Support frame with integrated phase change material for thermal management

Abstract

The invention is directed to a novel solution to providing heat management and cooling to electronic devices. According to various embodiments, heat produced during the operation of the processing components in the computing device is absorbed by heat management features integrated within a supporting mid-frame. The heat management features include phase changing materials that allow the processing components to be kept at an isothermal state through changes in phase, thereby prolonging the duration of time in which the processing components can operate at high performance levels without the need to throttle the performance

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile computing device, comprising:
 a front panel;   a back panel; and   a monolithic mid-frame disposed between the front panel and the back panel, wherein the mid-frame includes a structure of a phase change material, and wherein the mid-frame is configured to provide mechanical support for one or both of the front panel and back panel.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , including a heat spreader positioned within the mid-frame next to the phase change material. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile computing device of  claim 2 , wherein the heat spreader includes graphite. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , including:
 an electrical component that generates heat positioned within the mobile computing device; and   a heat spreader external to the mainframe and positioned between the mid-frame and the electrical component that generates heat.   
     
     
         5 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , including one or more processing components and a monolithic radio wave shield positioned adjacent to the one or more processing components, wherein the radio wave shield includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change material. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , including:
 a rechargeable battery; and   a monolithic battery cover positioned adjacent to the rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable battery cover includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change material.   
     
     
         7 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , including a camera module within the front panel, wherein the front panel includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change material. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is a solid-liquid phase change material and the structure of the phase change material is a closed cavity containing phase change material in a uniform slab shape. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the structure of the phase change material is a closed cavity containing a sheet of crystalline to amorphous phase change material. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material has a higher latent heat capacity than a material comprising the mid-frame. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device is a mobile telephone. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile computing device, comprising:
 a front panel;   a back panel;   one or more computer processing components including firmware; and   a monolithic mid-frame disposed between the front panel and the back panel, wherein the mid-frame includes a structure of a phase change material, and wherein the mid-frame is configured to provide mechanical support for the one or more computer processing components, wherein the firmware is configured to throttle a performance level of the one or more computer processing components when the heat generated by the component exceeds a temperature higher than a phase change temperature of the phase change material.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the firmware is configured to throttle a performance level of the one or more computer processing components when the heat generated by the component exceeds a temperature higher than the phase change temperature of the phase change material and less than a temperature rating of the one or more computer processing components. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , including a heat spreader positioned within the mid-frame next to the phase change material. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , including a heat spreader external to the mainframe and positioned between the mid-frame and the one or more computer processing components. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , including one or more monolithic radio wave shields positioned adjacent to the one or more processing components, wherein the one or more radio wave shields includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change material. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , including:
 a rechargeable battery; and   a monolithic battery cover positioned adjacent to the rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable battery cover includes a closed cavity filled with the phase change material.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus of a mobile computing device, the apparatus comprising:
 a monolithic mid-frame including a closed cavity filled with a phase change material, wherein the mid-frame provides mechanical support to one or more components of the mobile computing device; and   a heat spreader positioned within the mid-frame next to the phase change material.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the phase change material is a solid-liquid phase change material and has a uniform slab shape. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the phase change material includes a sheet of crystalline-to-amorphous phase change material.