Graphite thermal conduit spring
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An information handling system comprising:
- a main housing portion;
a lid housing portion;
one or more hinges rotationally coupling the main housing portion and the lid housing portion;
plural processing components disposed in the main housing portion and operable to process information;
a display disposed in the lid housing portion and interfaced with the processing components to present the information as visual images;
a thermal sink thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the thermal sink operable to absorb thermal energy of the one or more processing components;
a thermal exchanger disposed in the lid housing portion and operable to reject the thermal energy to an external environment;
a thermal conduit extending from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger to conduct the thermal energy from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger, the thermal conduit comprising a contiguous graphite sheet cut to have first and second arms extending from a central portion, the first and second arms offset on opposite sides of the central portion, the central portion rolled into a circular configuration to form a torsion spring; and
a hinge rotationally coupling the main and lid housing portions, the hinge having a pin coupled between first and second supports;
wherein the pin passes through the rolled central portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components in a main housing portion through a graphite torsion spring formed from a graphite sheet by cutting arms to extend out of opposing corners of a central portion and rolling the central portion about a central axis. The graphite torsion spring passes thermal energy between the housing portions with the spring releasing tension as the housing portions rotate from a closed to an open position and the central axis disposed about a hinge pin that couples the housing portions to each other.
53 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An information handling system comprising:
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a main housing portion; a lid housing portion; one or more hinges rotationally coupling the main housing portion and the lid housing portion; plural processing components disposed in the main housing portion and operable to process information; a display disposed in the lid housing portion and interfaced with the processing components to present the information as visual images; a thermal sink thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the thermal sink operable to absorb thermal energy of the one or more processing components; a thermal exchanger disposed in the lid housing portion and operable to reject the thermal energy to an external environment; a thermal conduit extending from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger to conduct the thermal energy from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger, the thermal conduit comprising a contiguous graphite sheet cut to have first and second arms extending from a central portion, the first and second arms offset on opposite sides of the central portion, the central portion rolled into a circular configuration to form a torsion spring; and a hinge rotationally coupling the main and lid housing portions, the hinge having a pin coupled between first and second supports; wherein the pin passes through the rolled central portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An information handling system comprising:
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a main housing portion; a lid housing portion; one or more hinges rotationally coupling the main housing portion and the lid housing portion; plural processing components disposed in the main housing portion and operable to process information; a display disposed in the lid housing portion and interfaced with the processing components to present the information as visual images; a thermal sink thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the thermal sink operable to absorb thermal energy of the one or more processing components; a thermal exchanger disposed in the lid housing portion and operable to reject the thermal energy to an external environment; and a thermal conduit extending from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger to conduct the thermal energy from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger, the thermal conduit comprising a contiguous graphite sheet cut to have first and second arms extending from a central portion, the first and second arms offset on opposite sides of the central portion, the central portion rolled into a circular configuration to form a torsion spring; wherein each of the plural graphite sheets terminates separately at the first and second arms, each sheet independently coupled to thermal sink and thermal exchanger.
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6. An information handling system comprising:
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a main housing portion; a lid housing portion; one or more hinges rotationally coupling the main housing portion and the lid housing portion; plural processing components disposed in the main housing portion and operable to process information; a display disposed in the lid housing portion and interfaced with the processing components to present the information as visual images; a thermal sink thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the thermal sink operable to absorb thermal energy of the one or more processing components; a thermal exchanger disposed in the lid housing portion and operable to reject the thermal energy to an external environment; a thermal conduit extending from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger to conduct the thermal energy from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger, the thermal conduit comprising a contiguous graphite sheet cut to have first and second arms extending from a central portion, the first and second arms offset on opposite sides of the central portion, the central portion rolled into a circular configuration to form a torsion spring; and a second thermal conduit extending from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger to conduct the thermal energy from the thermal sink to the thermal exchanger, the second thermal conduit comprising a contiguous graphite sheet cut to have first and second arms extending from a central portion, the first and second arms offset on opposite sides of the central portion, the central portion rolled into a circular configuration to form a torsion spring; wherein the thermal conduits roll in opposite directions. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for transferring thermal energy between rotationally coupled information handling system housing portions, the method comprising:
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cutting a sheet of graphite to have first and second arms extending from opposite sides of a central portion; rolling the central portion to align the first and second arms extending out of a torsion spring; coupling the first arm to a first of the rotationally coupled housing portions; coupling the second arm to a second of the rotationally coupled housing portions; transferring the thermal energy from the first to the second housing portions through the graphite sheet; cutting the sheet of graphite to have a spreader portion extending from the first arm into a first of the rotationally coupled housing portions, the spreader portion having a perimeter of substantially a perimeter of the first housing portion; and transferring the thermal energy from the spreader to a copper film integrated with the first housing portion.
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9. A method for transferring thermal energy between rotationally coupled information handling system housing portions, the method comprising:
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cutting a sheet of graphite to have first and second arms extending from opposite sides of a central portion; rolling the central portion to align the first and second arms extending out of a torsion spring; coupling the first arm to a first of the rotationally coupled housing portions; coupling the second arm to a second of the rotationally coupled housing portions; transferring the thermal energy from the first to the second housing portions through the graphite sheet; cutting plural sheets of graphite to have the first and second arms extending from the opposite sides of the central portion at each sheet; vertically stacking the plural sheets of graphite to form a composite thermal conduit; and coupling each of the plural sheets individually to the first and second housing portions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for transferring thermal energy between rotationally coupled information handling system housing portions, the method comprising:
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cutting a sheet of graphite to have first and second arms extending from opposite sides of a central portion; rolling the central portion to align the first and second arms extending out of a torsion spring; coupling the first arm to a first of the rotationally coupled housing portions; coupling the second arm to a second of the rotationally coupled housing portions; transferring the thermal energy from the first to the second housing portions through the graphite sheet; rotationally coupling the housing portions with a hinge having a pin; and disposing the center portion around the pin.
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13. A system for thermal management of a portable information handling system, the system comprising:
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a first thermal device configured to couple to a processor in a main housing portion, the first thermal device absorbing thermal energy from the processor; a second thermal device distal the first thermal device and configured to reject the thermal energy; and a graphite torsion spring formed from a graphite sheet having first and second arms extending from opposing corners of a rectangular center portion, the rectangular center portion rolled about a central axis, thermal energy of the processor transferred through the graphite sheet to the second thermal device; wherein; the second thermal device comprises a vapor chamber configured to couple in a lid housing portion proximate a display and the first thermal device comprises a heat sink configured to couple to the processor in the main housing portion; and the second thermal device comprises a vapor chamber coupled to the second graphite sheet arm, the system further comprising a controller operable to adapt a pressure of the vapor chamber to reverse the transfer direction of the thermal energy.
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Specification