Electronic apparatus having a heat-radiating unit for radiating heat of heat-generating components

• US 20050007739A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomioka, Kentaro, Hata, Yukihiko, Kusaka, Hiroyuki, Tanimoto, Mitsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,273,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/203 Heat conductive hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, an electronic apparatus comprises a main unit, a display unit and a support unit. The main unit contains a heat-generating component and a heat-receiving portion. The heat-receiving portion is thermally connected to the heat-generating component. The support unit supports the display unit on the main unit and contains a heat-radiating portion that radiates the heat of the heat-generating component. The heat of the heat-generating component is transmitted to a heat-transferring medium and transferred to the heat-radiating portion through the heat-transferring medium.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a main unit including a heat-generating component and a heat-receiving portion thermally connected to the heat-generating component;

a display unit having a display device; and

a support unit supporting the display unit on the main unit, the support unit comprises a heat-radiating portion to radiate heat from a medium received from the main unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium is a liquid coolant to absorb heat produced by the heat-generating component and transferred by the heat-receiving portion, the liquid coolant being adapted to circulate between the heat-receiving portion and the heat-radiating portion.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat-radiating portion of the support unit comprises (i) a tube to convey the liquid coolant heated at the heat-receiving portion, and (ii) a plurality of heat-radiating fins coupled to the tube.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the heat-radiating portion of the support unit further comprises a fan adapted to apply cooling air to the heat-radiating fins.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the fan comprises a fan case and an impeller provided in the fan case, the fan case includes (i) a plurality of suction ports placed on opposite sides of the impeller, and (ii) a plurality of discharge ports.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of heat-radiating fins are arranged at the discharge ports of the fan case.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heat-receiving portion includes a pump to convey the heated liquid coolant to the heat-radiating portion.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heat-radiating portion includes a reserve tank to temporarily store the liquid coolant.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support unit includes a bottom wall, a top wall, and a pair of side walls extending between edges of the bottom wall and edges of the top wall, and the heat-radiating portion is provided in a region defined by the bottom wall, top wall and side walls.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the support unit includes a bottom wall, a top wall each having an intake port being opposite one of the plurality of suction ports, and a pair of side walls extending between edges of the bottom wall and edges of the top wall, at least one of the side walls has a plurality of exhaust ports.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the display unit is able to move between a first position where the display unit covers the main unit from above, a second position where the display unit is supporting in an upright orientation, and a third position where the display unit lies closer to the front of the main unit than at the second position, the support unit is in a raised orientation at the back of the display unit while the display unit remains at either the second position or the third position.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the support unit inclines forward from the rear edge of the main unit and the intake ports of the support unit are exposed while the display unit is in the third position.

13. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a main unit including a heat-generating component and a heat-receiving portion thermally connected to the heat-generating component;

a display unit having a display device; and

a support unit coupled to the main unit and the display unit, the support unit enabling movement of the display unit and including (i) a heat-radiating portion and (ii) a plurality of tubes to circulate a medium between the heat-receiving portion and the heat-radiating portion to radiate heat from the medium.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the medium is a liquid coolant.

15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the heat-radiating portion comprises a fan and a plurality of heat-radiating fins connected to the plurality of tubes.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the fan comprises a fan case and an impeller provided in the fan case, the fan case includes a pair of suction ports and a plurality of discharge ports positioned adjacent to the heat-radiating fins.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the support unit includes a hollow housing containing the heat-radiating portion, the plurality of tubes, a plurality of exhaust ports and a plurality of intake ports.

18. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a first housing containing a heat-generating component and a rotary pump;

a second housing separated from the first housing, the second housing containing a display device;

a third housing extending between the first housing and adapted to support the second housing in a plurality of positions raised above the first housing, the third housing comprises (i) a tube to convey a medium from the rotary pump and (ii) a plurality of fins coupled to the tube to radiate heat from the medium circulated through the third housing and returned back to the first housing.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the third housing further comprises a fan to circulate air over the tube and the plurality of fins.

20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the third housing includes an intake port which guides the air to the fan and an exhaust port over which the heat of the heat-generating component is released.