Computer electronic system having a cover for every module

• US 5,497,495 A
• Filed: 01/12/1995
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takano, Satoshi, Oomori, Shigeru, Ishikawa, Tetsuo, Hashimoto, Daijiro, Mochiduki, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US08/371,889
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 361/600, 361/692, 361/721, 361/717, 361/748, 361/736, 395/325, 395/750
• US Class Current: 361/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0207 using internal conductor planes parallel to the surface for thermal conduction, e.g. power planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/044 Details of backplane or midplane for mounting orthogonal PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0919 Exposing inner circuit layers or metal planes at the side edge of the PCB or at the walls of large holes shielding provided by an inner layer of PCB H05K2201/0723
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4641 having integrally laminated metal sheets or special power cores

Abstract

In the present invention, a mother board is fixed perpendicularly to the center of a support table of a system. On one side of the mother board, any number of floppy disk drives and hard disk drives are mounted. On the other side of the mother board, a power source and any number of function modules are mounted. The function modules include a CPU, a memory, an input/output controller, a communication controller, etc. Each of the function modules and units is stored in its own case. The function modules are airtight. Thus, since each unit and function module is protected in its own case, large case for covering the whole system is not required. Therefore, the units and function modules are well ventilated and have a good heat radiation effect. Each case also acts as a heat radiator and eliminates the necessity of a forcible cooling unit, and the fault rate is thus reduced.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of function modules, each having an electronic circuit, for performing an electronic function, and each having a metal-core printed circuit board including a metal layer for collecting the heat generated by the corresponding function module,

said metal layer of said metal-core printed circuit board having a disposed peripherally exposed portion,

a mother board containing a bus and a connector for connecting said plurality of function modules,

a plurality of cases, each made of a thermally conductive metallic material, each said case containing and fully enclosing one of said plurality of function modules, for isolating the interference of heat from one another,

each of said cases including a frame portion which corresponds to said exposed metal portion of said metal layer, said frame portion being securely attached to said exposed metal portion such that heat generated in said function module radiates through said case and also to ambient from said exposed portion of said circuit board,

a metallic, thermally conductive mother board case enclosing said mother board and having at least one outer side surface, wherein each of said cases for said function modules is connected to one of said outer side surfaces which collects and radiates heat conducted through said cases of said function modules,

rectification smoothing means provided for a power source, commonly working on each of said plurality of function modules for providing rectified power to each of said plurality of function modules, and

voltage stabilizing means provided for the power source and independently added to each of said plurality of function modules for stabilizing voltage of said rectified power supplied to each of said plurality of function modules.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein

both sides of edges of a predetermined width of said metal layer are exposed;

and

each of said cases is provided with a frame part connected to a circumferential metal part of said metal-core printed circuit board, and radiates the heat generated by the corresponding function module;

said-metal core printed circuit board is provided with a connector extending from a portion at said circumferential metal part;

said frame part being connected to said circumferential metal part over the entire circumference thereof except the portion from which said connector extends.

3. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein

an opening side of each of said cases containing said function modules is connected to an opening part of said case containing said mother board to keep each of said function modules in an airtight condition.

4. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of function modules, each having an electronic circuit for performing an electronic function, and each having a metal-core printed circuit board including a metal layer for collecting the heat generated by the corresponding function module,

said metal layer of said metal-core printed circuit board having a peripherally located exposed portion,

a mother board including a bus and a connector for connecting said plurality of function modules,

a plurality of metallic cases, each made of a thermally conductive material, each said case fully enclosing one of said plurality of function modules, for isolating the interference of heat from one another,

each of said cases including a frame portion which is tightly secured to said peripherally located exposed metal portion of said metal layer so as to be tightly secured in an overlapping relationship such that the heat generated in said function module radiates through each said case,

a mother board case enclosing said mother board and being made of a thermally conductive metallic material, wherein each of said cases for said function modules is connected to one of said outer side surfaces, and collects and radiates heat conducted through said cases of said function modules,

each function module among said plurality of function modules comprises a connector by which each of the printed circuit boards of said plurality of function modules are electrically connected to said mother board and a screwing flange by which each of the printed circuit boards of said plurality of function modules are connected to a lower-case of said mother board for thermal conduction,

each of said cases containing said function modules are electrically connected to said mother board, and then connected to a power source ground to form an electromagnetic shield,

rectification smoothing means provided for a power source, commonly working on each of said plurality of function modules for providing rectified power to each of said plurality of function modules, and

voltage stabilizing means provided for the power source and independently added to each of said plurality of function modules for stabilizing voltage of said rectified power supplied to each of said plurality of function modules.

5. An enclosed printed circuit board onto which an individual function module of a computer system is mounted, comprising:

a metal-core printed circuit board having at least one internal metal-core for radiating heat, a part of said metal-core being exposed at the circumference of said metal-core printed circuit board,

a case enclosing said metal-core printed circuit board, said case being divided at the center into two parts each being provided with a frame, said frame contacting said part of said exposed metal-core which is exposed by enclosing said metal-core printed circuit board by said two parts at said circumference, said case conducting the heat generated by said function module by radiation, and

a voltage stabilizing means independently added to said function module for stabilizing voltage of rectified power supplied to said function module from a central power source, said central power source including rectification smoothing means for providing said rectified power as said electric power to said function module.