U.S. patent application number 12/793726 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-24 for planar heat pipe.
This patent application is currently assigned to Celsia Technologies Taiwan, Inc.. Invention is credited to David Paul Bono, Chieh-Ping Chen, George Anthony Meyer, IV, Chien-Hung Sun.
Application Number | 20110067844 12/793726 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43755614 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110067844 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Meyer, IV; George Anthony ;
et al. |
March 24, 2011 |
PLANAR HEAT PIPE
Abstract
The planar heat pipe includes a metallic tube composed of two
flat extensions and a shrinked intermediate structure, a wick
structure, a working fluid and a support element. The flat
extensions are separately located at two ends of the metallic tube.
The intermediate structure connects between the flat extensions.
The wick structure is arranged in the metallic tube. The working
fluid is injected in the metallic tube and attached in the wick
structure. The support element is disposed in the metallic tube for
supporting the wick structure.
Inventors: |
Meyer, IV; George Anthony;
(San Jose, CA) ; Sun; Chien-Hung; (Zhongli City,
TW) ; Chen; Chieh-Ping; (Zhongli City, TW) ;
Bono; David Paul; (Zhongli City, TW) |
Assignee: |
Celsia Technologies Taiwan,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
43755614 |
Appl. No.: |
12/793726 |
Filed: |
June 4, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2924/0002 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; F28D 15/0233 20130101; H01L 23/427
20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; F28D 15/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.26 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/04 20060101
F28D015/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 24, 2009 |
TW |
098217637 |
Claims
1. A planar heat pipe comprising: a metallic tube composed of two
flat extensions located at two ends thereof and a shrinked
intermediate structure connecting between the flat extensions; a
wick structure arranged in the metallic tube; a working fluid in
the metallic tube; and a support element in the metallic tube for
supporting the wick structure to attach the metallic tube.
2. The planar heat pipe of claim 1, wherein the metallic tube is
made of copper.
3. The planar heat pipe of claim 1, further comprising two tapering
portions formed between the intermediate structure and the
extensions.
4. The planar heat pipe of claim 1, further comprising a turn
formed in the intermediate structure.
5. The planar heat pipe of claim 1, wherein the intermediate
structure is flat in shape.
6. The planar heat pipe of claim 1, wherein the wick structure is
sintered powder.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The invention generally relates to heat dissipation devices,
particularly to heat pipes.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Integrated circuits (ICs) are broadly applied in various
industrial equipments, measurement instruments and computers. With
the development of electronic industries, ICs work at higher and
higher frequencies and then generate more and more heat. ICs tend
to damage if overheating. Conventional heat dissipation devices
simply employing fins are not enough to satisfy requirement of heat
dissipation of modern ICs. Thus heat pipes become popular in heat
dissipation devices. Conventional heat pipes are tubular in shape
and composed of a metallic tube, a wick structure arranged in the
tube and a working fluid injected in the tube. The heat pipes can
rapidly transfer a large amount of heat by phase change of the
working fluid.
[0005] However, modern electronic devices tend toward lighter,
thinner, shorter and smaller than ever. Conventional heat pipes
become hard to be applied in a limited space. On the other hand, a
heat pipe connecting a heat source to a heat sink usually must make
a turn to evade other components. This situation has the design of
heat dissipation become difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the invention is to provide a planar heat pipe
which can only occupy a flat space and easily evade other
components for increasing the space utilization.
[0007] To accomplish the above object, the planar heat pipe of the
invention includes:
[0008] a metallic tube composed of two flat extensions located at
two ends thereof and a shrinked intermediate structure connecting
between the flat extensions;
[0009] a wick structure arranged in the metallic tube;
[0010] a working fluid in the metallic tube; and
[0011] a support element in the metallic tube for supporting the
wick structure to attach the metallic tube.
[0012] In above structure, the flat extensions can be separately
attached to a heat source and a heat sink. The flat extensions can
be accommodated in a very flat space. And the intermediate
structure can be provided with a turn to evade other
components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 shows the original shape of the metallic tube;
[0014] FIG. 2 shows the metallic tube which has been shrinked;
[0015] FIG. 3 shows the metallic tube which has been pressed into a
flat shape;
[0016] FIG. 4 shows the metallic tube which has been provided with
the wick structure;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the metallic tube with the
support element;
[0018] FIG. 6 shows the metallic tube which has been sealed;
[0019] FIG. 7 shows an application of the planar heat pipe
associated with a heat source; and
[0020] FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The planar heat pipe of the invention includes a metallic
tube 10 composed of two flat extensions 11, 12 and an intermediate
structure 13, a wick structure 20, a working fluid 30 and a support
element 40.
[0022] Please refer to FIG. 1. A circular metallic tube 10 is used
to be an original material of a heat pipe. The metallic tube 10 is
made of material with great thermo-conductivity such as, but not
limited to, copper.
[0023] Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3. The flat extensions 11, 12
are located at two ends of the metallic tube 10 and the
intermediate structure 13 is located between the two flat
extensions 11, 12.
[0024] The intermediate structure 13 is made by a shrink process.
The shrink process can be preferably performed by the tube
spinning. The intermediate structure 13 is elongated with
maintaining a circular cross-section. The intermediate structure 13
still keeps hollow even if it has been elongated. Two tapering
portions 111, 121 are formed between the intermediate structure 13
and the extensions 11, 12. The tapering portions 111, 121 taper
from the extensions 11, 12 to the intermediate structure 13.
[0025] The intermediate structure 13 may be made with a turn to
satisfy real requirements. The embodiment shown in the drawings is
with a turn. As can be seen in FIG. 3, a turn 131 is formed in the
intermediate structure 13. The metallic tube 10 is pressed to
become flat, i.e. the extensions 11, 12, tapering portions 111,
121, intermediate structure 13 and turn 131 are deformed into a
flat shape. This flat shape can make the heat pipe accommodated in
a thin space.
[0026] Please refer to FIGS. 4-6. The wick structure 20 is disposed
in the metallic tube 10 through an opening thereof. The wick
structure 20 attaches an inner side of the metallic tube 10. A gas
passage is remained in the metallic tube 10. The wick structure 20
is made of porous material such as sintered powder.
[0027] The working fluid 30 is injected in the metallic tube 10
through its opening. The working fluid is absorbed by the wick
structure 20 due to the capillary force. The total volume of the
injected working fluid 30 is equal to the total volume of all pores
of the wick structure 20.
[0028] The support element 40 is disposed in the metallic tube 10
to prevent the metallic tube from caving. The support element 40
pushes the wick structure 20 to attach the inner side of the
metallic tube 10.
[0029] The metallic tube 10 must be degassed before its opening is
sealed because the gas inherently filled in the metallic tube 10,
such as air, does not involve the phase change of the working fluid
30. A heat pipe can not work normally if the gas has not been
degassed.
[0030] Please refer to FIGS. 7 and 8. Either of the flat extensions
11, 12 serves as an evaporating section for attaching a heat source
50. The evaporating section can attach the heat source 50 planarly
and tightly due to its flat shape. The other one of the flat
extensions 11, 12 serves as a condensing section for attaching a
fin set 60. The intermediate structure 13 is smaller than the flat
extensions 11, 12 so that it can easily pass through or evade other
components.
[0031] The flat extensions 11, 12 can be easily accommodated in a
limited space such as a laptop computer. On the other hand, the
evaporating section may be further extended to attach more heat
sources. So the manufacturing costs can be reduced.
[0032] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to the foregoing preferred embodiment, it will be
understood that the invention is not limited to the details
thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still
occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the
present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent
modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention
as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *