U.S. patent application number 15/801774 was filed with the patent office on 2018-05-03 for support frame with integrated phase change material for thermal management.
The applicant listed for this patent is Futurewei Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Qian Han.
Application Number | 20180120911 15/801774 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55746140 |
Filed Date | 2018-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180120911 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Han; Qian |
May 3, 2018 |
SUPPORT FRAME WITH INTEGRATED PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL FOR THERMAL
MANAGEMENT
Abstract
The invention is directed to a novel solution to providing heat
management and cooling to electronic devices. According to various
embodiments, heat produced during the operation of the processing
components in the computing device is absorbed by heat management
features integrated within a supporting mid-frame. The heat
management features include phase changing materials that allow the
processing components to be kept at an isothermal state through
changes in phase, thereby prolonging the duration of time in which
the processing components can operate at high performance levels
without the need to throttle the performance
Inventors: |
Han; Qian; (San Diego,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Futurewei Technologies, Inc. |
Plano |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55746140 |
Appl. No.: |
15/801774 |
Filed: |
November 2, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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14515138 |
Oct 15, 2014 |
9836100 |
|
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15801774 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 17/55 20130101;
H01L 23/4275 20130101; G03B 15/05 20130101; H05K 9/0024 20130101;
G06F 1/203 20130101; G06F 1/1626 20130101; G06F 2200/201 20130101;
H05K 7/2029 20130101; H05K 7/20509 20130101; H01L 23/427
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/20 20060101
G06F001/20; H05K 7/20 20060101 H05K007/20; H01L 23/427 20060101
H01L023/427; H05K 9/00 20060101 H05K009/00; G03B 17/55 20060101
G03B017/55 |
Claims
1. A mobile computing device, comprising: a front panel; a back
panel; and a monolithic mid-frame disposed between the front panel
and the back panel, wherein the mid-frame includes a structure of a
phase change material, and wherein the mid-frame is configured to
provide mechanical support for one or both of the front panel and
back panel.
2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, including a heat
spreader positioned within the mid-frame next to the phase change
material.
3. The mobile computing device of claim 2, wherein the heat
spreader includes graphite.
4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, including: an electrical
component that generates heat positioned within the mobile
computing device; and a heat spreader external to the mainframe and
positioned between the mid-frame and the electrical component that
generates heat.
5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, including one or more
processing components and a monolithic radio wave shield positioned
adjacent to the one or more processing components, wherein the
radio wave shield includes a closed cavity filled with the phase
change material.
6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, including: a
rechargeable battery; and a monolithic battery cover positioned
adjacent to the rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable
battery cover includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change
material.
7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, including a camera
module within the front panel, wherein the front panel includes a
closed cavity filled with the phase change material.
8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the phase change
material is a solid-liquid phase change material and the structure
of the phase change material is a closed cavity containing phase
change material in a uniform slab shape.
9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the structure of
the phase change material is a closed cavity containing a sheet of
crystalline to amorphous phase change material.
10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the phase
change material has a higher latent heat capacity than a material
comprising the mid-frame.
11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the mobile
computing device is a mobile telephone.
12. A mobile computing device, comprising: a front panel; a back
panel; one or more computer processing components including
firmware; and a monolithic mid-frame disposed between the front
panel and the back panel, wherein the mid-frame includes a
structure of a phase change material, and wherein the mid-frame is
configured to provide mechanical support for the one or more
computer processing components, wherein the firmware is configured
to throttle a performance level of the one or more computer
processing components when the heat generated by the component
exceeds a temperature higher than a phase change temperature of the
phase change material.
13. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the firmware
is configured to throttle a performance level of the one or more
computer processing components when the heat generated by the
component exceeds a temperature higher than the phase change
temperature of the phase change material and less than a
temperature rating of the one or more computer processing
components.
14. The mobile computing device of claim 12, including a heat
spreader positioned within the mid-frame next to the phase change
material.
15. The mobile computing device of claim 12, including a heat
spreader external to the mainframe and positioned between the
mid-frame and the one or more computer processing components.
16. The mobile computing device of claim 12, including one or more
monolithic radio wave shields positioned adjacent to the one or
more processing components, wherein the one or more radio wave
shields includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change
material.
17. The mobile computing device of claim 12, including: a
rechargeable battery; and a monolithic battery cover positioned
adjacent to the rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable
battery cover includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change
material.
