Phase change heat transfer middle frame and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of 3C product manufacturing, and discloses a phase change heat transfer middle frame and a manufacturing method thereof.The phase change heat transfer middle frame comprises a middle frame body, and a plurality of through holes are formed in the surface of the middle frame body; the phase change heat transfer part is installed on the inner wall of the middle frame, and the phase change heat transfer part is used for conducting uniform heat dissipation on the interior of the middle frame; the phase change heat transfer component comprises two adaptive frames and a phase change heat transfer mechanism located in the centers of the two adaptive frames. The phase change heat transfer mechanism comprises a pipeline, and a mounting assembly, an evaporator, a liquid storage device and a condenser which are respectively mounted on the pipeline, through the cooperation of the middle frame, the pipeline, a capillary structure and other structures, rapid and uniform heat dissipation is realized, and the problems that an existing device is difficult to conduct heat to a screen through a hinge, and the heat dissipation effect is poor are solved. Although the heating element has basic heat conduction capability, the heating element is limited by the characteristic of poor temperature uniformity, and heat is easy to accumulate at the corresponding position of the heating element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of 3C product manufacturing, and specifically relates to a phase change heat transfer middle frame and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous performance upgrades of consumer electronics (3C) products (such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops), processor computing power and power consumption have increased significantly, leading to localized hotspots in the mid-frame area (particularly near the chipset) during device operation. Traditional cooling solutions have significant technical limitations. With the advancement of electronic technology, electronic devices, especially consumer electronics, are increasingly demanding thinness and portability. The advent of the 5G era has also placed new demands on the heat dissipation capabilities of electronic devices. In the 4G era, terminal electronic devices typically consumed around 4W of power, which could be effectively dissipated through passive cooling (natural convection). With the advent of 5G, the power consumption of personal terminal electronic products will exceed 5W. In addition to using high-thermal conductivity materials such as graphite, improving the temperature distribution of electronic devices is also a key measure to improve their heat dissipation performance. In particular, when electronic devices have multiple heat sources (such as the battery and motherboard), the temperature at the heat source can be significantly higher than that at other locations. Therefore, temperature distribution is also a key aspect of improving heat dissipation performance.

[0003] Current mainstream midframes mostly utilize a metal unibody structure (such as CNC-machined aluminum alloy). While these structures offer basic thermal conductivity, they are limited by poor temperature uniformity, which leads to heat accumulation in locations corresponding to heat-generating components. Conventional temperature-balancing methods can encounter issues in certain applications, such as laptops and foldable phones. While the back of a laptop screen remains relatively cool during use, the heat source is primarily concentrated on the motherboard below the keyboard, which is connected to the screen via a hinge. Current temperature-balancing methods are unable to transfer heat to the screen through the hinge. While phase change materials (PCMs) such as paraffin and low-melting-point alloys have been researched in the heat dissipation field, their direct application in the midframes of consumer electronics products faces two major technical hurdles. First, the interface strength between the PCM and the metal frame is insufficient, leading to delamination over long-term use. Second, traditional infusion processes struggle to precisely fill the complex microchannel structures with the PCM. Furthermore, existing technologies often focus on improving a single heat dissipation pathway, failing to address the coupling between localized heat accumulation and overall temperature rise. This can lead to elevated temperatures at the edges of the midframe, impacting the user's grip.

[0004] Therefore, a phase change heat transfer middle frame and a manufacturing method thereof are proposed to solve the problems raised in the background art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the problems raised in the above background technology, the present invention provides a phase change heat transfer middle frame and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a phase change heat transfer middle frame, comprising a middle frame, the middle frame being a rectangular frame, and a plurality of through holes being opened on the surface of the middle frame; a phase-change heat transfer component, the phase-change heat transfer component being mounted on the inner wall of the middle frame and being used to uniformly dissipate heat inside the middle frame; Wherein, the phase change heat transfer component includes two adapting frames and a phase change heat transfer mechanism located at the center of the two adapting frames; The phase-change heat transfer mechanism includes a pipeline, mounting components respectively mounted on the pipeline, an evaporator, a liquid reservoir and a condenser, and the pipeline is made of copper.

[0007] Preferably, the two adapting frames are both fixedly connected to the middle frame, and the two adapting frames are symmetrically distributed on two symmetrical sides of the pipeline.

[0008] Preferably, an adapter slot is provided on each of the two adapter frames on a side close to each other. The adapter slot matches the size of the pipeline and can be used to clamp and fix the pipeline.

