CAPILLARY DEVICE

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of China Patent Application No. 202423220138.0, filed on Dec. 26, 2024, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a capillary device, and, in particular, to the capillary device including at least two metal braided layers.

BACKGROUND

Capillary devices may include a channel capable of achieving a capillary phenomenon, and thus the capillary devices may be widely used in the field of fluid transmission.

In general, a capillary device usually includes a sintered structure formed by performing a sintering process on sintered powder, and the capillary phenomenon is achieved by the sintered structure. However, it is unavoidable that the sintered structure will have certain defects, including cracks, sintered powder that falls off, uneven porosity, uneven thickness, a difficulty in the removal of jigs such as core rods, high production costs, and other defects. This may result in the sintered structure being limited by insufficient reliability. Furthermore, it may also lead to the problem of the maximum heat transfer amount (Qmax) being insufficient when the capillary device is subsequently used for fluid transmission.

Therefore, although existing capillary devices have largely met their intended uses, they still do not fully meet the requirements in all respects. Therefore, there are still some problems to be overcome regarding capillary devices.

SUMMARY

The capillary device of the present disclosure includes at least two metal braided layers disposed on a carrier element. Since the metal braided layer is a layer formed by braiding metal lines, the metal braided layer will not have problems such as cracks, sintered powder falling off, uneven pores, uneven thickness, difficult removal of jigs, high production cost, etc., thereby improving the capillary function and/or reliability. Furthermore, the maximum heat transfer amount (Qmax) can be increased by adjusting the braiding angle, braiding method, type of metal lines, choice of metal braided layers and a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, a capillary device is provided. The capillary device includes a carrier element, a first metal braided layer, and a second metal braided layer. The carrier element has an inner surface and includes a tubular portion and a first end portion connected to the tubular portion. The first end portion is a closed end portion. The first metal braided layer is disposed on the inner surface of the carrier element. The second metal braided layer is disposed on the first metal braided layer. The first metal braided layer covers 50%˜80% of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element, and the second metal braided layer covers 70%˜90% of the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer.

The capillary device of the present disclosure may be applied in various types of capillary apparatus. In order to make the features and advantages of some embodiments of the present disclosure more understand, some embodiments of the present disclosure are listed below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and are described in detail as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, according to the standard practice in the industry, the various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity.

FIGS. 1A to 1C are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIG. 1D is a schematic diagram showing a first region of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a second region of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIG. 1G and FIG. 1H are schematic three-dimensional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIGS. 4A to 4C are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIGS. 5A to 5C are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a capillary device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Capillary devices of various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. It should be understood that the following description provides many different embodiments for implementing various aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure. The specific elements and arrangements described below are merely to clearly describe some embodiments of the present disclosure. Of course, these are only used as examples rather than limitations of the present disclosure. Furthermore, similar or corresponding reference numerals may be used in different embodiments to designate similar or corresponding elements in order to clearly describe the present disclosure. However, the use of these similar or corresponding reference numerals is only for the purpose of simply and clearly description of some embodiments of the present disclosure, and does not imply any correlation between the different embodiments or structures discussed.

In addition, it should be understood that ordinal numbers such as “first”, “second”, and the like used in the description and claims are used to modify elements and are not intend portioned to imply and represent the element(s) have any previous ordinal numbers, and do not represent the order of a certain element and another element, or the order of the manufacturing method, and the use of these ordinal numbers is only used to clearly distinguished an element with a certain name and another element with the same name. The claims and the specification may not use the same terms, for example, a first element in the specification may be a second element in the claim.

Herein, the terms “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially” generally mean within 10%, within 5%, within 3%, within 2%, within 1%, or within 0.5% of a given value or range. The given value is an approximate value, that is, “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially” can still be implied without the specific description of “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially”. The term “a range between a first value and a second value”, “ranging from a first value to a second value”, or “a first value ˜a second value” means that the range includes the first value, the second value, and other values in between. Furthermore, any two values or directions used for comparison may have certain tolerance.

