Patent ID: 8587944

Claim:
A heat pipe, comprising: a heat pipe body including at least one peripheral wall which circumscribes an inner cavity; and a wick structure disposed in said inner cavity adjacent an interior surface defined by said peripheral wall and circumscribing an interior portion of said cavity, said wick structure comprising a first woven mesh layer and a second woven mesh layer disposed on said first woven mesh layer, said first and second woven mesh layers forming a stack extending from said interior surface of said peripheral wall, wherein said first woven mesh layer comprises a first weave pattern of thermally conductive fibers having a first warp direction, wherein said second woven mesh layer comprises a second weave pattern of thermally conductive fibers having a second warp direction, and wherein said second woven mesh layer is disposed on said first woven mesh layer such that said first and said second warp directions are rotationally offset by a first inter-layer warp offset angle (γ i ) greater than 2.5 degrees and less than 87.5 degrees, and wherein said wick structure further comprises a third woven mesh layer disposed on said second woven mesh layer, wherein said third woven mesh layer comprises a third weave pattern of thermally conductive fibers having a third warp direction, and wherein said third woven mesh layer is disposed on said second woven mesh layer such that at least one of said first and said second warp directions are rotationally offset from said third warp direction by a second inter-layer warp offset angle (γ 2 ) greater than 2.5 degrees and less than 87.5 degrees, and wherein a relative magnitude difference between γ 1 and γ 2 is greater than 2.5 degrees.