Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-08
2001-01-30
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S688000, C361S690000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181554
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to the enhancement of the cooling capacity of a portable computer and in particular to the automatic deploying and manually retracting of a riser capability that provides increased thermal transfer through the base of the portable computer package together with an improved keyboard tilt position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since their conception, portable computers, as with all computers, have faced the issue of thermal management as a result of heat generated by the processor and other components that are densely packed in the computer. As is well known, many components of computers are sensitive to excessive heat that can degrade performance and result in damage.
The packaging of the portable computer has evolved into the use of a case in which, in a base portion, a keyboard is positioned adjacent to the user and on which on a hinged cover, including a display, is positioned facing the user when the cover is open. The package or case is about the size of a notebook, weighs about 5 pounds, and covers a typical size of about a 297 by 210 millimeter(mm) area.
Within the base, as a result of the capacity and performance increases, thermal management is often an important consideration in the computer design. In the last few years, the thermal dissipation requirements of portable computers have been rapidly increasing. For example, typical portable personal computers generate heat that must be dissipated in the range of from about 10 watts to 20 watts and beyond, in part a result of increasing central processing unit (CPU) performance and for a further part by additional function capabilities such as digital video disk (DVD), modem, audio and video that are being added.
Among the thermal management constraints encountered in design are the fact that the components of the computer are generally locallized heat generating elements that are enclosed in a physically small space in that base portion and are operated at close temperature tolerances. The base portion in turn usually rests in contact with the user so that high temperatures generated in the base are immediately apparent to the user. Passive cooling methods are most desirable because no power is consumed, no noise is generated and very little additional space is required. The best that can be done at the present state of the art, even including providing additional passive cooling capacity through the use of heat pipe technology, is from about 15 to about 20 watts. One way to increase cooling capacity is to add an active cooling device such as a fan. This has not been considered desirable because such devices take up space, consume power and generate noise. Space and battery power are at a very high premium in portable computers, and noise is highly undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention achieves a substantial increase in the passive dissipation of heat produced in the base of a portable computer package by providing a riser capability that positions one portion of the base of the package higher than another which produces an air flow over the bottom of the base and a tilt to the keyboard. The air flow operates to improve and greatly increase the passive dissipation of the portable computer package in handling the heat produced by the components in the base thereby permitting an increase in the operating temperature range in the portable computer design. The tilt produced by the raising of one side of the package also provides an improved keyboard angle for the user. In the invention, a riser mechanism is provided, through which, in response to the opening of the cover, the side of the base that is away from the user, is raised above the side next to the user, thereby providing a tilt to the base which is supporting the keyboard and providing an air flow path in which the air warmed by the bottom of the base can flow and thereby substantially increase passive cooling. An additional benefit is that the user is insulated from the possibly hot base.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5552960 (1996-09-01), Nelson et al.
A. Yu, “The Future of Microprocessors” IEEE Micro, Dec. 1996 pp. 46-53.
Cipolla Thomas Mario
Feger Claudius
Chang Yean-Hsi
International Business Machines - Corporation
Morris Daniel P.
Picard Leo P.
Riddles Alvin J.
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