Abstract:
In a heat plate having a hollow plate and capillary supporting structures, the plate body includes a capillary tissue attached on an internal wall of the plate body, and each of the capillary supporting structures is erected, supported and distributed in the plate body. Each capillary supporting structure is in a cylindrical shape and has a capillary object made of sintered powder and disposed on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical capillary supporting structure and contacted with the capillary tissue to form a continuous capillary channel and provide a capillary action to the capillary supporting structures in the heat plate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a thermal conduction technology, and more particularly to a capillary supporting structure of a heat plate and a method of manufacturing the capillary supporting structure. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0004]    Heat plate is a heat pipe in form of a plate, and its operating principle is the same as that of the heat pipe, wherein a working fluid is filled into the hollow interior of the heat plate for dissipating heat. Since the phase of the working fluid can be changed by the heat, the working fluid is capable of resuming its liquid state when cooled and continuing a circulation after its backflow. 
         [0005]    However, the manufacture of heat plates is not exactly the same as that of the heat pipes. In general, the heat pipe comes with a pipe body in a tubular shape with a closed end and an open end, and the open end is provided for filling in a working fluid, and removing and vacuuming the air in the heat pipe. The pipe body is sealed immediately after the process of removing air to complete the manufacture of the heat pipe. The heat plate having a body in a sheet shape is formed by upper and lower cover plates, and thus it does not only need to seal the periphery of the two cover plates, but also needs to enhance the support strength of the two cover plates for the air removal or vacuum operation. Therefore, the heat plate further contains a supporting structure for preventing the two cover plates from being indented by the foregoing operations. 
         [0006]    The traditional heat plate has capillary structures attached onto an internal wall of the cover plate, but no capillary structure is provided or supported on a surface of the supporting structure between two cover plates. If the working fluid in the traditional heat plate changes its phase, the working fluid at a liquid state flows from the top of the internal wall of the heat plate to the internal wall of the periphery of the heat plate, before flowing back to the bottom of the internal wall of the heat plate. Therefore the backflow path becomes longer and affects the heat conduction of the heat plate. 
         [0007]    In view of the 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 heat plate with a capillary supporting structure and its manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is a primary objective of the present invention to overcome the foregoing shortcomings by providing a heat plate with a capillary supporting structure and its manufacturing method, wherein a sintered capillary tissue is attached onto the circumferential surface of the supporting structure in the heat plate for filling a working fluid into the heat plate directly, and providing a backflow path from the capillary tissue on the surface of the supporting structure. 
         [0009]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a heat plate with a capillary supporting structure and its manufacturing method, wherein the capillary tissue on the surface of the supporting structure is extended continuously to the top and bottom of the internal wall of the heat plate to facilitate the working fluid to flow back successfully. 
         [0010]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a heat plate with a capillary supporting structure, comprising a hollow plate and a plurality of capillary supporting structures, wherein a capillary tissue is attached onto the internal wall of the plate body, and each capillary supporting structure is erected, supported and distributed in the plate body, and each capillary supporting structure substantially in a cylindrical shape has a capillary object made of a sintered powder, disposed around the circumferential surface of the cylindrical shape, and contacted with the capillary tissue at the internal wall of the plate body, so as to form a continuous capillary channel for achieving the foregoing objectives. 
         [0011]    To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a heat plate with a capillary supporting structure, and the method comprises the steps of: 
         [0012]    (a) providing a sintering tool and a supporting object, wherein the sintering tool includes an indented portion therein for receiving the supporting object; 
         [0013]    (b) placing the supporting object into the indented portion of the sintering tool; 
         [0014]    (c) filling a sintered powder into the sintering tool and between the supporting objects; 
         [0015]    (d) heating the sintered powder as described in Step (c) to a temperature for sintering the sintered powder onto a surface of the supporting object; 
         [0016]    (e) releasing the mold of the supporting object with the sintered powder, and the sintering tool to obtain a capillary supporting structure; 
         [0017]    (f) providing two cover plates engaged with each other as a plate body of a heat plate; and 
         [0018]    (g) placing the capillary supporting structure as described in Step (e) into the plate body and sealing the plate body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a flow chart of a manufacturing method of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of Steps S 1  and S 2  of a manufacturing method of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of Step S 3  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of Step S 5  as illustrated  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of removing and cutting a supporting object as illustrated  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of Step S 5  as illustrated  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of Steps S 6  and S 7  as illustrated  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view of detailed movements of Steps S 6  and S 7  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and a capillary supporting structure disposed on a cover plate in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view of detailed movements of S 6  and S 7  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and a capillary tissue sintered on a cover plate in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is a schematic view of detailed movements of S 6  and S 7  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and two cover plates being sealed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view of a heat plate in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 13  is a schematic view of detailed movements of Steps S 6  and S 7  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and a capillary