Phase change cooler and electronic equipment provided with same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9605907-B2
Application number	US-201113638474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2011
Priority date	Mar 29, 2010
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A phase change cooler of the present invention includes: a plurality of heat receiving units that cause a refrigerant to change phase from liquid to gas by heat received from a heat generating body; one heat radiating unit that causes the refrigerant to change phase from gas to liquid by radiating heat to surrounding area; a plurality of vapor tubes that respectively transport the refrigerant in a vapor state from each of the heat receiving units to the heat radiating unit; a liquid tube that respectively circulates the refrigerant in a liquid state from the heat radiating unit to each of the heat receiving units; and a bypass tube that connects each of the heat receiving units to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A phase change cooler comprising:
a plurality of heat receiving units that include first and second heat receiving units different from each other, each of the first and second heat receiving units including a bottom plate having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite from the outer surface, the outer surface being in contact with an electronic part that is a cooling target, and a plurality of fins provided on the inner surface, the first and second heat receiving units causing a refrigerant to change phase from liquid to gas by heat received from the electronic part;
one heat radiating unit that causes the refrigerant to change phase from gas to liquid by radiating heat to a surrounding area;
a plurality of vapor tubes that include first and second vapor tubes different from each other, the first vapor tube having a first end directly connected to the heat radiating unit and a second end directly connected to the first heat receiving unit, the first vapor tube transporting the refrigerant in a vapor state from the first heat receiving unit to the heat radiating unit, the second vapor tube having a first end directly connected to the heat radiating unit and a second end directly connected to the second heat receiving unit, the second vapor tube transporting the refrigerant in a vapor state from the second heat receiving unit to the heat radiating unit, the first vapor tube and the second vapor tube being connected to different side surfaces of the heat radiating unit, respectively; and
a branched liquid tube that has a first end directly connected to the heat radiating unit, a second end directly connected to the first heat receiving unit, and a third end directly connected to the second heat receiving unit, the branched liquid tube circulating the refrigerant in a liquid state from the heat radiating unit to each of the first and second heat receiving units.

2. An electronic device comprising the phase change cooler according to claim 1 .

3. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the different side surfaces are first and second mutually opposing surfaces of the heat radiating unit, the first vapor tube is connected to the first surface of the heat radiating unit, and the second vapor tube is connected to the second surface of the heat radiating unit.

4. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the different side surfaces include first and second side surfaces of the heat radiating unit, the first side surface faces in a direction opposite to a direction in which the second side surface faces, the first vapor tube is connected to the first side surface of the heat radiating unit, and the second vapor tube is connected to the second side surface of the heat radiating unit.

5. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein each fin among the plurality of fins of the first and second heat receiving units has a plate shape.

6. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each of the first and second heat receiving units includes a plurality of protrusions.

7. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first heat receiving unit further includes:
a top plate that is above the bottom plate of the first heat receiving unit, and is connected to the second end of the first vapor tube; and
a side wall unit that has an opening covered by the bottom plate of the first heat receiving unit, and an opening covered by the top plate of the first heat receiving unit, the side wall unit being connected to the second end of the branched liquid tube.

8. The phase change cooler according to claim 7 , wherein the fins provided on the inner surface of the first heat receiving unit extend toward the top plate and are spaced apart from the top plate.

9. The phase change cooler according to claim 7 ,
wherein the bottom plate of the first heat receiving unit has a substantially round shape,
the top plate has a substantially round shape, and
the side wall unit has a substantially cylindrical shape.

10. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic part includes a central processing unit (CPU).

11. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the branched liquid tube is connected to a surface of the heat radiating unit which is different from the side surfaces of the heat radiating unit.

12. The phase change cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the heat radiating unit causes the refrigerant to change phase from gas to liquid by cooling air, and the cooling air is discharged from a surface of the heat radiating unit which is different from the side surfaces of the heat radiating unit.

13. The phase change cooler according to claim 12 , wherein the cooling air blows in a surface of the heat radiating unit which is different from the side surfaces of the heat radiating unit.

14. The phase change cooler according to claim 12 , wherein the branched liquid tube is connected to the surface from which the cooling air is discharged.

15. The phase change cooler according to claim 12 , wherein the branched liquid tube is connected to a surface of the heat radiating unit which is opposite from the surface from which the cooling air is discharged.

Assignees

• Sakamoto Hitoshi
• Yoshikawa Minoru
• Inaba Kenichi
• Hashiguchi Takeya
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Sakamoto Hitoshi
• Yoshikawa Minoru
• Inaba Kenichi
• Hashiguchi Takeya

Classifications

• H10W40/43

  by flowing gases, e.g. forced air cooling · CPC title

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• F28D15/0266 Primary

  with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers (F28D15/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01L23/427

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2924/0002

  Electricity · mapped topic