Abstract:
A heat dissipation device includes a fin member ( 16 ), a fan ( 30 ), a fan holder ( 40 ) and at least one heat pipe ( 20 ). The fan holder includes a support plate ( 42 ) which is sandwiched between the fin member and the fan, and ears ( 46 ) perpendicularly extending from the support plate. The heat pipe includes a condensating section ( 26 ). The condensating section extends across the fin member near the support plate and is gripped by the ears.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device including heat pipes and a fan cooperated with a heat sink for improving heat dissipation capability thereof.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Nowadays, personal computers are worldwide used and become more and more important for works, studies and lives of human. As everyone knows, a computer has a variety of electrical elements which operate quicker and quicker and generate increasing heat, especially the core element named central processing unit (CPU). The heat generated by the electrical elements adversely affects the stability of the electrical elements; even causes the electrical elements to be damaged.  
         [0005]     Commonly, a heat sink is mounted onto an electrical element to remove heat therefrom and to thereby keep the electrical element in normal operation. Heat pipes are provided for increasing the speed of heat-conduct within the heat sink. A fan is positioned onto the heat sink for facilitating air convection. Initially, screws are inserted through holes of a fan and then are screwed between adjacent fins of a heat sink, thereby directly securing the fan to the heat sink. However, it is inconvenient and time-consuming to have the screws engaged with or disengaged from the fins. Moreover, the fins are tremendously prone to be deformed to thereby cause the screws loosen therefrom. It is too unreliable in practice to firmly mount the fan onto the heat sink all the time, especially for heat sink formed by folded fins.  
         [0006]     To overcome the above-mentioned disadvantage, a fan holder has been developed to facilitate installation of a fan to a heat sink. The fan holder generally comprises a base between the heat sink and the fan for supporting the fan thereon, and further comprises a pair of sidewalls extending downwardly from opposite sides of the base. The sidewalls are parallel to the folded fins and sandwich the folded fins therebetween. The fan holder is secured to the heat sink by means of brazing, screws etc. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,494,098 and 6,062,301. China Patent Issued No. 2558081Y shows another kind of fan holder which is secured to the heat sink via pins extending from opposite ends of the bottom of each sidewall of the holder. The pins clasp the bottom of the heat sink after being bent inwardly. The fan holder further defines cutouts in the sidewalls for receiving heat pipes therein. Obviously, it is still inconvenient and time-consuming to secure the fan holder to the heat sink. Moreover, these fan holders are corpulent and material wasting because of the sidewalls spanning from top to bottom of opposite sides of the heat sink.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation device which has a compact structure.  
         [0008]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation device which is material saving.  
         [0009]     In order to achieve the objects set out above, a heat dissipation device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a fin member, a fan, a fan holder and at least one heat pipe. The fan holder comprises a support plate which is sandwiched between the fin member and the fan, and ears perpendicularly extending from the support plate. The heat pipe comprises a condensating section. The condensating section extends across the fin member near the support plate and is gripped by the ears.  
         [0010]     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a heat dissipation device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a heat dissipation device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a heat sink  10 , a pair of heat pipes  20 , a fan  30  and a fan holder  40 .  
         [0014]     The heat sink  10  comprises a base  12  for intimately contacting with a cool-waiting component (not shown) by a contact face, and having a flatly main face disposed opposing to the contact face and a plurality of side faces surrounding the contact face. The heat sink  10  further comprises a plurality of fins  16  spanning on the base  12 . Each fin  16  forms a perpendicularly bent flange facing the base  12 . The fins  16  are parallel to each other, and are arranged at substantially uniform intervals via the flanges formed therebetween. All of the perpendicularly bent flanges of the fins  16  define a continuous surface exposed to the base  12 . The base  12  defines two parallel grooves  122  on the main face facing the fins  16 . Two separate through holes  162  extend across the fins  16 . The through holes  162  are parallel to the grooves  122 . The through holes  162  are closer to the fan  30  than to the base  10 .  
         [0015]     Each heat pipe  20  comprises an evaporating section  22  and a condensating section  26  parallel to the evaporating section  22 . The evaporating sections  22  of the heat pipes  20  are accommodated in the grooves  122  of the base  12 , for transferring heat accumulated on the base  12  to the condensating section  26 . The condensating sections  26  of the heat pipes  20  are engagingly inserted in the through hoes  162  of the fins  16 , for releasing heat accumulated thereon to the fins  16  distant from the base  12 .  
         [0016]     The fan  30  defines positioning holes  32  therein.  
         [0017]     The fan holder  40  covers the fins  16  and is disposed at an opposite side of the fins  16  relative to the base  12 . The fan holder  40  comprises a support plate  42  and locating ears  46 . The locating ears  46  extend perpendicularly from a pair of opposite edges of the support plate  42 . The support plate  42  defines a central opening  422 . The opening  422  communicates with an outlet (not labeled) of the fan  30  and an inlet (not labeled) of the heat sink  10 . The support plate  42  further defines locking holes  426 . The locking holes  426  are aligned with the positioning holes  32  of the fan  30 . Screws or pins (not shown) pass through the positioning holes  32  of the fan  30 , and further engage within the locking holes  426  of the fan holder  40 , to thereby secure the fan  30  to the fan holder  40 . The locating ears  46  are parallel to the fins  16 . The locating ears  46  attach outmost fins  16  and sandwich all of the fins  16  therebetween. An engaging hole  462  is defined in each locating ear  46  for receiving a corresponding condensating section  26  of the heat pipes  20 . A cutout  466  is defined at a free end of each locating ear  46 , communicating with the engaging hole  462 . The width of the cutouts  466  are smaller than the diameter of the engaging holes  462 , and provide a guide way for having the condensating sections  26  to enter the engaging holes  462 .  
         [0018]     In assembly of the heat dissipation device, the heat pipes  20  are first secured into the through holes  162  of the heat sink  10 . The fan holder  40  is then placed onto the heat sink  10  and is pressed. The condensating sections  26  of the heat pipes  20  enter the engaging holes  462  via the cutouts  466 . Eventually, the locating ears  46  of the fan holder  40  grip the condensating sections  26  of the heat pipes  20  at the engaging holes  462 . Thus, the fan holder  40  is mounted onto the heat sink  10  by means of the heat pipes  20 .  
         [0019]     It is practicable that the locating ears  46  merely define the engaging holes  462  without the cutouts  466 . Under this circumstance, the fan holder  40  is first placed onto the heat sink  10 . The condensating sections  26  of the heat pipes  20  respectively extend through the engaging holes  462  at one side of the heat sink  10 , the through holes  162  of the fins  16 , and the engaging holes  462  at an opposite side of the heat sink  10 . As a result, the ears  46  grip opposite ends of the condensating sections  26  of the heat pipes  20 , and thus the fan holder  40  is secured to the heat sink  10 .  
         [0020]     It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.