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Miniaturized liquid cooling device having droplet generator and pizeoelectric micropump

Miniaturized liquid cooling device having droplet generator and pizeoelectric micropump description/claims

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/836,734, filed on Aug. 9, 2007, and entitled “INK-JET HEAD AND PRINTER USING THE SAME”; and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/843,570, filed on Aug. 22, 2007, and entitled “MINIATURIZED LIQUID COOLING DEVICE”; and co-pending U.S. patent application entitled “MINIATURIZED LIQUID COOLING DEVICE” and filed on the same day as the instant application. The co-pending U.S. patent applications are assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. The disclosures of the above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to liquid cooling devices, and more particularly to a miniaturized liquid cooling device which has a droplet generator and a piezoelectric micro-pump.

2. Description of Related Art

Along with fast developments in electronic information industries, electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers are capable of operating at a much higher frequencies and speeds. As a result, the heat generated by the CPUs during normal operation is commensurately increased. If not quickly removed away from the CPUs this generated heat may cause them to become overheated and finally affect the workability and stability of the CPUs.

In order to remove the heat of the CPUs and hence keep the CPUs in normal working order, cooling devices must be provided to the CPUs to dissipate heat therefrom. Conventionally, extruded heat sinks combined with electric fans are frequently used for this heat dissipation purpose. These conventional cooling devices are sufficient for CPUs with low frequencies, but are unsatisfactory for cooling the current CPUs with high frequencies. Liquid cooling devices with high heat dissipation efficiencies are used for dissipating heat generated by high frequency CPUs.

The liquid cooling device includes a heat absorber absorbing heat from the CPU, a heat dissipater dissipating the heat to surrounding environment, a pump driving working fluid to circulate between the heat absorber and the heat dissipater, and a plurality of tubes connecting the heat absorber and the heat dissipater. The liquid cooling device satisfies the heat dissipation requirements of the high frequency CPU. However, the pump occupies a large volume, which increases the size of the liquid cooling device. This goes against the need for compact size in electronic products. Therefore, there is a need for a miniaturized liquid cooling device.

The present invention relates, in one aspect, to a miniaturized liquid cooling device. According to a preferred embodiment, the miniaturized liquid cooling device includes a heat absorber, a heat dissipater, a liquid driving device and a plurality of tubes connecting the heat absorber, the heat dissipater and the liquid driving device to form a loop. The liquid driving device includes a droplet generator and a piezoelectric micro-pump. The droplet generator includes a plurality of control electrodes and a reference electrode layer corresponding to the control electrodes. A fluid channel is formed between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer. Voltages are regularly applied between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer for dividing the working fluid into fluid droplets when the working fluid flows through the droplet generator. The piezoelectric micro-pump includes a piezoelectric block and an oscillating diaphragm capable of co-oscillating with the piezoelectric block for driving the working fluid to unidirectionally flow through a tiny channel defined in the piezoelectric micro-pump.

The present invention relates, in another aspect, to a liquid driving device used in the miniaturized liquid cooling device. According to a preferred embodiment, the liquid driving device includes a droplet generator and a piezoelectric micro-pump. The droplet generator includes a plurality of control electrodes and a reference electrode layer corresponding to the control electrodes. A fluid channel is formed between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer. When voltages are regularly applied between the control electrodes and the reference electrode layer, the working fluid flowing through the droplet generator are divided into fluid droplets. The piezoelectric micro-pump connects with the droplet generator and are fluidically communicated with the droplet generator. The piezoelectric micro-pump includes a piezoelectric block and an oscillating diaphragm for co-oscillating with the piezoelectric block so as to drive the working fluid to flow through a tiny channel defined in the piezoelectric micro-pump.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an assembled view of a miniaturized liquid cooling device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of a droplet generator of the miniaturized liquid cooling device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the droplet generator of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a part of a cut-away view of the droplet generator of FIG. 3, showing the part corresponding to a fluid channel of the droplet generator;

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