Heat-dissipating device

Abstract

A heat-dissipating device includes a thermal superconducting body, a fan unit and a guide pipe. The superconducting body includes a hollow heat transfer body adapted to be disposed on a heat-generating component of an electronic device. The heat transfer body is made of a heat-conducting material and is configured to confine at least one air channel. The fan unit is disposed to draw hot air away from the heat transfer body. The guide pipe has an inlet port in fluid communication with the heat transfer body for collecting hot air from the heat transfer body, an outlet port in fluid communication with the fan unit, and an intermediate pipe portion interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports for guiding the hot air from the inlet port to the outlet port for extraction by the fan unit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 091114537, filed on Jul. 1, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a heat-dissipating device, more particularly to a heat-dissipating device that can dissipate heat in a highly efficient manner.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] FIG. 1 shows a conventional heat-dissipating device adapted to be mounted on top of a heat-generating component 12 that is disposed on a circuit board 11 of an electronic device. The heat-generating component 12 can be a central processing unit, an integrated circuit, or the like. The heat-dissipating device includes an aluminum heat-dissipating fin unit 13 disposed in thermal contact with the heat-generating component 12, and a fan 14 oriented toward the fin unit 13. The fin unit 13 has a bottom portion provided with a heat-conducting plate 15 that is formed from copper and that facilitates the transfer of heat generated by the heat-generating component 12 to the fin unit 13. However, such a conventional heat-dissipating device has the following setbacks:

[0006] 1. Although aluminum and copper have quite high temperature coefficients of conductivity, their combined heat-dissipating effect is not very satisfactory, resulting in that the surface temperature of the heat-generating component 12 remains higher than that of the fin unit 13. That is, currents of air blown from the fan 14 can only disperse the heat around the fin unit 13, and cannot reach the surface of the heat-generating component 12 to dissipate the heat around the heat-generating component 12.

[0007] 2. In view of the aforesaid, when heat gradually accumulates on the surface of the heat-generating component 12, since the conventional heat-dissipating device cannot effectively dissipate the high heat, the operation of the heat-generating component 12 will be affected, which may result in shutdown of or even damage to the electronic device.

[0008] 3. Referring to FIG. 2, where the heat-generating component 12 is a central processing unit disposed within a computer housing 2 and mounted in a processor socket 16 of a main board 17, the currents of air produced by the fan 14 for dissipating the heat around the central processing unit will become hot and disperse within the computer housing 2, thereby raising the temperature within the computer housing 2. Although a power supply 3 with an exhaust-type fan unit 31 is disposed for drawing the hot air from within the computer housing 2, as well as dissipating the heat generated thereby, the heat dissipating effect is not ideal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a heat-dissipating device which achieves an enhanced heat-dissipating effect using a single fan unit.

[0010] Accordingly, a heat-dissipating device of this invention includes:

[0011] a thermal superconducting body including a hollow heat transfer body adapted to be disposed on a heat-generating component of an electronic device, the heat transfer body being made of a heat-conducting material and being configured to confine at least one air channel;

[0012] a fan unit disposed to draw hot air away from the heat transfer body; and

[0013] a guide pipe having an inlet port in fluid communication with the heat transfer body for collecting hot air from the heat transfer body, an outlet port in fluid communication with the fan unit, and an intermediate pipe portion interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports for guiding the hot air from the inlet port to the outlet port for extraction by the fan unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded side view of a conventional heat-dissipating device;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partly cut-away perspective view showing the conventional heat-dissipating device in a computer housing;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a heat-dissipating device according to the present invention in a state of use;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a thermal superconducting body of the preferred embodiment; and

[0019] FIG. 5 is a top view of the thermal superconducting body of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the preferred embodiment of a heat-dissipating device according to the present invention is shown to include a thermal superconducting body 4, a fan unit 7, and a guide pipe 6.

[0021] The thermal superconducting body 4 includes a hollow heat transfer body 40 adapted to be disposed on a heat-generating component 5, such as a central processing unit, of an electronic device, and is made of a heat-conducting material, such as aluminum, copper metal, alloy metal, or other materials with good thermal conductivity. The heat transfer body 40 has an inner surface confining a sealed vacuum chamber 41, and a base portion 45 adapted to be disposed in thermal contact with the heat-generating component 5 so that heat generated by the heat-generating component 5 is transferred to the heat transfer body 40. The thermal superconducting body 4 further includes a heat transfer layer 42 that is formed from a superconductor material and that forms a superconductor lining on the inner surface of the heat transfer body 40. In this embodiment, the superconductor material is injected into the heat transfer body 40, which is then evacuated and sealed to form the sealed vacuum chamber 41. It is noted that a plurality of equidistantly spaced-apart limiting blocks can be disposed on the inner surface of the heat transfer body 40 so as to prevent flattening or angular deformation of the heat transfer body 40 when air is exhausted from the heat transfer body 40 to form the sealed vacuum chamber 41.

