Vapor chamber

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 202111491232.8 filed in China on Dec. 8, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The disclosure relates to a heat dissipation device, more particularly to a vapor chamber.

In general, a heat pipe only transfers heat in one dimension (i.e., the axis of the heat pipe), and a vapor chamber can be regard as a planar heat pipe that can transfer heat in two dimensions. The vapor chamber mainly includes a plate body and a capillary structure. The plate body has a chamber filled with a working fluid. The capillary structure is accommodated in the chamber. A part of the plate body that is heated defines an evaporation space of the chamber, and a part of the plate body that dissipates heat defines a condensation space of the chamber. The working fluid in the evaporation space is evaporated into vapor, and then flows to the condensation space due to the pressure difference. The working fluid flowing to the condensation space is condensed into liquid and then flows back to the evaporation space with the help of the capillary structure.

A conventional vapor chamber has a pipe insertion portion at a lateral edge thereof formed by a stamping process, and the pipe insertion portion is for a filling/degassing pipe mounted thereon. After a filling/degassing process, the pipe insertion portion is required to be sealed by multiple cumbersome processes such as a compressing process and soldering process. In addition, when the pipe insertion portion of the vapor chamber is being formed, a part of the vapor chamber may be sacrificed, such that the appearance of the vapor chamber may be adversely affected by the pipe insertion portion. Since the pipe insertion portion of the conventional vapor chamber is located at the lateral edge thereof, the pipe diameter of the filling/degassing pipe is required to be smaller than the thickness of the vapor chamber and thus is limited by the thickness of the vapor chamber.

Moreover, a radio frequency heating process and a soldering process may be performed for sealing the gap between the pipe insertion portion of the vapor chamber and the filling/degassing pipe mounted thereon. However, during the radio frequency heating process, related parameters of heating (e.g., heating time, heating power, radio frequency, and the amount of solder) are hard to be controlled. When the related parameters of heating are improperly controlled, the sealing of the vapor chamber may be adversely affected. Specifically, when the heating time is too long, the pipe insertion may be overly heated, such that the fluidity of the solder may increase and the cooling speed of the solder may reduce. Therefore, the solder may flow into the vapor chamber through the gap between the pipe insertion portion and the filling/degassing pipe and attach on the capillary structure in the vapor chamber, thus reducing the effect of the capillary structure.

The disclosure provides a vapor chamber which can be sealed in a convenient manner after the filling/degassing process; that is, the radio frequency heating process and the soldering process can be saved, and thus the capillary structure in the vapor chamber can be prevented from adversely affected by the radio frequency heating process and the soldering process. In addition, since the installation position of the vapor chamber for the degassing pipe is modified, the pipe diameter of the degassing pipe is no longer limited by the thickness of the vapor chamber.

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a vapor chamber. The vapor chamber includes a first cover, a second cover, a sealing ring and a sealing plug. The first cover has a thermal contact surface. The second cover is coupled with the first cover so as to form an interior space together, and the second cover has a vent hole. The sealing ring has a channel and at least one opening. The opening is in fluid communication with the channel, the sealing ring is clamped between the first cover and the second cover, and the vent hole is in fluid communication with the interior space via the channel and the opening. The vent hole and the channel are plugged with the sealing plug so as to seal the interior space.

Another embodiment of the disclosure provides a vapor chamber. The vapor chamber includes a chamber and a sealing plug. The chamber includes a bottom portion, a side portion, and a top portion. The bottom portion, the side portion and the top portion together surround an interior space, the bottom portion has a thermal contact surface, the thermal contact surface faces away from the interior space, the top portion has a vent hole, and the vent hole is spaced apart from the side portion. The vent hole is plugged with the sealing plug so as to seal the interior space.

According to the vapor chambers as discussed in the above embodiments, since the vent hole is located at the second cover instead of the side edge of the vapor chamber, the rat tail area of the vapor chamber can be reduced so as to keep the appearance of the vapor chamber, thereby increasing the heat dissipation area of the vapor chamber. In addition, since the vent hole for the installation of a degassing pipe is modified to be located at the second cover, the pipe diameter of the degassing pipe is no longer limited by the thickness of the vapor chamber.

In addition, since the vent hole is located at the second cover instead of the side edge of the vapor chamber, the vent hole can be sealed in a convenient manner after the filling/degassing process; that is, a radio frequency heating process and a soldering process can be saved, and thus a capillary structure in the vapor chamber can be prevented from adversely affected by the radio frequency heating process and the soldering process.