18. An apparatus of a mobile computing device, the apparatus
comprising: a monolithic mid-frame including a closed cavity filled
with a phase change material, wherein the mid-frame provides
mechanical support to one or more components of the mobile
computing device; and a heat spreader positioned within the
mid-frame next to the phase change material.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the phase change material is
a solid-liquid phase change material and has a uniform slab
shape.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the phase change material
includes a sheet of crystalline-to-amorphous phase change material.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This Application is a continuation of, and claims the
benefit of priority to, U.S. application Ser. No. 14/515,138, filed
on Oct. 15, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The prevailing design methodology of mobile computing
devices (such as smart phones, tablets devices, netbooks, personal
data assistants, portable media devices, wearable devices, etc.)
emphasizes slimmer profiles while offering ever increasing
processing and image rendering capabilities and larger display
sizes. As a natural result of minimizing the width or thickness of
the underlying mobile computing devices, a similar trend of
minimizing the height of the internal modules has developed out of
necessity.
[0003] A common implementation of a mobile computing device
includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more
processing elements. The distinct lack of internal space due to the
smaller form factor not only makes heat dissipation more critical,
but also presents additional challenges for heat distribution and
dispersal. Moreover, other components (such as camera modules,
battery modules, etc.) also generate heat during operation. A
popular solution for managing heat levels in mobile computing
devices is through the use of performance throttling.
[0004] Performance throttling is performed by intentionally
limiting or reducing performance levels of components in a system
below the highest possible level(s) in order to reduce a heat
generated during operation/usage. Typically, a component such as a
processor is able to operate at the highest possible rates (e.g.,
processing frequencies) for a relatively short period. When the
heat (as determined by sensors) generated by the processor due to
operation exceeds a threshold, operating rates are throttled to
reduce the heat produced commensurately. Typically, the threshold
at which the performance is throttled corresponds to a higher level
of risk with respect to user comfort, or to comply with safe
operating limits with respect to the component. However, throttling
the performance can negatively impact user experience, since
performance levels are reduced, sometimes perceptibly.
[0005] To address the throttling issue, recently proposed solutions
have incorporated materials with phase changing properties for
thermal management. Proposed implementations include heat sink fins
interspersed with portions of phase change material, compositions
that mix phase change materials with other materials for structural
effect, and adhering phase change materials on system-on-chips.
However, the proposed solutions each present different issues that
may be less than ideal. For example, heat sink fins interspersed
with phase change materials would be limited to phase change
materials with significantly high melting points, as liquids would
not be bound by such a structure, and may leak or otherwise escape
from between the heat sink fins. Meanwhile, phase change materials
mixed with materials for structural effect (typically graphite or
other such compositions) are often mixed with materials that do not
exhibit the same thermal properties. Typically, the materials have
less ideal thermal properties, such as less heat absorption
efficiency. As such, the efficacy of these solutions can be
significantly less than solutions where the phase change material
is unadulterated. Likewise, adhering phase change materials on
system-on-chips would require additional steps, such as
encapsulating the phase change materials in molding compounds that
would increase the height of such structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the invention, nor is it
intended to be used to limit the scope of the invention.
[0007] An aspect of the present invention proposes a system for
absorbing and managing heat in a computing device using heat
management features directly integrated within a support structure
or panel. According to these embodiments, a support panel is
provided with integrated heat management features as a sheet or
block of phase change material (PCM). The heat absorption of the
support structure is improved through the integration of the heat
management features, since the features will typically have
significantly higher latent heat capacitance than the composition
of the underlying frame/support structure.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
mobile consumer electronics device--such as a mobile phone,
wearable computing device, or tablet--is provided with a mid-frame
panel that provides structural and mechanical support to the device
while also absorbing heat produced by neighboring components in the
computing device to achieve a more even temperature profile.
According to these embodiments, heat produced during the operation
of the processing components in the computing device is absorbed by
heat management features integrated within the mid-frame. In an
embodiment, the heat management features include a structure (e.g.,
a sheet or block) of a solid-liquid phase change material. The
phase change material absorbs the heat produced by the processing
components. When the heat exceeds the melting point of the phase
change material, the phase change material melts to absorb
additional heat, keeping the processing components isothermal or
nearly isothermal. The phase change material solidifies when
operation of the processing components is discontinued and the
temperature in the system cools. Through the integration of the
phase change material(s), systems with internal performance
throttling mechanisms to reduce heat production may delay
performance throttling, allowing longer periods of high performance
usage.
