Electronic built-in system

• US 7,706,142 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rieger, Robby, Noisternig, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US11/314,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 361690-697, 361/715, 361/719, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/122, 174/16.1, 174/16.3
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/051 Direct insertion, i.e. without external loading means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

An electronic built-in system for installation in a support structure mounted in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The system includes at least one electronic module and a housing for receiving the electronic modules. The housing is mounted to the support structure of the vehicle and includes a front control panel with operating elements for operating the electronic system. The front control panel faces the passenger compartment. A cooling unit is provided in the housing for guiding cooling air through the housing for cooling the electronic module. At least one first opening in an outer wall portion of the housing supplies cooling air to the housing. At least one second opening in an outer wall portion of the housing removes the cooling air from the housing. The first and second openings are arranged at different wall portions of the housing, which are separated from the passenger compartment by the support structure when the built in system is installed in the support structure.

Claims

1. An electronic built-in system for installation in a support structure in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the electronic built-in system comprising:

a housing configured for being mounted to the support structure, the housing including an outer wall, a first housing interior portion enclosed by the outer wall, a second housing interior portion enclosed by the outer wall and substantially fluidly isolated from the first housing interior portion, and a front control panel including operating elements for operating the system, the front control panel facing the passenger compartment when the electronic built-in system is installed in the support structure;

an electronic module disposed in the first housing interior portion;

a first opening formed through the outer wall at a first outer wall portion at which the first opening fluidly communicates with the first housing interior portion;

a second opening formed through the outer wall at a second outer wall portion at which the second opening fluidly communicates with the first housing interior portion; and

a cooling unit disposed in the first housing interior portion for guiding cooling air from the first opening, along the electronic module and to the second opening, where the cooling air carries heat dissipated by the electronic module away from the housing.

2. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the first outer wall portion and the second outer wall portion are respectively arranged at opposite sides of the housing, and the electronic module and the cooling unit are interposed between the first opening and the second opening.

3. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the first housing interior portion, the first openings and the second openings are arranged at a different height than the second housing interior portion.

4. The electronic built-in system of claim 3, where the first housing interior portion, the first openings and the second openings are arranged below the second housing interior portion.

5. The electronic built-in system of claim 3, where the first housing interior portion, the first openings and the second openings are arranged above the second housing interior portion.

6. The electronic built-in system of claim 3, further including a storage medium reading module disposed in the second housing interior portion.

7. The electronic built-in system of claim 6, where the second housing interior portion includes a casing and the storage medium reading module disposed in the casing, where the casing substantially fluidly isolates the storage medium reading module from the first housing interior portion.

8. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the electronic module is selected from the group consisting of a radio module, an audio module, a navigation module, a telecommunication module, a television tuner module, a memory module, and a mother printed circuit board.

9. The electronic built-in system of claim 8, further including a storage medium reading module for receiving a removable storage medium via an opening of the front control panel, the storage medium reading module disposed in the second housing interior portion.

10. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, further including a storage medium reading module for receiving a removable storage medium via an opening of the front control panel, the storage medium reading module disposed in the second housing interior portion.

11. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the cooling unit includes a ventilator situated next to the second opening for removing the cooling air from the housing.

12. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the cooling unit includes a plurality of cooling fins.

13. The electronic built-in system of claim 12, where the cooling unit further includes a ventilator situated next to the second opening for removing the cooling air from the housing, the plurality of cooling fins being interposed between the second opening and the ventilator.

14. The electronic built-in system of claim 12, further including a power amplifier disposed in the first housing interior portion adjacent to the plurality of cooling fins, where the cooling fins receive heat dissipated by the power amplifier.

15. The electronic built-in system of claim 12, where:

the second opening includes a plurality of rows of holes, each row disposed at a height different from the height of an adjacent row, each row separated from an adjacent row by a respective connecting portion of the second outer wall portion;

at least some of the cooling fins are disposed at the respective elevations of the connection portions; and

the cooling air is directed around the cooling fins and to the holes of the second opening.

16. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, further including a mounting unit disposed in the first housing interior portion, where the electronic module is disposed in the mounting unit.

23. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the outer wall is separated from the passenger compartment by the support structure when the electronic built-in system is installed in the support structure such that the cooling air does not originate from passenger compartment.

24. The electronic built-in system of claim 1, where the first housing interior portion is not accessible via the front control panel.

25. The electronic built-in system of claim 24, further including a storage medium reading module for receiving a removable storage medium via an opening of the front control panel, the storage medium reading module disposed in the second housing interior portion.

17. The electronic built-in system of 1, further including a mounting unit disposed in the first housing interior portion, where the electronic module includes a first electronic module disposed in the mounting unit and a second electronic module disposed outside the mounting unit.

18. The electronic built-in system of 1, further including a mounting unit disposed in the first housing interior portion at substantially the same height as the first opening, where the cooling air guided from the first opening is generally split into an upper air flow passing above the mounting unit to the second opening and a lower air flow passing below the mounting unit to the second opening.

19. The electronic built-in system of claim 18, where the electronic module is mounted at the mounting unit, and the upper air flow and the lower air flow carry away heat dissipated by the electronic module.

20. The electronic built-in system of claim 18, where the electronic module includes a first electronic module mounted at the mounting unit and a second electronic module disposed above the mounting unit, the upper air flow and the lower air flow carry away heat dissipated by the first electronic module, and the upper air flow carries away heat dissipated by the second electronic module.

21. The electronic built-in system of claim 18, where the electronic module includes a first electronic module mounted at the mounting unit and a second electronic module disposed below the mounting unit, the upper air flow and the lower air flow carry away heat dissipated by the first electronic module, and the lower air flow carries away beat dissipated by the second electronic module.

22. The electronic built-in system of claim 18, where the electronic module includes a first electronic module mounted at the mounting unit, a second electronic module disposed above the mounting unit, and a third electronic module disposed below the mounting unit, and where the upper air flow and the lower air flow carry away heat dissipated by the first electronic module, the upper air flow carries away beat dissipated by the second electronic module, and the lower air flow carries away heat dissipated by the third electronic module.