Information-processing apparatus and cooling system used therein

• US 7,593,223 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/460,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 361687-695, 361/379.49, 361/679.5, 454/184, 3122231-2232, 312/236, 622/29, 415/213.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means

Abstract

An information-processing apparatus has housing enclosing at least one electronic part and has at least one opening and a passage connecting the opening and allowing air to flow therein. The apparatus has an air intake member, which is arranged in the passage, having two air intake portions for separating the air flown in the passage through the opening into its first and second portions. The apparatus has a first exhausting device that exposes the electronic part to the first portion of the air separated in the air take member and exhausts the first portion of the air to outside and a second exhausting device that exposes the electronic part to the second portion of the air separated in the air take member and exhausts the second portion of the air to outside. At least one air intake portion of the air intake member is positioned facing the electronic part.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

a housing enclosing at least first and second portions with at least two electronic parts to be cooled, said housing having a passage therethrough, said passage having a first opening in fluid communication with said first portion and a second opening in fluid communication with said second portion;

an air intake member having two air intake portions for separating air flowing in the passage into first and second oppositely flowing air portions, said air intake member being arranged positioned within the passage, said first and second air intake portions are positioned on opposite surfaces of said air intake member, said first air intake portion being in fluid communication with said first opening and said second air intake portion being in fluid communication with said second opening;

a first exhausting device that exposes a thermal part within the first portion to air separated by the air intake member; and

a second exhausting device that exposes one of the electronic parts within the second portion to air separated by the air intake member,

wherein,

said second exhausting device exposes a magnetic storage device to said second portion of the air separated in the air intake member; and

at least one of said first and second air intake portions of the air intake member is positioned facing a central processing unit.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said first and second air intake portions of the air intake member is positioned adjacent to a predetermined surface to be cooled of the electronic part.

3. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said housing encloses the central processing unit, a magnetic storage device, and a third electronic device;

said first exhausting device exposes the central processing unit to said first air portion of the air separated by said air intake member and exhausting the first air portion of the air to outside; and

said second exhausting device exhausts the second air portion of the air to outside and exposes the third electronic device to a third air portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the third air portion of the air to outside.

4. A cooling system for cooling an electronic part, which is suitable for use in an information-processing apparatus, said cooling system comprising:

a housing enclosing at least two electronic parts to be cooled and having at least one opening and a passage through the housing and in fluid communication with the opening, said passage allowing air to flow therein;

an air intake member having two air intake portions for separating the air flown in the passage into first and second oppositely flowing air portions, said air intake member being arranged in the passage, said first and second air intake portions, said first and said second air intake portions being positioned opposite sides of said air intake member;

a first exhausting device that exposes a thermal part to the first portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the first portion of the air to outside; and

a second exhausting device that exposes one of the electronic parts to the second portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the second portion of the air to outside,

wherein,

said second exhausting device exposes a magnetic storage device to said second portion of the air separated in the air intake member; and

at least one of said first and second air intake portions of the air intake member is positioned facing a central processing unit.

5. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said first and second air intake portions of the air intake member is positioned adjacent to a predetermined surface to be cooled of the electronic part.

6. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein,

the housing encloses the central processing unit, a magnetic storage device, and a third electronic device;

the first exhausting device exposes the central processing unit to the first portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the first portion of the air to outside; and

the second exhausting device exhausts the second portion of the air to outside and exposes the third electronic device to a third portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the third portion of the air to outside.

7. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

a housing enclosing at least first and second portions with at least two electronic parts to be cooled, said housing having a passage therethrough, said passage having a first opening in fluid communication with said first portion and a second opening in fluid communication with said second portion;

an air intake member having two air intake portions for separating air flowing in the passage into first and second oppositely flowing air portions, said air intake member being arranged positioned within the passage, said first and second air intake portions are positioned on opposite surfaces of said air intake member, said first air intake portion being in fluid communication with said first opening and said second air intake portion being in fluid communication with said second opening;

a first exhausting device that exposes a thermal part within the first portion to air separated by the air intake member; and

a second exhausting device that exposes one of the electronic parts within the second portion to air separated by the air intake member,

wherein,

at least one of said first and second air intake portions of the air intake member is positioned facing one of the electronic parts within the first or the second portion of said housing;

said housing encloses a central processing unit, a magnetic storage device, and a third electronic device;

said first exhausting device exposes the central processing unit to said first air portion of the air separated by said air intake member and exhausting the first air portion of the air to outside;

said second exhausting device exhausts the second air portion of the air to outside and exposes the third electronic device to a third air portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the third air portion of the air to outside; and

at least one of said first and second air intake portions of the air intake member is positioned facing any one of the central processing unit and the magnetic storage device.

8. A cooling system to cool an electronic part, which is suitable for use in an information-processing apparatus, said cooling system comprising:

a housing enclosing at least two electronic parts to be cooled and having at least one opening and a passage through the housing and in fluid communication with the opening, said passage allowing air to flow therein;

an air intake member having two air intake portions to separate the air flown in the passage into first and second oppositely flowing air portions, said air intake member being arranged in the passage, said first and second air intake portions, said first and said second air intake portions being positioned opposite sides of said air intake member;

a first exhausting device to expose a thermal part to the first portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhaust the first portion of the air to outside; and

a second exhausting device to expose one of the electronic parts to the second portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhaust the second portion of the air to outside,

wherein,

at least one air intake portion of the air intake member is positioned facing the electronic part;

the housing encloses a central processing unit, a magnetic storage device, and a third electronic device;

the first exhausting device exposes the central processing unit to the first portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausting the first portion of the air to outside;

the second exhausting device exposes the magnetic storage device to the second portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the second portion of the air to outside and exposes the third electronic device to a third portion of the air separated in the air intake member and exhausts the third portion of the air to outside; and

at least one air intake portion of the air intake member is positioned facing any one of the central processing unit and the magnetic storage device.