[0009] Preferably, a negative pole magnetic groove is provided inside the adapter slot, and the negative pole magnetic groove is in an arc shape.

[0010] Preferably, the pipeline consists of a steam channel and a liquid working medium channel, and the evaporator, liquid reservoir and condenser are all welded to the pipeline to form a loop channel.

[0011] Preferably, a groove is provided on the inner wall of the pipe, and a capillary structure is provided inside the pipe. The capillary structure and the groove form a composite capillary structure to enhance the transport capacity of the liquid working medium.

[0012] Preferably, the mounting assembly includes a mounting sleeve, a rubber protrusion fixedly arranged on the mounting sleeve, and a positive magnetic block.

[0013] Preferably, the rubber bumps are distributed in a ring array at the four corners of the mounting sleeve, and the rubber bumps abut against the adapter slots.

[0014] Preferably, the positive pole magnetic blocks are distributed in a ring array and are spaced apart from the rubber protrusions. The positive pole magnetic blocks are clamped in the negative pole magnetic slots and are magnetically attracted to the negative pole magnetic slots.

[0015] A method for manufacturing a phase-change heat transfer middle frame, comprising: an adapting frame and a phase-change heat transfer mechanism; Step 1: Based on the middle frame structure and the location with the most severe heat, design the pipes placed inside the adapter frame, including the steam channel and the liquid working medium channel; Step 2: Through casting and stretching processes, the copper material is processed into long straight copper tubes with grooves as steam channels and liquid working medium channels, and the evaporator, liquid reservoir and condenser are processed by CNC or stamping; Step 3: Inserting capillary structures into the liquid working medium channel and grooves in the pipeline to form a composite capillary, so that it has stronger liquid working medium transportation capacity; Step 4: Weld and assemble the steam channel, liquid working medium channel, evaporator, liquid reservoir and condenser components together, inject phase change working medium into the interior, and extract the internal vacuum at the same time. After sealing, form a loop heat pipe and middle frame assembly. Specifically, quickly install the pipe and adapter frame through the installation components, and then assemble it with the middle frame. Before assembly, apply a layer of thermal conductive grease on the pipe to reduce the thermal resistance between the middle frame and the pipe. After assembly, lock the middle plate and the middle frame with screws, and place the pipe inside the middle frame. At this time, the outside of the middle frame has a high thermal conductivity coefficient.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention facilitates rapid and uniform heat dissipation through the coordinated arrangement of a central frame, pipes, and capillary structures. Highly thermally conductive pipes integrated into the central frame's walls achieve efficient heat dissipation. The pipes themselves form a vacuum chamber containing an evaporator, a reservoir, a condenser, and a composite capillary structure. These pipes are filled with a phase-change fluid (typically deionized water). When heat from the central frame is transferred to the evaporation end, the fluid rapidly absorbs heat and vaporizes in the vacuum environment. The vapor is transported through the pipes to the condensation end, where it releases heat and then re-liquefies. The capillary structure then allows the liquid fluid to automatically flow back to the heat source, creating a continuous heat cycle. This active heat dissipation mechanism based on phase-change heat transfer, combined with the pipes' high thermal conductivity, effectively eliminates localized hot spots, significantly improves device operational stability, avoids performance throttling or system freezes, and provides a smoother user experience. This addresses the problem of existing devices, which struggle to transfer heat to the screen through the hinge. While they possess basic thermal conductivity, they are limited by poor temperature uniformity, which can lead to heat accumulation at the corresponding heating element.

[0017] The present invention facilitates reasonable heat dissipation inside the middle frame by providing a matching structure such as an adapter frame and a phase-change heat transfer mechanism. It adopts a split design, integrates special heat dissipation pipes into the adapter frame, and then assembles the entire assembly to the device middle frame to form an efficient heat conduction path. This modular structural design not only ensures the independence of the processing of each component, but also realizes the phase-change heat transfer function through precise assembly, effectively improving the overall heat dissipation performance of the device.

