CN112925399A - Laptop computer with display side cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a laptop computer with a display side cooling system. A laptop computing device, comprising: a base including a keyboard; and a display movably coupled to the base and including: a heat sink having fins; one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the heat sink; and at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the heat sink.

Description

Laptop computer with display side cooling system

Technical Field

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 62945056 filed on 6.12.2019. The subject matter of this related application is incorporated herein by reference.

Field of various embodiments

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to computer architecture and thermal solutions for computing devices, and more particularly to laptop computers with display-side cooling systems.

Background

In most, if not all, laptop computers, the motherboard is located directly below the keyboard. As a result, heat generated by electronic components mounted on the motherboard, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), often causes the palm rest area of the laptop to heat up during use. Sometimes, especially in high-powered laptop computers, the palm rest area may be so warm that it is uncomfortable for the user. This problem can be alleviated by integrating various combinations of heat sinks, heat pipes, and air mover solutions into the laptop computer that transfer heat generated on the motherboard to the palm rest of the laptop computer. However, these methods have certain disadvantages.

First, due to space constraints, the heat sinks and fans typically employed in laptop computers are often relatively small. As a result, when the laptop is operating at optimum performance, the fan must run at a very high speed to remove enough heat from the laptop (through the heat sink). High speed operation of the fan can cause a degree of audible noise and vibration, thereby reducing the overall quality of the user experience. This problem is particularly true in high performance laptop computers, which generate a large amount of heat when dealing with larger, more complex workloads. Second, the surface temperature of the base of the laptop computer increases even when the palm rest area of the laptop computer is cooled. The uneven surface temperature generated by laptop computers can result in an overall poor ergonomic experience for the user. In addition, the surface temperature of the base of the laptop computer can easily exceed temperatures deemed comfortable for the user over an extended period of time. Third, the ability of conventional laptop heat dissipation solutions to transfer heat from the motherboard can vary significantly depending on whether the laptop rests on a hard surface or the user's lap. For example, when a laptop computer is resting on a user's knee, the inlet of the fan may be partially or even completely blocked, thereby greatly reducing airflow through the heat sink and limiting heat transfer to the motherboard. Requiring users to use laptop computers on hard surfaces to achieve better thermal performance reduces the overall quality of the user experience.

As previously mentioned, what is needed in the art is a more efficient method of cooling a laptop computer during operation.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for cooling heat-generating components of a computing device. In various embodiments, a laptop computing device includes: a base including a keyboard; and a display movably coupled to the base and including: a heat sink having fins; one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the heat sink; at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air across the heat sink.

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth another technique for cooling heat-generating components of a computing device. In various embodiments, an apparatus comprises: a heat sink having a plurality of fins and a vapor chamber; one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the vapor chamber; and at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the plurality of fins, wherein a first fin included in the plurality of fins and a second fin included in the plurality of fins form a first air passage having a first air inlet and a first air outlet, wherein the first fin is adjacent to the second fin, and a first distance between the first fin and the second fin near the first air inlet is less than a second distance between the first fin and the second fin near the first air outlet.

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for cooling heat generating components of a computing device. In various embodiments, a computing device, comprising: a base; a display portion movably connected to the base portion and including a housing having a movable panel and one or more fixed panels; and a mechanical assembly that positions the movable panel away from the one or more fixed panels when the display is opened from the base.

At least one technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the heat generating integrated circuit is disposed within a display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger vapor chamber. Larger vapor chambers may enable greater heat dissipation capabilities and greater cooling efficiencies, thereby enabling computing devices to operate at higher operating levels. Further, in the disclosed design, the cooling fan is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger cooling fan to be implemented. Because larger cooling fans can provide a sufficient level of cooling airflow at lower speeds, cooling fan noise is reduced in the disclosed design without adversely affecting the peak computing performance of the computing device. Additionally, in the disclosed design, the air outlet is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which results in directing the cooling airflow away from the user and further reduces the noise of the overall cooling fan.

Another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the fins of the heat exchanger are more aligned with the direction of the intake air flow than the fins of conventional heat exchangers. As a result, the pressure drop across the heat exchanger is relatively small in the disclosed design. The reduced pressure drop enables, among other things, a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without adversely affecting the peak computing performance of the computing device.