In the following description and claims, terms such as “including”, “containing”, and “having” are open-end portioned words, so they should be interpreted as meaning “including but not limited to . . . ”. Therefore, when the terms “including”, “containing”, and/or “having” is used in the description of the present disclosure, it designates the presence of corresponding features, regions, steps, operations, and/or elements, but does not exclude the presence of one or more corresponding features, regions, steps, operations, and/or elements. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skills in the art. It is understood that these terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with the relevant art and the background or context of the present disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner, unless otherwise defined in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, additional components may be added to the capillary device of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, some components of the capillary device of the present disclosure may be replaced or omitted. In some embodiments, additional operational steps may be provided before, during, and/or after the method of forming the capillary device. In some embodiments, some of the operational steps may be replaced or omitted, and the order of some of the operational steps is interchangeable. Furthermore, it should be understood that some of the operational steps may be replaced or deleted for other embodiments of the method. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the number and size of each component in the drawings are only for illustration and are not used to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Herein, the respective directions are not limited to three axes of the rectangular coordinate system, such as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, and may be interpreted in a broader sense. In the present disclosure, each direction can be a cylindrical coordinate system. For convenience of description, hereinafter, the extension direction of the capillary device may be referred to as the extension direction ED, and the radial direction of the capillary device may be referred to as the radial direction RD. In some embodiments, the extension direction ED of the capillary device may be a backflow direction of the working fluid.

In the present disclosure, the term “capillary function” refers to the transmission effect of fluid transmission caused by capillary phenomenon, for example, the flow velocity (flow rate) of the working fluid, the backflow amount (flux) or backflow velocity of the working fluid, and the like.

Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1C, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Wherein, FIG. 1B shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section A-A′ in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section B-B′ in FIG. 1A. As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, in some embodiments, the capillary device 1 may include a carrier element 10. In some embodiments, the carrier element 10 may have an inner surface 10S1. In some embodiments, the inner surface 10S1 may be a flat surface, and thus the carrier element 10 may be a smooth tube. In other embodiments, the inner surface 10S1 may be a concave-convex surface, and thus the carrier element 10 may be a rough tube such as a grooved tube.

