JPH11330757A - Personal computer cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To contemplate a reduction in the power consumption of a cooling means in a personal computer cooling device and a miniaturization of the cooling device. SOLUTION: In a personal computer cooling device of a structure, wherein a heating electronic element 5 is provided in the interior of a personal computer body 1, an evaporation part 8a is provided on the element 5 in such a way that heat can be given and received at the same time, a condensation part 23b is provided on a heat dissipation place 4 and moreover, one part of a container is provided with a heat pipe mechanism 8 provided with a cooling part 9 and a heat pipe mechanism 23 and a cooling means 13, which is driven by power and feeds selectively an air current to the cooling part 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a central processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated as CPU) or a hard disk drive (hereinafter abbreviated as HDD) mounted on a personal computer using a heat pipe and a fan. The present invention relates to a cooling device configured to perform cooling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of personal computers, the output of electronic devices such as CPUs and HDDs has been increasing due to the increase in functions and processing speed. On the other hand, there has been a strong demand for miniaturization and weight reduction. I have. Therefore, the space that the device for cooling the electronic element can occupy in the internal space of the personal computer case is also limited.

Therefore, conventionally, various cooling devices employing heat pipes having an excellent heat transport capability have been proposed. As an example, a CP provided inside a PC case
There is a cooling device having a configuration in which one end of a heat pipe is connected to U, the other end of the heat pipe is connected to a heat sink, and a microfan that sends air toward the heat sink is further provided.

Therefore, according to this cooling device, the CPU
Heat is transferred to the heat sink by the working fluid of the heat pipe, and the heat is discharged to the outside of the PC case together with the airflow generated by the micro fan, so that the CPU can be reliably prevented from overheating. There is an advantage that heat does not stay inside the PC case.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional cooling device, the micro-fan is set to a temperature at which the CPU is overheated, that is, a cooling capacity capable of maintaining the CPU below the limit temperature, and the personal computer is started up. Even though the heat value of the CPU is small, such as immediately after, the micro fan is driven to exhibit the cooling capacity corresponding to the assumed maximum heat value, so that the power consumption required for cooling increases. was there. In addition, the battery has to be increased in capacity and size accordingly, and thus the conventional cooling device described above has a problem that it is not suitable for a recent personal computer which is desired to be reduced in size and weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a compact personal computer cooling device capable of reducing the power consumption of the cooling means.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a personal computer cooling apparatus provided with an electronic element that generates heat inside a personal computer main body. A heat pipe mechanism, which is provided so as to be capable of exchanging heat, has a condensing portion provided at a heat radiating portion, and further has a cooling portion provided in a part of the container; And cooling means for selectively supplying

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the electronic element generates heat, the liquid-phase working fluid is heated and evaporated in the evaporating section of the heat pipe mechanism, and the working fluid vapor is directed toward the condensing section having low temperature and low internal pressure. As well as flowing
Heat is condensed by radiating heat to the heat radiating point. That is, the heat of the electronic element is supplied to the heat radiating point via the heat pipe mechanism. Then, the heat is radiated to the outside from the heat radiation portion, and as a result, the electronic element is cooled.

Here, if the cooling means is not driven, only the cooling by the heat radiation from the above-mentioned heat radiation place is performed. On the other hand, if the cooling means is driven,
A part of the heat of the electronic element included in the heat pipe mechanism is transmitted to the airflow in the cooling unit, and is transferred to a location away from the electronic element together with the airflow. The above-described cooling action by the heat pipe mechanism is also continuously performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to select the cooling means according to the heat value of the electronic element. In other words, in a state where the amount of heat generation is small, cooling is performed only by radiating heat from the heat radiating point without using the cooling means, and when heat that cannot be sufficiently cooled by such a cooling action occurs, the cooling means is also used. I do. That is, it is not necessary to constantly drive the cooling means, and therefore, it is possible to suppress the power consumption thereof.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a notebook personal computer will be described below with reference to FIGS. The personal computer case 1 corresponding to the personal computer body of the present invention is a rectangular hollow container having a relatively small thickness formed of a plastic panel or a metal panel, similarly to a conventionally known one, and conforms to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards). A5 to A4 size. A keyboard (not shown) is attached to the upper surface of the personal computer case 1 by means such as fitting.