Yet another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the air inlet for the cooling fan is formed in a surface of the computing device other than a bottom surface of the computing device. Thus, with the disclosed design, the cooling efficiency of the computing device is not affected by the surface on which the computing device is placed. Additionally, in the disclosed design, the air intake for the cooling fan formed via the movable panel has a greater free area and a correspondingly lower pressure drop relative to the air intake disposed on the bottom surface of a conventional laptop computer. In particular, the lower pressure drop enables a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without adversely affecting the peak computing performance of the computing device.

These technical advantages represent one or more technical improvements over prior art computing device designs.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a laptop computer configured to implement one or more aspects of various embodiments;

FIG. 2A is a schematic front view of a display of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2B is a schematic side view of a display of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of the display of the laptop computer of FIG. 1 taken along section line A-A shown in FIG. 2A, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a display of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the heat sink of FIGS. 2A-2C, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a heat sink and heat exchanger sheet as viewed from a plenum of the display shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a portion of a laptop computer with a variable sized cooling air inlet in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of a laptop computer in which a display includes a housing with a movable panel according to various embodiments; and

fig. 8 is a schematic front view of a display of a laptop computer including a heat sink having a radially dispersed array of fins, in accordance with various embodiments.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these specific details.

Introduction to

Various embodiments of the present disclosure present a laptop computer with a display-side cooling system. In some embodiments, a display of a laptop computer houses a motherboard having one or more processors, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and/or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), mounted thereon, and a single heat sink having at least one cooling fan thereon configured to direct cooling air across heat sinks of the heat sink. Thus, in such embodiments, the largest heat sources in the laptop computer and the cooling system for removing the heat generated by these heat sources are disposed in the display of the laptop computer, rather than in the base of the laptop computer housing the keyboard.

Additionally, in some embodiments, a vapor chamber included in the heat sink is configured as a support structure for the motherboard and/or one or more cooling fans located in the display portion. In such embodiments, the vapor chamber may be formed of titanium and may include a novel internal support post configuration that reduces the weight and/or deflection of the vapor chamber as compared to conventional heat sink vapor chambers. Additionally, in some embodiments, the display of the laptop computer includes one or more cooling fan inlets and/or one or more cooling fan outlets, each located within or on a surface of the display. In such embodiments, the one or more cooling fan inlets may be fixed in size or may be configured to open when the display of the laptop is opened from the base. Additionally, in some embodiments, the fins thermally coupled to the vapor chamber are configured as an array of radially diverging fins. In such embodiments, the radially diverging fins may be aligned with the direction of the incoming airflow, which reduces the pressure drop associated with the airflow through the fins. Additionally, in some embodiments, the display portion of the laptop computer includes a display screen configured to be remote from a heat generating component in the display portion, such as a motherboard, when the display portion is opened from the base portion. Thus, in such embodiments, the air gap between the display screen and the heat generating components in the display portion is separated by an air gap, which prevents portions of the display screen from overheating during operation of the laptop computer.

Overview of the System

FIG. 1 illustrates a laptop computer 100 configured to implement one or more aspects of various embodiments. The laptop computer 100 is a laptop personal computer having a hinged or "clamshell" configuration and typically includes the functionality of a desktop computer and associated external devices. For example, in some embodiments, the laptop computer 100 includes an integrated keyboard 101, touchpad (or trackpad) 102, and display screen 121. The laptop computer 100 can be easily stored and carried by folding the display screen 121 over the keyboard 101. Thus, the laptop computer 100 can be easily transported and adapted for mobile use. As shown, the laptop computer 100 includes a base 110 and a display 120 movably coupled to the base 110. The base 110 includes a keyboard 101, a touch pad 102, and a palm rest 103, and the display 120 includes a display screen 121, for example, as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) based display screen. The laptop computer 100 may further include physical interfaces for various input and output devices along the side edge 105 of the base 110, such as one or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, external display ports, ethernet ports, and the like. The laptop computer 100 may further include one or more integrated webcams and/or built-in microphones (not shown).

According to various embodiments, the laptop computer 100 also includes a display-side cooling system and architecture that prevents the palm pad 103 and the bottom surface 104 of the base 110 from reaching elevated temperatures during use. In an embodiment, one or more of the primary heat sources in the laptop computer 100, such as a motherboard-mounted processor, is located in the display portion 100, rather than in the base 110. Further, in embodiments, one or more heat transfer devices are also located in the display 100 rather than the base 110, such as one or more cooling fans and a heat sink fluidly coupled to the cooling fans and thermally coupled to a heat source. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 2A, 2B and 2C.

