Vapor chambers based skin material for smartphones and mobile devices

• US 9,310,139 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mitter, Vinay, Jain, Ankur, Doshi, Paras S., Vadakkanmaruveedu, Unnikrishnan, Berhe, Mulugeta K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffberg, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US13/842,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20140262160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F28D 2021/0028 for cooling heat generating elements, e.g. for cooling electronic components or electric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2029 using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49359 Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator

Abstract

An apparatus for managing heat generated by at least one electronic component of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising: a housing for containing the electronic component of the mobile device; and a vapor chamber arranged in the housing, the vapor chamber having a cavity defined by a front wall and a rear wall opposite the rear wall, the front wall for receiving heat generated by the electronic component of the mobile device to evaporate fluid in the cavity into a vapor, the rear wall for receiving the vapor to allow the vapor to condense to liquid thereby cooling the rear wall of the vapor chamber; wherein an outer surface of the housing comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the vapor chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing heat generated by at least one electronic component of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having an outer surface, the outer surface comprising a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, the housing for containing the at least one electronic component and a display of the mobile device; and

a vapor chamber arranged in the housing, the vapor chamber having a cavity defined by a front wall and a rear wall opposite the front wall, the front wall for receiving the heat generated by the at least one electronic component of the mobile device to evaporate a fluid in the cavity into a vapor, the rear wall for receiving the vapor to allow the vapor to condense to a liquid thereby cooling the rear wall of the vapor chamber, the vapor chamber being at the rear surface of the housing and the display being at the front surface of the housing, and the display facing away from the vapor chamber;

wherein the outer surface of the housing comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the vapor chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber is arranged such that the front wall of the vapor chamber faces a first surface of the at least one electronic component.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first surface of the at least one electronic component is opposite a second surface of the at least one electronic component that is facing a circuit substrate on which the at least one electronic component is supported.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first surface of the at least one electronic component has a larger surface area than at least one other surface of the at least one electronic component.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vapor chamber is arranged such that the front wall of the vapor chamber faces a first surface of a circuit substrate on which the at least one electronic component is supported.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rear wall of the vapor chamber is opposite the front surface of the housing on which the display is provided.

7. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the vapor chamber comprises a first vapor chamber and a second vapor chamber;

and

wherein the outer surface of the housing comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the first vapor chamber and at least a portion of the rear wall of the second vapor chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the vapor chamber comprises a first vapor chamber and a second vapor chamber;

wherein the at least one electronic component comprises a first electronic component and a second electronic component;

wherein the front wall of the first vapor chamber is arranged to receive a first portion of the heat generated by the first electronic component of the mobile device and the front wall of the second vapor chamber is arranged to receive a second portion of the heat generated by the second electronic component of the mobile device; and

wherein the outer surface of the housing comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the first vapor chamber and at least a portion of the rear wall of the second vapor chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front wall of the vapor chamber extends over a first surface of the at least one electronic component.

10. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the at least one electronic component is supported on a circuit substrate, the at least one electronic component extending from the circuit substrate in a first direction;

and

wherein the front wall is aligned with at least a portion of the at least one electronic component and at least a portion of the circuit substrate in the first direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the front wall is aligned with the rear wall in a second direction;

and

wherein the second direction is transverse the first direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional vapor chamber on the front surface of the housing such that the display and the additional vapor chamber are at a same surface of the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen display.

14. An apparatus for managing heat generated by at least one electronic component of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

a housing means having an outer surface, the outer surface comprising a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, the housing means for containing the at least one electronic component and a display of the mobile device; and

a cooling means for arranging in the housing means, the cooling means having a cavity defined by a front wall and a rear wall opposite the front wall, the front wall for receiving the heat generated by the at least one electronic component of the mobile device to evaporate a fluid in the cavity into a vapor, the rear wall for receiving the vapor to allow the vapor to condense to a liquid thereby cooling the rear wall of the cooling means, the cooling means being at the rear surface of the housing and the display being at the front surface of the housing, and the display facing away from the cooling means;

wherein the outer surface of the housing means comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the cooling means.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cooling means is arranged such that the front wall of the cooling means faces a first surface of the at least one electronic component.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first surface of the at least one electronic component is opposite a second surface of the at least one electronic component that is facing a circuit substrate on which the at least one electronic component is supported.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first surface of the at least one electronic component has a larger surface area than at least one other surface of the at least one electronic component.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first surface of the at least one electronic component is opposite a second surface of the at least one electronic component that is facing a circuit substrate on which the at least one electronic component is supported.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first surface of the at least one electronic component has a larger surface area than at least one other surface of the at least one electronic component.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the rear wall of the vapor chamber is opposite the front surface of the housing means on which the display is provided.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cooling means is arranged such that the front wall of the vapor chamber faces a first surface of a circuit substrate on which the at least one electronic component is supported.

22. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for managing heat generated by at least one electronic component of a mobile device, the method comprising:

providing a housing having an outer surface, the outer surface comprising a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, the housing for containing the at least one electronic component and a display of the mobile device; and

arranging a vapor chamber in the housing, the vapor chamber having a cavity defined by a front wall and a rear wall opposite the front wall, the front wall for receiving the heat generated by the at least one electronic component of the mobile device to evaporate a fluid in the cavity into a vapor, the rear wall for receiving the vapor to allow the vapor to condense to a liquid thereby cooling the rear wall of the vapor chamber, the vapor chamber being at the rear surface of the housing and the display being at the front surface of the housing, and the display facing away from the vapor chamber;

wherein the outer surface of the housing comprises at least a portion of the rear wall of the vapor chamber.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the vapor chamber is arranged such that the front wall of the vapor chamber faces a first surface of the at least one electronic component.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the rear wall of the vapor chamber is opposite the front surface of the housing on which the display is provided.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the vapor chamber is arranged such that the front wall of the vapor chamber faces a first surface of a circuit substrate on which the at least one electronic component is supported.