Abstract:
A method for embedding a heat pipe into a slot of heat-conducting seat is disclosed. The method has the exposed portion of the heat pipe be flat and coplanar with the surface of the heat-conducting seat after the heat pipe is embedded into the slot of the seat. The method utilizes a power press machine with multiple stamping dies to progressively press the heat pipe.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/383,192, filed May 12, 2006. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to manufacture of heat dissipation devices, and more specifically, to manufacture of embedding a heat pipe into a seat. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]      FIG. 1  shows a U-shaped heat pipe pressed. The heat pipe  1   a  has an evaporation section  10   a . The bottom of the evaporation section  10   a  must be pressed to form a flat heated surface  100   a  for directly and planarly touching a heat source. During the pressing process, the stamping die must have a flat plane. When a plane of the stamping die initially meets a curved surface of the heat pipe  1   a , the touch portion will be linear and then become planar. However, the initially linear touch tends to invite a problem of stress concentration. Therefore, a recess  101   a  often forms on the heated surface  100   a  of the heat pipe  1   a . When once the recess  101   a  appears, an additional grinding procedure after pressing will be necessary for effacing the recess  101   a.    
         [0004]    This problem can be solved by adopting a multi-stroke progressive pressing procedure. This procedure can progressively press the pipe to be flat, but it must use various stamping dies with different recessing depth or shapes. Meanwhile, only one stamping die can be used to press the pipe at some time. Thus, during the pressing process those stamping dies must be changed one by one in order to ensure the flatness of the pipe being pressed. It is very inconvenient and uneconomical for the manufactures. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method, which can embed a heat pipe into a slot of a seat and form a flat plane on the heat pipe at the same time without changing stamping dies. 
         [0006]    To accomplish the object abovementioned, one preferred embodiment of the invention includes the steps of: 
         [0007]    a) preparing a heat pipe and a heat-conducting seat having a slot; 
         [0008]    b) disposing the heat pipe in the slot; 
         [0009]    c) arranging the heat pipe with the heat-conducting seat on a power press machine, wherein the power press machine has: 
         [0010]    a bolster bed for being placed by the heat pipe with the heat-conducting seat; and 
         [0011]    a ram over the bolster bed, having a plurality of stamping dies, each of the stamping dies having a pressing surface, wherein one of the pressing surfaces is a flat plane, and each of the others has a recess sequentially with different depth; and 
         [0012]    d) pressing the heat pipe deposed in the slot sequentially with each of the stamping dies. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0013]    The object, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the description of the exemplary embodiment, in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a heat pipe with a plane pressed by conventional method; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of the method according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the heat pipes, heat-conducting seat and holder; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate how the heat pipe passes through the heat-conducting seat and the holder; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a partially sectional view showing the heat pipe in the slot; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of the power press machine; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  shows how the holder is mounted on the working area of the bolster bed; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  shows the holder with the heat pipe and heat-conducting seat, which is mounted on the power press machine; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 10A-D  sequentially illustrate the progressive status for the heat pipe pressed by different stamping dies; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  shows a heat pipe pressed by the method of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , which shows a flowchart of the invention, the present invention provides a method for embedding a heat pipe into a heat-conducting seat. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , step S 1  of the method provides at least one heat pipe  1  and a heat-conducting seat  2  for coupling with the heat pipe  1 .  FIG. 2  shows an embodiment in which there are  3  heat pipes  1 , but those skilled in the art must know the number of the heat pipes  1  can vary for practical requirements. The bottom  20  of the heat-conducting seat  2  has slots  21  for accommodating an evaporation section  10  of the heat pipes  1 . 
         [0026]    Step S 2  of the method disposes the evaporation section  10  of the heat pipes  1  in the slots  21  of the heat-conducting seat  2 . Both the heat pipes  1  and the heat-conducting seat  2  are fixed on a holder  3 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the holder  3  may have a through hole  30  for accommodating the condensation section  11  of the heat pipes  1 . Further referring to  FIG. 6 , the slot  21  is of a C shape. A part of the heat pipe  1  is higher than the bottom  20  of the heat-conducting seat  2  and protrudes from the slot  21  when the heat pipe  1  is accommodated in the slot  21 . The protrusive portion of the heat pipe  1  is just the portion which will be pressed in later steps. Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the holder  3  may preferably has one or more handles  32  for conveniently being held by a user. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 7 , step S 3  of the invention arranges the holder  3  on a power press machine  4 . The holder  3  includes a bolster bed  40  and a ram  41  over it. There are a plurality of working areas for positioning the holder  3  on the bolster bed  40 . In a preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 7 , there are a first working area  400 , a second working area  401 , a third working area  402  and a fourth working area  403 . These working areas  400 - 403  are arranged in a row. Each of the working areas  400 - 403  has two positioning bars  400   a - 403   a  responding to grooves  31  on the holder  3  as shown in  FIG. 8 , so that the holder  3  can be precisely mounted on each working area  400 - 403  of the bolster bed  40 . Moreover, one or more receiving holes  400   b ,  401   b ,  402   b  and  403   b , which can accommodate excessive portion of the heat pipe  1 , are disposed on each working area  400 - 403 . The holder  3  is not a necessary element. The heat pipe  1  and heat-conducting seat  2  may also be directly mounted on the bolster bed  40  if there is a particular arrangement between them. 
         [0028]    The ram  41  of the power press machine  4  is used for downward pressing a material on the bolster bed  40 . There are a plurality of stamping dies  410 - 413  under the ram  41 . In a preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 9 , the number of the stamping dies  410 - 413  is four, i.e. first, second, third and fourth stamping die. Those stamping dies  410 - 413  are corresponding to the working areas  400 - 403 , respectively. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 10A-10D  shows the differences among the stamping dies  410 - 413 . Each of the stamping dies  410 - 413  has a pressing surface  410   a - 413   a , wherein the fourth pressing surface  413   a  is a flat plane as shown in  FIG. 10D , and the first, second and third pressing surfaces  410 - 412  separately have a recess  410   b - 412   b  with different depth from deep to flat. Additionally, a plurality of guiding rods  414  downward extend from the ram  41 . The guiding rods  414  are corresponding to guiding holes  404  on the bolster bed  40  for providing necessary pressing depth of the guiding rods  414 . 
         [0030]    Step S 4  of the invention sequentially presses the heat pipe  1  with different stamping dies  410 - 413  by means of moving the heat pipe  1  onto different working areas  400 - 403 . In other words, the holder  3  holding both the heat pipe  1  and the heat-conducting seat  2  is moved sequentially from the first working area  400  to the fourth working area  403  after one of the stamping dies  410 - 413  corresponding to heat pipe  1  on the holder  3  has pressed the heat pipe  1  once. For example, the first stamping die  410  presses the heat pipe  1  on the holder  3  mounted on the first working area  400 . Then, the holder  3  is moved to the second working area  401  for being pressed by the second stamping die  411 . Therefore, the heat pipe  1  being pressed by the stamping dies  410 - 413  can be progressively transformed to form a flat plane  100  as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0031]    While exemplary embodiment of the foregoing invention has been set forth for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.