Heat conductive pad and heat sink assembly

By designing a thermal conductive layer in the thermal pad that can change the thickness when temperature and pressure change, the poor heat dissipation effect caused by the floating tolerance between the plug-in and unplugging module and the radiator is solved, and better thermal conductivity and service life are achieved.

WO2025113335A1PCT designated stage expired Publication Date: 2025-06-05HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/CN2024/133770
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-11-27
Filing Date
2024-11-22
Publication Date
2025-06-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

There is a floating tolerance in the gap between the plug-in and unplugging module of electronic devices and the radiator, which causes the contact between the plug-in and unplugging module and the interface thermal conductivity material to worsen, resulting in poor heat dissipation effect.

Method used

A thermal pad is designed, including a wear-resistant layer and a thermal layer, which can change thickness when temperature and/or pressure changes, thereby adapting to different assembly gaps and gap tolerances to ensure good contact between the plug-in and unplugging modules and the thermal pad.

Benefits of technology

It significantly reduces the contact thermal resistance between the thermal pad and the plug-in and unplugging module, improves the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad, extends the service life, and is suitable for different types of plug-in and unplugging heat dissipation scenarios.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present application provides a heat conductive pad and a heat sink assembly. The heat conductive pad comprises a wear-resistant layer and a heat conductive layer connected to each other; the wear-resistant layer and the heat conductive layer are distributed at least along a thickness direction of the heat conductive pad, and a thickness of the heat conductive layer can be changed. Because the thickness of the heat conductive layer can be changed, the thickness of the heat conductive pad can be changed, and a dimension of a slot along the thickness direction of the heat conductive pad can thus be changed, so as to adapt to different assembly gaps between plug-in modules and the heat sink, such that a plug-in module can always fit the heat conductive pad, thereby significantly reducing contact thermal resistance between the heat conductive pad and the swapping module, and improving a heat conductive effect of the heat conductive pad. The heat conductive layer can be applied to different assembly gaps and gap tolerances, thereby improving the applicability of the heat conductive pad, and improving the heat dissipation effect of a radiator on an electronic device.
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Description

Thermal pad and heat sink assembly

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 27, 2023, with application number 202311603314.6 and application name “Thermal Pad and Radiator Assembly”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of heat conduction technology, and in particular to a thermal pad and a heat sink assembly. Background Art

[0003] With the continuous evolution of electronic information technology, the integration of electronic devices has also increased, which has significantly increased the power consumption of electronic devices and the heat generated during operation. If the heat generated by electronic devices cannot be discharged in time, the temperature of the electronic devices will be too high, thereby affecting the power and service life of the electronic devices. Electronic devices are usually provided with plug-in modules that can be connected to the heat sink. After the plug-in module is inserted into the slot, it contacts the heat dissipation surface of the heat sink, thereby conducting the heat of the plug-in module to the heat sink to achieve heat dissipation of the electronic device. However, in some scenarios, there is a floating tolerance in the gap between the plug-in module and the heat sink, which causes the contact between the plug-in module and the interface thermal conductive material to deteriorate, resulting in poor heat dissipation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a thermal pad and heat sink assembly to solve the technical problem in the prior art that there is a floating tolerance in the gap between the plug-in module and the heat sink of the electronic device, which causes the contact between the plug-in module and the interface thermal conductive material to deteriorate, resulting in poor heat dissipation effect.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a thermal pad, which includes a wear-resistant layer and a heat-conducting layer connected to each other. The wear-resistant layer and the heat-conducting layer are distributed at least along the thickness direction of the thermal pad, and the thickness of the heat-conducting layer can vary.

[0006] In this embodiment, the thermal pad includes a wear-resistant layer and a thermally conductive layer. The thermally conductive layer is configured to change its dimension along the thickness direction of the thermal pad when the temperature and / or pressure changes. That is, the physical thickness of the thermally conductive layer can change when the temperature and / or pressure changes, thereby causing the physical thickness of the thermal pad to change when the temperature and / or pressure changes. Since the thickness of the thermally conductive layer can be changed, the thickness of the thermal pad can be changed, and the dimension of the slot along the thickness direction of the thermal pad can be changed to adapt to the different assembly gaps between the plug-in module and the heat sink. At the same time, the gap floating tolerance can be absorbed, so that the plug-in module can always fit the thermal pad, significantly reducing the contact thermal resistance between the thermal pad and the plug-in module, and improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad.

[0007] In a specific embodiment, the phase state of at least a portion of the heat-conducting layer can change, or at least a portion of the heat-conducting layer can be elastically deformed, or at least a portion of the material of the heat-conducting layer can flow.

[0008] In this embodiment, the thickness of the thermally conductive layer can be changed in the following ways, including but not limited to: when the pressure and / or temperature changes, the phase state of at least part of the material of the thermally conductive layer can change, that is, it can be converted from solid to liquid, thereby changing the thickness of the thermally conductive layer; when the pressure and / or temperature changes, at least part of the thermally conductive layer can be elastically deformed, thereby changing the thickness of the thermally conductive layer; when the pressure and / or temperature changes, at least part of the material of the thermally conductive layer can flow, for example, it can flow in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the thermal pad, thereby changing the thickness of the thermally conductive layer.

[0009] In a specific embodiment, the heat-conducting layer includes at least a first heat-conducting layer, and the first heat-conducting layer is a liquefiable or paste-like material.

[0010] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive layer may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of phase-change thermally conductive materials, thermally conductive gels, thermally conductive silicone greases, liquid metals, and low-melting-point metals. Each of the above materials is liquefiable or paste-like. The liquefiable or paste-like material can change thickness when temperature and / or pressure change, and wets the interface, thereby varying the thickness of the thermally conductive layer and filling gaps between the thermally conductive layer and other interfaces connected thereto, thereby reducing thermal resistance and improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad.

[0011] Among them, phase change thermal conductive material is a thermal conductive interface material that can change from solid to liquid at a preset temperature, and has the advantages of low thermal resistance and strong interface wetting ability. Thermal conductive gel is a soft silicone resin-based thermal conductive gap filling material with high thermal conductivity, low interface thermal resistance and good thixotropy. Thermal conductive silicone grease is a high thermal conductivity insulating silicone material that can maintain the grease state during use for a long time within the preset temperature range. Liquid metal is an amorphous, flowable liquid metal, such as gallium indium tin alloy. Low melting point metal is a metal with a low melting point at normal pressure, for example, indium tin alloy with a melting point below 60°C at normal pressure.

[0012] In a specific embodiment, the material of the first heat-conducting layer is one or more of phase-change heat-conducting material, heat-conducting gel, heat-conducting silicone grease, liquid metal, and low-melting-point metal.

[0013] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive layer can be made of a phase-change thermally conductive material, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, or low-melting-point metal, and is formed from a liquefiable / paste-like thermally conductive coating. Using any of these materials for the thermally conductive layer provides excellent thermal conductivity, enhancing the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad. Furthermore, these materials exhibit excellent deformability, allowing the thermally conductive layer to change thickness under varying pressures and temperatures to accommodate the gap between the plug-in module and the heat sink, while also wetting the interface and reducing thermal resistance.

[0014] In a specific embodiment, the heat-conducting layer further includes a second heat-conducting layer connected to the first heat-conducting layer, and the second heat-conducting layer is one or more of heat-conducting foam, carbon fiber, graphite, and graphene heat-conducting materials.

