Heat pipe suitable for application in electronic device with limited mounting space

Abstract

A mesh-type heat pipe ( 10 ) includes a casing ( 12 ), a tube ( 14 ) located inside the casing and a screen mesh wick ( 16 ) located between the casing and the tube. The tube defines therein a plurality of through holes ( 142 ) and at least one cutout ( 144 ). The wick is held against the casing by the tube. Under the support of the tube, the wick as a whole engages closely an inner surface of the casing, thereby establishing an effective heat transfer path between the casing and a working fluid that is saturated in the wick. Meanwhile, with the cutout in the tube presented, the heat pipe incorporating such tube is easily to be bent or flattened so as to enable the heat pipe to be applicable in electronic devices with a limited mounting space for a cooling device, such as notebook computers.

1 . A heat pipe comprising: 
 a casing;    a tube located inside the casing, the tube defining therein a plurality of through holes and at least one cutout; and    a screen mesh wick located between the casing and the tube and held by the tube against the casing.    
   
   
       2 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutout extends along one of circumferential and longitudinal directions of the tube.  
   
   
       3 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the tube is divided into multiple separate pieces by the at least one cutout.  
   
   
       4 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the tube is made of one of organic material and metal material.  
   
   
       5 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the through holes account for 70 percent of a total surface area of the tube.  
   
   
       6 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the screen mesh wick is made of a plurality of flexible wires by weaving technology.  
   
   
       7 . A method for manufacturing a heat pipe comprising steps of: 
 providing a tube with a plurality of through holes and at least one cutout defined therein;    wrapping a screen mesh wick onto an outer surface of the tube; and    inserting the tube and the wick into a hollow casing.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the tube and the wick are inserted into said casing after said casing is heated to expand with a required extent.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the screen mesh wick is made of a plurality of flexible wires by weaving technology.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one cutout is formed along one of circumferential and longitudinal directions of the tube.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the tube is made of one of organic material and metal material.  
   
   
       12 . A heat pipe for transferring heat from one section to another section thereof, comprising: 
 a metal casing having an inner surface defining a hollow space therein;    a screen mesh wick contacting the inner surface of the metal casing; and    a tube received in the hollow space and pressing the wick against the inner surface of the metal casing, wherein the tube defines a plurality of holes therethrough and at least one elongated cutout therein.    
   
   
       13 . The heat pipe of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one cutout is defined in the tube along a circumferential direction thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The heat pipe of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one cutout extends all through the tube and divides the tube into two pieces.  
   
   
       15 . The heat pipe of  claim 13 , wherein the least one cutout is perpendicular to an axis of the tube.  
   
   
       16 . The heat pipe of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one cutout is slanted to an axis of the tube.  
   
   
       17 . The heat pipe of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one cutout is defined in the tube along a longitudinal direction thereof.  
   
   
       18 . The heat pipe of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one cutout comprises two sections extending from two opposite ends of the tube toward a middle thereof.  
   
   
       19 . The heat pipe  claim 17 , wherein the tube comprises an additional cutout extending along the longitudinal direction thereof and located opposite the at least one cutout.  
   
   
       20 . The heat pipe of  claim 19 , wherein each of the at least one cutout and the additional cutout comprises two sections extending from two opposite ends of the tube toward a middle thereof.