The present disclosure will become better understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not intending to limit the present disclosure and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vapor chamber according to a first embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 1 when a vent hole is not plugged with a sealing plug yet;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of a vapor chamber according to a second embodiment of the disclosure when a vent hole is not plugged with a sealing plug yet;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 is another partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 6 when the vent hole is plugged with the sealing plug;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of a vapor chamber according to a third embodiment of the disclosure when a vent hole is not plugged with a sealing plug yet;

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 10 ;

FIG. 12 is another partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 10 ;

FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber in FIG. 10 when the vent hole is plugged with the sealing plug;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a vapor chamber according to a fourth embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of a vapor chamber according to a fifth embodiment of the disclosure.

In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.

In addition, the terms used in the present disclosure, such as technical and scientific terms, have its own meanings and can be comprehended by those skilled in the art, unless the terms are additionally defined in the present disclosure. That is, the terms used in the following paragraphs should be read on the meaning commonly used in the related fields and will not be overly explained, unless the terms have a specific meaning in the present disclosure.

Refer to FIGS. 1 to 5 , where FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vapor chamber 10 according to a first embodiment of the disclosure, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the vapor chamber 10 in FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber 10 in FIG. 1 when a vent hole 230 is not plugged with a sealing plug 400 yet, FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber 10 in FIG. 3 , and FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber 10 in FIG. 1 .

In this embodiment, the vapor chamber 10 is configured to accommodate a coolant (not shown), such as water, refrigerant, or a fluid changeable between two phases. The vapor chamber 10 includes a first cover 100 , a second cover 200 , a sealing ring 300 , and a sealing plug 400 . The first cover 100 and the second cover 200 are made of copper, aluminum or another thermally conductive material. The first cover 100 has a thermal contact surface 110 and an inner surface 120 . The thermal contact surface 110 is configured to be in thermal contact with a heat source (not shown). The heat source is, for example, a CPU or GPU. The inner surface 120 faces away from the thermal contact surface 110 . The second cover 200 and the first cover 100 are coupled with each other so as to form an interior space S together. Specifically, the second cover 200 has an outer surface 210 and an inner surface 220 located opposite to each other. The inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 is partially in contact with the first cover 100 , such that a part of the inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 and the inner surface 120 of the first cover 100 together surround the interior space S. In addition, the second cover 200 has a vent hole 230 . The vent hole 230 is disposed through the outer surface 210 and the inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 and is in fluid communication with the interior space S.

In this embodiment, each of the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 is integrally formed as one body via a computer numerical control machine or a forging die. The first cover 100 includes a plate 130 , a frame 140 and a plurality of support pillars 150 . The frame 140 is integrally connected to the plate 130 . The support pillars 150 are integrally connected to the plate 130 and surrounded by the frame 140 . When the second cover 200 and the first cover 100 are coupled with each other, the support pillars 150 support the second cover 200 for enhancing the structural strength of the vapor chamber 10 .

The sealing ring 300 is clamped between the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 . Specifically, the sealing ring 300 has a first support end surface 310 , a second support end surface 320 , a channel C and two openings N. The second support end surface 320 faces away from the first support end surface 310 , and the first support end surface 310 and the second support end surface 320 are respectively in contact with the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 . The channel C extends inwards from the second support end surface 320 , and the two openings N are located close to the first support end surface 310 and in fluid communication with the channel C. In addition, the channel C corresponds to the vent hole 230 ; that is, the channel C is in fluid communication with the vent hole 230 , and the vent hole 230 is in fluid communication with the interior space S via the channel C and the openings N. Therefore, a filling/degassing process can be performed on the interior space S of the vapor chamber 10 through the vent hole 230 .

Note that the quantity of the openings N is not restricted in the disclosure and may be modified to be one or more than two in some other embodiments.

The sealing plug 400 is inserted into the vent hole 230 and the channel C, so that the vent hole 230 and the channel C are plugged with the sealing plug 400 to seal the interior space S. The sealing plug 400 has a top end surface 410 , a bottom end surface 420 and an annular inclined guide surface 430 . The bottom end surface 420 faces away from the top end surface 410 . When the vent hole 230 and the channel C are plugged with the sealing plug 400 , the bottom end surface 420 faces the inner surface 120 of the first cover 100 . The annular inclined guide surface 430 is connected to the bottom end surface 420 , and a diameter D 1 of the bottom end surface 420 is smaller than a diameter D 2 of the top end surface 410 . The diameter D 2 of the top end surface 410 is greater than diameters D 3 of the vent hole 230 and the channel C, and the diameter D 1 of the bottom end surface 420 is smaller than or equal to the diameters D 3 of the vent hole 230 and the channel C. The annular inclined guide surface 430 facilitates the vent hole 230 and the channel C to be plugged with the sealing plug 400 via an interference fit manner (as shown in FIG. 5 ).

