JP4650546B2 - Cooling device, electronic device and blower - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a blower that generates an air flow toward a heat sink, a cooling device that includes the heat sink and the blower, and an electronic device on which the cooling device is mounted.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, with an increase in performance of a PC (Personal Computer), an increase in the amount of heat generated from a heat source such as a CPU has been a problem, and various heat dissipation techniques have been proposed or commercialized. As a heat dissipation method, heat from the CPU is conducted to a heat sink having a heat dissipation fin made of metal such as aluminum and the heat is released from the heat dissipation fin, and the fan device forcibly warms the air around the heat dissipation fin. Methods to eliminate are known.

  However, since the fan device takes in the air around the fan device from the intake port and blows an air flow to the heat sink fins of the heat sink, dust such as dust and dust contained in the air is simultaneously blown to the heat sink fins. As a result, there is a problem that dust adheres to and accumulates between the radiating fins, and the cooling performance of the heat sink is deteriorated.

  As a technique related to such a problem, the following Patent Document 1 includes a heat sink that has an inclined portion on an end surface on a side to which an air flow generated by rotation of a blade portion is blown and is formed in a trapezoidal shape. A cooling device is disclosed. The duct that restricts the airflow generated by the blades in one direction is provided with a dust exhaust port in addition to the intake port and the exhaust port. The dust contained in the air flow moves along the inclined portion of the heat sink and is discharged to the outside from the dust exhaust port formed in the duct.

Further, as a technique related to the above problem, for example, Patent Document 2 below discloses a cooling device including a heat sink formed separately into a first heat sink and a second heat sink. The second heat sink, which is close to the air blowing port of the cooling fan and easily adheres to dust, is detachable from an electronic device such as a PC. The user removes the second heat sink from the PC and cleans it, and removes accumulated dust from the second heat sink.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-321287 (paragraphs [0035], [0050], [0062], [0063] FIG. 1) JP 2008-159925 A (paragraphs [0036], [0042] to [0045] FIGS. 3 and 4)

  However, the cooling device described in Patent Document 1 can reduce the amount of dust adhering to the heat sink, but it is not sufficient as a dust countermeasure. That is, if a PC is used for a long period of time, dust will eventually accumulate between the radiation fins.

  On the other hand, in the cooling device described in Patent Document 2, the second heat sink can be removed from the PC and cleaned. However, with this cooling device, the user must remove the second heat sink from the PC, which is troublesome.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a blower capable of automatically removing dust adhering to a heat sink, a cooling device including the blower and the heat sink, and an electric device equipped with the cooling device. It is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, a cooling device according to the present invention includes a heat sink, a blower mechanism, an opening member, and a moving mechanism.
The air blowing mechanism has an air outlet having a predetermined area facing the heat sink.
The opening member has a first opening having an area smaller than the area of the blower opening.
The moving mechanism includes a first state in which the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink, and a second state in which the first opening is not located between the air outlet and the heat sink. In order to switch, the opening member is moved.
In the present invention, in the first state, the first opening provided in the opening member is located between the air blowing port and the heat sink. Since the 1st opening is an area smaller than the area of a ventilation opening, the area of a ventilation opening can be temporarily narrowed by this opening. Thereby, since the flow velocity of the airflow flowing out from the air blowing port can be locally increased, it is possible to remove dust adhering to and accumulating on the heat sink (dust removal mode).
On the other hand, in the second state, the first opening provided in the opening member is not located between the blower opening and the heat sink. Accordingly, in the second state, airflow is blown from the entire blower opening to the heat sink, and the heat sink is cooled (cooling mode).
Further, in the present invention, the first state (dust removal mode) and the second state (cooling mode) can be automatically switched by the moving mechanism, so that the heat sink is detached from the electronic device main body such as a PC. The troublesomeness of washing can be eliminated.

In the cooling device, the opening member may further include a second opening having an area substantially equal to the area of the blower opening.
In this case, the second state may be a state in which the second opening faces the air blowing port.
In the present invention, in the second state, the second opening having an area substantially the same as that of the air blowing port is opposed to the air blowing port. Through this second opening, airflow is blown from the entire blower opening to the heat sink, and the heat sink is cooled.

In the cooling device, the opening member may be a belt-like member having a longitudinal direction.
In this case, the first opening and the second opening may be provided in the strip member so as to be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the strip member.
In this case, the moving mechanism may move the belt-shaped member in the longitudinal direction along the air blowing port.
In the present invention, the first state and the second state are switched by moving the band-shaped member having the first opening and the second opening in the longitudinal direction of the band-shaped member. In this case, since the belt-shaped member is moved along the air blowing port, the first opening and the second opening are also moved along the air blowing port. When the first opening is moved along the air outlet, the position where the strong wind is generated moves along the air outlet. Thereby, since strong wind can be blown over the heat sink that faces the air outlet, dust such as dust and dirt can be removed from the entire heat sink.

In the cooling device, the moving mechanism may include a first shaft, a second shaft, and a drive source.
The first shaft is connected to an end portion of the belt-like member, and can wind up and feed out the belt-like member.
The second shaft is provided so as to sandwich the air blowing port with the first shaft, is connected to the other end portion of the belt-shaped member, can wind up the belt-shaped member, and It can be sent out.
The drive source rotationally drives the first shaft and the second shaft.
In this invention, since the 1st axis | shaft and the 2nd axis | shaft can wind up a strip | belt-shaped member and can send out, the space for arrange | positioning a strip | belt-shaped member can be made small. Thereby, size reduction of a cooling device is implement | achieved.

In the cooling device, the belt-like member may be annular.
In this case, the moving mechanism may have a plurality of shafts and a drive source.
The plurality of shafts are provided around the air blowing mechanism and support the belt-like member so as to rotate the belt-like member around the air blowing mechanism.
The drive source rotationally drives at least one of the plurality of shafts.
In this invention, since a strip | belt-shaped member rotates around a ventilation port, the space which arrange | positions a strip | belt-shaped member can be made small. Thereby, size reduction of a cooling device is implement | achieved.

In the cooling device, the opening member may be a plate-like member having a longitudinal direction.
In this case, the moving mechanism may move the plate-shaped member in the longitudinal direction along the air blowing port.
In the present invention, since the plate-like member having the first opening is moved along the air outlet, the first opening provided in the plate-like member is also moved along the air outlet. When the first opening is moved along the air outlet, the position where the strong wind is generated moves along the air outlet. Thereby, since strong wind can be blown over the heat sink that faces the air outlet, dust such as dust and dirt can be removed from the entire heat sink.

In the cooling device, the plate-like member may have a rack gear in the longitudinal direction.
In this case, the moving mechanism may include a pinion and a drive source.
The pinion is meshed with the rack gear.
The drive source rotationally drives the pinion.
In the present invention, using a rack and pinion mechanism, the plate-like member is linearly moved, and the first opening is moved between the heat sink and the air blowing port. Thereby, it is possible to remove dust attached and deposited on the heat sink with a simple structure.

The cooling device may further include a control unit.
The control means controls the movement of the opening member by the moving mechanism so as to periodically switch the second state to the first state.
In the present invention, since the second state (cooling mode) is periodically switched to the first state (dust removal mode), before the dust adhering to the heat sink accumulates and becomes clogged between the radiation fins. In addition, dust can be removed from the heat sink.

The said cooling device WHEREIN: The said ventilation mechanism may further have the blade | wing member which generate | occur | produces the airflow which flows out out of the said ventilation opening by rotation.
In this case, the control means may control the movement of the opening member so that the second state is switched to the first state when the blade member starts rotating or stops rotating.
Thereby, dust adhering to the heat sink is accumulated and can be removed from the heat sink before being clogged between the radiating fins.

