Patents Examined by Christopher Atkinson
  • Patent number: 6719040
    Abstract: A first intermediate plate 5C adjacent to a heat receiving plate 5A and a second intermediate plate 5D adjacent to the first intermediate plate 5C are provided so that the slit width of the openings (first opening 5a) in the first intermediate plate 5C is wider than that (second opening 5b) in the second intermediate plate 5D. In this way, when the first intermediate plate 5C and the second intermediate 5D are stacked, a tunnel structure is formed in which the opening dimension L3 (the opening dimension of the second openings 5b) of the communicating sections through which the first openings 5a and the second openings 5b communicate with each other is smaller than the length L2 (the opening dimension of the first openings 5a) of the tunnel portions (L2>L3). Therefore, a heat-generating member with large density of heat generation can be effectively cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Sugito, Hiroyuki Osakabe, Shinichi Morihira, Yuhei Kunikata
  • Patent number: 6708754
    Abstract: A flexible heat pipe mainly has a heat pipe disposed between an electronic heat generating component and a heat sink; the middle segment of the said heat pipe is a flexible hose with a capillary structure disposed on the inner tube wall and connects with metal tubes at two ends by means of lashing rings; a flexible heat pipe formed accordingly can be adjusted toward any direction, placed over various parts inside a computer and respectively assembled to the electronic heat generating component as well as the heat sink which is to be mounted in any proper and ventilating area for evenly and rapidly diffusing the heat so as to achieve the effect of space utilization and best heat dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Inventor: Wen-Chen Wei
  • Patent number: 6705390
    Abstract: Tubes 3 are provided substantially upright on an upper surface of a refrigerant container 2 by inserting lower end portions thereof into inserting holes 5 of the refrigerant container 2. The tube 3A, differed from the tubes 3B, has a trumpet shape which is suddenly increased in its passage cross section towards the lower end opening portion. Thus, most of refrigerant vapor boiled and evaporated in the refrigerant container 2 can be collectively introduced into the tube 3A located within the boiling area. The refrigerant vapor entered a header tank 4 from the tube 3A is diffused in the header tank 4, and is introduced into the tubes 3B located out of the boiling area. The condensate produced by cooling the refrigerant vapor upon passing through the tubes 3B can be circulated into the refrigerant container 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takahide Ohara
  • Patent number: 6702003
    Abstract: A three-phase heat transfer structure includes a heat conducting plate, a heat sink mounted on the heat conducting plate near one end, a thermal tube embedded in and extended through two distal ends of the heat conducting plate, and a phase change material filled in recessed receiving spaces in the heat conducting plate near one end remote from the heat sink and adapted to accumulate heat energy absorbed by the heat conducting plate from a heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Quanta Computer Inc.
    Inventors: Feng-Neng Hsiao, Meng-Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 6698502
    Abstract: A cooling device having a high cooling efficiency in a miniature size that is neither influenced by gravity nor restricted in its position of installation. The device exchanges, transports and dissipates heat generated by a heat source. The device includes a coolant storing part for storing liquid coolant, a heat absorbing part including at least one micro channel, the heat absorbing part is closely positioned to the heat generating source and connected to the coolant storing part. The liquid coolant is partly filled in the micro channel by surface tension and vaporized to become a gaseous coolant in the micro channel when heat is absorbed from the heat generating source. The device includes a heat insulating part positioned adjacent to the heat absorbing part to prevent the heat absorbed by the heat absorbing part from transferring to other zones. The device includes a condensing part for condensing the gaseous coolant. The condensing part is positioned apart from the heat absorbing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Inventor: Jung-Hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 6698499
