US20120152942A1

US20120152942A1 - Vapor chamber

Info

Publication number: US20120152942A1
Application number: US12/973,210
Authority: US
Inventors: Chang-Yin Chen; Lei-Lei LIU; Meng-Zhou WANG
Original assignee: Cooler Master Co Ltd
Current assignee: Cooler Master Development Corp
Priority date: 2010-12-20
Filing date: 2010-12-20
Publication date: 2012-06-21

Abstract

A vapor chamber includes a first board, a second board sealed with the first board, and a cavity formed between the first and second boards, and the cavity contains a first support arm and a second support arm corresponding to the first and second boards respectively, and the first support arm and the second support arm are engaged with each other along the first and second boards and arranged adjacent to each other. With the engagement of the first and second support arms, the first and second boards of the vapor chamber can be supported and pulled to achieve effect of preventing the first and second boards from being recessed or protruded.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a thermal conducting device, in particular to a vapor chamber support structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, a vapor chamber is substantially in flat slab shape, and usually includes a support structure installed in the vapor chamber and provided for the operation of removing gases inside the vapor chamber to prevent board surfaces of the vapor chamber from being recessed by vacuum, and resulting in the failure of the surface of the vapor chamber to be in contact with the surface of a heat generating electronic component due to the recession, and air medium is added into the gap between the contact surfaces to affect the thermal conduction effect adversely.
However, the support structure of the conventional vapor chamber generally includes a plurality of pillars disposed in the boards or a thin plate with a wavy structure formed thereon to serve as the support structure, and such support structure simply has the actual effects of preventing the surface of the thin plate from being recessed or collapsed during the process of removing gases. In a practical application of the vapor chamber, thermal expansions may cause the surface to be protruded, such that the surface of the vapor chamber cannot have a good flat contact with the surface of a heat generating electronic component.
In view of the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a vapor chamber in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a vapor chamber having two support arms disposed adjacent to each other and engaged to each other, and first and second boards for providing support and pulling effects to the vapor chamber to prevent the vapor chamber from being collapsed or protruded.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention discloses a vapor chamber comprising a first board, a second board sealed with the first board, and a cavity formed between the first and second boards and having operating fluid enclosed in the cavity, wherein the cavity includes a first support arm and a second support arm disposed on the first and second boards respectively, and the first support arm and the second support arm are engaged with each other along the first and second boards and engaged with each other. The aforementioned effect can be achieved by engaging the first and second support arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention before being assembled;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the portion A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention after being assembled;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the portion A of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical characteristics and contents of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description accompanied with related drawings. The drawings are provided for the purpose of illustrating the present invention only, but not intended for limiting the scope of the invention.
With reference to FIG. 1 for an exploded view of the present invention, the present invention provides a vapor chamber, comprising a first board 1, a second board 2 engaged with the first board 1, and a cavity 20 formed between the first and second boards 1, 2 and sealed by the first and second boards 1, 2 (as shown in FIG. 2), and capillary tissues 10, 21 are disposed on an internal wall of the cavity 20, wherein the capillary tissues 10, 21 are formed by ditches, meshes, or sintered powders. The vapor chamber further includes an operating fluid (not shown in the figure) stored in the cavity 20.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the present invention further comprises a first support arm 11 and a second support arm 22 installed in the cavity 20 and at position corresponding to the first and second boards 1, 2 respectively, and the first support arm 11 and the second support arm 22 are transversally engaged with each other along the first and second boards 1, 2 and disposed adjacent to each other (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5), such that the first and second support arms 11, 22 are engaged with each other to provide a support and a pulling effect to the first and second boards 1, 2, so as to prevent the first and second boards 1, 2 from being collapsed or protruded.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3, the first and second support arms 11, 22 are coupled to bases 110, 220 of the first and second boards 1, 2 respectively, and press portions 111, 221 are transversally protruded from the bases 110, 220 of the first and second support arms 11, 22 respectively, and the press portions 111, 221 of the first and second support arms 11, 22 are disposed alternately up and down and engaged with each other. More specifically, the press portion 111 of the first support arm 11 includes a propping surface 112 formed at a position opposite to the second board 2, and the press portion 221 of the second support arm 22 includes a propping surface 222 formed at a position opposite to the first board 1, and the press portion 111 of the first support arm 11 includes an embedding surface 113 formed at a position opposite to the first board 1, and the press portion 221 of the second support arm 22 includes an embedding surface 223 formed at a position opposite to the second board 2, and a first notch 114 is formed between the embedding surface 113 of the first support arm 11 and the first board 1, and a second notch 224 is formed between the embedding surface 223 of the second support arm 22 and the second board 2, for embedding the press portion 111 of the first support arm 11 into the second notch 224, and the press portion 222 of the second support arm 22 into the first notch 114 for a connection.
In addition, the first and second support arms 11, 22 are installed horizontally and adjacently in opposite directions to each other (as illustrate in the preferred embodiment of the present invention), but the first and second support arms 11, 22 also can be installed alternately and vertically in opposite direction to each other (not shown in the figure). Of course, the quantity of the first and second support arms 11, 22 can be increased or decreased according to the area of the first and second boards 1, 2.
With the aforementioned assembly, the vapor chamber of the present invention is achieved.
In FIGS. 4 and 5, the first and second support arms 11, 22 provide an effect of supporting the first and second boards 1, 2 through the propping surfaces 112, 222 respectively, and the mutual engagement of the embedding surfaces 113, 223 provides a pulling effect to the first and second boards 1, 2. In other words, if pressure is exerted into the cavity 20, the first and second boards 1, 2 may be recessed or collapsed. The propping surfaces 112, 222 of the first and second support arms 11, 22 can effectively prevent the first and second boards 1, 2 from being recessed. If the interior of the cavity 20 is expanded, the first and second boards 1, 2 may be protruded. The embedding surfaces 113, 223 of the first and second support arms 11, 22 can effectively prevent the first and second boards 1, 2 from being protruded, so that a support and a pulling effect can be provided to the first and second boards 1, 2.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5, the embedding surfaces 113, 223 of the first and second support arms 11, 22 are attached transversally and horizontally.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 6, the embedding surfaces 113, 223 of the first and second support arms 11, 22 are slantingly attached and inwardly tapered.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 7, the first notch 114 of the first support arm 11 is formed at a transverse position on a side of the first support arm 11, and the press portion 221 of the second support arm 22 is embedded directly into the first notch 114 of the first support arm 11 for a connection.
In summation of the description above, the present invention improves over the prior art and complies with the patent application requirements, and thus is duly filed for patent application.
While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A vapor chamber, comprising:

