Desktop consumer electronic device

• US 9,946,315 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett W., Kalinowski, Caitlin Elizabeth, Kosoglow, Richard D., Banko, Joshua D., Narajowski, David H., Berk, Jonathan L., Leclerc, Michael E., McBroom, Michael D., Iqbal, Asif, Michelsen, Paul S., Sin, Mark K., Baker, Paul A., Sontag, Harold L., Yuen, Wai Ching, Casebolt, Matthew P., Fetterman, Kevin S., Calkins, Alexander C., McBroom, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US15/637,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67954, 361688-723
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/188 Mounting of power supply units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4093 Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20009 using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20145 Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20154 Heat dissipaters coupled to components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20163 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 : Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 : Thermal management, e.g. fan control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 : characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2049 : Pressing means used to urge contact, e.g. springs

Abstract

An internal component and external interface arrangement for a cylindrical compact computing system is described that includes at least a structural heat sink having triangular shape disposed within a cylindrical volume defined by a cylindrical housing. A computing engine having a generally triangular shape is described having internal components that include a graphics processing unit (GPU) board, a central processing unit (CPU) board, an input/output (I/O) interface board, an interconnect board, and a power supply unit (PSU).

Claims

1. A desktop consumer electronic device, comprising:

a housing that defines an interior volume, the housing characterized as being symmetric about a longitudinal axis and having a radius that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the housing having a first opening and a second opening, the second opening having a different size than the first opening;

a heat sink comprising;

a base portion arranged perpendicular to the radius and parallel to the longitudinal axis, and cooling fins extending away from the base portion, the cooling fins capable of being in thermal contact with an air flow entering the interior volume from the second opening and moving parallel to the longitudinal axis; and

a computing engine at least partially in thermal contact with the heat sink, the computing engine comprising (i) a circular circuit assembly centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and (ii) a printed circuit board (PCB) mechanically and thermally coupled to the heat sink and having a shape having a major dimension that is perpendicular to and longer than a minor dimension, the PCB positioned such that the major dimension is parallel to the longitudinal axis and both the major and minor dimensions are perpendicular to the radius.

2. The desktop consumer electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a circular base centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

3. The desktop consumer electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the circular base is capable of vertically supporting the housing on a horizontal surface.

4. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the air flow, moving parallel to the longitudinal axis, exits the interior volume at the first opening.

5. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein the air flow comprises a peripheral air flow that moves in a region defined by an interior surface of the housing and the heat sink.

6. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the heat sink includes cooling fins that are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis.

7. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the circular circuit assembly comprises an RF antenna capable of facilitating a wireless communication.

8. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein the PCB comprises a wireless circuit capable of communicating with the RF antenna.

9. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the circular circuit assembly is directly cooled by at least a portion of the air flow as the portion of the air flow moves out of the interior volume through the first opening.

10. A desktop computing device comprising:

a housing that defines an interior volume that is symmetric about a longitudinal axis, the housing comprising a cylindrically shaped first part having a radius that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the first part having a first opening that allows egress of an air flow from the interior volume, the housing having a second part having a second opening that allows passage of the air into the interior volume, the second part being capable of supporting the first part in an upright orientation, wherein the second part is supported by a circular base that is centered at and that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and

a computing engine comprising (i) a circular circuit assembly centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and (ii) a printed circuit board (PCB) having a generally rectangular shape having a major dimension that is perpendicular to and longer than a minor dimension, the PCB positioned such that the major dimension is parallel to the longitudinal axis and both the major and minor dimensions are perpendicular to the radius, the PCB comprising a central processing unit (CPU).

11. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 10, wherein the circular circuit assembly carries a RF antenna operable to facilitate a communication channel using a wireless protocol.

12. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

a heat sink having a base portion arranged perpendicular to the radius and parallel to the longitudinal axis, and cooling fins extending away from the base portion, the cooling fins capable of being in thermal contact with at least some of the air flow entering the interior volume at the second opening and moving parallel to the longitudinal axis.

13. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 12, wherein the air flow exits the interior volume at the first opening.

14. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 12, wherein the circular circuit assembly is directly cooled by at least a portion of the air flow.

15. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 12, wherein the PCB is in direct thermal contact with the heat sink.

16. A desktop computing device, comprising:

a housing that defines and encloses an internal volume that is symmetric about an axial component and having a shape defined by a radial component perpendicular to the axial component, the radial component having a constant radial length; and

a computing engine positioned within the internal volume, the computing engine comprising interconnected electronic circuits at least some of which are symmetrically disposed about the axial component, the computing engine comprising;

a circular circuit assembly centered at and perpendicular to the axial component,

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a generally rectangular shape having a major dimension that is perpendicular to and longer than a minor dimension, the PCB positioned such that the major dimension is parallel to the axial component and both the major and minor dimensions are perpendicular to the radial component, and

a heat sink directly coupled to the PCB, the heat sink having a base oriented perpendicular to the radial component and parallel to the axial component and having cooling fins that extend away from the base and into a peripheral region defined by an interior surface of the housing and the base.

17. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein the circular circuit assembly is located at a distal end of the housing.

18. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 16, wherein air enters the internal volume from a first opening in the housing and moves parallel to the axial component through the peripheral region.

19. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 18, wherein at least some of the air moving in the peripheral region passes over the cooling fins that transfer heat from the base to the moving air.

20. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 19, wherein the air exits the interior volume at a second opening in the housing and carries heat out of the interior volume.