U.S. patent application number 12/492195 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-30 for vapor chamber with separator.
Invention is credited to Chieh-Ping Chen, Te-Hsuan Chin, George Anthony. Meyer IV, Chien-Hung Sun.
Application Number | 20100326629 12/492195 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43379454 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100326629 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Meyer IV; George Anthony. ;
et al. |
December 30, 2010 |
VAPOR CHAMBER WITH SEPARATOR
Abstract
A vapor chamber with separator includes shell, capillary tissue,
separator, supporting structure and working fluid. The shell
includes inter-sealed lower and upper shell plates. Partial section
of the lower shell plate projects downwardly and forms
accommodating room therein. The capillary tissue is arranged by
distributing over inner wall of the lower shell plate. The
separator overlapped the capillary tissue is arranged penetrating
trough corresponding to the accommodating room. Liquid passage is
formed between the lower shell plate and the separator. The
supporting structure is accommodated in the shell with upper and
lower sides respectively inter-abutted against the upper shell
plate and the separator. Vapor passage formed between the upper
shell plate and the separator is communicated to the liquid
passage. The working fluid is filled into the shell. Since the
vapor and liquid working fluids are separated by the separator to
avoid interference, the cooling performance is thus boosted.
Inventors: |
Meyer IV; George Anthony.;
(San Jose, CA) ; Sun; Chien-Hung; (Zhongli City,
TW) ; Chen; Chieh-Ping; (Zhongli City, TW) ;
Chin; Te-Hsuan; (Zhongli City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HDLS Patent & Trademark Services
P.O. BOX 220746
CHANTILLY
VA
20153-0746
US
|
Family ID: |
43379454 |
Appl. No.: |
12/492195 |
Filed: |
June 26, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.26 ;
165/104.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28D 15/04 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101; F28D 15/0233 20130101; F28D 15/046 20130101; H01L 23/427
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.26 ;
165/104.33 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Claims
1. A vapor chamber with separator, comprising: a shell, which
includes a lower shell plate and an upper shell plate sealing the
lower shell plate, a partial section of the lower shell plate
projecting downwardly and forming an accommodating room therein; a
capillary tissue, which is arranged by distributing over inner
walls of the lower shell plate; a separator, which is partially
overlapped the capillary tissue and is arranged a penetrating
trough corresponding to the accommodating room, a liquid passage
being formed between the lower shell plate and the separator; a
supporting structure, which is accommodated in the shell with upper
and lower sides respectively inter-abutted against the upper shell
plate and the separator, a vapor passage formed between the upper
shell plate and the separator being communicated to the liquid
passage; and a working fluid, which is filled into the shell.
2. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 1, wherein
the separator is folded downwardly to form a plurality of folded
pieces at a position corresponding to the penetrating trough and
the plural folded pieces are all extended into the accommodating
room.
3. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 2, wherein
end sides of the folded pieces are all abutted against the
capillary tissue.
4. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 3, wherein a
side face of the folded piece is contacted closely to the capillary
tissue.
5. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 4, wherein
the penetrating trough is shown as a rectangular configuration.
6. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 5, wherein
the folded pieces are separately located at two opposite sides of
the penetrating trough.
7. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 1, wherein a
connecting section formed at each of two sides of the separator in
the shell makes the vapor passage and the liquid passage
communicated to each other.
8. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 1, wherein
the supporting structure includes a plurality of corrugated pieces
arrayed by intercrossing to one another.
9. The vapor chamber with separator according to claim 8, wherein a
plurality of through troughs are formed at two sides of the
corrugated piece respectively.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention in general relates to a vapor chamber,
in particular, to a vapor chamber with separator.
[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0004] The quicker computing speed of a computer is, relatively the
more waste heat of computing element (for example, CPU) in computer
generates. How to remove the waste heat from the interior of
computer chassis in time to make computing element operated under
normal temperature has become an issue intended to be addressed
urgently by each manufacturer.
[0005] In order to enhance the cooling performance of computer
chassis, the use of vapor chamber can boost the cooling efficiency
significantly. As a general rule, a prior vapor chamber includes an
upper shell plate, a lower shell plate, a capillary tissue, a
supporting structure and a working fluid. The upper shell plate and
the lower shell plate are inter-sealed to each other, between which
an accommodating space is formed. The capillary tissue is arranged
by distributing over the inner walls of the upper shell plate and
the lower shell plate. The supporting structure is accommodated in
the accommodating space with upper and lower sides respectively
abutted against the capillary tissue. The working fluid is then
filled into the accommodating space.
[0006] Usually, the lower shell plate contacts a heating element,
while the upper shell plate is connected to cooling fins. When the
temperature raises because the lower shell plate contacts the
heating element and the working fluid contained in the
accommodating space absorbs sufficient heat, the working fluid is
changed from liquid phase to vapor phase and flows up to the upper
shell plate, where the temperature is lower, making the working
fluid release heat to the cooling fins. Subsequently, the working
fluid is changed from vapor phase to liquid phase and flows down to
the lower shell plate. And so on, the circulation is continued
until the all waste heat generated from the heating element has
been carried away.
[0007] However, the prior vapor chamber structure still has some
drawbacks in terms of practical usage. Since the phase change
between vapor and liquid occurs in a same accommodating space, it
will substantially happen an interference between the working fluid
in vapor phase flowing upwardly and the working fluid in liquid
phase flowing downwardly, whereby an entire cooling performance of
the vapor chamber is lowered down.
[0008] Accordingly, after a substantially devoted study, in
cooperation with the application of relative academic principles,
the inventor has finally proposed the present invention that is
designed reasonably to possess the capability to improve the
drawbacks of the prior art significantly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention is mainly to provide a vapor chamber with
separator, in which the separator separates the working fluid in
vapor phase from the working fluid in liquid phase in a way, such
that they won't be interfered to each other and the cooling
performance is boosted.
[0010] Secondly, the invention is to provide a vapor chamber with
separator, including a shell, a capillary tissue, a separator, a
supporting structure and a working fluid. The shell includes a
lower shell plate and an upper shell plate sealing the lower shell
plate. Partial section of the lower shell plate projects downwardly
and forms an accommodating room therein. The capillary tissue is
arranged by distributing over inner wall of the lower shell plate.
The separator overlapped the capillary tissue is arranged a
penetrating trough corresponding to the accommodating room. A
liquid passage is formed between the lower shell plate and the
separator. The supporting structure is accommodated in the shell
with upper and lower sides respectively inter-abutted against the
upper shell plate and the separator. A vapor passage formed between
the upper shell plate and the separator is communicated to the
liquid passage. The working fluid is filled into the shell.
[0011] Compared with prior arts, the invention has following
merits. Since the separator separates the working fluid in vapor
phase from the working fluid in liquid phase, the working fluid of
each phase has its own passage to avoid interfering to each other,
reaching the function of boosting cooling performance
significantly. In addition, by arranging folded pieces on the
separator, it can further prevent the working fluid in vapor phase
from flowing in reverse direction into the liquid passage to
generate any interference with the working fluid in liquid
phase.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
[0012] The features of the invention believed to be novel are set
forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention
itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the
following detailed description of the invention, which describes an
exemplary embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective explosive view of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective outer view of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the sectional line
"3-3" in FIG. 2; and
[0016] FIG. 4 is a locally enlarging illustration of "A" part in
FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] In cooperation with attached drawings, the technical
contents and detailed description of the present invention are
described thereinafter according to a preferable embodiment, not
used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and
modification made according to appended claims is all covered by
the claims claimed by the present invention.
[0018] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, respectively showing a
perspective explosive view and a perspective outer view of the
invention. The invention is to provide a vapor chamber 1 with
separator 30, including a shell 10, a capillary tissue 20, a
separator 30, a supporting structure 40 and a working fluid 50
(referring to FIG. 4).
[0019] The shell 10 includes a lower shell plate 11 and an upper
shell plate 12 sealing the lower shell plate 11. Partial section of
the lower shell plate 11 is projected downwardly to form an
accommodating room 111 therein. In this embodiment, the
accommodating room 111 is shown as a rectangular configuration,
however, not limited to this configuration only. The section of the
lower shell plate 11 projected downwardly will contact closely onto
an electronically heating element (not shown in the figures).
[0020] The capillary tissue 20 is distributed over inner walls of
the lower shell plate 11 and the accommodating room 111. The
capillary tissue 20 may be comprised of metallically woven net or
made by powder sintering process, however, not limited to these
only.