a first board; and

a second board, sealed with the first board to form a cavity, and the cavity containing an operating fluid therein;

wherein the cavity includes a first support arm and a second support arm installed on the first and second boards respectively, and the first support arm and the second support arm are engaged and arranged adjacent with each other along the first and second boards respectively.

2. The vapor chamber of claim 1, wherein the first and second support arms come with a plurality.

3. The vapor chamber of claim 1, wherein the first and second support arms are installed horizontally in opposite directions and adjacent to each other.

4. The vapor chamber of claim 1, wherein the first and second support arms are installed vertically in alternate directions and adjacent to each other.

5. The vapor chamber of claim 1, wherein the first and second support arms are coupled to bases of the first and second boards respectively, and press portions are transversally protruded from the bases of the first and second support arms respectively, and the press portions of the first and second support arms are disposed alternately and engaged with each other.

6. The vapor chamber of claim 5, wherein the press portion of the first support arm includes a propping surface formed at a position opposite to the second board, and the press portion of the second support arm includes another propping surface formed at a position opposite to the first board.

7. The vapor chamber of claim 6, wherein the press portion of the first support arm includes an embedding surface formed at a position opposite to the first board, and the press portion of the second support arm includes another embedding surface formed at a position opposite to the second board.

8. The vapor chamber of claim 7, wherein the embedding surfaces of the first and second support arms are horizontally and transversally attached to each other.

9. The vapor chamber of claim 7, wherein the embedding surfaces of the first and second support arms are slantingly attached to each other and inwardly tapered.

10. The vapor chamber of claim 7, further comprising a first notch formed between the embedding surface of the first support arm and the first board, and a second notch formed between the embedding surface of the second support arm and the second board, and the press portion of the first support arm is embedded into the second notch, and the press portion of the second support arm is embedded into the first notch for a connection.

11. The vapor chamber of claim 10, wherein the first notch of the first support arm is formed transversally on a side of the first support arm, and the press portion of the second support arm is embedded into the first notch of the first support arm directly for a connection.

12. The vapor chamber of claim 1, further comprising a capillary tissue disposed on an internal wall of the cavity.

13. The vapor chamber of claim 12, wherein the capillary tissue is comprised of a ditch, a mesh or a sintered powder.