Hetero-Material Floating Heat Pipe with Flexible Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pipes face efficiency issues and potential damage due to height differences between heat sources on electronic device circuit boards, as their rigid structure cannot adjust to varying heights, leading to deformation and failure when attempting to adapt.
Innovation Solution
A hetero-material floating heat pipe structure with a flexible section made of plastic or polymer material and a multi-segment adjustment unit, allowing for adjustable angles and directions to accommodate different heat source arrangements, featuring pivotally connected adjustment members for secure and flexible positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the heat pipe uses a rigid metal structure with uniform thickness, then the structural strength and sealing performance are improved, but the adaptability to height differences between heat sources deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is divided into multiple sections: a first heat pipe section with thicker wall, a flexible section with thinner wall, and a second heat pipe section with thicker wall. This segmentation allows different parts to have different properties - the thicker sections provide strength and sealing, while the thinner flexible section provides adaptability to height differences.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible section has a thinner tubular wall compared to the thicker walls of the first and second heat pipe sections. This local quality change allows the flexible section to be bent at different angles to adapt to height differences between heat sources, while the thicker sections maintain structural strength and sealing performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the heat pipe is made flexible by using thinner tubular wall in the flexible section, then the adaptability to height differences is improved, but the structural strength and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is segmented into thick-walled sections for strength and reliability, and a thin-walled flexible section for adaptability. This segmentation ensures that the flexible section can bend to accommodate height differences without compromising the overall structural reliability provided by the thicker sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe employs a composite structure with different wall thicknesses in different sections. The combination of thick-walled rigid sections and thin-walled flexible section creates a composite system that achieves both structural reliability and flexibility for adapting to height differences.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bellows structure or flexible section is used to accommodate height differences, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible section with a thinner tubular wall that can be bent at different angles to accommodate height differences between heat sources. This approach avoids complex bellows structures while achieving the required adaptability through the inherent flexibility of the thinner-walled section.
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 hetero-material floating heat pipe structure effectively adjusts to height differences between heat sources, enhancing heat transfer efficiency and preventing damage by allowing flexible bending and secure positioning, thus improving thermal management in electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
the working fluid contained in the capillary structure of the evaporator section absorbs heat and is transformed from liquid phase into vapor phase
Implementation Method 2
under the capillary attraction of the capillary structure, the working liquid is sent back to the evaporator section
Implementation Method 3
a flexible section made of plastic or polymer material, allowing for adjustable angles and directions to accommodate different heat source arrangements
Data Source
AI summary
A hetero-material floating heat pipe structure includes a main body and a multi-segment floating adjustment unit. The main body has a front end, a rear end and a flexible section disposed between the front end and the rear end. The flexible section has flexibility, whereby the main body is flexible. The multi-segment floating adjustment unit is disposed on an outer surface of the flexible section for restricting and protecting the flexible section. The multi-segment floating adjustment unit includes multiple adjustment members, which are pivotally connected with each other and stringed to form the multi-segment floating adjustment unit. Each of two ends of each adjustment member has a pivoted section. By means of the pivoted sections, the adjustment members are pivotally connected with each other and can be swung and bent by the same angle or by different angles to adjust the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit.