HEAT PIPE TYPE HEAT SINK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

A heat pipe type heat sink (1) and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The heat pipe type heat sink (1) includes a plurality of heat pipes (11) and a base (12) supporting the heat pipes. Each of the heat pipes (11) has a heat absorption portion (111) and a heat dissipation portion (112) in connection with the heat absorption portion (111). One side of the base (12) is provided with a plurality of grooves (121). The heat absorption portion (111) of the heat pipe (12) is pressed and held in a respective one of the grooves (121).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat pipe type heat sink and method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a heat pipe type heat sink used for heat dissipation of electronic components and method of manufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Heat pipes have some unique features such as high heat conduction, fast heat transfer, lightness in weight, and simplification in structure. Heat pipes may also conduct large volume of heat without power consumption. For these reasons, heat pipes are widely used as heat-dissipating apparatuses in various electronic products today. Therefore, heat pipe type heat sinks have become an essential subject in solving heat dissipation problems in electronic components.

One known type of heat sink mainly includes a plurality of fins, a plurality of heat pipes and a heat conducting block in which a plurality of parallel grooves are defined. In assembly, internal surfaces of the grooves are coated with solder of low melting point, then heat absorption portions of the heat pipes are placed in the grooves, respectively, and soldered to the heat conducting block by heating the solder up, thereby the heat pipes are fixed. However, this manufacturing process is complex and cost consuming. Moreover, in prior art, the heat-conducting block with the heat pipes fixed thereon is mounted to heat-generating surfaces of electronic components. Heat conduction rate and heat dissipation efficiency are both reduced due to added thermal resistance of the heat-conducting block. As mentioned above, the heat pipes and the base of the heat sink in prior art are connected through a complex soldering process. This is a technical drawback that needs to be overcome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the present invention provides a heat sink with heat pipes pressed and fixed on a base thereof, and method of manufacturing the same. Moreover, the present invention further provides a heat pipe type heat sink with high heat conduction rate and improved heat dissipation performance.

According to the present invention, a heat pipe type heat sink is provided. The heat pipe type heat sink comprises a plurality of heat pipes each having a heat absorption portion and a heat dissipation portion in connection with the heat absorption portion, and a base supporting the heat pipes, wherein a side of the base is provided with a plurality of grooves, and the heat absorption portion is pressed and held in a respective one of the grooves.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat absorption portion has a pressed flat surface arranged flush with a bottom surface of the base and serving as a heat absorption surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base is a plate shaped block, and the grooves are longitudinally arranged on a side of the block, and extend transversely across the side of the block.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the grooves has an opening of gradually narrowed shape.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heat-conducting medium is further arranged between the respective one of the grooves and the heat absorption portion.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat pipes are of U shape or L shape.

According to the present invention, a method of manufacturing a heat pipe type heat sink is provided. The method comprises following steps of: a. providing a heat pipe with a heat absorption portion and a heat dissipation portion in connection with the heat absorption portion, and a base with a groove defined on a side thereof, b. pressing the heat absorption portion of the heat pipe to hold the heat absorption portion in the groove.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step b, a part of the heat absorption portion is placed in the groove, and a protruded portion of the heat absorption portion which protrudes from the groove is pressed by a clamp so that the heat absorption portion is held in the groove.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step b, the heat absorption portion is pressed to form a pressed flat surface serving as a heat absorption surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step b, the heat absorption portion of the heat pipe is pressed to form a pressed flat surface arranged flush with a bottom surface of the base.

By pressing and fixing the heat pipes in the grooves of the base using the configuration and method described above, the manufacturing process of the heat sink is simplified, the heat dissipation efficiency is improved and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a heat pipe type heat sink according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a heat pipe and a base of the heat pipe type heat sink shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an assembly of the heat pipe type heat sink of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The features and technical disclosure of the present invention will be described fully hereinafter through various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the drawings are provided solely for purposes of reference and illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a heat sink 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly comprises a plurality of heat pipes 11 each having a heat absorption portion 111 and a heat dissipation portion 112 in connection with the heat absorption portion 111, a base 12 supporting the heat pipes 11 and a plurality of fins 13 through which the heat pipes 11 pass. In the present embodiment, the base 12 is a plate shaped block, and a plurality of grooves 121 are longitudinally arranged on a side of the base 12 and extend transversely across the side of the base 12. The heat absorption portion 111 of a respective one of the heat pipes 11 is pressed and held in a respective one of the grooves 121. Each of the grooves 121 preferably has an opening of gradually narrowed shape in order to enhance the firmness of the heat pipes 11. The fins 13 are made of aluminum, cooper or any other metals with good heat dissipation performance. Through holes are defined on the fins 13. The heat pipes 11 may be of L shape, U shape or any other bending shape. Wicking structures and working fluid are provided inside the heat pipes 11. The heat pipes 11 are each formed with a heat absorption portion 111 and a heat dissipation portion 112. Moreover, the heat sink 1 may also use any other suitable structure instead of the shapes described above. Since the heat absorption portion 111 is pressed and held in a respective one of the grooves 121, the manufacturing process of the heat sink 1 is simplified while the firmness is improved.