[0015] In this embodiment, the first heat-conducting layer is a liquefiable or paste-like heat-conducting coating (one or more of phase-change heat-conducting materials, heat-conducting gels, heat-conducting silicone greases, liquid metals, low-melting-point metals, etc.), and the second heat-conducting layer can be one or more of heat-conducting foams, carbon fibers, graphite, or graphene heat-conducting materials. For example, the second heat-conducting layer is carbon fiber, and the first heat-conducting layer is a composite heat-conducting silicone grease, or the second heat-conducting layer is carbon fiber, and the first heat-conducting layer is liquid metal, or the second heat-conducting layer is graphene, and the first heat-conducting layer is a low-melting-point metal, or the second heat-conducting layer is graphene, and the first heat-conducting layer is a phase-change heat-conducting material. The first heat-conducting layer can change its thickness to wet the interface when the temperature and / or pressure changes, thereby filling the gaps at the interface and reducing thermal resistance. The second heat-conducting layer can undergo elastic deformation in the thickness direction, providing a certain support for the first heat-conducting layer, thereby maintaining a certain shape of the heat-conducting layer. Therefore, the thickness of the first heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer of the thermal pad in this embodiment can both change, so that the thickness of the thermal pad changes.

[0016] In a specific embodiment, the first heat conducting layer and the second heat conducting layer are stacked along the thickness direction of the thermal pad.

[0017] In this embodiment, the heat conducting layer may include a first heat conducting layer and a second heat conducting layer. Along the thickness direction of the thermal pad, the first heat conducting layer is provided on both the upper and lower end surfaces of the second heat conducting layer.

[0018] In a specific embodiment, the first heat-conducting layer surrounds the second heat-conducting layer.

[0019] In this embodiment, the thermal pad's thermal conductive layer includes a first thermal conductive layer and a second thermal conductive layer, wherein the first thermal conductive layer surrounds the second thermal conductive layer, i.e., the second thermal conductive layer is located within a cavity formed by the first thermal conductive layer. The first thermal conductive layer is a liquefiable or paste-like material. For example, the first thermal conductive layer can be any one of a phase change thermal conductive material, a thermal conductive gel, a thermal conductive silicone grease, a liquid metal, or a low-melting-point metal; the second thermal conductive layer can be one or more of thermal conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermal conductive materials. The first thermal conductive layer can change thickness when temperature and / or pressure changes, has excellent interfacial wettability, and can fill interfacial gaps, thereby reducing thermal resistance. The second thermal conductive layer can undergo elastic deformation in the thickness direction when pressure changes to accommodate the different assembly gaps and gap tolerances between the plug-in module and the heat sink. It also provides support for the first thermal conductive layer, thereby maintaining a specific shape.

[0020] In a specific embodiment, the heat-conducting layer includes a heat-conducting foam layer and a liquefiable or paste-like layer arranged on the heat-conducting foam layer, or the heat-conducting layer includes a carbon-based heat-conducting material layer and a liquefiable or paste-like layer arranged on the carbon-based heat-conducting material layer.

[0021] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive layer may further include one or more of thermally conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermally conductive materials. The thermally conductive layer may be a composite of one or more of phase change thermally conductive materials, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, low melting point metal, thermally conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermally conductive materials. Compared to liquefiable or paste-forming materials such as phase change thermally conductive materials, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, and low melting point metal, thermally conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermally conductive materials can be cut and shaped and can undergo elastic deformation in the thickness direction, providing some support for the liquefiable or paste-forming material.

[0022] In a specific embodiment, the thermal conductive layer includes a carbon fiber pad layer and a thermal grease layer arranged on both sides of the carbon fiber layer along the thickness direction, or the thermal conductive layer includes a carbon fiber pad layer and a liquid metal layer arranged on both sides of the carbon fiber layer along the thickness direction, or the thermal conductive layer includes a graphene layer and a low-melting-point metal layer arranged on both sides of the graphene layer along the thickness direction, or the thermal conductive layer includes a graphene layer and a phase change thermal conductive material layer arranged on both sides of the graphene layer along the thickness direction.

[0023] In this embodiment, when the thermal conductive layer is composited with two or more thermal conductive materials, it can be thermal conductive foam or carbon-based thermal conductive material composited on one or both sides with other liquefiable / paste-like thermal conductive coatings (one or more of phase change thermal conductive materials, thermal conductive gel, thermal conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, low melting point metal, etc.), or it can be carbon fiber pad composited on both sides with thermal conductive silicone grease, carbon fiber pad composited on both sides with liquid metal, graphene pad composited on both sides with low melting point metal, graphene pad composited on both sides with phase change thermal conductive material, etc.

[0024] In a specific embodiment, the thermal pad includes a wear-resistant layer and a thermal conductive layer connected to each other, the wear-resistant layer and the thermal conductive layer are distributed at least along the thickness direction of the thermal pad, the wear-resistant layer is a metal film, or the wear-resistant layer includes a metal layer and a non-metallic layer.

[0025] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer can be one or more of a metal film or a metal / non-metal composite film. The wear-resistant layer has excellent tear / puncture resistance and thermal conductivity, so that the thermal pad can withstand multiple plugging and unplugging cycles without damage.

[0026] In a specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer is one or more of copper alloy film, copper nickel-plated film, copper alloy nickel-plated film, aluminum alloy film, aluminum nickel-plated film, aluminum alloy nickel-plated film, magnesium alloy film, stainless steel film, and tungsten alloy film.

[0027] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer can specifically be any one of the flexible metal films selected from copper alloy film, copper (alloy) nickel-plated film, aluminum alloy film, aluminum (alloy) nickel-plated film, magnesium alloy film, stainless steel film and tungsten alloy film. The flexible metal film has the advantages of high modulus, low static friction coefficient and good thermal conductivity. The flexible metal film is used as the material of the wear-resistant layer, so that the wear-resistant layer has good wear resistance and thermal conductivity, thereby improving the thermal conductivity and service life of the thermal pad.

[0028] In a specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer has a thickness of 5 μm-50 μm.

[0029] In this embodiment, the thickness of the wear-resistant layer made of the flexible metal film material may be 5 μm-50 μm.

[0030] In a specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer is one or more of a metal / graphite composite film, a metal / graphene composite film, and a metal / carbon fiber composite film.

[0031] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer can be any one of the metal / non-metal composite films including metal / graphite composite film, metal / graphene composite film and metal / carbon fiber composite film. The metal / non-metal composite film has the advantages of high modulus, low static friction coefficient and good thermal conductivity. The metal / non-metal composite film is used as the material of the wear-resistant layer, so that the wear-resistant layer has good wear resistance and thermal conductivity, thereby improving the thermal conductivity and service life of the thermal pad.

[0032] In a specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer has a thickness of 10 μm-500 μm.

[0033] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer made of metal and non-metal composite material has a thickness of 10 μm-500 μm.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the wear-resistant layer is greater than 15 W / m·K.

[0035] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer also has a high thermal conductivity, allowing heat in the plug-in module to be transferred more quickly through the wear-resistant layer, thereby improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad. The thermal conductivity of the wear-resistant layer can be greater than 15W / m·K.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, a projection of the wear-resistant layer along the thickness direction of the thermal pad covers a projection of the heat-conducting layer along the thickness direction of the thermal pad.

