JP2024010909A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic apparatus capable of improving a cooling performance by ensuring an exhaust flow rate in a cooling module.

SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus comprises: a first housing; a second housing; a hinge which connects a rear edge of the first housing and one edge of the second housing in a relatively rotatable manner and by which the one edge of the second housing can be disposed in the direction of opposing the rear edge of the first housing; and a cooling module which is mounted in the first housing. The first housing includes a housing exhaust port which is opened at the rear edge. A second cover member includes: a leg which is expanded and formed with a portion of a bottom face directed downward and has an end constituting a lower edge of the housing exhaust port; and a slope which is provided on an inner face of the leg and tilted downward gradually from a front edge of the first housing to the rear edge. The cooling module includes a fan and a heat sink. The heat sink includes a protrusion which protrudes toward the inside of the leg, and a tilted shape part which is tilted along the slope is provided in the protrusion.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device including a cooling module.

An electronic device such as a notebook PC includes a first casing in which a heat generating element such as a CPU and a cooling module for cooling the heat generating element are mounted, and a second casing in which a display is mounted. As a cooling module, there is a configuration that includes a heat sink and a fan for discharging heat from a heating element transported by a heat pipe or the like to the outside of the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this configuration, the exhaust gas that has passed through the heat sink is exhausted to the outside from the housing exhaust port opened at the rear surface of the first housing.

JP2022-059833A

The above-mentioned electronic devices may employ a so-called drop-down hinge, in which a second housing equipped with a display rotates while sinking behind the first housing. In such a configuration, when the second housing is opened from the first housing, one edge thereof is arranged so as to close the housing exhaust port. For this reason, in the cooling module, the exhaust flow rate of air that has passed through the heat sink to the outside of the casing decreases, and the cooling performance decreases.

Furthermore, some of these electronic devices include a bar-shaped hinge casing extending in the width direction at one edge of the second casing (see Patent Document 1 mentioned above). In this configuration, the hinge casing is also arranged to block the casing exhaust port, so the exhaust flow rate from the casing exhaust port is further reduced. In particular, the hinge casing is placed close to the casing exhaust port so as to block it, so the exhaust air from the casing exhaust port collides with the hinge casing and flows back forward, causing the exhaust gas to flow back into the casing provided on the bottom of the casing. It may re-enter the fan from the body air intake, further reducing cooling performance.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems of the prior art described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can improve cooling performance by ensuring an exhaust flow rate in a cooling module.

An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a first casing configured in a box shape with a first cover member forming a front surface and a second cover member forming a bottom surface, and a first casing having a heating element mounted therein. , a second casing having a display and connected to the first casing, and a rear edge of the first casing and one edge of the second casing adjacent to the rear edge; a hinge that is relatively rotatably connected to the hinge and that is capable of arranging the one edge of the second housing in a direction opposite to the rear edge of the first housing, and a hinge mounted on the first housing; , a cooling module that absorbs heat generated by the heating element, the first casing has a casing exhaust port that opens at the rear edge, and the second cover member has a casing exhaust port that opens at the rear edge. a leg portion formed with a portion bulging downward and whose end constitutes the lower edge of the housing exhaust port; and a leg portion provided on the inner surface of the leg portion and located at the front edge of the first housing the cooling module has a fan having an intake port and an exhaust port, and a plurality of fans arranged in a line with a gap between them. fins, an air introduction surface disposed facing the exhaust port, and an air discharge surface disposed facing the housing exhaust port, the heat sink having a It has a protruding part that protrudes toward the inside of the part, and the protruding part is provided with an inclined-shaped part that is inclined along the inclined surface.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to secure the exhaust flow rate in the cooling module and improve the cooling performance.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view looking down from above on an electronic device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a bottom view schematically showing the internal structure of the first housing with the first cover member removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fan and heat sink. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the inside of the first housing viewed diagonally from above. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first housing viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view of the first housing including the heat sink and its surrounding area. FIG. 7 is a schematic side sectional view of an electronic device according to a comparative example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view looking down from above an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 10 is a clamshell notebook PC in which a first casing 11 and a second casing 12 are connected by a hinge 14 so as to be relatively rotatable. The electronic device according to the present invention may be other than a notebook PC, such as a desktop PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a game console.

The second housing 12 is a flat box that is thinner than the first housing 11. A display 16 is mounted on the second housing 12. The display 16 is composed of, for example, an organic EL (OLED) or a liquid crystal.

