WO2022071483A1 - Thermal conductive unit and cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, a thermal conductive member of a thermal conductive unit has a main body region and a peripheral region. A support member of the thermal conductive unit has a first support part which supports part of the peripheral region and a second support part which supports another part of the peripheral region. The width of the first support part differs from the width of the second support part. The thermal conductive member has a first plate and a second plate which are positioned so as to overlap in the thickness direction. At least one of the first plate and the second plate has a depression which has therein an accommodation space for a working medium. The first plate has a first joining part. The second plate has a second joining part. The peripheral region has a joining region of the first joining part and second joining part, and a closing region which has a closing part for the accommodation space. The closing part is positioned on a supported region of the peripheral region which is supported by whichever of the first support part and second support part has greater width.

Description

Heat conduction unit and cooling device

The present invention relates to a heat conduction unit and a cooling device.

Conventionally, a flat plate-shaped vapor chamber has been proposed as a heat conductive member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Publication: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-194515

When the heat conductive member is placed in contact with the heat generating element in order to cool the heating element, if the heating element generates heat and becomes high in temperature, the heat conducting member may expand due to the heat of the heating element and warp may occur. be. It was

Further, when the vapor chamber is configured as the heat conductive member, if the strength of the heat conductive member is not secured, stable injection becomes difficult when the working medium is injected into the internal accommodation space through the communication hole. There is a risk. It was

In view of the above points, the present invention is a heat conduction unit capable of suppressing thermal expansion of the heat conduction member from causing warpage and stably injecting a working medium into the internal accommodation space. And a cooling device equipped with the heat conduction unit.

An exemplary heat conduction unit of the present invention includes a heat conduction member and a support member that supports the heat conduction member. The heat conductive member has a main body region and an outer peripheral region located along the outer periphery of the main body region when viewed from the thickness direction of the heat conductive member. The support member has a first support portion that supports a part of the outer peripheral region and a second support portion that supports another part of the outer peripheral region. The first support portion and the second support portion extend in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and in two directions different from each other. The width of the first support portion in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction when viewed from the thickness direction is different from the width of the second support portion in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction. The heat conductive member has a first plate and a second plate that are overlapped with each other in the thickness direction. At least one of the first plate and the second plate has a recess having an inner space for accommodating the working medium. The first plate has a first junction that connects to the second plate outside the accommodation space. The second plate has a second junction that connects to the first plate outside the containment space. The outer peripheral region has a joint region of the first joint portion and the second joint portion, and a closed region having a closed portion of the accommodation space. The closed portion of the closed region is on a supported region supported by the wider one of the first support portion and the second support portion when viewed from the thickness direction in the outer peripheral region. To position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the thermal expansion of the heat conductive member from causing warpage, and it is possible to stably inject the working medium into the internal accommodation space.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the heat conduction unit according to the embodiment of the present invention when viewed from below. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heat conduction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the heat conduction unit of FIG. 1 is cut in a ZX cross section including the AA line. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when the heat conduction unit of FIG. 1 is cut in a YZ cross section including the BB line. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when the heat conduction unit of FIG. 1 is cut in a YZ cross section including the CC line. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the heat conductive member included in the heat conductive unit. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the heat conductive member after forming the closed portion. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the support member included in the heat conduction unit. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the heat conduction unit. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing still another configuration of the heat conduction unit. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing still another configuration of the heat conduction unit. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing still another configuration of the heat conduction unit. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the heat conductive member before and after the formation of the closed portion. FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the heat conductive member in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region. FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another configuration in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region of the heat conductive member. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing still another configuration in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region of the heat conductive member. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the cooling device. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device having a cross section different from that of FIG. FIG. 19 is a bottom view showing another configuration of the support member. FIG. 20 is a bottom view showing still another configuration of the support member.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the XYZ coordinate system is shown as a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system as appropriate. In the XYZ coordinate system, the Z-axis direction indicates a vertical direction (that is, a vertical direction), the + Z direction is the upper side (opposite the gravity direction), and the −Z direction is the lower side (gravity direction). The Z-axis direction is also the thickness direction of the heat conduction unit, the heat conduction member, and the support member of the present embodiment described later. The X-axis direction refers to a direction orthogonal to the Z-axis direction, and the forward and reverse directions thereof are the + X direction and the −X direction, respectively. The Y-axis direction refers to a direction orthogonal to both the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction, and the forward and reverse directions thereof are the + Y direction and the −Y direction, respectively. It was

In the present specification, "vertical" between A and B means that A and B intersect at an angle of 90 °, but an angle within a predetermined range from 90 ° (for example, 90 ° ±). Even if they intersect at an angle within the range of 10 °), they are included in the concept of "vertical" and can be treated as "vertical". It was

As used herein, "connecting" A and B means that A and B are mechanically "connected" or "connected", and that A and B are electrically connected. Does not mean. Further, the process of bringing two members into contact with each other without passing through a space and connecting them by a physical or mechanical method (for example, a hot press described later) may be expressed as "joining". It was

In the present specification, closing a hole formed between two members by physically deforming one member and contacting the other member is referred to as "closing" here. "Closed" is the point where two members with a space such as a hole come into contact with each other, and the above-mentioned "joining" that connects two members that have no space between them and are in contact from the beginning. Distinguished. It was

[1. Overview of heat conduction unit]



FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the heat conduction unit 1 of the present embodiment as viewed from below. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heat conduction unit 1 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the heat conduction unit 1 of FIG. 1 is cut along a ZX cross section including the AA line. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when the heat conduction unit 1 of FIG. 1 is cut in a YZ cross section including the BB line. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when the heat conduction unit 1 of FIG. 1 is cut along a YZ cross section including a CC line. Note that in FIGS. 1 and 2, for convenience, the heating element H shown in FIG. 3 is not shown. Further, in FIG. 1, the communication portion 60a is shown in the heat conduction member 10, but this is for convenience of explanation of the communication portion 60a, and when it is actually used as the heat conduction unit 1, it is shown in FIG. As shown, it is used in a state where at least a part of the communication portion 60a is crushed to form the closed portion 60.

The heat conduction unit 1 includes a heat conduction member 10, a support member 20, and fins 30. It is also possible to configure the heat conduction unit 1 by omitting the installation of the fins 30. It was

The heat conductive member 10 is arranged in contact with the heating element H (see FIG. 3), transports the heat of the heating element H, and releases it to the outside. The heating element H is, for example, a power transistor of an inverter. The inverter is provided in, for example, a traction motor for driving the wheels of a vehicle. In this case, the power transistor is, for example, an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). That is, the heat conduction unit 1 of the present embodiment is used, for example, for an IGBT application to cool the IGBT. It was

The heat conduction unit 1 may be used for other purposes. For example, the heat conduction unit 1 may be used for electronic equipment applications. In electronic device applications, the heat transfer unit 1 is mounted on an electronic device such as a smartphone or a notebook personal computer to cool an electronic component or substrate in the electronic device.

In the present embodiment, the heating element H is located in contact with the heat conductive member 10 on the −Z direction side. Further, the fin 30 is located on the + Z direction side with respect to the heat conductive member 10. In this configuration, the heat generated by the heating element H is conducted in the + Z direction by the heat conductive member 10 and discharged to the outside through the fins 30. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the side in the −Z direction is the heat generation side and the side in the + Z direction is the heat dissipation side with respect to the heat conductive member 10. It was

The support member 20 comes into contact with the heat conductive member 10 at a position different from that of the heating element H. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the support member 20 supports the heat conductive member 10 from the −Z direction side, that is, from below, at a position different from the heating element H. The support member 20 may be attached to the heat conductive member 10 on the + Z direction side to support the heat conductive member 10 from above (see FIG. 9). Further, the support member 20 may support the heat conductive member 10 from both above and below (see FIG. 10). Further, the support member 20 may support the heat conductive member 10 by sandwiching it from above and below (see FIG. 11). That is, the heat conduction unit 1 includes a heat conduction member 10 and a support member 20 that supports the heat conduction member 10. It was

The fin 30 is located on the heat dissipation side (+ Z direction side) with respect to the heat conductive member 10. The fin 30 is composed of, for example, a stacked fin 30S (see FIGS. 3 to 5). The stacked fin 30S has a metal base 30a and a plurality of metal plates 30b. The base 30a is a plate-shaped member that comes into contact with the heat conductive member 10. The metal plates 30b are arranged side by side on the base 30a in the Y direction (or the X direction) at predetermined intervals. As the metal constituting the base 30a and the metal plate 30b, a material having high thermal conductivity such as copper, aluminum, and an alloy is used. It was

As described above, the heat conduction unit 1 of the present embodiment includes fins 30 located on the heat dissipation side of the heat conduction member 10. In this configuration, the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat conductive member 10 can be improved by, for example, air-cooling or water-cooling the fins 30. It was

The fin 30 may be composed of pin fins. The pin fin is configured by arranging a plurality of columnar metal pins arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the X direction and the Y direction on a metal base. When viewed from the Z direction, the plurality of pin fins arranged in one row in the X direction and the plurality of pin fins in the other row located adjacent to the plurality of pin fins in the Y direction and arranged in the X direction are in the X direction. It is located half a pitch off. The fin 30 may be located on the heat conductive member 10 via another metal plate. It was

Hereinafter, the details of the heat conductive member 10 and the support member 20 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and further with reference to other drawings. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the heat conductive member 10 when viewed from the −Z direction side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the heat conductive member 10 after a part of the communication portion 60a is crushed to form the closed portion 60. It was

[2. Heat conduction member]



First, each region when the heat conductive member 10 is viewed from the thickness direction will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the heat conductive member 10 has a main body region 10M and an outer peripheral region 10C when viewed from one side in the thickness direction (for example, the −Z direction side).

(Main body area)



The main body region 10M is a region for conducting heat generated by the heating element H, and is also a region for accommodating the working medium 2 (see FIG. 3) described later. The outer peripheral region 10C is located along the outer peripheral region of the main body region 10M when viewed from the −Z direction. That is, the heat conductive member 10 has a main body region 10M and an outer peripheral region 10C located along the outer circumference of the main body region 10M when viewed from the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10.

In the present embodiment, the outer shape of the heat conductive member 10 is rectangular when viewed from the −Z direction. That is, the heat conductive member 10 has a rectangular outer shape when viewed from the thickness direction. When viewed from the −Z direction, the main body region 10M has a rectangular shape, and the outer peripheral region 10C has a frame shape. In the present embodiment, for convenience, the longitudinal direction of the rectangle of the heat conductive member 10 is the X direction and the lateral direction is the Y direction when viewed from the −Z direction. It was

In FIG. 6, since the communication portion 60a before the formation of the closed portion 60 protrudes in the −Y direction, it is difficult to say that the outer shape of the heat conductive member 10 is rectangular. However, as shown in FIG. 7, after the communicating portion 60a is crushed to form the closed portion 60, when the protruding portion 61 corresponding to the protruding portion of the communicating portion 60a is cut as described later, the heat conductive member It can be said that the outer shape of 10 is a rectangle when viewed from the −Z direction. It was

(Outer circumference area)



The outer peripheral region 10C has a longitudinal portion 10L and a lateral portion 10S. The longitudinal portion 10L extends along the X direction. That is, the outer peripheral region 10C has a longitudinal portion 10L extending along the longitudinal direction of the rectangle. The longitudinal portion 10L has two longitudinal portions, that is, a first longitudinal portion 10L-1 and a second longitudinal portion 10L-2. The first longitudinal portion 10L-1 and the second longitudinal portion 10L-2 extend in the X direction at positions separated from each other in the Y direction.

The short portion 10S extends along the Y direction. That is, the outer peripheral region 10C has a short portion 10S extending along the short side direction of the rectangle. The short portion 10S has two short portions, that is, a first short portion 10S-1 and a second short portion 10S-2. The first short hand portion 10S-1 and the second short hand portion 10S-2 extend in the Y direction at positions separated from each other in the X direction. It was

The end portion of the first longitudinal portion 10L-1 on the + X direction side is connected to the end portion of the first short end portion 10S-1 on the −Y direction side. The end portion of the first longitudinal portion 10L-1 on the −X direction side is connected to the end portion of the second short portion 10S-2 on the −Y direction side. The end of the second longitudinal portion 10L-2 on the + X direction side is connected to the end of the first short portion 10S-1 on the + Y direction side. The end portion of the second longitudinal portion 10L-2 on the −X direction side is connected to the end portion of the second short portion 10S-2 on the + Y direction side. As a result, the first longitudinal portion 10L-1, the second short portion 10S-2, the second longitudinal portion 10L-2, and the first short portion 10S-1 are arranged counterclockwise when viewed from the −Z direction side. Connect in order. As a result, a frame-shaped outer peripheral region 10C is formed when viewed from the −Z direction. It was

As will be described later, the support member 20 has a first through hole 20a (see FIG. 5). The outer peripheral region 10C has a second through hole 10a. The second through hole 10a is a hole that penetrates the outer peripheral region 10C in the Z direction. The second through hole 10a is located so as to overlap the first through hole 20a in the Z direction. The second through hole 10a is configured by superimposing the first opening 4a of the first plate 4 described later and the second opening 5a of the second plate 5 described later in the Z direction. It was

A fastening member 50 (see FIG. 5) is inserted into the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a. The fastening member 50 is, for example, a bolt or a screw. After inserting the fastening member 50 into the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a, the heat conductive member 10 and the support member 20 are fastened (co-tightened) by fixing the tip of the fastening member 50 with a nut. .. The heat conductive member 10 and the support member 20 may be fastened by crimping the tip of the fastening member 50 without using a nut. In FIG. 6, a total of 16 second through holes 10a are shown in the outer peripheral region 10C, but the number of the second through holes 10a may be arbitrarily set. Further, the formation position of the second through hole 10a in the outer peripheral region 10C may be arbitrarily set. It was

Next, the cross-sectional structure of the heat conductive member 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the heat conductive member 10 includes a working medium 2, a wick structure 3, a first plate 4, and a second plate 5. It was

(Operating medium)



The working medium 2 is accommodated in the accommodation space S of the heat conductive member 10 for transporting heat. The working medium 2 is, for example, water, but may be another liquid such as alcohol. After the heat conductive member 10 is supported by the support member 20, the working medium 2 is injected into the accommodation space S through the communication portion 60a having the communication holes 60a1 (see FIG. 13). After the actuating medium 2 is injected into the accommodation space S, as shown in FIG. 7, a part of the communication portion 60a is crushed by the pressing member 70. As a result, the communication hole 60a1 of the communication portion 60a is closed, and the closed portion 60 of the accommodation space S is formed.