[0037] In this embodiment, the area of ​​the wear-resistant layer is larger than that of the thermally conductive layer, and along the thickness of the thermal pad, the projection of the wear-resistant layer completely covers the thermally conductive layer. When the thermal pad is connected to the heat sink boss, the thermally conductive layer contacts the heat sink boss surface. Along the thickness of the thermal pad, the wear-resistant layer at the connection area can bend toward the periphery of the heat sink boss, so that the connection area connects to the sidewall of the heat sink boss, thereby installing the thermal pad on the heat sink. When the plug-in module of the electronic device is inserted into the slot, the plug-in module can contact the wear-resistant layer, so that the heat generated by the plug-in module can be quickly transferred to the heat sink through the thermally conductive layer.

[0038] In a specific embodiment, the thermal pad further includes an adhesive layer connected to the wear-resistant layer.

[0039] In this embodiment, the thermal pad may further include an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is located in the connection area of ​​the thermal pad, that is, the adhesive layer is connected to the wear-resistant layer in the connection area, and is used to affix the thermal pad to a predetermined position. Specifically, when the thermal pad is used in a radiator, along the thickness direction of the thermal pad, the adhesive layer is located between the wear-resistant layer in the connection area and the radiator, connecting the wear-resistant layer and the radiator, thereby affixing the thermal pad to the radiator. The connection between the thermal pad and the radiator via the adhesive layer has the advantages of low cost and ease of implementation.

[0040] In a specific embodiment, the thermal pad includes a thermal conductive area and a connecting area located outside the thermal conductive area, the thermal conductive layer is located in the thermal conductive area, and the thermal pad also includes a supporting layer located in the connecting area, the supporting layer is connected to the wear-resistant layer, and circumferentially surrounds the thermal conductive layer.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the thermal pad is attached to the heat sink, the wear-resistant layer and adhesive layer in the connection area are bent toward the support layer, so that the adhesive layer adheres to the sidewall of the support layer before being attached to the heat sink. The support layer supports the wear-resistant layer, preventing it from becoming suspended during bending and potentially causing damage during insertion and removal. Furthermore, the support layer further protects the thermally conductive layer. For example, when the thermally conductive layer is made of a thermally conductive material such as liquid metal, the support layer surrounding the thermally conductive layer can prevent moisture from intruding into the thermally conductive layer, slowing the aging of the liquid thermally conductive material and extending the service life of the thermally conductive layer.

[0042] In a specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer surrounds the heat-conducting layer, the thermal pad further includes a support layer, the heat-conducting layer surrounds the support layer, or the support layer is located between the heat-conducting layer and the wear-resistant layer.

[0043] In this embodiment, the support layer can be located inside the heat-conducting layer, that is, the heat-conducting layer can surround the support layer, or the support layer can be located between the heat-conducting layer and the wear-resistant layer, that is, the support layer surrounds the heat-conducting layer, and the wear-resistant layer surrounds the support layer. The support layer can support the wear-resistant layer and the heat-conducting layer.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, the supporting layer is elastically deformable.

[0045] In this embodiment, the support layer has thermal conductivity and is elastically deformable. When the thickness of the thermal conductive layer changes due to temperature and / or pressure changes, the support layer is elastically deformed to match the thickness change of the thermal pad.

[0046] A second aspect of the present application provides a heat sink assembly, which includes a heat sink and a thermal pad. The thermal pad is connected to the heat sink, and the wear-resistant layer is located on a side of the thermal layer away from the heat sink.

[0047] In this embodiment, the thermal pad is installed on the radiator, and the thermal pad is used to enclose the slot described above. After installation, the wear-resistant layer of the thermal pad faces outward, and the wear-resistant layer is used to contact the plug-in module of the electronic device. Since the thickness of the thermal conductive layer can be changed, the thickness of the thermal pad can be changed, and then the size of the slot along the thickness direction of the thermal pad can be changed to adapt to the different assembly gaps between the plug-in module and the radiator, so that the plug-in module can always fit the thermal pad, thereby significantly reducing the contact thermal resistance between the thermal pad and the plug-in module and improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad. The thermal conductive layer can be adapted to different assembly gaps and gap tolerances, thereby improving the applicability of the thermal pad and improving the heat dissipation effect of the radiator on electronic devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a heat sink, a thermal pad, and a plug-in module of an electronic device provided by the present application in a specific embodiment;

[0049] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in a specific embodiment;

[0050] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment;

[0051] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment;

[0052] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment;

[0053] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment;

[0054] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment;

[0055] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment;

[0056] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad in FIG1 in another specific embodiment.

[0057] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1-heat sink; 11-boss; 12-thermal pad; 121-wear-resistant layer; 122-thermal conductive layer; 122a-first thermal conductive layer; 122b-second thermal conductive layer; 123-adhesive layer; 124-support layer; 125-thermal conductive area; 126-connection area; 13-bracket; 2-plug-in module.

[0058] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] In a specific embodiment, the present application is further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "an", "the" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0062] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein is merely a description of the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0063] It should be noted that the directional words such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" described in the embodiments of the present application are described based on the angles shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application. In addition, in the context, it should be understood that when it is mentioned that an element is connected to another element "on" or "under", it can not only be directly connected to the other element "on" or "under", but also be indirectly connected to the other element "on" or "under" through an intermediate element.

[0064] With the continuous evolution of electronic information technology, the integration of electronic devices has become increasingly higher, resulting in a significant increase in their power consumption. This increased power consumption causes the devices to generate more heat during operation. If this heat cannot be dissipated in a timely manner, the temperature of the electronic devices will gradually rise. When the temperature is too high, the resistance in the electronic devices increases, thereby reducing their operating efficiency and service life.

[0065] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of the partial structure of an electronic component in a specific embodiment. As shown in FIG1 , the electronic component includes a heat sink 1 and an electronic device to be cooled. In a specific embodiment, there is a slot between the heat sink 1 and the bracket 13 of the electronic component, and the electronic device to be cooled has a plug-in module 2, which can be inserted into the slot. In the process of inserting the plug-in module 2 into the corresponding slot, if the surface of the plug-in module 2 is in direct contact with the surface of the heat sink 1, there is a risk of wear and chipping due to direct scratching with the heat sink 1 during the plug-in and unplugging process. Moreover, the surface of the plug-in module 2 is in hard contact with the surface of the heat sink 1, and there is a large interface contact thermal resistance. The heat sink 1 cannot effectively transfer the heat, causing the operating temperature of the electronic device to be too high, affecting the normal use of the electronic device.

[0066] In order to solve this technical problem, a thermal pad is provided between the radiator 1 and the plug-in module 2. During the plug-in and unplug-in process of the plug-in module 2, the plug-in module 2 contacts the thermal pad, so that there is no need for direct contact between the plug-in module 2 and the radiator 1, reducing the risk of wear on the surface of the plug-in module 2 and the surface of the radiator 1 during the plug-in and unplugging process, thereby increasing the service life of the electronic device and the radiator 1. At the same time, the thermal pad can also conduct the heat in the electronic device to the radiator 1 faster, and discharge the heat through the radiator 1 to achieve heat dissipation of the electronic device. Normally, the thermal pad can be made of a thermally conductive material, but ordinary thermal pads have poor puncture resistance and tearing resistance. During the repeated plug-in and unplugging of the plug-in module 2 of the electronic device, the thermal pad is easily damaged due to the shear force of the electronic device, which affects the heat dissipation effect.

