COOLER DEVICE

Abstract

A cooler device includes a base panel, which has multiple mounting grooves on the top wall and multiple locating grooves on the bottom wall, a radiation fin module formed by stacking up multiple radiation fins, each radiation fin having multiple mounting through holes and a root portion that is respectively riveted to the mounting grooves of the base panel, and multiple U-shaped heat pipes, each heat pipe having a first extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into the mounting through holes of the radiation fins and a second extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into the locating groove of the base panel and kept in flush with the bottom wall of the base panel for direct contact with a CPU or the like to transfer heat energy from the CPU or the like to the radiation fins for quick dissipation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cooler device for cooling a semiconductor electronic device or the like. More particularly, it relates to such a cooler device which has heat pipes directly press-fitted into respective locating grooves on the bottom wall of a base panel and kept in flush with the bottom wall for direct contact with a CPU or the like to transfer heat energy from the CPU to a radiation fin module for quick dissipation.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

A conventional heat pipe-attached cooler device generally comprises a radiation fin module, a base panel, and one or more heat pipes. The radiation fin module is formed of a stack of radiation fins and directly bonded to the top wall of the base panel with solder paste. The heat pipes are bonded to the radiation fin module and the base panel with solder paste. If the base panel and the heat pipes are made of different aluminum materials, a nickel chemical-plating is necessary before bonding. This fabrication procedure is complicated, resulting in a high manufacturing cost and low yield rate. The nickel chemical-plating process does not satisfy the requirements of environmental protection.

Further, when the aforesaid conventional cooler device is used, the base panel is kept in close contact with the hot side of the semiconductor electronic device to transfer heat energy from the semiconductor electronic device to the heat pipes and the radiation fin module. However, because the heat transfer coefficient (K value) of the aluminum or copper base panel is smaller than the heat pipes and because the heat pipes are not kept in direct contact with the hot side of the semiconductor electronic device, the heat transfer efficiency of this design of cooler device is not excellent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooler device comprises a base panel, a radiation fin module, and one or more U-shaped heat pipes. The base panel has multiple mounting grooves on the top wall, and multiple locating grooves on the bottom wall. The radiation fin module is formed of a stack of radiation fins. Each radiation fin has multiple mounting through holes, and a root portion that is respectively riveted to the mounting grooves of the base panel. Each U-shaped heat pipe has a first extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into the mounting through holes of the radiation fins, and a second extension arm respectively and tightly fitted into the locating groove of the base panel. The second extension arm of each U-shaped heat pipe has a flat bottom wall kept in flush with the bottom wall of the base panel for direct contact with the hot side of a semiconductor electronic device or the like to transfer heat energy from the semiconductor electronic device to the radiation fins efficiently for quick dissipation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the second extension arm of each U-shaped heat pipe has a cross section fitting the cross section of the locating grooves on the bottom wall of the base panel. After the second extension arms of the U-shaped heat pipes are fitted into the locating grooves of the base panel, the U-shaped heat pipes and the base panel are squeezed, thereby enhancing the connection tightness between the base panel and the U-shaped heat pipes and flattening the bottom wall of the second extension arm of each U-shaped heat pipe.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the U-shaped heat pipes are fastened to the radiation fins of the radiation fin module and the base panel by means of tight fitting. When the cooler device expands with heat, the tightness of the connection of the component parts of the cooler device is enhanced, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation efficiency. Further, because the cooler device does not require any soldering or electroplating process, the fabrication of the cooler device satisfies the requirements of environmental protection and does not cause any pollution.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the bottom end of each radiation fin can be directly folded up to form the respective foot portion. Alternatively, the bottom end of each radiation fin can be folded up and then crimped into an L-shaped configuration, triangular configuration, inverted T configuration or scroll configuration to form the respective foot portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective assembly view of a cooler device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a part of the present invention, showing the structure of the radiation fin module and the base panel.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention, showing the radiation fin module and the base panel fastened together before the heat pipes are installed in the radiation fin module and the base panel.