[0018] The present invention facilitates the rapid disassembly and assembly of the loop pipe and the middle frame by arranging the coordination of structures such as the installation sleeve, rubber soil block and positive magnetic block. It adopts an innovative modular installation design and realizes rapid assembly through magnetic buckles and elastic buffer structures. The installation component consists of a installation sleeve with a positive magnetic block and an adapter frame with a negative magnetic groove, which forms a triple fixing mechanism with the rubber buffer protrusion. During assembly, the pipe is precisely positioned between the two adapter frames and automatically aligned and connected through magnetic attraction. At the same time, the rubber protrusion generates elastic pre-tightening force to ensure a stable connection. This design not only realizes rapid disassembly and assembly between components, but also ensures the integrity and reliability of the heat dissipation structure, significantly improving the maintainability and assembly efficiency of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structural coordination relationship between the middle frame and the phase change heat transfer component of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structural coordination relationship between the adapter frame and the phase change heat transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structural coordination relationship between the middle frame and the phase change heat transfer mechanism of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structural coordination relationship between the pipeline and the installation assembly of the present invention; Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of the pipeline of the present invention; Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 6 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure at center A; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structural coordination relationship between the capillary structure and the groove of the present invention.

[0020] In the figure: 1. middle frame; 2. phase change heat transfer component; 21. adapter frame; 211. adapter slot; 2111. negative pole magnetic slot; 22. phase change heat transfer mechanism; 221. pipeline; 2211. groove; 2212. capillary structure; 222. mounting assembly; 2221. mounting sleeve; 2222. rubber bump; 2223. positive pole magnetic block; 223. evaporator; 224. liquid reservoir; 225. condenser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Example 1 like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention provides a phase change heat transfer middle frame, including a middle frame 1, the middle frame 1 is a rectangular frame design, and a plurality of through holes are opened on the surface of the middle frame 1; Phase-change heat transfer component 2, which is mounted on the inner wall of the middle frame 1 and is used to uniformly dissipate heat inside the middle frame 1; The phase-change heat transfer component 2 includes two adapting frames 21 and a phase-change heat transfer mechanism 22 located at the center of the two adapting frames 21 .

[0023] The above solution is adopted: the pipe 221 and the middle frame 1 are processed separately and then assembled together. Specifically, the pipe 221 is installed inside the adapter frame 21, and then the adapter frame 21 is fixed inside the middle frame 1 to achieve phase-changing heat transfer, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect inside the device.

[0024] Example 2 like Figures 5 to 8 As shown, the phase change heat transfer mechanism 22 includes a pipe 221, mounting components 222 respectively mounted on the pipe 221, an evaporator 223, a liquid reservoir 224 and a condenser 225. The pipe 221 is made of copper. The two adapter frames 21 are fixedly connected to the middle frame 1. The two adapter frames 21 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the pipe 221. The two adapter frames 21 are each provided with an adapter slot 211 on the side close to each other. The adapter slot 211 matches the size of the pipe 221 and can be used to clamp and fix the pipe 221. A negative pole magnetic slot 2111 is provided inside the adapter slot 211. The negative pole magnetic slot 2111 is arc-shaped. The pipe 221 consists of a steam channel and a liquid working medium channel. The evaporator 223, the liquid reservoir 224 and the condenser 225 are all welded to the pipe 221 to form a loop channel. A groove 2211 is provided on the inner wall of the pipe 221, and a capillary structure 2212 is provided inside the pipe 221. The capillary structure 2212 and the groove 2211 form a composite capillary structure to enhance the liquid working medium transportation capacity.

[0025] The above solution is adopted: by adding a pipe 221 to the wall of the middle frame 1, heat dissipation is achieved through the working principle of a loop heat pipe. It consists of an evaporator 223, a liquid reservoir 224, a condenser 225, an air channel, a liquid channel, a capillary structure 2212, and a phase change working medium. The air inside the pipe 221 is extracted to form a vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber contains the capillary structure 2212 and the working medium liquid. The heat on the middle frame 1 is transferred to the phase change heat transfer pipe. Under vacuum conditions, the working liquid is generally deionized water, but not limited to water due to its low boiling point. The working medium liquid in the capillary structure 2212 absorbs heat and evaporates to form vapor. The vapor flows throughout the pipe 221, condenses at the far cold end, releases heat, and forms a liquid that is absorbed back to the heat source by the capillary structure 2212, thus forming a cycle. The pipe 221 has a high thermal conductivity coefficient, which can reduce overheating in local positions of the adapter frame 21, effectively solving problems such as system freezes and frame drops, while improving the user experience when using the product.