[0067] To solve this technical problem, an embodiment of the present application provides a thermal pad 12 and a radiator assembly including the thermal pad 12. As shown in Figure 1, the radiator assembly includes a radiator 1. Along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the thermal pad 12 is located between the plug-in module 2 and the radiator 1. After the plug-in module 2 is connected to the radiator 1, the two sides of the thermal pad 12 are respectively adhered to the plug-in module 2 and the radiator 1, so that the heat generated when the plug-in module 2 is working can be quickly conducted to the radiator 1 through the thermal pad 12, and discharged through the radiator 1, thereby completing the heat dissipation of the plug-in module 2.

[0068] Referring to Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad 12 in Figure 1 in a specific embodiment, wherein the thermal pad 12 includes a wear-resistant layer 121 and a heat-conducting layer 122 connected to each other, wherein the wear-resistant layer 121 and the heat-conducting layer 122 are distributed at least along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, that is, in the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the thermal pad 12 includes at least one wear-resistant layer 121 and one heat-conducting layer 122. Among them, the wear-resistant layer 121 has high yield strength, tensile strength and elastic modulus, as well as a low surface static friction coefficient, and is not easily punctured or torn under the action of external force. The wear-resistant layer 121 also has a high thermal conductivity, which enhances the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12. The heat-conducting layer 122 is made of a thermally conductive material and has a high thermal conductivity. It can fill the tiny gaps between interfaces, reduce the interface contact thermal resistance, and make the thermal pad 12 have a good thermal conductivity.

[0069] In a specific implementation, as shown in Figure 1, the thermal pad 12 is installed on the radiator 1, and the thermal pad 12 is used to enclose the slot described above. After installation, the wear-resistant layer 121 of the thermal pad 12 faces outward, and the wear-resistant layer 121 is used to contact the plug-in module 2 of the electronic device. During the repeated plugging and unplugging of the plug-in module 2, the plug-in module 2 contacts the wear-resistant layer 121 of the thermal pad 12. Since the elastic modulus, strength and rigidity of the wear-resistant layer 121 are relatively high, it is not easy to be punctured or damaged under the action of the shear force during the plug-in process, thereby extending the service life of the thermal pad 12. At the same time, the surface static friction coefficient of the wear-resistant layer 121 is low, so that the friction force generated between it and the plug-in module 2 is relatively small, which facilitates the plug-in and unplugging of the plug-in module 2 of the electronic device. The wear-resistant layer 121 also has a relatively high thermal conductivity, which can quickly transfer the heat generated by the plug-in module to the inner thermal layer 122. The heat-conducting layer 122 located inside the wear-resistant layer 121 has good thermal conductivity and can quickly conduct the heat generated in the plug-in module 2 to the radiator 1, thereby improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12 and thus improving the heat dissipation effect of the radiator 1 on the plug-in module 2.

[0070] In a specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be one or more of a metal film or a metal / non-metal composite film. Specifically, the metal film can be a copper alloy film, a copper (or copper alloy) nickel-plated film, an aluminum alloy film, an aluminum (or aluminum alloy) nickel-plated film, a magnesium alloy film, a stainless steel film and a tungsten alloy film, etc., and the thickness can be 5μm-50μm. The metal / non-metal composite film can be a metal / carbon material composite film, specifically a metal film / graphite composite film, a metal film / graphene composite film, a metal film / carbon fiber composite film, and the thickness can be 10μm-500μm. In addition to ordinary physical coating preparation, such metal / non-metal composite films can also be obtained by in-situ orderly growth of carbon materials on the metal film by physical / chemical means, and the metal / non-metal has better bonding strength. The wear-resistant layer 121 has excellent tear resistance / puncture resistance and thermal conductivity, so that the thermal pad 12 can meet the requirements of multiple plugging and unplugging without damage.

[0071] In the above electronic assembly, there is a floating tolerance in the gap between the plug module 2 and the heat sink 1, which causes the plug module 2 to be unable to fully contact the heat conducting layer 122 of the thermal pad 12, resulting in poor heat dissipation effect.

[0072] In order to solve this technical problem, the thermal conductive layer 122 of the thermal pad 12 in the embodiment of the present application is configured so that the size of the thermal conductive layer 122 along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12 can be changed when the temperature and / or pressure changes, that is, the physical thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can change when the temperature and / or pressure changes, so that the physical thickness of the thermal pad 12 changes when the temperature and / or pressure changes.

[0073] Since the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can be changed, the thickness of the thermal pad 12 can be changed, and the size of the slot along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12 can be changed to adapt to different assembly gaps between the plug-in module 2 and the radiator 1. At the same time, the gap floating tolerance can be absorbed so that the plug-in module 2 can always fit the thermal pad 12, thereby significantly reducing the contact thermal resistance between the thermal pad 12 and the plug-in module 2 and improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12.

[0074] In a specific embodiment, the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can be changed in the following ways, including but not limited to: when the pressure and / or temperature changes, the phase state of at least part of the material of the thermal conductive layer 122 can change, that is, it can be converted from solid to liquid, thereby changing the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122; when the pressure and / or temperature changes, at least part of the thermal conductive layer 122 can be elastically deformed, thereby changing the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122; when the pressure and / or temperature changes, at least part of the material of the thermal conductive layer 122 can flow, for example, it can flow in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, thereby changing the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122.

[0075] In a specific embodiment, the thermally conductive layer 122 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of phase-change thermally conductive materials, thermally conductive gels, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, and low-melting-point metals. Each of the above materials is liquefiable or paste-like. The liquefiable or paste-like material can change thickness when the temperature and / or pressure change, and wets the interface, thereby varying the thickness of the thermally conductive layer 122. It can also fill gaps between the thermally conductive layer 122 and other interfaces connected to it, reducing thermal resistance and improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12. Phase-change thermally conductive materials are thermally conductive interface materials that can transform from a solid state to a liquid state at a preset temperature, offering the advantages of low thermal resistance and strong interface wetting. Thermally conductive gel is a soft silicone-based thermally conductive gap-filling material with high thermal conductivity, low interface thermal resistance, and good thixotropy. Thermally conductive silicone grease is a highly thermally conductive, insulating silicone material that can maintain its grease state for extended periods within a preset temperature range. Liquid metal is an amorphous, flowable metal. The low melting point metal is a metal having a relatively low melting point at normal pressure, for example, an indium tin bismuth alloy having a melting point below 60° C. at normal pressure.

[0076] In a specific embodiment, the thermally conductive layer 122 may also include one or more thermally conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermally conductive materials. The thermally conductive layer 122 may be a composite of one or more materials such as phase change thermally conductive materials, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, low melting point metal, thermally conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermally conductive materials. Compared to liquefiable or paste-like materials such as phase change thermally conductive materials, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, and low melting point metal, thermally conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermally conductive materials can be cut and shaped, are capable of elastic deformation in the thickness direction X, and also provide a certain degree of support for liquefiable or paste-like materials.