Hereinafter, regarding the first casing 11 and each component mounted thereon, the front side will be described based on the posture in which the casings 11 and 12 are opened at a predetermined angle and the display 16 is viewed as shown in FIG. This will be explained by referring to the front, the back side as the back, the width direction as left and right, and the thickness direction as top and bottom.

The first housing 11 is a flat box. The first housing 11 is configured in a box shape with a first cover member 18 forming an upper surface 11a, and a second cover member 19 forming a bottom surface 11b and four circumferential side surfaces 11c. The first cover members 18 and 14B are overlapped in the thickness direction and removably connected to each other. The lower second cover member 19 has a substantially bathtub shape with an open top surface (see FIG. 3). The upper first cover member 18 has a substantially flat plate shape and serves as a lid that closes the upper opening of the second cover member 19 (see FIG. 4). A keyboard 20 and a touch pad 21 are provided on the upper surface 11a of the first housing 11.

The hinge 14 connects the rear edge 11d of the first housing 11 and one edge 12a of the second housing 12 adjacent thereto so as to be relatively rotatable. Assuming that the state in which the casings 11 and 12 are stacked and the clamshell is closed is called 0 degrees, the angular range in which the casings 11 and 12 can be rotated by the hinge 14 is, for example, from 0 degrees to 135 degrees (Fig. 6 ). The rotation angle between the casings 11 and 12 may be larger or smaller than 135 degrees.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view schematically showing the internal structure of the first housing 11 with the first cover member 18 removed.

As shown in FIG. 2, inside the first housing 11, a cooling module 22, a motherboard 24, and a battery device 26 are mounted. Inside the first casing 11, various electronic components, mechanical components, etc. are further provided.

Motherboard 24 is the main board of electronic device 10 . The motherboard 24 is arranged near the rear of the first housing 11. The motherboard 24 is a printed circuit board on which a heating element 30 is mounted. The heating element 30 is, for example, a CPU or a GPU. The motherboard 24 is further mounted with various electronic components such as power components, communication modules, memory, and connection terminals. The motherboard 24 is screwed to the inner surface 19a of the second cover member 19, for example. The upper surface of the motherboard 24 serves as a mounting surface for the heating element 30 and the like, and the lower surface serves as a mounting surface for the second cover member 19. The heating element 30 is arranged approximately at the center of the mounting surface of the motherboard 24.

The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that serves as a power source for the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 is disposed in front of the cooling module 22 and the motherboard 24 and extends left and right along the front end of the first housing 11 .

Next, the configuration of the cooling module 22 will be explained.

The cooling module 22 absorbs and diffuses the heat generated by the heating element 30, and further discharges the heat to the outside of the first housing 11. The cooling modules 22 are stacked, for example, so as to cover a part of the mounting surface of the motherboard 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling module 22 includes two heat pipes 32 and 33, a pair of left and right fans 34 and 35, a pair of left and right heat sinks 36 and 37, and a heat spreader 38.

The heat pipes 32 and 33 are pipe-shaped heat transport devices. The heat pipes 32 and 33 are arranged in parallel, with some of them lined up one behind the other and in contact with or close to each other. One heat pipe 32 has a first end connected to the heat generating element 30 with the heat receiving plate 40 in between, and a second end connected to one heat sink 36 . The other heat pipe 33 has a first end connected to the heat generating element 30 with the heat receiving plate 40 in between, and a second end connected to the other heat sink 37. The heat pipes 32 and 33 are formed by crushing metal pipes into a thin and flat shape to have an elliptical cross section, and sealing a working fluid in a sealed space formed within the metal pipes. The working fluid circulates within the closed space while undergoing a phase change, and transports heat with high efficiency.

Although the left and right fans 34 and 35 differ somewhat in size, air volume, etc., they have a substantially symmetrical structure. Similarly, the left and right heat sinks 36, 37 also have a substantially symmetrical structure. Therefore, in the following, the fan 34 and heat sink 36 on the left side will be mainly explained, and each component of the fan 35 and heat sink 37 on the right side will be given the same reference numerals as each component on the left side, and detailed explanation will be omitted. . Note that the fans 34, 35 and the heat sinks 36, 37 may be configured as only one side instead of a left and right pair.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fan 34 and heat sink 36.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fan 34 is disposed immediately in front of the heat sink 36, and an exhaust port 34a opening toward the rear faces the heat sink 36. The fan 34 is a centrifugal fan that uses a motor to rotate an impeller 34c (see also FIG. 6) housed inside a fan housing 34b. The fan housing 34b includes a cover plate 34d forming an upper surface and side surfaces, and a cover plate 34e forming a lower surface, and air intake ports 34f and 34g are opened in each cover plate 34d and 34e, respectively. One of the intake ports 34f and 34g may be omitted. Reference numeral 42 in FIG. 3 is an airtight material for preventing the exhaust gas from the exhaust port 34a from flowing back into the intake ports 34f and 34g, and is, for example, a sponge (see also FIG. 6).