[0026] Example 3 like Figure 7 As shown, the mounting assembly 222 includes a mounting sleeve 2221, a rubber protrusion 2222 fixedly arranged on the mounting sleeve 2221, and a positive magnetic block 2223. The rubber protrusions 2222 are distributed in a circular array at the four corners of the mounting sleeve 2221. The rubber protrusions 2222 are in contact with the adapter slot 211. The positive magnetic block 2223 is distributed in a circular array and is spaced apart from the rubber protrusion 2222. The positive magnetic block 2223 is clamped in the negative magnetic slot 2111 and is magnetically attracted to the negative magnetic slot 2111.

[0027] The above solution is adopted: the phase change heat transfer mechanism 22 is used to realize the rapid installation of the pipe 221 and the adapter frame 21, which is convenient for the later rapid assembly of the adapter frame 21, the pipe 221 and the middle frame 1. Specifically, by utilizing the cooperation of the installation sleeve 2221, the rubber protrusion 2222 and the positive magnetic block 2223, the pipe 221 is placed between the two adapter frames 21, and the two adapter frames 21 are clamped. During the clamping process, the positive magnetic block 2223 is clamped in the adapter slot 211, and at the same time is magnetically clamped with the internal negative magnetic slot 2111 to achieve the effect of rapid fixing. During the fixing process, the rubber protrusion 2222 is tightly pressed against the inner wall of the adapter slot 211, making the installation more stable.

[0028] A method for manufacturing a phase change heat transfer middle frame, comprising: an adaptor frame 21 and a phase change heat transfer mechanism 22, Step 1: Based on the middle frame structure and the location with the most severe heat, design the pipe 221 placed in the adapter frame 21, including a steam channel and a liquid working medium channel; Step 2: Through casting and stretching processes, the copper material is processed into a long straight copper tube with grooves 2211 as steam channels and liquid working medium channels, and the evaporator 223, the liquid reservoir 224 and the condenser 225 are processed by CNC or stamping. Step 3: Inserting the capillary structure 2212 into the liquid working medium channel and the groove 2211 in the pipe 221 to form a composite capillary, so that it has a stronger liquid working medium transport capacity; Step 4: Weld and assemble the steam channel, liquid working medium channel, evaporator 223, liquid reservoir 224 and condenser 225 components together, inject phase change working medium into the interior, and extract the internal vacuum at the same time. After sealing, the loop heat pipe and the middle frame 1 are assembled. Specifically, the pipe 221 and the adapter frame 21 are quickly installed through the installation component 222, and then assembled with the middle frame 1. Before assembly, a layer of thermal conductive grease is applied on the pipe 221 to reduce the thermal resistance between the middle frame 1 and the pipe 221. After assembly, the middle plate and the middle frame are locked with screws, and the pipe 221 is placed inside the middle frame 1. At this time, the outside of the middle frame 1 has a high thermal conductivity coefficient.

[0029] The working principle and use process of the present invention: It adopts advanced loop heat pipe technology and realizes efficient heat dissipation through the principle of phase change heat transfer. The device is mainly composed of a high thermal conductivity copper pipe 221, an adapter frame 21 and a middle frame 1. The pipe 221 integrates an evaporator 223, a liquid reservoir 224, a condenser 225 and a specially designed capillary structure 2212. When the device is working, the pipe 221 is first vacuumed and a phase change working medium (usually deionized water) is injected to form a closed vacuum heat transfer environment. The middle frame 1 generates heat. When the amount is high, the heat is quickly transferred to the evaporation end of the pipe 221. Under the vacuum environment, the boiling point of the working medium is reduced. The liquid working medium in the capillary structure 2212 absorbs the heat and quickly vaporizes. The generated steam flows to the condensation end through the specially designed steam channel. After releasing the heat at the condenser 225, it is re-liquefied. Under the strong capillary force of the composite capillary structure (composed of the groove 2211 on the inner wall of the pipe 221 and the built-in capillary structure 2212), the liquid working medium automatically flows back to the evaporation end, thereby achieving a continuous and efficient heat circulation transfer effect. To ensure the best heat dissipation effect, the device adopts a modular design concept. The pipe 221 is quickly connected to the adapter frame 21 through a precise installation component 222. The component includes a mounting sleeve 2221, a rubber bump 2222 with a buffering function, and a positive and negative magnetic component to achieve convenient installation with one click. During assembly, high-performance thermal conductive grease is applied to the contact surface to significantly reduce the interface thermal resistance. The adapter frame 21 is then tightly combined with the middle frame 1 through mechanical locking, so that the entire heat dissipation device forms a complete heat conduction path. This design not only achieves a thermal conductivity efficiency several times higher than that of traditional heat dissipation solutions, effectively solves the problem of performance degradation caused by local overheating of the equipment, but also greatly improves the maintainability of the product. By optimizing the layout of the pipe 221 and the design of the composite capillary structure, the device can achieve a higher thermal conductivity coefficient in a short time, ensuring that electronic equipment can maintain stable performance during long-term high-load operation, significantly improving the user experience.