[0077] For example, when the thermal conductive layer 122 is composited with two or more thermal conductive materials, it can be thermal conductive foam or carbon-based thermal conductive material composited on one or both sides with other liquefiable / paste-like thermal conductive coatings (one or more of phase change thermal conductive materials, thermal conductive gel, thermal conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, low melting point metal, etc.), or it can be carbon fiber pad composited on both sides with thermal conductive silicone grease, carbon fiber pad composited on both sides with liquid metal, graphene pad composited on both sides with low melting point metal, graphene pad composited on both sides with phase change thermal conductive material, etc.

[0078] The thermal conductive layer 122 can be specifically processed by: coating a liquefiable / paste-like thermal conductive material on a carbon-based thermal conductive material or thermal conductive foam by physical spin coating, or in-situ compounding liquid metal / low-melting-point metal on the carbon-based thermal conductive material or thermal conductive foam by physical / chemical vapor deposition methods.

[0079] In a specific embodiment, the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can be designed to vary depending on the assembly gap. In this embodiment, the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can range from 20 μm to 2.5 mm. This thickness variation of the thermal conductive layer 122 can accommodate assembly gaps between the plug-in module 2 and the heat sink 1 ranging from micrometers to millimeters. For example, the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can be 20 μm, 80 μm, 100 μm, 500 μm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, etc.

[0080] In the above embodiments, the wear-resistant layer 121 also has a high thermal conductivity, allowing heat in the plug-in module 2 to be transferred more quickly through the wear-resistant layer 121, thereby improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12. For example, the thermal conductivity of the wear-resistant layer 121 can be greater than 15 W / m·K. The thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive layer 122 is greater than that of the wear-resistant layer 121, and serves as the core heat conductor in the thermal pad 12.

[0081] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 1 , the heat sink 1 may be provided with a boss 11, with a thermal pad 12 connected to the boss 11. Also referring to Figure 2 , the thermal pad 12 includes a heat transfer region 125 and a connection region 126. The connection region 126 is located on the periphery of the heat transfer region 125, while the thermal conductive layer 122 is located within the heat transfer region 125. That is, the heat transfer layer 122 is not disposed within the connection region 126, and the thickness of the connection region 126 is less than that of the heat transfer region 125. Therefore, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the wear-resistant layer 121 is larger than that of the thermal conductive layer 122, and along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the projection of the wear-resistant layer 121 completely covers the thermal conductive layer 122. When connecting the thermal pad 12 to the boss 11, the wear-resistant layer 121 at the connection area 126 can be bent toward the periphery of the boss 11 along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, so that the connection area 126 connects to the side wall of the boss 11, thereby mounting the thermal pad 12 on the heat sink 1. At the same time, the heat transfer area 125 connects to the top wall of the boss 11. When the plug-in module 2 of the electronic device is inserted into the slot, the plug-in module 2 can contact the wear-resistant layer 121, so that the heat generated by the plug-in module 2 can be quickly transferred to the heat sink 1 through the heat transfer layer 122.

[0082] The thermal pad 12 shown in FIG. 2 can be fixed on the side wall of the boss 11 of the heat sink 1 by welding.

[0083] In another specific embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , which is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad 12 provided by the present application in another specific embodiment, the thermal pad 12 may further include an adhesive layer 123. The adhesive layer 123 is located in the connection area 126 of the thermal pad 12, that is, the adhesive layer 123 is connected to the wear-resistant layer 121 in the connection area 126, and is used to adhere the thermal pad 12 to a predetermined position.

[0084] Specifically, when the thermal pad 12 is used for the radiator 1, along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the adhesive layer 123 is located between the wear-resistant layer 121 and the radiator 1 at the connection area 126, and connects the wear-resistant layer 121 and the radiator 1, thereby adhering the thermal pad 12 to the radiator 1. The connection method between the thermal pad 12 and the radiator 1 through the adhesive layer 123 has the advantages of low cost and easy implementation.

[0085] The adhesive layer 123 has excellent shear and peel strength, preventing the thermal pad 12 from shifting during repeated contact with the plug-in module 2, thereby improving the reliability of the connection between the thermal pad 12 and the heat sink 1. The adhesive layer 123 can be a silicone double-sided tape, a pressure-sensitive acrylic double-sided tape, a pressure-sensitive silicone double-sided tape, or a pressure-sensitive thermal adhesive.

[0086] In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the adhesive layer 123 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the wear-resistant layer 121 and is arranged around the thermal conductive layer 122. In this embodiment, the connection area 126 of the thermal pad 12 includes the wear-resistant layer 121 and the adhesive layer 123 stacked along the thickness direction X, and the thermal conductive area 125 of the thermal pad 12 includes the wear-resistant layer 121 and the thermal conductive layer 122 stacked along the thickness direction X. The thickness of the connection area 126 is less than the thickness of the thermal conductive area 125.

[0087] In this embodiment, when the thermal pad 12 is a composite structure stacked up and down, the adhesive layer 123 is connected to the bottom surface of the wear-resistant layer 121 along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, so that the adhesive layer 123 is connected to the surface of the radiator 1, thereby fixing the thermal pad 12 to the radiator 1. At the same time, the adhesive layer 123 is located in the connection area 126 and is arranged around the thermal conductive layer 122, so that the thermal conductive layer 122 can directly contact the radiator 1, thereby accelerating the conduction of heat and improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12.

[0088] In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the projection of the wear-resistant layer 121 along the thickness direction X covers the thermal conductive layer 122 and the adhesive layer 123, that is, the area of ​​the wear-resistant layer 121 is larger than the area of ​​the thermal conductive layer 122 and the area of ​​the adhesive layer 123. The wear-resistant layer 121 can protect the thermal conductive layer 122 and the adhesive layer 123. At the same time, the thermal conductive layer 122 is in direct contact with the surface of the radiator 1, which accelerates the conduction of heat, so that the heat in the plug-in module 2 can be conducted to the thermal conductive layer 122 through the wear-resistant layer 121, and then quickly conducted to the radiator 1 through the thermal conductive layer 122, thereby improving the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 12.

[0089] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be a flexible metal film or a metal / non-metal composite film. The wear-resistant layer 121 can specifically be any one of a copper alloy film, a copper (alloy) nickel-plated film, an aluminum alloy film, an aluminum (alloy) nickel-plated film, a magnesium alloy film, a stainless steel film, and a tungsten alloy film. The flexible metal film has the advantages of high modulus, low static friction coefficient, and good thermal conductivity. Using this flexible metal film as the material of the wear-resistant layer 121, the wear-resistant layer 121 has good wear resistance and thermal conductivity, thereby improving the thermal conductivity and service life of the thermal pad 12. The thickness of the wear-resistant layer 121 made of the flexible metal film material can be 5μm-50μm.

[0090] In another specific embodiment, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be any one of the metal / non-metal composite films such as metal / graphite composite film, metal / graphene composite film, and metal / carbon fiber composite film. The metal / non-metal composite film has the advantages of high modulus, low static friction coefficient, and good thermal conductivity. The metal / non-metal composite film is used as the material of the wear-resistant layer 121, so that the wear-resistant layer 121 has good wear resistance and thermal conductivity, thereby improving the thermal conductivity and service life of the thermal pad 12. The thickness of the wear-resistant layer 121 made of metal / non-metal composite material is 10μm-500μm. The metal and non-metal composite film can be prepared by physical coating or by in-situ orderly growth of carbon material on the metal film by physical or chemical means. The second method can make the bond between the metal material and the non-metal material tighter and more stable.

