Information handling system thermally conductive hinge
A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of a CPU from a main housing portion to a lid housing portion with thermal conduction through a hinge assembly that rotationally couples the main and lid housing portions to each other. For example, thermal conduits insert into a hinge body and transfer thermal energy across the hinge body through a thermally conductive interface, such as the hinge body itself, thermal grease disposed in the hinge body, a liquid that fills a cavity of the hinge body shared by the thermal conduits, and a vapor chamber integrated in the hinge body.
1. An information handling system comprising: a first housing portion configured to hold a display;
a display integrated in the first housing portion and operable to present visual images;
a thermal energy sink disposed in the first housing portion;
a second housing portion configured to hold plural processing components;
the plural processing components disposed in the second housing portion and operable to process information to define visual images for presentation at the display;
a vapor chamber thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the vapor chamber configured to draw fluid towards the one or more of the processing components, vaporize the fluid with thermal energy of the one or more of the processing components, and distribute the vaporized fluid away from the one or more of the plural processing components;
a hinge assembly having first and second hinges, the hinge assembly rotationally coupling the first and second housing portions to each other;
a first thermal conduit coupled to the vapor chamber and the first hinge to transfer thermal energy from the vapor chamber to the first hinge;
a second thermal conduit coupled to the thermal energy sink and the first hinge to transfer thermal energy from the first hinge to the thermal energy sink; and
a thermally conductive interface integrated in the first hinge and thermally coupled to the first and second thermal conduits to transfer thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit, the thermally conductive interface further comprises:
a thermally conductive hinge body having first and second cavities, the first thermal conduit engaged in the first cavity, the second thermal conduit engaged in the second cavity; and
a thermally conductive grease captured in each of the first and second cavities to transfer thermal energy from the first conduit through the hinge body to the second conduit,
wherein each of the first and second thermal conduits have fins, the fins extend into the thermally conductive grease within the hinge body, the fins interacting with the thermally conductive grease during rotation of the first and second housing portions relative to each other.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a vapor chamber integrated in the hinge body and containing a fluid, the vapor chamber transferring thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit.
3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first and second thermal conduits comprise vapor chambers, the first thermal conduit transitioning liquid to vapor at the one or more of the processing components, the second thermal conduit transitioning the liquid to the vapor at the first hinge.
4. The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising an actuator interfaced with the second thermal conduit and operable to adjust the saturation point within the second thermal conduit.
5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the thermal energy sink comprises a battery interfaced with the second thermal conduit.
6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the thermal energy sink comprises a vapor chamber interfaced with the second thermal conduit.
7. A method for thermal management of an information handling system, the method comprising:
capturing thermal energy released by a processor at a first housing portion of the information handling system;
translating the thermal energy through a first thermal conduit to a hinge coupling the first housing portion to a second housing portion;
translating the thermal energy through a thermally-conductive interface integrated in the hinge;
translating the thermal energy from the hinge through a second thermal conduit to a thermal energy sink disposed in a second housing portion coupled by the hinge to the first housing portion,
wherein the translating the thermal energy through the thermally-conductive interface integrated in the hinge further comprises:
routing the first thermal conduit into a first cavity of a hinge body of the hinge;
routing the second thermal conduit into a second cavity of the hinge body; and
translating the thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit through the hinge body;
filling each of the first and second cavities with a thermally-conductive grease; and
extending fins from each of the first and second thermal conduits into the thermally conductive grease within the hinge body, the fins interacting with the thermally conductive grease during rotation of the first and second housing portions relative to each other.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
disposing a vapor chamber in the hinge body, a fluid disposed in the vapor chamber for the transferring the thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first and second thermal conduits comprise vapor chambers, the second thermal conduit having a lower saturation point than the first thermal conduit.
10. A system for thermal management of a portable information handling system, the system comprising:
a hinge assembly having first and second hinges;
a first main housing portion thermal conduit and a second main housing portion thermal conduit, the first main housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the first hinge, the second main housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the second hinge;
a first lid housing portion thermal conduit and a second lid housing portion thermal conduit, the first lid housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the first hinge, the second lid housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the second hinge;
a first thermally conductive interface integrated in the first hinge to thermally couple the first main housing portion thermal conduit and the first lid housing portion thermal conduit at the first hinge to transfer first thermal energy from the main housing portion thermal conduit to the lid housing portion thermal conduit; and
a second thermally conductive interface integrated in the second hinge to thermally couple the second main housing portion thermal conduit and the second lid housing portion thermal conduit at the second hinge to transfer second thermal energy from the second main housing portion thermal conduit to the second lid housing portion thermal conduit,
wherein the first thermally conductive interface comprises a hinge body having first and second cavities, the first main housing portion thermal conduit inserted in the first cavity, the first lid housing portion thermal conduit inserted in the second cavity, thermal energy transferring from the first cavity to the second cavity, the hinge body rotating relative to each of the first main housing portion thermal conduit and the first lid housing portion thermal conduit,
a thermally conductive grease captured in each of the first and second cavities to transfer the first thermal energy from the first main housing portion thermal conduit through the hinge body to the first lid housing portion thermal conduit,
wherein each of the first main housing portion thermal conduit and the first lid housing portion thermal conduit comprise fins, each of the fins extend into the thermally conductive grease within the hinge body, the fins interacting with the thermally conductive grease during rotation of the first and second housing portions relative to each other.
