HEAT DISSIPATION DEVICE

Abstract

A heat dissipation device for removing heat from a heat-generating component, includes a base and a fin group arranged on a top of the base. The base includes a conducting plate, a retaining bracket attached to a bottom surface of the conducting plate, a plurality of heat pipes located between the conducting plate and the retaining bracket and a heat absorbing block embedded in the retraining bracket. The heat pipes have first portions arranged side by side closely and sandwiched between the conducting plate and the retaining bracket and second portions bent from the first portions away from the retaining bracket in a divergent manner. The heat absorbing block has a top surface in contact with the heat pipes and a bottom surface for contacting with the heat generating component.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a heat dissipation device, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device having heat pipes incorporated therein.

2. Description of Related Art

Computer electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs), generate a mass of heat during operation. If the heat is not removed quickly, it may deteriorate operational stability of the electronic component and damage associated electronic equipments. A heat sink attached to a top surface of the electronic component is required to remove heat therefrom.

Typically, the heat sink comprises a solid base and a plurality of fins arranged on the base. The base is attached to the electronic component so as to absorb the heat. However, only a part of the base, usually a middle part, contacts the electronic component. The heat originating from the electronic component is directly absorbed by the middle part of the base and cannot quickly spread to other parts of the base. This results in overheating of the middle part of the base, while the temperatures of the other parts of the base are low relative to that of the middle part. The fins on the other parts of the base away from the middle part are not efficiently used. In order to effectively remove heat from the electronic component, the efficiency of the heat sink needs to be improved through sufficient use of all of the fins on the base.

Accordingly, what is needed is a heat dissipation device with an enhanced heat dissipation performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a heat dissipation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an inverted view of the heat dissipation device in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of the heat dissipation device in FIG. 3, with a heat absorbing block separated therefrom.

FIG. 5 is a cross section view of the heat dissipation device taken along line V-V in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a heat dissipation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The heat dissipation device is provided for removing heat from a heat-generating component such as an electronic component, more specifically a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer. The heat dissipation device comprises a base 10 and fin group 20 arranged on a top of the base 10.

The base 10 includes a conducting plate 12 supporting the fin group 20 thereon, a retaining bracket 14 fixed to a bottom surface of the conducting plate 12, a plurality of heat pipes 16 located between the conducting plate 12 and the retaining bracket 14, and a heat absorbing block 18 received in the retaining bracket 14 and in contact with the heat-generating component.

The conducting plate 12 is a rectangular, thin plate and made of copper with a heat conductivity better than that of aluminum. Two restricting flanges 122 extend upwardly from two opposite edges of the conducting plate 12 and restrict the fin group 20 placed on a top surface of the conducting plate 12 therebetween, whereby the fin group 20 can be more firmly positioned in place. Two pairs of spaced through holes 120 are defined in the conducting plate 12 and all located at a front half of the conducting plate 12 for fixing the retaining bracket 14 to the bottom surface of the front half of the conducting plate 12.

The retaining bracket 14 is integrally made of a metal such as aluminum which has a density smaller than copper. The retaining bracket 14 has a rectangular retaining plate 140 engaging with the bottom surface of the front half of the conducting plate 12. The retaining plate 140 defines a plurality of elongated receiving grooves 144 in a top surface thereof and a rectangular opening 142 in the center thereof. The receiving grooves 144 are perpendicular to and near front and rear sides of the retaining plate 140, and are arranged side by side and parallel to each other. The receiving grooves 144 in the front side of the retaining plate 140 are spaced from the receiving grooves 144 in the rear side of the retaining plate 140 by the rectangular opening 142. Four retaining sleeves 146 extend downwardly from four corners of the retaining plate 140. Four retaining rings 148 extend upwardly from the four corners of the retaining plate 140 and are respectively in alignment with the four retaining sleeves 146. Four receiving holes 1460 are respectively defined in the four corners of the retaining plate 140 through the corresponding retaining rings 148 and the retaining sleeves 146, for receiving respectively four fixtures 100 therein to mount the base 10 onto the heat-generating electronic component.

The heat pipes 16 each are flatten and have a flat upper surface and a flat lower surface. The heat pipes 16 have first portions juxtaposed to each other and second portions bent form the first portions so that the second portions are spaced from each other. A distance between two neighboring second portions gradually increases along a direction from the first portion toward the second portion.

The heat absorbing block 18 is rectangular and made of copper with a heat conductivity better than that of aluminum. The heat absorbing block 18 is constructed to be fitly received in the opening 142 of the retaining bracket 14.

Also referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in assembly of the base 10, the top surface of the retaining bracket 14 is engaged with the bottom surface of the front part of the conducting plate 12. The retaining rings 148 of the retaining bracket 14 are received in the corresponding through holes 120 of the conducting plate 12 and have top surfaces coplanar with the top surface of the conducting plate 12. The upper surfaces of the heat pipes 16 are all attached to the bottom surface of the conducting plate 12 by adhering or soldering. The first portions of the heat pipes 16 span over the opening 142 of the retaining bracket 14 and are received in the corresponding receiving grooves 144 of the retaining bracket 14. The first portions of the heat pipes 16 are sandwiched between the conducting plate 12 and the retaining plate 140 of the retaining bracket 14. The second portions of the heat pipes 16 extend divergently from the first portions of the heat pipes 16 to be attached to the bottom surface the rear half of the conducting plate 12. The bottom surfaces of the heat pipes 16 cooperatively define a flat contacting surface in the opening 142 of the retaining bracket 14 to enable the heat pipes 16 to intimately contacting with the heat absorbing block 18. The heat absorbing block 18 is received in the opening 142 of the retaining bracket 12 and has a top surface in intimately contact with the contacting surface of the first portions of the heat pipes 16 and a bottom surface lower than the bottom surface of the retaining bracket 12 for contacting the heat-generating electronic component.

