Heat dissipation tower for circuit devices

• US 20040035558A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thermal Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thermal Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McKee, David, Garner, Scott, Hartenstine, John R., Todd, John J., Connors, Matthew J.
• Application Number:
  US10/459,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.26
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/24 and extending transversely F28F1/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/32 the means having portions engaging further tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A heat transfer device such as a heat sink has one or more heat pipe tubes mounted in a base plate. The heat pipe tubes have a working fluid in a vessel with a wicking material between an evaporator and condenser. The heat pipe traverses a through opening in the base plate and extends along a receptacle in the base plate facing the heat source, this portion preferably defining the heat pipe evaporator. The heat pipe has legs extending perpendicularly from the base plate, and preferably hold spaced heat transfer fins, the legs forming the condenser part of a stacked tower of fins on the base plate. Preferably two or more heat pipes are provided in the form of U-shaped or L-shaped tubes that are flattened along the underside of the base plate to bear against the heat source.

Claims

1. A heat transfer device for dissipating heat from a heat source, the device comprising:

a heat pipe including a vessel to be placed in thermally conductive relation to the heat source, the heat pipe comprising thermally conductive material at least at an evaporator part and at a condenser part that are in fluid communication with one another and contain a heat transfer fluid for movement in a cycle between the evaporator and the condenser;

a base plate for at least partly supporting the heat pipe, the base plate having a side to be directed toward a heat source, and at least one through opening leading into a receptacle on the side of the base plate directed toward the heat source;

wherein the at least a part of the heat pipe extends into the through opening to the receptacle and is positioned for contact with the heat source.

2. The heat transfer device of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink disposed opposite from the side of the base plate directed toward the heat source.

3. The heat transfer device of claim 2, wherein the evaporator is disposed in the receptacle and the condenser is in thermal transfer relation with the heat sink.

4. The heat transfer device of claim 1, further comprising a wicking material in the vessel, capable of supporting a capillary flow of the heat transfer fluid at least for part of the cycle between the condenser to the evaporator.

5. The heat transfer device of claim 1, wherein the receptacle forms a channel on the side of the base plate directed toward the heat source and the vessel comprises an elongated tubular structure disposed in the channel.

6. The heat transfer device of claim 5, wherein the base plate has a thickness greater)than an outside of the elongated tubular structure, and wherein the receptacle is dimensioned to complement an outside, shape of the elongated tubular structure, such that the elongated tubular structure rests substantially in surface contact with the base plate at the receptacle.

7. The heat transfer device of claim 6, wherein the elongated tubular structure is flattened along a surface coextensive with a surface of the base plate on the side directed toward the heat source.

8. The heat transfer device of claim 7, wherein the base plate has at least one further through opening leading into the receptacle on the side of the base plate directed toward the heat source, and wherein the elongated tubular structure forms a U-shape or L-shape with legs traversing the through openings and a bottom disposed in the receptacle.

9. The heat transfer device of claim 8, wherein the legs comprise parallel sections extending from the base plate and a transverse bend adjacent to the bottom.

10. The heat transfer device of claim 9, wherein the receptacle forms a U-shape or L-shape in a plane perpendicular to the leg sections and the vessel is press fit into the U-shape or L-shape of the receptacle.

11. The heat transfer device of claim 10, further comprising at least one heat sink mounted on the leg sections.

12. The heat transfer device of claim 11, comprising a plurality of heat transfer fins carried on said legs sections and spaced along the leg sections from the base plate.

13. The heat transfer device of claim 8, comprising at least one further said heat pipe comprising an elongated tubular structure forming a further U-shape or L-shape affixed in a further receptacle and having further leg sections.

14. The heat transfer device of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of heat transfer fins spaced from the base plate, wherein the leg sections and further leg sections form spaced parallel columns supporting the heat transfer fins.

15. The heat transfer device of claim 14, wherein the elongated tubular structures are compressed in surface contact with the base plate along a surface of the receptacles and are flattened coextensive with a surface of the base plate on a side facing the heat source.

16. The heat transfer device of claim 15, wherein the elongated tubular structures comprise tubing having a round cross section with a flattened side.

17. The heat transfer device of claim 15, wherein the elongated tubular structures have at least two flattened surfaces.

18. The heat transfer device of claim 15, wherein the vessels are affixed to the base plate by at least one of a press fit, a potting compound, an adhesive and a solder.

19. The heat transfer device of claim 18, wherein the heat transfer fins are affixed to the leg sections by at least one of a press fit, a potting compound, an adhesive and a solder.