In FIG. 7, only a part of the communication portion 60a is crushed by the pressing member 70 to form the closed portion 60, but the entire communicating portion 60a may be crushed to form the closed portion 60. Further, in FIG. 7, the closed portion 60 has a protruding portion 61 protruding from the outer peripheral region 10C in the −Y direction, and the protruding portion 61 may be cut off and removed. It was

The accommodation space S is a closed space, and is maintained in a decompressed state where the atmospheric pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure, for example. When the accommodation space S is in the decompressed state, the working medium 2 accommodated in the accommodation space S is likely to evaporate. The thickness of the heat conductive member 10 in the Z direction is, for example, 3 mm or more for IGBT applications and 0.3 mm or less for electronic device applications. It was

(Wick structure)



The wick structure 3 shown in FIG. 3 and the like is located in the accommodation space S of the working medium 2 in the heat conductive member 10. The wick structure 3 has a porous wick structure and transports the working medium 2 by a capillary phenomenon. Such a wick structure 3 is composed of, for example, a copper sintered body. The term "sintering" refers to a technique of heating a metal powder or a paste containing the metal to a temperature lower than the melting point of the metal to bake and harden the metal particles. The "sintered body" refers to an object obtained by sintering. The thickness of the wick structure 3 is, for example, 1 mm or less for IGBT applications and 0.1 mm or less for electronic device applications. The wick structure 3 is located in the main body region 10M described above.

The wick structure 3 may be any structure as long as it can transport the working medium 2 by the capillary phenomenon in the accommodation space S. Therefore, the wick structure 3 may be a mesh wick made of a metal mesh or a groove wick having a groove structure, in addition to the porous wick structure (sintered wick) described above. It was

(1st plate)



The first plate 4 is a flat metal plate, for example, a copper plate. The first plate 4 may be formed by plating the surface of a metal other than copper with copper. As the metal other than copper, for example, stainless steel can be considered. The first plate 4 is located on the + Z direction side with respect to the second plate 5. That is, the heat conductive member 10 has a first plate 4 and a second plate 5 which are located so as to overlap each other in the thickness direction.

The first plate 4 has a first flat plate portion 4P and a first joint portion 4C. The first flat plate portion 4P is located in the main body region 10M and extends in a direction intersecting the + Z direction (for example, the X direction and the Y direction). The first flat plate portion 4P is an example of the flat plate portion P. The first joint portion 4C is located in the outer peripheral region 10C and is connected to the first flat plate portion 4P at the same position as the first flat plate portion 4P in the Z direction. Further, the first joint portion 4C is connected to the second joint portion 5C described later of the second plate 5 in the Z direction on the outside of the recess 5K described later, that is, outside the accommodation space S in the recess 5K. That is, the first plate 4 has a first joint portion 4C connected to the second plate 5 outside the accommodation space S. It was

The first joint portion 4C is provided with a first opening portion 4a (see FIG. 5) penetrating in the Z direction. In the first joint portion 4C, the first opening portion 4a is positioned so as to overlap with the second opening portion 5a of the second plate 5, which will be described later, in the Z direction. A second through hole 10a is formed by the first opening 4a and the second opening 5a. It was

A support column (not shown) extending in the −Z direction is integrally formed on the first flat plate portion 4P of the first plate 4. The column, also called a pillar, comes into contact with the second flat plate portion 5P described later of the second plate 5, and keeps the distance between the first flat plate portion 4P and the second flat plate portion 5P constant. As a result, an accommodation space S having a constant thickness in the Z direction is secured between the first flat plate portion 4P and the second flat plate portion 5P. The support column may be formed separately from the first plate 4. It was

(2nd plate)



The second plate 5 is made of the same metal material as the first plate 4. Therefore, when the first plate 4 is made of copper, the second plate 5 is also made of copper. When the first plate 4 is made of a metal plate having a surface of stainless steel plated with copper, the second plate 5 is also made of a metal plate having a surface of stainless steel plated with copper. The second plate 5 may be made of a metal material different from that of the first plate 4.

The second plate 5 has a second flat plate portion 5P, a second wall portion 5W, and a second joint portion 5C. The second flat plate portion 5P is located in the main body region 10M and extends in a direction intersecting the Z direction (for example, the X direction and the Y direction). The second flat plate portion 5P is an example of the flat plate portion P. The second wall portion 5W is located in the main body region 10M so as to surround the second flat plate portion 5P when viewed from the + Z direction. Further, the second wall portion 5W extends in a direction intersecting with the second flat plate portion 5P (for example, in the −Z direction) and is connected to the second flat plate portion 5P. The second wall portion 5W is an example of the wall portion W. It was

The second flat plate portion 5P and the second wall portion 5W form a recess 5K having a shape recessed in the −Z direction. The above-mentioned working medium 2 is housed in the recess 5K. Therefore, the recess 5K forms the accommodation space S of the working medium 2. The recess 5K is an example of the recess K having the accommodation space S of the working medium 2 inside. It was

The recess K may be provided in the first plate 4 (see FIG. 9) or may be provided in both the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 (see FIG. 10), as will be described later. .. Therefore, in the present embodiment, at least one of the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 has a recess K having a storage space S for the working medium 2 inside. It was

The second joint portion 5C is located in the outer peripheral region 10C and is located at a different position in the Z direction from the second flat plate portion 5P. Specifically, the second joint portion 5C is located on the + Z direction side with respect to the second flat plate portion 5P. Then, the second joint portion 5C is connected to the second flat plate portion 5P via the second wall portion 5W. Further, the second joint portion 5C is connected to the first joint portion 4C of the first plate 4 in the Z direction on the outside of the recess 5K, that is, on the outside of the accommodation space S in the recess 5K. That is, the second plate 5 has a second joint portion 5C connected to the first plate 4 outside the accommodation space S. It was

As described above, both the first joint portion 4C of the first plate 4 and the second joint portion 5C of the second plate 5 are located in the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10. That is, the outer peripheral region 10C has a first joint portion 4C and a second joint portion 5C. It was

