Vapor Chamber Structure

Abstract

A vapor chamber structure includes a main body assembled from a first and a second plate member, which are closed to each other to thereby define a chamber between them. The main body has a first zone, a second zone, and a first connection section defined thereon. The first and the second zone are located in two different horizontal planes and have a first wick structure provided within them; and the first connection section is located between and connected to the first and the second zone and has a second wick structure provided within it. With these arrangements, the vapor chamber structure can be used with a plurality of heat sources having their top surfaces located at different heights or with a heat source having several different heat-producing surfaces to provide increased flexibility in use.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vapor chamber structure, and more particularly to a vapor chamber structure that provides increased flexibility in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The currently available electronic devices are characterized in their compact volume, low profile and light weight. To meet these requirements, all elements of the electronic devices must also have largely reduced dimensions. However, the heat produced by the dimension-reduced internal elements during operation thereof forms a main hindrance to the performance improvement of the miniaturized electronic devices and systems. In addition, users keep demanding for constantly increased functions and upgraded performance even though the semiconductor elements for the electronic devices already have extremely reduced sizes.

However, the size reduction of the semiconductor elements results in increased heat flux. With the increased heat flux, the manufacturers of different electronic devices now have to encounter with higher challenges instead of simply cooling the electronic devices by removing all the produced heat from them. This is because the increased heat flux will result in overheat of the electronic devices at different times and at areas of different lengths or sizes, and will even result in failure or damage of the electronic devices in some worse conditions.

To overcome the problem of having very limited space in the size-reduced electronic devices for heat dissipation, a product named vapor chamber (VC) heat sink has been developed for lying on and contact with a heat-producing chip to serve as a heat sink. Further, to maximize the utilization of wick structure, copper spacers with sintered coating, sintered spacers and/or foamed spacers are used with the conventional wick structures in the vapor chamber heat sink to not only serve as spacers, but also provide a good backflow passage for the working fluid in the vapor chamber. However, a micro vapor chamber has relatively thin upper and lower wall thickness (for application in a space smaller than 1.5 mm).

Further, the conventionally designed vapor chamber is only suitable for contacting with a flat surface each time and can not be bent or twisted for use. Therefore, it is impossible to use the conventional vapor chamber with a heat source that has several surfaces of different heights. That is, the conventional flat-shaped vapor chamber has low flexibility in design and use and could not be applied to different heat sources at one time according to actual need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a vapor chamber structure that has increased flexibility for use with more than one heat source.

To achieve the above and other objects, the vapor chamber structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a main body assembled from a first and a second plate member, which are closed to each other to define a chamber between them. The main body has a first zone, a second zone and a first connection section defined thereon. The first and the second zone are located in two different horizontal planes and both have a first wick structure provided within them. The first connection section is located between and connected to the first and the second zone, and has a second wick structure provided within it.

With the above arrangements, the vapor chamber structure of the present invention can have increased flexibility in use with heat sources. For example, one single vapor chamber structure can be used with a plurality of heat sources that have top surfaces located at different heights, or be used with one heat soured that has a plurality of heat-producing surfaces located at different heights.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an assembled sectional view of the vapor chamber structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of a vapor chamber structure according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of use of the vapor chamber structure of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, which are exploded perspective, assembled perspective and assembled sectional views, respectively, of a vapor chamber structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the vapor chamber structure in the first embodiment includes a main body 1.

The main body 1 is assembled from a first plate member 11 and a second plate member 12, which are closed to each other to thereby define a chamber 13 between them. A working fluid 2 is filled in the chamber 13. On the main body 1, there are defined a first zone 14, a second zone 15, and a first connection section 16 located between and connected to the first and the second zone 14, 15. The first and the second zone 14, 15 are not located in the same horizontal plane, and both have a first wick structure 111 provided within them. The first wick structure 111 is formed of a plurality of protrusions, which are arrayed within the first and the second zone 14, 15 to equally or unequally space from one another, such that a passage 112 is always formed between any two adjacent protrusions. The protrusions of the first wick structure 111 are optionally extended from one of the first and the second plate member 11, 12 to the other plate member such that the protrusions are connected at respective two opposite ends to the first and the second plate member 11, 12. A second wick structure 161 is provided within the first connection section 16. The first wick structure 111 within the first and second zones 14, 15 and the second wick structure 161 within the first connection section 16 can be arranged with or without a space left between them.