In some embodiments, the carrier element 10 may include a tubular portion 10P1, a first end portion 10P2, and a second end portion 10P3. In some embodiments, along the extension direction ED, the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3 may be respectively connected to opposite ends of the tubular portion 10P1. In some embodiments, at least one of the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3 may be a closed end portion. Wherein, the “closed end portion” means that the fluid in the closed end portion is not connected to the external fluid. Correspondingly, the “open end portion” represents fluid therein can communicate with the external fluid. In some embodiments (as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A), the first end portion 10P2 may be a closed end portion, and the second end portion 10P3 may be an open end portion, so that the carrier element 10 may serve as a capillary tube. In some embodiments (as shown in FIGS. 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A), the first end portion 10P2 may be a closed end portion, and the second end portion 10P3 may be a closed end portion, so that the carrier element 10 may serve as a heat pipe.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, in some embodiments, the capillary device 1 may include at least two metal braided layers, and the at least two metal braided layers may be disposed on the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10. Accordingly, compared to a capillary device including a sintered structure, the capillary device of the present disclosure does not have problems such as cracks, sintered powder falling off, uneven pores, uneven thickness, difficult removal of jigs, high production cost, etc., thereby improving the capillary function and/or reliability. Furthermore, compared to a surface formed by alternately stacking different particles of sintered powder, the surface of the metal braided layer is smoother, thereby providing a shorter backflow path (path of water returning back) and improving the capillary function.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in some embodiments, along the extension direction ED, at least two metal braided layers may be aligned with the carrier element 10. In other embodiments, along the extension direction ED, at least two metal braided layers may extend beyond the carrier element 10 to facilitate subsequent connection with other elements. In some embodiments, the protruding length extending beyond the carrier element 10 may be less than or equal to 10 mm. For example, the protruding length may be 10 mm, 5 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, at least two layers of the metal braided layers may extend into the first end portion 10P2, and at least two layers of the metal braided layers may extend into the second end portion 10P3.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, in some embodiments, the number of metal braided layers may be a positive integer from 2 to N, where N may be 100. For example, the number of metal braided layers may be 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the N^th metal braided layer may include a plurality of 2N-1^th metal lines and a plurality of 2N^th metal lines, and the plurality of 2N-1^th metal lines and the plurality of 2N^th metal lines may be arranged alternately. In some embodiments, when N is the same value, the plurality of 2N-1^th metal lines and the plurality of 2N^th metal lines may be the same or different. In some embodiments, when N is a different value, a plurality of 2N-1^th metal lines may be the same or different, and a plurality of 2N^th metal lines may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the metal line may further include a plurality of metal silks. For ease of explanation, an embodiment in which the number of metal braided layers is 3 (N is 3) or 5 (N is 5) is shown below, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, in some embodiments, the capillary device 1 may include a first metal braided layer 20, a second metal braided layer 30, and a third metal braided layer 40. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 may be disposed on the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10, the second metal braided layer 30 may be disposed on the first metal braided layer 20, and the third metal braided layer 40 may be disposed on the second metal braided layer 30. In some embodiments, the second metal braided layer 30 and the third metal braided layer 40 may not contact the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10. In other words, the second metal braided layer 30 and the third metal braided layer 40 may be spaced apart from the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10 by a distance. In some other embodiments, the second metal braided layer 30, the third metal braided layer 40, or a combination thereof may be in direct contact with the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10. Accordingly, the capillary function can be adjusted by adjusting the number, thickness, and/or type of the metal braided layers disposed on the carrier element 10.

As shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, in some embodiments, the carrier element 10 may include a plurality of concave portions 12 and a plurality of convex portions 14. In some embodiments, the plurality of concave portions 12 may be disposed on the inner surface 10S1. In some embodiments, the plurality of convex portions 14 may be arranged alternately with the plurality of concave portions 12. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 may be in direct contact with the plurality of convex portions 14. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 may not be substantially disposed in the plurality of concave portions 12. In other words, an accommodating space may be formed between the first metal braided layer 20 and the plurality of concave portions 12 to facilitate the flow of the working fluid therein. Accordingly, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount can be increased.

Referring to FIG. 1D, it shows a schematic diagram of a first region R1 of a capillary device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 has a plurality of first pores 21, the second metal braided layer 30 has a plurality of second pores 31, and the third metal braided layer 40 has a plurality of third pores 41. In some embodiments, the size of the plurality of second pores 31 may be smaller than or equal to the size of the plurality of first pores 21. In some embodiments, the size of the plurality of third pores 41 may be smaller than or equal to the size of the plurality of second pores 31. The size of the pores may be, for example, the pore diameter, the total pore area, and the like. For example, the size of the plurality of second pores 31 may be smaller than the size of the plurality of first pores 21, and the size of the plurality of third pores 41 may be smaller than the size of the plurality of second pores 31.

Accordingly, when the pores of the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10 are larger and the pores of the metal braided layer farther from the carrier element 10 are smaller, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount can be increased. In detail, due to the capillary phenomenon, the working fluid tends to be transmitted in the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10. Therefore, the pores of the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10 can be made larger to facilitate the transmission of the working fluid. In addition, when the pores of the metal braided layer away from the carrier element 10 are smaller, a greater surface tension can be provided to the working fluid. Therefore, it is beneficial for the working fluid to be transmitted in the braided layer below it (such as in the metal braided layer close to the carrier element 10).