11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a vapor chamber integrated in the hinge body and containing a fluid, the vapor chamber transferring thermal energy from the first main housing portion thermal conduit to the first lid housing portion thermal conduit.
12. An information handling system comprising:
a first housing portion configured to hold a display;
a display integrated in the first housing portion and operable to present visual images;
a thermal energy sink disposed in the first housing portion;
a second housing portion configured to hold plural processing components;
the plural processing components disposed in the second housing portion and operable to process information to define visual images for presentation at the display;
a vapor chamber thermally coupled to one or more of the plural processing components, the vapor chamber configured to draw fluid towards the one or more of the processing components, vaporize the fluid with thermal energy of the one or more of the processing components, and distribute the vaporized fluid away from the one or more of the plural processing components;
a hinge assembly having first and second hinges, the hinge assembly rotationally coupling the first and second housing portions to each other;
a first thermal conduit coupled to the vapor chamber and the first hinge to transfer thermal energy from the vapor chamber to the first hinge;
a second thermal conduit coupled to the thermal energy sink and the first hinge to transfer thermal energy from the first hinge to the thermal energy sink; and
a thermally conductive interface integrated in the first hinge and thermally coupled to the first and second thermal conduits to transfer thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit, wherein the thermally conductive interface further comprises:
a hinge body having a single cavity, the first and second thermal conduits engaged in the single cavity; and
a liquid disposed in the single cavity, the liquid transferring thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit,
wherein each of the first and second thermal conduits have fins extending into the liquid within the hinge body, the fins interacting with the liquid during rotation of the first and second housing portions relative to each other.
13. The information handling system of claim 12 wherein the first and second thermal conduits comprise vapor chambers, the first thermal conduit transitioning liquid to vapor at the one or more of the processing components, the second thermal conduit transitioning the liquid to the vapor at the first hinge.
14. The information handling system of claim 13 further comprising an actuator interfaced with the second thermal conduit and operable to adjust the saturation point within the second thermal conduit.
15. The information handling system of claim 12 wherein the thermal energy sink comprises a battery interfaced with the second thermal conduit.
16. The information handling system of claim 12 wherein the thermal energy sink comprises a vapor chamber interfaced with the second thermal conduit.
17. A method for thermal management of an information handling system, the method comprising:
capturing thermal energy released by a processor at a first housing portion of the information handling system;
translating the thermal energy through a first thermal conduit to a hinge coupling the first housing portion to a second housing portion;
translating the thermal energy through a thermally-conductive interface integrated in the hinge;
translating the thermal energy from the hinge through a second thermal conduit to a thermal energy sink disposed in a second housing portion coupled by the hinge to the first housing portion,
routing the first and second thermal conduits into a single cavity of a hinge body of the hinge;
translating the thermal energy from the first thermal conduit to the second thermal conduit through a fluid disposed in the single cavity, and
extending fins from each of the first and second thermal conduits into the fluid within the hinge body, the fins interacting with the fluid during rotation of the first and second housing portions relative to each other.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein:
the capturing the thermal energy comprises interfacing a first vapor chamber with the processor, the first vapor chamber having a first saturation point and configured to convert a vapor to a liquid proximate the hinge; and
the translating the thermal energy from the hinge through the second thermal conduit to the thermal energy sink further comprises translating the thermal energy from the second thermal conduit to a second vapor chamber having a second saturation point of less than the first saturation point.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first and second thermal conduits comprise vapor chambers, the second thermal conduit having a lower saturation point than the first thermal conduit.
20. A system for thermal management of a portable information handling system, the system comprising:
a hinge assembly having first and second hinges;
a first main housing portion thermal conduit and a second main housing portion thermal conduit, the first main housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the first hinge, the second main housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the second hinge;
a first lid housing portion thermal conduit and a second lid housing portion thermal conduit, the first lid housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the first hinge, the second lid housing portion thermal conduit coupled to the second hinge;
a first thermally conductive interface integrated in the first hinge to thermally couple the first main housing portion thermal conduit and the first lid housing portion thermal conduit at the first hinge to transfer first thermal energy from the main housing portion thermal conduit to the lid housing portion thermal conduit; and
a second thermally conductive interface integrated in the second hinge to thermally couple the second main housing portion thermal conduit and the second lid housing portion thermal conduit at the second hinge to transfer second thermal energy from the second main housing portion thermal conduit to the second lid housing portion thermal conduit,
wherein the thermally conductive interface comprises a hinge body having a single cavity, the first main housing portion thermal conduit and the first lid housing portion thermal conduit inserted in the single cavity, the single cavity filled with a liquid to transfer the first thermal energy from the first main housing portion thermal conduit to the first lid housing portion thermal conduit, and
wherein each of the first main housing portion thermal conduit and the first lid housing portion thermal conduit have fins extending into the liquid within the hinge body, the fins interacting with the liquid during rotation of the first and second housing portions relative to each other.