Micro grooved heat pipe

• US 6,863,118 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gold Charm Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Yaxiong, Huang, Chung-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): MCKINNON, TERRELL L
• Application Number:
  US10/778,701
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 165/185, 165/104.26, 165/104.21, 165/104.33, 361/700, 298/900.32, 257714-716, 174/15.2
• US Class Current: 165/104.26
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/046 characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2260/02 having microchannels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making

Abstract

A heat pipe (100) includes a first substrate (102) including a plurality of first low fins (14) and high fins (16), and a second substrate (104) opposing the first substrate and including a plurality of second low fins (14) and high fins (16). A plurality of micro grooves (18) is formed between adjacent fins to form liquid channels (106) of the heat pipe. The first and second high fins are received in corresponding micro grooves of the heat pipe and soldered to the second and first substrates, respectively.

Claims

1. A heat pipe comprising:

a first substrate comprising a plurality of first low fins and at least one first high fin; and

a second substrate opposing the first substrate and comprising a plurality of second low fins and at least one second high fin;

wherein

a plurality of micro grooves is defined between adjacent fins to form liquid channels and said at least one first and second high fins are received in corresponding micro grooves.

2. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vapor space is formed between the first and second substrates and sandwiched by the liquid channels of the first and second substrates.

3. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one first and second high fins are soldered to the second and first substrates respectively in the corresponding micro grooves.

4. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second substrates are integrally formed from a metal plate.

5. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 4, wherein capillary material is filled at opposite ends of the heat pipe to cause the liquid channels of the first substrate to communicate with the liquid channels of the second substrate.

6. The heat pipe as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said at least one first and second high fins defines a plurality of cutouts.

7. A method of forming a heat pipe comprising steps of:

a. providing a plate comprising a body and a plurality of interlaced low and high fins extending from the body, micro grooves formed between adjacent fins;

b. folding one part of the plate over the other part with the high fins of said one part received in corresponding micro grooves of said the other part and the high fins of said the other part received in corresponding micro grooves of said one part;

c. soldering the high fins to the body in the corresponding micro grooves;

d. sealing opposite ends of the plate.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of pressing said one part of the plate toward said the other part of the plate to cause the high fins to contact the body of the plate after step b.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of filling capillary material at opposite ends of the plate to allow the micro grooves of said one part to communicate the micro grooves of said the other part after step c.

10. A micro grooved sealed plate type heat pipe comprising:

a first body comprising a plurality of low fins and at least one high fin extending from the body;

a second body comprising a plurality of low fins and at least one high fin extending from the body;

a plurality of micro grooves are formed between adjacent fins to form liquid flow channels;

wherein at least one of said first and second high fins of said first and second bodies are received in corresponding micro grooves.

11. The plate as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the high fins defines a plurality of cutouts.

12. The plate as recited in claim 10, wherein said plate is rolled to form a circumferentially sealed type with two spaced parts opposite to each other, and wherein said spaced parts forms a vapor chamber.

13. The plate as recited in claim 12, wherein there are at least two high fins extending from the body.

14. The plate as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least two high fins are located on said two parts, respectively.

15. A method of making a heat pipe assembly, comprising steps of:

providing a continuous plate extending along a longitudinal direction;

forming a plurality of fins including low fins and high fins on one surface of the plate along a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction wherein every adjacent two high fins are spaced from each other by more than one low fins and wherein a plurality of micro grooves are formed between every adjacent two fins, respectively;

cutting a section of said plate with a predetermined length along said longitudinal direction wherein said section includes at least one high fin;

folding said cut section to form two spaced parts opposite to each other in a vertical direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction and said transverse direction wherein said at least one high fin, which is located one of said two parts, is retainably received in one corresponding micro groove in the other of said two parts under a condition that the low fins of said one of the two parts are spaced from the low fins of the other of the two parts in said vertical direction.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein every adjacent two high fins are spaced from each other at a same predetermined distance.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein there are two high fins on each cut section, of which one is formed on the one of said two parts and the other is formed on the other of said two parts, and wherein said one formed on the one of the two parts is received in the corresponding micro groove in the other of the two parts, and the other formed on the other of the two parts is received in the corresponding micro groove in said one of the two parts.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a space defined among the low fins of the two spaced parts and said at least one high fin, is filled with working liquid.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein there are at least two spaces filled with the working liquid.