When the cooling device includes a blade member, the cooling device may further include a rotation number counting unit and a rotation number determination unit.
The rotation number counting means counts the rotation number of the blade member.
The rotation speed determination means determines whether or not the counted rotation speed has reached a specified number.
In this case, the control means may control the movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when the rotational speed reaches the specified number.
Thereby, dust adhering to the heat sink is accumulated and can be removed from the heat sink before being clogged between the radiating fins.

The cooling device may further include a time count unit and a time determination unit.
The time counting means counts a time from when the first state is switched to the second state.
The time determination means determines whether or not the counted time has reached a specified time.
In this case, the control means may control the movement of the opening member so that the second state is switched to the first state when the time reaches a specified time.
Thereby, dust adhering to the heat sink is accumulated and can be removed from the heat sink before being clogged between the radiating fins.

A cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a heat sink, a blower mechanism, a rotating member, and a rotating mechanism.
The air blowing mechanism has an air outlet having a predetermined area facing the heat sink.
The rotating member has a shielding part and is rotatable, and is disposed between the heat sink and the air blowing port.
The said shielding part restrict | limits the area of the said ventilation port.
The rotating mechanism is configured to switch the rotating member between a first state in which the shielding portion restricts an area of the air blowing port and a second state in which the shielding portion does not restrict an area of the air blowing port. Rotate.
In the present invention, in the first state, the area of the air blowing port is limited by the shielding portion of the rotating member. Thereby, the area of a ventilation port can be narrowed temporarily. Thereby, since the flow velocity of the airflow flowing out from the air blowing port can be increased, the dust adhered and deposited on the heat sink can be removed (dust removal mode).
On the other hand, in the second state, the area of the air blowing port is not limited by the shielding portion of the rotating member. Accordingly, in the second state, airflow is blown from the entire blower opening to the heat sink, and the heat sink is cooled (cooling mode).
In the present invention, since the first state (dust removal mode) and the second state (cooling mode) can be automatically switched by the rotation mechanism, the heat sink is removed from the electronic device main body such as a PC. The troublesomeness of washing can be eliminated.

In the cooling device, the air blowing port may have a longitudinal direction.
In this case, the rotating member may be rotatable about an axis in a direction along the longitudinal direction.
In the present invention, since the rotating member is rotated around the axis in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the air outlet, compared to the case where it is rotated around the axis in the direction along the short direction of the air outlet, The distance between the air outlet and the heat sink can be reduced. Thereby, size reduction of a cooling device is implement | achieved.

The said cooling device WHEREIN: The said rotation member may have a 1st rotation member and a 2nd rotation member arrange | positioned so that the said ventilation port may be inserted | pinched.
Thereby, since the distance of a ventilation port and a heat sink can be narrowed, size reduction of a cooling device is implement | achieved.

An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a heat source and a cooling device.
The cooling device includes a heat sink, a blower mechanism, an opening member, and a moving mechanism.
The heat sink releases heat from the heat source.
The air blowing mechanism has an air outlet having a predetermined area facing the heat sink.
The opening member has a first opening having an area smaller than the area of the blower opening.
The moving mechanism includes a first state in which the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink, and a second state in which the first opening is not located between the air outlet and the heat sink. In order to switch between them, the opening member is moved.

Electronic equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a heat source and a cooling device.
The cooling device includes a heat sink, a blower mechanism, a rotating member, and a rotating mechanism.
The heat sink releases heat from the heat source.
The air blowing mechanism has an air outlet having a predetermined area facing the heat sink.
The rotating member has a shielding part and is rotatable, and is disposed between the heat sink and the air blowing port.
The said shielding part restrict | limits the area of the said ventilation port.
The rotating mechanism is configured to switch the rotating member between a first state in which the shielding portion restricts an area of the air blowing port and a second state in which the shielding portion does not restrict an area of the air blowing port. Rotate.

A blower according to an aspect of the present invention includes a blower mechanism, an opening member, and a moving mechanism.
The blower mechanism has a blower opening having a predetermined area.
The opening member has a first opening having an area smaller than the area of the blower opening.
The moving mechanism is configured to switch between a first state where the first opening is located in front of the air outlet and a second state where the first opening is not located in front of the air outlet. The opening member is moved.

A blower according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a blower mechanism, a turning member, and a turning mechanism.
The blower mechanism has a blower opening having a predetermined area.
The rotating member has a shielding part, is rotatable, and is disposed in front of the air blowing port.
The said shielding part restrict | limits the area of the said ventilation port.
The rotating mechanism is configured to switch the rotating member between a first state in which the shielding portion restricts an area of the air blowing port and a second state in which the shielding portion does not restrict an area of the air blowing port. Rotate.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air blower capable of automatically removing dust attached to a heat sink, a cooling device including the air blower and the heat sink, and an electric device equipped with the cooling device. Can do.

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

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electronic apparatus equipped with a cooling device according to this embodiment. In the description of the present embodiment, a notebook PC will be described as an example of an electronic device on which a cooling device is mounted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the notebook PC 101 includes an upper housing 91, a lower housing 92, and a hinge portion 93 that rotatably connects the upper housing 91 and the lower housing 92. The upper housing 91 includes a display unit 94 such as a liquid crystal display or an EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

  The lower housing 92 has a plurality of input keys 95 and a touch pad 96 on the upper surface 92a, and an exhaust port 97 on the side surface 92b. Moreover, the lower housing | casing 92 has an inlet (not shown) in the bottom face 93c, for example.

  The cooling device 100 is disposed inside the lower housing 92 so as to be close to the exhaust port 97.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooling device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a top view of the cooling device.

  As shown in these drawings, the cooling device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a centrifugal air blowing mechanism 10, a heat sink 20, and an opening member 30 that can move between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20. I have. In addition, the cooling device 100 includes a drive mechanism 40 that drives the opening member 30. In FIG. 1, in order to explain the configuration of the cooling device 100 in an easy-to-understand manner, the intervals among the blower mechanism 10, the opening member 30, and the heat sink 20 are displayed wider than the actual intervals.

  The air blowing mechanism 10 is a centrifugal air blowing mechanism, and includes a fan case 1, a centrifugal blade member 2 that can rotate within the fan case 1, and a fan drive motor 5 that rotationally drives the blade member 2. .

  The blade member 2 is rotatable about the axis in the z-axis direction and is driven to rotate counterclockwise by the rotation of the fan driving motor 5. The rotation of the blade member 2 generates an air flow toward the heat sink 20.

  The fan case 1 has an upper suction port 3 on the upper surface 1 a of the fan case 1 and a lower suction port (not shown) on the bottom surface 1 c of the fan case 1. The upper suction port 3 and the lower suction port are provided near the center of the upper surface 1a and the bottom surface 1c of the fan case 1, respectively. Air around the blower mechanism 10 is taken into the fan case 1 through the upper suction port 3 and the lower suction port.

  Further, the fan case 1 has a blower port (discharge port) 4 on the side peripheral surface 1b. The air outlet 4 is rectangular and has a shape that is long in one direction (x-axis direction). An airflow flows out toward the heat sink 20 through the air blowing port 4. In the following description, the length (x-axis direction) of the air blowing port 4 is L1, and the height is H1 (z-axis direction).

  The heat sink 20 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in one direction (x-axis direction), and includes a plurality of heat radiation fins 21 and a support plate 22 that supports the heat radiation fins 21 below the heat radiation fins 21. The radiation fins 21 are arranged so as to be arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the heat sink. The airflow generated by the blower mechanism passes between the heat radiation fins 21. The heat sink 20 is formed of a metal such as aluminum or copper, for example, but the material is not particularly limited.

