On Thursday, Patently Apple issued a patent report titled "In order to prevent the Note 7 battery from catching fire, the Apple patent reveals a new type of heat sink made of graphene." We noticed in the report that KGI analyst Ming-Chi Guo mentioned that Apple will add a new graphite layer to the next-generation iPhone because wireless charging will generate more heat and may cause fires. Today, Patently Apple discovered another new patent issued by Apple yesterday, which is related to a heat sink that includes multiple layers of anisotropic materials (such as pyrolytic graphite) to conduct heat. Multiple layers of graphite sheets can be laminated and each sheet can be thermally connected to one or more thermal energy sources in a portable electronic device. Our report also provides a video discussing Panasonic's pyrolytic graphite flakes. It seems that this may be what KGI analysts are referring to.

Radiators are used in many electronic devices to provide a thermal path from the heat source to the external medium. Heat sinks usually dissipate heat through conduction, transferring heat from one solid to another. The radiator also transfers heat to objects with different surface temperatures through thermal radiation.

Generally, modern electronic devices have multiple heat sources in a limited space. Given the compactness of modern electronic devices and the limited available space within the enclosure of such devices, it may be difficult to provide separate, discrete operations for multiple radiators. However, using a single heat sink for multiple heat sources may result in inefficient or no heat transfer from the heat source.

Apple's new parallel radiator solution

Apple's invention involves, includes, or takes the form of a heat sink that moves heat between the heat source of a portable electronic device and a heat exchanger with a more favorable surface area and geometry than the heat source.

In some embodiments, the heat sink may be pyrolytic graphite or copper. The heat is dispersed to the radiator or heat exchanger through the geometry of the radiator, where it can be dissipated to the surrounding environment, such as air.

An example embodiment may take the form of a heat sink, including: a set of layers, each layer in the set is formed of an anisotropic thermal material; at least one contact area adjacent to each layer; wherein each layer is fixed on On the adjacent layer.

Another embodiment may take the form of a portable electronic device, including: a heat source; a heat sink is connected to the heat source and includes a set of layers, each layer is formed of an anisotropic thermal material; wherein one layer of the set of layers is thermally connected to the heat source ; And the layer preferentially conducts heat in the first direction rather than in the second direction.

Yet another embodiment may take the form of a method of manufacturing a heat sink, including the following operations: forming one or more contact areas on each of a set of sheets formed of anisotropic thermal material; and Each of the set of sheets is pasted to at least one of the set of sheets.

Although a bit annoying, the video below explains the advantages of Panasonic pyrolytic graphite sheet used in the context of heat sink materials like Apple.

Apple's patent map. The above-mentioned FIG. 10 shows a heat sink that surrounds and engages the heat source on the opposite side of the substrate.

As a non-limiting example, the heat sink described in Apple's patent application may be formed of pyrolytic graphite in whole or in part, as long as the pyrolytic graphite exhibits the above-mentioned anisotropic heat transfer function. The heat is mainly transmitted along the length of the graphite sheet, rather than dissipated through the thickness of the graphite sheet, so as to conduct the heat to a specific destination inside or outside the portable electronic device in a desired path.

Apple's patent application 20170042058 was filed in the third quarter of 2015. Considering that this is a patent application, it is not yet clear when this type of product will be on the market.

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Posted by Jack Purcher at 1A on February 11, 2017 at 05:25 AM. Patent applications, equipment, components | Permalink | Comments (0)

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