Gaskets for thermal ducting around heat pipes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016147269-A1
Application number	US-201615012661-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2012
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a component for a portable electronic device. The component includes a gasket containing a rigid portion disposed around a bottom of a heat pipe, wherein the rigid portion forms a duct between a fan and an exhaust vent of the electronic device. The gasket also includes a first flexible portion bonded to the rigid portion, wherein the first flexible portion comprises a flap that is open during assembly of the heat pipe in the electronic device and closed over the heat pipe and the rigid portion to seal the duct around the heat pipe after the assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat pipe, comprising:
a sealed housing having an outer surface, an inner surface, two ends and a height less than a predetermined value, wherein the sealed housing includes a wicking material along at least a portion of the inner surface and vapor cavities, and wherein the sealed cavity includes a thermal transport material in a liquid state; and heat exchangers, thermally coupled to the sealed housing, at condenser regions of the sealed housing proximate to the ends of the sealed housing, wherein, during operation of the heat pipe, the sealed housing is configured to support a two-phase bidirectional flow of the thermal transport material in the liquid state in the wicking material and in a gas state in the vapor cavities to transport thermal power over a distance from an evaporator region of the sealed housing to the heat exchangers; wherein the heat exchangers are configured to transfer the thermal power from the sealed housing to an environment external to the heat pipe; and wherein a product of the thermal power and the distance exceeds a second predetermined value.

2 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is less than or equal to 1.4 mm.

3 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the second predetermined value is larger than or equal to 2,000 W-mm.

4 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the thermal transport material includes water.

5 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the thermal power is greater than or equal to 35 W.

6 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the wicking material includes sintered particles having diameters less than 500 μm.

7 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the vapor cavities are located at opposite sides of a cross-section of the sealed housing.

8 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein, during operation of the heat pipe, the sealed housing is configured to reduce acoustic sound associated with bubbles of the gas phase of the thermal transport material.

9 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the sealed housing and the wicking material include copper.

10 . The heat pipe of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchangers include convective-cooling fins.

11 . A portable electronic device, comprising:
an integrated circuit configured to generate heat during operation of the portable electronic device; and a heat pipe thermally coupled to the integrated circuit, wherein the heat pipe includes: a sealed housing having an outer surface, an inner surface, two ends and a height less than a predetermined value, wherein the sealed housing includes a wicking material along at least a portion of the inner surface and two vapor cavities, and wherein the sealed cavity includes a thermal transport material in a liquid state; and heat exchangers, thermally coupled to the sealed housing, at condenser regions of the sealed housing proximate to the ends of the sealed housing, wherein, during operation of the portable electronic device, the sealed housing is configured to support a two-phase bidirectional flow of the thermal transport material in the liquid state in the wicking material and in a gas state in the vapor cavities to transport thermal power over a distance from an evaporator region of the sealed housing, which is proximate to the integrated circuit, to the heat exchangers; wherein the heat exchangers are configured to transfer the thermal power from the sealed housing to an environment external to the portable electronic device; and wherein a product of the thermal power and the distance exceeds a second predetermined value.

12 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined value is less than or equal to 1.4 mm.

13 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the second predetermined value is larger than or equal to 2,000 W-mm.

14 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the thermal transport material includes water.

15 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the thermal power is greater than or equal to 35 W.

16 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the wicking material includes sintered particles having diameters 500 μm.

17 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the vapor cavities are located at opposite sides of a cross-section of the sealed housing.

18 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein, during operation of the portable electronic device, the sealed housing is configured to reduce acoustic sound associated with bubbles of the gas phase of the thermal transport material.

19 . The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the heat exchangers include convective-cooling fins.

20 . A method for cooling a portable electronic device, comprising:
transporting heat generated by operation of an integrated circuit in the portable electronic device over a distance from an evaporator region of a sealed housing in a heat pipe to heat exchangers at condenser regions of the sealed housing, wherein the thermal power is transported via a two-phase bidirectional flow of a thermal transport material in a liquid state and in a gas state in the sealed housing, wherein the sealed housing has a height less than a predetermined value, and wherein a product of the thermal power and the distance exceeds a second predetermined value; and using the heat exchangers, transferring the thermal power from the sealed housing to an environment external to the portable electronic device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Degner Brett W
• Leggett William F
• Nigen Jay S
• Liang Frank F
• Tan Richard H

Classifications

• F28D15/0233

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

• H05K7/20309

  Evaporators · CPC title

• H05K7/20318

  Condensers · CPC title

• G06F1/203 Primary

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

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title