US20100181049A1

US20100181049A1 - Heat dissipation module

Info

Publication number: US20100181049A1
Application number: US12/488,522
Authority: US
Inventors: Chin-Hsien Chen; Rung-An Chen
Original assignee: Foxconn Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Foxconn Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-12-18
Filing date: 2009-06-20
Publication date: 2010-07-22
Also published as: CN101751095A

Abstract

A heat dissipation module includes a first substrate, a second substrate spaced from the first substrate, a heat pipe and three resilient flakes, i.e., a first resilient flake, a second resilient flake and a third resilient flake. The heat pipe connects with the first and second substrates. The first resilient flake forms a securing portion connecting with the first substrate and a locking portion extending outwardly beyond an outer edge of the first substrate. The second resilient flake forms a securing portion connecting with the second substrate and a locking portion extending outwardly beyond an outer edge of the second substrate. The third resilient flake includes a locking portion located at a middle and two securing portion at two opposite ends thereof. The two securing portions of the third resilient flake connect with the first and second substrates, respectively.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to heat dissipation, and particularly to a heat dissipation module for use in an electrical device which has a low profile.
2. Description of Related Art
With continuing development of electronic technology, heat-generating electronic components such as CPUs (central processing units) are generating more and more heat which requires immediate dissipation, especially in electronic devices which do not have enough space therein. Generally, a heat dissipation module is attached to the CPU to provide such heat dissipation. A conventional heat dissipation module includes a rectangular substrate for absorbing heat from the CPU, a fin unit and a heat pipe thermally connected the substrate to the fin unit. Four fixing arms extend outwardly from four corners of the substrate, respectively. Each of the fixing arms defines a through hole at a distal end thereof. In use of the heat dissipation module, four screws respectively extends through the through hole of the fixing arms and engages into a PCB (printed circuit board) on which the CPU is mounted, for maintaining a contact between the CPU and the heat dissipation module.
However, with the computers getting more and more compact, usually a heat dissipation module is used to dissipate heat for two electronic components such as a CPU and a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) simultaneously. Thus, the heat dissipation module may have two substrates separated from each other for contacting the CPU and the GPU, respectively. Each substrate needs four fixing arms to secure the substrate on the PCB, which increases a size of the substrates and a manufacturing cost of the substrates. Furthermore, the PCB should define a lot of mounting holes corresponding to the through holes of the fixing arms, which greatly reduces a mechanical intensity of the PCB. Moreover, the process for mounting the heat dissipation module to the PCB is time-consuming and inconvenient.
For the foregoing reasons, therefore, there is a need in the art for a heat dissipation module which overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present heat dissipation module.

