Flexible heat transfer structure

Abstract

A heat transfer structure, including: a plurality of layers of graphite material each having a shape selected for providing a thermal path between a hotspot in an electronic device and a heat dissipating structure of the electronic device; and a set of intervening bonding layers for coupling together the layers of graphite material such that the heat transfer structure has a flexible body for avoiding mechanical stress on the hotspot when the heat transfer structure is coupled between the hotspot and the heat dissipating structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat transfer structure for an electronic device, comprising:
 a plurality of layers of graphite material each having a shape selected for providing a thermal path between a hotspot in the electronic device and a heat dissipating structure of the electronic device; and   a set of intervening bonding layers for coupling together the layers of graphite material such that the heat transfer structure has a flexible body for avoiding mechanical stress on the hotspot when the heat transfer structure is coupled between the hotspot and the heat dissipating structure.   
     
     
         2 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 1 , wherein the hotspot is an optical connector on a printed circuit board in the electronic device. 
     
     
         3 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 2 , wherein the optical connector is thermally coupled to the heat transfer structure via a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         4 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer structure is coupled to the heat dissipating structure via a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer structure is coupled to the heat dissipating structure via a detachable mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 1 , wherein the heat dissipating structure is a heat sink in the electronic device. 
     
     
         7 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 1 , wherein the heat dissipating structure is a housing for the electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 7 , wherein a pair of respective bent ends of the heat transfer structure are respectively thermally coupled to a pair of respective opposing wall of the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 7 , wherein a pair of respective bent ends of the heat transfer structure are respectively thermally coupled to a wall of the housing and the hotspot. 
     
     
         10 . The heat transfer structure of  claim 7 , wherein a flat end and a bent end of the heat transfer structure are respectively thermally to the hotspot and a wall of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . A method for heat transfer in an electronic device, comprising:
 forming a plurality of layers of graphite material each having a shape selected for providing a thermal path between a hotspot in the electronic device and a heat dissipating structure of the electronic device; and   bonding together the layers of graphite material such that the heat transfer structure has a flexible body for avoiding mechanical stress on the hotspot when the heat transfer structure is coupled between the hotspot and the heat dissipating structure.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming a plurality of layers of graphite material comprises forming the layers each having a shape selected for providing a thermal path between an optical connector in the electronic device and a heat dissipating structure of the electronic device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising thermally coupling the optical connector to the heat transfer structure via a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising thermally coupling the heat transfer structure to the heat dissipating structure via a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising thermally coupling the heat transfer structure to the heat dissipating structure via a detachable mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising thermally coupling the heat transfer structure to a heat sink in the electronic device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising thermally coupling the heat transfer structure to a housing for the electronic device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming a pair of respective bent ends of the heat transfer structure and thermally coupling the respective bent ends to a pair of respective opposing wall of the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming a pair of respective bent ends of the heat transfer structure and thermally coupling the respective bent ends to a wall of the housing and the hotspot. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming a flat end and a bent end of the heat transfer structure and thermally coupling the flat end and the bent end to the hotspot and a wall of the housing, respectively.