In this embodiment, a melting point of the sealing plug 400 is not required to be lower than a melting point of the second cover 200 .

In this embodiment, the top end surface 410 is non-coplanar with the outer surface 210 , but the disclosure is not limited thereto; in some other embodiments, the top end surface may be coplanar with the outer surface.

In this embodiment, since the sealing ring 300 and the second cover 200 or the first cover 100 are independent components, a thickness T 1 of the sealing ring 300 may be modified according to actual sealing requirements. In order to improve the sealing of the vent hole 230 , the thickness T 1 of the sealing ring 300 may be designed to be greater than a thickness T 2 of the second cover 200 .

Refer to FIGS. 6 to 9 , where FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of a vapor chamber 10 A according to a second embodiment of the disclosure when a vent hole 230 is not plugged with a sealing plug 400 A yet, FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber 10 A in FIG. 6 , FIG. 8 is another partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber 10 A in FIG. 6 , and FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber 10 A in FIG. 6 when the vent hole 230 is plugged with the sealing plug 400 A.

In this embodiment, the vapor chamber 10 A is configured to accommodate a coolant (not shown), such as water, refrigerant, or a fluid changeable between two phases. The vapor chamber 10 A includes a first cover 100 , a second cover 200 , a sealing ring 300 A, and a sealing plug 400 A. The first cover 100 and the second cover 200 are made of copper, aluminum or another thermally conductive material. The first cover 100 has a thermal contact surface 110 and an inner surface 120 . The thermal contact surface 110 is configured to be in thermal contact with a heat source (not shown). The heat source is, for example, a CPU or GPU. The inner surface 120 faces away from the thermal contact surface 110 . The second cover 200 and the first cover 100 are coupled with each other so as to form an interior space S together. Specifically, the second cover 200 has an outer surface 210 and an inner surface 220 located opposite to each other. The inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 is partially in contact with the first cover 100 , such that a part of the inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 and the inner surface 120 of the first cover 100 together surround the interior space S. In addition, the second cover 200 has a vent hole 230 . The vent hole 230 is disposed through the outer surface 210 and the inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 and is in fluid communication with the interior space S.

The sealing ring 300 A is clamped between the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 . Specifically, the sealing ring 300 A includes a support portion 310 A and a first protrusion portion 320 A. The support portion 310 A has a first support end surface 311 A, a second support end surface 312 A and a first recess 313 A. The first support end surface 311 A and the second support end surface 312 A of the support portion 310 A are respectively in contact with the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 . The first recess 313 A is recessed inwards from the second support end surface 312 A. The support portion 310 A has a first inner bottom surface 3131 A and a first annular inner side surface 3132 A forming the first recess 313 A. The first inner bottom surface 3131 A faces away from the first cover 100 . The first annular inner side surface 3132 A is connected to a periphery of the first inner bottom surface 3131 A. The first protrusion portion 320 A protrudes from the first inner bottom surface 3131 A and is spaced apart from the first annular inner side surface 3132 A by a first gap G 1 . The channel C penetrates through the first protrusion portion 320 A and the support portion 310 A along an axis X of the first protrusion portion 320 A and is in fluid communication with an opening N of the support portion 310 A. In addition, the channel C corresponds to the vent hole 230 ; that is, the channel C is in fluid communication with the vent hole 230 , and the vent hole 230 is in fluid communication with the interior space S via the channel C and the opening N. Therefore, a filling/degassing process can be performed on the interior space S of the vapor chamber 10 through the vent hole 230 .

The sealing plug 400 A includes a main body 410 A and a second protrusion 420 A. The main body 410 A has a top end surface 411 A, a bottom end surface 412 A and a second recess 413 A. The bottom end surface 412 A faces away from the top end surface 411 A and faces the first cover 100 . The second recess 413 A is recessed inwards from the bottom end surface 412 A. The main body 410 A has a second inner bottom surface 4131 A and a second annular inner side surface 4132 A forming the second recess 413 A. The second inner bottom surface 4131 A faces the first cover 100 . The second annular inner side surface 4132 A is connected to a periphery of the second inner bottom surface 4131 A. The second protrusion 420 A protrudes from the second inner bottom surface 4131 A and is spaced apart from the second annular inner side surface 4132 A by a second gap G 2 . The channel C is plugged with the second protrusion 420 A. The first gap G 1 is plugged with a part of the main body 410 A, and the second gap G 2 is plugged with a part of the first protrusion portion 320 A.

