Cooling structure of electronic appliance

• US 6,226,182 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Maehara, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US09/569,149
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/683, 361/685-687, 361/692-697, 361/702-707, 361/724, 361/727, 361/730, 361/732, 361/752, 361/754, 361/757, 361/746, 361/797, 361/802 , 361/816, 361/818, 165/80.3, 165/80.4, 165/121, 165/125, 174/35 R, 220/9.1, 220/699, 220/669, 248/562, 248/566, 211/41, 211/26, 312/282, 312/314, 312/316, 312/107, 312/111
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20127 Natural convection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0041 Ventilation panels having provisions for screening

Abstract

Accumulation of heat in the electronic appliance is prevented, and the electronic appliance is cooled efficiently. Not requiring extra molded part as duct, the cost is saved. The noise level is lowered. This is a cooling structure for an electronic appliance having heat generating parts. The cooling structure includes a housing having a top panel, side panels, and a bottom panel, a case disposed in the housing, a circuit board disposed in the case, and a frame disposed in the space between the top panel and case. The circuit board has the heat generating parts. The space enclosed by the top panel, case and frame forms a wind tunnel. The heat generated in the heat generating parts is exhausted outside of the housing by the air passing through the wind tunnel. The case and the circuit board have the circuit board disposed in the housing, and a shield case disposed to cover the circuit board.

Claims

1. A cooling structure of electronic appliance having a heat generating part, said cooling structure of an electronic appliance comprising:

a housing having a top panel, side panels, and a bottom panel,

a case disposed in said housing,

a circuit board disposed in said case, in which said circuit board includes said heat generating part, and a space enclosed by said circuit board and case forms an internal space, and

a frame disposed in the space between said top panel and case, in which the space enclosed by said top panel, case and frame forms a wind tunnel,

wherein the heat generated in said heat generating part is exhausted outside of said housing by the air passing through said wind tunnel.

2. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein said case and circuit board have said circuit board disposed in said housing, and a shield case disposed to enclose said circuit board.

3. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein said frame has an elastic member.

4. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein at least one of said top panel and bottom panel has a cooling hole.

5. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein said case has a first ventilation hole.

6. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein said circuit board has a second ventilation hole.

7. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein said frame has at least one selected from the group consisting of sponge member, rubber member, hollow rubber member, hollow resin member, resin ring, and rubber ring.

8. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a fan installed in said case, wherein said heat Is exhausted outside of said housing by the action of said fan.

9. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a fan installed in said case, wherein said case has a first ventilation hole communicating with said wind tunnel, and said fan is installed at a position corresponding to said first ventilation hole.

10. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a fan installed in said case,

wherein said housing has a first cooling hole communicating with said wind tunnel, and a second cooling hole communicating with a lower space at the lower side of said circuit board,

said case has a first ventilation hole communicating with said wind tunnel,

said fan is installed at a lower side coinciding with said first ventilation hole, and

said fan has a function of moving the air to pass through the inner space, first ventilation hole, wind tunnel, and first cooling hole.

11. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a fan installed in said case,

wherein said case and circuit board have said circuit board disposed in said housing, and a shield case disposed to enclose said circuit board,

said housing has a first cooling hole communicating with said wind tunnel, and a second cooling hole communicating with a lower space at the lower side of said circuit board, said shield case has a first ventilation hole communicating with said wind tunnel,

said circuit board has a second ventilation hole, and

a fresh air gets into said wind tunnel through said first cooling hole, and enters the inner space through the first ventilation hole, then it is exhausted outside of the housing by way of said second ventilation hole, lower space and second cooling hole.

12. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, further comprising a fan installed in said case,

wherein said case and circuit board have said circuit board disposed in said housing, and a shield case disposed to enclose said, circuit board,

said housing has a first cooling hole communicating with said wind tunnel, and a second cooling hole communicating with a lower space at the lower side of said circuit board,

said shield case has a first ventilation hole communicating with said wind tunnel,

said circuit board has a second ventilation hole, and

a fresh air gets into said inner space through said second cooling hole and second ventilation hole, enters said wind tunnel from said first ventilation hole, and is exhausted outside of said housing through said first cooling hole.

13. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 1, wherein said case has a function of preventing electromagnetic waves.

14. A cooling structure of electronic appliance having a heat generating part, said cooling structure of an electronic appliance comprising:

a housing having a top panel, side panels, and a bottom panel,

a circuit board disposed in said housing, said circuit board having said heat generating part,

a case disposed so as to surround said circuit board, a space enclosed by said circuit board and case forming an internal space, and

a frame disposed in the space between said top panel and case, said frame being made of an elastic member, a space enclosed by said top panel, case and frame forming a wind tunnel, said wind tunnel including a function as a cooling duct,

wherein a heat generated in said heat generating part is exhausted outside of said housing by the air passing through said wind tunnel.

15. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 14, further comprising a fan disposed in said case,

wherein said case has a first ventilation hole communicating with said wind tunnel,

said housing has a first cooling hole communicating with the outside of said housing and said wind tunnel, and

said fan has a function of moving the air to pass through said first ventilation hole, wind tunnel, and first cooling hole.

16. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 15,

wherein said circuit board has a second ventilation hole,

said housing has a second cooling hole to communicate with the lower space positioned at the lower side of said circuit board, and

said fan has a function of moving the air to pass through said first ventilation hole, wind tunnel, first cooling hole, second ventilation hole, lower space, and second cooling hole.

17. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 16,

wherein said fan is installed so that wind may be directly blown against said heat generating parts, and

by an action of said fan, the wind passes through said first cooling hole, wind tunnel, first ventilation hole, inner space, second ventilation hole, lower space, and second cooling hole sequentially, and is exhausted outside of said housing.

18. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 16,

wherein said fan has a function of sending the heat into said wind tunnel, and

by an action of said fan, the wind passes through said second cooling hole, lower space, second ventilation hole, inner space, first ventilation hole, wind tunnel, and first cooling hole sequentially, and is exhausted outside of said housing.

19. The cooling structure of electronic appliance of claim 14, wherein said case has a function of preventing electromagnetic waves.