Apparatus Casing

• US 20080007911A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dometic Sweden AB (Dometic Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Dometic Sweden AB (Dometic Group AB)
• Inventors: Blomberg, Jan, Flemsater, Bjorn, Hallin, Ingemar, Bergqvist, Anders
• Application Number:
  US11/722,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080007911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/687
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1639 Arrangements for locking plugged peripheral connectors

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus casing for a computer, comprising a number of walls (21, 22, 23, 24, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107) which together define a first chamber (20, 200) for accommodating computer components (A, B, C), a noise attenuating inlet (30) which includes an inlet duct (31, 310) and an inlet opening (32, 320) that opens into the first chamber for supplying air from the surrounding atmosphere to the first chamber via the inlet duct and the inlet opening, a noise attenuating outlet (40) which includes a first outlet opening (42, 420) and an outlet duct (41, 410) for dispelling air from the first chamber to the surrounding atmosphere via the first outlet opening and the outlet duct, and a fan (45, 450) for producing an air flow through the inlet, the first chamber and the outlet. The invention also relates to a computer that includes one such apparatus casing.

Claims

1. An apparatus casing for a computer, comprising a number of walls (21, 22, 23, 24, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107) which together define a first chamber (20, 200) for accommodating computer components (A, B, C);

a noise attenuating inlet (30) which includes an inlet duct (31, 310) and an inlet opening (32, 320) which opens into the first chamber for delivering air from the surrounding atmosphere to the first chamber via the inlet duct and the inlet opening;

a noise attenuating outlet (40) which includes a first outlet opening (42, 420) and an outlet duct (41, 410) for delivering air from the first chamber to the surrounding atmosphere via the first outlet opening and the outlet duct; and

a fan (45, 450) for producing an air flow through the inlet, the first chamber and the outlet,

characterised in that

the first chamber (20, 200) is delimited substantially hermetically from the surrounding atmosphere with the exception of the inlet and the outlet,

the first chamber has a second outlet opening (44, 440) through which the first chamber communicates with the outlet (40),

means are provided in a downstream part of the first chamber for dividing the total flow into two separate sub-flows (F1, F2) which leave the first chamber through the first outlet opening (42, 420) and the second outlet opening (44, 440) respectively, and

in that the casing includes means for securing a computer component (B) in one of the two mutually separate sub-flows.

2. An apparatus casing according to claim 1, comprising a partition wall (50, 500) which divides the downstream part of the first chamber (20, 200) into a first sub-chamber (25, 250) and a second sub-chamber (26, 260), wherein the first (42, 420) and the second (44, 440) outlet openings are disposed in the first and second sub-chambers respectively.

3. An apparatus casing according to claim 2, wherein the partition wall (500) forms a duct that extends from the second outlet opening (440) into the first chamber (200), wherein the duct constitutes said second sub-chamber (260).

4. An apparatus casing according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein an exhaust fan (45, 450, 51, 510) is provided in or adjacent to each of said first (42, 420) and second (44, 440) outlet openings such as to drive the two sub-flows (F1, F3) through a respective outlet opening.

5. An apparatus casing according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the two outlet openings (420, 440) open into a second chamber (600) which constitutes a common outlet plenum for the two sub-flows, and wherein the outlet plenum communicates with the outlet duct (410).

6. An apparatus casing according to claim 5, wherein a chanter wall (107) delimits the interior of the casing (100) into the first chamber (200) and the second chamber (600) respectively.

7. An apparatus casing according to claim 6, wherein the two exhaust fans (450, 510) and the partition wall (500) are fixed to the chamber wall (107).

8. An apparatus casing according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein at least one of the casing walls (105, 106) is double-walled, wherein the input duct (310) and/or the outlet duct (410) is/are disposed in the double-walled wall.

9. An apparatus casing according to anyone of claims 1-8, wherein two of the casing walls (105, 106) are double-walled and wherein each of the inlet and outlet ducts (410) is disposed in a respective double-walled wall.

10. An apparatus casing according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the double-walled wall (105) that encloses the inlet duct (310) includes a second inlet opening (360) for limited supply of air to a specific component (A) in the first chamber (200).

11. A computer that includes an apparatus casing according to any one of claims 1-10.

12. A computer according to claim 11, wherein one or more hard discs (B) is/are fixated with the aid of the means for securing a computer component in one of said two mutually separate sub-flows.