[0091] In this embodiment, thermally conductive layer 122 can be made of a phase-change thermally conductive material, thermally conductive gel, thermally conductive silicone grease, liquid metal, or a low-melting-point metal. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG3 , thermally conductive layer 122 is formed of a liquefiable / paste-like thermally conductive coating. Using any of these materials can provide thermally conductive layer 122 with excellent thermal conductivity, enhancing the thermal conductivity of thermal pad 12 . Furthermore, these materials exhibit excellent deformability, allowing thermally conductive layer 122 to change thickness under varying pressures and temperatures to accommodate the gap between plug-in module 2 and heat sink 1 , while also wetting the interface and reducing thermal resistance.

[0092] In a specific embodiment, referring to FIG4 , which is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad 12 in FIG1 in another specific embodiment, the thermal conductive layer 122 may include a first thermal conductive layer 122a and a second thermal conductive layer 122b . The first thermal conductive layer 122a is provided on both the upper and lower end surfaces of the second thermal conductive layer 122b along the thickness direction X of the thermal conductive pad 12. The first thermal conductive layer 122a is a liquefiable or paste-like thermal conductive coating (one or more of phase change thermal conductive materials, thermal conductive gels, thermal conductive silicone greases, liquid metals, low melting point metals, etc.), and the second thermal conductive layer 122b may be one or more of thermal conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermal conductive materials. For example, the second heat-conducting layer 122b is carbon fiber, and the first heat-conducting layer 122a is composite thermal grease, or the second heat-conducting layer 122b is carbon fiber, and the first heat-conducting layer 122a is liquid metal, or the second heat-conducting layer 122b is graphene, and the first heat-conducting layer 122a is a low-melting-point metal, or the second heat-conducting layer 122b is graphene, and the first heat-conducting layer 122a is a phase-change thermal conductive material. The first heat-conducting layer 122a can change its thickness to wet the interface when the temperature and / or pressure changes, thereby filling the gaps at the interface and reducing thermal resistance. The second heat-conducting layer 122b can undergo elastic deformation in the thickness direction X, providing a certain support for the first heat-conducting layer 122a, thereby maintaining the heat-conducting layer 122 in a certain shape. Therefore, the thickness of the first heat-conducting layer 122a and the second heat-conducting layer 122b of the thermal pad 12 in this embodiment can both change, so that the thickness of the thermal pad 12 changes.

[0093] When the thermal conductive layer 122 includes a first thermal conductive layer 122a and a second thermal conductive layer 122b, the first thermal conductive layer 122a has good deformability and wettability; the second thermal conductive layer 122b can be cut and formed, and can undergo elastic deformation in the thickness direction X, while providing a certain support for the first thermal conductive layer 122a, thereby enabling the thermal pad 12 to adapt to the gap tolerance between the plug-in module 2 and the radiator 1.

[0094] Example 1: Referring to Figure 4, the wear-resistant layer 121 adopts a 10μm stainless steel film, the second thermal conductive layer 122b adopts a graphene thermal pad with a thickness of 0.3mm and a thermal conductivity of 90W / m·K, the first thermal conductive layer 122a adopts indium with a thickness of 5μm, the first thermal conductive layer 122a and the second thermal conductive layer 122b are stacked along the thickness direction X of the thermal conductive pad 12, and the adhesive layer 123 adopts a silicone double-sided tape with a thickness of 50μm and a shear strength greater than 1MPa.

[0095] Example 2: Referring to Figure 4 , the wear-resistant layer 121 utilizes a 10 μm thick beryllium copper (copper alloy) film, the second thermally conductive layer 122b utilizes a 0.3 mm thick graphene thermal pad with a thermal conductivity of 90 W / m·K, and the first thermally conductive layer 122a utilizes a 5 μm thick indium tin bismuth alloy. The first and second thermally conductive layers 122a and 122b are stacked along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12. The adhesive layer 123 utilizes a 50 μm thick silicone double-sided tape with a shear strength greater than 1 MPa.

[0096] Example 3: Referring to Figure 3, the wear-resistant layer 121 adopts a stainless steel film composite film with a thickness of 10μm, the thermal conductive layer 122 is a polyolefin-based phase change thermal conductive material with a thickness of 0.15mm and a thermal conductivity of 8W / m·K, and the adhesive layer 123 adopts a pressure-sensitive acrylic double-sided tape with a thickness of 50μm and a shear strength greater than 1MPa.

[0097] Example 4: Referring to Figure 3, the wear-resistant layer 121 adopts a tungsten alloy film with a thickness of 10μm, the thermal conductive layer 122 is an indium tin bismuth alloy with a thickness of 0.3mm, a thermal conductivity greater than 12W / m·K, and a melting point of 60°C, and the adhesive layer 123 adopts a pressure-sensitive silicone double-sided tape with a thickness of 50μm and a shear strength greater than 1MPa.

[0098] Example 5: Referring to Figure 3, the wear-resistant layer 121 adopts a copper-nickel-plated film with a thickness of 20μm, the thermal conductive layer 122 is a liquid metal gallium-indium-tin alloy with a thickness of 0.15mm, a thermal conductivity greater than 20W / m·K, and a melting point of 10°C, and the adhesive layer 123 adopts a pressure-sensitive silicone double-sided tape with a thickness of 50μm and a shear strength greater than 1MPa.

[0099] The experimental results of the plug-and-plug heat dissipation of the above five embodiments are shown in Table 1.

[0100] Table 1

[0101] As can be seen from the above table, by using the thermal pad 12 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the wear-resistant layer 121 can withstand more than 50 plug-in and unplugging times without being damaged, and the thermal conductive layer 122 can achieve a temperature rise benefit of 6 to 10°C for the plug-in module. That is, the thermal pad 12 provided in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the temperature rise of the plug-in module by 6°C to 10°C compared to hard contact with the radiator.

[0102] In another specific embodiment, referring to FIG5 , FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad 12 in FIG1 in another specific embodiment. In addition to the wear-resistant layer 121, the thermally conductive layer 122, and the adhesive layer 123 described above, the thermally conductive pad 12 may further include a support layer 124. The support layer 124 is located in the connection area 126 and is connected to the bottom surface of the adhesive layer 123 along the thickness direction X of the thermally conductive pad 12. The support layer 124 surrounds the thermally conductive layer 122 and can protect the thermally conductive layer 122 from the circumferential direction. The projections of the wear-resistant layer 121 and the adhesive layer 123 along the thickness direction X of the thermally conductive pad 12 cover the projection of the support layer 124 along the thickness direction X of the thermally conductive pad 12.

[0103] When the thermal pad 12 is attached to the radiator 1, the wear-resistant layer 121 and the adhesive layer 123 in the connection area 126 are bent toward the support layer 124, so that the adhesive layer 123 adheres to the sidewall of the support layer 124 before being attached to the radiator 1. The support layer 124 supports the wear-resistant layer 121, preventing it from becoming suspended in the air when bent downward, which could cause damage during insertion and removal. Furthermore, the support layer 124 further protects the thermal layer 122. For example, if the thermal layer 122 is a thermally conductive material such as liquid metal, the support layer 124 surrounding the thermal layer 122 can prevent moisture from intruding into the thermal layer 122, slowing the aging of the liquid thermally conductive material and extending the service life of the thermal layer 122.

