Method for manufacturing heat pipe with artery pipe

Abstract

An exemplary method for manufacturing a heat pipe includes the following steps: providing a tube, a mandrel and an artery pipe, the tube defining an opening at one end thereof, a wick structure being positioned on an inner surface of the tube, a slot being defined in an outer surface of the mandrel; inserting the mandrel and the artery pipe into the tube via the opening, the artery pipe being received in the slot; baking the tube with the mandrel and the artery pipe to make the artery pipe join the wick structure; drawing the mandrel out of the tube via the opening; and injecting a working media into the tube, and evacuating and sealing the tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a heat pipe, comprising:
 providing a tube, a mandrel and at least one artery pipe, the tube defining an opening at one end thereof, a wick structure being positioned on an inner surface of the tube, at least one slot being defined in an outer surface of the mandrel;   inserting the mandrel and the at least one artery pipe into the tube via the opening, the at least one artery pipe being received in the at least one slot;   baking the tube with the mandrel and the at least one artery pipe to make the at least one artery pipe join the wick structure;   drawing the mandrel out of the tube via the opening; and   injecting a working media into the tube, and evacuating and sealing the tube.   
     
     
         2 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 1 , further comprising forming at least one marking on an outer surface of the tube at a position corresponding to the at least one artery pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one marking comprises two markings formed at two ends of the tube, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 2 , further comprising flattening the tube at a position where the at least one marking is formed. 
     
     
         5 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one slot of the mandrel has an elliptic cross-section, the at least one artery pipe being hollow and cylindrical, and having an outer diameter slightly less than a width of the at least one slot of the mandrel, but greater than a depth of the at least one slot of the mandrel, the at least one artery pipe being pressed by the wick structure and the mandrel to deform slightly when the at least one artery pipe and the mandrel are in the tube. 
     
     
         6 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one slot is longitudinally defined in an outer circumferential surface of the mandrel, and extends through a front end surface and a rear end surface of the mandrel. 
     
     
         7 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one slot comprises a plurality of slots located at two ends of the mandrel, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one artery pipe is formed by a plurality of metal wires woven together. 
     
     
         9 . The method for manufacturing a heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the mandrel has an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the tube with the wick structure, and a length greater than that of the tube.