As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 may cover 50%˜80% of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10. For example, the first metal braided layer 20 may cover 50%, 55%, 60%, 65 %, 70%, 75%, 80%, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The phrase “a first element may cover X % of the inner diameter circumference of a second element ” represents the ratio (percentage (%)) of the arc length of the second element covered by the first element to the inner diameter circumference of the second element. In some embodiments, the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10 may be 20 mm˜30 mm. For example, the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10 may be 20 mm, 22 mm, 23 mm, 24 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, the second metal braided layer 30 may cover 70%˜90% of the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20. For example, the second metal braided layer 30 may cover 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values of the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20 may be 18 mm˜28 mm. For example, the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20 may be 18 mm, 20 mm, 21 mm, 22 mm, 23 mm, 28 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, the third metal braided layer 40 may cover 80%˜100% of the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30. For example, the third metal braided layer 40 may cover 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values of the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30 may be 16 mm˜26 mm. For example, the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30 may be 16 mm, 18 mm, 19 mm, 20 mm, 21 mm, 26 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10 may be 21.99 mm, the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20 may be 21.93 mm, the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30 may be 21.86 mm. Wherein, the braided mesh porosity of the first metal braided layer 20 is 70%. That is, the first metal braided layer 20 may cover 30% of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10. Wherein, the braided mesh porosity of the second metal braided layer 30 is 50 %. That is, the second metal braided layer 30 may cover 50% of the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20. Wherein, the braided mesh porosity of the third metal braided layer 40 is 30 %. That is, the third metal braided layer 40 may cover 70% of the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30. Accordingly, when the braided structure of the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10 is looser (larger pores) and the braided structure of the metal braided layer farther away from the carrier element 10 is tighter (smaller pores), the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount can be increased.

As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, at least two metal braided layers may cover 80%, 85%, 90%, or more of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10. For example, even if the braided structure of each of the at least two metal braided layers is loose, when the at least two metal braided layers together cover 80% or more of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10, the working fluid can be prevented from overflowing in unnecessary directions.

As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, in the radial direction RD, the first metal braided layer 20 may have a first thickness T1, the second metal braided layer 30 may have a second thickness T2, and the third metal braided layer 40 may have a third thickness T3. In some embodiments, the first thickness T1 may be greater than or equal to the second thickness T2, and the second thickness T2 may be greater than or equal to the third thickness T3. For example, the first thickness T1 may be greater than the second thickness T2, and the second thickness T2 may be greater than the third thickness T3. In some embodiments, the ratio of the first thickness T1 to the second thickness T2 (the first thickness T1/the second thickness T2) may be 1.1˜5. For example, the ratio of the first thickness T1 to the second thickness T2 may be 1.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the ratio of the second thickness T2 to the third thickness T3 (the second thickness T2/the third thickness T3) may be 1.1˜5. For example, the ratio of the second thickness T2 to the third thickness T3 may be 1.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, when the first metal braided layer 20 may cover 30% of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10, the second metal braided layer 30 may cover 50 % of the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20, and the third metal braided layer 40 may cover 70% of the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30, the ratio of the first thickness T1 to the second thickness T2 may be 1, and the ratio of the second thickness T2 to the third thickness T3 may be 1. Accordingly, when the thickness of the metal braided layer with large pores closer to the carrier element 10 is thicker and the thickness of the braided structure of the metal braided layer with the small pores farther away from of the carrier element 10 is thinner, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount can be increased. Wherein, when the thickness of the metal braided layer with large pores is thicker, the backflow amount can be increased. When the thickness of the braided structure of the metal braided layer with small pores is thinner, a greater surface tension can be provided to the working fluid without excessively occupying the vapor channel.