[0030] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0031] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A phase change heat transfer middle frame, characterized in that: include: A middle frame (1), wherein the middle frame (1) is designed as a rectangular frame, and a plurality of through holes are opened on the surface of the middle frame (1); A phase-change heat transfer component (2), the phase-change heat transfer component (2) being mounted on the inner wall of the middle frame (1), the phase-change heat transfer component (2) being used to uniformly dissipate heat inside the middle frame (1); The phase-change heat transfer component (2) comprises two adapting frames (21) and a phase-change heat transfer mechanism (22) located at the center of the two adapting frames (21); The phase-change heat transfer mechanism (22) comprises a pipe (221), mounting components (222) respectively mounted on the pipe (221), an evaporator (223), a liquid reservoir (224), and a condenser (225); the pipe (221) is made of a copper pipe.

2. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two adapting frames (21) are both fixedly connected to the middle frame (1), and the two adapting frames (21) are symmetrically distributed on two symmetrical sides of the pipeline (221).

3. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 2, characterized in that: An adapter slot (211) is provided on one side of the two adapter frames (21) that are close to each other. The adapter slot (211) matches the size of the pipe (221) and can be used to clamp and fix the pipe (221).

4. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 3, characterized in that: A negative pole magnetic slot (2111) is provided inside the adapter slot (211), and the negative pole magnetic slot (2111) is in an arc shape.

5. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pipeline (221) consists of a steam channel and a liquid working medium channel, and the evaporator (223), the liquid reservoir (224) and the condenser (225) are all welded to the pipeline (221) to form a loop channel.

6. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove (2211) is provided on the inner wall of the pipe (221), and a capillary structure (2212) is provided inside the pipe (221). The capillary structure (2212) and the groove (2211) form a composite capillary structure to enhance the transport capacity of the liquid working medium.

7. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting assembly (222) comprises a mounting sleeve (2221), a rubber protrusion (2222) fixedly arranged on the mounting sleeve (2221), and a positive pole magnetic block (2223).

8. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rubber bumps (2222) are distributed in a ring array at the four corners of the mounting sleeve (2221), and the rubber bumps (2222) abut against the adapter slots (211).

9. The phase change heat transfer middle frame according to claim 8, characterized in that: The positive pole magnetic blocks (2223) are distributed in a ring array and are spaced apart from the rubber protrusions (2222). The positive pole magnetic blocks (2223) are snapped into the negative pole magnetic groove (2111) and are magnetically attracted to the negative pole magnetic groove (2111).

10. A method for manufacturing a phase-change heat transfer middle frame, applied to a phase-change heat transfer middle frame according to claims 1-9, comprising: The adapting frame (21) and the phase change heat transfer mechanism (22) are characterized by: Step 1: Based on the middle frame structure and the location where heat is most severe, design a pipe (221) placed in the adapter frame (21), including a steam channel and a liquid working medium channel; Step 2: Processing the copper material into a long straight copper tube with grooves (2211) as a steam channel and a liquid working medium channel through a casting and stretching process, and processing the evaporator (223), the liquid reservoir (224) and the condenser (225) by CNC or stamping; Step 3: inserting a capillary structure (2212) into the liquid working medium channel and a groove (2211) in the pipe (221) to form a composite capillary, so that it has a stronger liquid working medium transport capacity; Step 4: Weld and assemble the steam channel, liquid working medium channel, evaporator (223), liquid reservoir (224) and condenser (225) components together, inject phase change working medium into the interior, and extract the internal vacuum at the same time. After sealing, the loop heat pipe and the middle frame (1) are assembled. Specifically, the pipe (221) and the adapter frame (21) are quickly installed through the installation component (222), and then assembled with the middle frame (1). Before assembly, a layer of thermal conductive grease is applied on the pipe (221) to reduce the thermal resistance between the middle frame (1) and the pipe (221). After assembly, the middle plate and the middle frame are locked by screws, and the pipe (221) is placed inside the middle frame (1). At this time, the outside of the middle frame (1) has a high thermal conductivity coefficient.

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