Evaporator assemblies, vapor chambers, and methods for fabricating vapor chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12135152-B2
Application number	US-202117518321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2021
Priority date	Nov 3, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

Evaporator assemblies, vapor chamber assemblies, and methods for fabricating a vapor chamber are disclosed. In one embodiment, an evaporator assembly for a vapor chamber includes an evaporator surface, an array of posts extending from the evaporator surface, and an array of vapor vents within the evaporator surface. Each vapor vent of the array of vapor vents is configured as a depression within the evaporator surface. The evaporator assembly further includes a porous layer disposed on the evaporator surface, the array of posts, and the array of vapor vents.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An evaporator assembly for a vapor chamber, the evaporator assembly comprising:
an evaporator surface opposite a heat receiving surface;
an array of posts extending from the evaporator surface;
an array of vapor vents within the evaporator surface, wherein each vapor vent of the array of vapor vents is configured as a depression within the evaporator surface; and
a porous layer disposed on the evaporator surface, the array of posts, and the array of vapor vents.

2. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the array of posts is interlaced within the array of vapor vents.

3. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein
a spacing between adjacent posts of the array of posts vary on the evaporator surface; and
a spacing between adjacent vapor vents of the array of vapor vents vary on the evaporator surface.

4. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a size and a shape of individual vapor vents of the array of vapor vents varies across the evaporator surface.

5. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the porous layer is between 0.20 mm and 1 mm, including endpoints.

6. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein a depth of individual vapor vents varies across the evaporator surface.

7. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the array of posts and the array of vapor vents define a structure array, wherein each row of the structure array comprises alternating individual posts and individual vents.

8. An assembly comprising:
an evaporator assembly comprising:
an evaporator surface opposite a heat receiving surface;
an array of posts extending from the evaporator surface;
an array of vapor vents within the evaporator surface, wherein each vapor vent of the array of vapor vents is configured as a depression within the evaporator surface; and
a porous layer disposed on the evaporator surface, the array of posts, and the array of vapor vents; and

a condenser plate comprising a condenser surface, wherein the condenser surface is bonded to a top surface of the array of posts such that the evaporator assembly and the condenser plate define a vapor chamber.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein
the assembly further comprises an electronic device coupled to the heat receiving surface.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein:
the condenser surface is provided on a condenser plate further comprising a cooling surface; and
the assembly further comprises a heat sink coupled to the cooling surface.

11. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the array of posts is interlaced within the array of vapor vents.

12. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein
a spacing between adjacent posts of the array of posts vary on the evaporator surface; and
a spacing between adjacent vapor vents of the array of vapor vents vary on the evaporator surface.

13. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least one of a size and a shape of individual vapor vents of the array of vapor vents varies across the evaporator surface.

14. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein a thickness of the porous layer is between 0.20 mm and 1 mm, including endpoints.

15. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein a depth of individual vapor vents varies across the evaporator surface.

16. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the array of posts and the array of vapor vents define a structure array, wherein each row of the structure array comprises alternating individual posts and individual vents.

17. The evaporator assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the array of posts extend from the evaporator surface in a positive z-axis direction; and
the array of vapor vents extend within the evaporator surface in a negative z-axis direction.

18. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the array of posts extend from the evaporator surface in a positive z-axis direction; and
the array of vapor vents extend within the evaporator surface in a negative z-axis direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Joshi Shailesh N
• Lohan Danny

Classifications

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• F28F13/187

  especially adapted for evaporator surfaces or condenser surfaces, e.g. with nucleation sites · CPC title

• F28F13/003

  by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials (F28F13/18 takes precedence) · CPC title