Patent Publication Number: US-2019170446-A1

Title: Multi-tube parallel heat spreader

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a heat spreader, and more particularly to an innovative structural design of a heat spreader which uses multiple tubes for heat circulation. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     Current heat spreaders used for cooling product structures are not limited to one design. There are types adopting extended conduit body with internal capillary tissues and working fluid, or oscillatory types adopting circular flow path space with combination of high-percentage working fluid, or heat spreaders featuring a plate-shaped appearance with combination of internal circular or radiating flow path space and integration of capillary tissues. 
     Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve the efficacy. 
     Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The “multi-tube parallel heat spreader” disclosed in the present invention features an innovative and unique structural design constituted by at least three conduits, first connector, second connector, working fluid and heat conduction base etc. Based on the above design and the related technical features, the present invention realizes an improvement over prior-art structures in that, through the multi-direction recycling space formed by the architecture of multiple interconnected conduits, the working fluid of the heat spreader can be started more easily, and the problem of starting failures can be effectively avoided. In addition, the unique architecture of conduits disclosed in the present invention facilitates formation of a bent shape to meet the demands of various installation environments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a combined perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial combined sectional view  1  of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial combined sectional view  2  of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial combined sectional view  3  of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is drawing of an embodiment of the present invention with the conduits formed with a bent portion. 
         FIG. 7  is drawing of an embodiment of the present invention with the interior of the conduits configured with groove-style capillary tissues. 
         FIG. 8  is drawing of the application state of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is drawing of an embodiment of the present invention with the second connector formed by sealing the two ends of a tube body. 
         FIG. 10  is drawing of an embodiment of the present invention with the outer side of the first connector configured with a planar heat conduction portion. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention of a multi-tube parallel heat spreader is disclosed in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 . However, it is to be understood that such an embodiment is illustrative only, and is not intending to limit the scope of patent application. 
     Said multi-tube parallel heat spreader A comprises: at least three conduits  10 , disposed in parallel, each conduit  10  including a first end  11  and a second end  12 ; a first connector  20 , fitted onto the first end  11  of said at least three conduits  10 , with one side of said first connector  20  configured with a first connecting plughole  21  for the first end  11  of each of said at least three conduits  10  to be inserted into, and the interior of said first connector  20  having a first connecting passage  22  communicated to each first connecting plughole  21 ; a second connector  30 , fitted onto the second end  12  of said at least three conduits  10 , with one side of said second connector  30  configured with a second connecting plughole  31  for the second end  12  of each of said at least three conduits  10  to be inserted into, and the interior of said second connector  30  having a second connecting passage  32  communicated to each second connecting plughole  31 ; a working fluid  40  (such as pure water, alcohol etc), contained in a free state inside said at least three conduits  10 , said first connector  20  and said second connector  30 , with the internal space of said at least three conduits  10 , said first connector  20  and said second connector  30  being in a vacuum state; at least one heat conduction base  50 , abutting and combined with said at least three conduits  10  in at least one position, each heat conduction base  50  including a heat conductive surface  51  and a supporting surface  52  corresponding to the conduits  10 . 
     In particular, the outer diameter of said at least three conduits  10  is from 3 mm to 10 mm, and the length is from 100 mm to 1000 mm. From the tube body dimension scale defined by the present embodiment, it is known that, in practical application, the multi-tube parallel heat spreader A disclosed in the present invention can reach a relatively longer extension for installation. This is impossible for prior-art thermal tube structures (note: the length of extension of existing thermal tubes is normally below 400 mm). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in the present embodiment, the supporting surface  52  of the heat conduction base  50  is further configured with at least three caulking grooves  53  for one side of said at least three conduits  10  to be embedded in. And, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the two opening ends of each caulking grooves  53  are respectively formed into a riveted flange  54  by means of rolling (as indicated by the hollow arrow in the drawing). Said riveted flange  54  is used to limit the corresponding conduit  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in the present embodiment, at relative positions of said at least three conduits  10 , one ore more than one bent portions  14  are formed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the interior of the conduits  10 B disclosed in the present embodiment is further configured with groove-style capillary tissue  15 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in the present embodiment, said at least three conduits  10  include a heating evaporator section  16  and a cooling condenser section  17 , and the heat conduction base  50  abuts and is combined with at least any one of the heating evaporator section  16  or the cooling condenser section  17 ; in the present embodiment, both the heating evaporator section  16  and the cooling condenser section  17  are configured with a heat conduction base  50 , wherein, the heat conductive surface  51  of the heat conduction base  50  configured on the heating evaporator section  16  is for a heat source  60  (being an LED light board in the present embodiment) to abut and bind, while the heat conductive surface  51 B of the heat conduction base  50 B configured on the cooling condenser section  17  is for a cooling component  70  (being a fin base in the present embodiment) to abut and bind; It is not difficult to see that the heat conduction function of the heat conduction base  50 ,  50 B can be either heating or cooling. 
     In particular, the percentage of working fluid  40  relative to the internal space of said at least three conduits  10 , the first connector  20  and the second connector  30  is from 10% to 80%. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , in the present embodiment, the first connector  20  and second connector  30  are shaped as a rectangular hollow enclosure; in addition, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the second connector  30 B (first connector is also applicable) disclosed in the present embodiment is formed by sealing (such as press fitting) the two ends of a tube body; the tube body disclosed in the present embodiment can be a flat tube as disclosed in the drawing, or a round tube or any other type with no limitation. 
     Based on the above-mentioned structural constitution and technical characteristics, the structural design of the multi-tube parallel heat spreader A disclosed in the present invention (as depicted in  FIG. 3 ) combines said at least three parallel-disposed conduits  10  with the first connector  20  and second connector  30  to create a Roman number  1 W-shaped conduit architecture, forming a multi-direction circulation space inside, i.e., any two conduits  10  can form one circulation passage through the first connector  20  and second connector  30 . Thus, the working fluid  40  inside the heat spreader after evaporation has multiple circulation channels to trigger circulative conduction, making starting more easily and effectively avoiding the problem of starting failure in the prior-art single circulation channel; on the other hand, the conduit architecture of the multi-tube parallel heat spreader A disclosed in the present invention facilitates formation of a bent shape (as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 ) to meet the demands of various installation environments. 
     Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the outer side of the first connector  20 B (second connector is also applicable) disclosed in the present embodiment is further configured with a planar heat conduction portion  23 ; the heat conduction function of said planar heat conduction portion  23  in the embodiment can be either heating or cooling. Hence, in practical applications, it can be used to abut and bind with a heat source or a cooling component, so as to meet various application needs of the users. The relationship between the additional planar heat conduction portion  23  disclosed in the present embodiment and the afore-mentioned heat conduction base  50  can be a gain-assisted relationship, or a matching relationship, depending on the actual demand of the user.