The heat sink 36 has a structure in which a plurality of fins 45 that extend along the front-rear direction and stand up in the vertical direction are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. A gap G is formed between adjacent fins 45, 45, through which air sent from the fan 34 passes. The gaps G penetrate in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of gaps G are lined up in the left-right direction.

Each fin 45 is, for example, a metal plate having a substantially U-shaped cross section and having plate pieces bent at right angles in the same direction at the upper and lower ends. Each fin 45 is formed of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum. The heat sink 36 has a structure in which fins 45 are stacked in the thickness direction with gaps G interposed therebetween, and bent plate pieces above and below each fin 45 are joined to adjacent fins 45 (see FIG. 3). The heat sink 36 may have a structure in which, for example, the fins 45 are arranged on the surface of a metal plate and the lower ends of each are joined to the metal plate.In short, it is sufficient if the plurality of fins 45 are arranged in a line with a gap G in between. .

The heat spreader 38 is a metal plate arranged to cover the mounting surface of the motherboard 24. The heat spreader 38 absorbs and diffuses heat from power components and the like mounted on the motherboard 24. The heat spreader 38 may be stacked with the heat pipes 32 and 33 and the heating element 30. The heat spreader 38 may be omitted or may be replaced with a plate-type vapor chamber filled with a working fluid similar to a heat pipe.

Next, a specific example of the configuration of the heat sink 36 (37) and its surroundings and its effects will be described.

First, the configuration of the first housing 11 around the heat sink 36 (37) will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the inside of the first housing 11 viewed diagonally from above. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first housing 11 viewed from the bottom surface 11b side. FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged views of the portion of the first housing 11 where the heat sink 36 is arranged and the surrounding area thereof. Note that the basic configuration of the portion of the first housing 11 where the heat sink 37 is disposed and the surrounding portion thereof may be substantially symmetrical to that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view of the first housing 11 showing the heat sink 36 (37) and its surrounding area.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the first housing 11 includes a housing exhaust port 50 and legs 52. As shown in FIGS. Note that the housing exhaust port 50 and the legs 52 are also provided around the heat sink 37 (see FIG. 2).

The housing exhaust port 50 is formed in the side surface 11c of the rear edge portion 11d (hereinafter also referred to as the "rear side surface 11c"), and is a horizontally long rectangular opening facing rearward. The housing exhaust port 50 is arranged facing the heat sink 36, and the air that has circulated through the heat sink 36 passes therethrough. The width of the housing exhaust port 50 in the left-right direction may be approximately the same as the width of the heat sink 36. The height of the housing exhaust port 50 in the vertical direction may be approximately the same as the height of the rear side surface 11c. However, as will be described later, the rear side surface 11c of this embodiment is enlarged vertically by the amount that the leg portions 52 protrude downward, so that the housing exhaust port 50 is also enlarged vertically.

A louver 54 is attached to the housing exhaust port 50. The louver 54 is a lattice-like member fitted into the housing exhaust port 50. The louver 54 is installed for the purpose of ensuring the strength of the first casing 11, preventing foreign matter from entering through the casing exhaust port 50, and smoothly exhausting air from the casing exhaust port 50. The louver 54 may be omitted, and in this case, the housing exhaust port 50 itself may be configured in a slit shape or the like.

Reference numeral 56 in FIGS. 4 to 6 indicates a housing intake port opened in the bottom surface 11b of the first housing 11. The housing intake port 56 is arranged directly below the intake port 34g of the fan 34 (35). Thereby, the fan 34 (35) can suck in air from the bottom surface 11b side of the first housing 11 through the housing intake port 56 through the intake port 34g.

