Electronic apparatus

• US 6,178,088 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gates, William George
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US09/235,795
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 361/689, 361/687, 361/688, 361/699, 361/700, 361/704, 361/719, 361/715, 257/714, 257/715, 174/15.2, 165/80.4, 165/104.33
• US Class Current: 361/699
• 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: 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

An electronic apparatus having a heat pipe that is thermally bonded to plates to internal and external enclosures. The electronic apparatus is located in a heat dissipative external enclosure. The electronic apparatus having at least one unit contained in a thermally conductive internal housing providing RF isolation and mounted on a wall of the external enclosure in thermal contact therewith. The electronic apparatus also having a heat pipe having a first plate bonded to its evaporator and a second plate bonded to its condenser, both bonds being thermally conductive. The first plate being mounted by fixings in thermal contact with the internal housing, the second plate being mounted by fixings in thermal contact with the wall of the external enclosure at a position lower, in use, than the first plate. This allows the heat pipe to be easily removed. This also allows the inner housing to maintain RF isolation.

Claims

1. Electronic apparatus contained in a heat dissipative external enclosure, the electronic apparatus comprising:

at least one unit located in the external enclosure;

a thermally conductive internal housing providing RF isolation and mounted on a wall of the external enclosure in thermal contact therewith, the unit being located in the housing;

a heat pipe having a first plate bonded to its evaporator and a second plate bonded to its condenser, both bonds being thermally conductive, the first plate being mounted by fixings in thermal contact with the internal housing, the first plate being mounted in a recess of the interior housing and being disposed between the external enclosure and the interior housing, the second plate being mounted by fixings in thermal contact with the wall of the external enclosure at a position lower, in use, than the first plate.

2. Electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first plate is located adjacent one or more power components inside the internal housing.

3. Electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixings comprise screws.