HETERO-MATERIAL FLOATING HEAT PIPE STRUCTURE

Abstract

A hetero-material floating heat pipe structure includes a main body and a multi-segment floating adjustment unit. The main body has a front end, a rear end and a flexible section disposed between the front end and the rear end. The flexible section has flexibility, whereby the main body is flexible. The multi-segment floating adjustment unit is disposed on an outer surface of the flexible section for restricting and protecting the flexible section. The multi-segment floating adjustment unit includes multiple adjustment members, which are pivotally connected with each other and stringed to form the multi-segment floating adjustment unit. Each of two ends of each adjustment member has a pivoted section. By means of the pivoted sections, the adjustment members are pivotally connected with each other and can be swung and bent by the same angle or by different angles to adjust the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit.

Claims

1. A hetero-material floating heat pipe structure comprising: a main body having a front end, a rear end and a flexible section, the flexible section being disposed between the front end and the rear end in communication therewith, the front end and the rear end being made of metal material, the flexible section being made of one of plastic material and polymer material, a heat transfer chamber being defined in the main body, the heat transfer chamber extending from the front end through the flexible section to the rear end; and a multi-segment floating adjustment unit having multiple adjustment members disposed on an outer surface of the flexible section for restricting and protecting the flexible section, each of two ends of each adjustment member having a pivoted section for pivotally connecting the adjustment members with each other so as to string the adjustment members to form the multi-segment floating adjustment unit, whereby by means of the pivoted sections, the adjustment members can be swung and bent by the same angle or by different angles to adjust the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit.

2. The hetero-material floating heat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer material is selected from a group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate.

3. The hetero-material floating heat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein any of the pivoted sections is formed with a pivot hole, while the other of the pivoted sections is formed with a protruding shaft in adaptation to the pivot hole.

4. The hetero-material floating heat pipe structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front end has a front end inner space and the rear end has a rear end inner space, while the flexible section has a flexible inner space, the front end inner space, the rear end inner space and the flexible inner space being in communication with each other to form the heat transfer chamber, a first capillary structure being disposed in each of the front end inner space and the rear end inner space, a second capillary structure being disposed in the flexible inner space, a working liquid being filled in the heat transfer chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective assembled view of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a sectional assembled view of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit of the present invention; and

[0023] FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention, showing that the present invention is swung and bent by different angles or by the same angle so as to adjust the arrangement of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective assembled view of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional assembled view of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the heat pipe structure 10 (such as a circular heat pipe, a D-shaped heat pipe or a flat-plate heat pipe) of the present invention includes a main body 11 and a multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19. The main body 11 has a front end 111, a flexible section 112 and a rear end 113. The front end 111 and the rear end 113 are outer cases made of the same metal material or different metal materials. (The outer cases are such as, but not limited to, the flat-plate case bodies as shown in the drawings. Alternatively, the outer cases can be circular case bodies or D-shaped case bodies or otherwise geometrically configured case bodies). The front end 111 and the rear end 113 respectively serve as an evaporator section and a condenser section. The flexible section 112 is made of polymer material or plastic material and serves as an adiabatic section disposed between the front end 111 and the rear end 113 in connection therewith. The multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 is disposed on an outer surface of the flexible section 112 and substantially positioned between the front end 111 and the rear end 113. The detailed structure of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 will be described hereinafter.

[0025] The metal material of the front end 111 and the rear end 113 is selected from a group consisting of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, stainless steel, titanium, commercial pure titanium, titanium alloy, copper alloy and aluminum alloy. The polymer material or plastic material of the flexible section 112 is selected from a group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyimide (PI) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The flexible section 112 is selectively made of the polymer material or plastic material so that the flexible section 112 is durable against many times of bending and the flexural strength of the flexible section 112 is enhanced to prevent the flexible section 112 from fissuring and damaging.