The leg portions 52 are legs for placing the electronic device 10 on the desk top surface 66 or the like, and protrude downward from other parts of the bottom surface 11b. Conventionally, the legs of notebook PCs and the like generally have a configuration in which rubber blocks are attached to the bottom surface 11b. On the other hand, the leg portion 52 of the present embodiment includes a bulging portion 58 that has the shape of the second cover member 19 itself that constitutes the first housing 11, and a rubber plate 60 fixed to the bulging portion 58.

The bulging portion 58 is a protruding portion formed by bulging a portion of the bottom surface 11b of the first housing 11, that is, a portion of the second cover member 19 downward. The bulging portion 58 is provided facing the rear edge portion 11d of the bottom surface 11b, and an end portion (rear end portion) 58a constitutes a lower edge portion 50a of the housing exhaust port 50. The bulging portion 58 has a first plate portion 58b and a second plate portion 58c.

The first plate portion 58b is gradually inclined downward along a direction from the front edge of the first housing 11 to the rear edge 11d (hereinafter also referred to as the “first direction”). . As a result, the inner surface 19a of the second cover member 19 is formed with an inclined surface 19b that gradually slopes downward toward the first direction. Note that the first direction may also be referred to as the direction of air flow in the heat sink 36.

The second plate portion 58c extends along the first direction from the rear end of the first plate portion 58b to the end portion 58a, and is substantially parallel to the bottom surface 11b. As a result, a flat surface 19c is formed on the inner surface 19a of the second cover member 19, which is located below the bottom surface 11b and is substantially parallel to the bottom surface 11b.

The rubber plate 60 is fixed to the outer surface 58d of the second plate portion 58c with double-sided adhesive tape or the like. The rubber plate 60 is formed into a sheet shape that is considerably thinner than the conventional rubber block described above, for example, about 1 mm. The rubber plate 60 suppresses the generation of impact noise when the leg portion 52 comes into contact with the desk top surface 66 or the like, or prevents the electronic device 10 from slipping on the desk top surface 66 or the like. For example, if the second cover member 19 is made of resin or the like, the rubber plate 60 may be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the case of this embodiment, the bulging portion 58 extends over substantially the entire length of the rear edge portion 11d in the left-right direction. As a result, the bulging portion 58 vertically overlaps the entire length of the left and right housing exhaust ports 50 in the left and right width direction near the left and right ends of the first housing 11, respectively. On the other hand, the left-right width dimension of the rubber plate 60 is equal to or greater than the left-right width dimension of the housing exhaust port 50, and a pair of left and right rubber plates are provided so as to correspond to the left and right housing exhaust ports 50. Each rubber plate 60 is installed at a position that vertically overlaps the entire length of the left and right width dimension of each housing exhaust port 50. The rubber plate 60 is composed of a single sheet extending in the left-right direction, and may be attached so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the outer surface 58d of the bulging portion 58.

Next, a specific example of the configuration of the heat sink 36 will be explained.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, each gap G of the heat sink 36 extends in the front-rear direction between a lower surface (first surface 36a) and an upper surface (second surface 36b) parallel to the lower surface. , are arranged side by side in the left and right direction to form an air flow path.

The front and rear side surfaces of the heat sink 36 that intersect with the first surface 36a and the second surface 36b serve as an air introduction surface 36c and an air discharge surface 36d, respectively. The air introduction surface 36c faces the exhaust port 34a of the fan 34 and serves as an inlet for air A sent from the fan 34. The air exhaust surface 36d faces the opening 46 formed at the rear edge of the first housing 11, and serves as an outlet for the air A that has passed through the heat sink 36. The arrows indicated by dashed-dotted lines in FIG. 6 schematically indicate the flow of air, and the same applies to FIG.

The heat pipe 32 is connected to the second surface 36b of the heat sink 36. The first surface 36a of the heat sink 36 is provided with a protrusion 62 having an inclined portion 62a and a flat portion 62b. As a result, the heat sink 36 has a substantially trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side. The protrusion 62 protrudes toward the inside of the leg 52. In other words, in the heat sink 36, the protruding portion 62 protruding downward from the first surface 36a enters the inner space of the leg portion 52. The protrusion 62 is formed on most of the heat sink 36 in the left and right width direction except for both ends (see FIG. 3). The protrusion 62 may be provided over the entire length of the heat sink 36 in the width direction.

The inclined portion 62a is inclined along the inclined surface 19b of the second cover member 19. In other words, the inclined portion 62a is gradually inclined downward in the first direction. The inclined portion 62a may or may not be parallel to the inclined surface 19b. The inclined portion 62a in the configuration example shown in FIG. 6 is not completely parallel to the inclined surface 19b, but is substantially parallel to it.

