Reinforced heat-transfer device, heat-transfer system, and method of reinforcing a heat-transfer device
First Claim
1. A heat-transfer system for conducting heat from a heat source, the heat-transfer system comprising:
- a plurality of serially coupled evaporators for generating a respective vapor;
a plurality of reinforcement elements interposed between adjacent evaporators; and
a condenser in fluid communication with at least one of the evaporators;
wherein at least one of the evaporators includes an enclosed vapor chamber defined at least in part by a first wall and a second, oppositely spaced wall, wherein the first wall includes a blind recessed portion that opens to an environment exterior of the evaporator, wherein a first one of the reinforcement elements is coupled to an exterior surface of the first wall and is disposed at least partially within the blind recessed portion, and wherein a second one of the reinforcement elements is coupled to an exterior surface of the second wall.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heat-transfer device and system for conducting heat from a heat source. The heat-transfer device can include an evaporator having one or more reinforcement elements occupying respective recesses defined in a body of the evaporator, wherein the reinforcement elements are more resistant to deformation under clamp load than the material of the evaporator body, while still having desirable heat conductivity. In some embodiments, the heat-transfer system includes a plurality of serially coupled evaporators for generating a respective vapor; at least one reinforcement element interposed between adjacent evaporators; and a condenser in fluid communication with the evaporator.
24 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A heat-transfer system for conducting heat from a heat source, the heat-transfer system comprising:
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a plurality of serially coupled evaporators for generating a respective vapor; a plurality of reinforcement elements interposed between adjacent evaporators; and a condenser in fluid communication with at least one of the evaporators; wherein at least one of the evaporators includes an enclosed vapor chamber defined at least in part by a first wall and a second, oppositely spaced wall, wherein the first wall includes a blind recessed portion that opens to an environment exterior of the evaporator, wherein a first one of the reinforcement elements is coupled to an exterior surface of the first wall and is disposed at least partially within the blind recessed portion, and wherein a second one of the reinforcement elements is coupled to an exterior surface of the second wall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An evaporator for generating a vapor, the evaporator comprising:
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a first wall; a second wall spaced from the first wall; an enclosed vapor chamber disposed between the first and the second walls; a first monolithic reinforcement element having a first surface coupled to an exterior surface of the first wall, and a second, opposite surface exposed to an environment exterior of the evaporator; and a second reinforcement element having an exterior surface coupled to an exterior surface of the second wall, wherein the first wall is located between the first reinforcement element and the vapor chamber at all points along the first reinforcement element. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A heat-transfer system comprising:
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a plurality of serially coupled evaporators for generating a respective vapor, the serially coupled evaporators spaced apart from one another along a first direction, at least one of the evaporators including an enclosed vapor chamber defined at least in part by a wall having an exterior surface and a recessed portion, the exterior surface and the recessed portion together formed from one piece of material; a reinforcement element coupled to the wall in the recessed portion the reinforcement element including an outer surface that extends along a second direction that is different from the first direction and contacts an electronic device, the electronic device disposed adjacent the at least one of the evaporators along the first direction; a condenser in fluid communication with the at least one of the evaporators, the condenser spaced from the at least one of the evaporators along the second direction; and a clamp for compressing the evaporators together along the first direction, the clamp including two end plates and a coupling member extending between the end plates. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A heat-transfer system comprising:
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a plurality of serially coupled evaporators for generating a respective vapor, the serially coupled evaporators spaced apart from one another along a first direction, at least one of the evaporators including an enclosed vapor chamber defined at least in part by a first wall and a second, oppositely spaced wall; a plurality of monolithic reinforcement elements interposed between adjacent evaporators, wherein a first one of the monolithic reinforcement elements is coupled to the first wall in a blind recessed portion of the first wall, the blind recessed portion of the first wall and an exterior surface of the first wall being formed from one piece of material, wherein the first wall is disposed between the vapor chamber and the first reinforcement element at all points along the first reinforcement element, wherein a second one of the monolithic reinforcement elements is coupled to the second wall, wherein the first and second reinforcement elements each extend along a second direction different from the first direction; a condenser in fluid communication with the at least one of the evaporators, the condenser spaced from the at least one of the evaporators along the second direction; and a clamp for compressing the evaporators together along the first direction, the clamp including two end plates and a coupling member extending between the end plates. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification