TWI913075B - Liquid cooling heat dissipation module and electronic device having the liquid cooling heat dissipation module - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid cooling heat dissipation module is used to solve the problem of increasing the thickness of the entire electronic device caused by the conventional cooling cycle module. Includes: a heat-absorbing member having a first-flow channel, the flow channel having a liquid inlet hole and a liquid outlet hole; and a heat-dissipating member having a first-flow channel, and the flow channel of the heat-dissipating member having a liquid inlet hole. hole and a liquid outlet hole. The heat-absorbing element and the heat-dissipating element have a relative height difference. The liquid-inlet hole of the heat-radiating element is connected to the liquid outlet hole of the heat-absorbing element through a first liquid flow channel. The liquid outlet hole of the heat- radiating element is connected to the liquid inlet hole of the heat absorbing member through a second liquid flow channel. The present invention also relates to an electronic device having the liquid cooling heat dissipation module. This can avoid an increase in the overall thickness of the electronic device.

Description

Liquid cooling heat dissipation module and electronic device having the liquid cooling heat dissipation module

The present invention relates to a liquid cooling heat dissipation module, and more particularly to a liquid cooling heat dissipation module that helps electronic devices maintain an appropriate operating temperature, and an electronic device having the liquid cooling heat dissipation module.

Modern electronic devices, such as laptops, offer excellent performance and are increasingly trending towards thinner and lighter designs. However, these devices generate significant amounts of waste heat during operation, leading to increased temperatures and higher rates of thermal failure and wear. Therefore, heat generated by heat sources such as chips within the device is typically channeled into efficient cooling circulation modules. However, the various components inside an electronic device create steps with different heights. Conventional cooling circulation modules are typically plate bodies with meandering flow channels. The plate body of these conventional cooling circulation modules is difficult to fit within the space created by these steps inside the electronic device, resulting in gaps between them and adjacent components. These gaps create unusable, useless spaces, increasing the overall thickness of the electronic device.

In light of this, the conventional cooling cycle module does indeed need further improvement.

To solve the above problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a liquid cooling heat dissipation module and an electronic device having the liquid cooling heat dissipation module, which has a flow channel with a height difference.

The directional terms or similar terms used throughout this invention, such as "front," "back," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," and "side," are primarily for reference to the directions in the accompanying diagrams. These directional terms or similar terms are only used to assist in explaining and understanding the various embodiments of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention.

The use of the quantifiers “a” or “one” for the elements and components described throughout this invention is for convenience and to provide the general meaning within the scope of this invention; in this invention, it should be interpreted as including one or at least one, and the concept of a single element also includes plural cases, unless it expressly means otherwise.

The liquid cooling heat dissipation module of the present invention includes: a heat absorber having a flow channel having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; a heat dissipation component having a flow channel having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component having a relative height difference, the liquid inlet of the heat dissipation component being connected to the liquid outlet of the heat absorber through a first liquid flow channel, and the liquid outlet of the heat dissipation component being connected to the liquid inlet of the heat absorber through a second liquid flow channel; and a connector, the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component being joined by the connector, the connector having two through holes forming the first liquid flow channel and the second liquid flow channel respectively.

Accordingly, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of the present invention achieves partial overlap between the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component in the vertical direction through the connector, and the flow channels of the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component can be connected in the vertical direction through the first liquid flow channel and the second liquid flow channel, thereby causing the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component to be misaligned and have a step difference in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module is installed in accordance with the step difference formed by various components in the electronic device, which can effectively utilize the internal space of the electronic device and thus avoid increasing the overall thickness of the electronic device.

In this design, the heat dissipation component is partially integrated with the heat absorption component, such that the liquid inlet of the heat dissipation component is adjacent to the liquid outlet of the heat absorption component in a vertical direction to form the first liquid flow channel, and the liquid outlet of the heat dissipation component is adjacent to the liquid inlet of the heat absorption component in the same vertical direction to form the second liquid flow channel. This arrangement creates a staggered, stepped arrangement between the heat absorption component and the heat dissipation component, resulting in a relative height difference between them in the vertical direction. This allows for installation to accommodate the stepped arrangements of various components within the electronic device.

The heat dissipation component is hot-pressed together with the heat absorption component. In this way, the heat dissipation component and the heat absorption component can achieve a better liquid-tight bond.

The heat-absorbing component includes a pump that drives a working fluid to circulate between the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component through the first and second fluid flow channels. Thus, heat dissipation can be achieved through the circulation of the working fluid.

The heat dissipation component directly or indirectly contacts a fin assembly. This improves the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation component.

The fin assembly is positioned at the airflow inlet of a fan. In this way, the heat generated by the fin assembly can be carried away by the airflow from the fan.

The connector has a first mating surface and a second mating surface facing each other. Two through holes pass through the first mating surface and the second mating surface, respectively. The first mating surface and the second mating surface respectively connect the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component. In this way, the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component can form a relatively large step difference through the connector, thereby making it easier for the liquid cooling heat dissipation module to be installed to accommodate the step differences formed by various components in the electronic device.

Each of the through holes forms a first liquid flow channel and a second liquid flow channel in a vertical direction. In this way, the working fluid can flow between the heat-absorbing element and the heat-dissipating element through the connecting member.

The vertical distance between the first mating surface and the second mating surface is less than or equal to 5 mm. This allows the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component to form a relatively large step difference through the connector, thereby making it easier for the liquid cooling heat dissipation module to be installed to accommodate the step differences formed by various components within the electronic device.

The electronic device of the present invention includes: a main body having a heat source inside the main body; and a liquid cooling heat dissipation module as described above, wherein the heat-absorbing element is in thermal contact with the heat source. In this way, the internal space of the electronic device can be effectively utilized, thereby avoiding the increase in the overall thickness of the electronic device.

To make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent, preferred embodiments of the present invention are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings; in addition, those marked with the same symbols in different drawings are considered the same and their descriptions will be omitted.

Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, which are the first embodiment of the liquid cooling heat dissipation module M of the present invention. It includes a heat absorption element 1 and a heat dissipation element 2, and the heat absorption element 1 and the heat dissipation element 2 are partially aligned in a vertical direction Y.

Please refer to Figures 2 and 3. The heat-absorbing element 1 can be used to contact a heat source H to absorb the heat generated by the heat source H. The heat-absorbing element 1 can be made of, for example, copper, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel or other thermally conductive materials. The shape of the heat-absorbing element 1 can generally be a thin plate. For example, the heat-absorbing element 1 can have a first plate 1a and a second plate 1b. The first plate 1a and the second plate 1b can be joined together by hot pressing or welding. The heat-absorbing element 1 can directly or indirectly contact the heat source H through the first plate 1a, or the heat-absorbing element 1 can directly or indirectly contact the heat source H through the second plate 1b. This invention does not limit the scope of the invention.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the heat absorber 1 has a flow channel 11 for circulating a working liquid L. The first plate 1a and the second plate 1b together form the flow channel 11. For example, the flow channel 11 may be recessed into the first plate 1a and/or the second plate 1b. The heat absorber 1 has a pump 12 through which the flow channel 11 can pass. For example, the pump 12 may be connected to the flow channel 11 by connecting to an opening 13 in the second plate 1b. Furthermore, the pump 12 may have an inlet 12a and an outlet 12b, and the flow channel 11 may connect the inlet 12a and the outlet 12b so that the working liquid L can flow through the pump 12 and be propelled by the pump 12. Thus, the pump 12 can be used to drive the flow of the working fluid L in the flow channel 11. In this embodiment, the flow channel 11 may have an inlet hole 11a and an outlet hole 11b, which may penetrate the first plate 1a or the second plate 1b. Preferably, the inlet hole 11a and the outlet hole 11b are close to the side edge of the heat absorber 1, thereby allowing the working fluid L of the flow channel 11 to enter the heat dissipation element 2 (described in detail later) through the inlet hole 11a and the outlet hole 11b.

The heat dissipation element 2 can be made of, for example, copper, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, or other thermally conductive materials. The heat dissipation element 2 can generally be in the shape of a thin plate. The heat dissipation element 2 can be used to allow the working liquid L of the heat absorber 1 to flow in, so that the heat of the working liquid L can be conducted away by the heat dissipation element 2. Specifically, the heat dissipation element 2 has a flow channel 21. The length of the flow channel 21 can be extended by forming a number of straight channels and a number of curved channels in the heat dissipation element 2, so that the flow channel 21 can almost fill the heat dissipation element 2, so that the working liquid L can dissipate heat in the process of flowing through the flow channel 21. The flow channel 21 of the heat dissipation component 2 is connected to the flow channel 11 of the heat absorption component 1, so that the working fluid L can circulate within the flow channel 11 of the heat absorption component 1 and the flow channel 21 of the heat dissipation component 2 by the drive of the pump 12. That is, the working fluid L enters the heat dissipation component 2 from the heat absorption component 1 and then flows back to the heat absorption component 1. Preferably, the heat dissipation component 2 can directly or indirectly contact a fin assembly T, and the heat of the heat dissipation component 2 can be transferred to the fin assembly T. The fin assembly T can be directed to the air outlet F1 of a fan F so that the airflow of the fan F can carry away the heat energy of the fin assembly T. In this way, the working fluid L can absorb heat in the heat absorption component 1 and then dissipate heat in the heat dissipation component 2.

Furthermore, the heat dissipation component 2 may have a first plate 2a and a second plate 2b, which may be joined together by hot pressing or welding. The flow channel 21 may be recessed into the first plate 2a and/or the second plate 2b. It is worth noting that the flow channel 21 of the heat dissipation component 2 and the flow channel 11 of the heat absorption component 1 may be connected via a first liquid flow channel S1 and a second liquid flow channel S2.

Please refer to Figures 3 and 4. Specifically, the heat absorber 1 and the heat dissipator 2 can have a relative height difference. For example, the relative positional relationship between the heat dissipator 2 and the heat absorber 1 can be partially overlapped so that the flow channel 21 and the flow channel 11 can be partially aligned. More specifically, the flow channel 11 of the heat absorber 1 can be distributed on a virtual first reference plane G1, and the flow channel 21 of the heat dissipator 2 can be distributed on a virtual second reference plane G2. The first liquid flow channel S1 and the second liquid flow channel S2 can be located between the first reference plane G1 and the second reference plane G2 to connect the flow channel 21 of the heat dissipator 2 and the flow channel 11 of the heat absorber 1. The flow channel 21 may have an inlet hole 21a and an outlet hole 21b, which are preferably located at opposite ends of the flow channel 21, allowing the working fluid L to flow in from one end and out from the other. The inlet hole 21a can be connected to the outlet hole 11b of the flow channel 21 via the first flow channel S1, and the outlet hole 21b can be connected to the inlet hole 11a of the flow channel 11 via the second flow channel S2. In this way, the working fluid L can circulate between the heat absorber 1 and the heat dissipator 2 via the first flow channel S1 and the second flow channel S2.

