US20110315356A1

US20110315356A1 - Heat-dissipating body having radial fin assembly and heat-dissipating device having the same

Info

Publication number: US20110315356A1
Application number: US12/822,294
Authority: US
Inventors: George Anthony. Meyer, IV; Chien-Hung Sun; Chieh-Ping Chen; Hsien-Tsang Liu
Original assignee: Celsia Technologies Taiwan Inc
Current assignee: Celsia Technologies Taiwan Inc
Priority date: 2010-06-24
Filing date: 2010-06-24
Publication date: 2011-12-29

Abstract

A heat-dissipating device includes a heat-dissipating body, a vapor chamber and a fan assembly. The heat-dissipating body includes a thermal-conductive element and a radial fin assembly. The thermal-conductive element includes a solid post and extending arms extending therefrom. The radial fin assembly includes radially-arranged heat-dissipating fins that form a central hole to enclose the sold post, engaging troughs inserted by the extending arms, and an airflow space. An air channel is formed between any two heat-dissipating fins. The vapor chamber is provided at one end of the solid post, while the fan assembly is arranged on the other end and received in the airflow space to correspond to the respective air channels. Thus, the mobility of air and the heat-dissipating efficiency can be increased, thereby conforming to the requirements for compact design.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-dissipating device, and in particular to a heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly and a heat-dissipating device having the heat-dissipating body.
2. Description of Prior Art
Integrated circuits in electronic products inevitably generate heat in their operation. Nowadays, with the advancement of the efficiency and performance of electronic product, the amount of heat generated thereby will be also increased. If the heat generated is not dissipated immediately but accumulated in the integrated circuits, their performance will be deteriorated. In view of this, a heat-dissipating device is mounted in an electronic product to lower the working temperature of the integrated circuit, thereby maintaining the stability and safety of the electronic product during its operation.
The conventional heat-dissipating device is formed with a heat-dissipating fin assembly on a metallic thermal-conductive body. The heat-dissipating fin assembly is constituted of a plurality of upright heat-dissipating fins. An air channel is formed between two adjacent heat-dissipating fins. The metallic thermal-conductive block is adhered to a heat source. The heat generated during the operation of the integrated circuit is conducted to the respective heat-dissipating fins. With external cooling air flowing through the respective air channels, the heat absorbed by the respective heat-dissipating fins can be taken away. In order to increase the heat-dissipating capacity, a fan is usually mounted above the heat-dissipating fin assembly, so that a compulsive airflow generated by the fan can blow cooler air to the heat-dissipating fin assembly and the metallic thermal-conductive block.
Modern electronic products tend to be made compact and light-weight. However, in the conventional heat-dissipating device, the fan is mounted over the heat-dissipating fin assembly, which makes the thickness of the heat-dissipating device unable to be reduced and thus restricts the compact design of the electronic products. On the other hand, the downward airflow blown by the fan will be obstructed by the metallic thermal-conductive block. As a result, the hot air is jammed in the heat-dissipating device, causing the deterioration of the heat-dissipating efficiency. Furthermore, if the fan is provided outside the heat-dissipating device, the noise generated thereby is unavoidable.
Furthermore, the conventional metallic thermal-conductive block is merely a metallic block with good thermal conductivity. However, its thermal-conducting effect is limited. In addition, the heat-dissipating fins of the conventional heat-dissipating fin assembly are arranged upright with the same orientation, and the air channels formed between the adjacent two heat-dissipating fins are also oriented in the same direction, which make the air unable to flow freely and thus affect the heat-dissipating efficiency thereof.
In view of the above, the present inventor proposes a novel and reasonable structure based on his expert experience and deliberate researches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly, which is capable of enhancing the mobility of air and the degree of heat dissipation, thereby increasing the heat-dissipating efficiency thereof.
The present invention provides a heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly, comprising:
a thermal-conducting element comprising a solid post and a plurality of extending arms extending from the periphery of the solid post; and
a radial fin assembly constituted of a plurality of heat-dissipating fins radially arranged at intervals, the heat-dissipating fins forming a central hole to enclose the solid post, and a plurality of engaging troughs surrounding the central hole and inserted by the extending arms.
The present invention is to provide a heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body, which is capable of enhancing the mobility of air and the degree of heat dissipation, thereby increasing the heat-dissipating efficiency thereof and conforming to the requirements for compact design.
The present invention provides a heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body, comprising:
a heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly, comprising:
a thermal-conductive element comprising a solid post and a plurality of extending arms extending from the periphery of the sold post; and
a radial fin assembly constituted of a plurality of heat-dissipating fins arranged radially at intervals, the heat-dissipating fins forming a central hole to enclose the sold post, a plurality of engaging troughs surrounding the central hole and inserted by the extending arms, and an airflow space provided over the central hole, an air channel being formed between any two heat-dissipating fins in communication with the airflow space;
a vapor chamber provided at one end of the solid post; and
a fan assembly positioned at the other end of the solid post and received in the airflow space to correspond to the air channels.
In comparison with prior art, the present invention has advantageous features as follows.
The vapor chamber has a high heat-dissipating capacity and thus it is capable of conducting the heat of a heat source rapidly to another place. The radial fin assembly has a plurality of air channels arranged radially at intervals to thereby enhancing the mobility of air. The fan assembly is arranged in such a manner that it can reduce the height of the whole heat-dissipating device and the noise generated by itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a heat-dissipating device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing some elements of the heat-dissipating device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the heat-dissipating device of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of FIG. 3 from another viewing angle;