In this embodiment, the sealing plug 400 A further has an annular inclined guide surface 414 A. The annular inclined guide surface 414 A is connected to the bottom end surface 412 A. The annular inclined guide surface 414 A facilitates the sealing plug 400 A to be inserted into the vent hole 230 and the channel C, such that the vent hole 230 , the channel C and the first gap G 1 are plugged with the main body 410 A and the second protrusion 420 A of the sealing plug 400 A via an interference fit manner (as shown in FIG. 9 ).

The recesses and the protrusion portions of the sealing plug 400 A and the sealing ring 300 A can increase the contact area between the sealing plug 400 A and the sealing ring 300 A, thereby further enhancing the sealing of the vent hole 230 .

Refer to FIGS. 10 to 13 , where FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of a vapor chamber 10 B according to a third embodiment of the disclosure when a vent hole 230 is not plugged with a sealing plug 400 B yet, FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber 10 B in FIG. 10 , FIG. 12 is another partial cross-sectional perspective view of the vapor chamber 10 B in FIG. 10 , and FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional planar view of the vapor chamber 10 B in FIG. 10 when the vent hole 230 is plugged with the sealing plug 400 B.

In this embodiment, the vapor chamber 10 B is configured to accommodate a coolant (not shown), such as water, refrigerant, or a fluid changeable between two phases. The vapor chamber 10 B includes a first cover 100 , a second cover 200 , a sealing ring 300 , a sealing plug 400 B and a sealing pillar 500 B. The first cover 100 and the second cover 200 are made of copper, aluminum or another thermally conductive material. The first cover 100 has a thermal contact surface 110 and an inner surface 120 . The thermal contact surface 110 is configured to be in thermal contact with a heat source (not shown). The heat source is, for example, a CPU or GPU. The inner surface 120 faces away from the thermal contact surface 110 . The second cover 200 and the first cover 100 are coupled with each other so as to form an interior space S together. Specifically, the second cover 200 has an outer surface 210 and an inner surface 220 located opposite to each other. The inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 is partially in contact with the first cover 100 , such that a part of the inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 and the inner surface 120 of the first cover 100 together surround the interior space S. In addition, the second cover 200 has a vent hole 230 . The vent hole 230 is disposed through the outer surface 210 and the inner surface 220 of the second cover 200 and is in fluid communication with the interior space S.

The sealing ring 300 is clamped between the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 . Specifically, the sealing ring 300 has a first support end surface 310 , a second support end surface 320 , a channel C and two openings N. The second support end surface 320 faces away from the first support end surface 310 , and the first support end surface 310 and the second support end surface 320 are respectively in contact with the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 . The channel C extends inwards from the second support end surface 320 , and the two openings N are located close to the first support end surface 310 and in fluid communication with the channel C. In addition, the channel C corresponds to the vent hole 230 ; that is, the channel C is in fluid communication with the vent hole 230 , and the vent hole 230 is in fluid communication with the interior space S via the channel C and the openings N. Therefore, a filling/degassing process can be performed on the interior space S of the vapor chamber 10 through the vent hole 230 .

Note that the quantity of the openings N is not restricted in the disclosure and may be modified to be one or more than two in some other embodiments.

The sealing pillar 500 B protrudes from the inner surface 120 of the first cover 100 and is partially located in the vent hole 230 of the second cover 200 . The vent hole 230 and the channel C are plugged with the sealing plug 400 B so as to seal the interior space S. The sealing plug 400 B has a top end surface 410 B, a bottom end surface 420 B and a central insertion hole 430 B. The bottom end surface 420 B faces away from the top end surface 410 B. When the vent hole 230 and the channel C are plugged with the sealing plug 400 B, the bottom end surface 420 B faces the inner surface 120 of the first cover 100 . The central insertion hole 430 B extends from the top end surface 410 B to the bottom end surface 420 B. When the vent hole 230 and the channel C are plugged with the sealing plug 400 B, the sealing plug 400 B surrounds the sealing pillar 500 B and is clamped between the sealing pillar 500 B and the sealing ring 300 . The sealing pillar 500 B is inserted into the central insertion hole 430 B of the sealing plug 400 B via an interference fit manner, and the sealing plug 400 B is inserted into the channel C via the interference fit manner (as shown in FIG. 12 ).