Furthermore, the liquid inlet hole 21a of the flow channel 21 and the liquid outlet hole 11b of the flow channel 11, or the liquid outlet hole 21b of the flow channel 21 and the liquid inlet hole 11a of the flow channel 11, can be partially aligned (for example, the above holes can be inclined channels to form incomplete alignment) or fully aligned to be directly connected, or indirectly connected (described in detail later), which is not limited by the present invention. In this embodiment, the heat dissipation element 2 is partially combined with the heat absorption element 1, such that the liquid inlet 21a is adjacent to the liquid outlet 11b, and the liquid outlet 21b is adjacent to the liquid inlet 11a. Preferably, the liquid inlet 21a can be adjacent to the liquid outlet 11b in a vertical direction Y to form the first liquid flow channel S1, and the liquid outlet 21b can be adjacent to the liquid inlet 11a in the vertical direction Y to form the second liquid flow channel S2. The heat dissipation element 2 can be hot-pressed to the heat absorption element 1. The heat dissipation element 2 can be attached to the second plate 1b of the heat absorption element 1 via the first plate 2a, or the heat dissipation element 2 can be attached to the first plate 1a of the heat absorption element 1 via the second plate 2b. This invention does not limit the stacking order of the heat absorption element 1 and the heat dissipation element 2, that is, the heat absorption element 1 can be located above or below the heat dissipation element 2. In this way, the heat dissipation element 2 and the heat absorption element 1 can be staggered to form a step difference (height difference), that is, the first reference plane G1 and the second reference plane G2 are not located on the same horizontal plane. For example, the first reference plane G1 and the second reference plane G2 can be parallel to each other, so that the flow channel 21 of the heat dissipation element 2 and the flow channel 11 of the heat absorption element 1 are staggered to have the height difference. Accordingly, when the liquid cooling heat dissipation module M of the present invention is used in an electronic device E, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module M can be located in the electronic device E, which can be a laptop or a tablet computer. The electronic device E has a host body E1, which can be the host body of the aforementioned laptop or tablet computer. The host body E1 has a heat source H, and the heat-absorbing component 1 of the liquid cooling heat dissipation module M can thermally contact the heat source H. The liquid cooling heat dissipation module M can be installed by forming a relative height difference between the heat-absorbing component 1 and the heat dissipation component 2, which can be matched with the step differences formed by various components in the host body E1, thereby effectively utilizing the internal space of the electronic device E.

Please refer to Figures 5 and 6, which show a second embodiment of the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of the present invention. This embodiment is largely the same as the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, at least one connecting member 3 is further included. The heat-absorbing member 1 and the heat-dissipating member 2 are connected by the at least one connecting member 3, so that the liquid inlet 21a of the flow channel 21 and the liquid outlet 11b of the flow channel 11, or the liquid outlet 21b of the flow channel 21 and the liquid inlet 11a of the flow channel 11 can be indirectly connected. Specifically, the at least one connecting member 3 may have a first mating surface 3a and a second mating surface 3b, the first mating surface 3a and the second mating surface 3b being opposite each other, and the first mating surface 3a and the second mating surface 3b can respectively connect the heat-absorbing member 1 and the heat-dissipating member 2. Furthermore, the at least one connector 3 has two through holes 31, which penetrate the first mating surface 3a and the second mating surface 3b. One through hole can be connected to the liquid inlet 11a of the heat absorber 1 and the liquid outlet 21b of the heat dissipation component 2, respectively. The other through hole 31 can be connected to the liquid outlet 11b of the heat absorber 1 and the liquid inlet 21a of the heat dissipation component 2, respectively. Preferably, the two through holes 31 can be connected to the aforementioned holes in the vertical direction Y. In another embodiment, there can be two connectors 3, each of which can have one through hole 31 to connect to the flow channel 11 of the heat absorber 1 and the flow channel 21 of the heat dissipation component 2, respectively. Accordingly, the two through holes 31 can respectively form the first liquid flow channel S1 and the second liquid flow channel S2 in the vertical direction Y. Preferably, the vertical distance D between the first mating surface 3a and the second mating surface 3b can be less than or equal to 5 mm, so that the heat-absorbing component 1 and the heat-dissipating component 2 can form a relatively large step difference through the at least one connecting component 3, thereby making it easier for the liquid cooling heat dissipation module M to be installed in accordance with the step difference formed by various components in the electronic device E. Furthermore, the step formed by the connector 3 allows the pump 12, the fin assembly T, and the fan F to be positioned within the interval formed by the step. For example, the pump 12 can be positioned above the heat absorber 1, while the fin assembly T and the fan F can be positioned below the heat dissipation component 2. This avoids the pump 12, the fin assembly T, and the fan F causing an increase in the thickness of the liquid cooling heat dissipation module M in the vertical direction Y.

