Heat dissipating structure for an electronic device

• US 7,099,153 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yazawa, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US10/681,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 361/687, 361/689, 361690-695, 361702-704, 361712-714, 361717-724, 454/43, 454/184, 165/80.3, 165/128, 165/129, 165/185, 257713-726, 219/209, 219/385, 219/400, 312/236, 124/16.1, 124/16.3, 174/15.1, 174/16.3, 174/252
• US Class Current: 361/692
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• 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 7/20445 the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff

Abstract

A heat dissipating structure for an electronic device includes a heat source and a heat dissipating member. The heat dissipating member has an inner wall, an outer wall, and a plurality of partition walls. The inner wall receives heat transfer from the heat source. The outer wall opposes the inner wall at a distance. The partition walls connect the inner wall and the outer wall, and together with the inner wall and outer wall define a plurality of through-holes which are approximately the same shape and are aligned at roughly regular intervals along the inner wall or the outer wall. The through-holes are arranged along the vertical direction that allows most effective utilization of gravitational influence, and are open to the outside at the upper and lower ends thereof.

Claims

1. A heat dissipating structure for an electronic device, comprising:

a heat source;

a heat dissipating member having an inner wall, outer wall, and partition walls, wherein

the inner wall directly or indirectly receives heat from the heat source,

the outer wall opposes the inner wall at a distance,

the partition walls connect the inner wall and the outer wall,

the inner wall, outer wall and partition walls define a plurality of through-holes,

the through-holes are arranged along at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall,

each of the through-holes extending in a vertical direction within a tilt range in which gravitational influence is utilizable, and top and bottom ends of each of the through-holes open to the outside; and

a case, which houses the heat source and the heat dissipating member,

wherein an outer side of the outer wall of the heat dissipating member is in surface contact with an inner side of the case.

2. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein

the inner wall of the heat dissipating member defines an enclosed space, and

the heat source is placed within the enclosed space.

3. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein an outer side of the heat dissipating member has a cooling fin.

4. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of through-holes have approximately the same shape, and are lined up along at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall at regular intervals.

5. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein a tilt of each of the through-holes is within 60°

to a plumb line.

6. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein

a cross-sectional shape of each of the through-holes that is orthogonal to the vertical direction is approximately the same at arbitrary vertical positions.

7. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein

an optimum distance between opposing inner sides of two adjacent partition walls is set in accordance with a linear function of vertical length of the through-holes, and

a distance between the opposing inner sides is set based upon the optimum distance.

8. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein

assuming the optimum distance between the opposing inner sides is w_opt, the vertical length of the through-hole is L, and the distance between the opposing inner sides is w, w_opt is set according to the following equation

w_opt=0.01L+0.005

and w is set within the range of

0.95w_opt≦

w≦

1.2w_opt.

9. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heat diffusing member, which is positioned between the heat source and the inner wall of the heat dissipating member, and is in contact with the heat source and an outer side of the inner wall.

10. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein

a cross-section that is vertically orthogonal to the through-hole is approximately a square shape, and

lengths of four sides of the cross-section of the through-hole are set almost equal.

11. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein the through-holes are approximately lined up linearly.

12. The heat dissipating structure according to claim 1, wherein the through-holes are lined up in a circle.