Conformal coating including embedded thermal energy absorbing material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9313875-B2
Application number	US-201213976438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for a conformal coating molded around power source circuitry, electrical components or at least portions of a display for a computing device. The conformal coating to include embedded microencapsulated thermal energy storage material to absorb heat generated by the electrical components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
electrical components;
power source circuitry electrically coupled to the electrical components, the power source circuitry comprising an inductive coil and a battery to store electrical power to be generated by the inductive coil when inductively coupled to an induction charger; and
a conformal coating molded around the electrical components to substantially seal the electrical components while also serving as an outer surface of the apparatus, the conformal coating including microencapsulated thermal energy storage material embedded in the conformal coating to absorb heat generated by the electrical components.

2. An apparatus of claim 1 , the conformal coating also molded around the power source circuitry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising a display to receive electrical power from the power source circuitry and responsive to signals from at least one of the electrical components, the conformal coating molded around at least a portion of one or more outward facing edge of the display to form a unibody chassis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , comprising the electrical components configured to provide wireless communication capabilities to include at least one transceiver and at least one of an optical communication interface, a radio frequency communication interface or an infrared communication interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , the apparatus a handheld computing device.

6. An apparatus comprising:
electrical components;
a conformal coating molded around the electrical components to substantially seal the electrical components while also serving as an outer surface of the apparatus, the conformal coating including microencapsulated thermal energy storage material embedded in the conformal coating to absorb heat generated by the electrical components; and
a display responsive to signals from at least one of the electrical components, the display to detachably couple to the outer surface of the conformal coating and to receive the signals via one or more connectors routed through the outer surface of the conformal coating.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , the apparatus a handheld computing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the electrical components to provide wireless communication capabilities to include at least one transceiver and at least one of an optical communication interface, a radio frequency communication interface or an infrared communication interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the conformal coating including a thermoset material, the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material added to the thermoset material in a liquid phase to embed the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material, the thermoset material in the liquid phase then molded around the electrical components to result in the conformal coating once the thermoset material is caused to be in a solid phase.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , comprising the thermoset material to include a polymer-based material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the conformal coating including a thermoset material that was heated to cause the thermoset material to be in a liquid phase, the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material added to the thermoset material in the liquid phase to embed the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material, the thermoset material in the liquid phase then molded around the electrical components to result in the conformal coating once the thermoset material returns to a solid phase.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material to include paraffin wax.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a heat spreader in thermal contact with at least one of the electrical components, the conformal coating also molded around the heat spreader.

14. A method comprising:
obtaining a molding material that is in a liquid phase;
adding microencapsulated thermal energy storage material to the molding material to embed the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material in the molding material; and
over-molding electrical components and power source circuitry of a computing device with the liquid phase molding material having the embedded thermal storage material, the over-molding to result in a conformal coating to substantially seal the electrical components and the power source circuitry to form an outer surface of the computing device once the molding material is cooled or cured to cause the molding material to be in a solid phase, the power source circuitry comprising an inductive coil and a battery to store electrical power to be generated by the inductive coil when inductively coupled to an induction charger, the battery electrically coupled to the electrical component to provide electrical power to the electrical components.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising adding one or more connectors to enable a display to detachably couple to the outer surface and also to receive signals from at least one of the electrical components.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising also over-molding at least a portion of one or more outward facing edges of a display, the display to receive signals from at least one of the electrical components, the over-molding of the display to result in the conformal coating forming a unibody chassis once the molding material cools or is cured to cause the molding material to be in a solid phase.

17. The method of claim 14 , comprising the molding material including a type of thermoset material to include a polymer-based material and the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material including paraffin wax.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Wikander Jered H
• Macdonald Mark
• Mceuen Shawn S
• Jagadish Harish
• Pidwerbecki David

Classifications

• H05K7/2039

  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

• G06F1/203

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

• H05K3/00

  Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• H05K1/0209 Primary

  External configuration of printed circuit board adapted for heat dissipation, e.g. lay-out of conductors, coatings · CPC title