Further, a display 3 which is opened and closed with respect to the personal computer case 1 by being rotated about a rotary shaft 2 is provided at one edge on the upper end side of the personal computer case 1. The display 3 is a flat hollow container having a screen (not shown) on one surface, and an electromagnetic shielding plate 4 made of a thin aluminum plate is provided therein.

At the bottom inside the personal computer case 1, a CPU 5 corresponding to the electronic element of the present invention is installed.
A heat transfer member 6 made of a metal block having the same shape as the upper surface of the CPU 5 is provided on the upper surface of the CPU 5 in FIG. The heat transfer member 6 is a member for promoting heat transfer between the first heat pipe 8 and the CPU 5 described later, and its upper surface in FIG. 1 follows the container shape of the first heat pipe 8. A semicircular mounting groove 7 is formed.

The first heat pipe 8 has one end fitted into the mounting groove 7. That is, the first heat pipe 8 and the CPU 5 are configured to be able to exchange heat with each other. As the first heat pipe 8, for example, a pipe in which pure water is sealed in a copper container having a circular cross section with hard chrome plating applied to the outer surface is employed.

On the other hand, the other end of the first heat pipe 8 is arranged so as to be able to transfer heat to and from a heat sink 9 arranged at the bottom of the personal computer case 1 near the display 3. Specifically, the heat sink 9 corresponds to the cooling unit of the present invention, and is provided in parallel with a narrow interval and parallel to the inner surface of the main body 10 made of a metal pipe having a rectangular cross section. It is constituted by a large number of fins 11. 1 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 10 in FIG. 1 with an appropriate attachment member 12 in a posture in which the end of the first heat pipe 8 is along.

Since the height of the upper surface of the heat sink 9 is set higher than the upper surface of the heat transfer member 6,
The first heat pipe 8 has a posture in which an end disposed on the heat sink 9 is located above an end disposed on the CPU 5 side. That is, the first heat pipe 8 operates in the bottom heat mode in which the condenser 8b is provided at a higher position than the evaporator 8a.

An intermediate portion of the first heat pipe 8 is appropriately bent so as to pass through a gap between parts (not shown) provided inside the personal computer case 1, that is, a so-called dead space. If necessary, the outer periphery of the intermediate portion of the first heat pipe 8 may be heat-insulated and coated, so that heat released from the container into the PC case 1 during operation of the heat pipe can be reduced. Can be done.

A micro fan 13 is integrally attached to an opening end on the right side of the main body 10 of the heat sink 9 in FIG. As the micro fan 13, a lower horizontal discharge type radial flow fan having a structure in which a blade 14 to be driven to rotate is provided inside a housing 15 is adopted, and a suction portion 16 of the housing 15 is provided with a heat sink 9.
Is attached to the open end of the main body portion 10 in an airtight state. The micro fan 13 is driven by the power of a battery (not shown) provided as a standard inside the personal computer case 1, and corresponds to the cooling means of the present invention.

On the other hand, the discharge portion 1 of the housing 15
7 is an exhaust hole 1 provided on a side wall surface of the personal computer case 1.
8 is provided in the vicinity. That is, the micro fan 1
3 is operated, air inside the personal computer case 1 enters the inside of the main body 10 from one opening end of the heat sink 9 as shown by the arrow, and the micro fan 1
3 flows toward the discharge section 17 of
And sent out to the outside.

