The present disclosure generally relates to a vapor chamber. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a vapor chamber structure.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and do not necessarily constitute prior art.
With the increasing development of computing technology, humans have generally used various electronic devices with high computing density per unit volume. Due to the increasing electronic component density of the electronic device, the performance of the electronic device is more excellent, and accompanied with high-intensity heat energy in a small area while operating. If this heat energy cannot be effectively dissipated from the internal small area, a high temperature may easily cause damage to the electronic components. Therefore, a structure capable of improving the heat dissipation of the electronic device is becoming more and more important.
In order to effectively diffuse and dissipate a heat energy generated by a heat source, new heat dissipation devices having different shapes or materials are gradually being introduced. However, there is currently no satisfactory way to design a heat transfer structure able to dissipate the heat energy in both horizontal and vertical directions to provide a satisfactory structure able to meet the heat dissipation requirements of devices with high electronic component density in the future. Therefore, there is a need to provide a new vapor chamber structure able to effectively transfer the heat energy and dissipate the heat energy better than an existing technology.
One objective of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a vapor chamber structure to effectively transfer the heat energy and dissipate the heat energy.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the objective of the embodiments of the present invention, as the embodiment broadly describes herein, the embodiments of the present invention provides a vapor chamber structure including a main vapor chamber, at least one heat dissipation structure and a plurality of metal blocks. The main vapor chamber is formed by an upper plate and a lower plate, and a first cavity is located between the upper plate and the lower plate. The heat dissipation structure is disposed on an outer surface of the upper plate and fluidly connected with the first cavity of the main vapor chamber first cavity. The metal blocks are disposed in the first cavity.
In some embodiments, the metal blocks are disposed on the lower plate and a steam channel is formed between the metal blocks and the upper plate.
In some embodiments, one of the metal blocks is extended to two opposite ends of the first cavity to prevent working fluids in two opposite areas of the first cavity from flowing into each other.
In some embodiments, the vapor chamber structure further includes a capillary structure located in the first cavity and disposed on the lower plate. The capillary structure contacts the metal blocks.
In some embodiments, the heat dissipation structure includes at least one auxiliary vapor chamber and at least one heat pipe. The auxiliary vapor chamber is disposed on the outer surface of the upper plate and fluidly connected to the first cavity of the main vapor chamber. The heat pipe is disposed on the outer surface and fluidly connected to the first cavity of the main vapor chamber.
In some embodiments, a quantity of the at least one auxiliary vapor chamber is multiple, a quantity of the at least one heat pipe is multiple, the auxiliary vapor chambers are spaced apart from each other, and the heat pipes are spaced apart from each other.
In some embodiments, the outer surface is extended along a first direction and a second direction, the auxiliary vapor chambers and the heat pipes are extended along a third direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the third direction is different from any combination direction of the first direction and the second direction.
In some embodiments, a first height of the auxiliary vapor chambers relative to the outer surface and along the third direction is lower than a heat pipe height of the heat pipes relative to the outer surface and along the third direction.
In some embodiments, the heat pipes include at least one first type heat pipe and at least one second type heat pipe. The first type heat pipe extends toward the third direction. A first portion of the second type heat pipe extends toward the third direction, a first end of the first portion contacts the outer surface, a second portion of the second type heat pipe extends toward the second direction, and the second portion is connected to a second end, opposite to the first end, of the first portion.
In some embodiments, a quantity of the at least one first type heat pipe is multiple, a quantity of the at least one second type heat pipe is multiple, the first type heat pipe and the auxiliary vapor chamber are alternately arranged along the second direction.
In some embodiments, the second type heat pipes are located between a portion of the auxiliary vapor chambers and another portion of the auxiliary vapor chambers, and no auxiliary vapor chamber is located between the second type heat pipes along the first direction.
In some embodiments, each of the auxiliary vapor chambers includes a second cavity, each of the heat pipes includes a hollow portion, and the second cavity and the hollow portion are fluidly connected to the first cavity.
In some embodiments, one of the metal blocks separates two adjacent heat pipes of the heat pipes, or one adjacent auxiliary vapor chamber of the auxiliary vapor chambers and one adjacent heat pipe of the heat pipes when the auxiliary vapor chambers, the heat pipes and the metal blocks are projected vertically onto the outer surface of the main vapor chamber.
Hence, the present disclosure provides a single main vapor chamber fluidly connected to different types of heat pipes and auxiliary vapor chambers, so that the thermal resistance is reduced when an actual heat flow is transferred, thereby effectively dissipating the heat energy and improving the heat dissipation efficiency.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present disclosure. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined by referencing the appended claims.
