Patent ID: 7545630

Claim:
A thermal dissipation apparatus, comprising: a thermal transfer device including a plurality of heat pipes operable to dissipate heat from a heat producing component, each of the plurality of heat pipes comprising a distal end, wherein the plurality of heat pipes are coupled to at least one heat fin, and wherein the distal end of each of the plurality of heat pipes is located on a first side of the at least one heat fin and a portion of each of the plurality of heat pipes is located on a second side of the at least one heat fin that is opposite the first side; and a temperature sensitive material located on the distal end of each of the plurality of heat pipes and in direct engagement with each of the plurality of heat pipes, the temperature sensitive material selected to provide a color change only when the temperature of the heat pipe which that temperature sensitive material is located on is indicative of a fully functioning heat pipe, wherein the temperature sensitive material is operable to provide a visual indication to a user of whether the heat pipe which that temperature sensitive material is located on is fully functional via the color change in response to the heat pipe fully functioning to transfer sufficient heat to produce the color change.