Heat transporting unit and electronic device

Abstract

A heat transporting unit comprises an upper plate, a lower plate opposing the upper plate, an internal space formed by the upper plate and the lower plate and operable to enter a refrigerant, a plurality of paths dividing the internal space in a first direction, and a plurality of grooves being provided at a bottom surface of the internal space. The plurality of the paths and the plurality of the grooves are connected by capillary channels in a region, and are divided by sidewalls in another region.

Description

REFERENCE To RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The Present Application claims priority to prior-filed Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-186534, entitled “Heat Transporting Unit And Electronic Device,” and filed 11 Aug. 2009, the contents of which is fully incorporated in its entirety herein.BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT APPLICATION[0002]The Present Application relates, generally, to a heat transporting unit and an electronic device operable to transport heat received from a heating element, e.g., a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), a Light Emitting Device (LED), a power device or an electronic device.[0003]Electronic devices, such as a semiconductor ICs, LEDs or other power devices, typically have many uses, such as in industrial apparati or the like. However, these electronic devices include heating elements that generate heat as a result of the current running therein. When the temperature in the heating element becomes higher than a constant temperature, a problem exists in that opti...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a heat transporting unit that can flexibly deal with various heating elements and efficiently transfer heat. The unit has a flexible design that allows for the separation of refrigerant paths and grooves, allowing for the refrigerant to move smoothly through the unit. The refrigerant can also be exchanged between paths for better heat transfer. The heat transporting unit includes a plurality of paths and grooves that are separated by dividing walls, allowing for the refrigerant to move in different directions. The refrigerant can move at high speeds through the unit, improving heat transport efficiency. The heat transporting unit can be used in various applications such as cooling electronic components.

Problems solved by technology

However, these electronic devices include heating elements that generate heat as a result of the current running therein.

When the temperature in the heating element becomes higher than a constant temperature, a problem exists in that optimal operation of the device can not be guaranteed.

As a result, the heat may influence other parts, and may cause performance degradation of the device or the industrial apparatus.

Of course, the size of such a compact electronic part is small.

Difficulties may arise in that the refrigerant evaporated by the heat receiving member, and the refrigerant condensed by the heat radiating member, may not easily enter the pipe.

Thus, the speed of heat transportation in the heat transporting member may be slow.

However, when cooling a plurality of compact heating elements, such as LEDs, since the heat generation area of the heating element and the heat generation and transporting areas of the heat pipe are unbalanced, the efficiency of heat transportation, relative to the size and ability of the heat pipe, is poor.

Further, since the amount of the refrigerant is large relative to the caloric value of the heating element, the efficiency of refrigerant evaporation is also poor.

Thus, the efficiency of the circulation becomes poor as well.

However, the pores are divided into pores wherein the heat transporting is intense and pores wherein the heat transporting is poor, according to the number and the caloric value of the heating element connecting to the heat pipe.

Thus, it is possible to diffuse the evaporated refrigerant, but impossible to efficiently circulate the condensed refrigerant.

In addition, although it is preferred to transfer the heat of the heating element to a position away from the heating element at high speed, heat can not be transported with a high degree of efficiency in the electronic board and the heat pipe of the ‘585 Application.

Thus, there is a limit for the efficiency of heat transportation.

Further, as mentioned above, in a cooling device using a conventional heat pipe, although it deals with various heating elements, the heat can not be transported at high speed.

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