The first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C are joined by a method such as hot pressing, diffusion joining, or joining (brazing) using a brazing material, whereby the first joining portion 4C and the second joining portion 5C are connected in the Z direction. Both hot pressing and diffusion joining are methods of joining two members by heating and pressurizing, but they are distinguished from each other in the following points. In diffusion bonding, for example, by heating and pressurizing for several hours, atoms or particles near the bonding interface of the two members are diffused to bond the two members. On the other hand, in the hot press, only some atoms or particles near the bonding interface of the two members are diffused by heating and pressurizing at a lower temperature and in a shorter time than the diffusion bonding, and the two members are bonded. do. It was

The second joint portion 5C of the second plate 5 is provided with a second opening portion 5a (see FIG. 5) penetrating in the Z direction. In the second joint portion 5C, the second opening portion 5a is located so as to overlap the first through hole 20a of the support member 20 in the Z direction. As a result, the fastening member 50 inserted into the first through hole 20a of the support member 20 is also inserted into the second through hole 10a (second opening 5a, first opening 4a) of the heat conductive member 10. It was

The principle of cooling the heating element H in the heat conductive member 10 having the above configuration is as follows. For example, in FIG. 3, when the contact portion of the heat conductive member 10 with the heating element H is heated by the heat of the heating element H, the working medium 2 accommodated in the accommodation space S of the heat conductive member 10 is vaporized. The vaporized steam moves inside the heat conductive member 10 to the side away from the heating element H. Then, as the steam moves inside the heat conductive member 10, it is cooled by heat dissipation and liquefied. In particular, by air-cooling or water-cooling the fins 30 in contact with the heat conductive member 10, heat dissipation is promoted, and steam cooling and liquefaction proceed. It was

The working medium 2 liquefied by heat dissipation travels along the inner surface of the recess 5K of the heat conductive member 10 or the side surface of the pillar, further flows inside the wick structure 3 due to the capillary phenomenon, and moves toward the heating element H side. In FIG. 3 and the like, the flow of the vapor vaporized by the working medium 2 is indicated by a black arrow, and the flow of the liquid working medium 2 is indicated by a white arrow. As described above, the working medium 2 moves while changing its state, so that heat is continuously transferred from the heat generating side to the heat radiating side inside the heat conductive member 10. By such heat transport, the heating element H in contact with the heat conductive member 10 is cooled. It was

[3. Support member]



Next, the details of the support member 20 will be described. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the support member 20 when viewed from the −Z direction side. The support member 20 supports the entire outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 from the −Z direction side. The support member 20 may support only a part of the outer peripheral region 10C, but this example will be described later. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the support member 20 supports at least a part of the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10. The support member 20 is made of, for example, stainless steel (SUS), and details of the constituent materials of the support member 20 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, in the heat conductive member 10, the portion supported by the support member 20 is the outer peripheral region 10C. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the heating element H such as the IGBT is in contact with the remaining main body region 10M. Can be made to. As a result, the heat generated by the heating element H can be conducted to the heat dissipation side in the main body region 10M to cool the heating element H. Further, since at least a part of the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 is supported by the support member 20, the heat conductive member 10 is less likely to be deformed such as warped or bent. Therefore, even when high-temperature heat is applied to the heat conductive member 10 from the heating element H, warpage (deflection) due to thermal expansion of the heat conductive member 10 can be suppressed. It was

The support member 20 has a first support portion 21 and a second support portion 22. The first support portion 21 supports the longitudinal portion 10L (see FIG. 6) of the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 from the −Z direction. That is, the support member 20 has a first support portion 21 that supports the longitudinal portion 10L of the outer peripheral region 10C. It was

Since the first support portion 21 supports the longitudinal portion 10L, the warp of the longitudinal portion 10L of the heat conductive member 10 that tends to occur due to thermal expansion can be suppressed by the first support portion 21. As a result, it is possible to suppress the warp of the entire heat conductive member 10 due to thermal expansion. It was

The second support portion 22 supports the short portion 10S (see FIG. 6) of the outer peripheral region 10C from the −Z direction. That is, the support member 20 has a second support portion 22 that supports the short portion 10S of the outer peripheral region 10C. It was

Since the second support portion 22 supports the short portion 10S, the warp of the short portion 10S of the heat conductive member 10 due to thermal expansion can be suppressed by the second support portion 22. Thereby, for example, the warp of the entire heat conductive member 10 due to thermal expansion can be further suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the support member 20 supports only the longitudinal portion 10L. It was

As described above, the support member 20 supports the first support portion 21 that supports a part of the outer peripheral region 10C (for example, the longitudinal portion 10L) and the other part of the outer peripheral region 10C (for example, the short portion 10S). It has 2 support portions 22 and. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the first support portion 21 extends in the X direction, and the second support portion 22 extends in the Y direction. That is, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 extend in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and in two directions (X direction and Y direction) different from each other. It was

The outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 is supported by the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 extending in two different directions, so that the heat conductive member 10 is less likely to be deformed such as warped or bent. can. Thereby, the effect of suppressing the warp due to the thermal expansion of the heat conductive member 10 described above can be enhanced. It was

Hereinafter, the details of the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 will be described. It was

(1st support part)



The first support portion 21 has a first longitudinal support portion 21-1 and a second longitudinal support portion 21-2. The first longitudinal support portion 21-1 and the second longitudinal support portion 21-2 extend in the X direction at positions separated from each other in the Y direction. The first longitudinal support portion 21-1 supports the first longitudinal support portion 10L-1 of the outer peripheral region 10C. The second longitudinal support portion 21-2 supports the second longitudinal support portion 10L-2 of the outer peripheral region 10C.

The first longitudinal support portion 21-1 has a first recessed surface 20R and a second recessed surface 20S. The first recessed surface 20R is a concave surface recessed in the + Y direction, and extends in the + Z direction along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical pressing member 70 (see FIG. 7). Since the support member 20 has the first recessed surface 20R, the pressing member 70 is moved in the Z direction along the first recessed surface 20R in a state where the heat conductive member 10 is supported by the support member 20, and the communication portion 60a is moved. Can be crushed. That is, the pressing member 70 can be moved in the Z direction without interfering with the support member 20, and the communication portion 60a can be crushed. It was

The second recessed surface 20S is a concave surface recessed in the −Z direction, and extends in the + Y direction along the outer peripheral surface of the communication portion 60a (see FIGS. 1, 7, etc.) of the heat conductive member 10. Since the support member 20 has the second recessed surface 20S, even when the communication portion 60a exists in the heat conduction member 10, the support member 20 can be moved to the outer peripheral region of the heat conduction member 10 without crushing the communication portion 60a. The outer peripheral region 10C can be supported by contacting the 10C. It was

(2nd support)



The second support portion 22 has a first short support portion 22-1 and a second short support portion 22-2. The first short support portion 22-1 and the second short support portion 22-2 extend in the Y direction at positions separated from each other in the X direction. The first short support portion 22-1 supports the first short support portion 10S-1 of the outer peripheral region 10C. The second short support portion 22-2 supports the second short support portion 10S-2 of the outer peripheral region 10C.