[0022] It is noted herein that the superconductor material includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of sodium peroxide, sodium oxide, beryllium oxide, manganese sesquioxide, aluminum dichromate, calcium dichromate, boron oxide, dichromate radical, and combinations thereof; at least one compound selected from the group consisting of cobaltous oxide, manganese sesquioxide, beryllium oxide, strontium chromate, strontium carbonate, rhodium oxide, cupric oxide, &bgr;-titanium, potassium dichromate, boron oxide, calcium dichromate, manganese dichromate, aluminum dichromate, dichromate radical, and combinations thereof; or at least one compound selected from the group consisting of denatured rhodium oxide, potassium dichromate, denatured radium oxide, sodium dichromate, silver dichromate, monocrystalline silicon, beryllium oxide, strontium chromate, boron oxide, sodium peroxide, &bgr;-titanium, a metal dichromate, and combinations thereof.

[0023] In practice, prior to injection of the superconductor material into the heat transfer body 40, the sealed vacuum chamber 41 is subjected to passivation and is then washed and dried.

[0024] In this embodiment, the heat transfer body 40 is formed with a plurality of fins 43 extending uprightly from the base portion 45 opposite to the heat-generating component 5. An adjacent pair of the fins 43 defines an air channel 44.

[0025] The fan unit 7 is disposed to draw hot air away from the heat transfer body 40.

[0026] The guide pipe 6 is made from a heat-resistant metal or rubber material, and has an inlet port 61 in fluid communication with the heat transfer body 40 for collecting hot air from the heat transfer body 40, an outlet port 63 connected to and in fluid communication with the fan unit 7, and a flexible intermediate pipe portion 62 interconnecting the inlet and outlet ports 61, 63 for guiding the hot air from the inlet port 61 to the outlet port 63 for extraction by the fan unit 7. The inlet port 61 of the guide pipe 6 is connected to the base portion 45 of the heat transfer body 40, and has the fins 43 disposed therein so as to be in fluid communication with the air channels 44 defined by the fins 33. In this embodiment, the intermediate pipe portion 62 is configured as a bellows pipe portion.

[0027] In use, by virtue of the exceptionally high temperature coefficient of conductivity of the thermal superconducting body 4, the heat generated by the heat-generating component 5 during operation thereof can be quickly transferred to the thermal superconducting body 4. In addition, as the inlet port 61 of the guide pipe 6 straddles over the thermal superconducting body 4, the hot air around the heat-generating component 5 can be directed to flow along the air channels 44 through the guide pipe 6 for extraction via the fan unit 7, thereby rapidly lowering the temperature around the heat-generating component 5.

[0028] It is noted that the fan unit 7 can be a fan member of a power supply (not shown) disposed in a computer housing (not shown) for supplying electric power to a computer. As such, when the computer is powered on, the fan unit 7 can suck hot air around the heat-generating component 5 and other heat-generating components, such as hard disk drives, optical disk drives, via the inlet port 61 of the guide pipe 6 for extraction to the exterior of the computer housing.

[0029] For enhancing heat-dissipating effect, the heat-dissipating device of this invention further includes a heat collecting plate 8 adapted to be disposed between the thermal superconducting body 4 and the heat-generating component 5. The heat collecting plate 8 has two opposite surfaces, each of which is coated with a heat conducting paste 9. In this embodiment, the heat collecting plate 8 is formed from a metal material of good heat conductivity, such as copper and aluminum.

[0030] It has thus been shown that the heat-dissipating device of this invention can achieve an excellent heat-dissipating effect with the use of only a single fan unit.

[0031] While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A heat-dissipating device comprising:

a thermal superconducting body including a hollow heat transfer body adapted to be disposed on a heat-generating component of an electronic device, said heat transfer body being made of a heat-conducting material and being configured to confine at least one air channel;

a fan unit disposed to draw hot air away from said heat transfer body; and

a guide pipe having an inlet port in fluid communication with said heat transfer body for collecting hot air from said heat transfer body, an outlet port in fluid communication with said fan unit, and an intermediate pipe portion interconnecting said inlet and outlet ports for guiding the hot air from said inlet port to said outlet port for extraction by said fan unit.

2. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat collecting plate adapted to be disposed between said thermal superconducting body and the heat-generating component.

3. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said heat collecting plate has two opposite surfaces, each of which is coated with a heat conducting paste.

4. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat transfer body has an inner surface confining a sealed vacuum chamber, and a base portion adapted to be disposed in thermal contact with the heat-generating component so that heat generated by the heat-generating component is transferred to said heat transfer body.

5. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said heat transfer body is formed with a plurality of fins extending uprightly from said base portion opposite to the heat-generating component, said at least one air channel being defined by an adjacent pair of said fins and being in fluid communication with said inlet port.

6. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said inlet port of said guide pipe is connected to said base portion of said heat transfer body and has said fins disposed therein.

7. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said thermal superconducting body further includes a heat transfer layer formed from a superconductor material and forming a superconductor lining on said inner surface of said heat transfer body.

8. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fan unit is connected to said outlet port of said guide pipe.

9. The heat-dissipating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said intermediate pipe portion is configured as a bellows pipe portion.