Heat dissipating computer case having oriented fibers and heat pipe

• US 5,818,693 A
• Filed: 01/09/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermal Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thermal Corporation (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garner, Scott D., Toth, Jerome E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US08/780,858
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 428/408, 428/913, 364/708.1, 174/16.3, 174/15.2, 174/35 RMS, 165/80.3, 165/185, 165/104.21, 165/104.33, 361/687, 361/690, 361/699, 361/700, 361/704, 361/705, 361/707-713, 361/717-720, 361/816, 361/818
• US Class Current: 361/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

The apparatus is a cooling structure for laptop computers, in which the heat is transferred to a heat pipe in the cover of the case behind the display screen. The heat pipe behind the screen is interconnected with the external wall of the cover by a holding fixture which, preferably, is integrated into the cover wall during manufacture. The cover is specially constructed with high thermal conductivity carbon fibers which are oriented to preferentially conduct heat from the heat pipe to the cover and to spread the heat over the entire external surface of the cover for dissipation into the environment.

Claims

1. A heat dissipating computer case comprising:

at least one heat conducting external wall of a computer case constructed of a plastic material with heat conducting fibers embedded within the plastic material, with the fibers oriented so that they conduct heat from a holding fixture to a surface of the wall which is exposed to ambient air;

the holding fixture attached to the inside surface of the external computer case wall which has embedded heat conducting fibers; and

a heat pipe held in the holding fixture in thermal contact with the heat conducting fibers in the wall to which the holding fixture is attached.

2. The computer case of claim 1 wherein the holding fixture comprises a structure on the inside of the external wall with the structure adjacent to an inside corner of the computer case and including a hole into which the heat pipe is inserted, with the hole oriented parallel to the inside corner of the case.

3. The computer case of claim 1 wherein the external wall is located in a part of the computer case within which a display screen is located, and the heat pipe receives heat from a part of the computer case other than the part with the display screen.

4. The computer case of claim 1 wherein the holding fixture comprises a structure on the inside of an external wall of the computer case with the structure including a hole into which the heat pipe is inserted, and the hole in the holding fixture includes a slot along its entire length to facilitate insertion of the heat pipe into the hole.

5. The computer case of claim 1 wherein the holding fixture comprises two deflectable opposed curved surfaces which maintain compression upon a heat pipe installed between the curved surfaces.

6. The computer case of claim 1 wherein the holding fixture is attached to the wall by being formed integral with the wall as the wall is being manufactured.