The end portion of the first longitudinal support portion 21-1 on the + X direction side is connected to the end portion of the first short support portion 22-1 on the −Y direction side. The end portion of the first longitudinal support portion 21-1 on the −X direction side is connected to the end portion of the second short support portion 22-2 on the −Y direction side. The end portion of the second longitudinal support portion 21-2 on the + X direction side is connected to the end portion of the first short support portion 22-1 on the + Y direction side. The end portion of the second longitudinal support portion 21-2 on the −X direction side is connected to the end portion of the second short support portion 22-2 on the + Y direction side. As a result, the first longitudinal support portion 21-1, the second short support portion 22-2, and the second longitudinal support along the rectangular outer shape of the heat conductive member 10 counterclockwise when viewed from the −Z direction side. The portion 21-2 and the first short support portion 22-1 are connected in order. That is, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 are alternately connected along the rectangular outer shape of the heat conductive member 10. As a result, the frame-shaped support member 20 is formed when viewed from the −Z direction. That is, as the support member 20, a frame 20F having a rectangular opening 20P in the center when viewed from the −Z direction is formed. It was

By alternately connecting the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22, the longitudinal portion 10L and the short portion 10S of the heat conductive member 10 are continuously supported by the support member 20. As a result, the effect of suppressing warpage due to thermal expansion of the heat conductive member 10 can be enhanced. It is also possible to secure the mechanical strength of the entire heat conduction unit 1. Further, since the frame 20F having the opening 20P is formed in the center, the heat conduction unit 1 that supports the outer peripheral region 10C by the support member 20 can be easily provided by fitting the main body region 10M of the heat conduction member 10 into the opening 20P. It can be realized. It was

The support member 20 has a first through hole 20a. The first through hole 20a is a hole that penetrates the support member 20 in the Z direction. The first through hole 20a is located in the first support portion 21 of the support member 20 and is positioned so as to overlap the second through hole 10a of the heat conductive member 10 in the Z direction. The inner diameters of the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a may be individually set according to the diameter of the insertion portion of the fastening member 50 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the inner diameters of the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a may or may not match each other. It was

(Relationship between the width of the first support and the width of the second support)



As shown in FIG. 8, the width WD1 of the first support portion 21 is different from the width WD2 of the second support portion 22 when viewed from the thickness direction. In the present embodiment, the width WD1 of the first support portion 21 of the support member 20 is wider than the width WD2 of the second support portion 22 when viewed from the thickness direction. The units of the width WD1 and the width WD2 are both mm (millimeters). Here, the "width" refers to the length in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the support member 20 extends in the XY plane perpendicular to the Z direction, which is the thickness direction. Therefore, the width WD1 of the first support portion 21 refers to the length of the first support portion 21 in the Y direction (short direction) perpendicular to the X direction in which the first support portion 21 extends in the XY plane. Further, the width WD2 of the second support portion 22 refers to the length of the second support portion 22 in the X direction (longitudinal direction) perpendicular to the Y direction in which the second support portion 22 extends in the XY plane. That is, the width WD1 of the first support portion 21 in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction is different from the width WD2 of the second support portion 22 in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction. In particular, when viewed from the thickness direction, the width WD1 of the first support portion 21 of the support member 20 in the (rectangular) lateral direction is wider than the width WD2 of the second support portion 22 in the (rectangular) longitudinal direction.

Due to the relationship of WD1> WD2, the thickness of the support member 20 can be kept constant, and the first support portion 21 can have higher strength than the second support portion 22. As a result, the effect of suppressing the warp of the longitudinal portion 10L of the heat conductive member 10 due to thermal expansion by the first support portion 21 can be enhanced, and the effect of suppressing the warp of the entire heat conductive member 10 can be enhanced. It was

[4. Other configurations of heat conduction unit]



FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the heat conduction unit 1. The first plate 4 of the heat conductive member 10 may have a recess 4K, and the second plate 5 may be made of a flat plate. Hereinafter, this configuration will be described.

In the configuration of FIG. 9, the first plate 4 further has a first wall portion 4W in addition to the first flat plate portion 4P and the first joint portion 4C described above. The first wall portion 4W is located in the main body region 10M so as to surround the first flat plate portion 4P when viewed from the + Z direction. Further, the first wall portion 4W extends in a direction intersecting the first flat plate portion 4P (for example, in the + Z direction) and is connected to the second flat plate portion 5P. The first wall portion 4W is an example of the wall portion W. It was

The first joint portion 4C is located in the outer peripheral region 10C and is located at a different position in the Z direction from the first flat plate portion 4P. Specifically, the first joint portion 4C is located on the −Z direction side with respect to the first flat plate portion 4P. Then, the first joint portion 4C is connected to the first flat plate portion 4P via the first wall portion 4W. It was

The first flat plate portion 4P and the first wall portion 4W form a recess 4K having a shape recessed in the + Z direction. The above-mentioned working medium 2 is housed in the recess 4K. Therefore, the recess 4K forms the accommodation space S of the working medium 2. The recess 4K is an example of the recess K having the accommodation space S of the working medium 2 inside. The first joint portion 4C of the first plate 4 and the second joint portion 5C of the second plate 5 are connected in the Z direction on the outside of the recess 4K. That is, the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C are connected in the Z direction outside the accommodation space S in the recess 4K. It was

In the configuration of FIG. 9, the support member 20 may support the first joint portion 4C from the + Z direction side. Such support of the support member 20 is performed, for example, by fastening the support member 20 and the heat conductive member 10 together using the fastening member 50, as in the configuration of FIG. It was

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing still another configuration of the heat conduction unit 1. The heat conductive member 10 may be formed by having the first plate 4 having the above-mentioned recess 4K and the second plate 5 also having the above-mentioned recess 5K. It was

In the configuration of FIG. 10, the heat conductive member 10 may be supported by the two support members 20. That is, one support member 20 supports the first joint portion 4C of the heat conductive member 10 from the + Z direction side, and the other support member 20 supports the second joint portion 5C of the heat conductive member 10 from the −Z direction side. You may support it. Such support of the two support members 20 is performed, for example, by co-fastening the two support members 20 and the heat conductive member 10 using the fastening member 50, as in the configuration of FIG. It was

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing still another configuration of the heat conduction unit 1. In a configuration using the heat conductive member 10 having the same configuration as that of FIG. 10, the support member 20 has a shape that sandwiches the first joint portion 4C of the first plate 4 and the second joint portion 5C of the second plate 5 from above and below. The heat conductive member 10 may be supported by the heat conductive member 10. It was

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing still another configuration of the heat conduction unit 1. The second joint portion 5C of the second plate 5 may be connected to the first wall portion 4W of the first plate 4 in the Z direction. In this case, the first wall portion 4W also serves as the first joint portion 4C. Then, the first joint portion 4C is connected to the second plate 5 in the Z direction outside the accommodation space S. Further, the second joint portion 5C is connected to the first plate 4 in the Z direction on the outside of the accommodation space S. It was

In the configuration of FIG. 12, the support member 20 may support the second joint portion 5C from the −Z direction side. The support by the support member 20 may be performed by inserting the fastening member 50 into the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a, or heat conduction using a dedicated fixing jig (not shown). This may be done by fixing the member 10 and the support member 20. It was

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3, 9 to 12, the support member 20 supports at least one of the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C. It was

The heat conductive member 10 in which the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 are connected by the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C and has the accommodation space S of the working medium 2 inside is also referred to as a vapor chamber. Even when the heat conductive member 10 is composed of a vapor chamber, the support member 20 supports at least one of the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C of the outer peripheral region 10C to prevent warpage due to thermal expansion of the vapor chamber. It can be suppressed. It was

[5. Details of the closed part of the heat conductive member]



Next, the details of the closed portion 60 included in the heat conductive member 10 will be described. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the heat conductive member 10 before and after the formation of the closed portion 60. As shown in the lower part of FIG. 13, the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 has a joint region CR and a closed region NR. The joint region CR is a region where the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C are joined. As described above, the joining here refers to joining by hot pressing or the like.

