LOW-PROFILE HEAT PIPE
A low-profile heat pipe includes a flat plate-like first pipe component shaped like a flat plat member and having a wick structure sintered to the inner surface thereof, a flat plate-like second pipe component having a wick structure sintered to the inner surface thereof, an enclosed cavity defined in between the first pipe component and the second pipe component and surrounded by the wick structures of the first and second pipe components, and a working fluid contained in the enclosed cavity.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heat pipe technology and more particularly, to a low-profile heat pipe that is formed of two flat pipe components and has low profile and uniform heat transfer characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various heat pipe designs have been disclosed for use in electronic products for quick dissipation of waste heat. Following the market trend of the electronic industry toward a low profile design, the vertical installation space in an electronic device for heat pipe must be minimized. Thus, flat heat pipes are created. A conventional flat heat pipe may be made by flatting a round heat pipe into a flat condition, or directly processing a flat tube into a flat heat pipe. Further, in order to comply with the arrangement of electronic components in an electronic product, or in order to comply with the demand for space arrangement in an electronic product, a heat pipe may be bent into a particular shape. Because a heat pipe has a wick structure located at the inner perimeter and made of sintered metal powder, bending a heat pipe into a particular shape can destruct the integrity of the wick structure, lowering the heat transfer performance of the heat pipe. If the pipe is bent into shape prior to the wick sintering process, the sintered wick structure can be uneven. Further, flatting a round heat pipe into a flat condition or bending a round heat pipe into a curved shape can damage the internal wick structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a low-profile heat pipe, which has a low profile and can effectively keep the wick structure of each component part thereof intact during fabrication.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a heat pipe comprises a flat plate-like first pipe component shaped like a flat plat member and having a wick structure sintered to the inner surface thereof, a flat plate-like second pipe component having a wick structure sintered to the inner surface thereof, an enclosed cavity defined in between the first pipe component and the second pipe component and surrounded by the wick structures of the first and second pipe components, and a working fluid contained in the enclosed cavity.
Further, the first pipe component comprises at least one first curved potion disposed between two opposite ends thereof; the second pipe component comprises at least one second curved portion disposed between two opposite ends thereof corresponding to the at least one first curved portion of the first pipe component.
Referring to
The first pipe component 1 is a narrow, elongated, curved, hollow flat member, defining a plurality of curved portions 11. Further, the first pipe component 1 comprises a base wall 12, and an endless upright wall 13 perpendicularly extended around the border of the base wall 12. The second pipe component 2 is a narrow, elongated, curved, hollow flat member configured subject to the configuration of the first pipe component 1, defining a plurality of curved portions 21 corresponding to the curved portions 11 of the first pipe component 1. Further, a wick structure 4 is formed on an inner surface of the base wall 12 and endless upright wall 13 of the first pipe component 1 and an inner surface of the second pipe component 2 by sintering.
The second pipe component 2 is covered on the first pipe component 1 and sealed thereto by welding or ultrasonic fusion bonding, and thus an enclosed cavity 3 is defined in between the first pipe component 1 and the second pipe component 2. After formation of the heat pipe 10, the cavity 3 is kept in an airtight condition. Further, before closing the second pipe component 2 on the first pipe component 1, a working fluid 5 is filled in the space surrounded by the base wall 12 and endless upright wall 13 of the first pipe component 1. After filling of the working fluid 5 in the first pipe component 1, the second pipe component 2 is covered on the first pipe component 1 and sealed thereto air-tightly.
In conclusion, the invention provides a low-profile heat pipe 10 that has the advantages and features as follows:
1. The low-profile heat pipe 10 is made by sealing a flat, elongated first pipe component 1 and a flat, elongated second pipe component 2 together, having a low profile characteristic.
2. The low-profile heat pipe 10 is made by sealing a flat, elongated first pipe component 1 and a flat, elongated second pipe component 2 together that are configured subject to the desired shape and having a sintered wick structure 4 at the inner surface thereof.
When the flat, elongated first pipe component 1 and the flat, elongated second pipe component 2 are bonded together, the sintered wick structure 4 is kept intact for quick heat transfer in a uniform manner.
Claims
1. A low-profile heat pipe, comprising:
- a first pipe component shaped like a flat plat member;
- a second pipe component shaped like a flat plate member and covered on and bonded to said first pipe component, said second pipe component comprising a wick structure formed on an inner surface thereof by sintering;
- an enclosed cavity defined in between said first pipe component and said second pipe component and partially surrounded by the wick structure of said second pipe component; and
- a working fluid contained in said enclosed cavity.
2. The low-profile heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pipe component comprises at least one first curved potion disposed between two opposite ends thereof; said second pipe component comprises at least one second curved portion disposed between two opposite ends thereof corresponding to said at least one first curved portion of said first pipe component.
3. The low-profile heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pipe component comprises a wick structure formed on an inner surface thereof by sintering and abutted against the wick structure of said second pipe component around said enclosed cavity.
4. The low-profile heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pipe component comprises a base wall, and an endless upright wall perpendicularly extended around the border of said base wall; said second pipe component is bonded to said endless upright wall of said first pipe component.
5. The low-profile heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pipe component comprises a base wall, an endless upright wall perpendicularly extended around the border of said base wall, and an inner locating groove located on an inner surface of said endless upright wall at a top side; said second pipe component is press-fitted into said inner locating groove of said endless upright all of said first pipe component in a flush manner.
6. The low-profile heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pipe component comprises a base wall, an endless upright wall perpendicularly extended around the border of the base wall thereof, and an outer locating groove located on an outer surface of said endless upright wall at a top side; said second pipe component comprises a base wall and an endless flange perpendicularly downwardly extended around the border of the base wall thereof and press-fitted into said outer locating groove of said endless upright wall of said first pipe component.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 15, 2012
Publication Date: May 15, 2014
Inventor: Chin-Hsing HORNG (KUEISHAN HSIANG)
Application Number: 13/678,527
International Classification: F28D 15/02 (20060101);