FLEXIBLE HEAT SPREADER

• US 20180284856A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Shah, Ketan R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,488,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• 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

Thermal management devices for a computing device are described herein. A thermal management device includes a layer of a first material included in a dynamic portion of the thermal management device and a static portion of the thermal management device. The dynamic portion of the thermal management device is bendable relative to the static portion of the thermal management device when the thermal management device is physically connected to a display and a chassis of the computing device, and the display rotates relative to a chassis. The layer of material has a first side and a second side. The second side is opposite the first side. The thermal management device also includes a first layer of a second material and a second layer of the second material physically connected to the first side and the second side of the static portion of the layer of the first material, respectively.

Claims

1. A thermal management device for a computing device, the thermal management device comprising:

a layer of a first material included in a dynamic portion of the thermal management device and a static portion of the thermal management device, the dynamic portion of the thermal management device being bendable relative to the static portion of the thermal management device when the thermal management device is physically connected to a display and a chassis of the computing device, and the display rotates relative to the chassis, the layer of the first material having a first side and a second side, the second side being opposite the first side; and

a first layer of a second material and a second layer of the second material physically connected to the first side and the second side of the static portion of the layer of the first material, respectively, wherein the static portion of the thermal management device is thicker than the dynamic portion of the thermal management device.

2. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the first layer of the second material and the second layer of the second material are physically connected to the first side and the second side of the layer of the first material with layers of adhesive, respectively.

3. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are a same material.

4. The thermal management device of claim 3, wherein the same material is graphite.

5. The thermal management device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first layer of a third material and a second layer of the third material physically connected to the first side and the second side of the layer of the first material, respectively, within the dynamic portion of the thermal management device,

wherein the third material is different than the first material and the second material.

6. The thermal management device of claim 5, further comprising:

a first layer of a fourth material and a second layer of the fourth material physically connected to the first layer of the second material and the second layer of the second material, respectively,

wherein the fourth material is different than the first material and the second material.

7. The thermal management device of claim 6, wherein the third material and the fourth material are a same material.

8. The thermal management device of claim 5, wherein the first layer of the second material and the second layer of the second material have a same thickness.

9. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the static portion is a first static portion, the layer of the first material extending between the first static portion and a second static portion, the dynamic portion being between the first static portion and the second static portion,

wherein the thermal management device further comprises a first layer of a third material and a second layer of the third material, the first layer of the third material and the second layer of the third material being physically connected to the first side and the second side of the layer of the first material, respectively, within the second static portion of the thermal management device.

10. The thermal management device of claim 9, wherein the second material and the third material are a same material.

11. A computing device comprising:

a chassis supporting a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB supporting a heat generating electric device;

a display rotatably connected to the chassis; and

a flexible heat spreader having a first static portion, a second static portion, and a dynamic portion extending between the first static portion and the second static portion, the flexible heat spreader comprising;

a layer of a first material, wherein the layer of the first material has a first side and a second side, the first side being opposite the second side, and wherein the layer of the first material has a first portion included within the first static portion of the flexible heat spreader, a second portion included within the second static portion of the flexible heat spreader, and a third portion included within the dynamic portion of the flexible heat spreader, the third portion of the layer of the first material extending between the first portion of the layer of the first material and the second portion of the layer of the first material;

a first layer of a second material and a second layer of the second material physically connected to the first side and the second side of the first portion of the layer of the first material, respectively; and

a first layer of a third material and a second layer of the third material physically connected to the first side and the second side of the second portion of the layer of the first material, respectively,

wherein the second layer of the second material is physically connected and adjacent to a portion of the display, and the second layer of the third material is physically connected and adjacent to the PCB, the first static portion of the flexible heat spreader being static relative to the portion of the display and the second static portion of the flexible heat spreader being static relative to the PCB, and

wherein the first static portion and the second static portion of the flexible heat spreader are thicker than the dynamic portion of the flexible heat spreader, respectively.

12. The computing device of claim 11, further comprising a hinge,

wherein the third portion of the layer of the first material extends through the hinge.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first material, the second material, and the third material are a same material, the same material being graphite.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first layer of the second material and the second layer of the second material have a same first thickness, and

wherein the first layer of the third material and the second layer of the second material have a same second thickness.

15. The computing device of claim 11, further comprising:

a first layer of a fourth material physically connected to the first layer of the second material;

a second layer of the fourth material physically connected to the second layer of the second material;

a third layer of the fourth material physically connected to the first layer of the third material;

a fourth layer of the fourth material physically connected to the second layer of the third material;

a fifth layer of the fourth material physically connected to the first side of the third portion of the layer of the first material; and

a sixth layer of the fourth material physically connected to the second side of the third portion of the layer of the first material.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the fourth material is Mylar.

17. A thermal management device having a static portion and a dynamic portion, the dynamic portion of the thermal management device being bendable relative to the static portion of the thermal management device when the thermal management device is physically connected to a display and a chassis of a computing device, and the display rotates relative to the chassis, the thermal management device comprising:

a heat spreader having a first side, a second side, a first portion included within the static portion of the thermal management device, and a second portion included within the dynamic portion of the thermal management device, the second side being opposite the first side;

a first layer of a first material physically connected to the first side of the first portion of the heat spreader; and

a second layer of the first material physically connected to the second side of the first portion of the heat spreader,

wherein the first layer of the first material and the second layer of the first material have a same thickness, and

wherein the static portion of the thermal management device is thicker than the dynamic portion of the thermal management device.

18. The thermal management device of claim 17, wherein the heat spreader is a layer of graphite.

19. The thermal management device of claim 17, wherein the heat spreader comprises a phase change device.

20. The thermal management device of claim 17, wherein the first layer of the first material is adhered to the first side of the first portion of the heat spreader, and the second layer of the first material is adhered to the second side of the first portion of the heat spreader,

wherein the thermal management device further comprises:

a first layer of a second material physically attached to the first layer of the first material;

a second layer of the second material physically attached to the second layer of the first material;

a third layer of the second material physically attached to the first side of the second portion of the heat spreader; and

a fourth layer of the second material physically attached to the second side of the second portion of the heat spreader.