As shown in FIG. 1D, in some embodiments, the convex portion 14 may have a height H, and the concave portion 12 may have a corresponding depth. In some embodiments, the height H may be 0.1 mm˜0.5 mm. For example, the height H may be 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, there may be a width W between adjacent convex portions 14a and 14b. In some embodiments, along the radial direction RD, the width W may gradually decrease. Therefore, the convex portions 14 may have a regular trapezoidal shape that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the width W may be 0.05 mm˜0.4 mm. For example, the width W may be 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of the second region R2 of a capillary device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F, in some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 may include a plurality of first metal lines L1 and a plurality of second metal lines L2, and the plurality of second metal lines L2 may be arranged alternately with the plurality of first metal lines L1. In some embodiments, the first metal line L1 and the second metal line L2 may respectively include metal, and the metal may include copper (Cu), tin (Sn), gold (Au), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), indium (In), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), iridium (Ir), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), an alloy or compound thereof, or a combination thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the first metal line L1 and the second metal line L2 may include copper (Cu), respectively.

In some embodiments, the diameter of the first metal line L1 may be smaller than or equal to 0.25 times the width W. For example, the diameter of the first metal line L1 may be 0.25 times, 0.2 times, 0.15 times, 0.1 times, 0.05 times, or small, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values the width W, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the diameter of the first metal line L1 may be 0.03 mm˜0.08 mm. For example, the diameter of the first metal line L1 may be 0.03 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.06 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.08 mm, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the diameter of the second metal line L2 may be smaller than or equal to 0.25 times the width W. For example, the diameter of the second metal line L2 may be 0.25 times, 0.2 times, 0.15 times, 0.1 times, 0.05 times, or smaller, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values than the width W, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the diameter of the second metal line L2 may be 0.03 mm˜0.08 mm. For example, the diameter of the second metal line L2 may be 0.03 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.06 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.08 mm, or smaller, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F, in some embodiments, one of the first metal line L1 and the second metal line L2 may serve as a warp wire, and the other of the first metal line L1 and the second metal line L2 may serve as a weft wire. In some embodiments, the staggered arrangement may be arranged in a woven manner. For example, the weaving method may be plain woven, twill woven, satin woven, other similar weaving methods, or a combination thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 1E, since the first metal lines L1 and the second metal lines L2 may be plain woven, they are arranged in a one-up-and-one-down staggered manner. As shown in FIG. 1F, the plurality of first metal lines L1 and the plurality of second metal lines L2 may be arranged alternately in a four-up-and-four-down staggered manner. In some other embodiments, the plurality of first metal lines L1 and the plurality of second metal lines L2 may be arranged in other suitable manners, such as one-up-and-three-down, two-up-and-four-down, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F, in some embodiments, a first angle (included angle) A1 between the plurality of first metal lines L1 and the plurality of second metal lines L2 may be less than or equal to 60 degrees. The first angle A1 may be an acute angle, and the first angle A1 may be directed toward the extension direction ED. For example, the first angle A1 may be 60 degrees, 55 degrees, 50 degrees, 45 degrees, 40 degrees, 35 degrees, 30 degrees, 25 degrees, 20 degrees, or smaller, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the backflow path of the first metal braided layer 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the first angle A1 toward the extension direction ED. Specifically, when the first angle A1 is smaller, the backflow path of the working fluid through the first metal braided layer 20 is shorter, so that the amount of the working fluid that can be transmitted is larger. Furthermore, when the first angle A1 is smaller, the effective contact area of the first metal braided layer 20 with the working fluid is larger. Therefore, the capillary function can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 1E and FIG. 1F, in some embodiments, the sum of the first angle A1 and the supplementary angle A1′ is 180 degrees. In some embodiments, the difference between the first angle A1 and the supplementary angle A1′ may be greater than or equal to 60 degrees. For example, the difference between the first angle A1 and the supplementary angle A1′ can be 60 degrees, 70 degrees, 80 degrees, 90 degrees, 100 degrees, 120 degrees, 150 degrees, or greater, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the first angle A1 shown in FIG. 1F may be smaller than the first angle A1 shown in FIG. 1E. Accordingly, the backflow path of the first metal braided layer 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the difference between the first angle A1 and the supplementary angle A1′. In detail, when the difference between the first angle A1 and the supplementary angle A1′ is larger, the backflow path is shorter.

