Flexible Thermal Conduit for Hinged Device Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling capacity for passively cooled electronic devices is limited by the available heat transfer surface area, particularly in compact and low-mass designs where space constraints prevent the integration of heat dissipation structures near heat-generating components.
Innovation Solution
A flexible thermal conduit system that transfers heat from a space-constrained housing portion to a heat dissipation structure in a second housing portion, utilizing multiple layers of flexible materials like graphite or thin metal, which can flex independently to accommodate movement between housing portions, such as in a hinge connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heat dissipation structure is integrated near heat-generating components, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device size and mass increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat dissipation structure is extracted from the first housing portion and relocated to the second housing portion. The flexible thermal conduit serves as the thermal pathway connecting the heat-generating component in the first housing portion to the heat dissipation structure in the second housing portion, thereby separating the heat generation and heat dissipation functions spatially while maintaining effective thermal coupling
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible thermal conduit is used instead of a rigid thermal pathway, allowing the system to adapt to different spatial configurations and movements between housing portions. The flexible conduit maintains thermal coupling while accommodating dynamic changes in the relative positions of the first and second housing portions, enabling effective heat dissipation without constraining device design flexibility
2Volume of moving object
If heat dissipation structure is placed in a separate housing portion, then space constraints are relieved, but thermal coupling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible thermal conduit is constructed from thin, flexible thermally conductive materials that can conform to various geometries and maintain intimate thermal contact between the heat-generating component and the heat dissipation structure. This flexible conduit ensures efficient thermal coupling even when the housing portions are separated or move relative to each other, overcoming the thermal resistance that would typically accompany spatial separation
3Temperature
If rigid thermal pathway is used, then thermal conductivity is maximized, but flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal conduit is constructed from flexible thermally conductive materials such as flexible graphite, thin metal layers, or other flexible thermally conductive substances. These materials maintain high thermal conductivity while providing the flexibility needed to accommodate movements and deformations of the housing portions, thereby combining effective heat transfer with mechanical adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible thermal conduit enables the thermal pathway to dynamically adapt to changing spatial relationships between housing portions. As the first and second housing portions move relative to each other, the flexible conduit flexes and reconfigures to maintain continuous thermal contact, ensuring consistent heat dissipation performance across different device configurations and usage conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively enhances heat dissipation in space-constrained electronic devices by allowing flexible routing of thermal pathways, improving cooling efficiency without increasing device size or weight.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible thermal conduit that runs from a first housing portion of an electronic device to a second housing portion of the electronic device, to convey heat generated by an electronic component in the first housing portion to a heat dissipation structure in the second housing portion
Implementation Method 2
the layers are not affixed to each other in the region where the second housing portion is coupled to the first housing portion, thereby enabling the layers to flex independently of each other in that region
Data Source
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AI summary
A flexible thermal conduit runs from a first housing portion of an electronic device to a second housing portion of the electronic device, to convey heat generated by an electronic component located in the first housing portion to a heat dissipation structure located in the second housing portion, where the second housing portion is flexibly coupled to the first housing portion, for example, by a hinge or other type of joint. The flexible conduit may include a plurality of layers of thin, flat thermally conductive material, which may be arranged to flex independently of each other in the region where the first and second housing portions are coupled.