Fig. 2A is a schematic front view of a display 120 according to various embodiments. Fig. 2B is a schematic side view of a display 120 according to various embodiments. Fig. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of the display portion 120 taken along section line a-a shown in fig. 2A, in accordance with various embodiments.

The display portion 120 includes a heat sink 220 configured as a support structure within the housing 201 or other enclosure of the display portion 120. In addition, the display part 120 includes a cooling fan 230 mounted on the heat sink 220 and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)240 mounted on the heat sink 220. For example, in some embodiments, PCB 240 is the motherboard of laptop computer 100. As such, various heat-generating electronic devices 241 (indicated in fig. 2A) are mounted on PCB 240, e.g., as a Central Processing Unit (CPU)242, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)243, one or more memory chips 244, one or more flash memory devices 245, other heat-generating integrated circuits (not shown), and so forth. In operation, heat generated by the heat generating electronics 241 is transferred from the PCB 240 and out of the display portion 120 via the heat sink 220 and cooling air forced across the surface of the heat sink 220 by the fan 230. In some embodiments, one or more surfaces of the housing 201 include a high-emissivity coating or surface to further increase the heat transferred from the display portion 120 via radiative heat transfer. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the PCB 240 is located between the heat generating electronics 241 and the heat sink 220. In other embodiments, the PCB 240 is located on one side of the heat-generating electronics 241 and the heat sink 220 is located on the opposite side of the heat-generating electronics 241.

Display side radiator

The heat sink 220 is a substantially planar structure that is positioned parallel to the display screen 121 and, in some embodiments, is separated from the display screen 121 by an airflow gap 221. In some embodiments, the heat sink 220 is configured as a vapor chamber including a vapor region 222 and a condensate collection region 223. The working fluid disposed within the heat sink 220 may comprise any technically feasible liquid that evaporates at the temperatures reached by the condensate collection region 223 during operation of the laptop computer 100. For example, suitable working fluids include water, methanol, propylene glycol, various combinations thereof, and the like. In some embodiments, the inner surfaces of the steam region 222 and the condensate collection region 223 have been passivated to prevent corrosion of the heat sink 220 and enhance wetting of the inner surfaces of the steam region 222. In such embodiments, heat sink 220 may further include a wicking structure (not shown) formed of titanium or a titanium-containing alloy disposed within vapor region 222 and/or condensate collection region 223. In some embodiments, the wicking structure also undergoes a passivation process.

In some embodiments, heat spreader 220 is formed from titanium or a titanium-containing alloy. In such embodiments, the heat sink 220 typically has sufficient mechanical strength and rigidity to serve as a structural element of the display portion 120. Thus, in such embodiments, the heat sink 220 may have the cooling fan 230, PCB 240, and/or other components mounted thereto, rather than on a portion of the housing 201. As a result, in such embodiments, heat sink 220 may be used to cool multiple heat generating devices, such as CPUs and GPUs. In contrast, heat sinks in conventional computing devices are typically dedicated to a single high power device, such as a single processor.

As shown in fig. 2B and 2C, the steam region 222 and the condensate collection region 223 are both located within the radiator 220 and are in fluid communication with each other. In such embodiments, the condensate collection region 223 is configured to collect condensed liquid cooled in the vapor region 222 of the heat sink 220 and is located adjacent to the PCB 240 or in contact with the PCB 240. Accordingly, heat generated by the heat-generating electronics 241 is directed by the PCB 240 into the condensate collection region 223, heats and evaporates the condensed liquid in the condensate collection region 223 into vapor, and the vapor flows into the vapor region 222. The vapor condenses in the vapor region 222 onto the inner surface of the heat sink 220 and then transfers thermal energy from the PCB 240 to the wall 224 of the vapor region 222. The walls 224 of the vapor region 222 conduct thermal energy into the assembly of heat exchanger fins 225, the heat exchanger fins 225 being coupled to the outer surface of the vapor region 222, and the cooling air removes thermal energy from the plenum 232, through the heat exchanger fins 225, and out the cooling air outlet 231 from the display portion 120. In some embodiments, the heating radiator 220 further comprises a conduit 229 for directing cooling air from the heat exchanger fins 225 to the cooling air outlet 231. Alternatively, some or all of the heat exchanger fins 225 may extend to the cooling air outlet 231. Such an embodiment is shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of a display 320 according to various embodiments. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the heat exchanger fins 324 extend to the cooling air outlet 231. Additionally, in some embodiments, display 320 includes a plenum 332 having a different configuration than plenum 232 in FIG. 2A. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, one or more heat generating electronic devices 241 may be positioned on the PCB 240 as follows: which is partially or fully disposed within plenum 332. Thus, in such embodiments, cooling air is received by the plenum 332 and flows to the heat exchanger fins 324, possibly flowing directly through such heat generating electronics 241.

