Combined heat exchanger and RF shield

Abstract

The thermal assembly has a shield portion and a heat exchanger portion. The shield portion includes a plurality of honeycomb structures adapted to block radio frequency radiation (RF) having a frequency within a target frequency range, and the heat exchanger portion includes a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

Description

Background Art

[0001] In the design of consumer electronic devices, there are often heat generating components in the device that require active cooling. Cooling is usually achieved by circulating air within the device housing through one or more fans. Each fan must be designed and configured so that it generates enough pressure to overcome the net airflow impedance of the system. However, the action of the fan and the circulation of air can cause acoustic noise to be generated, which can be irritating to the user. The continuous efforts to increase component power levels and reduce device size have created challenges related to heat dissipation and impedance mitigation within consumer electronic devices. Summary of the invention

[0002] According to some embodiments, a thermal assembly includes a shield formed of a plurality of honeycomb structures adapted to block radio frequency (RF) having a frequency within a target frequency range, and a heat exchanger including a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

[0003] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are also described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] Other implementations are also described and listed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 An example electronic device is illustrated that includes a thermal assembly that functions as both a shield against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and a heat exchanger.

[0007] Figure 2A An example metallic planar component is illustrated that can be physically manipulated during the manufacturing process to form a portion of a combined thermal assembly that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger.

[0008] Figure 2B Examples of freedom and Figure 2A The same or similar planar metal components shown form columns of honeycomb structures.

[0009] Figure 2C Illustrated Figure 2A An enlarged view of the thermal assembly shown in , illustrating the interlocking stamping features.

[0010] Figure 3A A perspective view of another example thermal assembly that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger when integrated into an electronic device is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 3B Illustrated in the same Figure 3A A front elevation view of the thermal assembly is shown in FIG.

[0012] Figure 3C express Figure 3A A top-down cross-sectional view of the thermal assembly is shown in FIG.

[0013] Figure 3D Illustrated Figure 3A Another cross-sectional view of the thermal assembly shown in FIG.

[0014] Figure 3E A single metal fin component is illustrated according to some implementations, which can be combined with other similar components to form Figures 3A-3D The thermal components are shown in FIG.

[0015] Figure 3F exemplifies that have been connected together to form Figures 3A-3D An example metal fin assembly of a portion of a thermal assembly is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Within a mobile device housing, sensitive circuit components may be packaged behind a metal shield or in a metal cage (known as a Faraday cage) that provides protection from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). For example, a shield may be used to package individual components against a device's printed circuit board (PCB), such as RF transmitting components and sensitive electrical components that may be affected by EMI or RFI.

[0017] A conventional Faraday enclosure is constructed of a conductive stamped metal sheet formed to completely surround a protected component (e.g., a component that is a noise source of EMI or RFI, or a component that is particularly sensitive to functional disruption due to EMI / RFI). A Faraday cage is used to prevent electromagnetic noise from entering the cage and / or to contain electromagnetic noise generated within the cage.

[0018] In designs where the protected components generate heat, small holes may be added to the structure to allow airflow through the barrier (e.g., cage wall). These holes are carefully sized to be at or below a defined minimum diameter to ensure that RF shielding capabilities are not compromised within the target frequency range.

[0019] In some consumer electronics, a Faraday cage may be used near one or more heat exchangers designed to draw heat away from the same components that the Faraday cage is designed to protect. An ideal Faraday cage allows for efficient heat transfer and low impedance to surrounding airflow. To meet these goals, one popular heat exchanger design uses an array of straight, parallel fins stacked together. The fins move heat from a heat source (e.g., a cold plate or heat pipe) to the surrounding air.

[0020] Current consumer electronics designs typically implement the Faraday cage and heat exchanger as separate components, positioning the two components in series. These designs effectively direct airflow through two separate coherent barriers (e.g., one from the hole in the Faraday cage and the other as it enters the "fins" of the heat exchanger). In effect, the two separate barriers act as two separate impedance sources. This traditional approach can reduce overall airflow, degrade thermal performance, and increase unwanted acoustic fan noise.

