JPH10233590A - Cooling structure for small-sized electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide cooling structure which is applicable to a small-sized electronic apparatus, and which has increased the cooling effect. SOLUTION: A casing 9 of a small-sized electronic apparatus 8, wherein a heater 5 is installed, is provided with at least two air circulation ports 6 and 7 for making inside and outside of a casing communicate with each other, and a heat sink 1 for cooling the heater 5 is provided with a passage for circulating cooling air. One air circulation port 6 of the casing 9 is connected to an opening 1a at one end of the passage of a heat sink 1, and in the other air circulation port 7 of the casing 9, a cooling fan 10 for generating an air current inside and outside the casing is arranged. The air circulating inside and outside the casing 9 by the cooling fan 10 can be made to circulate the passage of the head sink 1, and even in a small-sized electronic apparatus wherein electronic parts 5 are installed in high density, the cooling effect by the heat sink 1 can be raised.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling structure for air-cooling electronic components housed in an electric device or the like, and more particularly to a cooling structure for a small electronic device having an electronic component having a high mounting density and a large amount of heat generation. For enhanced cooling structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heat sinks have conventionally been used to cool heat-generating electronic components such as power transistors and power ICs built in electronic equipment. This heat sink is made of a material having high thermal conductivity having a plurality of radiating fins integrally. By attaching this heat sink to a heat generating portion of the electronic component, heat generated in the electronic component is radiated from the radiating fin. In this method, the cooling is performed. However, in this method, the above-mentioned heat radiation effect cannot be enhanced unless there is an air flow flowing along the heat radiation fins. Is generated to generate an air flow flowing along the heat sink. However, in recent years, mainly with personal computers and the like, downsizing and high performance of devices have progressed, and when various electronic components are mounted in an electronic device housing,
It becomes difficult to generate an airflow that flows along the heat sink as described above in the housing. This is because many irregularities are generated in the air flow path by the electronic components provided in the housing, the loss of air is increased, and the flow is obstructed.

In order to deal with such a problem, for example,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-183676 proposes a heat sink formed in a tubular shape, a member for heat radiation formed therein, and a flow path along this member provided. A technology has been proposed in which a cooling duct is connected to a ventilation duct to allow air to flow therein so that air for cooling surely flows. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-215098, a fin is attached to a heating element via a column, and the fin is arranged in a flow path of the cooling fluid, thereby ensuring a flow of the cooling fluid along the fin. Technology that enhances the cooling effect has been proposed.

[0004]

It can be understood that the technology described in the above publication enhances the cooling effect by only looking at the components of the heating element and the heat sink.
However, as described above, since it is difficult to secure the above-described air flow path in the housing in recent electronic devices, when the technology disclosed in these publications is directly incorporated in a high-density electronic device housing, However, it is questionable whether an effective cooling effect can be obtained. In particular, the technique disclosed in the former publication is effective only when a ventilation duct is connected to both sides of a heat sink, so that a portable information processing apparatus (book-type personal computer) or the like without such a ventilation duct is provided. It is difficult to apply to small electronic devices. Further, in the technology of the latter publication, there is no description about a means for generating an air flow in the housing of the electronic device, and it is difficult to perform effective cooling corresponding to various electronic devices.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling structure which can be applied to a small-sized electronic equipment housing and has an enhanced cooling effect.

[0006]

According to a cooling structure of the present invention, a housing of a small electronic device having a heating element is provided with at least two air passages for communicating the inside and outside of the housing.
A heat sink for cooling the heating element is integrally fixed to the heating element, and a flow path for allowing cooling air to flow is provided. A cooling fan that is connected to one end opening of the flow path of the heat sink and that generates an air flow inside and outside the housing is provided at the other air flow opening of the housing. In particular, it is preferable that the cooling fan is configured to draw external air into the housing from the other air passage.

Further, in the cooling structure of the present invention, the heat sink is integrally fixed to the heating element, and a flow path through which cooling air flows is provided. A cooling fan that allows air to flow into the flow path is integrally attached to one opening, and one air flow opening of the housing is provided at one end opening side or the other end opening side of the flow path of the heat sink. It is characterized by being connected. In addition,
The heat sink is formed in a flat rectangular cylindrical shape, a plurality of cooling fins extending along the cylinder axial direction are formed on the inner surface of the wide opposing surface, and the outer surface of the opposing surface is integrated with the heating element. To be attached.

[0008]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic structure used for a cooling structure of the present invention. A heat sink 1 is formed in a flat rectangular cylindrical shape having both ends opened by a metal material having high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. In the figure, a plurality of cooling fins 3 extending in the cylinder axis direction are integrally formed on the inner surfaces of the wide opposing surfaces opposing vertically, and are defined between the cooling fins 3. The in-cylinder space is configured as a flow path 2 through which cooling air flows. The heat sink 1 is mounted on a heating element, for example, an electronic component 5 such as a power IC mounted on a substrate 4 for constituting a required electronic circuit, which is housed in an electronic device housing. The lower surface of the heat sink 1 is fixed to the upper surface of the component 5 with a heat conductive adhesive or the like.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first embodiment in which such a heat sink is provided in an electronic equipment housing to constitute a cooling structure of the present invention. In the figure, the heat sink 1 described above is housed in a housing 9 of an electronic device 8 together with the substrate 4 and the electronic component 5. One opening 1a of the heat sink 1 is connected to a first air flow port 6 provided in a part of the electronic device housing 9 and communicating the inside and outside of the housing. Therefore, the other opening 1 b of the heat sink 1 is opened toward the inside of the electric device housing 9. Further, the electronic device housing 9 is provided with a second air flow opening 7 which similarly communicates the inside and outside of the housing at a position facing the first air flow opening 6. A cooling fan 1 is provided in the electronic device housing facing the air flow opening 7
0 is provided.