The only FIGURE is an assembled, isometric view of a heat dissipation module in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The only FIGURE shows a heat dissipation module 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure for dissipating heat from two electronic components (not shown) mounted on a PCB (not shown). The two electronic components may include a CPU and a GPU. The heat dissipation module 100 includes a fin unit 10, a first substrate 20, a second substrate 30 spaced from the first substrate 20, a heat pipe 40 thermally connecting the fin unit 10 with the first and second substrates 20, 30, and three resilient flakes, i.e., a first resilient flake 50, a second resilient flake 60 and a third resilient flake 70 for mounting the first and second substrates 20, 30 to the PCB.
The heat pipe 40 is flat and elongated. The heat pipe 40 includes an evaporator section 41, a condenser section 42 and an adiabatic section 43 located between the evaporator section 41 and the condenser section 42. Each of the evaporator section 41 and the condenser section 42 is linearly shaped. The condenser section 42 is parallel to and located higher than the evaporator section 41. The adiabatic section 43 extends downwardly and slantwise from one end of the condenser section 42 towards the evaporator section 41. The adiabatic section 43 includes an upper end connected with the condenser section 42 and a lower end connected with the evaporator section 41.
The first and second substrates 20, 30 each are substantially rectangular, and in parallel with each other. Each of the substrates 20, 30 includes a top surface (not labeled) and a planar bottom surface 24, 34 opposite to the top surface for closely contacting the corresponding electronic component. A first receiving groove 21 is defined in the top surface of the first substrate 20 and near and parallel to a rear side of the first substrate 20. A first protruding rib 22 extends upwardly and perpendicularly from the top surface of the first substrate 20. The first protruding rib 22 is located at one side of the first receiving groove 21 that is away from the rear side of the first substrate 20. A second receiving groove 33 collinear to the first receiving groove 21 is defined in the top surface of the second substrate 30, adjacent to a rear side of the second substrate 30. Each of the first and second receiving grooves 21, 33 is substantially rectangular, and has a size and a shape corresponding to the evaporator section 41 of the heat pipe 40 for receiving the evaporator section 41 therein. A second protruding rib 31 and a third protruding rib 32 extend upwardly and perpendicularly from the top surface of the second substrate 30 at two opposite sides of the second receiving groove 33, respectively. The second protruding rib 31 is parallel to the third protruding rib 32, and located at the rear side of the second substrate 30. The third protruding rib 32 is collinear to the first protruding rib 22 of the first substrate 20.
The first resilient flake 50 is flat and V-shaped. The first resilient flake 50 includes a linear securing portion 51 connected with the first substrate 20 and an elongated locking portion 52 extending horizontally and slantwise from one end of the securing portion 51 to protrude out of the first substrate 20. The securing portion 51 of the first resilient flake 50 is located on the top surface of the first substrate 20, and is parallel to the first protruding rib 22. The securing portion 51 of the first resilient flake 50 is arranged between one side of the evaporator section 41 of the heat pipe 40 and the rear side of the first substrate 20, and extends along the rear side of the first substrate 20. The locking portion 52 defines a through hole 721 at a distal end away from the securing portion 51 thereof. The securing portion 51 defines two mounting holes 711 at two opposite ends thereof, respectively.
The second resilient flake 60 is flat and linearly shaped. The second resilient flake 60 includes a linear securing portion 61 connected with the second substrate 60 and a locking portion 62 extending linearly from one end of the securing portion 61 beyond a right edge of the second substrate 30. The second resilient flake 60 is mounted on the top surface of the second substrate 30, and located at another side of the evaporator section 41 of the heat pipe 40 that is away from the rear side of the second substrate 30. Similarly, the locking portion 62 defines a through hole 721 at a distal end thereof and the securing portion 61 defines two mounting holes 711 therein.
The third resilient flake 70 includes a locking portion 72, two securing portions 71 and two arched portions 73. The locking portion 72 is located at a middle of the third resilient flake 70. The two securing portions 71 are located at two opposite ends of the third resilient flake 70, respectively. The two arched portions 73 each connect one end of the locking portion 72 to a corresponding securing portion 71. The locking portion 72 and the securing portions 71 of the third resilient flake 70 are coplanar and collinear. The arched portions 73 each protrude upwardly with respect to the locking portion 72 and the securing portions 71. The third resilient flake 70 is mounted on the top surfaces of the first and second substrates 20, 30, and located adjacent to a front lateral side of the first and second substrates 20, 30. The locking portion 72 of the third resilient flake 70 is located between the first and second substrates 20, 30 and spaced from the first and second substrates 20, 30. The securing portions 71 of the third resilient flake 70 are located on the top surfaces of the first and second substrates 20, 30, respectively. Each of the securing portions 71 of the third resilient flakes 70 defines two mounting holes 711 therein. The locking portion 72 of the resilient flakes 70 defines a through hole 721 therein.
The fin unit 10 is substantially rectangular. The fin unit 10 is located adjacent to the first substrate 20. The fin unit 10 defines an elongated slot at an upper portion for extension of the condenser section 42 of the heat pipe 40 therein.
In assembly of the heat dissipation module 100, the condenser section 42 of the heat pipe 40 is received in the slot of the fin unit 10 and connected thereto via soldering. The evaporator section 41 of the heat pipe 40 is located on the top surfaces of the first and second substrates 20, 30 and received in the first and second receiving grooves 21, 33. The protruding ribs 22, 32, 31 abut against two opposite sides of the evaporator section 41, respectively. Fasteners such as screws (not shown) are provided to extend through the mounting holes 711 of the securing portions 51, 61, 71 of the resilient flakes 50, 60, 70 and engage into holes defined in the substrates 20, 30 to attach the resilient flakes 50, 60, 70 to the first and second substrates 20, 30, respectively. In assembling the heat dissipation module 100 to the electronic components on the PCB, another plurality of screws are provided to extend through the through holes 721 of the locking portions 52, 62, 72 of the resilient flakes 50, 60, 70 and engage into the PCB, to thereby connect the first, second and third resilient flakes 50, 60, 70 to the PCB. Thus, the first and second substrates 20, 30 of the heat dissipation module 100 are respectively attached to the electronic components on the PCB.
As described above, the heat dissipation module 100 only uses three resilient flakes 50, 60, 70 for mounting, and each of the resilient flakes 50, 60, 70 only needs one screw for connecting with the PCB; thus the cost of the heat dissipation module 100 is relatively low, and assembly of the heat dissipation module 100 to the PCB is simple and quick. In addition, the PCB only defines three mounting holes corresponding to the mounting holes 721 of the locking portions 52, 62, 72 of the resilient flakes 50, 60, 70, which reduces a risk of damage of the PCB and improves the easiness in designing the layout of the PCB. Furthermore, since the locking portion 72 is located amid the securing portions 71 which are connected to the first and second substrates 20, 30, respectively, the force exerted on the locking portion 72 is uniformly distributed to the first and second substrates 20, 30, whereby the first and second substrate 20, 30 each can engage with the corresponding electronic component with a substantially equal normal force. Moreover, when the locking portion 72 of the third resilient flake 70 is pressed downwardly, the arched portions 73 generate deformation to provide elastic force to press the first and second substrates 20, 30 downwardly, thereby ensuring the first and second substrates 20, 30 to have intimate engagements with the electronic components.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A heat dissipation module, comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate being spaced from each other;

