Cooling apparatus for electronic devices

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a cooling device primarily for cooling integrated circuits or other electronic devices during operation. The cooling device may include a heat sink portion having a plurality of cooling vanes and a heat pipe chamber. Both the cooling vanes and the heat pipe chamber may be integrally formed within the heat sink portion. Because the heat pipe chamber is integrally formed with the cooling vanes, no joints exist between the condensing surface of the heat pipe chamber and the cooling vanes. This, in turn, allows extremely rapid and efficient heat transfer between the heat pipe chamber and the cooling vanes. The cooling device may include extensions of the main heat pipe chamber which project into each of the cooling vanes. In this manner, the condensing surface of the heat pipe chamber is actually moved into the vanes at a position very close to the surface of the vanes where heat transfer into the atmosphere occurs.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A cooling device for dissipating heat from a heat source, said cooling device comprising: 
 a chamber enclosed by at least a first wall portion and a second wall portion;    said first wall portion including:    a. a first wall portion outer surface adapted to contact said heat source;    b. a first wall portion inner surface oppositely disposed relative to said first wall portion outer surface, said first wall portion inner surface facing said chamber;    said second wall portion including:    a. a second wall portion inner surface facing said chamber;    b. a second wall portion outer surface oppositely disposed with respect to said second wall portion inner surface;    a plurality of cooling vanes extending from said second wall portion outer surface, wherein said plurality of cooling vanes are integrally formed with said second wall portion.    
     
     
         2 . The cooling device of    claim 1    wherein said chamber is sealed in a substantially air-tight manner.  
     
     
         3 . The cooling device of    claim 1    and further including a fluid in said chamber.  
     
     
         4 . The cooling device of    claim 3    wherein said fluid is water.  
     
     
         5 . The cooling device of    claim 1    wherein said chamber defines a heat pipe.  
     
     
         6 . The cooling device of    claim 1    wherein at least a portion of said first wall portion is releasably attached to the remainder of said cooling device.  
     
     
         7 . The cooling device of    claim 6    wherein said at least a portion of said first wall portion is threadingly attached to the remainder of said cooling device.  
     
     
         8 . The cooling device of    claim 1    wherein said second wall portion outer surface has a curved profile.  
     
     
         9 . The cooling device of    claim 1    wherein said chamber extends into at least one of said plurality of cooling vanes.  
     
     
         10 . The cooling device of    claim 1    wherein said first wall portion inner surface has a first surface area, said second wall portion inner surface has a second surface area and said second surface area is larger than said first surface area.  
     
     
         11 . A cooling device for dissipating heat from a heat source, said cooling device comp rising: 
 a chamber defined by at least one wall portion;    a plurality of fins extending from said at least one wall portion;    wherein said chamber extends into at least one of said plurality of fins.    
     
     
         12 . The cooling device of    claim 11    wherein said chamber is sealed in a substantially air-tight manner.  
     
     
         13 . The cooling device of    claim 11    and further including a fluid in said chamber.  
     
     
         14 . The cooling device of    claim 13    wherein said fluid is water.  
     
     
         15 . The cooling device of    claim 11    wherein said chamber defines a heat pipe.  
     
     
         16 . The cooling device of    claim 11    wherein said at least one wall portion has a curved profile.  
     
     
         17 . A method of making a cooling device comprising: 
 integrally forming a plurality of cooling vanes into a heat sink portion;    integrally forming a chamber within said heat sink portion.    
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 17    and further including substantially sealing said chamber by attaching a cover portion to said heat sink portion.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 18    and further including adding a fluid into said chamber prior to said attaching a cover portion.  
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 19    wherein said fluid is water.  
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 17    wherein said chamber defines a heat pipe.  
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 18    wherein said attaching said cover portion comprises releasably attaching said cover portion to said heat sink portion.  
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 22    wherein said releasably attaching comprises threadingly attaching said cover portion to said heat sink portion.  
     
     
         24 . The method of    claim 17    wherein said integrally forming a chamber comprises extending said chamber into at least one of said plurality of cooling vanes.