JP2006253171A - Electronic apparatus and heat dissipating structure thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To equalize temperature distribution in an electronic apparatus such as a folding type cellular phone. <P>SOLUTION: An heat dissipating structure dissipates the heat generated in a first casing 100A in the electronic apparatus 100 provided with first and second casings 100A, 100B rotatably coupled with each other via a hinge mechanism 100C to the second casing 100B. The structure is provided with a first heat pipe 6 disposed inside the first casing 100A, and a second heat pipe 8 disposed inside the second casing 100B. The structure is provided with a flexible thermal conducting member 7 for coupling the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 through the inside of the hinge mechanism 100C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device and a heat dissipation structure thereof.

  For example, in cellular phones, personal computers, and other portable terminal devices, the amount of heat generated from electrical components and batteries tends to increase with recent performance improvements.

  For this reason, there exists a problem that a local high temperature part may generate | occur | produce in a portable terminal device.

  When suppressing heat generation in the portable terminal device, measures such as reducing the amount of current supplied when the temperature exceeds a set temperature may be taken by temperature control of the thermistor.

  However, in the method of reducing the current supply amount, the mobile terminal device often fails to exhibit sufficient performance.

  Therefore, a technique for eliminating a local high-temperature portion in the mobile terminal device without reducing the amount of current supply has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

That is, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 2 in the document, a heat radiating member such as a heat pipe is provided on the surface of an electrical component mounted inside the housing, and a part of the heat radiating member is disposed in the housing. A structure exposed to the outside of the body is disclosed.
JP 2001-230578 A (FIG. 2)

  By the way, in recent years, portable communication terminal devices such as cellular phones are of a type including first and second casings that are connected to each other via a hinge mechanism, such as a folding type. Many have been proposed.

  Further, the notebook computer also has a structure including first and second housings that are connected to each other via a hinge mechanism so as to be rotatable.

  In the portable terminal device having the first and second casings connected to each other via the hinge mechanism as described above, for example, the first casing is provided with a control board. On the other hand, the second casing is generally provided with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display device.

  On the control board, for example, electrical components having a large heat generation amount such as a PA (power amplifier) and a charge FET are mounted.

  For this reason, relatively much heat is generated in the first housing in which the control board is disposed.

  On the other hand, the second housing provided with the display unit does not generate as much heat as the first housing.

  For this reason, in a portable terminal device of the type including first and second casings that are pivotably connected to each other via a hinge mechanism, heat generated in the first casing is generated by the second casing. It can be said that a structure that dissipates heat to the body is preferable.

  However, since the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a heat dissipation member that is a rigid body, the technique is applied to an electronic device that includes first and second casings that are rotatably coupled to each other via a hinge mechanism. Even so, it is impossible to have a structure in which heat generated in the first housing is radiated to the second housing.

  This is because, when the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied to an electronic device of a type including first and second casings connected to each other via a hinge mechanism, the first and second parts are rotated relative to each other. Because it will be impossible.

  In addition, in the technique of patent document 1, since it is the structure where a part of heat radiating member protruded outside the housing | casing, there also exists a problem that the protrusion part will become obstructive.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and includes a portable terminal device including first and second casings that are rotatably connected to each other via a hinge mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipation structure for an electronic device that can suitably dissipate heat generated in the first housing to the second housing, and an electronic device including the heat dissipation structure.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to the present invention is provided in a first housing of an electronic device including first and second housings that are pivotably connected to each other via a hinge mechanism. A heat dissipating structure that dissipates the heat generated in the second housing, the first heat conducting member disposed in the first housing, and the second heat disposed in the second housing. A heat conducting member and a flexible third heat conducting member that connects the first and second heat conducting members to each other through the hinge mechanism are configured. It is said.

  In the heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first and second heat conducting members are heat pipes.

  In the heat dissipation structure for electronic equipment according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first and second heat conducting members are made of a rigid body.

  In the heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to the present invention, the third heat conducting member is formed in a tubular shape, and an end of the first heat conducting member is inserted into one end of the third heat conducting member. On the other hand, it is preferable that the other end portion of the third heat conducting member is connected by inserting the end portion of the second heat conducting member.

  In the heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to the present invention, it is preferable that a control board is disposed in the first casing of the electronic device.

  The electronic device of the present invention preferably includes first and second casings that are rotatably connected to each other via a hinge mechanism, and the heat dissipation structure of the present invention.

  A preferred example of the electronic device of the present invention is a foldable electronic device.