[0009] According to yet another aspect, a support panel is
described herein with integrated thermal management features that
include phase change materials. In an embodiment, the support panel
is implemented to include a metal frame with the thermal management
features fully integrated with the panel as a single discrete and
contiguous unit. Changes in phase (e.g., solid to liquid) of the
thermal management features are contained within the metal
frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and form a
part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments.
Together with the description, the drawings serve to explain the
principles of the embodiments:
[0011] FIG. 1 depicts a first exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 depicts a second exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 depicts a third exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 depicts a fourth exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 depicts a fifth exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 depicts a three-dimensional view of an exemplary
mid-frame of a mobile computing device with integrated heat
management features, in accordance with various embodiments of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary back panel of a mobile computing
device with integrated heat management features, in accordance with
various embodiments of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 8 depicts a flowchart for manufacturing a mobile
computing device with integrated heat management features, in
accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the invention, a method and system for the use of a
reputation service provider, examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in
conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood
that they are not intended to be limit to these embodiments. On the
contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives,
modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the
spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.
[0020] Furthermore, in the following detailed descriptions of
embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set
forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
invention. However, it will be recognized by one of ordinary skill
in the art that the invention may be practiced without these
specific details. In other instances, well known methods,
procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in
detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the
invention.
[0021] Some portions of the detailed descriptions that follow are
presented in terms of procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing,
and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits that
can be performed on computer memory. These descriptions and
representations are the means used by those skilled in the data
processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their
work to others skilled in the art. A procedure, computer generated
step, logic block, process, etc., is here, and generally, conceived
to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading
to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical
manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not
necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or
magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined,
compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has
proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common
usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements,
symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.
[0022] It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and
similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical
quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these
quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from
the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the
present invention, discussions utilizing terms such as "storing,"
"creating," "protecting," "receiving," "encrypting," "decrypting,"
"destroying," or the like, refer to the action and processes of a
computer system or integrated circuit, or similar electronic
computing device, including an embedded system, that manipulates
and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities
within the computer system's registers and memories into other data
similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer
system memories or registers or other such information storage,
transmission or display devices.
[0023] Embodiments of the invention are directed to solutions for
delaying performance throttling in computing devices by using heat
management features integrated with a mid-frame support panel. By
fully integrating the heat management features within the support
panel, performance throttling due to excessive heat may be delayed
by maintaining isothermal conditions in mobile computing devices
for longer durations.
Integrated Phase Changing Materials
[0024] FIG. 1 represents a profile of a first exemplary component
layer stack 100 in a mobile computing device, according to
embodiments of the invention. The mobile computing device may be
implemented as, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet device, a
netbook, a laptop device, a video game console, a personal data
assistant, a media player, a wearable computing device, or any
computing system or mobile computing device where heat is a
concern, heat management is an interest, and/or a slimmer profile
may be desirable. As depicted in FIG. 1, a component layer stack
100 includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) 101 that houses
various components that collectively perform a significant portion
(if not all) of the processing and rendering in the computing
device. These components may include processors, including but not
limited to: one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or
more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more application
processors (APs, and one or more special purpose processors.
According to further embodiments, these components may also include
memory devices (flash memory, RAM) and power amplification
devices.
[0025] According to one or more embodiments, the PCB 101 may be
centrally positioned (with respect to height or thickness) within
the component layer stack 100, between a front panel (collectively
including, for example, a sensor array layer 115 and display panel
117), and a back panel (collective including, for example, a back
cover 119 and a battery cover 121). The sensor array layer 115 may
also include a camera module consisting of one or more camera lens
and shutter devices. Sensor array layer 115 may also comprise a two
dimensional array of one or more sensor devices configured to
detect touch gestures and contact. In one or more embodiments, the
display panel 117 may be implemented as a liquid crystal display
(LCD), for example. Component layer stack 100 may also include a
rechargeable power source such as a battery 107, positioned on or
near the same vertical plane as the PCB, i.e., likewise positioned
between the front and back panels.
