JPH0864982A - Computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make common use of cooling fans among a plurality of CPU modules and make an easy maintenance during continuous operation. CONSTITUTION: In a box 1 with a plurality of ventilating holes 1a, 1b, CPU packages 3, each of which is constituted of a CPU module and a heat sink, are installed. Two or more cooling fans 2 are installed in the ventilating holes of the box to circulate air in the box l and the outside air and then expose a plurality of the CPU packages 3 to the same cooling air. Out of the cooling fans 2, at least one is used for standby. It is preferable that a plurality of the cooling fans 2 should be installed on an upper face of the box 1 and the air should be taken in through the ventilating holes 1b on three faces of the box, a lower part of both side faces and a bottom face, and be exhausted through the cooling fans 2. Furthermore, it is better for the semiconductor packages 3 to be installed with grooves of the heat sinks positioned up and down.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer provided with a cooling device for semiconductor modules (such as a central processing unit of a computer).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a conventional computer includes a CPU 1 including a CPU module 7, a heat sink 6 and a cooling fan 2 inside a box 1 having a ventilation port 1b. The package 8 is mounted opposite to the ventilation port 1b, and the CPU modules 7 are each provided with an independent forced cooling device. The CPU module 7 is formed by mounting a plurality of LSI chips 5 on one surface of the printed circuit board 4, and the heat sink 6 is mounted by abutting against the anti-mounting surface of the printed circuit board 4 of the CPU module 7, and the cooling fan 2
Are configured by being attached to the tip end surface of the heat sink 6 on the concavo-convex side, for example.

[0003]

However, in the cooling device having the above structure, in a computer in which a large number of CPU modules are mounted, heat must be dissipated to the outside of the casing of the computer. Therefore, the arrangement of the CPU module is restricted in relation to the exhaust port, and the degree of freedom in mounting on a computer is reduced.

In addition, in products such as computers, which require high reliability, it is required that maintenance parts can be replaced while continuously operating. However, as in the prior art, if one CPU module has an independent form including the forced cooling structure, at least two cooling fans are provided for each CPU module because of the redundancy of the cooling fan. A computer equipped with a large number of CPU modules is difficult to implement, configure, and maintain.

Therefore, the present invention is a computer equipped with a large number of CPU modules, which is provided with a cooling device capable of maintaining cooling capacity to reduce restrictions on mounting and facilitating maintenance during continuous operation. The purpose is to provide a machine.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor module having a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on a printed circuit board, and a heat sink mounted in contact with the printed circuit board of the semiconductor module, In a computer provided with a cooling fan for exposing this heat sink with cooling air, a plurality of semiconductor modules equipped with heat sinks are mounted in a box body having a plurality of ventilation holes, and the ventilation holes of the box body are 2 with at least one spare
It is provided with at least one cooling fan to circulate the air inside the box and the outside air and expose a plurality of semiconductor modules to a common cooling air.

Further, it is preferable that a plurality of cooling fans are provided on the upper surface of the box body, and air is taken in from ventilation holes provided in the lower surface of each side surface and three surfaces of the bottom surface and exhausted by the cooling fan. Further, it is effective to mount a plurality of semiconductor modules having a heat sink mounted inside a box with a plurality of U-shaped grooves of the heat sink in the vertical direction.

[0008]

When a plurality of semiconductor modules equipped with heat sinks are mounted in a box body having a plurality of ventilation holes, and at least two cooling fans with at least one cooling fan being a spare are provided in the ventilation holes of the box body. The air respectively sucked from the ventilation holes of the box body enters a mixed state in the box body, and this common cooling air passes while cooling the plurality of semiconductor modules and the heat sink. Therefore, even when the cooling fan is maintained, that is, one is replaced, the common cooling air maintains the cooling state of the semiconductor module only by switching to the spare one without stopping the operation of the computer.

Further, a plurality of cooling fans are provided on the upper surface of the box body, and when the air is taken in from the ventilation openings provided on the bottom and bottom surfaces of both sides, respectively, and exhausted by the cooling fan, the ventilation openings are taken in by the cooling fan. Is increased, and the cooling air is rectified by the cooling fan until it is exhausted. The cooling air enhances the cooling capacity of the semiconductor module.

Further, when a plurality of semiconductor modules having heat sinks are mounted in the box body with a plurality of U-shaped grooves of the heat sinks in the vertical direction, the rectified cooling air is blown along the U-shaped grooves. Since the air passes through in a state where the path resistance is low, the low air path resistance enhances the air circulation efficiency of the entire heat sink and enhances the cooling capability of the semiconductor joule.

