Electronic equipment and television game machine having heat radiation structure

• US 20010027132A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Takamoto, Junji, Hori, Yuji, Nagata, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 6,565,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/20 characterised by details of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means

Abstract

A television game machine includes a housing. The housing has an air intake and air exit in side surfaces, and forms an air flow passage in a space of air flow on a line connecting between the air intake and the air exit. A heat-radiating member formed with heat-radiating fins is attached in a state electrically insulated from a semiconductor device mounted on the printed board in order to transfer heat generated from the semiconductor device. The heat-radiating member is arranged related to the semiconductor device and printed board such that the heat-radiating fins are along the air flow passage. A heat-radiating fan is arranged between at least one of the air intake and the air exit and one end of the heat-radiating member. The heat-radiating fan, when ambient air is taken through the air intake and caused to flow through the grooves between the heat-radiating fins of the heat-radiating member to be released outside through the air exit, releases the heat dissipated from the heat-radiating fins together with flowing air to an outside. Thus, the heat generated by the semiconductor device is released to the outside of the housing.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment, comprising:

at least one semiconductor device for operation to cause the electronic equipment to effect a desired operation and having heat generating during the operation;

a printed board on which said semiconductor device is mounted;

a housing having a space for accommodating said printed board and forming an air exit in a side surface thereof and an air intake in a position distant from said air exit, to have an air flow passage allowing air to flow on a line connecting between said air exit and said air intake;

a heat-radiating member arranged on said air flow passage, structured electrically insulated from said semiconductor device and capable of transferring heat generated from said semiconductor device, and forming a plurality of heat-radiating fins and grooves along said air flow passage; and

a heat-radiating fan arranged between at least one of said air intake and said air exit and one end of said heat-radiating member closer thereto to cause air taken through said air intake to flow along the grooves of said heat-radiating member and forcibly release heat generated from said semiconductor device through said air exit.

2. An electronic equipment according to

claim 1

, wherein said housing has at least two side surfaces, and said air exit being formed in said one side surface and said air intake in the other side surface.

3. An electronic equipment according to

claim 2

, wherein said air exit formed in said one side surface and said air intake formed in the other side surface are selected in positions in a symmetric relationship, and the heat-radiating fins and the grooves of said heat-radiating member being formed in a linear form connecting between said air exit and said air intake.

4. An electronic equipment according to

claim 1

, wherein said housing has at least one side surface and one top surface, and said air exit being formed in said side surface and said air intake in said top surface.

5. An electronic equipment according to

claim 1

, wherein said heat-radiating member has a released end at ends of said heat-radiating fins and grooves.

6. An electronic equipment according to

claim 1

, further comprising a metal case accommodated within said housing and formed in a box-form covering back and top surfaces of said printed board to confine heat dissipated from said heat-radiating member placed over said printed board, wherein

said metal case has a first penetration hole formed in a position corresponding to said air intake and a second penetration hole formed in the vicinity of said heat-radiating fan.

7. An electronic equipment according to

claim 6

, further comprising a duct provided between at least one of the first penetration hole and the second penetration hole of said metal case and said heat-radiating fan, to efficiently release heat in air flowing along the grooves of said heat-radiating member in said metal case.

8. An electronic equipment to be used connected to a display device and removably attached with an optical information recording medium optically recording data for image display, comprising:

an optical information reading unit for reading out data for image display recorded on said optical information recording medium;

at least one semiconductor device for processing data for image display read out by said optical information reading unit to thereby generate image data and supplying same to said display device, wherein heat generation occurs during processing operation thereof;

a printed board on which said semiconductor device is mounted;

a housing having an attaching portion formed on a top surface thereof to removably attach said optical information recording medium thereon, having a space to stack and accommodate in a height direction at least said optical information reading unit and said printed board, accommodating said optical information reading unit in a position related to said attaching portion and said printed board in a position below said optical information reading unit with a predetermined spacing, forming an air exit in a side surface related to an accommodating position of said printed board and an air intake in a position distant from said air intake with respect to a height direction, and having an air flow passage for flowing air on a line connecting between said air exit and said air intake;

a heat-radiating member arranged on said air flow passage, structured electrically insulated from said semiconductor device and capable of transferring heat generated from said semiconductor device, and having a plurality of heat-radiating fins and grooves formed along said air flow passage; and

a heat-radiating fan provided between at least one of said air intake and said air exit and a corresponding end of said heat-radiating member to cause air taken through said air intake to flow along the grooves and heat generated from said semiconductor device to be forcibly released through said air exit.

9. An electronic equipment according to

claim 8

, wherein said housing has at least two side surfaces, and said air exit being formed in said one side surface and said air intake in the other side surface.

10. An electronic equipment according to

claim 9

, wherein said air exit formed in said one side surface and said air intake formed in the other side surface are selected in positions in a symmetric relationship, and the heat-radiating fins and grooves of said heat-radiating member being formed on a line connecting between said air exit and said air intake.

11. An electronic equipment according to

claim 8

, further comprising a metal case accommodated within said housing and formed in a box form covering back and top surfaces of said printed board, to confine heat dissipated from said heat-radiating member placed over said printed board, wherein

said metal case having a first penetration hole formed in a position corresponding to said air intake and a second penetration hole formed in the vicinity of said heat-radiating fan.

12. An electronic equipment according to

claim 8

, wherein said housing is formed, in a bottom surface thereof, with a first recess to removably receive a writable-and-readable semiconductor memory unit for functional extension for said electronic equipment,

said printed board being formed with a first connector for electrical connection to said semiconductor memory unit received in said first recess, and

said semiconductor memory unit in a state received in said first recess being connected to said first connector.

13. An electronic equipment according to

claim 8

, wherein said housing is formed, in a bottom surface thereof, with a second recess to removably receive a communication modem unit for extending a communication function for said electronic equipment, said printed board being formed with a second connector for electrical connection to said communication modem unit received in said second recess, and said communication modem unit in a state received in said second recess being connected to said second connector.

14. An electronic equipment according to

claim 8

, wherein said electronic equipment is a television game machine to be connected to a television receiver, said optical information recording medium optically readably recording game program data for game image display, and

said semiconductor memory element generating a game image by processing based on the game program data read out by said optical information reading unit and supplying the game image to said television receiver thereby displaying a game image.