Claims
- 1. A heat pipe comprising:
a vessel having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface defining a passageway wherein said first end is closed; a wick disposed on a portion of said inner surface; and a convex wall positioned at said second end and blocking said passageway, said wall being deformable so as to move from a first position wherein a portion of said wall is convex to a second position wherein said portion of said wall is concave.
- 2. A heat pipe according to claim 1 wherein said convex wall comprises a through-bore with a tube sealingly positioned within said through-bore.
- 3. A heat pipe according to claim 1 wherein said convex wall comprises a frusto-conical shape.
- 4. A heat pipe according to claim 1 wherein said convex wall comprises an annular groove.
- 5. A heat pipe according to claim 1 wherein said convex wall comprises a frusto-conical shape having an annular groove defined on an inner surface.
- 6. A heat pipe according to claim 1 wherein said second end of said vessel comprises an annular shoulder onto which a portion of said convex wall is sealingly fixed.
- 7. A heat pipe according to claim 1 wherein said concave portion of said wall is filled with a sealant.
- 8. A method for forming a heat pipe comprising:
coating the interior surface of a vessel with a wicking material; partially evacuating said vessel; partially saturating said wick with a working fluid; pinching-off a portion of said vessel so as to seal said vessel; and pressing said portion of said vessel so as to move said portion from a first position wherein said portion is convex to a second position wherein said portion is concave.
- 9. A method according to claim 8 including filling said concave portion of said vessel with a sealant.
- 10. A heat pipe comprising:
a blind tube having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface defining a central passageway; a wick disposed on at least a portion of said inner surface; and a convex wall positioned at said second end and blocking said central passageway, said wall being deformable so as to change said wall from convex to concave.
- 11. A heat pipe according to claim 10 wherein said convex wall comprises a through-bore with a second tube sealingly positioned within said through-bore.
- 12. A heat pipe according to claim 10 wherein said convex wall comprises a frusto-conical shape.
- 13. A heat pipe according to claim 10 wherein said convex wall comprises a stress concentrator formed on a surface.
- 14. A heat pipe according to claim 10 wherein said convex wall comprises a frusto-conical shape having an annular groove formed on an inner surface.
- 15. A heat pipe according to claim 10 wherein said convex wall includes a flange projecting radially outwardly from an edge and said second end of said vessel comprises an annular shoulder onto which said flange is sealingly brazed.
- 16. A heat pipe according to claim 10 wherein said concave portion of said vessel is filled with a sealant.
- 17. A heat pipe comprising:
a vessel having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface defining a passageway wherein said first end is closed; a wick disposed on at least a portion of said inner surface; and a convex wall positioned at said second end and blocking said passageway, said convex wall including at least one stress concentrator so that upon an application of force to said convex wall said stress concentrator causes said convex wall to buckle and thereby move from a first position wherein a portion of said wall is convex to a second position wherein said portion of said wall is concave.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from co-pending Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/356,625, filed Feb. 13, 2002, and entitled DEFORMABLE END CAP FOR HEAT PIPE.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60356625 |
Feb 2002 |
US |