FIG. 5 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the heat-dissipating device of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the operating state of the heat-dissipating device in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are illustrative only, but not used to limit the present invention.
The present invention provides a heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly, and a heat-dissipating device having such a heat-dissipating body. Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 5. The heat-dissipating device includes a heat-dissipating body 10, a vapor chamber 20, a fan assembly 30, and a fixing base 40. The heat-dissipating body 10 includes a thermal-conductive element 110 and a radial fin assembly 120.
The vapor chamber 20 has a sealed casing whose inner walls are distributed with a wick structure. The interior of the vapor chamber 20 forms a vacuum space for airflow with a working fluid filled therein. In the present embodiment, the vapor chamber 20 is formed into a thin rectangular shape, but it is not limited thereto. The bottom surface of the vapor chamber 20 is formed with a protrusion 21 for thermally contacting a heat-generating electronic element. The phase change of the working fluid within the vapor chamber 20 is utilized to dissipate the heat, so that the thermal-conducting efficiency or the heat-dissipating efficiency of the vapor chamber 20 is superior to that of a conventional metallic thermal-conductive body.
The radial fin assembly 120 is constituted of a plurality of heat-dissipating fins 121 that are arranged radially at intervals on the surface of the vapor chamber 20. The heat-dissipating fins 121 are combined with each other by means of fitting, soldering, adhesion or the like. Alternatively, the heat-dissipating fins 121 can be integrally formed by an aluminum extrusion process, thereby preventing the possible detachment of the respective heat-dissipating fins 121. However, the manufacturing of the radial fin assembly 120 is not limited to the above methods. Each of the heat-dissipating fins 121 can be formed into a flat piece, a curved piece or a plate, but it is not limited thereto.
One side of the heat-dissipating fins 121 is provided with an annular groove 122. More specifically, the bottom of each heat-dissipating fin 121 (i.e. the side adjacent to the vapor chamber 20) is provided with a notch at the same position, so that these notches can be connected in series to form the annular groove 122.
The respective heat-dissipating fins 121 are arranged at intervals. The inner sides of the respective heat-dissipating fins 121 enclose to form a central hole 123, a plurality of engaging troughs 124 and an airflow space 125. The engaging troughs 124 surround the central hole 123. The central hole 123 is arranged below the airflow space 125 and in communication therewith. The open surface of the central hole 123 is formed on the inner bottom edge of each heat-dissipating fin 121 while the open surface of the airflow space 125 is formed on the inner to edges of the respective heat-dissipating fins 121. The cross section of the central hole 123 and the airflow space 125 may be formed into a circular shape, a polygonal shape or an irregular shape, but it is not limited thereto. The width of the engaging trough 124 increases toward the outside of the central hole 123 to form a trapezoid.
Further, an airflow channel 126 is formed between any two heat-dissipating fins 121 in communication with the airflow space 125. The airflow channels 126 are arranged radially to allow the airflow to flow through in different directions.
The fixing base 40 is locked to a carrier. The surface of the fixing base 40 is provided with an insertion trough 41. The profile of the insertion trough 41 corresponds to that of the vapor chamber 20. The insertion trough 41 allows the vapor chamber 20 to be inserted therein. The bottom surface of the fixing base 40 is provided with a through hole 42 in communication with the insertion trough 41. The through hole 42 allows the protrusion 21 to pass through.
Further, the edge of the fixing babes 40 is formed with an annular rib 43 that is inserted into the annular groove 122, so that the fixing base 40 can be fixedly connected to the bottom of the radial fin assembly 120. That is, the fixing base 40 can be fixedly connected to the bottom of the respective heat-dissipating fins 121. In this way, the vapor chamber 20 can be tightly sandwiched between the radial fin assembly 120 and the fixing base 40 with the vapor chamber 20 abutting the respective heat-dissipating fins 121. In this way, the thermal resistance between the vapor chamber 20 and the radial fin assembly 120 can be reduced to enhance the thermal conductivity.
The profile of the thermal-conductive element 110 corresponds to that of the central hole 123 and the engaging troughs 124. The thermal-conductive element 110 is embedded into the central hole 123 and the respective engaging troughs 124 to be connected to the radial fin assembly 120. That is, the respective heat-dissipating fins 121 are arranged radially at intervals to surround the thermal-conductive element 110. The bottom of the thermal-conductive element 110 is adhered to the surface of the vapor chamber 20. With this arrangement, the efficiency of conducting the heat of the vapor chamber 20 to the respective heat-dissipating fins 121 can be increased.
More specifically, the thermal-conducting element 110 comprises a solid post 111, a plurality of extending arms 112 and a plurality of heat-dissipating pieces 113. The respective extending arms 112 extend from the outer periphery of the solid post 111 and are arranged radially at intervals. The respective heat-dissipating pieces 113 extend from the outer periphery of the solid post 111 and are arranged radially at intervals. The width of the extending arm 112 increases outwards to form a trapezoid. The heat-dissipating pieces 113 are disposed between two adjacent extending arms 112.
The slid post 111 is disposed in the central hole 123. Each of the extending arms 112 is engaged into the engaging trough 124. The shape of the extending arm 112 corresponds to that of the engaging trough 124, so that they can be assembled together firmly. The solid post 111, the extending arms 112, and the heat-dissipating pieces 113 are adhered to the surface of the vapor chamber 20 to increase the thermal-conducting efficiency. In addition, the thermal-conductive element 110 serves as a mounting base for the fan assembly 30.
The fan assembly 30 is embedded into the airflow space 125. The fan assembly 30 is connected to the thermal-conductive element 110 to correspond to the respective air channels 126. More specifically, the fan assembly 30 comprises a support 31 and a blade 32. The blade 32 is pivotally connected to the support 31. The blade 32 generates airflow when it rotates. The support 31 is fixed to the distal end of each extending arm 112, so that the fan assembly 30 can be firmly mounted on the thermal-conductive element 110. The connection between the fan assembly 30 and the thermal-conductive element 110 can be achieved by locking, clamping or engaging, but it is not limited thereto.
Furthermore, the blade 32 is a centrifugal blade, so that the airflow generated by the rotation of the blade 32 can flow into the respective air channels 126. Thus, cool air is sucked by the fan assembly 30 from the upper space thereof, while hot air is exhausted laterally from the heat-dissipating fins 121. In this way, the airflow will not be obstructed by the vapor chamber 20, thereby enhancing the heat-dissipating efficiency of the whole device. Since the blade 32 is embedded into the airflow space 125, the noise generated by the rotation of the blade 32 can be blocked by the radial fin assembly 120, thereby reducing the noise and the height of the whole device. Furthermore, since the thickness of the vapor chamber 20 is very small, the height of the whole heat-dissipating device can be reduced further, so that the heat-dissipating device can be mounted in a compact electronic product more easily.
Please refer to FIG. 6. When the heat-dissipating device having the heat-dissipating body is in use, the fixing base 40 is first locked to a carrier (such as a circuit board P) while the protrusion 21 is brought into thermal contact with a heat-generating electronic element (such as a central processor C). The heat generated by the central processor C is conducted to the vapor chamber 20, and it is conducted to the thermal-conductive element 110 by means of the phase change of the working fluid within the vapor chamber 20. Then, the heat is dissipated to the outside by the radial fin assembly 120 and the airflow generated by the fan assembly 30.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly, comprising:

