Cooling apparatus based on heat energy bound to working fluid in phase transition

• US 6,481,491 B2
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Heikkilä, Timo, Kabrell, Carl, Tuamainen, Tapio, Lehtiniemi, Reijo, Rantala, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): ATKINSON, CHRISTOPHER MARK
• Application Number:
  US09/380,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/104.21, 165/185, 165/104.14, 165/104.26, 361/700, 257/715, 174/15.2
• US Class Current: 165/80.3
• 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 21/04 of ceramic; of concrete; of natural stone
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20309 Evaporators

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for removing heat from an electronic component mounted on a circuit board. The device uses a working fluid circulated through cooling elements which are integrated into a metal matrix composite structure. The cooling elements are positioned and arranged within the structure to efficiently manage heat dissipation by evacuating the heat from the component in a multi-directional manner.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus including a circulating working fluid, the circulating working fluid transitioning in phase to dissipate heat generated by at least one electronic component inserted in a circuit board, the cooling apparatus comprising:

a plurality of elongated cooling elements configured to contain the circulating working fluid, the plurality of cooling elements forming a matrix of cooling elements; and

a heat conducting material binding the matrix of the cooling elements,

wherein (i) at least one of the elements of the plurality of elements is arranged to extend parallel to a plane formed by the circuit board, (ii) at least one of the elements of the plurality of elements is arranged to extend parallel to the plane formed by the circuit board but not parallel to the elements of (i), and (iii) at least one element of the plurality of elements extends in a direction not parallel to the plane formed by the circuit board.

2. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cavity formed on an exterior surface of the apparatus, the cavity facing the circuit board and substantially conforming to a shape of the at least one electronic component.

3. The cooling apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a medium configured to improve thermal contact is placed between the at least one component and the cooling apparatus.