In the process of pressing the heat absorption portion 111, a flat surface of the heat absorption portion 111 preferably is pressed flush with a bottom surface of the base 12. Thus, when the heat sink 1 is fitted against an electronic component (not shown), the pressed flat surface of the heat absorption portion 111 is in direct contact with a heat-generating surface of the electronic component and serves as a heat absorption surface, thereby heat conduction and heat dissipation of the heat sink are enhanced. Moreover, a heat conduction medium may be further arranged between the heat absorption portion 111 and the respective one of the grooves 121, so that the heat absorption portion 111 can fully contact the base 12 through the heat conduction medium, thereby the heat conduction is further enhanced.

A method of manufacturing the heat pipe type heat sink according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In the embodiment, a heat pipe 11 with a heat absorption portion 111 and a heat dissipation portion 112 in connection with the heat absorption portion 111 is provided, and a base 12 with a groove 121 defined on a side thereof is provided. Then a part of the heat absorption portion 111 of the heat pipe 11 is placed in the groove 121 of the base 12, and a protruded portion of the heat absorption portion 111 which protrudes from the groove 121 is pressed against the base 12 by using a clamp. The heat absorption portion 111 is deformed due to being pressed and thereby held in the groove 121. In the process of pressing, the heat absorption portion 111 is pressed to form a pressed flat surface flush with a bottom surface of the base 12 and serving as a heat absorption surface.

By pressing and fixing the heat pipe to the grooves of the base using the configuration and the method described above, the manufacturing process of the heat sink is simplified, the heat dissipation efficiency is improved and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

While various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and variations to the form of the present invention without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. All those alternations and variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention as define in the claims.

Claims

1. A heat pipe type heat sink comprising:

a plurality of heat pipes each having a heat absorption portion and a heat dissipation portion in connection with the heat absorption portion; and

a base supporting the plurality of heat pipes,

wherein a side of the base is provided with a plurality of grooves, at least a portion of the heat absorption portion is disposed within a respective one of the plurality of grooves, and

the heat absorption portion is pressed so that the heat absorption portion is deformed and held in the respective one of the plurality of grooves.

2. The heat pipe type heat sink of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves are disposed on a bottom surface of the base, the heat absorption portion has a pressed flat surface arranged flush with the bottom surface of the base and serving as a heat absorption surface.

3. The heat pipe type heat sink of claim 1, wherein the base is a plate shaped block, and the plurality of grooves are longitudinally arranged on a side of the block, and extend transversely across the side of the block.

4. The heat pipe type heat sink of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of grooves has an opening of gradually narrowed shape, and a protruded portion of the heat absorption portion which protrudes from the groove is pressed so that the heat absorption portion is deformed and held in the groove.

5. The heat pipe type heat sink of claim 1, wherein a heat-conducting medium is further arranged between the respective one of the plurality of grooves and the heat absorption portion.

6. The heat pipe type heat sink of claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat pipes are of U shape or L shape.

7. A method of manufacturing a heat pipe type heat sink, comprising:

providing a heat pipe with a heat absorption portion and a heat dissipation portion in connection with the heat absorption portion, and a base with a groove defined on a side thereof,

pressing the heat absorption portion of the heat pipe to deform and hold the heat absorption portion in the groove.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein in the step of pressing the heat absorption portion, a part of the heat absorption portion of the heat pipe is placed in the groove of the base, and a protruded portion of the heat absorption portion which protrudes from the groove is pressed so that the heat absorption portion is deformed and held in the groove.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in the step of pressing the heat absorption portion, the heat absorption portion is pressed to form a pressed flat surface serving as a heat absorption surface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein in the step of pressing the heat absorption portion, the heat absorption portion of the heat pipe is pressed to form a pressed flat surface arranged flush with a bottom surface of the base.