Flat heat pipe and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A flat heat pipe includes a flat hollow pipe and a capillary structure. The flat hollow pipe has a first flat portion, a second flat portion and two arc portions, wherein the two arc portions are connected to both sides of the first and second flat portions. The capillary structure is formed in the flat hollow pipe. The capillary structure has a central portion and two edge portions, wherein the central portion is located on an inner wall of the first flat portion, the two edge portions are located on inner walls of the two arc portions respectively, and a thickness of the central portion is smaller than a thickness of each of the two edge portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flat heat pipe comprising:
 a flat hollow pipe having a first flat portion, a second flat portion and two arc portions, the two arc portions being connected to both sides of the first and second flat portions; and   a capillary structure formed in the flat hollow pipe, the capillary structure having a central portion and two edge portions, the central portion being located on an inner wall of the first flat portion, the two edge portions being located on inner walls of the two arc portions respectively, a thickness of the central portion being smaller than a thickness of each of the two edge portions.   
     
     
         2 . The flat heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two edge portions abuts against an inner wall of the second flat portion. 
     
     
         3 . The flat heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the capillary structure is U-shaped. 
     
     
         4 . The flat heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the capillary structure is a sintered capillary structure, a mesh capillary structure or a compound capillary structure. 
     
     
         5 . A method of manufacturing a flat heat pipe comprising:
 providing a circular hollow pipe and a T-shaped like wick, wherein the T-shaped like wick has a fan-shaped portion and a protruding portion protruding from the fan-shaped portion;   inserting the T-shaped like wick into the circular hollow pipe such that the fan-shaped portion abuts against an inner wall of the circular hollow pipe and a segment difference space is formed between the protruding portion and the inner wall of the circular hollow pipe;   forming a capillary structure in the segment difference space, wherein the capillary structure has a central portion and two edge portions and a thickness of the central portion is smaller than a thickness of each of the two edge portions;   drawing the T-shaped like wick out of the circular hollow pipe; and   compressing the circular hollow pipe so as to form a flat hollow pipe.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein after compressing the circular hollow pipe so as to form the flat hollow pipe, the flat hollow pipe has a first flat portion, a second flat portion and two arc portions, the two arc portions are connected to both sides of the first and second flat portions, the central portion is located on an inner wall of the first flat portion, and the two edge portions are located on inner walls of the two arc portions respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein after compressing the circular hollow pipe so as to form the flat hollow pipe, at least one of the two edge portions abuts against an inner wall of the second flat portion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the capillary structure is U-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the capillary structure is a sintered capillary structure, a mesh capillary structure or a compound capillary structure.