Heat sink for cooling a heat producing element and application

• US 5,940,267 A
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Kitahara, Takashi, Katsui, Tadashi, Sugimoto, Yasuaki, Nakata, Katsuhiko, Tanaka, Yoshimi, Matsumura, Tadanobu, Koga, Takeshi, Horinishi, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): TOLIN, GERALD P
• Application Number:
  US08/710,279
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 361/687, 361/694, 361/690, 361/695, 361/697, 310/64, 310/67 R, 165/121, 165/122, 165/124, 165/126, 165/80.3, 454/184, 415/176, 415/178, 415/213.1, 415/214.1, 257/718, 257/719, 257/722, 257/726, 257/727, 174/16.3
• US Class Current: 361/697
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/022 the means being wires or pins
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• 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: H01L 23/4006 with bolts or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A heat sink mounted on a heat producing element for cooling the heat producing element attached on the printed board of the electronic apparatus, having a heat sink body made of a good heat conductive material and a fan assembly installed inside the heat sink body. The heat sink body is efficiently air-cooled by a cooling air generated by the rotation of the fan assembly. The cooling air forcibly cools a base and a fixing wall of the base adjacent to the heat producing element and plate-like radiating fins or a pin-like radiating fins are protruded on the heat sink body to radiate the heat effectively. The position of the fan assembly is at the center of the heat sink body or is at the offset position from the center of the heat sink body. The heat sink of the present invention can be installed in a portable electronic apparatus such as a portable computer.

Claims

1. A heat sink for cooling a heat producing element, comprising:

a heat sink body having a center including a base mounted on the heat producing element, wherein the base has a plurality of fins protruding from a surface thereof; and

a fan assembly installed in an internal space of the heat sink body, wherein a rotating shaft of the fan assembly is disposed offset from the center of the heat sink body as viewed from a direction parallel to extensions of the fins from the base and parallel to the axis of the rotating shaft, and wherein the fan assembly is surrounded by the plurality of fins around a periphery of the fan assembly, and wherein the axis of the shaft is parallel to the direction that the fins extend from the base.

2. A heat sink as set forth in claim 1, wherein a width of the heat sink body and a diameter of the fan assembly are different.

3. The heat sink as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat sink body is substantially rectangular, and the rotating shaft of the fan assembly is offset in the direction perpendicular to one of the sides of the heat sink body.

4. The heat sink as set forth in claim 3, wherein the one of the sides of the heat sink body, to which the rotating shaft of the fan assembly is offset, is closed by a windbreak wall.

5. The heat sink as set forth in claim 4, wherein an upper face of the base, under a position of the fan assembly, has a groove formed thereon for decreasing an air pressure loss under the fan assembly.

6. The heat sink as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of radiating fins disposed on the upper face of the base, wherein a set of said plurality of radiating fins which are located around the center of the base are dense, and wherein another set of said plurality of radiating fins which are located around the side of the base are non-dense.

7. The heat sink as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heat sink body is substantially rectangular, and wherein the rotating shaft of the fan assembly is offset in the direction towards one of the corners of the heat sink body.

8. The heat sink as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a windbreak wall, said windbreak wall being outer faces, having predetermined lengths, of a bar disposed at one of the corners of the heat sink body.

9. The heat sink as set forth in claim 8, wherein an upper face of the base, under a position of the fan assembly, has an opening formed thereon for decreasing an air pressure loss under the fan assembly.

10. The heat sink as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a plurality of radiating fins disposed on the upper face of the base, wherein a set of said plurality of radiating fins which are located around the center of the base are dense, and wherein another set of said plurality of radiating fins which are located around the side of the base are non-dense.

11. The heat sink as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins are integral with the base.

12. The heat sink as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of fins are separate from the base.