Heat-pipe having woven-wired wick and method for manufacturing the same

• US 6,427,765 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Young Soo, Han, Jae Sup, Kim, Kwang Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): ATKINSON, CHRISTOPHER MARK
• Application Number:
  US09/435,805
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 165/104.26, 298/900.32, 431/325
• US Class Current: 165/104.26
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/046 characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making

Abstract

A heat pipe having a woven-wired wick according to the present invention is for improving a capillary force and permeability and simplifying the manufacturing process thereof. The heat pipe uses a wick in order to increase permeability. The heat pipe comprises a pipe body; and a wick having a larger diameter than that of the pipe body before being inserted into the pipe body and a smaller diameter than that of the pipe body after being inserted into the pipe body. The wick includes a plurality of groups of wires which are spirally woven to form a cylindrical wick and each wire is made of a material having an elasticity. In addition, the heat pipe is manufactured by the following steps: forming a cylindrical wick by weaving a plurality of wires spirally so that a diameter of the wick is larger than an inner diameter of a pipe body; and inserting the wick into the pipe body, wherein the diameter of the wick is smaller than the diameter of the pipe body and the wick is closely in contact with an inner wall of the pipe body without any process due to elasticity of the wire when the wick is inserted into the pipe body.

Claims

1. A heat pipe, comprising:

a pipe body; and

a plurality of groups of substantially parallel wires spirally woven to form a substantially cylindrical wick, each wire being made of a material having an elasticity such that said wick may be extended while retaining a restorative force, said wick having a larger diameter than that of said pipe body before being inserted into said pipe body and, following extension of said wick for insertion into said pipe body, said wick having a diameter just smaller than an inner wall of said pipe body after being inserted into said pipe body, said wick through said restorative force tightly contacting said inner wall of said pipe body along a complete inner circumference thereof.

2. The heat pipe according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical wick is made such that a spiral lead angle is approximately 78°

to 82°

.

3. The heat pipe according to claim 1, wherein, when said wick is inserted into said pipe body, a spiral lead angle of said groups of wires becomes larger than an original spiral lead angle thereof.

4. The heat pipe according to claim 1, wherein one group of wires is substantially in contact with adjacent groups of wires when said wick is inserted into said pipe body.

5. The heat pipe according to claim 2, wherein, when said wick is inserted into said pipe body, a spiral lead angle of said groups of wires becomes larger than an original spiral lead angle thereof.

6. The heat pipe according to claim 5, wherein one group of wires is substantially in contact with adjacent groups of wires when said wick is inserted into said pipe body.

7. A method for manufacturing a heat pipe, comprising the steps of:

forming a cylindrical wick by weaving a plurality of groups of substantially parallel wires spirally with one another so that a diameter of the wick resulting from the spiral weaving of the plurality of groups of substantially parallel wires is larger than an inner diameter of a pipe body; and

inserting the wick into the pipe body, said step of inserting including axially extending said wick and thereby reducing a diameter thereof so that the diameter of the wick is just smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe body, a restorative force in said wire resisting said axial extension and pressing said wick closely in contact with said pipe body along an entire inner wall thereof.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the cylindrical wick is made such that a spiral lead angle is approximately 78°

to 82°

.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, when said wick is inserted into said pipe body, a spiral lead angle of the wire becomes larger than an original spiral lead angle thereof.