Electronic device comprising a thermally conductive connector comprising graphite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11744045-B2
Application number	US-202117523692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2021
Priority date	Nov 10, 2021
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device that includes a first device portion, a second device portion coupled to the first device portion; and a thermally conductive connector coupled to the first device portion and the second device portion, wherein the thermally conductive connector includes a graphite sheet. The first device portion includes a region that includes a component configured to generate heat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first device portion comprising a region that includes a component configured to generate heat;
a second device portion coupled to the first device portion;
a first thermally conductive connector coupled to the first device portion and the second device portion, wherein the first thermally conductive connector includes a first graphite sheet;
a second thermally conductive connector including a second graphite sheet, located on the first device portion; and
a first battery and a second battery, wherein the second thermally conductive connector extends between the first battery and the second battery.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each one of the first and second graphite sheets comprises:
a plurality of slits; and
a plurality of fiber portions that are defined by the plurality of slits.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the fiber portions of the first thermally conductive connector at least partially extend through a cavity of a hinge that couples the first device portion and the second device portion.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 ,
wherein the fiber portions of the first thermally conductive connector are a thermally conductive material that primarily dissipates heat along a first direction of the thermally conductive material;
wherein the fiber portions of the second thermally conductive connector are a thermally conductive material that primarily dissipates heat along another direction of the thermally conductive material.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 ,
wherein the thermally conductive material of the first thermally conductive connector includes an anisotropic thermally conductive material,
wherein the thermally conductive material of the first thermally conductive connector has a high thermal conductivity value in the first direction, and
wherein the thermally conductive material of the first thermally conductive connector has a low thermal conductivity value in at least a second direction.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the thermally conductive material of the first thermally conductive connector includes a thermal conductivity value in the first direction that is in a range of approximately 1100-1900 Watts per meter kelvin (W/(mk)).

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first thermally conductive connector is configured to dissipate heat away from the first device portion and towards the second device portion.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first thermally conductive connector is coupled to the region comprising the component configured to generate heat.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first thermally conductive connector includes a flexible cable portion, and the second thermally conductive connector includes a flexible cable portion.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first device portion and the second device portion are physically separate portions.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first device portion and the second device portion are coupled together through at least one hinge.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first device portion and the second device portion are contiguous portions of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first thermally conductive connector is coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB).

14. An apparatus comprising:
a first device portion comprising a region that includes a component configured to generate heat;
a second device portion coupled to the first device portion;
first means for thermal conduction coupled to the first device portion, wherein the first means for thermal conduction includes a first graphite sheet; and
second means for thermal conduction including a second graphite sheet, located on the first device portion; and
a first battery and a second battery, wherein the second means for thermal conduction extends between the first battery and the second battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each one of the first graphite sheet and second graphite sheet comprises:
a plurality of slits; and
a plurality of fiber portions that are defined by the plurality of slits.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first means for thermal conduction includes a thermal conductivity value in a first direction that is in a range of approximately 1100-1900 Watts per meter kelvin (W/(mk)).

17. The apparatus of claim 14 ,
wherein the first means for thermal conduction is coupled to the second device portion, and
wherein the first means for thermal conduction extends through a cavity of a hinge that couples the first device portion and the second device portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first graphite sheet is twisted and the second graphite sheet is twisted.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus includes a device selected from a group consisting of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, an internet of things (IoT) device, and a device in an automotive vehicle.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lin Hung-Wen
• Wang Sin-Shong
• Chang Jen-Chun
• Du Qiang
• Rosales Jorge Luis
• Vallabhaneni Ajit Kumar

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• G06F2200/203

  Heat conductive hinge · CPC title

• H05K7/2039 Primary

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/203 Primary

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