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, the wall 224 of the vapor region 222 may extend across the entire width of the display 120. Thus, the wall 224 has a larger surface area and is capable of integrating one or more large surface area components of the heat exchanger sheet 225 in the display 120. Unlike the assembly of heat exchanger fins associated with conventional heat sinks, which are disposed within the base of a laptop computer, the heat exchanger fins 225 are distributed over a wide surface area, such as from the left edge 202 to the right edge 203 of the housing 201. Because the heat exchanger fins 225 are distributed over a larger surface area, the heat exchanger fins 225 have less resistance to airflow (and therefore less pressure drop) and can accommodate a greater amount of forced cooling airflow than the amount of cooling fins associated with conventional heat sinks placed in the base portion of laptop computers. As a result, the airflow through or across the heat exchange fins 225 may remove the same amount of thermal energy from the heat sink 220 at a significantly lower rate than the airflow through or across the heat exchanger fins associated with conventional heat sinks disposed within laptop bases. Thus, the fan noise (due to the slower speed of fan rotation) and exhaust noise (due to the lower cooling speed present in the laptop computer 100) to remove thermal energy from the heat sink 220 is much less than when conventional fans and heat sinks are used in laptop computers.

Due to the size of the heat sink 220, pressure variations within the heat sink 220 can cause undesirable deflection of one or more surfaces of the heat sink 220. In some embodiments, the vapor region 222 and/or the condensate collection region 223 are internally reinforced with support columns. One such embodiment is described below in conjunction with fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a heat sink 220 according to various embodiments. As shown, the heat sink 220 includes a steam region 222 and a condensate collection region 223 (represented by dashed lines). Further, the heat sink 220 includes a plurality of internal support columns 401 disposed within the vapor region 222 and/or the condensate collection region 223. The inner support posts 401 are configured to reduce deflection of one or more surfaces of the heat spreader 220 due to changes in pressure within the heat spreader 220 during operation. In some embodiments, the inner support posts 401 are formed of titanium. In some embodiments, the inner support posts 401 are arranged in a repeating triangular pattern 402. In contrast to the configuration of the inner support posts 401 arranged in a repeating rectangular pattern, the repeating triangular pattern shown in fig. 4 provides the same rigidity and/or deflection of the heat sink 220 with the inner support posts 401 reduced by at most 11%. In addition, there is less resistance to condensate flow during operation because there is less total number of inner support posts 401 placed within the heat sink 220.

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, the heat exchanger fins 225 are separated from the display screen 121 by airflow gaps 221 through which cooling air is forced during operation of the laptop computer 100. In such embodiments, the cooling air forced through the airflow gap 221 cools the display screen 121 and thermally isolates the display screen 121 from the PCB 240 and the heat generating electronics 241 mounted on the PCB 240. In other embodiments, some or all of the heat exchanger fins 225 are in contact with and/or thermally coupled to the display screen 121 and are cooled by thermal conduction to the display screen 121 through conduction to the heat exchanger fins 225.

In some embodiments, the airflow resistance created by the heat exchanger fins 225 is further reduced because the airflow openings between the heat exchanger fins 225 are significantly larger than the openings between the heat exchanger fins associated with conventional laptop heat sinks. Due to the wider spacing between the heat exchanger fins, the larger opening height 225A (shown in fig. 2B) of the heat exchanger fins 225, or a combination of both, such openings may have a larger free area than the openings between the heat exchanger fins of a conventional heat sink. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the heat sink 220 and the heat exchanger fins 225 as viewed from the air chamber 232 of the display portion 120, according to various embodiments. As shown, the heat exchanger fins 225 are disposed on the wall 224 of the heat sink 220 and on the opposite side of the wall 224 from the vapor region 222 (indicated by the dashed lines).