In summary, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of this invention achieves partial overlap between the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the flow channels of the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component are connected in the vertical direction via the first and second liquid flow channels, thereby causing the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component to be misaligned and have a step difference in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module is installed in accordance with the step differences formed by various components within the electronic device, effectively utilizing the internal space of the electronic device and thus avoiding an increase in the overall thickness of the electronic device.

Although the present invention has disclosed the preferred embodiments using the foregoing examples, these are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications and alterations made by those skilled in the art relative to the foregoing embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technology protected by the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall include all changes within the meaning and equivalent scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, when the foregoing embodiments can be combined, the present invention includes embodiments with any combination.

1: Heat absorption component 1a, 2a: First plate 1b, 2b: Second plate 11: Flow channel 11a, 21a: Liquid inlet 11b, 21b: Liquid outlet 12: Pump 12a: Liquid inlet 12b: Liquid outlet 13: Opening 2: Heat dissipation component 21: Flow channel 3: Connecting component 3a: First mating surface 3b: Second mating surface 31: Through hole L: Working fluid M: Liquid cooling heat dissipation module H: Heat source T: Fin assembly F: Fan F1: Air outlet S1: First liquid flow channel S2: Second liquid flow channel Y: Vertical direction G1: First reference plane G2: Second reference plane D: Vertical distance E: Electronic device E1: Main unit

[Figure 1] Diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention used in an electronic device. [Figure 2] Exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Assembly diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

1: Heat-absorbing components

1a, 2a: First board

1b, 2b: Second board

11: Flow channel

11a, 21a: Liquid inlet holes

11b, 21b: Liquid outlet holes

12: Pump

12a: Liquid Inlet

12b: Liquid outlet

13: Opening

2: Heat dissipation components

21: Flow channel

M: Liquid cooling heat dissipation module

H: Heat source

T: Fin assembly

F: Fan

Y: Vertical direction

Claims (11)

A liquid-cooled heat dissipation module includes: a heat absorber having a flow channel with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; a heat dissipation component having a flow channel with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component having a relative height difference, the liquid inlet of the heat dissipation component being connected to the liquid outlet of the heat absorber through a first liquid flow channel, and the liquid outlet of the heat dissipation component being connected to the liquid inlet of the heat absorber through a second liquid flow channel; and a connector connecting the heat absorber and the heat dissipation component, the connector having two through holes forming the first liquid flow channel and the second liquid flow channel respectively. As in claim 1, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module is wherein the heat dissipation component is partially integrated with the heat absorption component such that the liquid inlet of the heat dissipation component is adjacent to the liquid outlet of the heat absorption component in a vertical direction to form the first liquid flow channel, and the liquid outlet of the heat dissipation component is adjacent to the liquid inlet of the heat absorption component in the vertical direction to form the second liquid flow channel. As in claim 1, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module, wherein the heat dissipation component is hot-pressed into the heat absorption component. As in claim 1, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module, wherein the heat absorber has a pump that drives a working fluid to circulate between the heat absorber and the heat dissipation module through the first fluid flow channel and the second fluid flow channel. For example, in the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of claim 1, the heat dissipation component directly or indirectly contacts a fin assembly. For example, in the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of claim 5, the fin assembly is located at the airflow port of a fan. As in claim 6, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module includes a heat absorber having a pump that drives a working fluid to circulate between the heat absorber and the heat dissipation module through the first fluid flow channel and the second fluid flow channel. As in the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of claim 1, the connector has a first mating surface and a second mating surface that are opposite to each other, the two through holes respectively penetrate the first mating surface and the second mating surface, and the first mating surface and the second mating surface respectively connect the heat-absorbing component and the heat-dissipating component. As in the liquid cooling heat dissipation module of claim 8, each of the through holes forms the first liquid flow channel and the second liquid flow channel in a vertical direction. As in claim 8, the liquid cooling heat dissipation module, wherein the connector has a first mating surface and a second mating surface opposite to each other, and the vertical distance between the first mating surface and the second mating surface is less than or equal to 5 mm. An electronic device comprising: a host body having a heat source inside the host body; and a liquid-cooled heat dissipation module as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the heat-absorbing element is in thermal contact with the heat source.