Liquid cooling device and electronic equipment provided with the same

• US 20050155755A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwatsukino, Kyo, Matsuda, Toshihiko, Koga, Shinya
• Application Number:
  US11/018,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20050155755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/301
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/10 for preventing overheating, e.g. heat shields thermal insulation F28F2270/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid

Abstract

A liquid cooling device according to the invention is based upon a liquid cooling device for a computer in which a cooler, a radiator, a pump and a reserve tank for reserving a refrigerant are provided to a closed circulating passage for circulating the refrigerant, the pump operating at a predetermined revolution circulates the refrigerant, the cooler removes heat from CPU using the refrigerant and the radiator radiates the removed heat, and is mainly characterized in that judgment means that judges that the operation is to be continued in case the revolution of the pump is equal to or smaller than the set revolution and judges that the quantity of the refrigerant is insufficient in case the revolution of the pump exceeds the set revolution is provided.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling device for an electronic equipment comprising:

a closed circulating passage for circulating a liquid refrigerant;

a pump operating at a predetermined revolution for circulating the refrigerant;

a cooler removing a heat from an exothermic component using the liquid refrigerant;

a radiator radiating the removed heat; and

a reserve tank reserving the refrigerant,

wherein a first set revolution is set to more than a revolution at which the pump is steadily operated;

the liquid cooling device is judged to continue operating in case the revolution of the pump is equal to or smaller than the first set revolution; and

a quantity of refrigerant is judged to be insufficient in case the revolution of the pump exceeds the first set revolution.

2. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1, wherein:

a second revolution is set at larger than the first revolution but smaller than a revolution at which the pump causes an air lock; and

the quantity of refrigerant is judged to be insufficient in case the revolution of the pump exceeds the first set revolution but is within a range of a predetermined revolution which is smaller than the second revolution.

3. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1, wherein an alert processing is executed in case the quantity of refrigerant is judged to be insufficient.

4. An electronic equipment having the liquid cooling device of claim 3, wherein the electronic equipment is capable of displaying on a display device;

and

a warning is displayed on the display device in case the quantity of refrigerant is judged to be insufficient.

5. An electronic equipment having the liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein a control for reducing a calorific value of the exothermic component is instructed so as to change an operation mode in case the quantity of refrigerant is judged to be insufficient.

6. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the exothermic component comprises a semiconductor integrated circuit;

and

the control for reducing a calorific value of the exothermic component is a control for reducing an operating frequency of the semiconductor integrated circuit.

7. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein a power source is turned off in case the revolution of the pump exceeds the second set revolution.

8. A liquid cooling device for an electronic equipment comprising:

a closed circulating passage for circulating a liquid refrigerant;

a pump operating at a predetermined revolution for circulating the refrigerant;

a cooler removing a heat from an exothermic component using the liquid refrigerant;

a radiator radiating the removed heat;

a reserve tank reserving the refrigerant; and

a judgment means,

wherein a first set revolution is set to more than a revolution at which the pump is steadily operated;

the judgment means judges that the operation is to be continued in case the revolution of the pump is equal to or smaller than the first set revolution; and

the judgment means judges that a quantity of refrigerant is insufficient in case the revolution of the pump exceeds the first set revolution.