On the other hand, the closed region NR is a region having a closed portion 60 of the accommodation space S (see FIG. 3 and the like). That is, the outer peripheral region 10C has a joint region CR of the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C, and a closed region NR having the closed portion 60 of the accommodation space S. The closed portion 60 is formed by crushing the communicating portion 60a with the pressing member 70 (see FIG. 7) as described above, instead of joining by hot pressing or the like. The communication portion 60a has a communication hole 60a1 that communicates with the accommodation space S. Therefore, when the communication portion 60a is crushed, the communication hole 60a1 communicating with the accommodation space S is closed. As a result, a closed portion 60 that closes the internal accommodation space S is formed. In FIG. 13, in the outer peripheral region 10C, the region before the closed portion 60 is formed, that is, the region where the communication portion 60a is located is shown as the pre-closed region NR-1. It was

In the outer peripheral region 10C, the junction region CR and the closed region NR are located side by side in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of a rectangle, for example. That is, in the outer peripheral region 10C, the junction region CR and the closed region NR are located at different positions. Such a positional relationship between the junction region CR and the closed region NR is realized as follows. It was

First, in the outer peripheral region 10C, the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C are joined to a region other than the pre-closed region NR-1 by hot pressing or the like. Then, the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 is supported by the support member 20. In this state, the working medium 2 (see FIG. 3 and the like) is injected into the accommodation space S through the communication hole 60a1 of the communication portion 60a. After that, the communication portion 60a of the pre-closed region NR-1 is crushed by the pressing member 70 (see FIG. 7) to form the closed portion 60. As a result, the closed region NR having the closed portion 60 is formed at a position different from the joint region CR in which the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C are joined. That is, the outer peripheral region 10C has a closed portion 60 of the accommodation space S at a position different from the joint region CR of the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C. In other words, the outer peripheral region 10C has a closed portion 60 having a shape in which the communication portion (communication portion 60a) between the storage space S and the outside is crushed and closed. It was

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the closed portion 60 is located in the longitudinal portion 10L of the outer peripheral region 10C. Then, the support member 20 supports the longitudinal portion 10L in which the closing portion 60 is located (see FIGS. 1, 8 and the like). That is, the closed portion 60 is supported by the wider of the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 when viewed from the thickness direction (here, the first support portion 21) in the outer peripheral region 10C. It is located on the supported area 10P. The supported region 10P refers to the longitudinal portion 10L in the present embodiment. It was

In the present embodiment, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 of the support member 20 have different widths (WD1> WD2) as described above. Therefore, the first support portion 21 and the second support portion 22 can have different strengths. In particular, the supported region 10P supported by a wider support portion (eg, first support portion 21) is part of the outer peripheral region 10C supported by a narrower support portion (eg, second support portion 22). Higher strength is ensured. Since the closed portion 60 is located on the supported region 10P having higher strength in the outer peripheral region 10C, the communication hole 60a1 that communicates with the accommodation space S before the closed portion 60 is formed in the supported region 10P. It can be said that the working medium 2 can be stably injected into the internal accommodation space S through the communication hole 60a1 before closing.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment in which WD1> WD2, the closed portion 60 is located in the longitudinal portion 10L of the outer peripheral region 10C (see FIG. 7). That is, when viewed from the thickness direction, the width WD1 in the (rectangular) lateral direction of the first support portion 21 of the support member 20 is wider than the width WD2 in the (rectangular) longitudinal direction of the second support portion 22 and is closed. The portion 60 is located in the longitudinal portion 10L of the outer peripheral region 10C supported by the first support portion 21. It was

When WD1> WD2, the first support portion 21 can have a higher strength than the second support portion 22. Then, the longitudinal portion 10L of the outer peripheral region 10C is stably supported by the first support portion 21 having higher strength. Therefore, even if the closing portion 60 is positioned in the longitudinal portion 10L where warpage is likely to occur, the inside is accommodated through the communication hole 60a1 before the closing portion 60 is formed (before the communication hole 60a1 is closed). The working medium 2 can be stably injected into the space S. It was

[6. Relationship between the thickness of the first joint, the second joint and the support member]



FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the heat conductive member 10 in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region 10C. In the present embodiment, in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, the thickness of the first joint portion 4C is T1 (mm), the thickness of the second joint portion 5C is T2 (mm), and the thickness of the support member 20. When T3 (mm), T1 + T2 <T3. That is, in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, the sum of the thickness of the first joint portion 4C and the thickness of the second joint portion 5C is smaller than the thickness of the support member 20. For example, by setting T1 = 0.5 mm, T2 = 0.5 mm, and T3 = 2 mm, the above conditions are satisfied.

In the above relationship of T1, T2 and T3, the thickness of the support member 20 is larger than the total thickness of the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C. Therefore, it is possible to secure the rigidity of the support member 20 necessary for suppressing the warp of the heat conductive member 10 with respect to the total thickness of the first joint portion 4C and the second joint portion 5C. It was

Here, when the thickness of the entire second plate 5 in the Z direction is TB (mm), T2 + T3 = TB in FIG. 14, but if T1 + T2 <T3 is satisfied, T2 + T3 = TB. Is not limited. That is, in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, the sum of the thickness of the second joint portion 5C and the thickness of the support member 20 may be the same as or different from the thickness of the entire second plate 5. .. It was

FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another configuration in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10. If T1 + T2 <T3 is satisfied, T2 + T3 <TB may be satisfied as shown in the figure. That is, in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, the sum of the thickness of the second joint portion 5C and the thickness of the support member 20 may be smaller than the thickness of the entire second plate 5. It was

FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing still another configuration in the vicinity of the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10. If T1 + T2 <T3 is satisfied, T2 + T3> TB may be satisfied as shown in the figure. That is, in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member 10, the sum of the thickness of the second joint portion 5C and the thickness of the support member 20 may be larger than the thickness of the entire second plate 5. It was

[7. About the position of the support member with respect to the wall]



In the configuration shown in FIG. 14, the second plate 5 has a second flat plate portion 5P, a second wall portion 5W, and a second joint portion 5C. Then, the support member 20 supports the second joint portion 5C. In this configuration, it is desirable that the support member 20 supports the second joint portion 5C at a position where a gap d (mm) is interposed between the support member 20 and the second wall portion 5W. The value of the gap d can be arbitrarily set.

Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 9, the first plate 4 has a first flat plate portion 4P, a first wall portion 4W, and a first joint portion 4C. Then, the support member 20 supports the first joint portion 4C. In this configuration, it is desirable that the support member 20 supports the first joint portion 4C at a position where a gap d is interposed between the support member 20 and the first wall portion 4W. It was

Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the first plate 4 has a first flat plate portion 4P, a first wall portion 4W, and a first joint portion 4C. Then, one of the support members 20 supports the first joint portion 4C. Further, the second plate 5 has a second flat plate portion 5P, a second wall portion 5W, and a second joint portion 5C. Then, the other support member 20 supports the second joint portion 5C. In this configuration, one support member 20 supports the first joint portion 4C at a position where a gap d is interposed between the first wall portion 4W and the other support member 20 with the second wall portion 5W. It is desirable to support the second joint portion 5C at a position where the gap d is interposed between them. It was

That is, in the heat conduction unit 1 of the present embodiment, at least one of the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 surrounds the flat plate portion P located so as to intersect the thickness direction and the flat plate portion P when viewed from the thickness direction. It has a wall portion W to be located. The first joint portion 4C or the second joint portion 5C is connected to the flat plate portion P via the wall portion W. The flat plate portion P includes at least one of the first flat plate portion 4P and the second flat plate portion 5P. Further, the wall portion W includes at least one of the first wall portion 4W and the second wall portion 5W. Then, the support member 20 supports the first joint portion 4C or the second joint portion 5C at a position where the gap d is interposed with the wall portion W. It was

Since the gap d is interposed between the wall portion W and the support member 20, the heat generated by the heating element H (see FIG. 3) is difficult to be transmitted to the support member 20 through the wall portion W of the heat conductive member 10. Become. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the support member 20 due to the heat. As a result, it becomes possible to adopt a layout in which other heat-sensitive electronic components are further arranged around the support member 20. Further, when the gap d is interposed between the wall portion W and the support member 20, it becomes easy to fit the heat conduction member 10 inside the opening 20P (see FIG. 8) of the support member 20, and the heat conduction unit 1 Assemblability is also improved. It was

[8. About the material of the support member]



In the present embodiment, the support member 20 is made of a material having the same thermal conductivity as the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 of the heat conductive member 10, or has a higher thermal conductivity than the first plate 4 and the second plate 5. Composed of low material. For example, when the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 are made of copper, the support member 20 is made of a material such as copper, aluminum, iron, stainless steel, and carbon. Here, the thermal conductivity of each metal material is, in its unit (W / m · K), copper; about 403, aluminum; 236, iron; 83.5, stainless steel (SUS304); 16, carbon; 58. ,.

In particular, it is desirable that the support member 20 is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first plate 4 and the second plate 5. For example, when the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 are made of copper, it is desirable that the support member 20 is made of a material such as aluminum, iron, stainless steel, or carbon.

As described above, the thermal conductivity of the support member 20 is lower than the thermal conductivity of the first plate 4 and the second plate 5. In this configuration, the heat generated by the heating element H (see FIG. 3) is less likely to be transferred to the support member 20 via the heat conductive member 10. As a result, the working medium 2 is efficiently moved (circulated) between the heat generating side (contact side with the heating element H) and the heat radiating side inside the heat conductive member 10, and the heat radiating efficiency is improved. Is possible. It was

In particular, it is desirable that the support member 20 is made of a material having a higher Young's modulus than the first plate 4 and the second plate 5. For example, when the first plate 4 and the second plate 5 are made of copper, it is desirable that the support member 20 is made of a material such as stainless steel (SUS304). Incidentally, the Young's modulus of copper is about 130 GPa, and the Young's modulus of stainless steel is about 197 GPa. When the Young's modulus of the support member 20 is higher than that of the first plate 4 and the second plate 5, the support member 20 has higher rigidity than the first plate 4 and the second plate 5, and is less likely to be deformed. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the warp of the heat conductive member 10 due to thermal expansion by the support member 20 can be enhanced. It was

[9. About the cooling device]



FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the cooling device 100. The cooling device 100 includes the heat conduction unit 1 of the present embodiment described above and the housing 40. The housing 40 has a supply port 40-1 and a discharge port 40-2 for the cooling medium. The cooling medium is, for example, water. In this case, the housing 40 is also called a water jacket. The housing 40 covers the fins 30 from the side opposite to the heat conductive member 10 (for example, from the + Z direction side). That is, the cooling device 100 has a heat conduction unit 1 and a housing 40 that has a supply port 40-1 for a cooling medium and covers the fins 30 from the side opposite to the heat conduction member 10.

When the cooling medium is introduced into the housing 40 via the supply port 40-1, the fins 30 are cooled by the cooling medium. The cooling medium that has cooled the fins 30 is discharged to the outside of the housing 40 from the discharge port 40-2. After that, the cooling medium is repeatedly put into the housing 40 and discharged from the housing 40. The broken line arrow in FIG. 17 indicates the flow path through which the cooling medium flows. It was

In the configuration of the cooling device 100 having the housing 40, as described above, the cooling medium can be supplied into the housing 40 through the supply port 40-1 to cool the fins 30 in the housing 40. .. This makes it possible to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat conductive member 10. It was

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling device 100 having a cross section (YZ cross section) different from that of FIG. The configurations of the heat conductive member 10, the support member 20, and the fins 30 are the same as those shown in FIG. The housing 40 described above has a fastening hole 40a. A thread groove is cut on the inner surface of the fastening hole 40a. The thread groove meshes with the screw on the outer surface of the fastening member 50. The fastening hole 40a is a hole that is open on the −Z direction side and closed on the + Z direction side, but may be a through hole that penetrates in the Z direction. Further, in the housing 40, the fastening hole 40a is located at a position overlapping the first through hole 20a of the support member 20 and the second through hole 10a of the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 in the Z direction. It was

That is, the cooling device 100 shown in FIG. 18 further includes a fastening member 50. The support member 20 has a first through hole 20a. The outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 has a second through hole 10a. The housing 40 has a fastening hole 40a. The first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a are positioned so as to overlap the fastening hole 40a in the thickness direction. It was

In such a configuration, the fastening member 50 is inserted into the fastening hole 40a via the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a. By rotating the fastening member 50, the screws on the outer surface of the fastening member 50 mesh with the thread grooves of the fastening hole 40a, and the fastening member 50 is fixed. That is, the fastening member 50 penetrates the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a and is fixed to the fastening hole 40a. It was

As described above, in the configuration in which the housing 40 has the fastening hole 40a at a position where the housing 40 overlaps the first through hole 20a and the second through hole 10a in the Z direction, the first through hole 20a, the second through hole 10a, and the fastening are fastened. By inserting the fastening member 50 into the hole 40a, the support member 20, the heat conductive member 10, and the housing 40 can be integrally fastened (co-tightened). As a result, it is possible to realize a cooling device 100 in which the above three parties are firmly fixed. It was

The support member 20 and the heat conductive member 10 may be fixed, and the heat conductive member 10 and the housing 40 may be fixed by brazing. Even in this case, the support member 20, the heat conductive member 10, and the housing 40 can be firmly fixed. It was

[10. Other configurations of support members]



FIG. 19 is a bottom view showing another configuration of the support member 20 applied to the heat conduction unit 1. The support member 20 may have a configuration (divided frame) in which the frame 20F shown in FIG. 8 is divided into two or more. In FIG. 19, the support member 20 has two components, a first support component 20T1 and a second support component 20T2. The first support component 20T1 is an L-shaped component in which the first longitudinal support portion 21-1 and the second short support portion 22-2 are connected. The second support component 20T2 is an L-shaped component in which the second longitudinal support portion 21-2 and the first short support portion 22-1 are connected.