Because the heat exchanger fins 225 extend across the wall 224 from the left side edge 202 to the right side edge 203 of the housing 201, each heat exchanger fin 225 may be separated by a relatively wide spacing 501. Further, since the heat sink 220 is disposed in the display portion 220, rather than under the keypad 101 of the base portion 110, each heat exchanger fin 225 may have a larger opening height 225A. For example, in some embodiments, the airflow channels 502 between the heat exchanger fins 225 each have an opening height 225A that extends from the surface of the wall 224 to the airflow gap 221 near the display screen 121. In some embodiments, each air flow channel 502 between the heat exchanger sheets 225 has an opening height 225A that extends from the surface of the wall 224 to the surface of the display screen 121. In some embodiments, each air flow channel 502 between the heat exchanger sheets 225 has an opening height 225A that is greater than half the thickness 505 of the display portion 120. In other embodiments, the airflow channels 502 between the heat exchanger sheets 225 may have varying sizes and opening heights. As a result, each airflow channel 502 between the heat exchanger fins 225 has a free area that is significantly larger than the free area of the airflow channel associated with a conventional laptop heat exchanger. Thus, for a particular airflow, the airflow impedance through airflow channel 502 is greatly reduced compared to the airflow impedance through the airflow channels associated with conventional laptop heat exchangers, thereby making the operation of notebook computer 100 quieter.

Low impedance cooling air inlet and outlet

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, a cooling fan 230 is mounted on the heat sink 220 and configured to force cooling air through the heat sink 225 and out of the display portion 120. Cooling air enters the display portion 120 through one or more cooling air inlets 233, is forced across the heat exchanger fins 225 by the plenum 232, and exits the display portion 120 through the cooling air outlets 231. The cooling air inlet 233 and the cooling air outlet 231 are provided on the surface of the housing 201 of the display part 120 or formed in the surface of the housing 201, not on the surface of the base 110. Thus, the cooling air inlet 233 and cooling air outlet 231 are not limited in free area by the available surface area on the side edge 105 (shown in fig. 1) of the base 110, in which case physical interfaces for various input and output devices (e.g., USB ports, external display ports, ethernet ports, etc.) may greatly reduce the available space for cooling air inlets and/or outlets in the base 110. As a result, the cooling air inlet 233 and the cooling air outlet 231 generate lower airflow impedance and associated airflow noise than the smaller free areas of the cooling air inlet and cooling air outlet disposed on the surface of the base of the laptop computer. In addition, the cooling air outlet 231 faces upward and/or rearward (i.e., away from the display screen 121). Thus, the cooling air outlet 231 directs the exhausted air, fan noise and airflow noise to the user, further reducing the audibility of such noise to the user. In addition, the cooling air outlet 231 directs the exhausted air, fan noise, and airflow noise away from any laptop computer 100 resting thereon. Because such surfaces may reflect fan and airflow noise back to the user, the configuration of the cooling air outlet 231 as described herein prevents fan and airflow noise from being reflected toward the user. In addition, the cooling air inlet 233 cannot be blocked by the user's knee or other surface on which the laptop computer 100 is placed. In contrast, the cooling air inlet is not completely blocked whenever the display 120 is deployed for use.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the cooling air outlet 231 is arranged higher than the cooling air inlet 233 when the display is unfolded for use. That is, the cooling air inlet 233 is located in the surface of the housing 201 such that the cooling air inlet 233 is located below the cooling air outlet 231, away from the base 110 when the base 110 is located on a horizontal surface and the display portion 120 is open. As a result, the cooling airflow through the heat exchanger fins 225 is assisted by free convection. Additionally, in some embodiments, when the laptop computer 100 is operating at some low operating power, the free convection of cooling air across the heat exchanger fins 225 is sufficient to cool the heat generating electronic device 241, and the cooling fan 230 need not be operated.

Display side cooling fan

Since the cooling fan 230 is provided in the display part 120 instead of the base part 110, the size of the cooling fan 230 can be increased relative to the entire size of the laptop computer 100. That is, the available space is large compared to the display section 120. Thus, the cooling fan 230 may be sized larger relative to the amount of cooling air forced to flow through the heat exchanger fins 225. Thus, in operation, the cooling fan 230 may rotate at a lower speed and generate less fan noise than would be required if secured in the base portion 110 (e.g., around or below the keyboard 101, physical interface ports, and other interfering components placed in the base portion 110).

In some embodiments, the cooling fans 230 are controlled to operate synchronously, i.e., at the same rotational speed. For example, in some embodiments, cooling fans 230 each operate at rotational speeds within about 100 revolutions per minute of each other. In such an embodiment, the beat phenomenon caused by constructive and destructive interference of fan noise of two different frequencies is avoided. As a result, the acoustic experience of the user is improved. In contrast, in a conventional laptop computer that includes multiple cooling fans (e.g., one fan for cooling the CPU and one fan for cooling the GPU), when the fan speed of one cooling fan is adjusted, the audible beat frequency is generated due to the difference between the rotational frequencies of the two fans, which may degrade the user's listening experience. Further, in an embodiment where the rotational frequencies of the two cooling fans 230 are controlled together and thus both operate in unison, the heat dissipation capability of the heat sink 220 may be utilized to remove heat from the PCB 240, or the GPU 243 generates a large amount of heat, even when there is only one CPU 242. Therefore, when only the CPU 242 or the GPU 243 generates a large amount of heat, a lower fan speed may be employed, and fan noise and airflow noise are reduced accordingly. In contrast, conventional laptop computers typically include a dedicated cooling fan and associated heat sink for the CPU and a separately controlled cooling fan and associated heat sink for the GPU. Thus, when only one of the CPU or GPU is generating a large amount of heat, the cooling fan associated with the heat generating component must be operated at or near the maximum rotational frequency, thereby generating fan noise and airflow noise that is audible to the user.

Variable size air inlet

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the cooling air inlet 233 is depicted as a fixed opening in the surface of the housing 201. In other embodiments, the cooling air inlet may be configured as a variable sized opening. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a display 620 having a variable sized cooling air inlet according to various embodiments. As shown, the display 620 is substantially similar to the display 120 of fig. 2A-2C, except that the display 620 includes a variable air inlet 633. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, when the rear cover 602 of the housing 601 of the display part 620 is opened, the variable intake 633 is formed. That is, the bottom edge 603 of the back cover 602 is rotated outward from the display part 620 to form the variable air inlet 633 between the back cover 602 and the rest of the display part 620. Thus, a triangular opening 604 is formed near the side edges of the back cover 602, and a rim opening 605 is formed near the bottom edge 603 of the back cover 602. In some embodiments, display 620 is configured with variable air intake 633 in place of one or more fixed-size cooling air intakes formed in housing 601, such as cooling air inlet 233 in fig. 2B. Alternatively, in some embodiments, display 620 is configured with variable air inlet 633 in addition to one or more cooling air inlets of fixed size formed in housing 601.

In some embodiments, for example, when display 620 is deployed for use, variable air inlet 633 is opened via a mechanical linkage. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, variable air inlet 633 is opened and closed in response to one or more measured temperatures, such as the temperature of CPU 242, GPU 243, PCB 240, heat sink 220, and/or the cooling air exiting cooling air outlet 231. In such an embodiment, the size of the variable intake 633 may be varied by an electric actuator. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the variable air intake 633 is turned on and off in response to measured power usage of one or more heat-generating electronic devices 241, such as power usage by the CPU 242, GPU 243, and the like. In such embodiments, the size of the variable intake 633 is varied by an electric actuator.

