IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,591,280
Granted Patent B2
US 12,591,280 · App. 18/494,146 · Granted Mar 31, 2026

Thermal management system for an information handling system

Inventors: Travis C. North (Cedar Park, TX); Enoch Chen (Taipei City, TW); Pomin Shih (Taipei City, TW); Michael James Pescetto (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/206H05K7/20136H05K7/20209H05K7/20454
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,591,280
App. No.
18/494,146
Granted
Mar 31, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A thermal management system, including a fan including: a fan housing; an impeller coupled to the fan housing; a fin stack coupled to the fan; a heat pipe having a first end and a second end, the heat pipe in thermal communication with a computing element at the first end of the heat pipe; a vapor chamber coupled to the fan housing, the vapor chamber and the fan housing encasing the impeller, the vapor chamber coupled to the second end of the heat pipe, the vapor chamber in fluid communication with the heat pipe, wherein the heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the heat pipe to the second end of the heat pipe such that the thermal energy is transferred to the vapor chamber, wherein the impeller transfers the thermal energy at the vapor chamber to the fin stack.

Claims (53)

1 . A thermal management system for an information handling system, including:

a fan including:

a fan housing;

an impeller coupled to the fan housing;

a fin stack coupled to the fan;

a heat pipe having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the heat pipe in thermal communication with a computing element at the first end of the heat pipe; and

a vapor chamber coupled to the fan housing, the vapor chamber and the fan housing encasing the impeller, the vapor chamber coupled to the second end of the heat pipe, the vapor chamber in fluid communication with the heat pipe, the vapor chamber including:

a first region in superimposition with the fan housing;

a second region extending from the first region and spaced-apart from the fan housing, the second region including:

a first side;

a second side opposite to the first side, the second side facing a printed circuit board, the second side including:

a thermal pad in thermal communication with an additional computing component that is positioned on the PCB adjacent to the second region and spaced-apart from the fan,

wherein the heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the heat pipe to the second end of the heat pipe such that the thermal energy is transferred to the vapor chamber, wherein the impeller transfers the thermal energy at the vapor chamber to the fin stack.

2 . The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the heat pipe and the vapor chamber form a single cavity.

3 . The thermal management system of claim 2 , wherein the heat pipe is welded to the vapor chamber at the second end of the heat pipe to form the single cavity.

4 . The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the vapor chamber is in fluid communication with the heat pipe to transfer vapor from the heat pipe to the vapor chamber.

5 . The thermal management system of claim 4 , wherein the impeller transfers thermal energy of the vapor from the vapor chamber towards the fin stack.

6 . The thermal management system of claim 1 , further including:

an additional heat pipe having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the additional heat pipe in thermal communication with the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe,

wherein the vapor chamber is coupled to the second end of the additional heat pipe, the vapor chamber in fluid communication with the additional heat pipe,

wherein the additional heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe to the second end of the additional heat pipe such that such the thermal energy is transferred to the vapor chamber.

7 . The thermal management system of claim 1 , further including:

an additional heat pipe having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the additional heat pipe in thermal communication with the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe; and

an additional vapor chamber coupled to the fan housing fan, the additional vapor chamber, the vapor chamber, and the fan housing encasing the impeller, the additional vapor chamber coupled to the second end of the additional heat pipe, the additional vapor chamber in fluid communication with the additional heat pipe,

wherein the additional heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe to the second end of the additional heat pipe such that such the thermal energy is transferred to the additional vapor chamber, wherein the impeller transfers the thermal energy at the additional vapor chamber to the fin stack.

8 . An information handling system, comprising:

a processor;

memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations;

a thermal management system, including:

a fan including:

a fan housing;

an impeller coupled to the fan housing;

a fin stack coupled to the fan;

a heat pipe having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the heat pipe in thermal communication with a computing element at the first end of the heat pipe; and

a vapor chamber coupled to the fan housing, the vapor chamber and the fan housing encasing the impeller, the vapor chamber coupled to the second end of the heat pipe, the vapor chamber in fluid communication with the heat pipe, the vapor chamber including:

a first region in superimposition with the fan housing;

a second region extending from the first region and spaced-apart from the fan housing, the second region including:

a first side;

a second side opposite to the first side, the second side facing a printed circuit board, the second side including:

 a thermal pad in thermal communication with an additional computing component that is positioned on the PCB adjacent to the second region and spaced-apart from the fan,

wherein the heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the heat pipe to the second end of the heat pipe such that the thermal energy is transferred to the vapor chamber, wherein the impeller transfers the thermal energy at the vapor chamber to the fin stack.

9 . The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the heat pipe and the vapor chamber form a single cavity.

10 . The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the heat pipe is welded to the vapor chamber at the second end of the heat pipe to form the single cavity.

11 . The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the vapor chamber is in fluid communication with the heat pipe to transfer vapor from the heat pipe to the vapor chamber.

12 . The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the impeller transfers thermal energy of the vapor from the vapor chamber towards the fin stack.

13 . The information handling system of claim 8 , the thermal management system further including:

an additional heat pipe having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the additional heat pipe in thermal communication with the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe,

wherein the vapor chamber is coupled to the second end of the additional heat pipe, the vapor chamber in fluid communication with the additional heat pipe,

wherein the additional heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe to the second end of the additional heat pipe such that such the thermal energy is transferred to the vapor chamber.

14 . The thermal management system of claim 8 , the thermal management system further including:

an additional heat pipe having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the additional heat pipe in thermal communication with the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe; and

an additional vapor chamber coupled to the fan housing fan, the additional vapor chamber, the vapor chamber, and the fan housing encasing the impeller, the additional vapor chamber coupled to the second end of the additional heat pipe, the additional vapor chamber in fluid communication with the additional heat pipe,

wherein the additional heat pipe is configured to transfer thermal energy from the computing element at the first end of the additional heat pipe to the second end of the additional heat pipe such that such the thermal energy is transferred to the additional vapor chamber, wherein the impeller transfers the thermal energy at the additional vapor chamber to the fin stack.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2023
From: NORTH, TRAVIS C.; CHEN, ENOCH; SHIH, POMIN; PESCETTO, MICHAEL JAMES
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 065339/0446 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250138607A1 · May 1, 2025
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