TWI893910B - Thermal conductivity device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions - Google Patents

Abstract

A heat conducting device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, comprising: a bottom shell; an upper shell, a closed chamber formed between the upper shell and the bottom shell, the upper shell having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; a middle plate, with its periphery against the peripheral wall of the upper shell, to separate the closed chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are connected a bottom hair structure provided on the bottom shell and located in the lower chamber, the bottom hair structure having a bottom layer and a plurality of hair blocks extending upward from the bottom layer to a predetermined length; and a top hair structure provided on the middle plate and located in the lower chamber, the top hair structure contacting the tops of the plurality of hair blocks of the bottom hair structure.

Description

Thermal conductivity device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions

The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device, and in particular to a heat conduction device having both temperature uniformity and liquid cooling functions.

Taiwan's earlier published patent, US Patent No. 202301589, and its US counterpart, US Patent No. 2021/0320048 A1, disclose a cold plate with an integrated heat conducting plate. This prior art primarily utilizes a vapor chamber underneath and a liquid cooling plate above, creating a single, integrated structure. This achieves rapid heat dissipation by utilizing both the vapor chamber's rapid temperature equalization and the liquid cooling plate's ability to dissipate heat through liquid.

However, the aforementioned technology only uses simple lines to represent the relevant spatial position relationship, but does not actually disclose its specific structure. For example, in the known heat spreader manufacturing technology, in order to place the capillary structure into the heat spreader, the interior of the heat spreader must be in a state below normal pressure. Therefore, after the capillary structure is placed, water injection and vacuuming steps must be performed, and then it must be welded and sealed. Therefore, the heat spreader needs to be assembled and welded, but this case does not disclose the relevant structure of the assembly, so there is no way to know how to weld it, and its specific manufacturing method is unknown. As for the upper liquid cooling plate in this case, since the liquid cooling plate itself is also a known technology, the interior of the liquid cooling plate usually has water guide walls or fins used to form flow channels and other components. Therefore, according to currently known technology, when combining a vapor chamber and a liquid cooling plate, in addition to stacking one vapor chamber and a liquid cooling plate with a thermally conductive adhesive (TIM) in between, the vapor chamber and the liquid cooling plate must be integrated into one structure. However, since the description and drawings of the aforementioned prior art do not reveal the specific manufacturing method, this patent does not specifically disclose how to achieve the structure of combining a vapor chamber and a liquid cooling plate into one structure in actual manufacturing.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a heat conducting device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, which can be manufactured in an integrated manner to form a heat conducting device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat conducting device that has both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, which can achieve the effect of easy manufacturing.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention proposes a heat conduction device with both temperature uniformity and liquid cooling functions, comprising: a bottom shell; an upper shell having a top plate and a peripheral wall extending downwardly along the periphery of the top plate, the upper shell being covered on the bottom shell with the peripheral wall, forming a closed chamber between the upper shell and the bottom shell, the upper shell being provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; a middle plate located in the closed chamber, the middle plate abutting the peripheral wall of the upper shell with its periphery to separate the closed chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the upper chamber and the lower chamber being separated by a plurality of channels. The chambers are not spatially connected, the top of the middle plate has a plurality of fins extending horizontally and having a predetermined height, the plurality of fins are located in the upper chamber, and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are connected to the upper chamber; a bottom hair structure is provided on the bottom shell and located in the lower chamber, the bottom hair structure has a bottom layer and a plurality of hair blocks extending upward from the bottom layer to a predetermined length; and a top hair structure is provided on the middle plate and located in the lower chamber, the top hair structure contacts the tops of the plurality of hair blocks of the bottom hair structure.

Thus, the present invention can manufacture a heat conducting device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions in an integrated manner. Moreover, since the middle plate is very conveniently arranged on the upper shell, it has the effect of being easy to manufacture.

In order to illustrate the technical features of the present invention in detail, the following preferred embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the present invention uses a preferred embodiment to illustrate a heat conduction device 10 that has both temperature uniformity and liquid cooling functions. The heat conduction device 10 is mainly composed of a bottom shell 11, an upper shell 21, a middle plate 31, a bottom hair structure 41, and a top hair structure 51, wherein:

The upper shell 21 has a top plate 22 and a peripheral wall 24 extending downwardly from the periphery of the top plate 22. The upper shell 21 is covered on the bottom shell 11 by the peripheral wall 24. A closed chamber 26 is formed between the upper shell 21 and the bottom shell 11. The upper shell 21 has a liquid inlet 28 and a liquid outlet 29.

The middle plate 31 is located in the sealed chamber 26. The middle plate 31 abuts the peripheral wall 24 of the upper shell 21 with its periphery, thereby dividing the sealed chamber 26 into an upper chamber 261 and a lower chamber 262. The upper chamber 261 and the lower chamber 262 are not spatially connected. The top of the middle plate 31 has a plurality of fins 32 extending laterally and having a predetermined height. The plurality of fins 32 are located in the upper chamber 261. The liquid inlet 28 and the liquid outlet 29 are connected to the upper chamber 261.

