High-strength structural elements using metal foam for portable information handling systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9321101-B2
Application number	US-201313936078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2013
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Methods for manufacturing a metal foam and a metal foam reinforced back plate may be used to provide high-strength and low weight structural elements in portable information handling systems. A method for manufacturing a metal foam may include selectively adding iridium oxide and ceramic particulate to a light-metal allow to create desired mechanical properties of the metal foam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a metal-foam reinforced back plate for use in a portable information handling system, comprising:
forming a back plate having a relief pattern;
cementing a metal foam structure corresponding to the relief pattern to the back plate using an adhesive to form the metal-foam reinforced back plate; and
sintering the metal-foam reinforced back plate under an inert gas at 600° C., wherein at least a portion of the metal-foam structure is diffusion bonded with the back plate,

wherein the metal foam structure comprises:
aluminum base metal with lithium;
iridium oxide; and
ceramic particulate,

wherein the metal foam structure has a density of about 0.4 g/cm 3 , and wherein the back plate is a metal plate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal foam structure comprises:
aluminum A-356 base metal with 5% by weight lithium;
10% by weight iridium oxide; and
5% by volume ceramic particulate,

wherein the metal foam structure has a density of 0.4 g/cm 3 , and wherein the back plate is a metal plate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ceramic particulate comprises at least one of alumina nanofiber and silicon carbide particles.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ceramic particulate has a median size of less than 1 micrometer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal foam structure is 2 mm thick, and wherein the metal foam comprises pores having a median size of 0.5 mm.

6. A method for manufacturing a metal-foam reinforced back plate for use in a portable information handling system, comprising:
forming a back plate having a relief pattern;
cementing a metal foam structure corresponding to the relief pattern to the back plate using an adhesive to form the metal-foam reinforced back plate; and
sintering the metal-foam reinforced back plate under an inert gas at 600° C., wherein at least a portion of the metal-foam structure is diffusion bonded with the back plate, wherein the metal foam structure comprises:
a zinc-aluminum alloy base metal; and
ceramic particulate,

wherein the metal foam structure has a density of about 0.8 g/cm 3 , and wherein the back plate is a ceramic back plate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ceramic particulate comprises a mixture of alumina nanofiber and silicon carbide particles.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ceramic particulate has a median size of less than 1 micrometer.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the metal foam structure comprises:
7% by volume of the ceramic particulate,

wherein the metal foam structure has a density of 0.8 g/cm 3 .

Assignees

• Aurongzeb Deeder Mohammad
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Aurongzeb Deeder Mohammad

Classifications

• B32B15/046

  of foam · CPC title

• B22D25/005 Primary

  Casting metal foams · CPC title

• B22D7/005 Primary

  from non-ferrous metals · CPC title

• C22C21/04

  Modified aluminium-silicon alloys · CPC title

• B32B2266/045

  Metal · CPC title