[0021] The separator 30 shown as a horizontal plate is partially
overlapped onto the capillary tissue 20. Central portion of the
separator 30 is arranged a penetrating trough 31 shown as a
rectangular configuration corresponding to the accommodating room
111 in a way, such that the accommodating room 111 is communicated
to the upper shell plate 12. In addition, a liquid passage b
(referring to FIG. 4) is formed between the lower shell plate 11
and the separator 30. More specifically, the liquid passage b is
substantially the capillary tissue 20 distributed over the inner
walls of the lower shell plate 11. In addition, the separator 30 is
folded downwardly to form a plurality of folded pieces 32 at a
position corresponding to the penetrating trough 31. The folded
pieces 32 are located at two opposite sides of the penetrating
trough 31 and are extended into the accommodating room 111.
Furthermore, end sides of the folded pieces 32 are all abutted
against the capillary tissue 20 and a side face of the folded
pieces 32 is also contacted closely onto the capillary tissue
20.
[0022] The supporting structure 40 accommodated in the shell 10
includes a plurality of corrugated pieces 41 arrayed by
intercrossing to one another. Two sides of the corrugated piece 41
are respectively formed into a plurality of through troughs 411.
Upper and lower sides of the supporting structure 40 (namely, the
wave crest and the wave trough of the corrugated piece 41) are
respectively inter-abutted against the upper shell plate 12 and the
separator 30. A vapor passage c formed between the upper shell
plate 12 and the separator 30 is communicated to the liquid passage
b. More specifically, the vapor passage c is a passage formed
between the supporting structure 40 and each corrugated piece 41.
The working fluid 50 (referring to FIG. 4) is filled into the shell
10. In addition, a connecting section d is respectively formed at
two sides of the separator 30 in the shell 10, making the vapor
passage c communicated to the liquid passage b.
[0023] Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, respectively showing the
cross-sectional view along "3-3" sectional line in FIG. 2 and the
locally enlarging view of "A" part in FIG. 3. When the vapor
chamber 1 is not heated, the working fluid 50 in liquid phase is
accommodated in the accommodating room 111. When the waste heat of
the electronically heating element (not shown in the figures) is
conducted to the lower shell plate 11 of the vapor chamber 1, the
working fluid 50 in liquid phase will be changed into the working
fluid 50 in vapor phase because the working fluid 50 is heated,
then the working fluid 50 in vapor phase flows up to the vapor
passage c. Flowing through the vapor passage c, the working fluid
50 will release heat penetrating through the upper shell plate 12
and transferred to the outside.
[0024] When the working fluid 50 reaches two sides of the shell 10,
since the working fluid 50 has already released heat, the working
fluid 50 will be changed from vapor phase to liquid phase. Due to
the gravitation and the capillary tissue 20, the working fluid 50
flows back to the accommodating room 111 via the liquid passage b.
Therefore, there is no interference between the working fluids 50
respectively in vapor phase and liquid phase and the cooling
performance of the vapor chamber 1 is not lowered either. In
addition, the operation of the folded pieces 32 is to prevent the
working fluid 50 in vapor phase from flowing in reverse direction
via the liquid passage b, so there is no interference phenomenon
occurring to the working fluid 50 in liquid phase. In addition,
since the side face and the end side of the folded piece 32 are
respectively contacted to and abutted against the capillary tissue
20, so the probability of the working fluid 50 in vapor phase
flowing back to the liquid passage b is reduced significantly.
[0025] Accordingly, through the constitution of aforementioned
assemblies, a vapor chamber with separator according to the
invention is thus obtained.
[0026] Summarizing aforementioned description, the vapor chamber
with separator according to the invention is an indispensably
design for cooling the electrically heating element of computer
indeed, which may positively reach the expected usage objective for
solving the drawbacks of the prior arts, and which extremely
possesses the innovation and progressiveness to completely fulfill
the applying merits of new type patent, according to which the
invention is thereby applied. Please examine the application
carefully and grant it as a formal patent for protecting the rights
of the inventor.
[0027] However, the aforementioned description is only a preferable
embodiment according to the present invention, not used to limit
the patent scope of the invention, so equivalently structural
variation made to the contents of the present invention, for
example, description and drawings, is all covered by the claims
claimed thereinafter.
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