Heat exchange – With retainer for removable article – Electrical component
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-30
2002-10-08
Atkinson, Christopher (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With retainer for removable article
Electrical component
C165S104330, C165S185000, C165S122000, C165S125000, C174S016300, C257S715000, C361S700000, C361S697000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460608
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat sink. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat sink used for diffusing heat generated by an integrated circuit package, in which heat is generated, such as a microprocessor unit incorporated into portable electronic equipment such as a notebook-type computer. Also, the present invention relates to a heat sink used for diffusing the heat generated by a hard disk device incorporated into portable electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a microprocessor of high performance has been incorporated into a portable type electronic equipment for the purpose of increasing the processing speed and the processing capacity. A quantity of heat generated by this microprocessor is larger than the quantity of heat generated by other electronic parts. Therefore, the microprocessor by which a large quantity of heat is generated is locally air-cooled by a heat sink.
Concerning the heat sink used for locally cooling the microprocessor, there is provided a heat sink which is naturally cooled and further forcibly cooled for enhancing the cooling capacity in such a manner that a cooling fan is set on the naturally cooled heat sink. Also, in order to reduce the dimensions of the apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-268125, there is provided a heat sink in which a cooling fan is embedded.
However, the prior art disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-268125 is disadvantageous in that the height of the heat sink is increased because the heat sink into which the fan is incorporated is attached onto a heating component.
In order to solve the above problems, there is disclosed a technique in which a heating component is cooled by a heat sink in such a manner that the heating component is mounted at a position distant from the heat sink, and the heating component is connected with the heat sink by a heat pipe, and heat which has been generated by the heating component is transmitted to the heat sink via the heat pipe. In the above case, for example, it is possible to arrange the heating component and the heat sink in the transverse direction. Accordingly, the height of the apparatus can be reduced.
Even in the above prior art in which the heat pipe is used, it is necessary to improve the heat sink so that the cooling performance of the heat sink can be enhanced to diffuse a large quantity of heat generated by the heating component. In order to meet the above requirements, there is disclosed a technique in which a heat sink is combined with a cooling fan so that the heat sink can be cooled by means of forcible cooling in addition to natural cooling. When the heat sink is combined with the cooling fan according to the above prior art, a conventional fan is used, which is set on a conventional heat sink. A heating component mounted at a position distant from the heat sink is connected with the heat sink by a heat pipe. By this heat transmitting member, heat generated by the heating component is transmitted to the heat sink, and the heat sink is forcibly air-cooled by a cooling fan.
However, according to the above prior art in which the heat pipe is used, the cooling fan is placed upon the heat sink. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a space into which the cooling fan is incorporated in addition to a space into which the heat sink is incorporated.
Further, in this example in which the heat pipe is used, the entire circumference of the heat pipe is surrounded by a bottom plate of the heat sink, and the diameter of the heat pipe is increased by the thickness of the heat sink. For the above reasons, a space in which the heat pipe is attached is increased within the height of the heat sink. Therefore, it becomes difficult to ensure a space in which the cooling fan is embedded in the heat sink. This space, in which the cooling fan is embedded, cannot be ensured in the heat sink. The cooling fan protrudes out of the heat sink. Therefore, it is impossible to reduce the thickness of the apparatus.
Even if the height of the heat sink is increased so as to embed the cooling fan in the heat sink, it is impossible to meet the requirements of a portable type information processor, the thickness of which has been increasingly reduced.
When the heat sink in which the cooling fan is embedded is mounted on the heating component, it is necessary to provide a space on the heating component into which the heat sink is incorporated. When it is attempted to mount the heat sink on the printed board on which the heating component is mounted, it is impossible to ensure a space into which the heat sink is incorporated because the density of mounting parts on the printed board has been increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to realize a reduction of the thickness of a heat sink. It is another object of the present invention to realize a reduction of the thickness of an apparatus.
According to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat sink comprising: a heat transmitting member for transmitting heat generated by a heating component; a holding section for holding the heat transmitting member; and a heat sink body having a space in which a cooling fan having at least blades and a drive motor is embedded, wherein a portion of the holding section for holding the heat transmitting member, the portion being located below the space, is cut out.
According to this aspect, the thickness of the holding section of the heat sink for holding the heat transmitting member is removed. Therefore, it becomes possible to deeply embed the cooling fan in the heat sink in accordance with a reduction in the thickness. Therefore, the thickness of the heat sink can be reduced.
According to the 2nd aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat sink in which the heat sink body is accommodated in a box for controlling a flow of air generated by the cooling fan. That is, according to this aspect, other electronic parts mounted in the periphery of the heat sink can be effectively cooled by cooling air, and also the cooling fan can be protected.
According to the 3rd aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat sink, further comprising a printed board for holding the cooling fan, wherein the printed board has ventilation holes in which an air flow generated by the fan assembly flows, and a portion of the drive circuit to drive the motor is mounted on the printed board. That is, according to this aspect, the printed board necessary for driving the drive motor is also used as a cover for holding the cooling fan. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide a specific cover member. In accordance with that, the thickness of the heat sink can be reduced. Further, when a portion of the driving circuit is mounted in an empty space on the mounting surface of the printed board, the printed board can be effectively utilized.
According to the 4th aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat sink further comprising a cover to be put on the heat sink body, wherein the cover has a spacer, the height of which is sufficiently large for forming an air gap on the surface of the heat sink body, and also the cover has a hole to fix a bearing of the cooling fan. That is, according to this aspect, there is formed an air gap between the heat sink and the cover. Since this air gap is used as a passage for the cooling air sent from the cooling fan, and even if other parts are densely mounted on the cover, it is possible to ensure a passage of the cooling air. Further, when the cooling fan is fixed at two positions in such a manner that one position is on the printed board and the other position is on the cover, it is possible to fix the cooling fan firmly.
According to the 5th aspect of the invention, there is provided a heat sink in which peripheries of the blades in the depth direction are surrounded by a venturi. According to this aspect, it is possible to regulate the flow of the air sucked by the cooling fan, so that the occurrence of
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Atkinson Christopher
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