Method of manufacturing a composite overmolded heat pipe

• US 6,681,487 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ticona Polymers, Inc. (Celanese Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cool Options, Inc.
• Inventors: Sagal, E. Mikhail, McCullough, Kevin A., Miller, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSENBAUM, IRENE CUDA
• Application Number:
  US10/123,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 298/900.32, 298/900.3, 295/271, 165/104.33, 165/80.3, 165/185, 165/104.26, 257/715, 361/700, 264/239, 264/241
• US Class Current: 29/890.032
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14622 Lining the inner or outer surface of tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14819 the inserts being completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0013 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/02 in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/146 overmolded
• 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 23/552 Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
• 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: Y10T 29/4935 Heat exchanger or boiler making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method of constructing a heat pipe that includes providing a heat pipe with phase change media therein and injection overmolding the heat pipe with a conductive composition. The thermally conductive composition absorbs or reflects electro magnetic interference waves and prevents their transmission into and through the heat pipe to the electronic components being cooled by the heat pipe.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a heat pipe construction with integral shielding against electromagnetic interference, comprising the steps of:

providing a tubular pipe containing heat pipe media;

said tubular pipe having an outer surface, a first end and a second end; and

overmolding a thermally conductive, electromagnetic interference absorbtive polymer composition around said outer surface of said tubular pipe;

said polymer composition being a polymer composite material loaded with a first thermally conductive filler having a high aspect ratio and a second thermally conductive filler having a low aspect ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing a tubular pipe comprises providing a tubular pipe manufactured of metal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said polymer composite material is a liquid crystal polymer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first thermally conductive filler is carbon fiber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second thermally conductive filler is boron nitride grains.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming said material around said heat pipe further includes forming integral thermal interface pads around said first and second ends of said tubular pipe.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat pipe media is water.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat pipe media is ammonia.

9. A method of manufacturing a heat pipe construction with integral shielding against electromagnetic interference, comprising the steps of:

providing a metallic tubular pipe containing heat pipe media said tubular pipe having an outer surface, a first end and a second end;

providing a polymer base matrix;

mixing said polymer base matrix with thermally conductive, electromagnetic interference absorbtive filler material to form a thermally conductive, electromagnetic interference absorbtive polymer composition;

said filler material includes a first thermally conductive filler having a high aspect ratio and a second thermally conductive filler having a low aspect ratio; and

molding said thermally conductive, electromagnetic interference absorbtive polymer around said outer surface of said tubular pipe.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said base polymer matrix material is a liquid crystal polymer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said first thermally conductive filler is carbon fiber.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said second thermally conductive filler is boron nitride grains.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of molding said material around said heat pipe further includes forming integral thermal interface pads around said first and second ends of said tubular pipe.

14. A method of manufacturing a heat pipe construction, comprising the steps of:

providing a tubular pipe containing heat pipe media;

said tubular pipe having an outer surface, a first end and a second end;

overmolding a thermally conductive polymer composition around said outer surface of said tubular pipe to form an outer covering around said pipe;

overmolding a first thermal interface pad, integrally formed from said polymer composition, adjacent to said first end of said pipe; and

overmolding a second thermal interface pad, integrally formed from said polymer composition, adjacent to said second end of said heat pipe.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of providing a tubular pipe comprises providing a tubular pipe manufactured of metal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said thermally conductive polymer composition is a polymer composite material loaded with a first thermally conductive filler having a high aspect ratio and a second thermally conductive filler having a low aspect ratio.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said polymer composite material is a liquid crystal polymer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said first thermally conductive filler is carbon fiber.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said second thermally conductive filler is boron nitride grains.