Refer from
The outer surface 112 of the upper plate 110 are extended along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The first direction D1 is perpendicular to the second direction D2 to form a two dimensional plane, for example, the extending directions of the outer surface 112. The auxiliary vapor chambers 200 and the heat pipes 300 are extended to a third direction D3. The third direction D3 does not belong to any one direction on the plane formed by the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. That is to say, the third direction D3 does not belong to any one of the combinations of the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In some embodiments, the third direction D3 is perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In some embodiments, a first height H1 of the auxiliary vapor chambers 200, relative to the outer surface 112 and along the third direction D3, is lower than a heat pipe height H2 of the heat pipes 300, relative to the outer surface 112 and along the third direction D3, as illustrated in
The heat pipes 300 may include a plurality of first type heat pipe 310 and a plurality of second type heat pipe 320 but not limited thereto. The first type heat pipe 310 is extended from the outer surface 112 of the upper plate 110 along the third direction D3. The heat pipe height H2 of the first type heat pipe 310 can be a second height H21. The second type heat pipe 320 may include a first portion 322 and a second portion 324. In
It is worth noting that, the main vapor chamber 100 and the auxiliary vapor chambers 200 can be any vapor chamber, and the heat pipes 300 can be any heat pipe without departing from the scope and the spirit of the present invention. The structure of the vapor chamber is generally flat. That is to say, if the vapor chamber is a flat cuboid formed by the length, width, and height along three different directions, the area formed by the length and the width is significantly larger than the area formed by the width and the height, and the area formed by the length and the height. In other words, the length and the width of the vapor chamber are much greater than the height. This shape of the vapor chamber is also an implicit structural feature according to the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the structure of the heat pipe is a hollow columnar structure, which can be a hollow cylinder. The length of the central axis along the center of the hollow cylinder is generally significantly greater than the diameter of the cylinder. Of course, the structure of the heat pipe according to the embodiments of the present invention may include a cross section of the heat pipe along the diameter is polygonal or elliptical.
In some embodiments, the main vapor chamber 100 and the auxiliary vapor chambers 200 are extended along different directions and, for example, the main vapor chamber 100 may perpendicular to the auxiliary vapor chambers 200. In some embodiments, the extending direction of the plane formed by the length and width of the main vapor chamber 100 is different from the extending direction of the plane formed by the length and width of the auxiliary vapor chambers 200 and, for example, the outer surface 112 of the upper plate 110 of the main vapor chamber 100 is perpendicular to the plane formed by the length and width of the auxiliary vapor chambers 200.
In
According to the component arrangement as illustrated in
The arrangement of the vapor chamber structure 1000 takes into account the transfer of heat energy, the heat dissipation efficiency, the space utilization, and the flexible combination of the vapor chamber structure 1000 with various heat dissipation fin assemblies that can be attached later. In addition, as the auxiliary vapor chambers 200, the first type heat pipe 310 and the second type heat pipe 320 are matched in geometric shape and height position, the airflow flowing to the vapor chamber structure 1000 (this airflow is an external airflow rather than the foregoing gaseous working fluid) can be caused more disturbance and turbulence, thereby changing an one-dimensional conduction heat flow into a two-dimensional conduction heat flow, so as to reduce thermal resistance. In the present disclosure, the additional heat dissipation fin assembly is omitted in the drawings, and the drawings focus on the illustration of the vapor chamber structure 1000.
Refer to
Refer to
In detail, the metal blocks 500 can be disposed on the lower plate 120 to form a steam channel 1022 (the steam channel 1022 is also a part of the first cavity 102) between the upper plate 110 and the metal blocks 500, so that the metal blocks 500 will not excessively obstruct the working fluid flowing in the various areas disclosed in the present disclosure, that is, the gaseous working fluid can still moderately diffuse through the steam channel 1022 above the metal blocks 500. The vapor chamber structure 1000 may further include a capillary structure 600, located in the first cavity 102 and disposed on the lower plate 120. The capillary structure 600 is in contact with the metal blocks 500, and the structure allows the metal blocks 500 to be used as the boundary of the capillary structure 600, thereby achieving the effect of partitioning the capillary structure 600. The partition structure can separate the working fluid, i.e. the liquid working fluid, in a plurality of specific areas of the capillary structure 600 by way of the metal blocks 500, thereby separating from each other to a certain extent.
In more detail, the capillary structure 600 includes a first capillary structure 610, a second capillary structure 620 and a third capillary structure 630. In some embodiments, the first capillary structure 610 is directly attached on the lower plate 120, and in contact with the lateral surfaces of the metal blocks 500A and the lateral surfaces of the metal blocks 5006. In
The third capillary structure 630 is in contact with the metal blocks 500A which is in contact with the lower plate 120. From the top view as illustrated in
Although the drawings of the present disclosure depict a plurality of auxiliary vapor chambers 200 and a plurality of heat pipes 300, but not limited to this. In a most simplified structure of the vapor chamber structure 1000, the vapor chamber structure 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may only include a main vapor chamber 100, an auxiliary vapor chamber 200, and a heat pipe 300, and the structural features of the configuration and the extending direction thereof are the same as the multiple foregoing mentioned embodiments.
Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vapor chamber structure in which an auxiliary vapor chamber and a heat pipe are fluidly connected to a same main vapor chamber. The vapor chamber structure can fit more types of the heat dissipation fins and make the airflow generate more turbulence, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation effect. Different types of the heat pipes in combination with the auxiliary vapor chambers can fit different height heat dissipation fins relative to the main vapor chamber to receive heat energy transferred from the heat source on the lower plate of the main vapor chamber. In addition, in some embodiments, the combination of the metal blocks and the capillary structure, and the positional relationship between the metal blocks, the capillary structure, the vapor chamber and the heat pipes can properly maintain the working fluid volume in each areas of the main vapor chamber, thereby improving the heat transfer and heat dissipation efficiency thereof.
As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended that various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/053,953, filed Jul. 20, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63053953 | Jul 2020 | US |