In some embodiments, the arrangement method, material, and angle of other metal braided layers (for example, the second metal braided layer 30, the third metal braided layer 40, the fourth metal braided layer, the fifth metal braided layer, or other additional metal braided layers) may be similar to the arrangement method, material, and angle of the first metal braided layer. In some embodiments, the second metal braided layer 30 may include a plurality of third metal lines and a plurality of fourth metal lines, and the plurality of third metal lines may be arranged alternately with the plurality of fourth metal lines. In some embodiments, the second angle between the plurality of third metal lines and the plurality of fourth metal lines may be less than or equal to 60 degrees. The second angle may be an acute angle, and the second angle may be directed toward the extension direction ED. In some embodiments, the second angle between the plurality of third metal lines and the plurality of fourth metal lines may be smaller than the first angle A1 between the plurality of first metal lines L1 and the plurality of second metal lines L2. Accordingly, when the braided structure of the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10 is looser and the braided structure of the metal braided layer farther from the carrier element 10 is tighter, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount can be increased. In detail, due to the capillary phenomenon, the working liquid tends to be transmitted in the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10. Therefore, the braided structure of the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10 can be made loose to facilitate the transmission of the working fluid.

Referring to FIG. 1G and FIG. 1H, they are schematic three-dimensional diagrams of a capillary device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1G, in some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, and the third metal braided layer 40 may extend beyond the second end portion 10P3 of the carrier element 10. As shown in FIG. 1H, in some embodiments, the carrier element 10, the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, and the third metal braided layer 40 may respectively have drainage portions (guiding portions) 16, 22, 32, 42 to facilitate adjusting the flow direction of the fluid when the capillary device 1 is connected to other elements. In some embodiments, the drainage portion 16 of the carrier element 10, the drainage portion 22 of the first metal braided layer 20, the drainage portion 32 of the second metal braided layer 30, and the drainage portion 42 of the third metal braided layer 40 may correspond to each other. In some embodiments, the bottom surfaces of the drainage portions 16, 22, 32, and 42 may be lower than the top surface of the second end portion 10P3. Accordingly, by providing the drainage portions 16, 22, 32, 42, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount are increased. For example, the maximum heat transfer amount of the capillary device with the drainage portions 16, 22, 32, 42 may be 1.1 times, 1.2 times, 1.5 times or more of the maximum heat transfer amount of the capillary device without the drainage portions 16, 22, 32, 42.

Referring to FIGS. 2A to 2C, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Wherein, FIG. 2B shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section A-A′ in FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section B-B′ in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, in some embodiments, the first end portion 10P2 may be a closed end portion, and the second end portion 10P3 may be an open end portion. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, and the third metal braided layer 40 may be disposed in the tubular portion 10P1 and the second end portion 10P3, and may not be disposed in the first end portion 10P2. Accordingly, the vapor channel near the first end portion 10P2 may not be occupied, and the capillary function near the second end portion 10P3 may be enhanced.

Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3C, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device 3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Wherein, FIG. 3B shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section A-A′ in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section B-B′ in FIG. 3A. As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, in some embodiments, the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3 may be closed end portions. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, and the third metal braided layer 40 may be disposed in the tubular portion 10P1, the first end portion 10P2, and the second end portion 10P3.

Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4C, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Wherein, FIG. 4B shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section A-A′ in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4C shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section B-B′ in FIG. 4A. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, in some embodiments, the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3 may be closed end portions. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, and the third metal braided layer 40 may be disposed in the tubular portion 10P1 and the second end portion 10P3, and may not be disposed in the first end portion 10P2. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20 may expose the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10. Accordingly, by not providing a metal braided layer in the first end portion 10P2, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount are increased. In detail, the first end portion 10P2 can serve as a cold end of the heat pipe, and the second end portion 10P3 can serve as a hot end of the heat pipe. Therefore, when a metal braided layer is provided in the hot end, the size of the vapor channel can be reduced to facilitate heat transfer to the cold end. On the other hand, when no metal braided layer is provided in the cold end, the size of the vapor channel can be increased (or maintained) to facilitate heat transfer.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5C, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device 5 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Wherein, FIG. 5B shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section A-A′ in FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section B-B′ in FIG. 5A. As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, in some embodiments, the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3 may be closed end portions. In some embodiments, the capillary device 5 may further include a fourth metal braided layer 50 and a fifth metal braided layer 60. In some embodiments, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may be disposed on the third metal braided layer 40, and the fifth metal braided layer 60 may be disposed on the fourth metal braided layer 50. In some embodiments, the arrangement method, material, and angle of the fourth metal braided layer 50 and the fifth metal braided layer 60 may be similar to the arrangement method, material, and angle of the first metal braided layer. In some embodiments, the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, the third metal braided layer 40, the fourth metal braided layer 50, and the fifth metal braided layer 60 may be disposed in the tubular portion 10P1, the first end portion 10P2, and the second end portion 10P3.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, in some embodiments, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may cover 10%˜25% of the inner diameter circumference of the third metal braided layer 40. For example, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may cover 10%, 17.5%, 15%, 20%, 22.5%, 25%, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values of the inner diameter circumference of the third metal braided layer 40, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may expose at least 50% of the inner diameter circumference of the third metal braided layer 40. For example, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may expose 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values of the inner diameter circumference of the third metal braided layer 40, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may be disposed corresponding to an external heat source. Accordingly, when the fourth metal braided layer 50 is provided corresponding to the external heat source to provide a precise backflow channel, more vapor channels can be maintained.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, in some embodiments, the fifth metal braided layer 60 may cover 7%˜22% of the inner diameter circumference of the fourth metal braided layer 50. For example, the fifth metal braided layer 60 may cover 7%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 22%, or any value or any range of values between the aforementioned values of the inner diameter circumference of the fourth metal braided layer 50, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10 may be 21.99 mm, the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20 may be 21.93 mm, the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30 may be 21.86 mm, the inner diameter circumference of the third metal braided layer 40 may be 21.80 mm, and the inner diameter circumference of the fourth metal braided layer 50 may be 5.5 mm. The first metal braided layer 20 may cover 30% of the inner diameter circumference of the carrier element 10, the second metal braided layer 30 may cover 50% of the inner diameter circumference of the first metal braided layer 20, the third metal braided layer 40 may cover 70% of the inner diameter circumference of the second metal braided layer 30. Also, the braided mesh porosity of the fourth metal braided layer 50 is 0 %, that is, the fourth metal braided layer 50 can cover 100% of the inner diameter circumference of the third metal braided layer 40. The braided mesh porosity of the fifth metal braided layer 60 is 0%, that is, the fifth metal braided layer 60 can cover 100% of the inner diameter circumference of the fourth metal braided layer 50. Accordingly, more vapor channels can be reserved while the fourth metal braided layer 50 and the fifth metal braided layer 60 provide accurate backflow channels at the corresponding heat sources.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, in some embodiments, in the radial direction RD, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may have a fourth thickness, and the fifth metal braided layer 60 may have a fifth thickness. In some embodiments, the fourth thickness may be greater than or equal to the fifth thickness. For example, the ratio of the first thickness T1 to the second thickness T2 may be 1, the ratio of the second thickness T2 to the third thickness T3 may be 1, the ratio of the third thickness T3 to the fourth thickness may be 1, and the ratio of the fourth thickness to the fifth thickness may be 1. Accordingly, more vapor channels can be reserved while providing a precise backflow channel.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, in some embodiments, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may have a plurality of fourth pores, and the fifth metal braided layer 60 may have a plurality of fifth pores. In some embodiments, the size of the plurality of fourth pores may be smaller than or equal to the size of the plurality of fifth pores. For example, the diameters of the first pore 21, the second pore 31, and the third pore 41 may be the same, the diameters of the fourth pore and the fifth pore may be the same, and the diameter of the first pore 21 is greater than the diameter of the fourth pore. Accordingly, when the pores of the metal braided layer closer to the carrier element 10 are larger and the pores of the metal braided layer farther from the carrier element 10 are smaller, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount can be increased.

