Electronic apparatus with cooling unit

• US 9,232,171 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiura, Yuusuke, Yamaguchi, Akifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, Dave
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beck, Leron
• Application Number:
  US13/793,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 348/836
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1631 Panel PC, e.g. single housing hosting PC and display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20972 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

An electronic apparatus according to an embodiment includes a housing, a printed circuit board which includes a first surface provided with a heat-generating component and is contained inside the housing, and a fan unit which includes a case and a fan that is rotatably contained in the case. The case includes an exhaust part which includes a part that overlaps the first surface of the printed circuit board and projects toward the heat-generating component, and an air intake part.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a printed circuit board which comprises a first surface comprising a first heat-generating component and a second surface that is opposed to the first surface;

a fan unit which comprises a case and a fan that is rotatably contained in the case, the case comprising an air intake part and an exhaust part configured to exhaust air directly on the first surface along the printed circuit board; and

first partition members which define a first ventilation space between the first surface and an internal surface of the housing, the first partition members configured to guide the air through the first ventilation space toward the first heat-generating component, wherein

the second surface comprises a second heat-generating component;

the exhaust part is configured to exhaust air directly on the second surface along the printed circuit board; and

the electronic apparatus further comprises a fifth partition member which defines a second ventilation space between the second surface and the internal surface of the housing the fifth partition member configured to guide the air through the second ventilation space toward the second heat-generating component.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first partition members comprise a first wall part and a second wall part which overhang an edge of the first surface toward the first heat-generating component, the first wall part and the second wall part form a duct-like structure together with the printed circuit board.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the housing further comprises a discharge part provided farther from the exhaust part (52) than the first heat-generating component;

and

the first partition member extends between the exhaust part and the discharge part and is configured to partition the first ventilation space where the first heat-generating component is arranged in, from other spaces in the housing.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the housing further comprises a partition part as unitary portion to partition the first ventilation space from the other spaces in the housing.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the second wall part connects with the first partition member.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the housing further comprises an opening part configured to take an external air into the housing;

and

the electronic apparatus further comprises a second partition member which is placed in the vicinity of the air intake part, the second partition member (which defines an air intake space between the case and an internal surface of the housing to guide the air from the opening part to the air intake part through the air intake space.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a third partition member which is attached to the internal surface of the housing and abuts against the case to partition the air intake space from the other spaces in the housing.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a fourth partition member which is attached to the internal surface of the housing and abuts against the printed circuit board to partition the air intake space from the other spaces in the housing.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first partition member is made of sponge.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first heat-generating component is disposed in downstream of the air flow exhausted from the exhaust part.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a printed circuit board and a discharge part, the printed circuit board which comprises a first surface comprising a first heat-generating component, and a second surface opposed to the first surface and comprising a second heat-generating component;

a fan unit which comprises a case and a fan that is rotatably contained in the case, the case comprising an air intake part and an exhaust part, the fan unit configured to exhaust air both to the first surface and to the second surface;

a first partition member configured to define a first ventilation space between the internal surface of the housing and the first surface, to partition the first ventilation space from other spaces in the housing, and to guide the air through the first ventilation space from the exhaust part to the discharge part via the first heat-generating component on the first surface; and

a fifth partition member configured to define a second ventilation space between the internal surface of the housing and the second surface, to partition the second ventilation space from other spaces in the housing, and to guide the air through the second ventilation space from the exhaust part to the discharge part via the second heat-generating component on the second surface.

10. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a printed circuit board which comprises a first surface on which a heat-generating component is mounted and a second surface that is opposed to the first surface, and a discharge part; and

a fan unit which comprises a case and a fan that is rotatably contained in the case, the case comprising an exhaust part configured to exhaust air both to the first surface for applying the air to the heat-generating component and to the second surface, along the printed circuit board;

a first partition member configured to define a first ventilation space extending from the exhaust part to the discharge part between an internal surface of the housing and the first surface; and

a second partition member configured to define a second ventilation space extending from the exhaust part to the discharge part between an internal surface of the housing and the second surface.