Patent ID: 6679318
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: F28D

Abstract:
A flat plate heat pipe comprising:a flat rigid plate-shaped sintered wick made of copper powder sintered together disposed to absorb and hold water by capillary attraction, said wick having at least one edge and two parallel surfaces, a waffle-shaped pattern is molded into one surface the projections of which are about 0.06 to 0.25 inch round or square and about 0.03 to 0.15 inch in height with open grooves between said projections being about 0.04 to 0.25 inch wide, whereby about 50% to 80% of said one surface area remains open for free flow of steam; a copper-foil hermetically-sealable container having two faces extending slightly beyond the edges of said wick and joining together forming a wall to enclose said wick; means for evacuating, leak checking, and charging said container with water, such as a copper tube passing through said wall of said container and hermetically soldered, brazed, welded or otherwise sealed through said wall; two flat plates of highly heat conductive, mechanically strong material slightly larger in extent than said container faces, one plate placed in close contact with one surface of said container and the other plate placed in close contact with the other surface of said container; and means for thermally-conductively and mechanically attaching said flat plates to said copper-foil container, whereby a light weight, rigid, mechanically durable, low cost flat copper-water heat pipe may be produced.