Heat valve for thermal management in a mobile communications device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorRichard Tsai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal valve for controlling heat transfer between two electronic components is disclosed. The thermal valve includes a first thermally conductive strip that is secured to the first electronic component and a second thermally conductive strip that is secured to the second electronic component. The first strip and the second strip are located between the two electronic components. The first strip changes its shape toward making contact with the second strip in response to a temperature increase of the first electronic component, and the second strip changes its shape away from making contact with the first strip in response to a temperature increase of the second electronic component. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
Claims25
A thermal valve, comprising:
- a first thermally conductive strip secured to a first electronic component and located between the first electronic component and a second electronic component;
- and
- a second thermally conductive strip secured to the second electronic component and located between the first electronic component and the second electronic component, the first strip to change its shape toward making contact with the second strip in response to a temperature increase of the first electronic component, the second strip to change its shape away from making contact with the first strip in response to a temperature increase of the second electronic component.
A apparatus, comprising:
- a mobile communications handset housing having integrated therein
- a camera module,
- a main logic board having an applications processor and memory installed thereon, and
- a thermal valve having a plurality of states responsive to a temperature of the camera module and a temperature of the main logic board, the plurality of states including a coupled state where the thermal valve thermally couples the camera module and the main logic board and a decoupled state where the thermal valve thermally decouples the camera module and the main logic board.
A method for modifying a thermal connection between a camera module and an active electronic component inside a housing of an electronic device, comprising:
- creating increased thermal conductance from the camera module to the active electronic component when a temperature of the camera module is above a threshold temperature while a temperature of the active electronic component is below the threshold temperature;
- and
- creating decreased thermal conductance from the camera module to the active electronic component when the temperature of the active electronic component is above the threshold temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.