Vapor chamber, heatsink device, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11445636-B2
Application number	US-201916670204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A vapor chamber that includes a housing including a first sheet and a second sheet opposing each other and joined together at outer edges of the first sheet and the second sheet and defining a hollow vapor flow pass therein; a working fluid in the housing; a first wick in contact with the vapor flow pass; and a second wick between the first wick and an inner wall surface of at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet. The first wick defines a first liquid flow pass, the second wick defines a second liquid flow pass, and a first average diameter of the first liquid flow pass is smaller than or equal to 75% of a second average diameter of the second liquid flow pass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vapor chamber, comprising:
a housing including a first sheet and a second sheet opposing each other and joined together at outer edges of the first sheet and the second sheet and defining a hollow vapor flow pass therein;
a working fluid in the housing;
a first wick in contact with the vapor flow pass; and
a second wick between the first wick and an inner wall surface of at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet,
wherein the first wick defines a first liquid flow pass that extends through the first wick in a thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other,
wherein the second wick defines a second liquid flow pass that extends in a plane direction of the second wick that is perpendicular to the thickness direction, and
wherein a first average diameter of the first liquid flow pass when viewed in the thickness direction is smaller than or equal to 50% of a second average diameter of the second liquid flow pass when viewed in the plane direction.

2. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in the plane direction, a first hydraulic diameter of the vapor flow pass is larger than a second hydraulic diameter of the second liquid flow pass.

3. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 ,
wherein a maximum diameter of the first liquid flow pass when viewed in the thickness direction is 1 mm or less, and
wherein a maximum diameter of the second liquid flow pass when viewed in the plane direction is 1 mm or less.

4. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the first liquid flow pass decreases in a direction from the second liquid flow pass toward the vapor flow pass.

5. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the first wick protrudes into the second liquid flow pass.

6. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more struts between the first sheet and the second sheet and which also define the hollow vapor flow pass within the housing.

7. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in the thickness direction, an outer edge of the first wick is arranged so as to enclose a heating element that is to be disposed on an outer wall surface of the first sheet or the second sheet, and the first wick has an area that is greater than or equal to twice an area of the heating element.

8. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in the thickness direction, a first area of the first wick is smaller than a second area of the second wick.

9. The vapor chamber according to claim 1 , wherein the first wick comprises a mesh and the second wick comprises protrusions or grooves.

10. A vapor chamber, comprising:
a housing including a first sheet and a second sheet opposing each other and joined together at outer edges of the first sheet and the second sheet and defining a hollow vapor flow pass therein;
a working fluid in the housing;
a first wick in contact with the vapor flow pass; and
a second wick between the first wick and an inner wall surface of at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet,
wherein the first wick defines a first liquid flow pass that extends through the first wick in a thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other,
wherein the second wick defines a second liquid flow pass that extends in a plane direction of the second wick that is perpendicular to the thickness direction,
wherein a first average diameter of the first liquid flow pass when viewed in the thickness direction is smaller than or equal to 75% of a second average diameter of the second liquid flow pass when viewed in the plane direction, and
wherein the second wick is disposed on the inner wall surface of the first sheet; and the vapor chamber further comprises:
a third wick in contact with the vapor flow pass; and
a fourth wick between the third wick and an inner wall surface of the second sheet.

11. The vapor chamber according to claim 10 ,
wherein the third wick defines a third liquid flow pass that extends through the third wick in a thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other,
wherein the fourth wick defines a fourth liquid flow pass that extends in a plane direction of the fourth wick that is perpendicular to the thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other, and
wherein a third average diameter of the third liquid flow pass when viewed in the thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other is smaller than or equal to 75% of a fourth average diameter of the fourth liquid flow pass when viewed in the plane direction of the fourth wick.

12. The vapor chamber according to claim 11 , wherein, when viewed in the plane direction of the fourth wick, a first hydraulic diameter of the vapor flow pass is larger than a second hydraulic diameter of the fourth liquid flow pass.

13. The vapor chamber according to claim 11 ,
wherein a maximum diameter of the third liquid flow pass when viewed in the thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other is 1 mm or less, and
wherein a maximum diameter of the fourth liquid flow pass when viewed in the plane direction of the fourth wick is 1 mm or less.

14. The vapor chamber according to claim 11 , wherein a first average diameter of the third liquid flow pass when viewed in the thickness direction in which the first sheet and the second sheet oppose each other is 50% or less of a second average diameter of the second liquid flow pass when viewed in the plane direction of the fourth wick.

15. The vapor chamber according to claim 10 , wherein a diameter of the third liquid flow pass decreases in a direction from the fourth liquid flow pass toward the vapor flow pass.

16. The vapor chamber according to claim 10 , wherein at least a part of the third wick protrudes into the fourth liquid flow pass.

17. The vapor chamber according to claim 10 , further comprising one or more struts between the first wick and the third wick, and which also define the hollow vapor flow pass within the housing.

18. A heatsink device, comprising:
a heatsink; and
the vapor chamber according to claim 1 mounted on the heatsink.

19. An electronic device, comprising:
a heat source; and
the vapor chamber according to claim 1 arranged so as to thermally dissipate heat from the heat source.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co
• Kelvin Thermal Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wakaoka Takuo
• Numoto Tatsuhiro
• Kojima Keijiro
• Lewis Ryan J

Classifications

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• F28D15/046 Primary

  characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure · CPC title

• F28F3/12

  Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels {(F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F28D15/0233

  the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular (F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title