  Further, the electronic device of the present invention is preferably a mobile phone or other portable terminal device.

  According to the present invention, the first heat conducting member disposed in the first housing, the second heat conducting member disposed in the second housing, the first and And a flexible third heat conducting member for connecting the second heat conducting members to each other, so that heat generated in the first housing is preferably dissipated to the second housing. can do.

  Therefore, the surface temperature of the electronic device can be made uniform, and a local high temperature portion in the electronic device can be eliminated.

  Note that part of the heat dissipation structure does not protrude outside from the first and second housings of the electronic device.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front sectional view (partially omitted) showing a foldable mobile phone (electronic device, foldable electronic device, mobile terminal device) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a second view of the foldable mobile phone 100. It is a sectional side view (partially abbreviate | omitted) which shows the housing | casing 100B.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the foldable mobile phone 100 according to this embodiment includes a first casing 100A, a second casing 100B, a first casing 100A, and a second casing 100B. And a hinge portion (hinge mechanism) 100 </ b> C that is rotatably connected to each other.

  The first housing 100A is configured as a thin housing by, for example, assembling two shallow half housings with each other so that the respective open ends are joined to each other. Similarly to the first housing 100A, the second housing 100B is also configured as a thin housing.

  The hinge portion 100C includes, for example, a cylindrical portion 11 formed at the end portion of the second casing 100B, and a recessed chamber formed at the end portion of the first casing 100A so as to mesh with the cylindrical portion 11. And a hinge unit 13 that pivotally supports the concave chamber-shaped portion 12 and the cylindrical portion 11 with the cylindrical portion 11 disposed in the concave chamber-shaped portion 12. Has been.

  The hinge unit 13 includes a mechanism that generates a torque that resists relative rotation of the first and second casings 100A and 100B, for example. The axial center of the hinge unit 13 is a rotation axis of the hinge portion 100C.

  Thus, since the first and second casings 100A and 100B are connected to each other via the hinge part 100C, the first and second casings have the pivot axis of the hinge part 100C as the pivot center. By relatively rotating the bodies 100A and 100B, the foldable mobile phone 100 can be folded (the folded state is not shown) or opened as shown in FIG.

  Among the first and second casings 100A and 100B, the control board 2 of the foldable mobile phone 100 is provided in the first casing 100A.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the second housing 100 </ b> B is provided with a display unit 3 made of, for example, a liquid crystal display device. The display screen of the display unit 3 is disposed on the inner surface when the foldable mobile phone 100 is folded.

  Here, an electrical component 4 serving as a heat source is mounted on the control board 2 in the first casing 100A. Examples of components that generate a large amount of heat include, for example, PA (power amplifier), charging FET (FET: Field Effect Transistor), and the like.

  The heat source 4 is attached with a first heat block 5 made of a material having a high heat transfer coefficient (for example, aluminum, copper, etc.).

  In addition, the 1st heat block 5 is set larger diameter than the edge part of the 1st heat pipe 6 demonstrated below, for example, is formed in plate shape. That is, the first heat block 5 as a heat conducting member having a larger diameter than the end is provided at the end of the first heat pipe 6 (evaporation unit 6A described later).

  One end of a first heat pipe (first heat conducting member) 6 is fixed to the first heat block 5.

  Here, the first heat pipe 6 is a conventionally known heat pipe.

  A heat pipe is a closed-loop electrothermal element that uses the latent heat of liquid evaporation and condensation. By using a heat pipe, a large amount of heat can be transported between two points with a small temperature difference. A heat pipe is generally configured to include, for example, a thin cylindrical container made of a rigid body, a wire mesh wick layer (not shown) and a working fluid (not shown) housed in the container. .

  One end portion in the longitudinal direction of the first heat pipe 6 constitutes an evaporation portion 6A that performs an endothermic operation, and the other end portion in the longitudinal direction constitutes a condensing portion 6B that performs a heat dissipation operation.

  Among these, one end (heat absorption side) constituting the evaporation unit 6 </ b> A is fixed to the first heat block 5.

  On the other hand, the other end (heat radiation side) constituting the condensing unit 6B is connected to a flexible heat conducting member (third heat conducting member) 7.

  Here, the flexible heat conducting member 7 is configured to be deformable (flexibly) by knitting a thin wire of a material having a high heat transfer coefficient (for example, aluminum, copper, etc.) into, for example, a tubular shape.

