Computer internal architecture

• US 9,964,999 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• 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): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US15/637,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 361728-730, 361752, 361796, 361800
• 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 electronic device, comprising:

a cylindrically shaped enclosure having a longitudinal axis and that is characterized as having;

(i) an overall shape that is symmetric about the longitudinal axis, and (ii) a radius that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the radius having a first length at a first end of the enclosure that is less than a constant length at a central portion of the enclosure, the enclosure further comprising a first circular opening at the first end having a size in accordance with the first length, and a second circular opening at a second end, opposite the first end, and sized in accordance with a second length that is less than the constant length; and

components, at least some of which are symmetrically disposed about the longitudinal axis, the components comprising;

a circular printed circuit board (PCB) having a circular active surface on which are mounted electronic circuits, wherein the circular active surface is centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and is located in proximity to and facing the first opening, wherein at least one of the electronic circuits is a radio frequency (RF) circuit.

2. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the circular PCB comprises an RF antenna in communication with the RF circuit, the RF antenna used to facilitate a wireless communication over a wireless communication channel.

3. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the components further comprise:

a first rectangular PCB having electronic circuits mounted thereto, wherein the first rectangular PCB is offset from and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and

a second rectangular PCB having electronic circuits mounted thereto, wherein the second rectangular PCB is parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis.

4. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a circular base centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and carried by the enclosure within the second opening, the circular base capable of supporting, on a horizontal surface, the enclosure in a vertical orientation.

5. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein the circular base minimizes an amount of vibration transferred to or from the horizontal surface.

6. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises apertures that allow passage of audible sound and/or visible light.

7. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the components is capable of producing audible sound and is located in proximity to the apertures thereby allowing passage of the audible sound through the apertures.

8. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an air mover centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the circular PCB is located between the air mover and the first opening such that the air mover is capable of moving air towards the first opening in a manner that also thermally engages the circular PCB.

9. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 8, further comprising a circular vent arrangement located near to the first opening, the circular vent arrangement comprising vents distributed radially and equidistant about the longitudinal axis and capable of allowing the moving air to pass from an interior volume defined by the enclosure and an environment external to the enclosure.

10. A desktop electronic device comprising:

an enclosure with openings suitable for passage of audible sound and having a shape that is characterized as;

(i) being symmetric about a longitudinal axis, and (ii) having a radius having a first length at a first end of the enclosure and a constant length at a central portion of the enclosure that is greater than the first length, the enclosure further comprising a first circular opening at the first end having a size in accordance with the first length and a second opening at a second end, opposite the first end, and sized in accordance with a second length that is less than the constant length;

a circular base centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and carried by the enclosure in the second opening, wherein the circular base is capable of supporting the enclosure on a surface and preventing passage of vibration to/from the surface; and

components positioned within an internal volume defined by the enclosure, the components comprising;

a rectangular printed circuit board (PCB) having a rectangular active surface that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and

a circular PCB axially disposed from and parallel to the rectangular PCB and having a circular active surface parallel to the rectangular active surface and facing the first opening.

11. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the circular PCB includes a radio-frequency (RF) antenna capable of facilitating communication over a wireless communication channel.

12. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the rectangular PCB is a first rectangular PCB and wherein a second rectangular PCB is parallel to the longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the first rectangular PCB.

13. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 10, further comprising slots located at a circumferential edge of the circular base, wherein the slots extend in a direction that is radially away from the longitudinal axis and wherein the slots allow passage of audible sound.

14. The desktop electronic device as recited in claim 10, further comprising a circular vent arrangement located in proximity to the first opening, the circular vent arrangement comprising vents distributed radially about the longitudinal axis and that allow passage of air between the interior volume and an environment external to the enclosure.

15. A desktop computing device, comprising:

an enclosure having a generally cylindrical shape, the enclosure having apertures suitable for passage of audible sound, wherein the enclosure (i) is symmetric about a longitudinal axis and (ii) has a cross section defined by a radius that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the radius having a first length at a first end of the enclosure and a constant length at a central portion of the enclosure, the constant length being greater than the first length, the enclosure further comprising an opening at the first end sized in accordance with the first length;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having an active surface on which are mounted electronic components, wherein the active surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and is facing the opening;

a vent arrangement positioned within an internal volume defined by the enclosure and located near the opening, the vent arrangement comprising vents distributed radially about and equidistant from the longitudinal axis and that allows passage of air between the internal volume and an environment external to the enclosure; and

an air mover located within the internal volume and capable of moving air in a manner (i) that is aligned with the longitudinal axis and (ii) that engages the vent arrangement and the PCB such that the moving air passes from the internal volume through the radially distributed vents to the environment external to the cylindrically shaped enclosure.

16. The desktop computing device, as recited in claim 15, wherein the PCB is a first PCB and the active surface is a first active surface, wherein the electronic components mounted to the first active surface include a radio frequency (RF) circuit in communication with a RF antenna capable of transmitting/receiving a wireless communication using a wireless protocol.

17. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 16, further comprising a second PCB having a second active surface on which are mounted second electronic components, wherein the second active surface (i) is centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and (ii) is axially displaced from and parallel to the first active surface.

18. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 17, wherein the second electronic components include a power supply unit.

19. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 18, wherein at least some of the third electronic components are capable of generating audible sound that can pass through at least some of the apertures.

20. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 16, further comprising a third PCB having a third active surface on which are mounted third electronic components, wherein the third active surface (i) is parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis, and (ii) is perpendicular to the first and second active surfaces.

21. The desktop computing electronic device as recited in claim 15, wherein the PCB comprises a heat generating component capable of generating excess heat.

22. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the moving air is capable of convectively cooling the PCB by capturing at least some of the excess heat and removing at least some of the excess heat from the internal volume.

23. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a circular base centered at and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the circular base capable of supporting the enclosure on a horizontal support surface, the circular base carried by the enclosure within a second opening at a second end of the enclosure, opposite the first end and sized in accordance with a second length that is less than the constant length.

24. The desktop computing electronic device as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

slots located at a circumferential edge of the circular base, wherein the slots extend in a direction that is radially away from the longitudinal axis and wherein the slots allow passage of audible sound.

25. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein the cylindrically shaped enclosure includes apertures that allow passage of visible light.

26. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein the visible light is arranged in a pattern that conveys information.

27. The desktop computing device as recited in claim 26, wherein the information corresponds to an operating state of the desktop computing device.