[0026] According to some embodiments, the component layer stack 100
may include one or more shield layers 105 configured to shield,
obstruct, or block radio waves from reaching the components of the
PCB 101. Other components of the computer layer stack 100 may
include a second, alternate, or supplementary "flex" PCB 109 for
additional processing, rendering, or memory storage, a speaker
module 113, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card reader 111
used for identification of subscribers in certain cellular data
networks.
[0027] As depicted in FIG. 1, a component layer stack 100 also
includes a mid-frame 103 that provides mechanical and structural
support for the component layer stack 100. Mid-frame 103 may be
implemented as, for example, a metal frame consisting of a rigid
metal or metallic alloy material. According to embodiments of the
invention, one or more heat management structures 123 are
intrinsically integrated within the mid-frame 103. The heat
management structures 123 may be implemented as, for example, one
or more structures of a phase change material (PCM) that are
operable to absorb heat produced by proximate processing components
(of the PCB 101 for example).
[0028] In one or more further embodiments, the heat management
structures 123 may also include one or more heat spreaders that
work with the phase change material to more evenly distribute the
absorbed heat and to eliminate hot spots. In one or more
embodiments, the heat spreader can be comprised of graphite or
other such material with relatively high thermal conductivity. In
one or more embodiments, the one or more heat spreaders may be
positioned within the mid-frame 103, next to the phase change
material, for example. In one or more alternate embodiments, the
one or more heat spreaders may be affixed to the mid-frame 103 and
between the mid-frame 103 and the processing components of the PCB
101.
[0029] In one or more embodiments, the heat management structures
123 are entirely integrated within the mid-frame 103 such that no
portion of the heat management structures 123 extends or protrudes
beyond the dimensions of the mid-frame structure 103, thereby
providing heat management capability without compromising the
profile of the mobile computing device. In further embodiments, the
heat management structures 123 may be implemented from phase change
materials such as: solid-liquid phase change materials,
liquid-vapor phase change materials; and crystalline to amorphous
structure phase change materials. According to one or more
embodiments, the latent heat capacity of the PCM is substantially
high. Other desirable qualities exhibited by a PCM according to
embodiments of the invention include high thermal conductivity, low
thermal expansion, and high specific heat. According to these
embodiments, via the integration of the phase change materials, the
supporting mid-frame 103 allows adjacent components (such as the
PCB 101) to remain isothermal or substantially isothermal, through
the phase change of the PCM (e.g., melting of the solid-liquid PCM,
vaporization of the liquid-vapor PCM, and liquefying of the
crystalline to amorphous structure PCM).
[0030] In one or more embodiments, firmware executing in various
components of the component layer stack 100 are configured to
throttle the performance of the corresponding component when heat
produced during operation of a mobile computing device comprising
the component layer stack 100 exceeds a pre-determined threshold.
Components performing at higher levels naturally produce higher
temperatures, and may be reduced or capped at a performance level
below the highest performance level possible when the generated
heat threshold is reached or exceeded. A threshold may correspond,
for example, to a temperature at which the palpable heat emanating
from the device becomes noticeable and/or uncomfortable for a user
of the device. An alternate threshold may correspond to the upper
range of safe operating limits corresponding to the particular
component (e.g., as provided by the component's manufacturer).
[0031] Through the integration of the phase change materials within
the mid-frame, the heat produced during operation can be absorbed
for a portion (or entirety, depending on use) of the device's
operation, with throttling of the performance being delayed or
eliminated entirely. This allows the mobile computing device to
maintain high performance levels longer than conventional
implementations while maintaining the same vertical profile as just
the frame itself. Other advantages include a shorter thermal
transfer path from the PCB to the mid-frame by eliminating the
thermal resistance of the solder or thermal adhesive. An additional
benefit to such an implementation can be realized during assembly
and testing since the risk of the heat management structures being
peeled or scraped off during assembly, testing, and/or real
application can be avoided.
[0032] FIG. 2 depicts a second exemplary component layer stack 200
of a mobile computing device, in accordance with various
embodiments of the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 2, the
second exemplary component layer stack 200 also includes a PCB 201,
a front panel (collectively including, for example, a sensor array
layer 215 and display panel 217); a back panel (collective
including, for example, a back cover 219 and a battery cover 221);
a rechargeable power source such as a battery 207; and one or more
shield layers 205. Other components of the computer layer stack 200
may include a second, alternate, or supplementary "flex" PCB 209, a
speaker module 213, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card
reader 211. As depicted in FIG. 2, a component layer stack 200 also
includes a mid-frame 203 and one or more heat management structures
223a are intrinsically integrated within the mid-frame 203.
