in the space 18, and is rotatably supported by the
supporting board 15. During operation of the blower 10, the
impeller 14 drives surrounding air into the space 18 via the first
air inlet 110 and the second air inlet 120, and then to the air
outlet 130 to form forced airflow after the air is pressurized in
the space 18.
[0014] The fin unit 20 is arranged at the air outlet 130 of the
blower 10. The fin unit 20 includes a plurality of fins 24 stacked
together. A channel 22 is defined between neighboring fins 24
communicating the air outlet 130.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 3, the heat pipe 30 is used for
transferring heat of the electronic components to the fin unit 20
for dissipation. The heat pipe 30 is flat, and has a profile
substantially being Z-shaped. The heat pipe 30 includes an
evaporation section 31 and a condensation section 33 formed at two
ends thereof, respectively. The condensation section 33 is
linear-shaped and attached to a top side of the fin unit 20
closely. The evaporation section 31 is substantially L-shaped, and
includes an elongated portion 310 extending perpendicularly from
the condensation section 33, and an end portion 312 extending
perpendicularly from the elongated portion 310. The end portion 312
is parallel to the condensation section 33. The end portion 312 and
the condensation section 33 are respectively located at opposite
sides and opposite ends of the elongated portion 310 of the heat
pipe 30.
[0016] The heat pipe 30 is formed by soldering two separates
plates, i.e., a top plate 32 and a bottom plate 34, together. Both
of the top plate 32 and bottom plate 34 are made of metallic
material with high heat conduction, such as copper, aluminum or an
alloy thereof. Each of the top plate 32 and the bottom plate 34
includes a main body 322, 342 facing each other, and a flange 324,
344 extending perpendicularly from an outer periphery of the main
body 322, 342 towards the main body 342, 322 of the other one of
the top plate 32 and the bottom plate 34. The flanges 324, 344 of
the top plate 32 and the bottom plate 34 are connected with each
other through soldering, thus to form a chamber 39 between the top
plate 32 and the bottom plate 34 of the heat pipe 30, which
receives a working fluid therein. A wick structure (not shown) can
be arranged in the chamber 39 for enhancing a heat transfer
capability of the heat pipe 30.
[0017] The bottom plate 34 of the heat pipe 30 is integrally formed
with the cover 11 of the blower 10. The elongated portion 310 of
the evaporation section 31 and the condensation section 33 of the
heat pipe 30 are located at two neighboring sides of the cover 11.
A bottom side of the bottom plate 34 includes a dissipating surface
330 corresponding to the condensation section 33, and an absorbing
surface 314 at the evaporation section 310 of the heat pipe 30. The
absorbing surface 314 is adapted for attaching to the electronic
components to absorb heat therefrom, and is divided into several
portions having different levels. The dissipating surface 330 is
flat, and attaches to the top side of the fin unit 20 directly for
dissipating the heat to the fin unit 20.
[0018] A plurality of concaves 341 are depressed downwardly from
the main body 342 of the bottom plate 34, and a protrusion 343
extends upwardly from the main body 342 of the bottom plate 34 with
a height smaller than a depth of the chamber 39. Thus the absorbing
surface 314 of the bottom plate 34 at a position corresponding to
the concaves 341 being lower than other portion thereof, and the
absorbing surface 314 of the bottom plate 34 at a position
corresponding to the protrusion 343 is higher than the other
portion thereof. In this embodiment, there are four concaves 341
formed in the bottom plate 34, in which one concave 341 is defined
in the end portion 312 of the evaporation section 31, one concave
341 is defined in the elongated portion 310 adjacent to the
evaporation section 31, and other two concaves 341 are defined in a
middle of the evaporation section 31. The four concaves 341 are
spaced from each other. The protrusion 343 is formed adjacent to
the middle of the evaporation section 31.
[0019] The protrusion 343 and the concaves 341 are formed
corresponding to the electronic components. It is to be understood
that, a number, a shape and a position of the concave 341 and the
protrusion 343 should be decided according to the arrangement of
electronic components. As the electronic components of the
electronic device usually are arranged close to each other, and
have different heights, thus, the electronic components with lower
heights can be attached to the portions of the absorbing surface
314 tightly, which are located corresponding to the concaves 341 of
the bottom plate 34. On the other hand, the electronic component
with a higher height can be attached to the portion of the
absorbing surface 314 tightly, which is located corresponding to
the protrusion 343 of the bottom plate 34. Therefore, the
evaporation section 31 of the heat pipe 30 with the non-planar
absorbing surface 314 can tightly contact with plural electronic
components with different heights at the same time.
[0020] A plurality of posts 38 each having a through hole 348
therein extend upwardly from the main body 342 of the bottom plate
34. The posts 38 are spaced from each other. The top plate 32
defines a plurality of apertures 328 corresponding to the posts 38
of the bottom plate 34. A diameter of each aperture 328 is
substantially the same as an outer diameter of the corresponding
post 38. When the top plate 32 and the bottom plate 34 are soldered
to form the heat pipe 30, the posts 38 of the bottom plate 34
respectively extend into the apertures 328 of the top plate 32,
thus the space 18 formed in the heat pipe 30 is sealed, and the
working fluid can not leak out from the heat pipe 30.
[0021] Since the heat pipe 30 is integrally formed with the cover
11 of the blower 10, the fin unit 20 is arranged at the air outlet
130 of the blower 10 and attached to the condensation section 33 of
the heat pipe 30, the thermal module is connected together without
extra fixing structures. When assembling the thermal module to the
electronic components, several screws are just needed to extend
through the apertures 328 and the through holes 348 of the heat
pipe 30 into a circuit board on which the electronic components are
mounted. Thus assembly of the thermal module is simple and easy.
After assembled, a weight and a size of the thermal module are not
increased, and thus the electronic device incorporates the thermal
module can have a relatively lower weight and compactness size.
[0022] During operation of the thermal module, the plural
electronic components of the electronic device respectively contact
the portions of the absorbing surface 314 tightly, which are
located corresponding to the concaves 341 and the protrusion 343 of
the heat pipe 30, respectively. Thus, a heat resistance between the
electronic components and the heat pipe 30 is reduced. The heat
generated by the electronic components thus can be quickly absorbed
by the heat pipe 30, and then transferred to the fin unit 20
timely. Finally the blower 10 generates forced airflow to the fin
unit 20 to take away the heat to an outside. Therefore, the thermal
module can cool plural electronic components simultaneously. A heat
dissipation efficiency of the thermal module is enhanced.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a thermal module according to an alternative
embodiment, which includes a blower 40, a fin unit 20 and a heat
pipe 50. The difference between this embodiment and the first
embodiment is that the blower 40 is arranged inverted with a base
42 at a top side of the blower 40. In other words, the base 42 is
arranged over a cover 41 which defines a first air inlet 410. A
sidewall 43 is formed between the base 42 and the cover 41, and
defines an air outlet 430 facing the fin unit 20. Accordingly, a
supporting board 45 is formed at a central portion of the base 42
for rotatably supporting an impeller 44 of the blower 40. A second
air inlet 420 is defined in the base 42 around the supporting board
45, and is divided into three parts by three ribs 46 which connect
the supporting board 45 to the base 42. The heat pipe 50 is
integrally formed with the base 42 of the blower 40; thus, assembly
of the thermal module is also simplified.
[0024] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set
forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the
structure and function of the disclosure, 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 disclosure to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *