CONFORMAL COATING INCLUDING EMBEDDED THERMAL ENERGY ABSORBING MATERIAL

• US 20140285967A1
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wikander, Jered H., MacDonald, Mark, McEuen, Shawn S., Pidwerbecki, David, Jagadish, Harish
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0209 External configuration of printed circuit board adapted for heat dissipation, e.g. lay-out of conductors, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/00 Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for a conformal coating molded around power source circuitry, electrical components or at least portions of a display for a computing device. The conformal coating to include embedded microencapsulated thermal energy storage material to absorb heat generated by the electrical components.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

electrical components; and

a conformal coating molded around the electrical components to substantially seal the electrical components while also serving as an outer surface, the conformal coating including microencapsulated thermal energy storage material embedded in the conformal coating to absorb heat generated by the electrical components.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, comprising power source circuitry to provide electrical power to the electrical components, the conformal coating also molded around the power source circuitry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising the power source circuitry including an inductive coil and a battery to store electrical power to be generated by the inductive coil when inductively coupled to an induction charger.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a display to receive electrical power from the power source circuitry and responsive to signals from at least one of the electrical components, the conformal coating molded around at least a portion of one or more outward facing edge of a display to form a unibody chassis.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, comprising the electrical components configured to provide wireless communication capabilities to include at least one transceiver and at least one of an optical communication interface, a radio frequency communication interface or an infrared communication interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising the display, the electrical components and the power source circuitry configured to be a handheld computing device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a display responsive to signals from at least one of the electrical components, the display to detachably couple to the outer surface of the conformal coating and configured to receive the signals via one or more connectors routed through the outer surface of the conformal coating.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising the display and the electrical components configured to be a handheld computing device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the electrical components configured to provide wireless communication capabilities to include at least one transceiver and at least one of an optical communication interface, a radio frequency communication interface or an infrared communication interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the conformal coating including a thermoset material, the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material added to the thermoset material in a liquid phase to embed the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material, the thermoset material in the liquid phase then molded around the electrical components to result in the conformal coating once the thermoset material is caused to be in a solid phase.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising the thermoset material to include a polymer-based material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the conformal coating including a thermoset material that was heated to cause the thermoset material to be in a liquid phase, the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material added to the thermoset material in the liquid phase to embed the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material, the thermoset material in the liquid phase then molded around the electrical components to result in the conformal coating once the thermoset material returns to a solid phase.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material to include paraffin wax.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a heat spreader in thermal contact with at least one of the electrical components, the conformal coating also molded around the heat spreader.

15. A method comprising:

obtaining a molding material that is in a liquid phase;

adding microencapsulated thermal energy storage material to the molding material to embed the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material in the molding material; and

over-molding electrical components of a computing device with the liquid phase molding material having the embedded thermal storage material, the over-molding to result in a conformal coating to substantially seal the electrical components and form an outer surface once the molding material is cooled or cured to cause the molding material to be in a solid phase.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising also over-molding power source circuitry with the liquid phase molding material, the power source circuitry to provide electrical power to the electrical components.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising the power source circuitry including a battery configured to be charged via inductive coupling between an inductive charger and an induction coil also included in the power source circuitry.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising adding one or more connectors to enable a display to detachably couple to the outer surface and also to receive signals from at least one of the electrical components.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising also over-molding at least a portion of one or more outward facing edges of a display, the display configured to receive signals from at least one of the electrical components, the over-molding of the display to result in the conformal coating forming a unibody chassis once the molding material cools or is cured to cause the molding material to be in a solid phase.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising the molding material including a type of thermoset material to include a polymer-based material and the microencapsulated thermal energy storage material including paraffin wax.