  The heat sink 20 is thermally connected to a heat source such as a CPU provided in the lower housing 92 of the notebook PC 101, for example.

  The heat sink 20 is disposed at a position facing the air blowing port 4 so as to be close to the air blowing port 4 (see FIG. 3). The length L2 and the height H2 of the heat sink 20 are substantially equal to the length L1 and the height H1 of the blower opening, respectively.

  The opening member 30 has a rectangular thin plate shape that is long in one direction (x-axis direction). The opening member 30 is made of, for example, metal or resin, but is not limited thereto. The height H3 of the opening member 30 is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the height H1 of the air blowing port 4, and the length L3 of the opening member 30 is about twice the length L1 of the air blowing port 4. It is said to be length.

  In the vicinity of the center of the opening member 30, an opening 31 (hereinafter referred to as an adjustment port 31) having an area smaller than the area of the blower opening is formed. A plurality of rack gears 32 are formed in the opening member 30 along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the opening member 30.

  The shape of the adjustment port 31 is, for example, a rectangle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the adjustment port 31 may have a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or the like.

  The drive mechanism 40 includes a pinion 41 that meshes with the rack gear of the opening member 30 and a motor 42 that rotationally drives the pinion 41. The motor 42 may be a normal motor, but the movement of the opening member 30 can be reliably controlled by using a stepping motor. The same applies to motors used in the embodiments described later.

  The opening member 30 is movable in the x-axis direction between the blower opening 4 and the heat sink 20 by driving of the drive mechanism 40. The movement of the opening member 30 may be restricted so that the opening member 30 is moved in the x-axis direction by a guide (not shown).

[Description of operation]
Next, the operation of the cooling device 100 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the position of the opening member 30 when the opening member 30 is not driven. On the other hand, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the air blowing port 4 and the opening member 30 (adjustment port 31) when the opening member 30 is driven. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the air blowing port 4 and the opening member (adjustment port 31) are viewed from the front of the air blowing port 4.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the opening member 30 is normally not driven by the driving mechanism 40 and is stopped in a state where it is not interposed between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20.

  First, the operation of the cooling device 100 when the opening member 30 is stopped without being interposed between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20 will be described.

  As the blade member 2 rotates, the air inside the lower housing 92 of the notebook PC 101 is sucked into the fan case 1 via the upper suction port 3 and the lower suction port.

  The air sucked into the fan case 1 is accelerated in the centrifugal direction by the rotation of the blade member, flows out from the blower port 4, and is blown onto the heat sink 20. In this case, the air blowing port 4 is in a fully open state, and the airflow from the air blowing port 4 is entirely blown against the surface 20a of the heat sink 20 facing the air blowing port 4 (hereinafter referred to as the facing surface 20a). .

  The heat sink 20 emits heat from a heat source such as a CPU mounted on the notebook PC 101 from the radiation fin 21. The warm air between the radiating fins 21 is forcibly exhausted to the outside of the lower housing 92 through the exhaust port 97 provided in the lower housing 92 due to the airflow from the air blowing port 4. Thereby, a heat source such as a CPU is cooled.

  In the present specification, a state in which the heat sink 20 is cooled with the air blowing port 4 fully opened is referred to as a cooling mode.

  Here, since the air inside the lower housing 92 sucked from the upper suction port 3 and the lower suction port of the blower mechanism 10 contains dust such as dust and dust, it flows out from the blower port 4. The air current also contains dust. As a result, when an air flow is blown onto the heat sink 20, dust such as dust or dust is also blown onto the heat sink 20 and adheres to the heat sink 20. In particular, dust easily adheres to and accumulates on the heat sink 20 on the facing surface 20 a facing the air blowing port 4.

  If the cooling mode is continued for a long time, dust is clogged between the radiation fins 21. As a result, the air permeability of the radiating fin 21 is hindered, and the cooling performance of the cooling device 100 is degraded.

  Next, the operation when the opening member 30 is driven will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the rotation of the motor 42 is started and the rotation of the pinion 41 is started, the movement of the opening member 30 in the left direction is started. In this case, the rack gear 32 provided on the opening member 30 converts the rotational movement of the pinion 41 into the linear movement of the opening member 30 and starts the movement of the opening member 30 in the left direction.

  Details of the timing at which the opening member 30 is driven will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the opening member 30 enters between the air outlet 4 and the heat sink from the left end of the opening member 30.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, when the adjustment port 31 is moved to a position facing the right end of the air blowing port 4, and the adjustment port 31 is interposed between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20, the adjustment port 31 An airflow is blown to the heat sink 20 via 31. At this time, since the apparent area of the air blowing port 4 is narrowed by the adjusting port 31, the flow velocity of the air flow blown to the heat sink locally increases. Thereby, the dust adhered and deposited between the radiation fins 21 of the heat sink 20 can be blown off. The dust blown off is discharged to the outside of the notebook PC 101 through the exhaust port 97 provided in the lower housing 92 of the notebook PC 101.

  In the present specification, a state in which the adjustment port 31 is interposed between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink and strong wind is blown to the heat sink 20 through the adjustment port is referred to as a dust removal mode.

  As shown in FIGS. 5D and 5E, the movement of the opening member 30 in the left direction is continued even after the adjustment port 31 is moved to the right end of the blower port 4, and the adjustment port 31 is The movement of the opening member 30 is continued until it moves to a position facing the left end of the blower opening.

  At this time, the adjustment port 31 is moved between the air outlet 4 and the heat sink 20 from the right end of the air outlet 4 toward the left end of the air outlet 4. In this case, since the adjustment port 31 is moved along the air blowing port 4 while blowing strong wind to the heat sink 20, strong wind can be blown over the entire facing surface 20 a of the heat sink 20. Thereby, dust adhering to the heat sink 20 can be removed over the entire area of the heat sink 20.

  When the adjustment port 31 moves to the left end of the blower port 4 (see FIG. 5E), the reverse rotation of the motor 42 is started, the reverse rotation of the motor 42 causes the pinion to rotate reversely, and the opening member 30 The movement in the right direction is started.

  As shown in FIGS. 5F and 5G, the adjustment port 31 is moved from the left end to the right end of the blower port 4 between the blower port 4 and the heat sink. That is, the adjustment port 31 is moved from the left end of the air blowing port 4 toward the right end, and blows strong wind over the entire area of the heat sink 20. Remove dust adhering to.

  As shown in FIG. 5H, the opening member 30 continues to move in the positive x-axis direction even after the adjustment port 31 is moved to the right end of the blower port 4.

  As shown in FIG. 5I, when the opening member 30 is moved to a position not located in front of the air outlet, the rotation drive of the pinion 41 by the motor 42 is stopped, and the movement of the opening member 30 is stopped. When the opening member 30 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 5 (I), an air flow is blown from the entire blower opening 4 toward the heat sink 20, and the heat sink 20 is cooled again (cooling mode).

  In the description of FIG. 5, the case where the opening member 30 reciprocates once between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the opening member 30 may be reciprocated twice or more than three times. Thereby, dust such as dust and dirt can be reliably removed from the heat sink 20.

  As described above, since the cooling device 100 according to the present embodiment can remove dust from the heat sink 20 by the movement of the opening member 30, the dust is clogged between the radiation fins 21, and the cooling device 100. It is possible to prevent the cooling performance from deteriorating.

  In addition, since the dust attached to the heat sink 20 can be automatically removed in the cooling device according to the present embodiment, the troublesomeness of removing the heat sink 20 from the notebook PC 101 for cleaning can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, strong wind can be blown onto the heat sink without increasing the rotational speed of the blade member 2 of the blower mechanism 10 to remove dust such as dust and dirt. Thereby, the excessive raise of the power consumption of the cooling device 100 can be suppressed. Even when the power of the fan driving motor 5 that rotates the blade member 2 is small and it is difficult to generate strong wind, it is possible to blow strong wind on the heat sink 20 and remove dust from the heat sink 20.