[0033] In an embodiment, each of the elements 201-223 is similar to
like numbered elements (e.g., 101-123) described above with respect
to FIG. 1.
[0034] In one or more embodiments, a component layer stack 200 also
includes heat management structures 223b integrated in the battery
cover 221. According to such embodiments, heat produced during the
operation of the battery 207 is absorbed by the heat management
structures 223b such that the battery 207 may remain isothermal or
substantially isothermal. The heat management structures 223b may
be implemented as, for example, one or more structures of a phase
change material (PCM), such as one or more sheets, slabs, or
blocks. In an alternate embodiment, heat management structures 223b
may be used in lieu of, rather than in addition to, heat management
structures 223a within the mid-frame 203.
[0035] FIG. 3 depicts a third exemplary component layer stack 300
of a mobile computing device, in accordance with various
embodiments of the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 3, the
third exemplary component layer stack 300 also includes a PCB 301,
a front panel (collectively including, for example, a sensor array
layer 315 and display panel 317); a back panel (collective
including, for example, a back cover 319 and a battery cover 321);
a rechargeable power source such as a battery 307; and one or more
shield layers 305. Other components of the computer layer stack 300
may include a second, alternate, or supplementary "flex" PCB 309, a
speaker module 313, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card
reader 311. As depicted in FIG. 3, a component layer stack 300 also
includes a mid-frame 303, with one or more heat management
structures 323a intrinsically integrated within the mid-frame 303.
In an embodiment, each of the elements 301-323a is similar to like
numbered elements (e.g., 101-123) described above with respect to
FIG. 1.
[0036] In one or more embodiments, a component layer stack 300 also
includes heat management structures 323c and 323d integrated in the
shield layers 305. According to such embodiments, heat produced
during the operation of the mobile computing unit is absorbed by
the heat management structures 323c, 323d such that adjacent
components (such as the PCB 301) may remain isothermal or
substantially isothermal. The heat management structures 323c, 323d
may be implemented as, for example, one or more structures of a
phase change material (PCM), such as one or more sheets, slabs, or
blocks. In an alternate embodiment, heat management structures 323c
and 323d may be used in lieu of, rather than in addition to, heat
management structures 323a within the mid-frame 303.
[0037] FIG. 4 depicts a fourth exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 4, the fourth exemplary
component layer stack 400 also includes a PCB 401, a front panel
(collectively including, for example, a sensor array layer 415 and
display panel 417); a back panel (collective including, for
example, a back cover 419 and a battery cover 421); a rechargeable
power source such as a battery 407; and one or more shield layers
405. Other components of the computer layer stack 400 may include a
second, alternate, or supplementary "flex" PCB 409, a speaker
module 413, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card reader 411.
As depicted in FIG. 4, a component layer stack 400 also includes a
mid-frame 403, with one or more heat management structures 423a
intrinsically integrated within the mid-frame 403. In an
embodiment, each of the elements 401-423a is similar to like
numbered elements (e.g., 101-123) described above with respect to
FIG. 1.
[0038] In one or more embodiments, a component layer stack 400 also
includes heat management structures 423e integrated in the front
panel (specifically, the camera module in the sensor array layer
415). In one or more further embodiments, the camera module in the
sensor array layer 415 includes one or more light-emitting diodes
(LED) devices for generating flashes of light (e.g., during flash
photography for example). Other LED devices may be used to provide
a backlight for the display layer 417. According to such
embodiments, heat produced during the operation of the mobile
computing unit (camera module and/or display) is absorbed by the
heat management structures 423e such that adjacent components (such
as the sensor array layer 415 and display panel 417) may remain
isothermal or substantially isothermal. The heat management
structures 423e may be implemented as, for example, one or more
structures of a phase change material (PCM), such as one or more
sheets, slabs, or blocks. In an alternate embodiment, heat
management structures 423e may be used in lieu of, rather than in
addition to, heat management structures 423a within the mid-frame
403.
