Ventilation – Electronic cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-04-24
Wilson, Pamela (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Electronic cabinet
C454S337000, C062S396000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220955
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to power delivery to electrical apparatus and, in particular, to an arrangement wherein power and cooling air are both carried to a utilization device along substantially the same cabling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are many electrical appliances which could benefit from active as opposed to passive cooling but are either too small, or must remain too quiet, to incorporate an integral cooling fan. One example is the head-mounted high-intensity lamps currently used by surgeons and other medical/dental practitioners. Such assemblies, as the one depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,462, rely on a rather sophisticated housing to dissipate heat, since the incorporation of a fan would dramatically increase the weight of the lamp assembly, and might create noise that could distract the wearer.
Other examples of apparatus which could benefit from active cooling, but currently rely on passive heat dissipation due to size or noise requirements, include hand-held devices such as manual input devices for computers and hand-held telecommunications devices such as cellular telephones. In the case of the former, Microsoft Corporation of Bellevue, Wash. recently introduced a force-feedback joystick which includes its own processor and motors which need to be cooled. In this case, Microsoft incorporated a fan into the base of the unit, but users have found that the noise generated is unacceptable, in that it interferes with the quiet environment used to interact with the applications for which the device was intended.
In the case of cellular phones, users have found that through prolonged use, as in a vehicle, the unit becomes quite hot, often to an unacceptable degree. The heat generated by such phones conducts through plastic housing of the unit, which results in an unpleasant warming against the user's ear. As in the case of head-mounted medical/dental lighting, the interior of modern cellular phone packaging does not permit the integration of a cooling fan, which would also add weight and potentially introduce acoustic, if not electrical, noise.
In all of the cases just described, and there are others which will become obvious through the disclosure herein, a cable is already present to deliver power or to communicate other signals to the utilization device. In the case of the head-mounted medical/dental high-intensity light, a power cable runs either from a wall-mounted power supply or from the user's belt to provide electrical power to the lamp itself, which is typically halogen. In the case of the joystick, or other applications of this type, cabling must be provided from the base of the device to the computer not only for power, for also for signal communication. As for cellular telephones, although they may be used with internal batteries in a non-tethered state, when used in an automobile, often a power/charging cable is provided, which is the environment wherein such devices experience their prolonged use, leading to over-warming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed toward the cooling of utilization devices which could benefit from active as opposed to passive cooling but wherein integrated fans cannot, or should not, be included for reasons of size, weight or acoustic or electrical noise that might be generated. Broadly, where some form of electrical cabling must be brought to the utilization device already to deliver power or communicate information, the invention adds a second, hollow conduit to this cabling and means for introducing air into the end of the cabling remote from the utilization device, thereby delivering cooling air to the device without it, itself, having to incorporate a fan, for example.
The tubing used to carry the cooling air may either surround the power or signal cables in the form of a surrounding jacket, so that the resulting combined cable is substantially circular in cross-section or, alternatively, the cooling tube may be disposed next to the power or signal-carrying cables, resulting in an additional parallel path between the source of power or signals and the utilization device. Also, the “power” aspect of the inventive cable may be optical as opposed to electrical, as in the case of fibers carrying high-intensity light.
The equipment to which the utilization device is attached may take any form, including a computer or other type of more sophisticated electronic apparatus, or the utilization device may connect to a power box including batteries or an AC adapter in the event that only electrical power and not electrical signaling is involved.
In any case, the equipment to which the utilization device is attached includes means for introducing air into the air-carrying conduit, preferably in the form of a quiet, inexpensive air compressor, such as the type currently used in home aquariums. Such a unit would be optimized according to the invention, however, to make it smaller, quieter or more efficient. As an alternative to an air compressor, a fan such as a miniature squirrel-case fan may be used, or other suitable alternative such that a flow of air is received by the utilization device suitable for at least partial cooling thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 30536 (1981-03-01), Perdreaux
patent: 4032803 (1977-06-01), Durr et al.
patent: 4356971 (1982-11-01), Ashman
patent: 4733660 (1988-03-01), Itzkan
patent: 5074861 (1991-12-01), Schneider et al.
patent: 5401171 (1995-03-01), Paghdiwala
patent: 5873259 (1999-02-01), Spillman
patent: 5892199 (1999-04-01), Ahmed et al.
Gifford Krass Groh Sprinkle Anderson & Citkowski PC
Wilson Pamela
LandOfFree
Combination power and cooling cable does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Combination power and cooling cable, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Combination power and cooling cable will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2484673