The flat portion 62b extends along the flat surface 19c of the second cover member 19 to the end portion 58a between the inclined portion 62a and the air discharge surface 36d. The flat portion 62b may or may not be parallel to the flat surface 19c. The flat shaped portion 62b in the configuration example shown in FIG. 6 is parallel to the flat surface 19c. The flat portion 62b may be omitted, and in this case, the inclined portion 62a may extend toward the end portion 58a. At this time, the second plate portion 58c of the leg portion 52 may also be omitted, and the first plate portion 58b may be extended to the end portion 58a.

In the heat sink 36 of this embodiment, the second surface 36b is a continuous plate piece formed by bending the upper end of each fin 45 at a right angle, and closes the upper surface opening of the gap G. The flat portion 62b of the first surface 36a is a continuous plate piece formed by bending the lower end of each fin 45 at a right angle, and closes the lower opening of the gap G.

On the other hand, in the inclined shape portion 62a, since a bent plate piece is not formed at the lower end of each fin 45, the lower end surfaces of each fin 45 are lined up with the gap G interposed therebetween, and the lower opening of the gap G is not closed. . That is, the heat sink 36 of this embodiment has a structure in which fins 45 are arranged and stacked. Therefore, in order to close the lower opening of the inclined portion 62a in the heat sink 36, it is necessary to form the lower end of each fin 45 obliquely and to form a bent plate piece. The process of joining the fins 45 becomes complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lower opening of the inclined portion 62a is not closed in consideration of manufacturing efficiency.

Of course, the lower opening of the inclined portion 62a may also be closed with a cover plate 64 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, similarly to the flat portion 62b. The cover plate 64 may be a continuous plate piece in which the lower end of each fin 45 is bent, or may be a plate piece to which a graphite sheet, a copper sheet, or the like is attached.

Next, the effects of the electronic device 10 will be explained.

In the electronic device 10 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 37) flows into each gap G through the air introduction surface 36c. This air A receives heat from each fin 45 while circulating within the heat sink 36 (37), and is finally exhausted to the outside of the first housing 11 through the housing exhaust port 50. Thereby, the electronic device 10 can discharge the heat of the heating element 30 to the outside of the first casing 11.

Here, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment includes a drop-down hinge 14, as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the electronic device 10 is used with the second casing 12 opened to a predetermined angle, the second casing 12 is disposed immediately after the casing exhaust port 50 facing one edge 12a of the second casing 12 and the hinge casing 14a. Ru.

Note that the hinge housing 14a supports one end portion of a pair of left and right hinge shafts 14b that serve as rotational axes between the housings 11 and 12. The hinge housing 14a is integrally attached to one edge 12a of the second housing 12, and protrudes like a jaw from the one edge 12a in the front direction perpendicular to the display surface 16a of the display 16. The hinge housing 14a has a so-called one-bar structure, extends in the left-right direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and has hinge shafts 14b supported at its left and right ends, respectively. The other end 14b of the hinge shaft is drawn into the first housing 11 through a hole 65 that opens at the side of the rear edge 11d that is recessed forward from the rear end of the first housing 11. It is supported by a bracket fixed to 11.

Therefore, in the electronic device 10, the air A discharged from the housing exhaust port 50 to the outside of the first housing 11 collides with one edge 12a of the second housing 12 and the hinge housing 14a, thereby ensuring smooth air circulation. There is a concern that this may be hindered.

In this regard, in conventional electronic devices such as notebook PCs, as a result of the air from the housing exhaust port colliding with the edge portion 12a and the hinge housing 14a, almost all of the air is removed from the top of the hinge housing 14a. 1 housing 11 and along the display surface 16a of the display 16 (see also the electronic device 70 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 7, in the conventional electronic device 70, the heat sink 68 and the housing exhaust port 50 are located considerably above the desk top surface 66, and the exhaust from the housing exhaust port 50 is connected to the edge portion 12a and the hinge housing 14a. This is because it is located directly towards the Therefore, in such an electronic device 70, almost no air from the housing exhaust port 50 flows between the edge portion 12a and the hinge housing 14a and the desk top surface 66. For this reason, in conventional electronic devices, the exhaust flow rate of the fan decreases, and the heat exchange efficiency in the heat sink decreases, causing a decrease in the cooling capacity of the entire cooling module.