Therefore, according to this configuration, when the cooling fan 10 is driven, the air in the electronic device housing 9 is discharged out of the housing through the second air passage 7. For this reason,
External air flows into the electronic device housing 9 through the opposing first air flow openings 6. Then, the inflowing air is guided from one opening 1 a of the heat sink 1 connected to the first air flow opening 6 to the internal flow path 2,
The flow is forced to flow through the flow path 2. For this reason, the heat generated in the electronic component 5 is transmitted to the heat sink 1 and further transmitted to the cooling fins 3 in the heat sink 1. Heat is exchanged between the cooling fins 3 and the cooling fins 3, and as a result, the electronic components 5 are cooled.

Therefore, even when various electronic components are mounted at a high density in the electronic device housing 9, one opening of the heat sink 1 is connected to the first air passage provided in the electronic device housing 9. By being connected, it is possible to ensure that external air flows through the heat sink 1, and the cooling effect is enhanced. Normally, when taking in outside air into the electronic device housing 9, it is necessary to form small holes or slits in order to prevent foreign substances from entering the inside, and thus the structure becomes complicated. However, in the case of this heat sink 1, the cooling fins 3 are comb-shaped slits and serve the role as well. The complication of the structure can be avoided and the air flow is not hindered.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, contrary to the first embodiment, the cooling fan 10 is inserted into the first air passage 6 of the electronic device housing 9 in a direction of drawing air from the outside into the electronic device housing 9. And a second air inlet 7 opposed thereto.
One opening 1 of the heat sink 1 as shown in FIG.
Connect a. According to this configuration, the air drawn into the inside of the electronic device housing 9 from the first air flow opening 6 by the cooling fan 10 flows inside the housing, and further, the flow path of the heat sink 1 downstream therefrom. After the electronic component 5 is cooled in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is discharged from the electronic device housing 9 through the second air flow opening 7. In this embodiment, the warmed air after cooling the electronic component 5 can be immediately discharged to the outside of the electronic device housing 9, so that the temperature of other parts in the electronic device housing can be prevented from rising. Becomes

Here, the heat sink according to the present invention comprises:
As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling fan 10 may be integrally connected to one opening of the heat sink 1 or may be integrally formed. According to this method, all of the air flow generated by the cooling fan 10 flows through the heat sink, so that when the electronic device housing 9 has an opening other than the air flow opening described above, the cooling fan 10 The loss caused by the flow of air flowing inside and outside the housing through these openings can be eliminated, and the cooling effect of the cooling fan 12 can be enhanced. In this case, the cooling fan 10
May be arranged on either the air flow opening side or the inside of the electronic device housing 9, and the air flow by the cooling fan 10 may cause air to flow into or out of the heat sink. It may be a configuration.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, at least two air passages for communicating the inside and outside of the housing are provided in the housing of the small electronic device in which the heating element is provided. A heat sink for cooling is provided with a flow path through which cooling air flows, and one air flow opening of the housing is connected to one end opening of the flow path of the heat sink, and the other air flow of the housing is provided. A cooling fan for generating an air flow inside and outside the housing is provided at the flow opening, so that the air flowing inside and outside the housing by the cooling fan can flow through the flow path of the heat sink. Thus, the cooling effect of the heat sink can be enhanced. Therefore, even when various components are densely housed in the housing as in a small electronic device, there is an effect that the flow of air through the heat sink is ensured and the cooling effect is extremely high.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment in which the present invention is incorporated in an electronic device housing.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment in which the present invention is incorporated in an electronic device housing.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the basic configuration of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat sink 2 Flow path 3 Cooling fin 4 Substrate 5 Electronic component (heating element) 6 First air flow port 7 Second air flow port 8 Electronic equipment 9 Electronic equipment housing 10 Cooling fan

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cooling structure including a heat sink for cooling a heating element such as an electronic component contained in a housing of a small electronic device, wherein the housing has at least two heat sinks for communicating the inside and outside of the housing. Two air passages are provided, the heat sink is integrally fixed to the heating element, and a flow passage for flowing cooling air is provided, and one air passage of the housing is provided. Is connected to one end opening of the flow path of the heat sink, and a cooling fan for generating an air flow inside and outside the housing is provided at the other air flow opening of the housing. Construction. 2. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fan is configured to draw external air into the housing from the other air passage. 3. A cooling structure provided with a heat sink for cooling a heating element such as an electronic component housed in a housing of a small electronic device, wherein said housing has at least two heat sinks for communicating inside and outside of the housing. Two air passages are provided, the heat sink is integrally fixed to the heating element, and a flow passage through which cooling air flows is provided, and one of the openings of the flow passage is provided. A cooling fan that allows air to flow through the flow path is integrally attached to the heat sink, and one air flow opening of the housing is connected to one end opening side or the other end opening side of the flow path of the heat sink. A cooling structure characterized by the following. 4. A heat sink is formed in a flat rectangular cylindrical shape, a plurality of cooling fins extending along the cylinder axis direction are formed on the inner surface of the wide opposed surface, and the outer surface of the opposed surface is formed. 4. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the cooling structure is integrally attached to the heating element.