Heat dissipation structure for an electronic device

• US 9,585,285 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Nikkhoo, Michael, Heirich, Doug, Riccomini, Roy, Ye, Maosheng, Beerman, Michael, Hodge, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/705,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.46, 361/679.52, 361/679.54, 361690-696, 361700-702, 361704-714, 361/679.01, 361/679.03, 361/679.09, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165122-126, 165/104.26, 165/185, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/11, 174/15.2, 174/50, 174/50.5, 174/520, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/236, 454/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• 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 15/0241 the tubes being flexible
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/00 Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials coatings for modifying heat-transfer F28F13/18; coatings for preventing the formation of deposits or corrosion F28F19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/02 of carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/08 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/085 from copper or copper alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/02 Flexible elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/08 Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2023/4068 Heatconductors between device and heatsink, e.g. compliant heat-spreaders, heat-conducting bands
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3733 having a heterogeneous or anisotropic structure, e.g. powder or fibres in a matrix, wire mesh, porous structures H01L23/3732, H01L23/3737 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3735 Laminates or multilayers, e.g. direct bond copper ceramic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3736 Metallic materials H01L23/3732, H01L23/3733, H01L23/3735, H01L23/3737, H01L23/3738 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0201 : Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0226 : Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20127 : Natural convection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 : characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 : Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20454 : with a conformable or flexible structure compensating for irregularities, e.g. cushion bags, thermal paste
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20963 : Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20972 takes precedence

Abstract

A flexible thermal conduit runs from a first housing portion of an electronic device to a second housing portion of the electronic device, to convey heat generated by an electronic component located in the first housing portion to a heat dissipation structure located in the second housing portion, where the second housing portion is flexibly coupled to the first housing portion, for example, by a hinge or other type of joint. The flexible conduit may include a plurality of layers of thin, flat thermally conductive material, which may be arranged to flex independently of each other in the region where the first and second housing portions are coupled.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic component that generates heat during operation;

a housing that includes a heat dissipation structure to dissipate heat generated by the electronic component, the heat dissipation structure having a hollow channel, the hollow channel having an interior surface from which heat is to be dissipated into air external to the apparatus, the interior surface of the hollow channel defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the housing so as to define an air channel through the housing; and

a flexible thermal conduit having a first end coupled to the heat dissipation structure and a second end coupled to the electronic component.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the hollow channel has a plurality of open ends disposed along different exterior surfaces of the housing.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible thermal conduit comprises a plurality of layers of thermally conductive material.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of the layers is a layer of flexible graphite.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of layers is a layer of metal.

6. A head-mounted display device comprising:

a visor assembly containing a component that generates heat during operation, the visor assembly including a display device; and

a head fitting assembly, coupled to the visor assembly, by which the display device can be worn on the head of a user, the head fitting assembly having an exterior surface, the head fitting assembly including a hollow heat dissipation structure that has an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the heat dissipation element is internal to the head fitting assembly and an interior surface of the heat dissipation element defining at least a portion of the exterior surface of the head fitting assembly.

7. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 6, wherein said portion of the exterior surface of the head fitting assembly forms a hollow channel through the head fitting assembly.

8. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 6, wherein the interior surface of the heat dissipation structure has a plurality of open ends disposed along different exterior surfaces of the head fitting assembly.

9. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a flexible thermal conduit having a first end coupled to the heat dissipation structure and a second end coupled to the component that generates heat during operation.

10. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 9, wherein the flexible thermal conduit comprises a plurality of layers of thermally conductive material.

11. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of the layers is a layer of flexible graphite.

12. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of layers is a layer of metal.

13. A head-mounted display device comprising:

a visor assembly containing a plurality of electronic components that generate heat during operation, the visor assembly including a display component a display component to cause an image to be displayed to a user; and

a head fitting assembly, coupled to the visor assembly, by which the display device can be worn on the head of the user, the head fitting assembly including a plurality of curved, elongate side arms, each coupled to a different end of the visor assembly, each side arm including a heat dissipation tunnel, the heat dissipation tunnel having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the exterior surface of the heat dissipation tunnel being internal to the side arm, the interior surface of the heat dissipation tunnel defining a first exterior surface of the side arm such that the first exterior surface of the side arm defines an air channel completely through a body of the side arm.

14. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 13, wherein the heat dissipation tunnel has a plurality of open ends disposed along different exterior surfaces of the left side arm or the right side arm.

15. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of multi-layered flexible thermal conduits, each coupled to convey heat generated by at least one of the electronic components to the heat dissipation tunnel in the left side arm or the right side arm.

16. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the flexible thermal conduit comprises a plurality of layers of flexible graphite.

17. A head-mounted display device as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the flexible thermal conduit comprises at least one layer of metal.