FLUID FLOW TUNNELLING IN A NON-METALLIC COMPUTER CHASSIS

• US 20190317569A1
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hypertechnologie Ciara Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hypertechnologie Ciara Inc.
• Inventors: AHDOOT, Eliot
• Granted Patent: US 10,809,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20145 Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 Fan mounting or fan specifications

Abstract

There is provided a chassis for a computing system comprising a heat-generating element. The chassis comprises a body with at least a portion thereof made of a non-metallic material, namely a nonmetallic portion. For example, the non-metallic material can be a moldable plastic. There is provided a channel made in the non-metallic portion, the channel having a starting point close to a dedicated location for a fan, the channel having an ending point close to a dedicated portion for the heat-generating element, the channel shaped to guide fluid propelled at the starting point to the ending point. The channel can be a tunnel inside the body or a valley on the surface of the body, and confines fluid flow from the fan, guiding the fluid flow to the heat-generating element.

Claims

1. A chassis for a computing system comprising a heat-generating element, the chassis comprising:

a body with at least a portion thereof made of a non-metallic material, namely a non-metallic portion; and

a channel made in the non-metallic portion, the channel having a starting point close to a dedicated location for a fan, the channel having an ending point close to a dedicated portion for the heat-generating element, the channel shaped to guide fluid propelled at the starting point to the ending point.

2. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the non-metallic material comprises plastic.

3. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises a chassis base having a base flat portion extending in a plane, the non-metallic portion extending from the base flat portion away from the plane.

4. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises a chassis lid having a lid flat portion extending in a plane, the non-metallic portion extending from the lid flat portion away from the plane.

5. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a tunnel defining a path between the starting point and the ending point.

6. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the body has a surface and the channel comprises a valley open to the surface and defining a path between the starting point and the ending point.

7. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels, each channel having its starting point by a dedicated one of a plurality of fans and its ending point by a dedicated one of a plurality of heat-generating element.

8. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels, some of the channels sharing a starting point by a dedicated one of a plurality of fans, each of the channels having and its ending point by a dedicated one of a plurality of heat-generating elements.

9. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels, the channels defining a network having a plurality of starting points and a plurality of ending points greater than the plurality of starting points, the channels defining paths from the plurality of starting points and splitting to the plurality of ending points.

10. A method of fabricating a chassis for a computing system comprising a heat-generating element, the method comprising:

molding at least a portion of a body of the chassis made of a non-metallic material, namely a non-metallic portion; and

providing a channel in the body, the channel having a starting point and an ending point and defining a path therebetween to allow fluid flow.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying a location in the chassis at which a fan and a heat-generating element are to be installed to mold the non-metallic portion with the starting point and the ending point at appropriate locations.

12. The method of claim 11, identifying a requirement of fluid flow for cooling down a specific heat-generating element and providing the channel with sizing that is sufficient to reach the requirement of fluid flow.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein molding comprises molding the non-metallic portion by shaping the non-metallic portion as a bulk material extending away from a plane of a flat portion of a chassis lid or a chassis base and inside which channels are molded.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing a channel comprises molding the channel while molding the non-metallic portion.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein providing a channel comprises modifying non-metallic portion to form the channel therein after molding the non-metallic portion.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein providing a channel comprises providing a plurality of independent channels.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein providing a channel comprises providing a plurality of channels forming a network.