Flexible Thermal Conduit for Wearable Hotspot Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems for electronic devices are bulky, heavy, and not well-suited for use in compact devices such as wearable electronics, as they fail to efficiently manage heat without causing user discomfort due to hotspots.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system that includes a thermal conduit with a pyrolytic graphite core coated with copper or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is coupled to electronic components via a thermally conductive silicone matrix, allowing for efficient heat transfer and dispersion across the device housing or heat sink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional thermal management systems are used, then heat can be managed, but the device becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin-film thermal conduit made of pyrolytic graphite with copper or PET coating, which is flexible and lightweight. This thin-film structure replaces traditional bulky thermal management components while maintaining effective heat transfer capability, directly resolving the contradiction between heat management performance and device weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conduit employs a composite structure combining pyrolytic graphite core with copper or polyethylene terephthalate coating. This composite material design leverages the high thermal conductivity of pyrolytic graphite while the metallic coating provides additional thermal pathways and structural integrity, achieving superior heat management with minimal weight addition.
2Temperature
If traditional thermal management systems are used, then heat can be managed, but the device occupies excessive space
Solution Approach 1:
The thin-film thermal conduit can be conformally attached to heat-generating components and routed through available spaces in the device. Its flexible nature allows it to adapt to complex geometries without requiring additional volume, enabling effective thermal management in compact wearable device form factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal conduit is designed to be integrated within the existing device structure, nesting the thermal management function within the housing and component interstices. This nested integration allows the thermal conduit to occupy minimal additional space while effectively managing heat from internal components.
3Temperature
If heat is transferred to housing, then thermal energy is dispersed, but hotspots may cause user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal conduit is strategically positioned to extract heat from high-heat-generation zones near electronic components and transfer it to larger surface areas of the housing. This creates a thermal gradient that disperses heat away from user contact points, maintaining local thermal quality that prevents hotspots while ensuring overall thermal management effectiveness.
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
The system effectively manages heat by transferring thermal energy from electronic components to the device housing or heat sink, preventing hotspots and ensuring user comfort in wearable devices, while being lightweight and compact.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal conduit with a pyrolytic graphite core coated with copper or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is coupled to electronic components via a thermally conductive silicone matrix, allowing for efficient heat transfer and dispersion
Implementation Method 2
a thermal conduit with a pyrolytic graphite core coated with copper or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is coupled to electronic components via a thermally conductive silicone matrix, allowing for efficient heat transfer and dispersion
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible thermal conduit includes a first material extending along an axial length of the thermal conduit, the first material having a first thermal conductivity, a second material encasing at least a portion of the first material, the second material having a second thermal conductivity that is less than the first thermal conductivity, and a thermally conductive silicone molded over at least a portion of the first material and the second material such that the thermally conductive silicone forms the first end and the second end of the thermal conduit. The thermal conduit may be used in electronic device, such as a wearable device, to transmit heat from a heat source (e.g., a processor) to a thermal ground (e.g., a housing).