The bottom hair structure 41 is disposed on the bottom housing 11 and within the lower chamber 262. The bottom hair structure 41 comprises a bottom layer 42 and a plurality of hair blocks 44 extending upward from the bottom layer 42 to a predetermined length. In this embodiment, the bottom hair structure 41 is formed by sintering copper powder, and the plurality of hair blocks 44 are cylindrical.

The top hair structure 51 is provided on the middle plate 31 and is located in the lower chamber 262. The top hair structure 51 contacts the tops of the plurality of hair blocks 44 of the bottom hair structure 41. In this embodiment, the top hair structure 51 can be a copper woven mesh or a structure of copper powder sintering, with the copper woven mesh being used as an example.

The aforementioned structure allows the cooling liquid to enter the upper chamber 261 through the liquid inlet 28 and then flow out through the liquid outlet 29.

In this embodiment, the tops of the plurality of fins 32 can be configured to abut the top plate 22 of the upper housing 21. This forces the coolant entering through the liquid inlet 28 to pass through the spaces between the plurality of fins 32. However, if the plurality of fins 32 are configured so as not to abut the top plate 22 of the upper housing 21, the support will be slightly weaker, and some liquid will pass through the space between the plurality of fins and the upper housing 32. However, the device will still function normally and is suitable for applications where support is not particularly required. In addition, the plurality of fins 32 are elongated in the transverse direction, parallel to each other and separated by a predetermined distance. The plurality of fins 32 are separated by a predetermined distance from the peripheral wall 24 of the upper shell 21 at both ends in the transverse direction. An inlet and outlet area 34 and a recirculation area 36 are respectively formed between the two ends of the fins 32 and the peripheral wall 24. The liquid inlet 28 and the liquid outlet 29 are connected to the inlet and outlet area 34.

In addition, a partition 33 is inserted between the two fins 32. The partition 33 divides the inlet and outlet area 34 into two sub-areas 341 corresponding to the liquid inlet 28 and the liquid outlet 29, respectively. As a result, the coolant entering through the liquid inlet 28 can only enter the one sub-area 341 first, then pass through the gaps between the multiple fins 32 to enter the recirculation area 36, and then pass through the gaps between the multiple fins 32 to enter the other sub-area 341, and then flow out through the liquid outlet 29. It is also worth noting that the partition 33 can also be formed by directly extending from one of the fins 32, eliminating the need for a separate plate inserted between the two fins 32. This arrangement can be understood directly from FIG. 6 of this application and is therefore not illustrated. The choice of inserting the partition 33 or forming the partition 33 integrally with one of the fins 32 depends on actual needs.

Furthermore, the bottom of the middle plate 31 has a plurality of transversely extending reinforcing ribs 38 of a predetermined height. These ribs 38 can be integrally formed with the middle plate 31. The ribs 38 are in the form of transverse strips that are parallel to one another, and their transverse extension direction is not parallel to that of the fins 32. In this embodiment, the ribs 38 are perpendicular to the fins 32. This allows the ribs 38 to strengthen the structure of the middle plate 31, helping it maintain its shape and resist deformation. However, manufacturers may choose not to include the ribs 31, as appropriate. The present invention is not limited to the inclusion of the ribs 31. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an annular reinforcing rib 38 is provided around the middle plate 31 , and the middle plate 31 is supported against the peripheral wall 24 of the upper shell 21 by the annular reinforcing rib 38 .

When the bottom of the middle plate 31 has the plurality of reinforcing ribs 38, the top hair structure 51 can be optionally used as a single-layer structure and adhered to the bottom of the middle plate 31, and the tops of the plurality of hair blocks 44 of the bottom hair structure 41 can be located or not located between the two reinforcing ribs 38 as needed or for manufacturing convenience. In this embodiment, the tops of the plurality of hair blocks 44 can be located between the two reinforcing ribs 38 as an example.

The above describes the structure of this embodiment. Next, the structural features and usage of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, since the tops of the multiple capillaries 44 of the bottom capillary structure 41 contact the top capillary structure 51, the structure of the lower chamber 262 can serve as a temperature-averaging plate. The manufacturing techniques required for internal liquid injection and degassing are well known and will not be specifically explained here. The internal structure of the upper chamber 261 can serve as a liquid cooling plate, with the multiple fins 32 and the baffle 33 guiding the flow of cooling liquid to achieve a heat exchange effect. Since the use of liquid cooling plates is also well known, it will not be specifically explained here.

As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the technical feature of the present invention is that the middle plate 31 is supported by the peripheral wall 24 of the upper shell 21. As mentioned in the above description, the middle plate 31 can be supported by the peripheral wall 24 through its two reinforcing ribs 38. Therefore, the middle plate 31 is set on the upper shell 21 and is covered by the upper shell 21 and the bottom shell 11. This structure is extremely convenient for integrating a heat spreader and a liquid cooling plate. This is because the connection between the intermediate plate 31 and the peripheral wall 24 of the upper housing 21 ensures that the upper chamber 261 and the lower chamber 262 are spatially disconnected. This structure is extremely easy to manufacture using existing welding techniques. The bottom housing 11 only needs to consider the known connection to the upper housing 21, without having to consider the connection to the intermediate plate 31. This makes manufacturing extremely convenient. The finished product is a single-piece heat conduction device that combines both heat spreader and liquid cooling functions. As can be seen from the foregoing description, the assembly structure of this embodiment is very convenient to manufacture and is also easy to weld.