Therefore, the electronic device 10 of the present embodiment is formed by bulging a part of the bottom surface 11b of the first casing 11 downward, and the end 58a constitutes the lower edge 50a of the casing exhaust port 50. It includes a leg portion 52 and an inclined surface 19b provided on an inner surface 19a of the leg portion 52 and gradually inclined downward toward the first direction.

As a result, in the electronic device 10, the lower edge 50a of the housing exhaust port 50 is located at the end 58a of the leg 52, which is one step lower than the bottom surface 11b of the first housing 11. Therefore, in the electronic device 10, the lower edge 50a of the housing exhaust port 50 is close to the desk top surface 66. Therefore, in the electronic device 10, the air A that has passed through the heat sink 36 (37) and the housing exhaust port 50 only flows (air A1) upward to the one edge 12a of the second housing 12 and the hinge housing 14a. In addition, a sufficient flow rate of the downward flow (air A2) is ensured. As a result, in the electronic device 10, the exhaust flow rate at the fan 34 (35) increases, and the cooling capacity of the cooling module 22 improves.

In particular, the heat sink 36 (37) of this embodiment has a protrusion 62 that protrudes toward the inside of the leg 52, and the protrusion 62 has an inclined portion 62a that is inclined along the inclined surface 19b. It is provided. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the air A flows through the heat sink 36 (37), it also smoothly flows downward along the inclined portion 62a. Therefore, in the electronic device 10, the collision of the air A with the one edge 12a and the hinge housing 14a is suppressed, and the flow rate of the air A2 along the desk top surface 66 increases, so that the exhaust flow rate with the fan 34 (35) increases. is further increased, and the cooling capacity of the cooling module 22 is further improved. Moreover, since the flow of the air A2 becomes smooth, the air A coming out of the housing exhaust port 50 collides with the bar-shaped hinge housing 14a, and this collided air A flows backwards forward, causing the bottom It is possible to suppress the air from flowing back into the fan 34 (35) from the housing intake port 56 provided in the housing 11b. Furthermore, since the first housing 11 is integrally constructed from the bottom surface 11b to the leg portions 52, the appearance quality in side view and bottom view is improved.

Note that the configuration including the heat sink 36 (37) having the protruding portion 62 and the leg portions 52 can be applied to a configuration other than the one-bar structure hinge housing 14a, for example, a configuration in which a pair of left and right hinge housings 14a is provided. . In this case, the hinge casing 14a does not obstruct exhaust air from the casing exhaust port 50 much, but one edge 12a of the second casing 12 is arranged so as to block the casing exhaust port 50. There is no difference. Therefore, in this case as well, the air A flows smoothly between the edge portion 12a and the desk top surface 66 due to the action of the heat sink 36 (37) and the leg portions 52. As a result, in the electronic device 10, the flow rate of the air A2 increases, the exhaust flow rate at the fan 34 (35) increases, and the cooling capacity of the cooling module 22 improves.

In the electronic device 10, the leg portion 52 includes a first plate portion 58b that gradually slopes downward in the first direction and forms an inclined surface 19b on the inner surface, and from the first plate portion 58b to the end portion 58a. It may include a second plate portion 58c that extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface 11b and forms a flat surface 19c on the inner surface that is substantially parallel to the bottom surface 11b. In this case, the protruding portion 62 of the heat sink 36 (37) is preferably provided with a flat portion 62b extending along the flat surface 19c between the inclined portion 62a and the air discharge surface 36d. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, when the air A flows through the heat sink 36 (37), it also flows downward along the inclined portion 62a, and then flows along the flat portion 62b toward the casing exhaust port. 50, it will be distributed even more smoothly. Therefore, in the electronic device 10, the collision of the air A against the edge portion 12a and the hinge housing 14a is further suppressed, and the flow rate of the air A2 is further increased, so that the exhaust flow rate at the fan 34 (35) is further increased. Thus, the cooling capacity of the cooling module 22 is further improved.

The leg portion 52 may include a rubber plate 60 fixed to the outer surface 58d of the second plate portion 58c. In particular, it is preferable that the rubber plate 60 overlaps the entire length of the housing exhaust port 50 when viewed in the thickness direction of the first housing 11. Then, the rubber plate 60 reliably closes the gap between the bottom surface 11b and the desk top surface 66 between the housing exhaust port 50 and the housing intake port 56 in the front-rear direction of the first housing 11. As a result, the electronic device 10 can further prevent the air A exiting from the housing exhaust port 50 from flowing backwards and flowing back into the fan 34 (35) from the housing intake port 56 provided on the bottom surface 11b. Therefore, the cooling capacity of the cooling module 22 is further improved.