  Next, the dust removal performance of the cooling device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail.

  In order to evaluate the dust removal performance, the present inventors measure the flow velocity of the airflow flowing out from the blower port 4 with the blower port 4 fully open (in the cooling mode), and also through the adjustment port 31. Then, the flow velocity of the air flow when the air flow was discharged (dust removal mode) was measured.

  The dust removal performance is evaluated based on the flow velocity of the airflow when the blower opening 4 is fully opened (cooling mode) and the flow velocity of the airflow when the area of the blower port 4 is apparently narrowed by the adjustment port 31 (dust removal mode). This is done by comparing.

  The length L1 and height H1 of the air blowing port 4 used for the evaluation of the dust removal performance were 70 mm × 10 mm, and the width and height of the adjustment port 31 were 10 mm × 10 mm. In addition, the length L2, the height H2, and the depth of the heat sink 20 were 70 mm × 10 mm × 18 mm, respectively, and the spacing between the radiation fins 21 was 1 mm.

  For measurement of the flow velocity of the airflow, Kurimo Master Model 6542 (registered trademark) (hereinafter simply referred to as an anemometer) manufactured by Nippon Kanomax Co., Ltd. was used.

  In the cooling mode, the flow velocity of the airflow was measured at positions 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm,... 60 mm from the left end of the blower port 4 with the blower port 4 fully opened. Specifically, the tip of the probe provided in the anemometer is positioned at the center of the air blowing port 4 at each measurement position (10, 15,... 60) of the air blowing port 4, and each measurement position (10 , 15,... 60) were measured.

  On the other hand, in the dust removal mode, the adjustment port 31 is opposed to each measurement position (10, 15,... 60) of the blower port 4, and the tip of the anemometer probe is positioned at the center of the adjustment port 31, The flow velocity at each measurement position (10, 15,... 60) was measured.

  FIG. 6A is a table summarizing the relationship between the position coordinates of the air blowing port 4 and the flow velocity of the airflow flowing out from the air blowing port in the cooling mode and the dust removal mode.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram in which the relationship shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis indicates the position coordinate (mm) of the air blowing port 4 in the x-axis direction, and the vertical axis indicates the flow velocity (m / s) of the airflow flowing out from the air blowing port 4.

  Moreover, the graph shown with the dotted line and the square point in FIG. 6B shows the relationship between the position of the blower port 4 and the flow velocity in the cooling mode. On the other hand, a graph indicated by a solid line and a diamond-shaped point in FIG. 6B shows the relationship between the position of the air blowing port 4 and the flow velocity in the dust removal mode.

  As can be seen from FIG. 6, the flow velocity of the airflow passing through the adjustment port 31 is remarkably increased as compared with the case where the blower port 4 is fully open.

  As a result of observations by the present inventors, it has been found that when the flow velocity of the airflow is about 10 m / s, dust clogged between the radiation fins 21 is easily discharged from between the radiation fins. As shown in FIG. 6, in the dust removal mode, at each position coordinate (10, 15,... 60), the flow velocity exceeds 10 m / s, and it is proved that the dust adhering to the radiation fin is well removed. Has been.

  In FIG. 6, a particularly characteristic point is that the flow velocity of the airflow passing through the adjustment port 31 is higher as the flow velocity is lower when the air blowing port 4 is fully open. This indicates that the dust can be removed more powerfully at a position where the flow velocity is lower and the dust is more likely to accumulate when the blower opening is fully opened.

  Thus, the lower the flow velocity when the blower opening 4 is fully opened, the faster the flow velocity of the airflow passing through the adjustment port 31 is because the pressure is increased as the flow velocity is lower when the blower opening 4 is fully opened. It is thought that this is because the flow rate is increased by passing a high air flow through the adjustment port 31.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description after the second embodiment, members having the same configurations and functions as those of the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted or simplified.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a cooling device according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, in order to explain the configuration of the cooling device 200 in an easy-to-understand manner, the interval from the blower opening 4 to the heat sink 20 of the blower mechanism 10 is displayed wider than the actual interval.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the cooling device 200 according to the second embodiment includes a blower mechanism 10 having a blower port 4 and a heat sink 20 disposed at a position facing the blower port 4. In addition, the cooling device 200 has a flexible opening member 50, and can wind and store the opening member 50, and the first storage unit 60 and the second storage unit 60 can send out the opening member 50. And a storage unit 70. The air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20 are disposed so as to be close to each other with the opening member 50 interposed therebetween.

  The 1st accommodating part 60 is arrange | positioned in the position close | similar to the edge part 4c on the left side of the ventilation opening 4, and the 2nd accommodating part 70 is arrange | positioned in the position close | similar to the edge part 4d on the right side of an ventilation opening. That is, the first storage part and the second storage part 70 are arranged so as to sandwich the air blowing port 4 in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the air blowing port 4.

  The first storage unit 60 located on the left side of the air blowing port 4 includes a first drive mechanism 64 that drives the opening member 50 and a first case 61 that stores the wound opening member 50. The first drive mechanism 64 includes a first support shaft 62 that can rotate about an axis in the z-axis direction as a central axis, and a first motor 63 that rotationally drives the first support shaft 62. The first support shaft 62 is connected to the left end of the opening member 50. The first case 61 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

  Similarly, the second storage portion 70 located on the right side of the air blowing port 4 also stores the second drive mechanism 74 including the second support shaft 72 and the second motor 73 and the wound opening member 50. And a second case 71. The second support shaft 72 is connected to the right end of the opening member 50.

  FIG. 8 is a development view showing the opening member 50.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the opening member 50 has a long shape in one direction (x-axis direction). The opening member 50 is a band-shaped member, and is formed of, for example, a flexible resin such as a film, paper, cloth, or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any flexible material that can be wound may be used.

  The opening member 50 has two openings 52 and 53 (hereinafter referred to as full openings) having an area substantially equal to that of the air blowing port 4 in addition to the adjustment port 51 having an area smaller than that of the air blowing port 4. That is, the opening member 50 has three openings. The opening member 50 includes an adjustment port 51 formed in the center of the opening member 50 and a first full opening 52 formed on the left side of the adjustment port. And a second full opening 53 formed on the right side of the adjustment port 51.

  The height h1 and the width w1 of the first full opening 52 located on the left side of the adjustment port 51 are substantially equal to the height H1 and the length L1 of the air blowing port 4, respectively. Similarly, the height h2 and the width w2 of the second full opening 53 located on the right side of the adjustment port are substantially the same as the height H1 and the length L1 of the air blowing port 4, respectively.

  A distance d1 from the right end of the first full opening 52 to the left end of the adjustment port 51 is set in advance, and this distance d1 is substantially equal to the length L1 of the blower port 4. The Similarly, the distance d2 from the left end of the second full opening 53 to the right end of the adjustment port 51 is also substantially equal to the length L1 of the blower port 4.

  The opening member 50 is movable along the air blowing port 4 by being driven by the first drive mechanism 64 and the second drive mechanism 74.

[Description of operation]
Next, the operation of the cooling device 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining this operation, and is a view of the air blowing port 4 and the opening member 50 as viewed from the front of the air blowing port 4.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the opening member 50 is stopped at a position where the first full opening 52 faces the air blowing port 4. In this case, the air blowing port 4 is in a fully open state, and the airflow flowing out from the air blowing port 4 is blown over the entire area of the opposing surface 20a of the heat sink 20 through the first full opening 52, and the heat sink is cooled. Yes (cooling mode).