FIG. 4 is a sectional assembly view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic end view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing the second extension arms of the heat pipes fitted into the locating grooves of the base panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 but showing another matching configuration of the heat pipes and the locating grooves of the base panel.

FIG. 8 illustrates a part of one type of radiation fin according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 8, showing another configuration of the root portion of the radiation fin.

FIG. 10 corresponds to FIG. 8, showing still another configuration of the root portion of the radiation fin.

FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 8, showing still another configuration of the root portion of the radiation fin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1˜3 show a cooler device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, which comprises a radiation fin module 1, a base panel 2, and at last one, for example, two heat pipes 3.

The radiation fin module 1 is a heat-dissipation block member formed of a stack of radiation fins 11. Each radiation fin 11 has at least one, for example, two mounting through holes 111 for receiving the heat pipes 3 in a tight fit manner, and a bottom end edge crimped into a root portion 112.

The base panel 2 is a metal panel extruded from aluminum, copper or other thermal conductive material, having a plurality of mounting grooves 21 arranged in parallel on the top wall thereof for receiving the root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1, a plurality of elongated V-grooves 22 respectively arranged in parallel on the top wall between each two adjacent mounting grooves 21, and at least one, for example, two locating grooves 24 formed on the bottom wall 23 for receiving the heat pipes 3.

The heat pipes 3 are sealed U-tube made of a highly thermoconductive material and filled with a working fluid or coolant (not shown) and having a wick structure (not shown) on the inside walls thereof. Each heat pipe 3 has two ends respectively terminating in a first extension arm 31 and a second extension arm 32. The first extension arms 31 of the heat pipes 3 are respectively inserted through the mounting through holes 111 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1 in a tight fit manner. The second extension arms 32 of the heat pipes 3 are respectively fitted into the locating grooves 24 on the bottom wall 23 of the base panel 2, each having a flat bottom wall 33 exposed to the outside of the base panel 2 and kept in flush with the bottom wall 23 of the base panel 2.

During installation, the root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1 are respectively riveted to the mounting grooves 21 of the base panel 2, and then the heat pipes 3 are fastened to the radiation fin module 1 and the base panel 2 by means of fitting the first extension arms 31 of the heat pipes 3 into the mounting through holes 111 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1 respectively and tightly and forcing the second extension arms 32 of the heat pipes 3 into the locating grooves 24 on the bottom wall 23 of the base panel 2 respectively and tightly to keep the flat bottom walls 33 of the heat pipes 3 in flush with the bottom wall 23 of the base panel 2. When in use, the flat bottom walls 33 of the heat pipes 3 are kept in direct contact with the hot side of the semiconductor electronic device (not shown) to transfer heat energy from the semiconductor electronic device to the radiation fins 11 for quick dissipation.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11 of the radiation fin module 1 are respectively inserted into the mounting grooves 21 of the base panel 2, a squeezing force is applied to two opposite lateral sides of the base panel 2 to compress the V-grooves 22 transversely, and therefore the root portions 112 of the radiation fins 11 are riveted to the base panel 2. This installation is simple and rapid without any electroplating, solder paste or bonding glue. Further, the mounting grooves 21 are formed upon extrusion of the base panel 2, therefore the formation of the base panel 2 does not require any secondary processing.

Referring to FIG. 5, the distance between the two mounting through holes 111 of the radiation fins 11 is greater than the distance between the two locating grooves 24 of the base panel 2. After the two heat pipes 3 are installed in the radiation fin module 1 and the base panel 2, the flat bottom walls 33 of the two heat pipes 3 are kept close to each other, and the two heat pipes 3 show a V-shaped profile when the cooler device is viewed from one end. When the cooler device is equipped with three heat pipes 3, the flat bottom walls 33 of the three heat pipes 3 are kept close to one another, and the three heat pipes 3 show a W-shaped profile when the cooler device is viewed from one end. When more than three heat pipes 3 are used, the flat bottom walls 33 of the three heat pipes 3 are still kept close to one another. Because the flat bottom walls 33 of the heat pipes 3 are kept close to one another, they can be closely attached to the hot side of the semiconductor electronic device to transfer heat energy from the semiconductor electronic device to the radiation fins 11 rapidly and efficiently.

