Loop heat pipe partitioned into vapor channel and liquid channel

Abstract

A loop heat pipe partitioned into a vapor channel and a liquid channel includes an evaporation chamber, a loop tube, a coupling cover, and a heat-dissipating unit disposed outside the loop tube. The evaporation chamber has a casing. The casing has therein a wick, a working fluid and an evaporation space. The loop tube has a connecting end and an engaging end. The connecting end connects to the casing. The loop tube has therein at least one partition element for partitioning the loop tube into a vapor channel and a liquid channel. The coupling cover is engaged with the engaging end of the loop tube and spaced apart from the at least one partition element by a predetermined distance to thereby form a circulation zone whereby the at least one vapor channel and the liquid channel communicate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A loop heat pipe partitioned into a vapor channel and a liquid channel, comprising:
 an evaporation chamber having a casing, the casing having therein a wick and being filled with a working fluid, the wick not occupying an inside of the casing fully, so as for an evaporation space to be formed between the wick and the casing;   a loop tube having two ends defined as a connecting end and an engaging end, respectively, the connecting end connecting to the casing to allow the loop tube to be in communication with a space within the casing, the loop tube having therein at least one partition element for partitioning the loop tube into at least two channels not in communication with each other, the at least two channels being defined as at least one vapor channel and a liquid channel, respectively;   a heat-dissipating unit disposed outside the loop tube and positioned proximate to the engaging end; and   a coupling cover engaged with the engaging end of the loop tube and spaced apart from the at least one partition element in the loop tube by a predetermined distance to form a circulation zone, the circulation zone allowing communication between the liquid channel and the at least one vapor channel in the loop tube.   
     
     
         2 . The loop heat pipe partitioned into a vapor channel and a liquid channel according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling cover has a concave portion, the concave portion being substantially stepwise and hole-shaped and having an opening end of a large diameter, a bottom end of a small diameter, and an annular blocking portion formed between the opening end and the bottom end, such that the engaging end of the loop tube is inserted into the concave portion through the opening end and blocked by the annular blocking portion, and the circulation zone is formed between an end portion of the engaging end of the loop tube and the bottom end of the concave portion of the coupling cover. 
     
     
         3 . The loop heat pipe partitioned into a vapor channel and a liquid channel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one partition element is of a smaller length than the loop tube, extends from the connecting end to the engaging end of the loop tube, and forms a retracted space together with an end portion of the engaging end, whereas the coupling cover has a bottom portion of a large diameter, a top portion of a small diameter, and an annular blocking portion formed between the bottom portion and the top portion, such that the top portion of the coupling cover is inserted into and engaged with the retracted space at the engaging end, not only allowing the circulation zone to be formed between the top portion of the coupling cover and the retracted space, but also allowing the engaging end of the loop tube to be blocked by the annular blocking portion and thus positioned in place. 
     
     
         4 . The loop heat pipe partitioned into a vapor channel and a liquid channel according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one partition element is provided in a plural number, arranged to jointly form a V-shaped pattern when viewed from a sectional perspective, and adapted to partition the loop tube into two vapor channels and one liquid channel. 
     
     
         5 . The loop heat pipe partitioned into a vapor channel and a liquid channel according to  claim 1 , wherein the wick has an extending portion corresponding in position to the liquid channel of the loop tube and protruding into the liquid channel by a specific length.