[0026] The front end 111 has a front end inner space 1111 and the rear end 113 has a rear end inner space 1131, while the flexible section 112 has a flexible inner space 1121. The front end inner space 1111, the rear end inner space 1131 and the flexible inner space 1121 are in communication with each other to form a heat transfer chamber R inside the main body 11. That is, the heat transfer chamber R extends from the front end 111 through the flexible section 112 to the rear end 113. A working liquid is filled in the heat transfer chamber R.

[0027] A first capillary structure 1141 is disposed in each of the front end inner space 1111 and the rear end inner space 1131. The first capillary structure 1141 is selected from a group consisting of channels, powder sintered body, mesh body, fiber body and waved plate. A second capillary structure 1142 is disposed in the flexible inner space 1121. The second capillary structure 1142 is selected from a group consisting of mesh body, fiber body, waved plate body and plate material having a surface with recessed and raised sections in adaptation to the flexion state of the flexible section 112.

[0028] Moreover, in this embodiment, two ends of the flexible section 112 respectively extend into the front end inner space 1111 and the rear end inner space 1131 and the second capillary structure 1142 of the flexible section 112 is in flush contact or connection with the first capillary structure 1141 (as shown in FIG. 3). In a modified embodiment, the second capillary structure 1142 of the flexible section 112 has an extension section overlapped with the first capillary structure 1141 and in contact or connection with the first capillary structure 1141. Accordingly, the flexible section 112 is in capillary communication with the front end 111 and the rear end 113. The term “capillary communication” means a liquid can flow from a capillary structure to another capillary structure under capillary attraction.

[0029] The working fluid in the heat transfer chamber R is heated at the front end 111 and evaporated from liquid phase into vapor phase. The vapor flows through the flexible section 112 to the rear end 113. Then the heat of the vapor is dissipated at the rear end 113, whereby the vapor is condensed into the liquid phase. Then the liquid flows back to the front end 111 by means of the first and second capillary structures 1141, 1142. Accordingly, the working fluid in the heat transfer chamber R is circularly changed between liquid phase and vapor phase so as to achieve heat transfer and heat dissipation effect.

[0030] Please further refer to FIG. 4, which is a perspective view showing a part of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit of the present invention. Also referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 has multiple adjustment members 191 arranged along the flexible section 112 in adjacency to each other. The adjustment members 191 are arranged at equal intervals or unequal intervals. In this embodiment, four adjustment members 191 are, but not limited to, arranged at equal intervals. In practice, the number and intervals of the adjustment members 191 can be increased or decreased in accordance with the length of the flexible section 112. Each of two ends of each adjustment member 191 has a pivoted section 1911. The corresponding pivoted sections 1911 of each two adjacent adjustment members 191 are pivotally connected to string the adjustment members 191, whereby the adjustment members 191 together form a multi-segment pivotally connected structure, which can be swung and bent. Each adjustment member 191 has an upper portion 191a and a lower portion 191b, whereby the flexible section 112 is enclosed in the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 (as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0031] Each adjustment member 191 has two ends as a front side 19111 and a rear side 19112. The front side 19111 and the rear side 19112 are respectively provided with the pivoted sections 1911. In this embodiment, the pivoted sections 1911 are male and female structures in adaptation to each other. The pivoted section 1911 of the front side 19111 of an adjustment member 191 is correspondingly pivotally connected with the pivoted section 1911 of the rear side 19112 of an adjacent adjustment member 191. Accordingly, by means of the pivoted sections 1911 between the adjacent adjustment members 191, the adjustment members 191 of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 can be swung and bent by different angles or the same angle so as to adjust the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19.