In this embodiment, the sealing pillar 500 B can increase the contact area between the sealing plug 400 B and the sealing ring 300 , thereby enhancing the sealing of the vent hole 230 .

In this embodiment, the top end surface 410 B is coplanar with the outer surface 210 , but the disclosure is not limited thereto; in some other embodiments, the top end surface may be non-coplanar with the outer surface.

In the aforementioned embodiments, each of the first cover 100 and the second cover 200 is integrally formed as one body via a computer numerical control machine or a forging die, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Refer to FIG. 14 , where FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a vapor chamber 10 C according to a fourth embodiment of the disclosure. Since the sealing plug and the sealing ring of the vapor chamber 10 C of this embodiment are similar to or the same as the sealing plug 400 and the sealing ring 300 of the previous embodiment, the following paragraphs will not repeatedly introduce them.

In this embodiment, the vapor chamber 10 C is configured to accommodate a coolant (not shown), such as water, refrigerant, or a fluid changeable between two phases. The vapor chamber 10 C includes a first cover 100 C, a second cover 200 C. The first cover 100 C and the second cover 200 C are made of copper, aluminum or another thermally conductive material. The second cover 200 C and the first cover 100 C are coupled with each other so as to form an interior space together.

In this embodiment, the first cover 100 C and the second cover 200 C are, for example, made by a stamping process. The first cover 100 C includes a plate 130 C, a frame 140 C, and a plurality of support pillars 150 C. The frame 140 C and the support pillars 150 C are, for example, connected to the plate 130 C by a soldering manner. The support pillars 150 C are surrounded by the frame 140 C. When the second cover 200 C and the first cover 100 C are coupled with each other, the support pillars 150 C support the second cover 200 C for enhancing the structural strength of the vapor chamber 10 C.

Refer to FIG. 15 , where FIG. 15 is an exploded view of a vapor chamber 10 D according to a fifth embodiment of the disclosure

In this embodiment, the vapor chamber 10 D includes a chamber 100 D and a sealing plug 400 D. The chamber 100 D includes a bottom portion 110 D, a side portion 120 D and a top portion 130 D which are integrally formed as one body. The bottom portion 110 D, the side portion 120 D and the top portion 130 D together surround an interior space S. The bottom portion 110 D has a thermal contact surface 111 D facing away from the interior space S. The side portion 120 D has an annular side surface 121 D facing away from the interior space S. The top portion 130 D has a vent hole 131 D. The vent hole 131 D is spaced apart from the side portion 120 D by a distance L. The vent hole 131 D is plugged with the sealing plug 400 D so as to seal the interior space S.

In this embodiment, the vapor chamber 10 D may further include a sealing ring 300 D. The sealing ring 300 D has at least one opening N. The sealing ring 300 D is clamped between the bottom portion 110 D and the top portion 130 D, and the vent hole 122 D is in fluid communication with the interior space S via the opening N.

According to the vapor chambers as discussed in the above embodiments, since the vent hole is located at the second cover instead of the side edge of the vapor chamber, the rat tail area of the vapor chamber can be reduced so as to keep the appearance of the vapor chamber, thereby increasing the heat dissipation area of the vapor chamber. In addition, since the vent hole for the installation of a degassing pipe is modified to be located at the second cover, the pipe diameter of the degassing pipe is no longer limited by the thickness of the vapor chamber.

In addition, since the vent hole is located at the second cover instead of the side edge of the vapor chamber, the vent hole can be sealed in a convenient manner after the filling/degassing process; that is, a radio frequency heating process and a soldering process can be saved, and thus a capillary structure in the vapor chamber can be prevented from adversely affected by the radio frequency heating process and the soldering process.

In addition, since the thickness of the sealing ring is greater than the thickness of the second cover, the sealing of the vent hole can be enhanced.

Moreover, the recesses and the protrusion portions of the sealing plug and the sealing ring can increase the contact area between the sealing plug and the sealing ring, thereby further enhancing the sealing of the vent hole.

Furthermore, the sealing pillar can increase the contact area between the sealing plug and the sealing ring, thereby enhancing the sealing of the vent hole.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary embodiments only, with a scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.