  In the case of this embodiment, specifically, for example, by inserting the condensing part 6B of the first heat pipe 6 into one end part of the tubular flexible heat conducting member 7, the condensing part 6B is flexible. It is easily connected to the heat conducting member 7.

  Here, the flexible heat conducting member 7 is, for example, via an opening portion 11A formed on the side wall of the cylindrical portion 11 of the hinge portion 100C and an opening portion 12A formed on the side wall of the concave chamber-shaped portion 12. It is guided from the inside of the first housing 100A to the inside of the second housing 100B.

  Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the flexible heat conducting member 7 is bent from the inside of the first housing 100A to the second housing 100B while being bent in a crank shape. Guided inside.

  One end of a second heat pipe (second heat conductive member) 8 is connected to the other end of the flexible heat conductive member 7.

  Here, similarly to the first heat pipe 6, the second heat pipe 8 also includes an evaporation unit 8A that performs an endothermic operation and a condensing unit 8B that performs a heat dissipation operation.

  Among these, the one end part (heat absorption side) which comprises the evaporation part 8A is connected to the flexible heat conductive member 7. FIG.

  For example, the evaporation portion 8A of the second heat pipe 8 is inserted into the end portion of the flexible heat conducting member 7 in the same manner as the condensation portion 6B of the first heat pipe 6. It is connected to the end of the conductive member 7.

  Thus, the first and second heat pipes 8 are connected to each other via the flexible heat conducting member 7.

  Further, the other end (heat radiation side) constituting the condensing part 8B of the second heat pipe 8 is fixed to the second heat block 9.

  Similar to the first heat block 5, the second heat block 9 is also made of a material having a high heat transfer coefficient (for example, aluminum, copper, etc.).

  The second heat block 9 is set to have a larger diameter than the end of the second heat pipe 8, and is formed in a plate shape, for example. That is, a second heat block 9 as a heat conducting member having a larger diameter than that of the end portion is provided at the end portion (condensing portion 8A) of the second heat pipe 8.

  The second heat block 9 radiates heat moving from the first housing 100A side, and is installed in a region where there is no (or few) heat source around.

  The second housing 100B side on which the display unit 3 is disposed does not have a heat source that becomes high in temperature, and therefore the second housing 100B side is convenient for disposing the second heat block 9. It is.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, the second heat block 9 is fixed to the inner wall surface on the opposite side of the second housing 100 </ b> B from the display unit 3. ing.

  In the above, by the 1st and 2nd heat pipes 6 and 8, the flexible heat conductive member 7, the 1st and 2nd heat blocks 5 and 9, and the opening part 11A and the opening part 12A of the hinge part 100C. The heat dissipation structure is configured.

  For example, the first heat block 5 and the first heat pipe are disposed in the first housing 100A, and the flexible heat conducting member 7 passes from the inside of the first housing 100A to the inside of the hinge portion 100C. The second heat pipe 8 and the second heat block 9 are disposed in the second casing 100B. The second heat pipe 8 and the second heat block 9 are disposed in the second casing 100B.

  Next, the operation will be described.

  Part of the heat generated by the heat generating source 4 in the first housing 100A is transferred to the first heat block 5, the first heat pipe 6, the flexible heat conducting member 7, and the second heat pipe 8. In order, it is conducted to the second heat block 9.

  In this way, heat moves from the relatively high temperature heat source 4 to the relatively low temperature second heat block 9 area, so that the heat source 4 area and the second heat block 9 are disposed. The temperature of the area is averaged.

  3 and 4 show examples of the surface temperature distribution of the folding mobile phone.

  3 shows the surface temperature distribution in the foldable mobile phone 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is the same as the foldable mobile phone according to the present embodiment and 100 except that the heat dissipation structure is not provided. 2 shows a surface temperature distribution in a foldable mobile phone (not shown) configured as shown in FIG.

  As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the foldable mobile phone 100 having the above heat dissipation structure has a uniform temperature distribution compared to a foldable mobile phone (not shown) that does not have the heat dissipation structure. The area is increasing.

  Further, in the folding cellular phone 100, unlike the folding cellular phone having the temperature distribution shown in FIG. 4, there is no local high temperature portion (for example, a portion of about 46 ° C. or higher).

  As shown in FIG. 1, among the three substantially linear portions constituting the crank shape in the flexible heat conducting member 7, the central substantially linear portion 7 </ b> A includes the opening 11 </ b> A and the opening of the hinge portion 100 </ b> C. It passes through part 12A.