a thermal-conducting element comprising a solid post and a plurality of extending arms extending from the periphery of the solid post; and

a radial fin assembly constituted of a plurality of heat-dissipating fins radially arranged at intervals, the heat-dissipating fins forming a central hole to enclose the solid post, and a plurality of engaging troughs surrounding the central hole and inserted by the extending arms.

2. The heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly according to claim 1, wherein the extending arm is formed into a trapezoid.

3. The heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly according to claim 2, wherein the thermal-conductive element further comprises a plurality of heat-dissipating pieces, and the heat-dissipating pieces extend from the outer periphery of the solid post to be arranged between the extending arms respectively.

4. A heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body, comprising:

a heat-dissipating body having a radial fin assembly, comprising:

a thermal-conductive element comprising a solid post and a plurality of extending arms extending from the periphery of the sold post; and

a radial fin assembly constituted of a plurality of heat-dissipating fins arranged radially at intervals, the heat-dissipating fins forming a central hole to enclose the sold post, a plurality of engaging troughs surrounding the central hole and inserted by the extending arms, and an airflow space provided over the central hole, an air channel being formed between any two heat-dissipating fins in communication with the airflow space;

a vapor chamber provided at one end of the solid post; and

a fan assembly positioned at the other end of the solid post and received in the airflow space to correspond to the air channels.

5. The heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body according to claim 4, wherein the extending arm is formed into a trapezoid.

6. The heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body according to claim 5, wherein the thermal-conductive element further comprises a plurality of heat-dissipating pieces, and the heat-dissipating pieces extend from the outer periphery of the solid post to be arranged between the extending arms respectively.

7. The heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body according to claim 4, wherein the fan assembly comprises a support fixedly connected to the extending arms, and a blade pivotally connected to the support.

8. The heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body according to claim 4, further comprising a fixing base connected to the heat-dissipating fins for allowing the vapor chamber to be mounted thereon, the vapor chamber being sandwiched between the fixing base and the heat-dissipating fins.

9. The heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body according to claim 8, wherein the heat-dissipating fins are provided with an annular groove, and the fixing base is formed with an annular rib inserted into the annular groove.

10. The heat-dissipating device having a heat-dissipating body according to claim 8, wherein the vapor chamber is formed with a protrusion, and the fixing base is provided with an insertion trough for allowing the vapor chamber to be inserted therein and a through hole communicating the insertion trough for allowing the protrusion to pass through.