Apparatus, method and techniques for dissipating thermal energy

• US 9,807,285 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Godil, Amin, Kulkarni, Shantanu D., Miele, Ralph, Larson, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gafur, Razmeen
• Application Number:
  US14/668,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 361676-678, 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 165 801- 805, 16510433, 165185, 174 151- 153, 174 161- 163, 174547, 174548, 257712-722, 257E23088, 24453, 24458-459, 454184, 312236
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus, method and other techniques to thermally couple a device comprising one or more cameras and circuitry with a housing to house the device, receive thermal energy generated by at least one of the one or more cameras and the circuitry. Further, embodiments may include transferring the thermal energy absorbed from a surface of the device to a surface of the housing and absorbing movement of the housing such that the movement of the housing does not cause substantial movement of the device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a flexible heat conductor to transfer thermal energy absorbed from a surface of a device to a surface of a housing, the flexible heat conductor comprising;

a first portion securable to the surface of the device,

a second portion securable to the surface of the housing,

a strain relief portion to couple the first portion with the second portion, the strain relief portion to allow movement of the second portion without causing movement of the first portion, and

one or more apertures at least partially in the first portion, the second portion and the strain relief portion of the flexible heat conductor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the strain relief portion comprising a first relief loop to absorb movement of the second portion in at least one direction relative to the first portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the strain relief portion comprising a second relief loop and a third relief loop, the second relief loop to couple the first relief loop with the third relief loop, and at least one of the first, second and third relief loops to absorb movement of the second portion in at least one direction relative to the first portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the one or more apertures to provide a throughway for one or more connectors for the device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the first portion comprising a width and a length substantially the same as a width and a length of the device, the first portion to physically contact the surface of the device to absorb the thermal energy.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the first portion and second portion having a substantially same width and a substantially same length.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the first portion and second portion having a substantially same width and the second portion comprising a length at least twice as long as a length of the first portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the first portion secured to the device and the second portion secured to the housing using one or more of a thermal adhesive, a thermal conductive tape, an epoxy, and a securing fastener.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one of copper, aluminum, diamond, a copper-tungsten material, a silicon carbide material, and a beryllium oxide material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the device comprising one or more cameras and circuitry with a housing to house the device.

11. A system, comprising:

a device comprising one or more cameras and circuitry to process information detected by the one or more cameras;

a housing to house the device; and

a flexible heat conductor to transfer thermal energy absorbed from a surface of the device to a surface of the housing, the flexible heat conductor comprising;

a first portion securable to the surface of the device,

a second portion securable to the surface of the housing,

a strain relief portion to couple the first portion with the second portion, the strain relief portion to allow movement of the second portion without causing movement of the first portion, and

one or more apertures at least partially in the first portion, the second portion and the strain relief portion of the flexible heat conductor.

12. The system of claim 11, the strain relief portion comprising a first relief loop to absorb movement of the second portion in at least one direction relative to the first portion.

13. The system of claim 12, the strain relief portion comprising a second relief loop and a third relief loop, the second relief loop to couple the first relief loop with the third relief loop, and at least one of the first, second and third relief loops to absorb movement of the second portion in at least one direction relative to the first portion.

14. The system of claim 11, the one or more apertures to provide a throughway for one or more connectors for the device.

15. The system of claim 11, the first portion comprising a width and a length substantially the same as a width and a length of the device, the first portion to physically contact the surface of the device to absorb the thermal energy.

16. The system of claim 11, the first portion and second portion having a substantially same width and a substantially same length.

17. The system of claim 11, the first portion and second portion having a substantially same width and the second portion comprising a length at least twice as long as a length of the first portion.

18. The system of claim 11, the first portion secured to the device and the second portion secured to the housing using one or more of a thermal adhesive, a thermal conductive tape, an epoxy, and a securing fastener.

19. The system of claim 11, the flexible heat conductor comprising at least one of copper, aluminum, diamond, a copper-tungsten material, a silicon carbide material, and a beryllium oxide material.

20. A flexible heat conductor, comprising:

a first portion to absorb a first thermal energy;

a second portion thermally coupled to the first portion to dissipate at least a portion of the first thermal energy;

a strain relief portion to mechanically couple the first portion with the second portion to allow movement of the first and second portion independently from each other; and

at least one aperture, the at least one aperture partially formed in the first portion, the second portion and the strain relief portion.

21. The flexible heat conductor of claim 20, the strain relief portion comprising:

a plurality of relief loops, at least one of the plurality of relief loops to absorb movement of the second portion in at least one direction relative to the first portion.

22. The flexible heat conductor of claim 20, the first portion and second portion having a substantially same width and a substantially same length.

23. The flexible heat conductor of claim 20, the first portion and second portion having a substantially same width and the second portion comprising a length at least twice as long as a length of the first portion.

24. The flexible heat conductor of claim 20, at least the first portion or the second portion comprising at least one of copper, aluminum, diamond, a copper-tungsten material, a silicon carbide material, or a beryllium oxide material.