  When the driving of the first motor 61 is started, the rotational driving of the first support shaft 62 is started, and the winding of the opening member 50 by the first support shaft 62 is started. When the first support shaft 62 is rotationally driven, the second support shaft 72 is rotated in conjunction with this, and the second support shaft 72 sends out the wound opening member 50. In this case, the second motor 73 is typically not driven, but the second motor may be driven to force the opening member 50 out.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, when the winding by the first support shaft 62 is started, the opening member 50 starts to move in the left direction, and accordingly, the left of the first full opening 52 is started. Movement in the direction is started.

  As shown in FIG. 9C, when the first full opening 52 is moved to a position away from the front of the blower port 4, the adjustment port 51 sent out from the second support shaft 72 is on the right side of the blower port 4. It moves to the position facing the end of the. When the adjustment port 51 is sent out to the front of the blower port 4 and the adjustment port 51 is interposed between the blower port 4 and the heat sink 20, strong wind is blown against the heat sink 20 (dust removal mode). Thereby, the dust adhered and deposited between the radiation fins 21 can be blown off.

  As shown in FIG. 9D, the adjustment port 51 moves along the air blowing port 4 while blowing strong wind on the heat sink 20. Thereby, dust adhering to the heat sink 20 can be removed over the entire area of the heat sink 20.

  As shown in FIG. 9E, when the adjustment port 51 is moved to a position where it is removed from the front side of the blower port 4, the second full opening 53 enters the front side of the blower port 4 from the right side of the blower port 4. .

  As shown in FIG. 9F, the second full opening 53 is moved in the left direction along the blower opening.

  As shown in FIG. 9G, when the second full opening 53 is moved to a position facing the blower opening 4, the driving of the first motor is stopped and the movement of the opening member 50 is stopped. When the movement of the opening member 50 is stopped, the airflow flowing out from the blower port 4 is blown over the entire area of the opposed surface 20a of the heat sink through the second full opening 53 to cool the heat sink (cooling mode). ).

  When the opening member 50 is moved from the state where the second full opening 53 is opposed to the air blowing port 4 and the dust removal mode is shifted, the second support shaft 72 is driven to rotate, and the opening member 50 is moved in the right direction. Moved to. Note that the operation in this case is the same as that in the case where the opening member 50 is moved in the left direction, and the details are omitted.

  In the description of FIG. 9, the case where the opening member 50 is moved to one side has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the opening member 50 may be reciprocated. Of course, the opening member may be reciprocated twice or more.

  In the description of the second embodiment, it is assumed that there is one adjustment port 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the opening member 50 may have two or more adjustment ports 51. The opening member 50 may have two or more full openings. That is, the number of adjustment ports and full openings and the distance between the adjustment ports and full openings in the opening member 50 can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In 2nd Embodiment, since the opening member 50 can be wound up and accommodated by the said 1st accommodating part 60 and the 2nd accommodating part 70, the space which arrange | positions the opening member 50 can be made small. Thereby, size reduction of the cooling device 200 is implement | achieved. Other effects are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the cooling device according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a cooling device according to the third embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cooling device 300 according to the third embodiment surrounds the air blowing mechanism 10 having the air blowing port 4, the heat sink 20 disposed at a position facing the air blowing port 4, and the periphery of the air blowing mechanism 10. The annular opening member 80 is provided. The cooling device 300 includes first to fifth support shafts 85 to 89 provided around the air blowing mechanism 10.

  The first to fifth support shafts 85 to 89 support the opening member 80 so as to rotate the opening member 80 around the blower mechanism 10. The first support shaft 85 has a cylindrical shape with a larger radius than the second to fifth shafts 86 to 89, and the first support shaft 84 is electrically connected to the motor 84. A driving mechanism 90 that drives the opening member 80 is configured by the first support shaft 85 and the motor 84.

  FIG. 11 is a development view showing the opening member 80.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the opening member 80 has three openings 81, 82, and 83. That is, the opening member 80 has an adjustment port 81 and an adjustment port 82 having an area smaller than that of the air blowing port 4 and a full opening 83 having an area substantially equal to that of the air blowing port 4. The opening member 80 is a belt-like annular member, and for example, a flexible resin such as a film, paper, cloth, or the like is used. Any material may be used as long as it is a flexible material that can be rotated in an annular shape. May be.

  The length L4 of the opening member 80 is substantially equal to the length of the side peripheral surface 1b of the blower mechanism 10. The height h1 and the width w1 of the entire opening 83 are substantially the same as the height H1 and the length L1 of the air blowing port 4, respectively. The distance d1 from the right end of the full opening 83 to the left end of the first adjustment port 81 and the left end of the second adjustment port 82 from the right end of the first adjustment port 81 The distance d2 to the part is approximately equal to the length L1 of the air blowing port 4, respectively. The distance d2 from the right end of the second adjustment port 82 to the left end of the full opening 83 is also substantially equal to the length L1 of the blower port 4.

[Description of operation]
Next, the operation of the cooling device 300 according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a view for explaining this operation, and is a view of the air blowing port 4 and the opening member 80 as viewed from the front of the air blowing port 4.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, in the cooling mode, the full opening 83 is stopped at a position facing the blower opening 4, and the airflow flowing out from the blower opening 4 passes through the full opening 83 and the heat sink 20. Is sprayed over the entire area of the opposing surface 20a.

  When the drive of the motor 84 is started, the rotational drive of the first support shaft 85 is started, and the opening member 80 is rotated around the blower mechanism 10 in the clockwise direction. As shown in FIG. 12B, when the clockwise rotation is started, the opening member 80 starts to move in the left direction, and accordingly, the movement of the entire opening 83 in the left direction is started. .

  As shown in FIG. 12C, when the full opening 83 is moved to a position where it is removed from the front of the air blowing port 4, the first adjustment port 81 is moved to a position facing the right end of the air blowing port 4. The When the first adjustment port 81 is moved to the front of the blower port 4 and the first adjustment port 81 is interposed between the blower port 4 and the heat sink 20, strong wind is blown to the heat sink 20 (dust removal mode).

  As shown in FIG. 12D, the first adjustment port 81 moves along the air blowing port 4 while blowing strong wind on the heat sink 20. As shown in FIG. 12 (E), when the first adjustment port 81 is moved to a position away from the front of the blower port 4, the second adjustment port 82 is opposed to the right end of the blower port 4. Moved to. As shown in FIG. 12F, the second adjustment port 82 moves along the air blowing port 4 while blowing strong wind on the heat sink 20.

  As shown in FIG. 12 (G), when the second adjustment port 82 is moved to a position away from the front of the blower port 4, the full opening 83 that has turned around the blower mechanism 10 is located on the right side of the blower port 4. Enters the front of the blower opening 4.

  As shown in FIG. 12 (H), the full opening 83 is moved to the left along the air blowing port 4 until the full opening 83 faces the air blowing port 4 as shown in FIG. 12 (I). If it moves, the drive of the motor 84 will be stopped and the movement of the opening member 80 will be stopped. When the movement of the opening member 80 is stopped, the airflow flowing out from the blower opening 4 is blown over the entire area of the facing surface 20a of the heat sink 20 through the entire opening 83, thereby cooling the heat sink (cooling mode).

  In the above description, the case where the opening member 80 is rotated clockwise around the blower mechanism 10 has been described. However, the opening member 80 may be rotated counterclockwise. Further, the opening member 80 is not limited to one rotation, and the periphery of the air blowing mechanism 10 may be rotated a plurality of times.