a heat pipe thermally connecting with the first substrate and the second substrate;

a first resilient flake forming a securing portion connecting with the first substrate and a locking portion extending outwardly beyond an outer edge of the first substrate;

a second resilient flake forming a securing portion connecting with the second substrate and a locking portion extending outwardly beyond an outer edge of the second substrate; and

a third resilient flake comprising a locking portion being located at a middle thereof and two securing portions at two opposite ends thereof, the two securing portions of the third resilient flake connecting with the first and second substrates, respectively.

2. The heat dissipation module of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe includes a condenser section and an opposite evaporator section connecting with the first and second substrates, two of the three resilient flakes are located at two opposite lateral sides of the evaporator section of the heat pipe.

3. The heat dissipation module of claim 2, wherein the first resilient flake is located at one lateral side of the evaporator section of the heat pipe, while the second resilient flake is located at an opposite lateral side of the evaporator section of the heat pipe.

4. The heat dissipation module of claim 3, wherein the first and second substrates are substantially rectangular, the evaporator section of the heat pipe is located on top surfaces of the first and the second substrates adjacent to sides of the first and second substrates.

5. The heat dissipation module of claim 1, wherein the third resilient flake forms an arched portion between each of the securing portions and the locking portion, the arched portion connects one end of the locking portion with a corresponding securing portion of the third resilient flake.

6. The heat dissipation module of claim 5, wherein the locking portion and the securing portions of the third resilient flake are coplanar and collinear, the arched portions protrude upwardly with respect to the securing portions and the locking portion of the third resilient flake.

7. The heat dissipation module of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates are in parallel with each other.

8. The heat dissipation module of claim 7, wherein the third resilient flake is located at a front side of the first and second substrates, and the first and second resilient flakes are located at rear sides of the first and second substrates, respectively.

9. The heat dissipation module of claim 8, wherein the third resilient flake forms two arched portions each connecting one end of the locking portion to a corresponding securing portion of the third resilient flake.

10. A heat dissipation module, comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate being spaced from each other;

a fin unit;

a heat pipe forming an evaporator section connecting with the first substrate and the second substrate, and a condenser section connecting with the fin unit;

11. The heat dissipation module of claim 10, wherein the first resilient flake is located at one lateral side of the evaporator section of the heat pipe, while the second resilient flake is located at an opposite lateral side of the evaporator section of the heat pipe.

12. The heat dissipation module of claim 11, wherein the first and second substrates are substantially rectangular, the evaporator section of the heat pipe is located on top surfaces of the first and the second substrates adjacent to sides of the first and second substrates.

13. The heat dissipation module of claim 10, wherein the third resilient flake forms two arched portions each connecting one end of the locking portion to a corresponding securing portion of the third resilient flake.