Air-cooling system configuration for touch screen

• US 7,667,968 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, Inc. (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: Exceptional Innovation, LLC (ST Holdings Topco LLC)
• Inventors: Lehman, Joseph, Virgin, William K., Moorer, Seale, Eichensehr, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOFFBERG, ROBERT JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/751,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.02, 361/679.21, 36167926-67927, 361/679.3, 361/679.46, 36167948-67951, 361/690, 361694-695, 361/697, 361703-704, 165/80.3, 174/16.1, 248917-924, 454/184, 312/7.2, 312/242, 407/81, 52/27, 522/201
• US Class Current: 361/697
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20972 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support

Abstract

A cooling system for an electrical device includes a receptacle unit having a main opening with an inner chamber, a cooling unit operably associated with the electrical device arranged in the chamber of the receptacle unit, intake and exhaust openings arranged between the electronic device and the receptacle unit, an intake path extending from the intake opening to the cooling unit via the chamber of the receptacle unit and an exhaust path extending from the cooling unit to the exhaust opening via the inner space of the receptacle unit.

Claims

1. A cooling system for an electrical device comprising:

a receptacle unit having an inner chamber and a main opening exposing the inner chamber;

a cooling unit operably associated with the electrical device and arranged in the inner chamber of said receptacle unit;

intake and exhaust openings arranged between the electronic device and said receptacle unit;

an intake path extending from said intake opening to said cooling unit via the inner chamber of said receptacle unit; and

an exhaust path extending from said cooling unit to said exhaust opening via the inner chamber of said receptacle unit,

wherein the electrical device comprises;

a flat panel display device having a screen on a front side thereof;

a driving circuit arranged on a rear surface of said flat panel display device and

a frame receiving the flat panel display device and driving circuit, said frame comprising;

a front frame having an opening exposing the screen of the flat panel display device; and

a rear frame engaged with said front frame to receive the flat panel display therebetween, said rear frame having first and second recessed portions arranged at an edge thereof,

wherein said receptacle unit comprises;

a rear wall and side walls surrounding the inner chamber of said receptacle unit; and

a rim extending from the side walls and surrounding the main opening of said receptacle unit and configured to contact a mounting surface, said rim comprising third and fourth recessed portions arranged corresponding to the said first and second recessed portions, respectively.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said cooling unit comprises a cooling fan and a housing covering said cooling fan.

3. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein said housing comprises:

a plurality of intake slots connected to said intake path; and

at least one exhaust opening connected to said exhaust path.

4. The cooling system of claim 3, wherein said housing further comprises an exhaust guide disposed along said exhaust path.

5. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein said exhaust guide is configured to separate said exhaust path from said intake path in the inner space of said receptacle unit.

6. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said rear frame further comprises fins arranged in at least one of the first and second recessed portions.

7. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said first and second recessed portions are arranged at a bottom edge of said rear frame.

8. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said rear frame comprises a rear compartment to protrude from a rear surface thereof and configured to cover at least said driving circuit.

9. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein said compartment is arranged on a center portion of the rear surface of said rear frame.

10. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein said cooling unit is mounted on said rear compartment.

11. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising fins arranged in either the first and second recessed portions or the third and fourth recessed portions.

12. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising an engagement mechanism configured to detachably fix the electrical device to said receptacle unit.

13. The cooling system of claim 12, wherein said engagement mechanism comprises a plurality of keys formed at said rear frame and a plurality of keyhole slots formed at the said receptacle unit.

14. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said receptacle unit is configured to be mounted in a wall.

15. The cooling system of claim 14, wherein said receptacle unit further includes a fastening structure configured to contact the wall.

16. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said cooling unit is connected to said electronic device.

17. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said electrical device is detachably fixed to said receptacle unit.

18. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said intake and exhaust openings are formed by attachment of the electrical device and said receptacle unit.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a receptacle unit mountable on a wall, comprising;

a wall structure surrounding an inner space thereof;

a main opening exposing the inner space; and

a rim extended from the wall structure to surround the main opening and comprising first and second recessed portions;

a display device detachably engaged to the receptacle unit, comprising;

a flat panel display device having a screen on a front surface thereof;

a driving circuit configured to control the flat panel display device;

a frame configured to fix the driving circuit on a rear side of the flat penal display device, the frame comprising third and fourth recessed portions arranged corresponding to the first and second recessed portions at an edge thereof; and

a cooling unit attached to the frame to exhaust heat generate from the driving circuit;

an intake opening formed by a combination of the first and third recessed portions;

an exhaust openings formed by a combination of the second and fourth recessed portions;

an intake path extending from the intake opening to the cooling unit via the inner space of the receptacle unit; and

an exhaust path extending from the cooling unit to said exhaust opening via the inner space of said receptacle unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the cooling unit comprises a cooling fan and a housing covering the cooling fan.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the housing comprises:

a plurality of intake slots connected to the intake path; and

at least one exhaust opening connected to the exhaust path.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the housing further comprises an exhaust guide disposed along the exhaust path and configured to separate the exhaust path from the intake path within the inner space of the receptacle unit.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the frame comprises:

a front frame having an opening exposing the screen of the flat panel display device; and

a rear frame engaged with the front frame to fix the flat panel display device and the driving circuit therebetween.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the third and fourth recessed portions are arranged at an edge of the rear frame.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the rear frame comprises a rear compartment protruded from a rear surface thereof and configured to cover at least the driving circuit.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the cooling unit is mounted on the rear compartment.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the receptacle unit further comprises a plurality of fins arranged in at least one of the third and fourth recessed portion.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an engagement mechanism configured to detachably fix the electrical device to the receptacle unit.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the engagement mechanism comprises:

a plurality of keys formed at one of the rear frame and the receptacle unit; and

a plurality of keyhole slots formed at another one of the rear frame and the receptacle unit.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the receptacle unit further comprises a fastening structure to fix the receptacle unit to a wall.