  In the description of the third embodiment, the opening member 80 has been described as having two adjustment ports, but may be one, or may be three or more. Further, the opening member 80 has been described as having only one full opening, but may be two or more. That is, the number of adjustment ports and full openings and the distance between the adjustment ports and full openings in the opening member 80 can be appropriately changed according to the size of the blower mechanism 10 without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In 3rd Embodiment, since the opening member 80 can rotate around the ventilation port 4, the space which arrange | positions the opening member 80 can be made small. Thereby, size reduction of the cooling device 300 is implement | achieved. Other effects are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the cooling device according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a completed view of the cooling device according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 14, the lid 154 is omitted for easy viewing of the drawing.

  As shown in these drawings, the cooling device 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a blower mechanism 10 having a blower port 4 and a heat sink 20 provided to face the blower port 4. The cooling device 400 includes a rotating member 130 that can rotate between the air outlet 4 and the heat sink, a drive mechanism 140 that drives the rotating member 130, the air blowing mechanism 10, the heat sink 20, and the rotating member 130. And a support base 150 for supporting the.

  The rotating member 130 is provided between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20. The rotating member 130 has a rectangular thin plate shape that is long in one direction (in the x-axis direction), and the length L5 of the rotating member is substantially equal to the length L1 of the air blowing port 4. One end of the rotating member 130 in the short direction is connected to a support shaft 141, and the rotation member 130 is rotatable about the support shaft 141. By rotating the rotation member 130, the apparent area of the air blowing port 4 can be reduced. The rotating member 130 is made of, for example, resin or metal, but the material is not particularly limited.

  The drive mechanism 40 includes a support shaft 141 that can rotate about an axis in the x-axis direction, and a motor 142 that drives the support shaft 141 to rotate.

  The support shaft 141 can be rotated at a position facing the lower edge 4a (hereinafter referred to as the lower edge 4a) of the air blowing port 4, so that the rotation member 130 faces the lower edge 4a. It is rotated around the axis of the position to be.

  The support 150 includes a bottom portion 151 that supports the rotating member 130 and the heat sink 20 from below, a first side wall portion 152 that forms a side wall on the right side of the bottom portion 151, and a second side that forms a side wall on the left side of the bottom portion 151. Side wall portion 153 and lid portion 154.

  The first side wall portion 152 is provided with a through hole 155 that passes through the first side wall portion 152, and the support shaft 141 is inserted into the through hole 155.

  The heat sink 20 is sandwiched between the bottom portion 151, the first side wall portion 152, the second side wall portion 153, and the lid portion 154 of the support base 150, and is fixed to the support base 150. The blower mechanism 10 is fixed to the support base 150 in the vicinity of the blower opening 4. The support 150 supports the air blowing mechanism 10, the rotating member 130, and the heat sink 20, and restricts the direction of the airflow that has flowed out through the air outlet 4 in the direction toward the heat sink 20 (y-axis direction).

[Description of operation]
Next, the operation of the cooling device 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a view for explaining the operation, and is a view of the cooling device as viewed from the side.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, in the cooling mode, the rotating member 130 is stopped in a state parallel to the horizontal plane, and the airflow flowing out from the blower port 4 is spread over the entire facing surface 20a of the heat sink 20. Be sprayed.

  As shown in FIG. 15B, in the dust removal mode, the rotation member 130 is rotated by the rotation driving of the support shaft 141 by the motor 142. In this case, the pivot member 130 is pivoted about an axis at a position facing the lower edge portion 4 a and in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the blower port 4. The rotating member 130 is stopped for several seconds in a state where it is inclined by 40 ° from the horizontal plane, for example. Thereby, since the area of the blower opening 4 is temporarily narrowed, strong wind can be blown to the heat sink 20, and dust can be removed from the heat sink 20. As a result, it is possible to prevent the dust from clogging between the radiating fins 21 and the cooling performance of the cooling device 400 from being deteriorated. Here, as described above, the rotating member 130 has substantially the same length as that of the air blowing port 4, and thus dust can be removed over the entire area of the heat sink 20.

  In addition, since the cooling device 400 can automatically remove the dust attached to the heat sink 20, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of removing the heat sink 20 from the notebook PC 101 for cleaning.

  Furthermore, the cooling device 400 can blow strong wind to the heat sink 20 without removing the rotational speed of the blade member 2 of the blower mechanism 10 to remove dust such as dust and dirt. Thereby, the excessive raise of the power consumption of the cooling device 400 can be suppressed. Further, even when the power of the fan driving motor 5 that rotates the blade member 2 is small and it is difficult to generate strong wind, it is possible to blow strong wind on the heat sink 20 and remove dust from the heat sink 20.

  In the description of FIG. 15, the rotation member 130 has been described as being stopped in a state inclined by 40 ° from the horizontal plane. However, the angle from the horizontal plane may be less than 40 ° or 40 ° or more. Also good. Moreover, although it demonstrated that the time for which the rotating member is tilted is several seconds, it may be several minutes.

  Next, the dust removal performance of the cooling device 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described in more detail.

  The evaluation of the dust grading performance was performed by the same evaluation as the evaluation of the dust removal performance of the cooling device 100 according to the first embodiment described above. That is, the dust removal performance is evaluated based on the flow velocity of the airflow when the air blowing port 4 is fully opened (in the cooling mode) and the airflow when the area of the air blowing port 4 is apparently narrowed by the rotating member 130 (dust removal mode). This was done by comparing the flow rate.

  As a measurement condition of the airflow in the dust removal mode, the rotating member 130 was stopped in a state inclined by 40 ° from the horizontal plane, and the height H1 (10 mm) of the air blowing port was apparently narrowed to 2 mm. The measurement position of the airflow was set above the rotating member 130 at each position coordinate (10, 15,... 60) of the air blowing port 4. Other airflow measurement conditions and the like are the same as those described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 16A is a table summarizing the relationship between the position coordinates of the air blowing port 4 and the flow velocity of the airflow flowing out from the air blowing port 4 in the cooling mode and the dust removal mode.

  FIG. 16B is a diagram in which the relationship shown in FIG. In FIG. 16B, a graph indicated by a dotted line and a square point indicates the relationship between the position of the air blowing port 4 and the flow velocity in the cooling mode, and a graph indicated by a solid line and a triangular point is shown. 3 shows the relationship between the position of the air blowing port 4 and the flow velocity in the dust removal mode.

From FIG. 16, it can be seen that the flow velocity of the airflow when the area of the air blowing port 4 is narrowed by the rotating member 130 is higher than when the air blowing port 4 is fully open. In addition, when the rotating member 130 is used, as in the case where the opening member 30 (opening members 50 and 80) is used, the lower the flow rate when the blower opening 4 is fully open, the lower the flow rate in the cooling mode. It can be seen that the flow velocity of the airflow is increasing. This indicates that when the air blowing port 4 is fully opened, dust can be removed more strongly as the flow rate is lower and the dust is more likely to accumulate.
[Modification]
Next, a modification of the cooling device 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 is a view for explaining a modified example, and is a view of the cooling device as viewed from the side.

  FIG. 17A is a diagram illustrating a first modification. As shown in FIG. 17A, the rotating member 130 of the cooling device 500 according to the first modification is an axis at a position facing the center of the air blowing port 4, and is the longitudinal direction (x It is possible to rotate around an axis in a direction along (axial direction). The rotating member 130 is rotated upward or downward with the axis at the position facing the center of the air blowing port 4 as the central axis. Thereby, the apparent area of the air blowing port 4 can be narrowed, and strong wind can be blown to the heat sink 20 to blow off dust such as dust and dirt.

  In FIG. 17A, the rotation member 130 has been described as being rotatable about an axis at a position corresponding to the center of the blower port 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be possible to rotate about the axis of the opposing position.