As shown in FIG7 , when the first embodiment is in use, the bottom housing 11 is placed above a heat source 91 , and the lower chamber 262 acts as a temperature distribution plate to provide heat dissipation for the heat source 91 . The heat source 91 can be a general heat-generating chip, for example, while the upper chamber 261 can act as a liquid cooling plate to conduct heat outward, thereby achieving a comprehensive heat dissipation effect.

As can be seen from the above, the structure described in the above embodiments of the present invention is extremely specific and has not been disclosed in the aforementioned prior art. In addition, the present invention has the effect of being an integrated assembly and easy to manufacture, and is also convenient for welding, and should have sufficient patentability.

The above description is merely an illustration of the present invention through the embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. All simple variations or equivalent implementations made within the scope of the patent application and the contents of the patent specification shall be covered by the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

10: Heat transfer device with both temperature distribution and liquid cooling functions 11: Bottom housing 21: Upper housing 22: Top plate 24: Peripheral wall 26: Sealed chamber 261: Upper chamber 262: Lower chamber 28: Liquid inlet 29: Liquid outlet 31: Middle plate 32: Fins 33: Partition 34: Inlet and outlet area 341: Sub-area 36: Recirculation area 38: Reinforcement ribs 41: Bottom fine structure 42: Bottom layer 44: Fine blocks 51: Top fine structure 91: Heat source

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is another exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a bottom view. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in Figure 1. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention in use.

10: Heat conduction device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions

11: Bottom shell

21: Upper shell

22: Top plate

24: Peripheral Wall

26: Closed Chamber

261: Upper Chamber

262: Lower Chamber

28: Liquid inlet

31:Middle plate

32: Fins

34: Entry and Exit Zone

36: Circulation Area

38: Reinforcement ribs

41: Undercoat fine structure

42: Bottom layer

44: Hairy blocks

51: Fine hair structure

Claims (10)

A heat conduction device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions comprises: a bottom housing; an upper housing having a top plate and a peripheral wall extending downwardly from the top plate, the upper housing being secured to the bottom housing with the peripheral wall, forming a sealed chamber between the upper and bottom housings, the upper housing having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; A middle plate is positioned within the sealed chamber, with its periphery resting against the peripheral wall of the upper housing, thereby dividing the sealed chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper chamber and the lower chamber are spatially disconnected. The top of the middle plate has a plurality of fins extending laterally and having a predetermined height. The plurality of fins are positioned within the upper chamber, and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are connected to the upper chamber. A bottom hair structure is disposed within the bottom housing and within the lower chamber. The bottom hair structure comprises a bottom layer and a plurality of hair blocks extending upward from the bottom layer to a predetermined length. A top hair structure is provided on the middle plate and located in the lower chamber. The top hair structure contacts the tops of the plurality of hair blocks of the bottom hair structure. According to claim 1, the heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the top of the plurality of fins is against the upper shell. According to claim 2, the heat conduction device with both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the plurality of fins are elongated in the transverse direction, parallel to each other and separated by a predetermined distance, the plurality of fins are separated from the peripheral wall of the upper shell at both ends in the transverse direction by a predetermined distance, and an inlet and outlet area and a recirculation area are formed between the two ends of the plurality of fins and the peripheral wall, respectively, and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are connected to the inlet and outlet areas ; It further includes a partition located in the upper chamber and dividing the inlet and outlet area into two sub-areas corresponding to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, respectively, so that the cooling liquid entering from the liquid inlet can only enter one of the sub-areas first, then enter the recirculation area through the gaps between the multiple fins, and then enter the other sub-area through the gaps between the multiple fins, and then flow out from the liquid outlet. According to claim 3, the heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the partition is inserted between the two fins. According to claim 3, the heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the partition is formed integrally with the fin. According to claim 1, the heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the bottom of the middle plate has a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending laterally and having a predetermined height. According to claim 6, the heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the plurality of reinforcing ribs are in the form of transverse strips and are parallel to each other, and the transverse extension direction of at least some of the plurality of reinforcing ribs is not parallel to the transverse extension direction of the plurality of fins. According to claim 7, the heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the top capillary structure is a single-layer structure attached to the bottom of the middle plate, and the tops of the plurality of capillary blocks of the bottom capillary structure are located between the two reinforcing ribs. According to claim 4, a heat conducting device having both temperature equalization and liquid cooling functions, wherein: two of the plurality of reinforcing ribs are respectively located on two opposite sides of the middle plate, and the middle plate is partially supported against the peripheral wall of the upper shell by the two reinforcing ribs. According to claim 1, the heat conducting device having both temperature uniformity and liquid cooling functions, wherein: the bottom hair structure is formed by sintering copper powder, and the top hair structure is formed by sintering copper powder or a woven mesh.