[0039] FIG. 5 depicts a fifth exemplary component layer stack of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 5, the fifth exemplary
component layer stack 500 also includes a PCB 501, a front panel
(collectively including, for example, a sensor array layer 515 and
display panel 517); a back panel (collective including, for
example, a back cover 519 and a battery cover 521); a rechargeable
power source such as a battery 507; and one or more shield layers
505. Other components of the computer layer stack 500 may include a
second, alternate, or supplementary "flex" PCB 509, a speaker
module 513, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card reader 511; and
a mid-frame 503. As depicted in FIG. 5, one or more heat management
structures 523a, 523b, 523c, 523d, and 523e are intrinsically
integrated within the mid-frame 503, battery cover 521, front panel
(including sensor array/camera module 515), and shielding layers
505, respectively. In an embodiment, each of the elements 501-523a
is similar to like numbered elements (e.g., 101-123) described
above with respect to FIG. 1. Element 523b is similar to like
numbered elements (e.g., 223b) described above with respect to FIG.
2. Elements 523c and 523d are similar to like numbered elements
[0040] FIG. 6 depicts a three-dimensional view 600 of an exemplary
mid-frame 601 in a mobile computing device with integrated heat
management features 603, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 6, the integrated heat
management features 603 consists of a structure (such as a sheet,
slab, or block) of phase change material encased entirely
internally with respect to the mid-frame 601. While depicted in
such a configuration, it is to be understood that the integrated
heat management features are well suited to varying other
compositions. For example, alternate embodiments may be implemented
as a chamber with liquid to vapor phase change materials, or a
structure of crystalline to amorphous structure phase changing
materials.
[0041] FIG. 7 depicts a block diagram 700 of an exemplary back
panel 701 of a mobile computing device. As depicted in FIG. 7, the
back panel 701 may have an integrated structure of thermal phase
change material 703. As discussed in the foregoing descriptions,
the structure may consist of a sheet, slab, block or other
generally flat arrangement sufficient to fit entirely within the
dimensions of the back panel 701. As depicted in FIG. 7, back Panel
701 may include an aperture 705 for a camera module, according to
various embodiments.
[0042] FIG. 8 depicts a flowchart 800 of dissipating heat using
heat management structures integrated within a mid-frame of a
mobile computing device, in accordance with various embodiments of
the present invention. Steps 810-850 describe exemplary steps of
the flowchart 800 in accordance with the various embodiments herein
described.
[0043] In one or more embodiments, a frame structure is formed at
step 810. In an embodiment, the frame structure may comprise a
mechanical support structure, such as a mid-frame, and may be
composed of a metal, such as aluminum. According to alternate
embodiments, the frame structure may be implemented as a shield
layer, a battery cover, or a front panel (including, in some
embodiments, a sensor array and/or camera module). In an
embodiment, the frame structure may be formed as a hollow shell
with a cavity. At step 820, heat management structures are
integrated into the cavity of frame structure. In an embodiment,
the heat management structures may be implemented as a sheet (or
similar physical structure) of one or more phase change materials
(PCMs). As described above, the PCMs may include, but are not
limited to, solid-liquid PCMs, liquid-vapor PCMs, and
crystalline-amorphous structure PCMs. Integrating may be performed
by injecting (in liquid, amorphous, or vapor form) the
corresponding PCM into the cavity of the frame structure formed in
step 810. At 830, the PCM either solidifies (from a liquid),
liquefies (from a vapor), or crystallizes (from an amorphous
structure). The frame structure with the integrated heat management
structures is then positioned at step 840 within the mobile
computing device. Proper positioning depends on the particular
purpose of the frame structure. A frame structure such as a
mid-frame for example, may be disposed over a printed circuit board
(PCB), or both a PCB and a battery. Likewise, a frame structure
implemented as a battery cover may have at least a portion of the
battery cover disposed in contact with a surface of a battery.
Other frame structures may be positioned immediately next to the
particular component(s) for which heat regulation is desirable.
[0044] In the foregoing specification, embodiments have been
described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary
from implementation to implementation. Thus, the sole and exclusive
indicator of what is the invention, and is intended by the
applicant to be the invention, is the set of claims that issue from
this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue,
including any subsequent correction. Hence, no limitation, element,
property, feature, advantage, or attribute that is not expressly
recited in a claim should limit the scope of such claim in any way.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
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