  FIG. 17B is a diagram illustrating a second modification. As shown in FIG. 17B, in the cooling device 600 according to the second modification, two rotating members 131 and 132 are provided so as to sandwich the air blowing port 4. The first rotating member 131 is rotatable about an axis at a position facing the lower edge portion 4 a of the air blowing port 4, and the second rotating member 132 is formed on the upper edge portion 4 b of the air blowing port 4. It can be rotated around the axis of the opposing position. Thus, by providing the two rotating members 131 and 132, the distance d between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20 can be reduced. Thereby, size reduction of the cooling device 400 is implement | achieved.

  As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the rotation member 130 has been described as being rotatable about the axis in the direction along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the air blowing port 4. You may be able to rotate centering on the axis | shaft of the direction in alignment with the transversal direction (y-axis direction) of a ventilation opening.

(1st Embodiment about the switching timing of cooling mode and dust removal mode)
Next, a first embodiment regarding the switching timing of the cooling mode and the dust removal mode will be described. In addition, although each embodiment about the mode switching timing demonstrated after this 1st Embodiment is applicable in any of the above-mentioned cooling devices 100-400, the cooling device 100 is mentioned as an example for convenience. I will explain.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment regarding the mode switching timing. Note that the control system of the cooling device 100 will be described as a CPU.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the CPU of the cooling device 100 determines whether or not a drive start signal for the fan drive motor 5 has been input (step 101). If the drive start signal has not been input (NO in step 101), the CPU again determines whether or not the drive start signal for the fan drive motor 5 has been input. In this case, the air blowing port 4 is in a fully opened state, and the heat sink 20 is cooled (cooling mode).

  For example, when a drive start signal for the fan drive motor 5 is output from an electronic device such as a notebook PC 101, the drive start signal is input to the CPU of the cooling device 100.

  When the drive start signal for the fan drive motor 5 is input (YES in step 101), the CPU starts driving the fan drive motor 5 (step 102). When the driving of the fan driving motor is started, the rotation of the blade member 2 is started, and the airflow flows out through the air blowing port 4.

  Next, the CPU starts driving the motor 42 and controls the movement of the opening member 30 (step 103). When the opening member 30 is moved, the adjustment port 31 moves along the air blowing port 4 while blowing strong wind on the heat sink 20, and blows dust over the entire area of the heat sink 20 (see FIG. 5) (dust removal). mode).

  The CPU makes the opening member 30 reciprocate once (or more) between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink, and then stops driving the motor 42 and stops driving the opening member 30 (step 104). When the opening member 30 is stopped, the blower opening 4 is fully opened, and the heat sink 20 is cooled (cooling mode).

  When the CPU stops driving the motor, the CPU returns to step 101 again and repeats the processing from step 101 onward.

  By such a process, it is possible to periodically switch from the cooling mode to the dust removal mode, so that dust adhering to the heat sink is accumulated and removed from the heat sink before clogging between the radiating fins. Can do.

(2nd Embodiment about the switching timing of cooling mode and dust removal mode)
Next, a second embodiment of the switching timing between the cooling mode and the dust removal mode will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the CPU determines whether or not a stop notice signal for the fan drive motor 5 has been input (step 201). When the stop warning signal is not input (NO in step 201), it is determined again whether the stop warning signal is input. In this case, the air blowing port 4 is in a fully opened state, and the heat sink 20 is cooled (cooling mode).

  When the stop notice signal is input (YES in step 201), the CPU does not stop the fan driving motor 5 immediately but starts driving the motor 42 and controls the movement of the opening member 30 (step 202). ). When the movement of the opening member 30 is started, the adjustment port 31 is interposed between the air blowing port 4 and the heat sink 20, and dust is blown off from the heat sink 20 (dust removal mode).

  Next, the CPU stops driving the motor 42 (step 203) and stops driving the fan driving motor 5 (step 204).

  Also by such a process, dust can be periodically blown off from the heat sink 20, and thus the same effect as that of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

(3rd Embodiment about the switching timing of cooling mode and dust removal mode)
Next, a third embodiment regarding the switching timing of the cooling mode and the dust removal mode will be described. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation.

  The CPU determines whether or not driving of the rotated motor 42 is stopped (step 301). That is, it is determined whether the dust removal mode is switched to the cooling mode and the cooling mode is started. When the drive of the rotated motor 42 is stopped (YES in step 301), the CPU turns on the counter timer and starts counting the count values generated at regular intervals. As the counter, a dedicated counter for the cooling device 100 may be used, or a counter mounted on an electronic device such as the notebook PC 101 may be used.

  Next, the CPU determines whether or not the count value has reached a specified value (step 303). This specified value is a specified value corresponding to a certain period of time, for example, a specified value corresponding to one week, but is not limited thereto.

  When the count value reaches the specified value (YES in step 303), that is, when a certain period (for example, one week) has elapsed since the start of the cooling mode, the fan driving motor 5 is driven at that time. It is determined whether or not (step 304).

  When the fan driving motor 5 is driven (YES in step 304), the motor 42 is driven to control the movement of the opening member 30 (step 305), and then the motor 42 is stopped (step 306) (dust removal). mode).

  On the other hand, when the fan drive motor 5 is not driven when the count value reaches the specified value (NO in step 304), the CPU drives the fan drive motor from an electronic device such as the notebook PC 101, for example. It is determined whether or not the drive signal 5 is input (step 307).

  When the drive signal for the fan drive motor 5 is input (YES in step 307), the CPU drives the motor 42 after driving the fan drive motor 5 (step 308) (step 305). That is, when the fan drive motor 5 is not driven when the count value reaches the specified value, the CPU waits until a drive signal for the fan drive motor 5 is input before driving the motor 42.

  When the motor 42 is stopped (step 306), that is, when the cooling mode is started, the CPU resets the timer (step 302) and starts counting by the counter again.

  Also by such processing, it is possible to periodically switch from the cooling mode to the dust removal mode.

(4th Embodiment about the switching timing of cooling mode and dust removal mode)
Next, a fourth embodiment regarding the switching timing of the cooling mode and the dust removal mode will be described. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the operation.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the CPU determines whether or not the driving of the rotated motor 42 is stopped (step 401), and determines whether or not the cooling mode is started.

  When the driving of the rotated motor 42 is stopped and the cooling mode is started (YES in Step 401), the CPU inputs a rotation signal from the fan driving motor 5, and the rotation of the fan driving motor 5 is performed by the counter. The count of the number is started (step 402).

  Next, the CPU determines whether or not the count value of the rotational speed has reached a specified value (step 403). The value corresponding to the specified value is, for example, 1 million times, but is not limited thereto.

  When the count value reaches the specified value (YES in step 403), that is, when the rotational speed of the blade member 2 reaches the specified number of times (for example, 1 million times), the driving of the motor 42 is started (step 404). The movement of the opening member 30 is controlled. Thereafter, the CPU stops driving the motor (step 405), resets the rotation speed, and starts counting the rotation speed of the fan driving motor 5 again (step 402).

  Also by such processing, it is possible to periodically switch from the cooling mode to the dust removal mode.

  Each embodiment described above can be variously modified.

  For example, an optical sensor or a magnetic sensor may be used in order to ensure control of movement of the opening members 30, 50, 80 or rotation of the rotation member 130.

  In the description of FIG. 1, the notebook PC 101 is described as an example of an electronic device on which the cooling devices 100 to 400 are mounted. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of the electronic device include a desktop PC, an audio / visual device, a projector, a game device, a robot device, and other electrical appliances.

