Cooling unit having a heat-receiving section and a cooling fan, and electronic apparatus incorporating the cooling unit

• US 6,650,540 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, GREGORY D
• Application Number:
  US10/234,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20030099091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 176/15.2, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/104.34, 165/185, 165/121, 165/126, 361/687, 361/694-695, 361/697, 361/700-703, 454/184
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

A cooling unit having a heat-receiving section, a heat sink and a cooling fan. The heat-receiving section opposes a printed wiring board across a heat generating component mounted on the board. The section receives heat from the heat generating component. The heat sink is thermally connected to the heat-receiving section. The cooling fan has a fan case. The heat-receiving section and the fan case are arranged, side by side, along the printed wiring board. The fan case protrudes from that side of the printed wiring board which faces away from the heat-receiving section.

Claims

1. A cooling unit for cooling a heat generating component mounted on a printed wiring board, said unit comprising:

a heat-receiving section which receives heat from the heat generating component and which opposes the printed wiring board across the heat generating component;

a heat sink thermally connected to the heat-receiving section and configured to release heat from the heat generating component; and

a cooling fan which applies cooling air to the heat sink, said cooling fan having a fan case and an impeller provided in the fan case, said fan case arranged side by side with the heat-receiving section along the printed wiring board and protruding from that side of the printed wiring board which faces away from the heat-receiving section.

2. A cooling unit according to claim 1, further comprising a heat pipe which receives heat from the heat generating component and transfers the heat to the heat sink.

3. A cooling unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat-receiving section has a heat-receiving surface thermally connected to the heat generating component, the fan case has two ends having an air inlet port each and spaced apart from each other in the direction of thickness of the printed wiring board, and a step is defined between one of the ends of the fan case and the heat-receiving surface, said step extending in the direction of thickness of the printed wiring board.

4. A cooling unit according to claim 3, wherein the printed wiring board has a cutout in which the fan case lies and is spaced apart from the printed wiring board.

5. A cooling unit according to claim 3, wherein the fan case has a circumferential wall connecting the ends and having an air outlet port, and the cooling air is applied from the fan case to the heat sink via the air outlet port.

6. A cooling unit according to claim 3, wherein the fan case is formed integral with the heat-receiving section.

7. A cooling unit according to claim 5, wherein the heat sink is secured to the fan case and located at the air outlet port.

8. A cooling unit according to claim 1, wherein the printed wiring board has a side, and a line passing the center of the heat-receiving section and extending in a direction in which the cooling fan and the heat-receiving section are arranged deviates from a line passing the center of the impeller of the cooling fan and extending in the direction in which the cooling fan and the heat-receiving section are arranged, and from the side of the printed wiring board toward the center thereof.

9. A cooling unit for cooling a heat generating component mounted on a printed wiring board having a side, said unit comprising:

a heat-receiving section which receives heat from the heat generating component and which opposes the printed wiring board across the heat generating component;

a heat sink thermally connected to the heat-receiving section and configured to release heat from the heat generating component; and

a cooling fan which applies cooling air to the heat sink, said cooling fan having a fan case and an impeller provided in the fan case, said fan case arranged side by side with the heat-receiving section along the printed wiring board in such a way that a line passing the center of the heat-receiving section and extending in a direction in which the cooling fan and the heat-receiving section are arranged deviates from a line passing the center of the impeller of the cooling fan and extending in the direction in which the cooling fan and the heat-receiving section are arranged, and from the side of the printed wiring board toward the center thereof.

10. A cooling unit according to claim 9, further comprising a heat pipe which receives heat from the heat generating component and transfers the heat to the heat sink.

11. A cooling unit according to claim 10, wherein the fan case has two air inlet ports which oppose each other across the impeller, and an air outlet port which guides the cooling air out, and the heat sink is secured to the fan case and located at the air outlet port.

12. A cooling unit according to claim 9, wherein the printed wiring board has a cutout in which the fan case lies and is spaced apart from the printed wiring board and which opens at the side of the printed wiring board.

13. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a printed wiring board provided in the housing;

a heat generating component mounted on the printed wiring board; and

a cooling unit provided in the housing and configured to cool the heat generating component, said cooling unit comprising;

a heat-receiving section which receives heat from the heat generating component and which opposes the printed wiring board across the heat generating component;

a heat sink thermally connected to the heat-receiving section and configured to release heat from the heat generating component; and

a cooling fan which applies cooling air to the heat sink, said cooling fan having a fan case and an impeller provided in the fan case, said fan case arranged side by side with the heat-receiving section along the printed wiring board and protruding from that side of the printed wiring board which faces away from the heat-receiving section.

14. An electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the impeller has a shaft which extends in the direction of thickness of the housing.

15. An electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the heat-receiving section has a heat-receiving surface thermally connected to the heat generating component, the fan case has two ends having an air inlet port each and spaced apart from each other in the direction of thickness of the printed wiring board, and a step is defined between one of the ends of the fan case and the heat-receiving surface, said step extending in the direction of thickness of the printed wiring board.

16. An electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the printed wiring board has a cutout in which the fan case lies and is spaced apart from the printed wiring board.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a printed wiring board provided in the housing and having a side;

a heat generating component mounted on the printed wiring board; and

a cooling unit provided in the housing and configured to cool the heat generating component, said unit comprising;

a heat-receiving section which receives heat from the heat generating component and which opposes the printed wiring board across the heat generating component;

a heat sink thermally connected to the heat-receiving section and configured to release heat from the heat generating component; and

a cooling fan which applies cooling air to the heat sink, said cooling fan having a fan case and an impeller provided in the fan case, said fan case arranged side by side with the heat-receiving section along the printed wiring board, in such a way that a line passing the center of the heat-receiving section and extending in a direction in which the cooling fan and the heat-receiving section are arranged deviates from a line passing the center of the impeller of the cooling fan and extending in the direction in which the cooling fan and the heat-receiving section are arranged, and from the side of the printed wiring board toward the center thereof.

18. An electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the housing has a bottom wall supporting the printed wiring board and the cooling unit, and a plurality of side walls which surround the printed wiring board.