The main body 1 further includes a heat-absorption section 11a and a heat-dissipation section 12a. In the present invention, the heat-absorption section 11a is located at one side of the main body 1 formed by the first plate member 11 and the heat-dissipation section 12a is located at another opposite side of the main body 1 formed by the second plate member 12.

The second wick structure 161 can be a foamed structure, a mesh structure, or a fibrous structure. While the first embodiment of the present invention is described with the second wick structure 161 being a mesh structure, it is understood the first embodiment is only illustrative and the second wick structure 161 is not necessarily limited to the mesh structure.

The first zone 14 and the second zone 15 may be parallel or non-parallel to each other. While the first embodiment is described with the first and second zones 14, 15 being parallel to each other, it is understood the first embodiment is only illustrative and the first and the second zone 14, 15 are not necessarily parallel to each other in position. Since the first and the second zone 14, 15 are not located in the same horizontal plane, there is a height difference formed between them.

Please refer to FIG. 4 that is a perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the second embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment, except that, in the second embodiment, the first and the second zone 14, 15 are not parallel to each other in position.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the third embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment, except that, in the third embodiment, the main body 1 further has a third zone 17 and a second connection section 18 defined thereon. The second connection section 18 is located between and connected to the third zone 17 and the second zone 15. The third zone 17 and the second zone 15 are parallel to each other but not located in the same horizontal plane. That is, there is a height difference existed between the third zone 17 and the second zone 15.

Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a perspective view of a vapor chamber structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the fourth embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment, except that, in the fourth embodiment, the first connection section 16 can be perpendicularly or slantingly connected at two opposite sides to the first and the second zone 14, 15. While the fourth embodiment is illustrated with the first connection section 16 being perpendicularly connected to the first and the second zone 14, 15, it is understood the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of a vapor chamber structure according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the fifth embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment, except that, in the fifth embodiment, the chamber 13 further has a third wick structure 19 provided therein. The third wick structure 19 is a sintered-powder structure coated on the first and the second wick structure 111, 161.

Please refer to FIG. 8 that illustrates an example of use of the vapor chamber structure of the present invention. As shown, the vapor chamber structure of the present invention can be used with a plurality of heat sources 3 that are different in height. Since the main body 1 includes a plurality of zones, such as the first and the second zone 14, 15, which have a height difference among them, it is possible for the main body 1 to contact with the surfaces of several heat sources 3 of different heights at one time.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vapor chamber structure, comprising a main body assembled from a first plate member and a second plate member; the first and the second plate member being closed to each other to thereby define a chamber between them; the main body having a first zone, a second zone, and a first connection section defined thereon; the first and the second zone being located in two different horizontal planes and having a first wick structure provided within them; and the first connection section being located between and connected to the first and the second zone and having a second wick structure provided within it.

2. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wick structure is formed of a plurality of protrusions that are arrayed to equally or unequally space from one another; and the first wick structure being optionally extended from one of the first and the second plate member to the other plate member, such that the protrusions are connected at respective two opposite ends to the first and the second plate member.

3. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second zone are parallel to each other.

4. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second zone are non-parallel to each other.

5. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second wick structure is selected from the group consisting of a foamed structure, a mesh structure and a fibrous structure.

6. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body further has a third zone and a second connection section defined thereon; the second connection section being located between and connected to the third zone and the second zone, and the third zone and the second zone being parallel to each other but located in two different horizontal planes.

7. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connection section is perpendicularly connected at two opposite sides to the first and the second zone.

8. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connection section is slantingly connected at two opposite sides to the first and the second zone.

9. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chamber is internally provided with a third wick structure, which is coated on the first and the second wick structure.

10. The vapor chamber structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body further includes a heat-absorption section and a heat-dissipation section; the heat-absorption section being located at one side of the main body formed by the first plate member, and the heat-dissipation section being located at another opposite side of the main body formed by the second plate member.