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of a laptop computer 700 in which a display 720 includes a housing 701 having a movable panel 702, according to various embodiments. The laptop computer 700 includes a base 710 having one or more fixed panels 703 and a display 720. As shown, a mechanical linkage 750 mechanically couples the base 710 to the movable panel 702, wherein a cooling fan (not shown) is formed when the display 720 is opened from the base 710, actuation of the mechanical linkage 750 causing the inlet 704 to be used for the cooling fan. The access 704 is formed by positioning the movable plate 702 away from the one or more fixed plates 703 of the base 710 by a mechanical linkage 750 when the display portion 720 is opened away from the base 710.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, mechanical linkage 750 includes a rotational element 751, and mechanical linkage 750 rotates about an axis 759 when display portion 720 is opened away from base portion 710. The mechanical linkage 750 also includes a positioning arm 752 that mechanically couples the movable panel 702 to the rotational element 751. The positioning arm 752 is contained within the rotational element 751 or mechanically coupled to the rotational element 751. Thus, when rotational element 751 rotates about axis 759 (e.g., counterclockwise), positioning arm 752 rotates about axis 759 in the same direction (e.g., counterclockwise). In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the rotation of the rotational element 751 in the clockwise direction is caused by the display portion 720 being opened from the base portion 710. In contrast, in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the rotation of the rotational element 751 in the counter-clockwise direction is due to the closing of the display portion 720 towards the base portion 710. In the illustrated embodiment, this rotation is enabled because the shaft 759 is fixed to the base 710 and the rotational element 751 is configured as a driven gear coupled with the drive gear 753. The drive gear 753 is fixed relative to the base 710 so that the drive gear 753 remains stationary relative to the base 710 when the display portion 720 is opened away from the base 710 or closed toward the base 710.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the positioning arm 752 is mechanically coupled to the movable panel 702 of the display 720 through a positioning slot 755. Thus, in such embodiments, the positioning arm 752 is slidably coupled to the display portion 720. As a result, clockwise rotation of the positioning arm 752 moves the movable plate 702 away from the base 710 and causes the air intake holes 704 to be formed. Conversely, counterclockwise rotation of the positioning arm 752 moves the movable panel 702 toward the base 710, e.g., into a stowed position in which the movable panel 702 is moved into contact with one or more stationary panels 705 of the laptop computing device 700.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the movable panel 702 comprises a surface of the computing device 700 that is a top surface of the computing device 700 when the display portion 720 is closed against the base portion 710. In other embodiments, the movable panel 702 includes one or more other surfaces of the display portion 720, such as a side or edge surface of the display portion 720. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a movable panel 702 is disposed in the display portion 720 to form an air intake for one or more cooling fans (not shown) that may also be disposed in the display portion 720. In other embodiments, a movable panel 702 is disposed in the base 710 to form an inlet for one or more cooling fans also disposed in the base 710.

Radiator with radial radiating fins

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the heat spreader plates are arranged in an array of parallel plates. In some embodiments, the heat sink includes an array of radially dispersed fins arranged substantially aligned with or substantially parallel to an airflow direction associated with cooling air flowing into the heat sink from the cooling fan. As a result, the heat sink reduces the pressure drop associated with cooling air flowing over the fins. One such embodiment is described below in conjunction with fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a schematic front view of a display 800 of a laptop computer, the display 800 including a heat sink 820, the heat sink 820 having a series of radially diverging fins 824, in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, an air channel 830 is formed between each pair of adjacent radially diverging fins 824. In addition, each air passage 830 includes an inlet 831 and an outlet 832. Since the radially scattered fins 824 are separated from each other in the air flow direction, the free area of the inlet 831 for a particular air passage 830 is smaller than the free area of the outlet 832 for that particular air passage.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, each radially diverging fin 824 has a linear configuration, but in other embodiments, one or more radially diverging fins 824 have a curved configuration. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, for a pair of adjacent radially-diverging fins 824, a first line 825 defined by a first radially-diverging fin 824 (e.g., fin 824A) intersects a second line 826 defined by a second fin (e.g., fin 824A). In such an embodiment, the orientation of the first line 825 may be selected to be parallel to an airflow direction 827, the airflow direction 827 being associated with cooling air flowing through an inlet 831, the inlet 831 being associated with a first radially diverging fin.

Although the above embodiments are described in terms of a laptop computer, the embodiments may also be implemented in other types of computing devices, such as desktop computers, electronic tablets, smart phones, and the like.

In summary, a laptop computer is configured with heat generating electronics, such as a CPU and/or GPU, arranged in the display rather than in the base. In addition, a heat transfer device for dissipating thermal energy generated by the heat-generating electronic device, such as a cooling fan and a large-surface-area, low-airflow-resistance heat sink, is also disposed in the display portion. Further, the heat sink may comprise cooling fins configured as an array of radially diverging fins. Further, the housing of the laptop computer may include one or more movable panels positioned away from the housing to form a cooling air intake vent when the laptop computer is opened.

At least one technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the heat generating integrated circuit is disposed within a display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger vapor chamber. Larger vapor chambers may enable greater heat dissipation capabilities and greater cooling efficiencies, thereby enabling computing devices to operate at higher operating levels. Further, in the disclosed design, the cooling fan is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger cooling fan to be implemented. Because larger cooling fans can provide a sufficient level of cooling airflow at lower speeds, cooling fan noise is reduced in the disclosed design without adversely affecting the peak computing performance of the computing device. Additionally, in the disclosed design, the air outlet is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which directs the cooling airflow away from the user and further reduces the noise of the overall cooling fan.