Further, a hinge member 19 serving as a holding means for the second heat pipe 23 is attached to a side surface of the main body 10 of the heat sink 9 on the display 3 side by means such as fitting or screwing. That is, the hinge member 19 and the heat sink 9 are configured to be able to exchange heat with each other. Specifically, the hinge member 19 is made of Cu
Alternatively, it is a metal block made of Al or the like, and as shown in FIG. 2, a flat plate portion 20 which comes into surface contact with and adheres to the main body portion 10 of the heat sink 9, and a substantially cylindrical portion provided along an upper edge portion of the flat plate portion 20. And a sleeve portion 21 having a shape. Further, the sleeve portion 21 is formed with a circular mounting hole 22 penetrating linearly to the opposing end face. Note that the hinge member 19 is connected to the heat sink 9.
It is also possible to adopt a configuration integrally formed with the above.

The second heat pipe 2 is provided in the mounting hole 22.
3, one end is inserted from the right side in FIG. 1, and the end serves as an evaporator 23a. The container of the second heat pipe 23 has a circular cross section having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the mounting hole 22, and is not fixed to the mounting hole 22 at all. Although not particularly shown, a thermal joint is applied between the mounting hole 22 and the second heat pipe 23. Therefore, the second heat pipe 23 is attached to the mounting hole 22 around its central axis.
It can be freely rotated inside the.

Further, the end of the second heat pipe 23 held by the hinge member 19 is arranged on the same axis as the rotating shaft 2 provided in the personal computer case 1. As described above, the second heat pipe 23 and the first heat pipe 8 are connected so as to be able to exchange heat via the heat sink 9 and the hinge member 19, and the heat pipe mechanism of the present invention is constituted by these two heat pipes. Have been.

On the other hand, the other end of the second heat pipe 23 is bent substantially at a right angle, and is attached in a posture along the electromagnetic shielding plate 4 provided on the display 3. As described above, the condensing portion 23b of the second heat pipe 23 is disposed so as to be able to exchange heat with the electromagnetic shielding plate 4 corresponding to the heat radiation portion of the present invention. In other words, the second heat pipe 23
The evaporating portion 23a rotates along the central axis while being in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 22.

Next, the operation of the cooling device configured as described above will be described. Also in the above notebook personal computer, heat is generated from the CPU 5 with use. For example, when the amount of heat generated by the CPU 5 is small, for example, immediately after starting up a personal computer, only cooling with the display 3 as a heat radiating point is performed. When the heat of the CPU 5 is transmitted to one end of the first heat pipe 8 via the heat transfer member, a temperature difference occurs at both ends of the first heat pipe 8, so that the heat pipe operation is automatically started.

More specifically, the liquid-phase working fluid sealed in the container is heated and evaporated by the CPU 5, and the vapor is transferred to the other end of the container having a low internal pressure, that is, the end connected to the heat sink 9. Then, the heat flows toward the heat sink 9 and condenses. The working fluid that has returned to the liquid phase flows down the inner surface of the container toward the evaporating section of the first heat pipe 8, where it is heated by the heat of the CPU 5 and evaporates again.

The heat of the CPU 5 supplied to the heat sink 9 is transmitted to the flat plate portion 20 of the hinge member 19 and then to the end of the second heat pipe 23 inserted into the mounting hole 22. You. In this case, since the outer wall surface of the main body portion 10 of the heat sink 9 and the flat plate portion 20 are both flat surfaces and are in surface contact with each other, the thermal resistance between them is small, and the heat of the CPU 5 Good transmission to the member 19.

When one end is heated, the second heat pipe 23 starts operating. When the personal computer is used, the display 3 is usually in an upright state. Therefore, the second heat pipe 23 operates in the bottom heat mode in which the evaporating section is located below the condensing section. Specifically, the working fluid vapor is generated on the inner surface of the end of the container held by the hinge member 19, and the vapor flows toward the end disposed on the display 3, and the vapor flows to the electromagnetic shielding plate 4. Radiates and condenses. Further, the heat is transmitted from the electromagnetic shielding plate 4 to the display 3,
Dissipated from its surface to the outside. As a result, the CPU 5 is cooled.