[0104] In a specific embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the sidewall of the support layer 124 may be tilted to reduce stress concentration when the wear-resistant layer 121 and the adhesive layer 123 are bonded to the sidewall of the support layer 124 .

[0105] In a specific embodiment, the support layer 124 is thermally conductive and elastically deformable. When the thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 changes due to temperature and / or pressure changes, the support layer 124 is elastically deformable to match the thickness change of the thermal conductive layer 122 .

[0106] The support layer 124 may be made of an organic material or an organic / inorganic composite material, such as an organic silicone foam material, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, or a composite of the above organic materials and inorganic fillers.

[0107] In a specific embodiment, referring to FIG6 , FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal pad 12 in FIG1 in another specific embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG6 , the thermal pad 12 includes a thermally conductive layer 122 and a wear-resistant layer 121, and the thermally conductive layer 122 is located in a cavity surrounded by the wear-resistant layer 121, that is, the wear-resistant layer 121 surrounds the thermally conductive layer 122. The wear-resistant layer 121 provides better protection for the thermally conductive layer 122, thereby extending the service life of the thermal pad 12. In this embodiment, along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the bottom surface of the wear-resistant layer 121 in the thermal pad 12 is connected to the radiator 1. For example, the bottom surface of the wear-resistant layer 121 can be welded to the radiator 1.

[0108] In this embodiment, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be a flexible metal film or a composite film of metal and non-metal. For example, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be any flexible metal film selected from the group consisting of a copper alloy film, a copper (alloy) nickel-plated film, an aluminum alloy film, an aluminum (alloy) nickel-plated film, a magnesium alloy film, a stainless steel film, and a tungsten alloy film. Alternatively, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be any metal / non-metal composite film selected from the group consisting of a metal / graphite composite film, a metal / graphene composite film, and a metal / carbon fiber composite film. The thermal conductive layer 122 can be a liquefiable or paste-like material, such as one or more of a phase-change thermal conductive material, a thermal conductive gel, a thermal conductive silicone grease, a liquid metal, and a low-melting-point metal.

[0109] In a specific embodiment, Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad 12 in Figure 1 in another specific embodiment. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the thermal conductive layer 122 of the thermal pad 12 includes a first thermal conductive layer 122a and a second thermal conductive layer 122b, wherein the first thermal conductive layer 122a surrounds the second thermal conductive layer 122b, that is, the second thermal conductive layer 122b is located in the cavity formed by the first thermal conductive layer 122a. The first thermal conductive layer 122a is a liquefiable or paste-like material. For example, the first thermal conductive layer 122a can be any one of a phase-change thermal conductive material, a thermal conductive gel, a thermal conductive silicone grease, a liquid metal, and a low-melting-point metal; the second thermal conductive layer 122b can be one or more of a thermal conductive foam, carbon fiber, graphite, or graphene thermal conductive material. The first thermal conductive layer 122a can change thickness when temperature and / or pressure changes, has good interface wettability, can fill interface gaps, and reduce thermal resistance. The second heat-conducting layer 122b can undergo elastic deformation in the thickness direction X when the pressure changes to match the different assembly gaps and gap tolerances between the plug-in module 2 and the heat sink 1, while providing a certain support for the first heat-conducting layer 122a, thereby maintaining a certain shape of the heat-conducting layer.

[0110] In the embodiment shown in FIG7 , the wear-resistant layer 121 can be a flexible metal film or a metal / non-metal composite film. For example, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be any flexible metal film selected from the group consisting of a copper alloy film, a copper (alloy) nickel-plated film, an aluminum alloy film, an aluminum (alloy) nickel-plated film, a magnesium alloy film, a stainless steel film, and a tungsten alloy film. Alternatively, the wear-resistant layer 121 can be any metal / graphite composite film, a metal / graphene composite film, and a metal / carbon fiber composite film. In this embodiment, along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12, the bottom surface of the wear-resistant layer in the thermal pad 12 is connected to the radiator. For example, the bottom surface of the wear-resistant layer 121 can be welded to the radiator 1.

[0111] In a specific embodiment, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermal pad 12 in Figure 1 in another specific embodiment. In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the thermal conductive layer 122 of the thermal pad 12 is located in the cavity surrounded by the wear-resistant layer 121, that is, the wear-resistant layer 121 surrounds the thermal conductive layer 122. The thermal pad 12 may also include an adhesive layer 123, which is connected to the side of the wear-resistant layer 121 facing away from the thermal conductive layer 122. The thermal pad 12 can be bonded to the heat sink 1 via the adhesive layer 123. In this embodiment, the structure of the thermal conductive layer 122 and the wear-resistant layer 121 can be the same as the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and will not be repeated here.

[0112] In a specific embodiment, refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal pad 1 provided in the present application in another specific embodiment. In this embodiment, the thermal conductive layer 122 of the thermal pad 12 includes a first thermal conductive layer 122a and a second thermal conductive layer 122b, wherein the first thermal conductive layer 122a surrounds the second thermal conductive layer 122b, that is, the second thermal conductive layer 122b is located in the cavity formed by the first thermal conductive layer 122a. The thermal pad 12 may also include an adhesive layer 123, which is connected to the side of the wear-resistant layer 121 facing away from the thermal conductive layer 122, and the thermal pad 12 may be bonded to the radiator 1 through the adhesive layer 123. In this embodiment, the structure of the thermal conductive layer 122 and the wear-resistant layer 121 may be the same as that of the embodiment shown in Figure 7, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, when the thermal conductive layer 122 includes a first thermal conductive layer 122a and a second thermal conductive layer 122b, the thermal conductive layer 122 can be prepared by physically spin-coating a liquefiable or pasted thermal conductive material on a thermal conductive foam or a carbon-based thermal conductive material, or by in-situ repositioning a liquefiable or pasted thermal conductive material on a thermal conductive foam or a carbon-based thermal conductive material by physical or chemical vapor deposition.

[0114] In the embodiment shown in FIG9 , the thermal pad 12 may further include a support layer 124 (not shown). The support layer 124 may be located inside the thermal conductive layer 122, i.e., the thermal conductive layer 122 may surround the support layer 124. Alternatively, the support layer 124 may be located between the thermal conductive layer 122 and the wear-resistant layer 121, i.e., the support layer 124 surrounds the thermal conductive layer 122, and the wear-resistant layer 121 surrounds the support layer 124. The support layer 124 can support the wear-resistant layer 121 and the thermal conductive layer 122.

[0115] Example 6: Referring to Figure 5 , the wear-resistant layer 121 utilizes a 20μm-thick copper-nickel-plated film. The second thermally conductive layer 122b utilizes a 1-2mm-thick graphene thermal pad with a thermal conductivity of 110 W / m·K. The first thermally conductive layer 122a utilizes a 5μm-thick liquid metal thermal paste, such as a gallium alloy. The first and second thermally conductive layers 122a and 122b are stacked along the thickness direction X of the thermal pad 12. The adhesive layer 123 utilizes a 50μm-thick silicone double-sided tape with a shear strength greater than 1 MPa. The support layer 124 utilizes silicone protective foam. The thermal pad 12 in this embodiment is preferably compressed by 10% to 60%, ensuring a designed clearance of 0.5 to 1.8 mm between the heat sink 1 and the plug-in module 2.