[0032] In this embodiment, any of the pivoted sections 1911 of each adjustment member 191 is formed with a pivot hole 191121, while the other of the pivoted sections 1911 is formed with a protruding shaft 191111a correspondingly pivotally connected with the pivot hole 191121 as a means for pivotally connecting the adjustment members 191 to string the adjustment members 191 into the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19. As shown in the drawings, the pivoted section 1911 of the front side 19111 of the adjustment member 191 is formed with a protruding shaft 191111a, while the pivoted section 1911 of the rear side 19112 is formed with a pivot hole 191121 in adaptation to the protruding shaft 191111a. The protruding shaft 191111a is pivotally connected with the pivot hole 191121. Accordingly, the pivoted sections 1911 of two adjacent adjustment members 191 are connected by means of press fit so that a proper securing force and securing torque are provided for the two adjacent adjustment members 191 so as to locate the adjustment members 191 after swung and bent. Alternatively, a washer (such as a torque washer, metal washer or frictional washer) can be selectively disposed between the pivoted sections 1911 to provide extra securing force and securing torque for the two adjacent adjustment members 191.

[0033] In a modified embodiment, the pivoted sections 1911 of the two adjacent adjustment members 191 are formed with corresponding pivot holes and at least one pivot member (such as a pivot shaft or pivot pin) is passed through the corresponding pivot holes as a means for pivotally connecting the pivoted sections 1911 to string the adjustment members 191 into the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19. Accordingly, the pivoted sections 1911 of the two adjacent adjustment members 191 are pivotally connected by means of the pivot member so that a proper locating force is provided for the two adjacent adjustment members 191 so as to locate the adjustment members 191 after swung and bent. Therefore, the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 can be swung and bent by different angles or the same angle so as to adjust the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19.

[0034] The above embodiments disclose some means for pivotally connecting the pivoted sections of the adjacent adjustment members to string the adjustment members into the multi-segment floating adjustment unit for illustration purposes. However, the means for pivotally connecting the pivoted sections of the adjacent adjustment members is not limited to above embodiments. For example, any means of physical structure or mechanical structure or electronic/electrical structure or a combination thereof that can movably pivotally connect two adjacent adjustment members 191 to string the adjustment members 191 into the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 and make the two adjacent adjustment members 191 swung and bent by different angles or the same angle to adjust the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 should be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0035] Furthermore, the flexible section 112 is made of polymer material or plastic material so that the flexible section 112 has flexibility and can be properly bent. The multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 serves to restrict the flexible section 112, whereby the flexible section 112 can be swung and bent along with the adjacent adjustment members 191 to adjust the angle and the arrangement of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19. Moreover, the flexibility of the flexible section 112 makes the flexible section 112 lack hardness and subject to damage. Therefore, the flexible section 112 is enclosed in the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 as a protection case for protecting and preventing the flexible section 112 from being abraded, thrust or cut off by a hard and/or sharp object.

[0036] In addition, the adjustment members 191 of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 are disposed on the outer surface of the flexible section 112 by a connection means. Alternatively, the adjustment member 191 positioned at at least one end of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19, (such as the adjustment member 191 at any or both of the leftmost end and the rightmost end) is connected with any or both of the front section 111 and the rear section 113 of the main body 11 by a connection means (such as adhesion, welding, clamping, engagement or fitting). Therefore, the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 can be positioned on the outer surface of the flexible section 112. By means of such arrangement, when the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 is swung to adjust the angle, the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 is prevented from displacing and detaching from the flexible section 112 due to the swing.

[0037] Please further refer to FIG. 5, which is a side view of the present invention, showing that the present invention is swung and bent by different angles or by the same angle so as to adjust the arrangement of the present invention. Also referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 4, by means of the pivoted sections 1911 between the adjustment members 191 of the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19, the adjacent adjustment members 191 can be swung and bent by different angles or by the same angle so as to adjust the arrangement of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 is such as, but not limited to, bent by means of relatively swinging the first and second adjustment members 191, relatively swinging the second and third adjustment members 191 and relatively swinging the third and fourth adjustment members 191 so as to adjust the angle. The flexible section 112 enclosed in the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19 is restricted to be swung and bent along with the multi-segment floating adjustment unit 19.

[0038] The present invention has been described with the above embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in such as the form or layout pattern or practicing step of the above embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.