Thermal spreader, heat sink, and filling rig

Abstract

1st-aspect: Filling rig (jig) for filling a chamber (e.g inflatable vapour chamber 302) located on a (cold) plate (fig 19) with working fluid (coolant): comprising: a connector 410 comprising: a sealing component (e.g O-ring / suction cup 412) for sealing the filling rig to the plate at a location of a filling hole on the plate 402-fig-19; a fill tube 416 for injecting a working fluid into the chamber via the filling hole; a pump 402-fig-20 connected to the connector arranged to extract air from the chamber to provide low pressure in chamber; and a working fluid reservoir 446-fig-20c connected to the fill tube to provide working fluid to the chamber via fill tube. Rig may include a series of vales, hole punch, post fluid-fill sealing mechanism (seal die & punch to deform material around hole) and sensor for degassing. Temperature of rig components and / or fluid(s) may be adjusted by temperature loops. Includes method of use. 2nd-aspect: Thermal spreader for heatsink (fig 2a-2b) arranged to be located adjacent to components to cool, thermal spreader comprising inflated chambers (fig 6a-6c,7,8,14,19) which include heat transfer structures providing thermal connection between components at similar operating temperature. The structural components provide structural rigidity to the thermal spreader, whilst the inflated chambers contain fluid (e.g pressurised gas / liquid or solid). Method of manufacture of thermal spreader is included. Applications include cooling of MIMO 5G radio access network equipment.

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