Referring to FIGS. 6A to 6C, they are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of a capillary device 6 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively. Wherein, FIG. 6B shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section A-A′ in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6C shows a schematic diagram taken along the cross section B-B′ in FIG. 6A. As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, in some embodiments, the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3 may be closed end portions. In some embodiments, the fourth metal braided layer 50 and the fifth metal braided layer 60 may be disposed in the tubular portion 10P1, the first end portion 10P2, and the second end portion 10P3, and the first metal braided layer 20, the second metal braided layer 30, and the third metal braided layer 40 may not be disposed in the first end portion 10P2 (but are disposed in the tubular portion 10P1 and the second end portion 10P3). As shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the fourth metal braided layer 50 may be in direct contact with the inner surface 10S1 of the carrier element 10. The fourth metal braided layer 50 may be in direct contact with a side surface and a top surface of the third metal braided layer 40. Accordingly, by disposing different numbers of metal braided layers in the first end portion 10P2 and the second end portion 10P3, the capillary function, reliability, and/or maximum heat transfer amount are increased. In detail, the first end portion 10P2 can serve as a cold end of the heat pipe, and the second end portion 10P3 can serve as a hot end of the heat pipe. Therefore, when more layers of metal braided layers are provided in the hot end, the size of the vapor channel can be reduced to facilitate heat transfer to the cold end. In other words, when fewer layers of metal braid layers are provided in the cold end, the size of the vapor channel can be increased to facilitate heat transfer.

Referring to FIG. 7, it is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a capillary device 7 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of explanation, FIG. 7 shows a capillary device 7 including a capillary device 1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the capillary device 7 may be a three-dimensional vapor chamber (3D VC). In some embodiments, the capillary device 7 may further include a carrier plate 70 and a capillary structure 80 disposed on the carrier plate 70. In some embodiments, the material of the carrier plate 70 may be the same as or different from the material of the carrier element 10. In some embodiments, the carrier plate 70 and the capillary structure 80 may be another capillary device. As shown in FIG. 7, since the first metal braided layer 20 of the capillary device 1 extends beyond the carrier element 10, it is convenient to connect the first metal braided layer 20 to the capillary structure 80.

In some embodiments, one or more of the capillary devices 1˜6, or the capillary device 7 may be applied in the field of fluid transmission. In some embodiments, one or more of the capillary devices 1˜6 may be applied to a capillary device 7, and the capillary device 7 may be a heat dissipation device. For example, the heat dissipation device may include a vapor chamber, a heat conducting plate, a heat dissipation module, the like, or a combination thereof. For example, the heat conducting plate may include a three-dimensional heat conducting plate.

Accordingly, the capillary device of the present disclosure can be free from limitations such as cracks, falling of sintered powder, uneven porosity, uneven thickness, difficulty in removal of the jig, and high production cost, and the like. The capillary device of the present disclosure can improve capillary function, reliability and/or maximum heat transfer amount. The capillary device of the present disclosure can be a high-power capillary device.

The features among the various embodiments may be arbitrarily combined as long as they do not violate or conflict with the spirit of the disclosure. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the process, machine, manufacturing, material composition, device, method, and step in the specific embodiments described in the specification. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand current and future processes, machine, manufacturing, material composition, device, method, and step from the content disclosed in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as long as the current or future processes, machine, manufacturing, material composition, device, method, and step performs substantially the same functions or obtain substantially the same results as the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure includes the abovementioned process, machine, manufacturing, material composition, device, method, and steps. It is not necessary for any embodiment or claim of the present disclosure to achieve all of the objects, advantages, and/or features disclosed herein.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments of the present disclosure, so that a person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that the present disclosure may be readily used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.