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a heat sink assembly that may also form a housing surrounding a chamber. The housing may be constructed of a plurality of cooling vanes which have elongated openings therebetween allowing air to pass between and cool the vanes. The cooling device operates in an extremely efficient manner, for example, by causing air to pass over the cooling vanes twice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Guy R. Wagner, Arlen L. Roesner
  • Patent number: 6695043
    Abstract: An evaporator has main passages placed in a heat-exchange relationship, an arrangement for forming a pool of the liquid to be evaporated so that it flows through at least a first of the main passages, and a device for introducing a refrigerant into at least a second of the main passages so that evaporation of the liquid is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide - Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Marc Wagner, Jean-Yves Thonnelier, Etienne Werlen, Jean-Renaud Brugerolle, Jean-Yves Lehman
  • Patent number: 6691766
    Abstract: An electronics cooling system in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes an electronics cabinet that is thermally connected with the ground in the vicinity of the cabinet. The cabinet may or may not sit directly on the earth, but the thermal connection is made with the earth below, and in the near vicinity of, the cabinet, thereby employing the earth as a heat sink. In an illustrative embodiment, an enclosed cabinet includes a heat pipe that makes thermal contact with the ground in the immediate vicinity of the electronics cabinet. An electronics cabinet in accordance with the principles of the present invention is particularly suited for use in uncontrolled environments, such as may be encountered by remote telecommunications switches and wireless telecommunications equipment, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Kaveh Azar
  • Patent number: 6688382
    Abstract: A flat, heat exchanger tube formed by rolling metal strip to fold inwardly the lateral edge regions of the strip to provide a tube having parallel, spaced, generally planar upper and lower walls, one of said lateral edge regions being bent to define a longitudinally extending partition wall extending within the tube towards said lower wall, said partition wall including first and second longitudinally extending regions disposed at an angle to one another so as to provide in one face of the partition wall a longitudinally extending recess receiving the free edge portion of the other of said lateral edge regions of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Emerson & Renwick Limited
    Inventor: Colin Hargreaves
  • Patent number: 6681840
    Abstract: Heat dissipation systems and structures which are employed in the cooling of electronic devices and/or semiconductor integrated-circuit chips which are installed in computer and/or communications systems. Moreover, disclosed is a method for implementing the heat dissipation systems and structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence Shungwei Mok
  • Patent number: 6679316
    Abstract: A passive thermal spreader and method of fabrication are disclosed. The passive thermal spreader includes a heat transfer plate formed from laminated plates including an internal sealed thermosyphon defined within the interface of the plates. The preferred embodiment of the passive thermal spreader selected to illustrate the invention includes a pair of distinct thermosyphons defined within the interface of three laminated, stacked plates. Each thermosyphon includes a plurality of channels arranged boustrophedonically. Each of the channels includes an elongate straight portion and an end turn portion for connection to the adjacent channel elongate straight portion. Each elongate straight portion includes a channel divider. The channel divider directly contributes to the high performance of the thermal spreader of the present invention by assisting the transport of the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Lanchao Lin, John E. Leland
  • Patent number: 6675887
    Abstract: A heat pipe assembly comprises a first heat pipe having a condenser and a working fluid. A reservoir communicates with the condenser of the first heat pipe and contains a non-condensable gas which variably permits access of the working fluid to the condenser of the first heat pipe, depending on a pressure of the working fluid. A second heat pipe has an evaporator. At least a portion of the evaporator of the second heat pipe is contained inside of the condenser of the first heat pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Thermal Corp.