The fin group 20 placed on the top surface of the conducting plate 12 comprises a plurality of fins 22 spaced from each other and perpendicular to the conducting plate 12. Four cutouts 24 are defined in two opposite lateral sides of the fin group 20 for facilitating the fixtures 100 to extend downwardly into the receiving holes 1460 of the retaining bracket 14. The fins 22 are perpendicular to the two restricting flanges 122 of the conducting plate 12 and have flanges 220 extending perpendicularly from top and bottom edges thereof. All of the flanges 220 are arranged in succession to cooperatively form a top flat surface and a bottom flat surface of the fin group 20. The flat bottom surface of the fin group 20 is placed on the base 10 and in intimately contact with the top surface of the conducting plate 12.

Due to an appropriate arrangement of the heat pipes 16 between the conducting plate 12 and the heat absorbing block 18, heat generated by the heat-generating electronic component during operation can be quickly absorbed by the heat absorbing block 18 and transferred to the conducting plate 12 via the heat pipes 16, and then distributed over the fin group 20 through the conducting plate 12 to dissipate into ambient environment. The base 10 has a higher efficiency than a conventional solid base made of aluminum or copper in transferring heat from the heat-generating component to the fin group, for the heat absorbing block 18 and the conducting plate 12 both being made of copper with better heat conductivity than aluminum and connected to each other by the heat pipes 16. The heat pipes 16 use a phase change of working fluid to transfer heat which has an efficiency much higher than that achievable by a metal block which uses a conduction to transfer heat. In addition, the base 10 is much lighter than a solid base made of copper since the base 10 consumes a relatively less amount of copper for constructing the base 10.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A heat dissipation device adapted for removing heat from a heat-generating component, comprising:

a base comprising a conducting plate, a retaining bracket attached to a bottom surface of the conducting plate, a plurality of heat pipes having first portions sandwiched between the conducting plate and the retaining bracket, and a heat absorbing block embedded in the retraining bracket; and

a fin group arranged on a top surface of the conducting plate of the base and thermally connecting therewith;

wherein the heat absorbing block has a top surface in contact with the heat pipes and a bottom surface adapted for being in contact with the heat generating component.

2. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat pipes have the first portions arranged closely side by side and second portions bent from the first portions, the second portions being spaced from each other and a distance between two neighboring second portions gradually increasing along a direction from the first portions toward the second portions.

3. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the heat pipes have flat top surfaces all in contact with the bottom surface of the conducting plate.

4. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining bracket defines an opening therein and a plurality of receiving grooves in the top surface thereof, the receiving grooves being divided into two groups which are spaced from each other by the opening and located at two sides of the opening.

5. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first portions of the heat pipes span over the opening and are received in the receiving grooves and cooperatively define a flat contact surface by bottom surfaces thereof, the flat contact surface being in the opening.

6. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the heat absorbing block is received in the opening of the retaining bracket with the top surface thereof in contact with the flat contact surface of the heat pipes.

7. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conducting plate and the heat absorbing block are both made of copper, while the retaining bracket is made of aluminum.

8. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining bracket is engaged with the bottom surface of a front half of the conducting plate and has four retaining sleeves extending downwardly from four corners thereof.

9. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 8, wherein four rings projecting upwardly from top ends of the retaining sleeves are received in four through holes defined in the conducting plate, the rings having top surfaces thereof coplanar with the top surface of the conducting plate.

10. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 9, wherein four fixtures are received in the rings and sleeves for securing the base onto the heat-generating component.

11. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fin group defines four cutouts corresponding to the four through holes of the conducting plate and comprises a plurality of fins spaced from each other and perpendicularly arranged on the conducting plate.

12. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein two restricting flanges extend upwardly from two opposite lateral sides of the conducting plate and restrict the fin group therebetween.

13. A heat dissipation device adapted for removing heat from a heat-generating component, comprising:

a base comprising a conducting plate, a retaining bracket attached to a bottom surface of the conducting plate and defining an opening therein, a plurality of heat pipes having first portions arranged side by side closely and sandwiched between the conducting plate and the retaining bracket and second portions bent from the first portions away from the retaining bracket in a divergent manner, and a heat absorbing block received in the opening of retraining bracket having a top surface in contact with the heat pipes and a bottom surface adapted for being in contact with the heat generating component; and

a fin group arranged on a top surface of the conducting plate of the base and in thermal connection therewith.

14. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the heat pipes have flat top surfaces all in contact with the bottom surface of the conducting plate.

15. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 13, wherein a plurality of receiving grooves are defined in the top surface of the retaining bracket, interrupted by the opening and located at two sides of the opening.

16. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first portions of the heat pipes span over the opening and are received in the receiving grooves and cooperatively define a flat contact surface at bottom surfaces thereof, the flat contact surface being in the opening.

17. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the heat absorbing block is received in the opening of the retaining bracket with the top surface thereof in contact with the flat contact surface of the heat pipes.

18. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conducting plate and the heat absorbing block are both made of copper, while the retaining bracket is made of aluminum.