In the electronic device 10, the heat pipe 32 (33) is connected to the second surface 36b, which is the upper surface of the heat sink 36. Here, the height of the housing exhaust port 50 in the vertical direction is expanded to the same extent as the height of the rear side surface 11c, which is expanded vertically by the leg portions 52 protruding downward. In other words, the housing exhaust port 50 also opens to the rear of the heat pipe 32 (33). Therefore, a part of the air A coming out of the exhaust port 34a of the fan 34 (35) passes through the gap at the top of the heat pipe 32 (33) and is discharged from the housing exhaust port 50 (the air in FIG. (See A1'). As a result, the electronic device 10 has the advantage of being able to further increase the total air volume of the fans 34 (35) while lowering the temperature of the heat pipes 32 (33).

Next, with reference to Table 1, experimental results comparing the cooling performance of the electronic device 10 according to the example (see FIG. 6) and the electronic device 70 according to the comparative example (see FIG. 7) will be described. The electronic device 10 of the example includes a heat sink 36 having a protrusion 62 and legs 52. On the other hand, the electronic device 70 of the comparative example includes a conventional heat sink 68 that does not have the protrusion 62 and leg sections that are constituted by conventional rubber blocks 69. That is, the electronic device 70 of the comparative example has the same configuration as the electronic device 10 of the example except that a heat sink 68 is used in place of the heat sinks 36 and 37, and a rubber block 69 is used in place of the leg portion 52.

In Table 1, "Comparative example (°C)" indicates the measurement result of the temperature of each part of the electronic device 70, "Example (°C)" indicates the measurement result of the temperature of each part of the electronic device 10, and "Temperature difference (°C)" indicates the measurement result of the temperature of each part of the electronic device 10. ” indicates the difference obtained by subtracting the measured temperature of the example from the measured temperature of the comparative example. Further, "CPU" indicates the surface temperature of the CPU, which is the heating element 30, and "key top" indicates the surface temperature of the keyboard 20. "Left palm rest" is the surface temperature of the left side of the touch pad 21 on the top surface 11a of the first housing 11, and "right palm rest" is the surface temperature of the right side of the touch pad 21 on the top surface 11a of the first housing 11. Shows the temperature measurement results. “Casing top surface (left rear),” “casing top surface (right rear),” “casing top surface (left front),” and “casing top surface (right front)” are each part of the top surface 11a of the first housing 11. , shows the measurement results of surface temperatures near the left rear corner, near the right rear corner, near the left front corner, and near the right front corner. “Case bottom surface (CPU)” indicates the measurement result of the surface temperature of the bottom surface 11b of the first case 11 directly under the heating element 30.

As shown in Table 1, as a result of this experiment, the measured temperature of the electronic device 10 according to the example was lower than that of the electronic device 70 according to the comparative example at most measurement positions. That is, the electronic device 10 achieved a temperature improvement effect of about 2 degrees on average compared to the electronic device 70. Furthermore, in the electronic device 10, compared to the electronic device 70, the air volume of the fan 34 (35) increased by about 10%, and the thermal design power (TDP: Thermal Design Power) of the CPU, which is the heating element 30, increased by about 5%. . As a result, it became clear that the cooling capacity of the cooling module 22 in the electronic device 10 of the example was improved compared to the electronic device 70 of the comparative example.

The reason why such experimental results were obtained is that first, in the electronic device 70 of the comparative example, the lower edge 50a of the housing exhaust port 50 is located at a higher position than the desk top surface 66; One example of this is that air is difficult to flow between one edge 12a of the desk 12 and the hinge housing 14a and the desk top surface 66. That is, in the comparative example, the flow rate of the air A2 flowing therein was significantly reduced compared to the example, and as a result, the exhaust air volume of the fan 34 (35) was reduced, and it is considered that the cooling capacity was reduced.