Furthermore, when the semiconductor module is cooled by a common cooling air, the semiconductor module and the cooling fan can be separated from each other. Expand your freedom.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIGS. 1 and 2 showing an embodiment and FIGS. 3 and 4 showing a conventional example, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals. There is. 1 and 2, the box body 1 has three circular ventilation openings 1a for mounting the cooling fan 2 on the upper surface, and rectangular ventilation openings 1b on each of the lower end surfaces and the bottom surface. It will be the case of a computer made of thin plates. Inside the box body 1, there are mounted four CPU packages 3 each including an accessory device (not shown) and a CPU module 7 which is an example of a semiconductor module on which a heat sink 6 is mounted. The CPU module 7 is constructed by mounting nine LSI chips 5 on a metallic printed board 4, and the anti-LSI chip mounting surface of the printed board 4 is fixed by abutting against the surface of the heat receiving portion 6 a of the heat sink 6. ing. Multiple CPUs
The package 3 is arranged in such a manner that the grooves 6b formed by the unevenness of the heat sink 6 are arranged in the vertical direction and is attached to an accessory device (not shown). Three cooling fans 2 are attached by screws (not shown) in the posture in which the blades are located at the upper ventilation opening 1a of the box body 1 and faced upward. Each of the heat sink 6, the ventilation port 1b, and the cooling fan 2 constitutes a cooling device for the CPU module 7. Two cooling fans 2 are sufficient in terms of cooling capacity, but one cooling fan is provided as a spare.

In the above-mentioned structure, the cooling fan 2 is operated so as to exhaust upward, and sucks outside air from the three ventilation holes at the lower part. The outside air taken in through each ventilation port 1b becomes rectified as it goes upward as shown by the arrow, passes along the groove 6b of each heat sink of the CPU package 3, and is exhausted by the cooling fan 2. If the CPU module 7 is cooled as described above, the CPU module 7
Since the cooling fan 2 and the cooling fan 2 are separated from each other, even when the cooling fan 2 is replaced during maintenance of the computer, it is possible to maintain the continuous operation of the computer only by operating the backup cooling fan.

Further, since the CPU package 8 is not provided with a cooling fan, the positional relationship with the ventilation port is relatively free. Therefore, the installation location can be arbitrarily selected within the box 1, and the mounting itself can be facilitated because there is no movable part. Furthermore, by separating the cooling fan 2 from the CPU package, the number of spare cooling fans required for the reliability of the computer can be reduced.

[0015]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. A plurality of semiconductor modules equipped with heat sinks are mounted in a box body having a plurality of ventilation holes, and at least two cooling fans with at least one spare are provided in the ventilation holes of the box body to provide air inside the box body. By exposing the plurality of semiconductor modules to a common cooling air by circulating the cooling air and the outside air, the cooling fan can be maintained without stopping the operation of the computer by operating the auxiliary cooling fan. Also, only one spare cooling fan is required for the reliability of the computer.

Further, a plurality of cooling fans are provided on the upper surface of the box body, and air is taken in from ventilation openings provided on the bottom and bottom surfaces of both side surfaces, respectively, and exhausted by the cooling fans, so that the flow is rectified upward. The cooling air improves its circulation efficiency. Furthermore, by mounting a plurality of semiconductor modules with a heat sink mounted inside the box with a plurality of U-shaped grooves of the heat sink in the vertical direction, the resistance of the cooling air passage is reduced and the circulation efficiency of the cooling air is improved. These two
The conventional cooling capacity can be maintained by the two synergistic effects.

Further, since the semiconductor module and the cooling fan are separated, the mounting location of the semiconductor module does not depend on the position of the ventilation port, and can be selected relatively freely within the box body. . Therefore, the mounting of the semiconductor module becomes easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a computer showing a cross section of an essential part showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the CPU package of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a computer showing a conventional example.

4 is an enlarged perspective view of the CPU package of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Box 2 Cooling Fan 3 CPU Package 4 Printed Circuit Board 5 LSI Chip 6 Heat Sink 7 CPU Module 8 CPU Package

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location H01L 23/467

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor module having a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on a printed circuit board, a heat sink mounted in contact with the printed circuit board of the semiconductor module, and a cooling fan for exposing the heat sink with cooling air. And a plurality of semiconductor modules with heat sinks mounted in a box body having a plurality of ventilation holes, and at least one spare at the ventilation hole of the box body. A computer equipped with a cooling fan to circulate the air inside the box and the outside air to expose a plurality of semiconductor modules to a common cooling air. 2. The computer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of cooling fans are provided on the upper surface of the box body, and air is taken in through ventilation holes provided on the lower surface and the bottom surface of both side surfaces, and exhausted by the cooling fan. A computer that is characterized by what you have done. 3. The computer according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of semiconductor modules having heat sinks mounted therein are mounted in a box body with a plurality of U-shaped grooves of the heat sinks facing up and down.