It is a perspective view which shows the electronic device by which the cooling device which concerns on one form of this invention was mounted. It is a perspective view which shows the cooling device which concerns on one form of this invention. It is a top view of the cooling device concerning one form of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the position of the opening member when the rotating member is not driven. It is a figure which shows the relative position of a ventilation port and an opening member (adjustment port) when an opening member is driven. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the position coordinate of a ventilation port in the cooling mode and the dust removal mode, and the flow velocity of the airflow which flows out out of a ventilation port. It is a perspective view which shows the cooling device which concerns on other embodiment. It is an expanded view which shows an opening member. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the cooling device which concerns on other embodiment, and is the figure which looked at the ventilation port and the opening member from the front of the ventilation port. It is a perspective view which shows the cooling device which concerns on another embodiment. It is an expanded view which shows an opening member. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the cooling device which concerns on another embodiment, and is the figure which looked at the ventilation port and the opening member from the front of the ventilation port. It is a disassembled perspective view of the cooling device which concerns on another embodiment. It is a completion figure of the cooling device concerning another embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the cooling device which concerns on another embodiment, and is the figure which looked at the cooling device from the side. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the position coordinate of a ventilation port in the cooling mode and the dust removal mode, and the flow velocity of the airflow which flows out out of a ventilation port. Furthermore, it is a figure for demonstrating the modification of the cooling device which concerns on another embodiment, and is the figure which looked at the cooling device from the side. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of one Embodiment regarding the switching timing of a mode. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of other embodiment regarding the switching timing of a mode. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of another embodiment about the switching timing of a mode. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of another embodiment about the switching timing of a mode.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Blade member 4 ... Blower port 10 ... Blower mechanism 20 ... Heat sink 30, 50, 80 ... Opening member 31, 51, 81 ... Adjustment port 32 ... Rack gear 40, 64, 74, 89, 140 ... Drive mechanism 41 ... Pinion 42 , 63, 73, 83, 142 ... motors 52, 53, 82 ... full opening 100, 200, 300, 400 ... cooling device 101 ... notebook type PC
130, 131, 132 ... rotating members

Claims (13)

A heat sink,
A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area facing the heat sink;
An annular belt-like member having a first opening having an area smaller than the area of the air outlet and a second opening having an area equivalent to the area of the air outlet ;
In order to switch between a first state in which the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink and a second state in which the second opening is opposed to the air outlet, the belt-like member is A cooling device comprising: a moving mechanism that rotates around the air blowing mechanism . The cooling device according to claim 1 ,
Before Symbol moving mechanism,
A plurality of shafts provided around the air blowing mechanism and supporting the belt-like member so as to rotate the belt-like member around the air blowing mechanism;
A cooling device comprising: a drive source that rotationally drives at least one of the plurality of shafts. A heat sink,
A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area facing the heat sink, and a blade member that generates an airflow flowing out of the blower blower by rotation ;
An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the area of the blower opening;
In order to switch between a first state where the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink and a second state where the first opening is not located between the air outlet and the heat sink, A moving mechanism for moving the opening member ;
A cooling device comprising: control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when rotation of the blade member is started or stopped . A heat sink,
A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area facing the heat sink, and a blade member that generates an airflow flowing out of the blower blower by rotation ;
An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the area of the blower opening;
In order to switch between a first state where the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink and a second state where the first opening is not located between the air outlet and the heat sink, A moving mechanism for moving the opening member ;
A rotation number counting means for counting the rotation number of the blade member;
A rotational speed determination means for determining whether or not the counted rotational speed has reached a specified number;
A cooling device comprising: control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when the rotational speed reaches the prescribed number . A heat sink,
A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area facing the heat sink;
An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the area of the blower opening;
In order to switch between a first state where the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink and a second state where the first opening is not located between the air outlet and the heat sink, A moving mechanism for moving the opening member ;
Time counting means for counting a time since the first state is switched to the second state;
Time determination means for determining whether the counted time has reached a specified time;
A cooling device comprising: control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when the time reaches a specified time . A heat source,
A heat sink for releasing heat from the heat source; a blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area facing the heat sink; a first opening having an area smaller than an area of the blower opening; and an area of the blower opening An annular belt-like member having a second opening having the same area as the first opening, the first state in which the first opening is located between the air blowing port and the heat sink, and the second opening is the air blowing port. An electronic apparatus comprising: a cooling device having a moving mechanism for rotating the belt-like member around the blower mechanism in order to switch between the second state and the second state . A heat source,
A blower mechanism comprising: a heat sink that releases heat from the heat source; a blower opening having a predetermined area facing the heat sink; and a blade member that generates an airflow that flows out of the blower opening by rotation; An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the first area, the first state in which the first opening is located between the air blowing port and the heat sink, and the first opening is the air blowing port and In order to switch between the second state which is not located between the heat sinks, the moving mechanism for moving the opening member, and the second state is changed to the first state when the rotation of the blade member is started or stopped. An electronic apparatus comprising: a cooling device having control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch to a state . A heat source,
A blower mechanism comprising: a heat sink that releases heat from the heat source; a blower opening having a predetermined area facing the heat sink; and a blade member that generates an airflow that flows out of the blower opening by rotation; An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the first area, the first state in which the first opening is located between the air blowing port and the heat sink, and the first opening is the air blowing port and In order to switch between the second state not located between the heat sinks, a moving mechanism for moving the opening member, a rotation number counting means for counting the rotation number of the blade member, and the counted rotation number are defined. A rotation number determination means for determining whether or not the number has reached, and the opening portion so as to switch the second state to the first state when the rotation number reaches the specified number. An electronic device including a cooling device and a control means for controlling the movement of the. A heat source,
A heat sink that releases heat from the heat generation source, a blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area facing the heat sink, an opening member having a first opening having an area smaller than the area of the blower opening, In order to switch between a first state in which the first opening is located between the air outlet and the heat sink and a second state in which the first opening is not located between the air outlet and the heat sink, A moving mechanism for moving the opening member; time counting means for counting a time from when the first state is switched to the second state; and whether the counted time has reached a specified time. and time determination means for determining, when the time reaches the specified time, the second state to switch to the first state, having a control means for controlling the movement of the opening member An electronic device including a cooling device. A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area;
An annular belt-like member having a first opening having an area smaller than the area of the air outlet and a second opening having an area equivalent to the area of the air outlet ;
In order to switch between the first state in which the first opening is located in front of the air outlet and the second state in which the second opening is opposed to the air outlet in front of the air outlet, the band shape A blower device comprising: a moving mechanism that rotates a member around the blower mechanism . A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area and a blade member that generates an airflow flowing out of the blower blower by rotation ;
An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the area of the blower opening;
The opening member is moved in order to switch between a first state in which the first opening is located in front of the air outlet and a second state in which the first opening is not located in front of the air outlet. A moving mechanism ;
A blower comprising: control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when rotation of the blade member is started or stopped . A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area and a blade member that generates an airflow flowing out of the blower blower by rotation ;
An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the area of the blower opening;
The opening member is moved in order to switch between a first state in which the first opening is located in front of the air outlet and a second state in which the first opening is not located in front of the air outlet. A moving mechanism ;
A rotation number counting means for counting the rotation number of the blade member;
A rotational speed determination means for determining whether or not the counted rotational speed has reached a specified number;
A blower comprising: control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when the rotational speed reaches the prescribed number . A blower mechanism having a blower opening of a predetermined area;
An opening member having a first opening with an area smaller than the area of the blower opening;
The opening member is moved in order to switch between a first state in which the first opening is located in front of the air outlet and a second state in which the first opening is not located in front of the air outlet. A moving mechanism ;
Time counting means for counting a time since the first state is switched to the second state;
Time determination means for determining whether the counted time has reached a specified time;
A blower comprising: control means for controlling movement of the opening member so as to switch the second state to the first state when the time reaches a specified time .

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