Second, in the electronic device 70 of the comparative example, since the lower edge 50a of the housing exhaust port 50 is located at a high position from the desk top surface 66, all of the air A from the housing exhaust port 50 is directed to the hinge housing 14a. Collision at a high position. As a result, in the comparative example, a part of the air (air A3) exiting the housing exhaust port 50 flows forward through the side of the rubber block 69, that is, the gap between the bottom surface 11b and the desk top surface 66, and flows forward through the housing intake port. It is thought that the air flowed back from 56 to the intake port 34g, reducing the cooling capacity.

In this regard, the electronic device 10 according to the embodiment has the following problem: firstly, since the lower edge 50a of the housing exhaust port 50 is located at a low position close to the desk top surface 66, one edge 12a of the second housing 12 and the hinge housing It is considered that the flow rate of the air A2 flowing between the body 14a and the desk top surface 66 increased, which increased the exhaust air volume of the fan 34 (35) and improved the cooling capacity. At this time, in the heat sink 36 (37), the fins 45 are enlarged in the height direction at the protruding portions 62. Therefore, the heat sink 36 (37) has the effect of suppressing a decrease in air volume because the flow velocity of the circulating air is slowed down and air resistance is reduced. Of course, the heat sink 36 (37) also has the advantage that the surface area of the fins 45 itself is expanded and the heat exchange performance is improved.

Second, in the electronic device 10 of the embodiment, the lower edge 50a of the housing exhaust port 50 is located at a low position close to the desk top surface 66, and the air from the housing exhaust port 50 flows to one edge of the second housing 12. The flow smoothly flows toward the gap between the portion 12a and the hinge housing 14a and the desk top surface 66. As a result, in the embodiment, it is difficult for air A3 to flow forward through the gap between the bottom surface 11b and the desk top surface 66, and this gap is closed by the leg portions 52 and the rubber plate 60. It is possible that the occurrence itself was blocked.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that changes can be made freely without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10, 70 Electronic device 11 First housing 12 Second housing 14 Hinge 14a Hinge housing 18 First cover member 19 Second cover member 19a Inner surface 19b Inclined surface 19c Flat surface 22 Cooling module 30 Heating element 34, 35 Fan 36 , 37, 68 Heat sink 50 Housing exhaust port 52 Leg portion 58a End portion 58b First plate portion 58c Second plate portion 60 Rubber plate 62 Projection portion 62a Inclined portion 62b Flat portion

Claims (5)

An electronic device,
a first casing configured in a box shape with a first cover member forming a surface and a second cover member forming a bottom surface, and having a heating element mounted therein;
a second casing having a display and connected to the first casing;
A rear edge of the first housing and one edge of the second housing adjacent to the rear edge are relatively rotatably connected, and the one edge of the second housing a hinge that can be arranged in a direction opposite to the rear edge of the first casing;
a cooling module that is mounted on the first housing and absorbs heat generated by the heating element;
Equipped with
The first casing has a casing exhaust port opening at the rear edge,
The second cover member is
a leg portion formed by bulging a portion of the bottom surface downward, and whose end portion constitutes a lower edge portion of the housing exhaust port;
an inclined surface provided on the inner surface of the leg and gradually inclined downward in a direction from the front edge of the first casing toward the rear edge;
has
The cooling module includes:
a fan having an intake port and an exhaust port;
a heat sink having a plurality of fins arranged with gaps between them, an air introduction surface disposed facing the exhaust port, and an air discharge surface disposed facing the housing exhaust port;
has
The electronic device is characterized in that the heat sink has a protrusion that protrudes toward the inner side of the leg, and the protrusion is provided with an inclined portion that is inclined along the inclined surface. . The electronic device according to claim 1,
The leg portion is
a first plate portion that gradually slopes downward from the front edge toward the rear edge to form the slope on the inner surface;
a second plate portion extending substantially parallel to the bottom surface from the first plate portion to the end portion, and forming a flat surface substantially parallel to the bottom surface on an inner surface;
has
The electronic device is characterized in that the protruding portion of the heat sink is further provided with a flat portion extending along the flat surface between the inclined portion and the air exhaust surface. The electronic device according to claim 2,
The electronic device is characterized in that the leg further includes a rubber plate fixed to an outer surface of the second plate. The electronic device according to claim 3,
The electronic device is characterized in that the rubber plate overlaps the entire length of the housing exhaust port when viewed in the thickness direction of the first housing. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The hinge is provided to protrude from the one edge of the second housing in a direction intersecting the display surface of the display, and has a hinge housing that supports a hinge shaft;
The electronic device is characterized in that the hinge housing extends along the width direction of the first housing and faces the housing exhaust port.

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