supporting structure disposed on a cover plate in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 14  is a schematic view of detailed movements of S 6  and S 7  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and two cover plates being sealed in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0033]      FIG. 15  is a schematic view of a heat plate in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    The technical characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the preferred embodiments are used for illustrating the present invention only, but not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 1  for the flow chart of a method of the present invention, the invention provides a heat plate with a capillary supporting structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The method comprises the following steps: 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIG. 2  together with Step S 1  as shown in  FIG. 1 , a sintering tool  1  and a supporting object  11  are provided. The supporting object  11 , substantially in the shape of a rectangular bar, is used as the material for making the supporting structure in the heat plate. After the following steps are completed, the supporting object  11  is manufactured and cut into the required supporting structure. The sintering tool  1  contains an indented portion  10  for erecting the supporting object  11  and receiving the supporting object  11  into an indented portion  10  of the sintering tool  1  as described in Step S 2  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 3  together with Step S 3  as shown in  FIG. 1 , a predetermined gap is formed between the internal walls of the supporting object  11  and the sintering tool  1 , if the supporting object  11  is placed into the sintering tool. After the sintered powder  12  is filled into the gap between the sintering tool  1  and the supporting object  11 , the sintered powder  12  in the sintering tool  1  provides a sintering temperature for sintering the sintered powder  12  onto the circumferential surface of the supporting object  11  to form the capillary object as described in Step S 4  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 4  together with Step S 5  as shown in  FIG. 1 , the supporting object  11  with the sintered powder  12  and the sintering tool  1  are demolded after cooling. The supporting object  11  is cut into a plurality of capillary supporting structures  110  with an appropriate length, such as in a short cylindrical form (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) for applying the capillary supporting structures  110  in the heat plate to form the heat plate with a capillary supporting structure. In Steps S 1  to S 5  as shown in  FIG. 6 , a capillary supporting structure  110  with an appropriate length matching with the sintering tool  1  is prepared directly without requiring the cutting process, and the capillary supporting structures  110  can be made directly. Steps S 1  to S 5  can be repeated or several production lines can be adopted for carrying out Steps S 1  to S 5 , depending on the required quantity of capillary supporting structures  110 . 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 7  together with Step S 6  as shown in  FIG. 1 , two cover plates  20 ,  21  engaged with each other are used as the plate body  2  of the heat plate, and the two cover plates  20 ,  21  are prepared in a step before Step S 1  or at the same time of Step S 1 . In Step S 7  as shown in  FIG. 1 , the capillary supporting structures  110  are installed between the two cover plates  20 ,  21  (which are inside the plate body  2 ), and then the plate body  2  is sealed and engaged. The capillary tissues are attached onto the internal walls of the two cover plates  20 ,  21 , but at least two different procedures are adopted depending on the following types of attached capillary tissues: a mixed type of meshed capillary tissues and sintered capillary tissues as shown in  FIGS. 8 to 11 , and a single type of meshed capillary tissues as shown in  FIGS. 13 to 15 . 
         [0040]    In summation of the description above, the mixed type of meshed and sintered capillary tissues as shown in  FIG. 8  erects and distributes the capillary supporting structures  110  on an internal wall of any one of the cover plates  20 , and then coats the sintered powder onto the cover plate  20  as shown in  FIG. 9  to form the sintered capillary tissue  23 , and attaches the meshed capillary tissue  24  onto an internal wall of another a cover plate  21  as shown in  FIG. 10 . The meshed capillary tissue  24  includes a bare hole  240  corresponding to the distribution of the capillary supporting structures  110 , and the two cover plates  20 ,  21  are stacked and sealed with each other. In  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the heat plate as shown in  FIGS. 8 to 10  includes the sintered capillary tissue  23  disposed on the internal wall of one of the cover plates  20 , and thus is connected to the sintered powder  12  around the circumferential surface of each capillary supporting structure  110  for flowing the filled working fluid back successfully. The meshed capillary tissue  24  is disposed on the internal wall of the cover plate  21 , and a bare hole  240  is reserved on the meshed capillary tissue  24  and corresponding to each capillary supporting structure  110 , and the diameter of the bare hole  240  is substantially equal to the external diameter of a solid section of the capillary supporting structure  110 , so that a distal surface of the sintered powder  12  attached onto the circumferential surface of the capillary supporting structure  110  is in contact with the meshed capillary tissue  24  (as shown in  FIG. 12 ), and the woven metal filaments of the meshed capillary tissue  24  pierce into a distal surface of the sintered powder  12 , and the meshed capillary tissue  24  and the sintered powder  12  of each capillary supporting structure  110  form a continuous capillary channel for flowing the working fluid back successfully. 
         [0041]    In a single type meshed capillary tissue as shown in  FIG. 13 , the meshed capillary tissue  24  is attached onto the internal walls of the two cover plates  20 ,  21 , and the meshed capillary tissue  24  has a bare hole  240  corresponding to the distribution of the capillary supporting structures  110 , and each capillary supporting structure  110  is installed at a position corresponding to the bare hole  240 . After the two cover plates  20 ,  21  are stacked and engaged as shown in  FIG. 14 , the heat plate as shown in  FIG. 15  is produced. The operations such as filling in the working fluid, removing air or vacuuming the heat plates after the heat plate is sealed will not be described here. 
         [0042]    The foregoing procedure and structure constitute a heat plate with a capillary supporting structure and its manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0043]    While the invention is described in by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, the aim is to cover all modifications, alternatives and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.