  Here, the opening 11A and the opening 12A of the hinge part 100C are formed at positions where the centers thereof substantially coincide with the rotation axis of the hinge part 100C.

  Accordingly, the central substantially linear portion 7A of the flexible heat conducting member 7 is disposed along the rotation axis of the hinge portion 100C.

  Therefore, when the first and second casings 100A and 100B are relatively rotated, the central linear portion 7A of the flexible heat conducting member 7 is twisted, but the first and second casings 100A and 100B are twisted. The relative position of the flexible heat conducting member 7 with respect to the casings 100A and 100B and the hinge part 100C does not change.

  According to the embodiment as described above, the folding mobile phone 100 includes the first heat pipe 6 disposed in the first casing 100A and the second heat pipe 6 disposed in the second casing 100B. Since the heat pipe 8 and the flexible heat conducting member 7 that connects the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 to each other through the inside of the hinge portion 100C are provided, the first casing 100A is provided. Can be radiated to the second housing 100B.

  Therefore, the surface temperature of the foldable mobile phone 100 can be made uniform, and a local high temperature portion in the foldable mobile phone 100 can be eliminated.

  Specifically, for example, the heat generated in the first housing 100A provided with the control board 2 on which the heat source 4 is mounted is moved to the second housing 100B that does not reach a very high temperature. Therefore, the surface temperature of the foldable mobile phone 100 can be preferably made uniform.

  Moreover, since the flexible heat conductive member 7 is comprised by the tubular shape, it can connect easily by inserting the 1st and 2nd heat pipe 6 and 8 with respect to the both ends, respectively. it can.

  Further, since the containers of the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 are rigid bodies, the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 are rigid bodies as a whole. Therefore, the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 are not bent. Therefore, for example, even if the containers of the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 are made of a conductive material, the first and second heat pipes 6 and 8 do not cause a short circuit.

  In the above embodiment, the foldable mobile phone 100 as a preferred example of the electronic device according to the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the same applies to other electronic devices. Applicable.

  Specifically, for example, mobile phones having hinge mechanisms other than the folding type, portable communication terminal devices such as PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), and portable information processing devices such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and notebook personal computers. Can be applied.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the heat pipes 6 and 8 are applied as the first and second heat conducting members has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the first and second heat conducting members are used. The conductive member may be a heat conductive member other than the heat pipe.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the third heat conducting member (flexible heat conducting member 7) is formed in a tubular shape has been described. However, the third heat conducting member (flexible heat conducting member 7) It may be flexible and may not be tubular.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a part of the hinge part 100C is configured by combining a part of each of the first and second casings 100A and 100B has been described. The hinge portion 100C may be configured as a separate body from the first and second housings 100A and 100B, or the entire hinge portion 100C may be configured as the first and second housings 100A, You may be comprised by combining each one part of 100B.

It is front sectional drawing which shows the folding type | mold mobile phone which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a second casing of the folding mobile phone of FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the surface temperature distribution in the foldable mobile telephone of FIG. It is a figure which shows the surface temperature distribution in the foldable mobile telephone different from the foldable mobile telephone of FIG. 1 only by the point which is not provided with the thermal radiation structure which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Folding type cellular phone 100A First casing 100B Second casing 100C Hinge portion (hinge mechanism)
6 1st heat pipe (1st heat conduction member)
7 Flexible heat conduction member (third heat conduction member)
8 Second heat pipe (second heat conduction member)

Claims (9)

The heat dissipation structure dissipates heat generated in the first casing in the electronic device including the first and second casings rotatably connected to each other via a hinge mechanism to the second casing. And
A first heat conducting member disposed in the first housing;
A second heat conducting member disposed in the second housing;
A flexible third heat conducting member for interconnecting the first and second heat conducting members via the hinge mechanism;
A heat dissipation structure for an electronic device, comprising:   The heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second heat conducting members are heat pipes.   The heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second heat conducting members are made of a rigid body. The third heat conducting member is formed in a tubular shape,
While one end of the third heat conducting member is connected by inserting the end of the first heat conducting member,
The other end portion of the third heat conducting member is connected by inserting an end portion of the second heat conducting member. Heat dissipation structure for electronic equipment.   The heat dissipation structure for an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a control board is disposed in the first housing of the electronic device.   An electronic apparatus comprising: a first housing and a second housing that are rotatably connected to each other via a hinge mechanism; and the heat dissipation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5. .   The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic device is a foldable electronic device.   The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic device is a mobile terminal device. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.