Heat Pipe And Electronic Device

Abstract

The Present Invention provides a heat pipe and an electronic device which can efficiently cool a light emitting element arranged in an end portion, so that it is possible to efficiently mount the heat pipe in a narrow space. The heat pipe is provided with an upper plate ( 3 ), a lower plate ( 4 ) opposing the upper plate ( 3 ), one intermediate plate or a plurality of intermediate plates ( 5 ) laminated between the upper plate ( 3 ) and the lower plate ( 4 ), a main body portion ( 2 ) formed by lamination of the upper plate ( 3 ), the lower plate ( 4 ) and the intermediate plate ( 5 ) and capable of sealing a cooling medium, a vapor diffusion path ( 6 ) capable of diffusing a vaporized cooling medium, and a capillary flow path ( 7 ) capable of reflowing a condensed cooling medium, and the vapor diffusion path ( 6 ) is formed from a first end portion ( 15 ) of the main body portion toward a second end portion ( 16 ) opposing the first end portion ( 15 ).

1 . A heat pipe comprising:
 an upper plate;   a lower plate opposing the upper plate;   one intermediate plate or a plurality of intermediate plates laminated between the upper plate and the lower plate;   a main body portion formed by lamination of the upper plate, the lower plate and the intermediate plate and capable of sealing a cooling medium;   a vapor diffusion path capable of diffusing a vaporized cooling medium; and   a capillary flow path capable of reflowing a condensed cooling medium;   wherein the vapor diffusion path is formed from a first end portion of the main body portion toward a second end portion opposing the first end portion.   
     
     
         2 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein a width in the second end portion of the vapor diffusion path is wider than a width in the first end portion. 
     
     
         3 . The heat pipe of  claim 2 , wherein the vapor diffusion path broadens toward the end from the first end portion to the second end portion. 
     
     
         4 . The heat pipe of  claim 3 , wherein the intermediate plate has a notch portion and an internal through hole, the notch portion forms the vapor diffusion path, and the internal through hole forms the capillary flow path. 
     
     
         5 . The heat pipe of  claim 4 , wherein the number of the intermediate plates is plural, the internal through holes provided respectively in the plurality of intermediate plates overlap only partly, and a capillary flow path having a smaller cross sectional area than a cross sectional area in a horizontal direction of the internal through hole is formed. 
     
     
         6 . The heat pipe of  claim 5 , wherein each of the upper plate and the lower plate is further provided with a concave portion communicating with at least a part of the capillary flow path and the vapor diffusion path. 
     
     
         7 . The heat pipe of  claim 6 , wherein the vapor diffusion path diffuses the vaporized cooling medium in a planar direction and a thickness direction, and the capillary flow path reflows the condensed cooling medium in a vertical direction or vertical and planar directions. 
     
     
         8 . The heat pipe of  claim 7 , wherein the heating element is mountable on the first end portion, and the heat of the heating element is diffusible from the first end portion toward the second end portion. 
     
     
         9 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein a width in the second end portion of the vapor diffusion path is approximately identical to a width in the first end portion. 
     
     
         10 . The heat pipe of  claim 9 , wherein the intermediate plate has a notch portion and an internal through hole, the notch portion forms the vapor diffusion path, and the internal through hole forms the capillary flow path. 
     
     
         11 . The heat pipe of  claim 10 , wherein the number of the intermediate plates is plural, the internal through holes provided respectively in the plurality of intermediate plates overlap only partly, and a capillary flow path having a smaller cross sectional area than a cross sectional area in a horizontal direction of the internal through hole is formed. 
     
     
         12 . The heat pipe of  claim 11 , wherein each of the upper plate and the lower plate is further provided with a concave portion communicating with at least a part of the capillary flow path and the vapor diffusion path. 
     
     
         13 . The heat pipe of  claim 12 , wherein the vapor diffusion path diffuses the vaporized cooling medium in a planar direction and a thickness direction, and the capillary flow path reflows the condensed cooling medium in a vertical direction or vertical and planar directions. 
     
     
         14 . The heat pipe of  claim 13 , wherein the heating element is mountable on the first end portion, and the heat of the heating element is diffusible from the first end portion toward the second end portion. 
     
     
         15 . The heat pipe of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate plate has a notch portion and an internal through hole, the notch portion forms the vapor diffusion path, and the internal through hole forms the capillary flow path. 
     
     
         16 . The heat pipe of  claim 15 , wherein the number of the intermediate plates is plural, the internal through holes provided respectively in the plurality of intermediate plates overlap only partly, and a capillary flow path having a smaller cross sectional area than a cross sectional area in a horizontal direction of the internal through hole is formed. 
     
     
         17 . The heat pipe of  claim 16 , wherein each of the upper plate and the lower plate is further provided with a concave portion communicating with at least a part of the capillary flow path and the vapor diffusion path. 
     
     
         18 . The heat pipe of  claim 17 , wherein the vapor diffusion path diffuses the vaporized cooling medium in a planar direction and a thickness direction, and the capillary flow path reflows the condensed cooling medium in a vertical direction or vertical and planar directions. 
     
     
         19 . The heat pipe of  claim 18 , wherein the heating element is mountable on the first end portion, and the heat of the heating element is diffusible from the first end portion toward the second end portion.