Further, the locating grooves 24 of the base panel 2 are configured according to the cross section of the heat pipes 3. The heat pipes 3 can be made to have a polygonal cross section (see FIG. 6), circular cross section (see FIG. 7), rectangular cross section (not shown), triangular cross section (not shown) or any of a variety of other shapes. After the heat pipes 3 are installed in the locating grooves 24, the bottom side of each heat pipe 3 is flattened to form the respective flat bottom wall 33.

Further, the root portion 112 of each radiation fin 11 may be variously shaped. For example, the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 may be folded up and then crimped to form a root portion 112 in L-shaped configuration (see FIG. 8); the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 may be folded up and then crimped to form a root portion 112 in triangular configuration (see FIG. 9); the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 may be folded up and then crimped to form a root portion 112 in inverted T configuration (see FIG. 10); the bottom end of each radiation fin 11 may be scrolled to form a root portion 112 in scroll configuration (see FIG. 11).

Further, the radiation fin module 1, the base panel 2 and the heat pipes 3 are fastened together by means of tight fitting. When the cooler device expands with heat, the tightness of the connection of the component parts of the cooler device is enhanced, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation efficiency. Further, because the cooler device does not require any soldering or electroplating process, the fabrication of the cooler device satisfies the requirements of environmental protection and does not cause any pollution.

The invention may be used with any conventional fixture, bracket or mounting frame for installation in a circuit board or assigned location according to the device to be cooled. To enhance the heat dissipation efficiency, the cooler device may be mounted with an electric fan or multiple electric fans.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooler device, comprising a base panel, a radiation fin module mounted on said base panel, and at least one heat pipe fastened to said base panel and said radiation fin module and adapted for transferring heat energy from an external semiconductor electronic device to said radiation fin module, each said heat pipe being an enclosed metal tube filled with a working fluid, wherein:

said radiation fin module is formed of a plurality of radiation fins arranged in a stack, each said radiation fin having at least one mounting through hole cut through two opposite sides thereof for receiving said heat pipes in a tight fit manner and a bottom end terminating in a root portion;

said base panel is extruded from a metal material, comprising a plurality of mounting grooves formed on a top wall thereof and respectively forced into engagement with the root portions of said radiation fins of said radiation fin module and at least one locating groove formed on a bottom wall thereof; and

said at least one heat pipe each has a first extension arm respectively inserted through the at least one mounting through hole of each said radiation fin in a tight fit manner and a second extension arm respectively fitted into the at least one locating groove of said base panel, said second extension arm having a flat bottom wall exposed to the outside of said base panel and kept in flush with the bottom wall of said base panel.

2. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base panel comprises a plurality of elongated grooves formed on the top wall thereof and respectively disposed between each two adjacent mounting grooves of said base panel.

3. The cooler device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said elongated grooves have a V-shaped cross section.

4. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said radiation fin comprises a plurality of mounting through holes for the mounting of the first extension arms of multiple heat pipes; said base panel comprises a plurality of locating grooves on the bottom wall thereof for the mounting of the second extension arms of multiple heat pipes; the distance between each two adjacent locating grooves of said base panel is shorter than the distance between each two adjacent mounting through holes of each said radiation fin.

5. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second extension arm of each said heat pipe has a cross section that fits the cross section of each locating groove on the bottom wall of said base panel.

6. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded up to form the respective root portion.

7. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded up and crimped into an L-shaped configuration to form the respective foot portion.

8. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded up and crimped into a triangular configuration to form the respective foot portion.

9. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded up and crimped into an inverted T configuration to form the respective foot portion.

10. The cooler device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom end of each said radiation fin is folded up and crimped into a scroll configuration to form the respective foot portion.