Thermal Conduit Interfacing Rotationally Coupled Housing Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable information handling systems face challenges with thermal management due to limited passive cooling capabilities, leading to excessive heat buildup and reduced performance, especially in low-profile configurations where active cooling is not feasible.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a thermal conduit that transfers heat between rotationally coupled housing portions, utilizing vapor chambers and graphite thermal spreaders to efficiently dissipate heat across a larger surface area, with dynamic control of thermal transfer to manage temperatures and maintain performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If passive cooling is used in low-profile portable information handling systems, then the system maintains a thin and light design, but thermal management capability is insufficient leading to excessive heat buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the lid housing portion positioned in a vertical orientation to dissipate heat, effectively using the third dimension (vertical space) to increase the surface area available for thermal dissipation without increasing the horizontal footprint or profile thickness of the device
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal conduits as intermediary elements that transfer thermal energy from the base housing portion where processing components are located to the lid housing portion which serves as a heat dissipation surface, enabling efficient thermal management in the low-profile design
2Productivity
If processing power is increased in portable information handling systems, then computational performance improves, but thermal management challenges increase leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the vertically oriented lid housing portion to provide additional thermal dissipation capacity, allowing higher processing power to be sustained by directing heat to this extended surface area, thereby maintaining reliability under increased computational loads
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of thermal transfer characteristics, allowing the thermal management system to adapt and optimize heat dissipation in real-time based on processing demands and thermal conditions, ensuring reliable operation across varying workloads
3Temperature
If active cooling is implemented in portable information handling systems, then thermal management capability improves, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs passive cooling mechanisms where the system utilizes natural convection and conduction through the housing structure and thermal conduits to dissipate heat without requiring active cooling components such as fans or pumps, thereby maintaining simplicity while achieving effective thermal management
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the housing structure, which would normally be a source of heat trapping, into a beneficial thermal dissipation pathway by designing the lid housing portion as a heat sink and using thermal conduits to channel heat toward this surface, turning potential harm into a cooling advantage
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
This solution enhances passive thermal cooling, allowing for increased processing power while maintaining component temperatures within safe limits, even in low-profile designs, by effectively distributing heat across a larger surface area and dynamically adjusting thermal transfer.
Implementation Method 1
a vapor chamber in the second housing portion that interfaces with the thermal conduit
Implementation Method 2
utilizing vapor chambers and graphite thermal spreaders to efficiently dissipate heat
Implementation Method 3
graphite thermal spreaders to efficiently dissipate heat across a larger surface area
Data Source
AI summary
A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components in a main housing portion through a graphite cable to a lid housing portion that rejects the thermal energy to the external environment. The graphite cable has plural graphite elements vertically stacked with adhesive and exposed at each end as plural coupling points that each independently couple to a thermal device in the main and lid housing portions, such as a heat sink or vapor chamber.