[0116] Example 7: Referring to Figure 6 , the wear-resistant layer 121 is made of a 50 μm thick copper (alloy) composite graphene film, and the heat-conducting layer 122 is made of a 2.5 mm thick thermal conductive gel with a thermal conductivity coefficient of ≥1 W / m·K. The thermal pad 12 is fixedly connected to the radiator 1 by welding.

[0117] Example 8: Referring to Figure 7, the wear-resistant layer 121 adopts a stainless steel film with a thickness of 10μm, the second heat-conducting layer 122b adopts a heat-conducting foam with a thickness of 2.5mm and a thermal conductivity coefficient ≥1W / m·K, and the first heat-conducting layer 122a adopts a phase change heat-conducting material, thermal grease or low melting point alloy with a thickness of 50μm. The first heat-conducting layer 122a surrounds the second heat-conducting layer 122b, and the thermal pad 12 is fixedly connected to the radiator 1 by welding.

[0118] Example 9: Referring to Figure 8 , the wear-resistant layer 121 is made of a 30μm thick tungsten alloy composite graphene film, the thermal conductive layer 122 is made of a 2.5mm thick thermal conductive foam with a thermal conductivity coefficient of ≥1W / m·K, and the adhesive layer 123 is made of a pressure-sensitive thermal adhesive. The thermal pad 12 is fixedly connected to the heat sink 1 via the adhesive layer 123.

[0119] Through experiments, it can be found that the thermal pad 12 in Examples 7-9 of the present application can be used for a floating gap of 0.8 to 2 mm. After 50 plugging and unplugging (corresponding to 50 compression and rebound of the thermal pad 12), the thermal pad 12 is not damaged and the rebound rate is ≥60%.

[0120] In summary, the thermal pad 12 described in the embodiment of the present application has excellent plug-in resistance and heat dissipation performance, can meet different design gaps and gap tolerances, and adapt to different types of plug-in heat dissipation scenarios. Specifically, the thermal pad 12 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a thermal conductive layer 122 and a wear-resistant layer 121. The wear-resistant layer 121 includes a metal wear-resistant thermal conductive layer and a metal / non-metal wear-resistant thermal conductive layer, and the thermal conductivity coefficient is greater than 15W / m·K. The wear-resistant layer 121 has both excellent tear resistance / puncture resistance and thermal conductivity. The thermal pad 12 using the wear-resistant thermal conductive layer can withstand multiple plug-ins without damage. The thickness of the thermal conductive layer 122 can change due to pressure and / or temperature changes, meeting the design gap range of 20μm to 2mm between the radiator 1 and the plug-in module 2, while meeting the scenario of partially absorbing the gap tolerance, thereby significantly reducing the interface contact thermal resistance.

[0121] It should be noted that the thermal pad 12 described in the embodiment of the present application is not limited to being used in the radiator 1, but can also be used in other fields requiring heat dissipation.

[0122] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the embodiments of the present application, but the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application shall be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A thermal pad, characterized in that: The thermal pad comprises a wear-resistant layer and a thermal conductive layer connected to each other. The wear-resistant layer and the thermal conductive layer are distributed at least along the thickness direction of the thermal pad. The thickness of the thermal conductive layer can be varied.

2. The thermal pad according to claim 1, characterized in that: The phase state of at least part of the heat conducting layer can change, or at least part of the heat conducting layer can be elastically deformed, or at least part of the material of the heat conducting layer can flow.

3. The thermal pad according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat-conducting layer at least includes a first heat-conducting layer, and the first heat-conducting layer is a liquefiable or paste-like material.

4. The thermal pad according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material of the first heat-conducting layer is one or more of phase-change heat-conducting material, heat-conducting gel, heat-conducting silicone grease, liquid metal, and low-melting-point metal.

5. The thermally conductive pad according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heat-conducting layer also includes a second heat-conducting layer connected to the first heat-conducting layer, and the second heat-conducting layer is one or more of heat-conducting foam, carbon fiber, graphite, and graphene heat-conducting materials.

6. The thermal pad according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first heat-conducting layer and the second heat-conducting layer are stacked along a thickness direction of the heat-conducting pad.

7. The thermally conductive pad according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first heat conducting layer surrounds the second heat conducting layer.

8. The thermal pad according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat-conducting layer includes a heat-conducting foam layer and a liquefiable or paste-like layer disposed on the heat-conducting foam layer, or the heat-conducting layer includes a carbon-based heat-conducting material layer and a liquefiable or paste-like layer disposed on the carbon-based heat-conducting material layer.

9. The thermal pad according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermally conductive layer includes a carbon fiber cushion layer and a thermally conductive silicone grease layer arranged on both sides of the carbon fiber layer along the thickness direction, or the thermally conductive layer includes a carbon fiber cushion layer and a liquid metal layer arranged on both sides of the carbon fiber layer along the thickness direction, or the thermally conductive layer includes a graphene layer and a low-melting-point metal layer arranged on both sides of the graphene layer along the thickness direction, or the thermally conductive layer includes a graphene layer and a phase change thermally conductive material layer arranged on both sides of the graphene layer along the thickness direction.

10. A thermally conductive pad, characterized in that: The thermal pad includes a wear-resistant layer and a heat-conducting layer connected to each other, wherein the wear-resistant layer and the heat-conducting layer are distributed at least along the thickness direction of the thermal pad, and the wear-resistant layer is a metal film, or the wear-resistant layer includes a metal layer and a non-metal layer.

11. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The wear-resistant layer is one or more of copper alloy film, copper nickel-plated film, copper alloy nickel-plated film, aluminum alloy film, aluminum nickel-plated film, aluminum alloy nickel-plated film, magnesium alloy film, stainless steel film, and tungsten alloy film.

12. The thermal pad according to claim 11, characterized in that: The thickness of the wear-resistant layer is 5 μm-50 μm.

13. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The wear-resistant layer is one or more of a metal and graphite composite film, a metal and graphene composite film, and a metal and carbon fiber composite film.

14. The thermally conductive pad according to claim 13, characterized in that: The thickness of the wear-resistant layer is 10 μm-500 μm.

15. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The thermal conductivity of the wear-resistant layer is greater than 15 W / m·K.

16. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The projection of the wear-resistant layer along the thickness direction of the thermal pad covers the projection of the thermal conductive layer along the thickness direction of the thermal conductive pad.

17. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The thermal conductive pad also includes an adhesive layer connected to the wear-resistant layer.

18. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The thermal pad includes a thermal conductive area and a connecting area located at the periphery of the thermal conductive area. The thermal conductive layer is located in the thermal conductive area. The thermal pad also includes a supporting layer located in the connecting area. The supporting layer is connected to the wear-resistant layer and circumferentially surrounds the thermal conductive layer.

19. The thermally conductive pad according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The wear-resistant layer surrounds the heat-conducting layer, and the thermal pad further comprises a supporting layer. The heat-conducting layer surrounds the supporting layer, or the supporting layer is located between the heat-conducting layer and the wear-resistant layer.

20. The thermally conductive pad according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that: The supporting layer is elastically deformable.

21. A radiator assembly, characterized in that: The heat sink assembly comprises a heat sink and a thermal pad as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the thermal pad is connected to the heat sink, and the wear-resistant layer is located on a side of the thermal conductive layer away from the heat sink.

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