Radiator with integrated pump for actively cooling electronic devices

Abstract

An integrated cooling apparatus for actively cooling one or more electronic components in an electronic device such as a computer is provided. The cooling apparatus includes a radiator and a pump integrally attached to the radiator. The pump can include a pump housing having an first pump housing member attached to the radiator and a second pump housing member detachably securable to the upper pump housing member. The cooling system includes a flow inlet and a flow outlet for attaching hoses or conduits to the radiator for actively moving a liquid coolant to and from an external cooling block or cooling plate. The external cooling block or cooling plate can be attached to the electronic component to be cooled, such as a computer graphics card, microprocessor, or other circuit component.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 969,284 filed Dec. 15, 2010 entitled “RADIATOR WITH INTEGRATED PUMP FOR ACTIVELY COOLING ELECTRONIC DEVICES,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 286,571 filed Dec. 15, 2009 entitled “A Radiator with Integrated Pump for Water Cooled Computer Systems,” which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.[0002]A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0003]Not ApplicableREFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX[0004]Not Applica...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present patent discloses cooling apparatuses that have a radiator with a first and second flow direction, a pump with a first and second pump housing members, and a pump rotor. The cooling apparatus can be used to cool electronic or optical devices by circulating a liquid coolant through the radiator and pump rotor. The apparatus can be designed to have a different pump depth than the radiator depth, allowing for optimal cooling efficiency. The technical effects include improved cooling efficiency and reduced space usage for cooling devices.

Problems solved by technology

In many applications, the space surrounding the circuit component to be cooled inside the electronic device does not provide adequate room for a closed-loop active liquid cooling system.

One problem associated with conventional active remote cooling systems of this nature involves the use of numerous individual components.

Such conventional designs requiring three hoses and a standalone pump undesirably add complexity and potential leakage locations to the active cooling system.

Another problem associated with some conventional active liquid cooling systems for electronic devices includes the placement of the inlet and outlet orifices in the heat exchanger.

By positioning an opening in the reservoir at a relatively high elevation on the electronic device, such conventional devices create an enhanced possibility of damage to circuit components if a leak should develop at the elevated opening position during use.

Another problem associated with conventional active liquid cooling systems for electronic devices is placement of all cooling system components inside the electronic device.

Disassembly of the electronic device in such instances can be time consuming and costly and can increase the likelihood of damage to other system components or the electronic device itself during disassembly.

Another problem associated with some conventional active liquid cooling devices includes the space requirements inside the electronic device.

The electronic device may have limited room allocated to the placement of a liquid cooling device and the various components of the liquid cooling device and how they are assembled for liquid coolant flow.

The liquid cooling device may require additional space, which is not available in the electronic device.

Another problem associated with some conventional active liquid cooling devices includes the orientation of the devices and specifically the flow orientation.

Some conventional liquid cooling devices may be less efficient and effective at circulating coolant through the device because of inefficiencies in the fluid dynamics.

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