Another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the fins of the heat exchanger are more aligned with the direction of the intake air flow than the fins of conventional heat exchangers. As a result, the pressure drop across the heat exchanger is relatively small in the disclosed design. The reduced pressure drop enables, among other things, a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without adversely affecting the peak computing performance of the computing device.

Yet another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the air inlet for the cooling fan is formed in a surface of the computing device other than a bottom surface of the computing device. Thus, with the disclosed design, the cooling efficiency of the computing device is not affected by the surface on which the computing device is placed. Additionally, in the disclosed design, the air intake for the cooling fan formed via the movable panel has a greater free area and a correspondingly lower pressure drop relative to the air intake disposed on the bottom surface of a conventional laptop computer. In particular, the lower pressure drop enables a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without negatively impacting the peak computing performance of the computing device.

These technical advantages represent one or more technical improvements over prior art computing device designs.

[ claim combination is added before application. ]

In any way, any and all combinations of any claim element recited in any claim and/or any element described in this application are within the intended scope of the invention and protection.

The description of the various embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

Aspects of the present embodiments may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "module," system, "or" computer. Additionally, any hardware and/or software techniques, procedures, functions, components, engines, modules, or systems described in this disclosure may be implemented as a circuit or a set of circuits. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied thereon.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims (20)

1. A laptop computing device, comprising:

a base, the base comprising a keyboard; and

a display movably coupled to the base and comprising:

a heat sink having fins;

one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the heat sink; and

at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the heat sink.

2. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat-generating electronic devices are mounted on a printed circuit board coupled to the heat sink.

3. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a vapor chamber thermally coupled to the heat sink.

4. The laptop computing device of claim 3, wherein the at least one heat sink is mounted on the vapor chamber.

5. The laptop computing device of claim 3, wherein the vapor chamber comprises a plurality of built-in pillars arranged in a repeating triangular pattern.

6. The laptop computing device of claim 5, wherein each built-in post included in the plurality of built-in posts is adjacent to six other built-in posts included in the plurality of built-in posts.

7. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat-generating electronic devices comprise at least two processing units.

8. The laptop computing device of claim 7, wherein the heat sink comprises a single vapor cell, and the at least two processing units are thermally coupled to the vapor cell.

9. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the display further comprises a display screen physically separated from the heat sink by an air gap.

10. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the display has a first surface, and the display further comprises a first air inlet formed in the first surface and fluidly coupled to the at least one cooling fan.

11. The laptop computing device of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one cooling fan comprises a first cooling fan and a second cooling fan;

the first air inlet is fluidly coupled to the first cooling fan; and

the display portion further includes a second air inlet formed on the first surface and fluidly coupled to the second cooling fan.

12. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the display part is provided with a first surface;

the display further comprises a first air outlet fluidly coupled to the at least one cooling fan; and

the display part further includes a first air inlet formed at the first surface, and a position of the first air inlet is set in such a manner that:

the first air inlet is disposed below the air outlet when the base rests on a horizontal surface and the display is open away from the base.

13. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the display includes an air inlet fluidly coupled to a first inlet of the at least one cooling fan, and wherein the air inlet increases in size when the display is opened away from the base.

14. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling fan comprises a first cooling fan and a second cooling fan that both exhaust cooling air into a plenum prior to flowing through the cooling fan.

15. The laptop computing device of claim 14, wherein the first cooling fan is configured to operate at a rotational speed within 100 revolutions per minute of a rotational speed associated with the second cooling fan.

16. The laptop computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat-generating electronic devices are disposed in a vaporizer portion proximate to a vapor chamber.

17. A display, comprising:

a housing;

a heat sink having fins disposed within the housing;

one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the heat sink and disposed within the housing; and

at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the heat sink and disposed within the housing.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein the display is configured to be removably coupled to a base of a computing device comprising a keyboard.

19. The display of claim 17, wherein the heat sink comprises a vapor chamber thermally coupled to the heat sink.

20. The display of claim 19, wherein the at least one cooling fan is mounted on the vapor chamber.

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