Electronic apparatus with air cooling unit

• US 7,203,062 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US10/909,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/683, 361/686, 361/687, 361692-697, 361/725, 361/731, 361/759, 361/780, 312/223.2, 312/223.3, 165/80.3, 165/121, 165/122, 165/104.33, 165/185, 174/15.2, 174/252, 454/184, 248917-923
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode

Abstract

An electronic apparatus comprises a display that is used both in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and a housing connected to the display. The housing includes a heating element therein and includes an exhaust port formed thereon. The electronic apparatus also has a fan arranged inside the housing. The fan is adapted to exhaust air heated by the heating element. The position of the exhaust port is located at an elevated end portion of the housing in any posture of both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a housing containing a heating element therein and including an exhaust port formed thereon;

a display including an input surface and pivotably coupled to the housing, the display unit to be used in a first posture with the input surface of the display being oriented in a horizontal direction and a second posture with the input surface of the display being oriented in a vertical direction; and

a fan arranged inside the housing and adapted to exhaust air heated by the heating element;

wherein the position of the exhaust port is located at an elevated end portion of the housing in both postures in which the input surface is set in the horizontal direction and the input surface is set in the vertical direction.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a suction port formed thereon so that the heating element is positioned between the suction port and the exhaust port.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan has an inlet port and an outlet port that is oriented to the exhaust port of the housing.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the heat element is positioned in an air flow path caused by the fan, between the outlet port of the fan and the exhaust port of the housing.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of peripheral walls, and at least two of the peripheral walls have the exhaust port.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the two peripheral walls includes a corner portion defined by both of them, the exhaust port is provided at the corner portion, and the outlet port of the fan is oriented to the corner portion.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan has a metallic fan casing that is thermally connected to the heating element.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing holds a circuit board that divides the inside of the housing into two regions in a thickness direction and supports the heating element thereon, and air from the suction port to the exhaust port flows both the two regions.

9. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a hinge unit;

a housing coupled to the hinge unit and maintaining a heating element therein, the housing comprising a first peripheral wall including an exhaust port and a second peripheral wall including a suction port;

a display coupled to the hinge unit and rotationally coupled to the housing, the display including an input surface and adapted for use in both a first posture with the input surface of the display being oriented in a horizontal direction and a second posture with the input surface of the display being oriented in a vertical direction;

a grip provided to the housing; and

a fan arranged inside the housing and adapted to suction air through the suction port and to exhaust air heated by the heating element through the exhaust port;

wherein the position of the exhaust port is located at an elevated end portion of the housing in both postures in which the input surface is set in the horizontal direction and the input surface is set in the vertical direction.

10. An electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the housing includes a third peripheral wall including a second exhaust port, the second exhaust is positioned at a higher elevation than the first peripheral wall when the display is used in the horizontal position.

11. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a hinge unit;

a housing coupled to the hinge unit, the housing containing a heating element therein and including an exhaust port formed thereon;

a display coupled to the hinge unit and rotationally coupled to the housing, the display configured to be positioned in both a first posture with the display being oriented in a horizontal direction and a second posture with the display being oriented in a vertical direction; and

a fan arranged inside the housing and adapted to exhaust air heated by the heating element, the fan including an inlet port and an outlet port that is oriented to the exhaust port of the housing;

wherein the heat element is positioned in an air flow path caused by the fan between the outlet port of the fan and the exhaust port of the housing and the position of the exhaust port is located at an elevated end portion of the housing in any posture of both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

12. An electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the housing includes a suction port formed thereon so that the heating element is positioned between the suction port and the exhaust port.

13. An electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the housing includes a plurality of peripheral walls, and at least two of the peripheral walls have the exhaust port.

14. An electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the two peripheral walls includes a corner portion defined by both of them, the exhaust port is provided at the corner portion, and the outlet port of the fan is oriented to the corner portion.

15. An electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the fan has a metallic fan casing that is thermally connected to the heating element.

16. An electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the housing holds a circuit board that divides the inside of the housing into two regions in a thickness direction and supports the heating element thereon, and air from the suction port to the exhaust port flows both the two regions.