Here, in a state where the amount of heat generated by the CPU 5 has increased due to, for example, continuous use of the personal computer for a long time, cooling using the micro fan 13 is started. Specifically, by driving the micro fan 13, air inside the personal computer case 1 is introduced into the main body 10 from the opening on the right side of the heat sink 9 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1. At the same time, it moves toward the micro fan 13 side. As described above, since the heat of the CPU 5 is supplied to the heat sink 9 via the first heat pipe 8 at this time, a part of the heat held by the heat sink 9 is transmitted to the airflow passing through the inside. .

The heated high-temperature air flow is further introduced into the housing 15 of the microfan 13 and
The air is discharged from the exhaust hole 18 to the outside of the personal computer case 1 via the discharge unit 17. That is, a part of the heat of the heat sink 9 is transferred to the outside of the personal computer case 1 together with the air flow.

On the other hand, the second heat pipe 23
Cooling is also continued. That is, the heat of the CPU 5 installed inside the personal computer case 1 is discharged to the outside from each of the display 3 and the exhaust hole 18. As a result, overheating of the CPU 5 can be prevented.

As described above, according to the above specific example, the CPU
It is possible to appropriately select two types of cooling means in accordance with the heat generation state of No. 5, and it is not necessary to constantly drive the micro-fan 13, so that the power consumption of the micro-fan 13 can be suppressed low. In addition, since the capacity of the battery can be reduced, the size of the device itself can be reduced. Further, there is an advantage that so-called wind noise (drive sound of the micro fan 13) does not occur in a state where the heat generation amount of the CPU 5 is small.

In the above specific example, the electromagnetic shielding plate is exemplified as the heat radiating point. However, the present invention is not limited to the above specific example. For example, the condensing portion of the second heat pipe is exposed to the outer wall surface of the display. It may be configured so as to fit along. Further, in the above specific example, the heat pipe mechanism is constituted by two single pipe type heat pipes. However, the present invention is not limited to the above specific example, and for example, a loop type heat pipe or one single pipe type heat pipe may be replaced with a heat pipe. It can also be adopted as a mechanism. Further, in the above specific example, the CPU mounted on the notebook type personal computer is used as the electronic element to be cooled. However, the present invention is not limited to the above specific example. For example, the HDD mounted on the desktop type personal computer or the sub notebook type personal computer Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to an SVGA (super video graphic array).

[0033]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the heat pipe mechanism in which the evaporating section is provided in the electronic element and the condensing section is provided in the heat radiating portion, and the cooling pipe provided in the heat pipe mechanism is provided. And a cooling means for selectively supplying an air flow to the unit, so that the cooling means may be driven only when the heat generated by the electronic element is large,
The power consumption of the cooling means can be reduced as compared with the conventional case. In addition, since the capacity of the battery can be reduced accordingly, the size of the device can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example in which the present invention is applied to a notebook personal computer.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an assembled state of a heat sink, a hinge member, and a second heat pipe.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Personal computer case, 2 ... Rotating axis, 3 ... Display, 4 ... Electromagnetic shielding plate, 5 ... CPU, 8 ... First heat pipe, 8a ... Evaporation part, 9 ... Heat sink, 1
Reference numeral 3: micro fan, 18: exhaust hole, 19: hinge member, 23: second heat pipe, 23b: condensing section.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Katsuo Eguchi 1-5-1, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Inside Fujikura Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tan Nuen 1-5-1, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Stock Company Inside Fujikura

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling device for a personal computer provided with an electronic element that generates heat inside a personal computer main body, wherein the electronic element is provided with an evaporating unit so as to be able to exchange heat and a condensing unit is provided at a heat radiating point. A personal computer, further comprising: a heat pipe mechanism in which a cooling unit is provided in a part of the container; and cooling means driven by electric power and selectively supplying an air flow to the cooling unit. Cooling system.