Cooling structure for electronic device, and a method

• US 8,379,384 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Abb Oy (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Smalen, Matti, Koivuluoma, Timo, Laitinen, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US13/080,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67951, 361/676, 361688-697, 361/831
• US Class Current: 361/679.51
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a cooling structure for an electronic device including an inlet for conveying a flow in a first flow direction towards a first component and an outlet for conveying the flow further. To deter dirt particles from proceeding to electronic components, the cooling structure can include a second flow channel, which starts from a port oriented transversely to the first flow direction or away therefrom and receives part of the flow from the inlet, and which conveys the part of the flow to an electronic component located in the second flow channel.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for an electronic device, the structure comprising:

an inlet for receiving and conveying a flow in a first flow direction towards a first component located in a first flow channel;

an outlet for conveying the flow from the first component located in the first flow channel; and

a second flow channel, which starts from a port oriented transversely to the first flow direction or away from the first flow direction, the port being located upstream of the first component for receiving part of the flow from the inlet and for conveying the part of the flow to an electronic component located in the second flow channel, and wherein

the second flow channel includes an intermediate space and a component space separated from one another by a partition wall,

the intermediate space being located at a beginning of the second flow channel for communicating with the component space through an opening in the partition wall, and

an area of the port, through which the flow will enter the intermediate space, being smaller than an area of the opening in the partition wall, through which the flow will pass from the intermediate space into the component space.

2. The cooling structure of claim 1, wherein

the second flow channel is substantially parallel to the first flow channel;

and

the first and the second flow channels having a common outlet for conveying the flow further from the first and the second flow channels.

3. The cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the port, from which the second flow channel starts, is located in a vicinity of a point where a cross-sectional area of the flow from the inlet will change.

4. The cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the port, from which the second flow channel starts, is located at a location where reduction in cross-sectional surface area of the flow from the inlet will end.

5. The cooling structure of claim 1, comprising:

a guide plate arranged in an oblique position to the first flow direction so as to reduce a cross-sectional area of the flow from the inlet; and

the port, from which the second flow channel starts, being arranged immediately downstream of the guide plate.

6. The cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the first component is a cooling element, by which the flow will cool electronic components in connection with the cooling element.

7. The cooling structure of claim 1, comprising:

a fan for generating the flow.

8. The cooling structure of claim 1, comprising:

at least one fan arranged downstream of the first component in the first flow channel and the electronic component in the second flow channel, respectively, for generating a flow in the first and the second flow channels.

9. The cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the port, from which the second flow channel starts, has a first width in the first flow direction that is smaller than a length of the port transverse to the first flow direction.

10. A method for providing a cooling flow for an electronic component, the method comprising:

separating a secondary flow from a main flow with a port oriented transversely to a first flow direction or away from the first flow direction;

conveying the secondary flow through a component space housing an electronic component to an outlet, the secondary flow being conveyed into the component space through an intermediate space, the component space being separated from the intermediate space by a partition wall; and

reducing a flow rate of the secondary flow in the intermediate space located upstream of the component space by conveying the secondary flow into the intermediate space through a port whose area is smaller than an area of an opening through which the secondary flow is conveyed from the intermediate space to the component space.