    Inventors: Scott D. Garner, G. Yale Eastman
  • Patent number: 6675876
    Abstract: A rotary cooling roller includes outer and inner cylinders, two end plates fixed to both ends of the outer cylinder, and a supporting shaft protruding from the end plates. A cylindrical space, provided between the outer and the inner cylinders, communicates with the inner space of the inner cylinder via through-holes formed in the inner cylinder. A coolant contained is allowed to flow back and forth between the cylindrical space and the inner space of the inner cylinder. Ring-shaped spacers are provided in the cylindrical space for passing an external force exerted on the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sasakura Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kinya Yamashita, Tyuichi Itashiki, Tomohiro Motomura, Kunihiko Minami, Iwao Sawada
  • Patent number: 6672369
    Abstract: A semi-modular rotor module for an air preheater having a circular rotor includes a lug assembly having a lug front, a lug back spaced radially outward from the lug front, and cold end and hot end lug members. The lug front and lug back each extend longitudinally from a first end to a second end, with the cold end lug member being mounted to the first ends of the lug front and the lug back and the hot end lug member being mounted to the second ends of the lug front and the lug back. A single main diaphragm extends radially from an inner end portion to an outer end portion, with the inner end portion being mounted to the lug front on a first side of the lug assembly. The outer end portion is mounted to a rotor shell which is spaced radially outward from the lug back. At least one intermediate diaphragm extends radially from an inner end portion, mounted to the lug back at a position intermediate the first and second sides of the lug assembly, to an outer end portion mounted to the rotor shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Mark E. Brophy, Robin B. Rhodes, Michael Zakel, Jon R. Cowburn
  • Patent number: 6666260
    Abstract: Modular heat sinks utilizing heat pipes to provide a more uniform temperature distribution over a packaged integrated circuit and efficient heat sinking in either free or forced convection environments. The heat sinks utilize both horizontal and vertical heat pipes to transfer heat both horizontally and vertically in the heat sinks. Selection of the number of heat pipes used allows tailoring of the heat sink capabilities for different applications using the same fundamental assemblage of parts. Various embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Mohammad A. Tantoush
  • Patent number: 6659172
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of spaced-apart plates and a plurality of spacers that separate the plates. The plates and spacers cooperate to form hot-side and cold-side passageways. The plates are made of a thermally and electrically conductive material, and the spacers are made of an electrically non-conductive material. A voltage is applied across the plates to electro-hydrodynamically increase heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas MacGregor Dewar, Alexander F. Anderson
  • Patent number: 6648063
    Abstract: Heat pipe wick structure wherein a stout sheet of perforated material overlays a high performance wick material such as stainless steel felt affixed to a substrate. The inventive structure provides a good flow path for working fluid while maintaining durability and structural stability independent of the structure (or lack of structure) associated with the wick material. In one described embodiment, a wick of randomly laid ˜8 micron thickness stainless steel fibers is sintered to a metal substrate and a perforated metal overlay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Charles E. Andraka, Douglas R. Adkins, James B. Moreno, K. Scott Rawlinson, Steven K. Showalter, Timothy A. Moss
  • Patent number: 6640884
    Abstract: A heat sink fastener for securing a heat sink to a CPU holder is constructed to include a stop plate fastened to a transverse groove of the heat sink, the stop plate having longitudinally and transversely extended end notches at the ends and a rectangular locating hole on the middle, a securement member, the securement member having two arched arms engaged into two vertical grooves of the heat sink, the arched arms each having a top notch, which receives one longitudinal end notch of the stop plate, a bottom locating hole, and a hooked end portion hooked in one hook hole of the CPU holder, a spring wire rod, the spring wire rod having two curved ends respectively hooked in the bottom locating holes of the arched arms of the elongated securement member, a U-shaped spring fastened to the rectangular locating hole of the stop plate and engaged into one groove of the heat sink, and a pressure plate fastened to one longitudinal end notch of the stop plate for pressing by the user to force the securement member awa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Inventor: Hung Tsi Liu
  • Patent number: 6640880
    Abstract: A cover for a heat exchange element basket assembly includes a metal sheet and at least one lifting lug. A vertical groove extends inward from the outer surface of the metal sheet. Each lifting lug is a horizontal plate having an opening extending vertically there through, an outer edge, and a shape which is substantially complementary to the cross-sectional profile of the groove. The lifting lug is mounted within the groove, such that the outer edge of the lifting lug does not extend beyond the outer surface of the metal sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: William D. Slocum, Clair F. Updyke
  • Patent number: 6640883
    Abstract: A computer heat sink, it especially suits heat sinking of various chip sets or processors which may generate high temperature during running, and has the effect of better efficiency of heat sinking and inexpensiveness of production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Glacialtech Inc.
    Inventor: Yang-Shiau Chen