Flexible thermal conduit for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545030-B2
Application number	US-201514705893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A flexible thermal conduit runs from a first housing portion of an electronic device to a second housing portion of the electronic device, to convey heat generated by an electronic component located in the first housing portion to a heat dissipation structure located in the second housing portion, where the second housing portion is flexibly coupled to the first housing portion, for example, by a hinge or other type of joint. The flexible conduit may include a plurality of layers of thin, flat thermally conductive material, which may be arranged to flex independently of each other in the region where the first and second housing portions are coupled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing portion containing an electronic component that generates heat during operation;
a second housing portion, flexibly coupled via a hinge to the first housing portion, the second housing portion containing a heat dissipation structure; and
a multi-layer flexible thermal conduit that passes from the first housing portion to the second housing portion, to convey heat generated by the electronic component to the heat dissipation structure,
wherein the multi-layer flexible thermal conduit comprises a plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers,
a major surface of each layer of the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers is adjacent to a major surface of an adjacent layer of the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers,
a major surface of one of the flexible thermally conductive layers is adjacent to the hinge; and
wherein the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers are not affixed to each other in a region where the second housing portion is flexibly coupled to the first housing portion, such that the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers are able to flex separately in said region.

2. An electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers comprise a plurality of layers of flexible graphite.

3. An electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers comprise a plurality of layers of metal.

4. A head-mounted display device comprising:
a visor assembly including a display assembly to cause an image to be displayed to a user, the visor assembly including an electronic component that generates heat during operation;
a head fitting assembly, flexibly coupled via a hinge to the visor assembly, by which the head-mounted display device can be worn on a head of the user, the head fitting assembly including a heat dissipation structure; and
a multi-layer flexible thermal conduit that passes from the visor assembly to the head fitting assembly, to convey heat generated by the electronic component to the heat dissipation structure in the head fitting assembly,
wherein the multi-layer flexible thermal conduit comprises at least one of a plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers,
a major surface of each layer of the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers is adjacent to a major surface of an adjacent layer of the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers,
a major surface of one of the flexible thermally conductive layers is adjacent to the hinge; and
wherein the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers are not affixed to each other in a region where the head fitting assembly is flexibly coupled to the visor assembly, such that the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers are able to flex separately in said region.

5. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers comprise a plurality of layers of flexible graphite.

6. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of flexible thermally conductive layers comprise a plurality of layers of metal.

7. A head-mounted display device comprising:
a visor assembly containing a plurality of electronic components that generate heat when in operation, the visor assembly including a display component to display an image directly in front of an eye of a user;
a head fitting assembly, coupled to the visor assembly, by which the head-mounted display device can be worn on a head of the user, the head fitting assembly including a plurality of curved, elongate side arms, each flexibly coupled via a separate hinge of a plurality of hinges to a different end of the visor assembly, each of said side arms including a heat dissipation structure; and
a plurality of multi-layer flexible thermal conduits, a first one of which is coupled to the visor assembly and to a first one of the side arms adjacent to a first one of the plurality of hinges and a second one of which is coupled to the visor assembly and to a second one of the side arms adjacent to a second one of the plurality of hinges, each of said multi-layer flexible thermal conduits configured to convey heat generated by at least one of the plurality of electronic components to the heat dissipation structure in a corresponding one of the side arms, each of said multi-layer flexible thermal conduit including a plurality of flat, elongate, flexible thermal conduit strips that are not affixed to each other in a region proximate to a corresponding one of the plurality of hinges, such that the plurality of strips are able to flex separately in said region proximate to the corresponding one of the plurality of hinges,
wherein the multi-layer flexible thermal conduit comprises a plurality of flexible thermal conductive strips,
a major surface of each strip of the plurality of flexible thermally conductive strips is adjacent to a major surface of an adjacent strip of the plurality of flexible thermally conductive strips, and
a major surface of one of the flexible thermally conductive layers is adjacent to the corresponding one of the plurality of hinges.

8. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of flat, elongate, flexible thermally conduit strips comprise a plurality of layers of flexible graphite.

9. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of flat, elongate, flexible thermally conduit strips comprise a plurality of layers of metal.

10. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 7 , further comprising a first thermally conductive bracket coupled to at least one of the electronic components and to a one of the flexible thermal conduits associated with one of the side arms.

11. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first thermally conductive bracket secures together the plurality of flat, elongate, flexible thermal conduit strips of said one of the flexible thermal conduits.

12. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a circuit board mounted to an interior surface of the visor assembly, the circuit board having at least some of the plurality of electronic components disposed thereon, wherein the first thermally conductive bracket is coupled to the circuit board.

13. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 12 , further comprising a heat spreader held to the circuit board by the first thermally conductive bracket.

14. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a clamp disposed proximate to the corresponding one of the plurality of hinges associated with said one of the side arms, wherein the clamp secures together the plurality of flat, elongate, flexible thermal conduit strips of said one of the flexible thermal conduits.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Nikkhoo Michael
• Heirich Doug
• Riccomini Roy
• Ye Maosheng
• Beerman Michael
• Taylor Joseph Daniel

Classifications

• H05K7/20454

  with a conformable or flexible structure compensating for irregularities, e.g. cushion bags, thermal paste · CPC title

• H05K7/20127 Primary

  Natural convection · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · 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

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title