EP0243710A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flexible finned heat exchanger
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1987-04-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-04-01
Abstract
Abstract A heat exchanger 36 for cooling an array of electric circuit chips 22 disposed on a common substrate 24 is formed as a flexible sheet 38 of thermally conducting material with upstanding fins 40 for transference of heat from the chips to a coolant flowing through the fins. The sheet may be provided with corrugations 44 set between sites of the chips for improved flexibility to accommodate individual orientations of the chips. The sheet is sufficiently large to cover an array of chips and is secured adheringly, as by use of a thermally conductive grease, to the chips. The sheet hermetically seals the chips from contamination by the coolant. The heat exchanger may be fabricated of copper with a nickel coating, wherein the copper provides the heat conduction and the nickel protects the copper from a corrosive coolant such as water. The finned sheet may be efficiently fabricated by processes analogous to those used to make printed circuits. In one embodiment of the heat exchanger, the fin thickness, the fin spacing and the sheet thickness are all approximately equal, a typical sheet thickness being approximately 0.05 mm.
Inventors
- 👤 Ephraim B. Flint
- 👤 Peter A. Gruber
- 👤 Kurt R. Grebe
- 👤 Arther R. Zingher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 19:19
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W40/00; H10W40/40; H10W40/43; F; F28; F28F; F28F19/00; F28F19/02; F28F19/06; F28F21/00; F28F21/08; F28F21/081; F28F21/085; F28F3/00; F28F3/02; F28F3/04; F28F3/048; H10W40/70; H10W40/77; H10W40/774; F28F2255/00; F28F2255/02; F28F2255/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A heat exchanger (36, 78, 108, 122, 138, 166) for transferring heat from an array (20, 72, 100, 120, 134) of electric circuit chips to a fluid coolant characterized by: a flexible sheet (38, 82 + 84, 118, 130, 148) of thermally conductive material sufficiently large to cover the array of chips and sufficiently flexible to conform to individual orientations of the chips to make thermal contact therewith; and a set of thermally conductive fins (40, 80, 112, 126, 140) upstanding from said sheet, said fins being oriented in the direction of a desired flow of coolant for guiding the coolant among the fins for extraction of heat therefrom.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A heat exchanger (36, 78, 108, 122, 138, 166) for transferring heat from an array (20, 72, 100, 120, 134) of electric circuit chips to a fluid coolant characterized by: a flexible sheet (38, 82 + 84, 118, 130, 148) of thermally conductive material sufficiently large to cover the array of chips and sufficiently flexible to conform to individual orientations of the chips to make thermal contact therewith; and a set of thermally conductive fins (40, 80, 112, 126, 140) upstanding from said sheet, said fins being oriented in the direction of a desired flow of coolant for guiding the coolant among the fins for extraction of heat therefrom.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A heat exchanger according to Claim 1 wherein said sheet (38) is provided with corrugations (44) between sites of said chips (22) to increase flexibility of said sheet while retaining adhering thermal contact between said sheet and each of said chips.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A heat exchanger according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the thickness of one of said fins (40) is approximately equal to a spacing (42) between successive fins.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A heat exchanger according to any preceding Claim wherein the thickness of one of said fins (40) is approximately equal to the thickness of said sheet (38).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A heat exchanger according to any preceding Claim wherein said sheet and said fins are formed of metal, preferably copper.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A heat exchanger according to Claim 5 wherein said metal (52) is coated with a thermally conductive coating (50) impervious and chemically resistant to the coolant, preferably nickel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A heat exchanger according to any preceding Claim wherein the positions of said fins (40) are staggered to promote a uniform flow of coolant among the fins (FIG. 4).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A heat exchanger according to any preceding Claim wherein the height of a fin (80, 140) is larger than its thickness by a factor in the range of approximately five to ten.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A heat exchanger according to any preceding Claim further comprising means (48, 90) for pressing said heat exchanger against said chips.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A heat exchanger in accordance with any preceding Claim wherein: metallic structure means (28, 30, 32, 34, 86, 88) are provided to channel coolant fluid and to conduct heat.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of manufacturing a flexible finned heat exchanger as defined in any preceding Claim characterized by the steps of: depositing a layer (62) of metal; masking said metal layer with a mask (64) defining the shapes (66) of fins; depositing additional metal on said masked metal layer to form fins (40) upon the metal layer; and removing said mask leaving the heat exchanger (36).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
138 words
A heat exchanger according to any of Claims 1-10, for transferring heat from an electric circuit chip (134) supported by a substrate (136) to a fluid coolant comprising: a flexible sheet (148) of thermally conductive material sufficiently large to cover the chip and sufficiently flexible to conform to orientations of the chip to make thermal contact therewith; a fin assembly (140, 142) extending normally from said sheet, said fin assembly having fins directed for contacting a coolant for extraction of heat therefrom; and a frame (144) for supporting said sheet, said frame being configured for mating with a peripheral region of said substrate (136); and wherein said sheet (148) is sufficiently compliant to distend from a position spaced apart from said chip to contact said chip upon a contacting of said fin assembly (142) with said frame (144).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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