The first support component 20T1 and the second support component 20T2 are positioned along the outer shape of the heat conductive member 10 and brought into contact with the outer peripheral region 10C. However, the first support component 20T1 and the second support component 20T2 are positioned so as not to contact each other. As a result, not the entire outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 but a part thereof is supported by the support member 20. Even with such a support method, the outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 is reinforced, so that the heat conductive member 10 is less likely to be deformed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the warp of the heat conductive member 10 due to thermal expansion. It was

FIG. 20 is a bottom view showing still another configuration of the support member 20. In the support member 20, the first longitudinal support portion 21-1, the second short support portion 22-2, the second longitudinal support portion 21-2, and the first short support portion 22-1 are arranged apart from each other. It may be a configuration. Even with this configuration, not the entire outer peripheral region 10C of the heat conductive member 10 but a part thereof is supported by the support member 20. Therefore, as in the configuration of FIG. 19, warpage due to thermal expansion of the heat conductive member 10 can be suppressed.

[11. others〕



The fin 30 may be appropriately selected depending on the type of the heat conductive member 10. In particular, when the heat conductive member 10 is composed of a vapor chamber as in the present embodiment, it is effective to use the stacked fins 30S as the fins 30. Further, when the heat conductive member 10 is composed of one copper plate, it is effective to use pin fins as the fins 30.

In the present embodiment, the case where the shape (outer shape) of the heat conductive member 10 when viewed from the thickness direction is rectangular has been described, but the shape of the heat conductive member 10 is not limited to the rectangle. For example, the shape may be a square or another polygon. It was

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Further, the above-described embodiment and its modifications can be arbitrarily combined. The

The heat conduction unit of the present invention can be used for cooling a heating element that generates heat at a high temperature, such as an IGBT.

1 heat conduction unit 2 working medium 4 1st plate 4C 1st joint 5 2nd plate 5C 2nd joint 10 heat conduction member 10a 2nd through hole 10C main body 10C outer peripheral area 10C Part 20 Support member 20a 1st through hole 21 1st support part 22 2nd support part 30 fins 40 housing 40a fastening hole 40-1 supply port 50 cooling member K Wall part CR joint area NR closed area

Claims (9)

1. With heat conductive members
   
   
   
   A support member for supporting the heat conductive member and a support member are provided.
   
   
   
   The heat conductive member is
   
   
   
   Main body area and
   
   
   
   It has an outer peripheral region located along the outer circumference of the main body region when viewed from the thickness direction of the heat conductive member.
   
   
   
   The support member is
   
   
   
   A first support portion that supports a part of the outer peripheral region,
   
   
   
   It has a second support portion that supports another part of the outer peripheral region, and has.
   
   
   
   The first support portion and the second support portion extend in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and in two directions different from each other.
   
   
   
   The width of the first support portion in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction when viewed from the thickness direction is different from the width of the second support portion in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction.
   
   
   
   The heat conductive member has a first plate and a second plate that are overlapped with each other in the thickness direction.
   
   
   
   At least one of the first plate and the second plate has a recess having an inner space for accommodating the working medium.
   
   
   
   The first plate has a first junction that connects to the second plate outside the containment space.
   
   
   
   The second plate has a second junction that connects to the first plate outside the containment space.
   
   
   
   The outer peripheral region is
   
   
   
   The joint region of the first joint portion and the second joint portion,
   
   
   
   With a closed area having a closed portion of the containment space,
   
   
   
   The closed portion of the closed region is on a supported region supported by the wider one of the first support portion and the second support portion when viewed from the thickness direction in the outer peripheral region. Located, heat conduction unit.
2. The heat conductive member has a rectangular outer shape when viewed from the thickness direction.
   
   
   
   The outer peripheral region is
   
   
   
   A longitudinal portion extending along the longitudinal direction of the rectangle,
   
   
   
   It has a short portion extending along the short side direction of the rectangle, and has a short portion.
   
   
   
   The first support portion supports the longitudinal portion and supports the longitudinal portion.
   
   
   
   The second support portion supports the short portion and supports the short portion.
   
   
   
   When viewed from the thickness direction, the width of the first support portion in the lateral direction is wider than the width of the second support portion in the longitudinal direction.
   
   
   
   The heat conduction unit according to claim 1, wherein the closed portion is located in the longitudinal portion supported by the first support portion in the outer peripheral region.
3. The heat conduction unit according to claim 2, wherein the first support portion and the second support portion are alternately connected along the rectangular outer shape of the heat conduction member.
4. The heat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sum of the thickness of the first joint portion and the thickness of the second joint portion is smaller than the thickness of the support member in the thickness direction of the heat conductive member. Conduction unit.
5. At least one of the first plate and the second plate
   
   
   
   A flat plate portion located intersecting the thickness direction and
   
   
   
   It has a wall portion located around the flat plate portion when viewed from the thickness direction.
   
   
   
   The first joint portion or the second joint portion is connected to the flat plate portion via the wall portion, and is connected to the flat plate portion.
   
   
   
   The heat conduction unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support member supports the first joint portion or the second joint portion at a position where a gap is interposed between the support member and the wall portion.
6. The heat conduction unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heat conductivity of the support member is lower than the heat conductivity of the first plate and the second plate.
7. The heat conduction unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising fins located on the heat dissipation side of the heat conduction member.
8. The heat conduction unit according to claim 7 and
   
   
   
   A cooling device having a supply port for a cooling medium and having a housing that covers the fins from a side opposite to the heat conductive member.
9. With more fastening members
   
   
   
   The support member has a first through hole and has a first through hole.
   
   
   
   The outer peripheral region of the heat conductive member has a second through hole and has a second through hole.
   
   
   
   The housing has a fastening hole and has a fastening hole.
   
   
   
   The first through hole and the second through hole are located so as to overlap with the fastening hole in the thickness direction.
   
   
   
   The cooling device according to claim 8, wherein the fastening member penetrates the first through hole and the second through hole and is fixed to the fastening hole.

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