[0021] The technology disclosed herein proposes the design of a single thermal component according to various implementations, which serves as both an electromagnetic shield (e.g., a wall that can be part of a Faraday cage) and a heat exchanger. The combined design eliminates the above-mentioned double-barrier airflow impedance problem by providing both EMI shielding and heat dissipation functionality in a combined structure (for which both the shielding and heat dissipation components share a common entry point and a common exit point for airflow) rather than directing airflow through two separate barriers. By reducing airflow impedance, this design improves cooling efficiency and reduces fan noise. In addition, manufacturing costs are also reduced due to the use of a single low-cost component that performs the functions traditionally performed by two separate components.

[0022] Figure 1 An example electronic device 100 is illustrated that includes a thermal assembly 102 that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger. The thermal assembly 102 forms one wall of a Faraday cage 104 that surrounds a protected assembly 106. In various implementations, the protected assembly 106 may be one or more RF source assemblies or, alternatively, one or more RF-susceptible electrical assemblies. In the following description, the term "RF source assembly" refers to an assembly that generates electromagnetic radiation that, if not controlled, may interfere with the functionality of other electronic assemblies. For example, a Faraday cage 104 may be used to isolate a microprocessor from its surroundings. In contrast, an "RF susceptible element" is a non-emitting electrical assembly that may be affected by EMI or RFI, such as circuit inputs, amplifier stages, cables and wires that are sensitive to crosstalk, and the like.

[0023] exist Figure 11, for simplicity of illustration, the faraday cage 104 is shown with the top panel omitted; however, it is understood that according to some implementations, the faraday cage 104 is a six-sided metal structure that completely encloses the protected component 106. The five visible surfaces of the faraday cage 104 include surfaces 108, 110, 112, 114, and a fifth surface referred to herein as an EMI shielding portion 116, which is part of the thermal assembly 102. In addition to the EMI shielding portion 116, the thermal assembly 102 also includes a heat exchanger portion 118, which includes a plurality of elongated channels extending from the EMI shielding portion 116 and connected to the EMI shielding portion 116.

[0024] A magnified view 102a shows a portion of the thermal assembly 102 in greater detail. The view illustrates a close-up subset 116a of the EMI shielding portion 116 and a subset of the heat exchanger portion 118 (including channels having an example channel length 118a). From this view, it can be seen that the thermal assembly 102 is a porous, meshed metal wall having openings referred to herein as "honeycombs" (e.g., honeycomb 117), each of which directs airflow through a corresponding one of a plurality of channels extending through the heat exchanger portion 118. In different implementations, the honeycombs in the EMI shielding portion 116 of the thermal assembly 102 can take on a variety of different shapes and sizes depending on several factors including the target shielding frequency range of the Faraday cage 104 and corresponding EMI development requirements. In general, the honeycomb apertures of the EMI shielding portion typically have a diameter that is about 50 times smaller than the wavelength of the frequency of interest. In one implementation where the target shielding frequency is 2.4 GHz, each honeycomb aperture will have a diameter of about 2.5 mm.

[0025] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of honeycomb structures forming the EMI shielding portion 116 has honeycomb structure walls that directly abut (contact) a plurality of immediately adjacent honeycomb structures. In the particular design illustrated, each honeycomb structure is hexagonal, and each of the six segments of the hexagonal sidewalls is in contact with a corresponding hexagonal sidewall segment of an adjacent honeycomb structure. In other implementations, directly adjacent honeycomb structures may share one or more walls. Figure 1The hexagonal honeycomb structure shape is intended to illustrate one of many suitable shapes, including but not limited to circles, other polygons, or irregular polygons that meet manufacturing and assembly constraints. However, it is worth noting that the illustrated hexagonal design may be particularly effective in dissipating heat due to the increased amount of contact surface area between adjacent honeycomb structures compared to designs of other shapes. For example, the honeycomb structure 117 is shown as having three side walls that each contact a different one of the three side walls that respectively surround different adjacent honeycomb structures. The honeycomb structure at the center of the honeycomb structure can have all six side walls in contact with the side walls of the adjacent honeycomb structures. This increase in honeycomb structure to honeycomb structure contact surface area provides an increase in heat absorption (conduction) of the airflow passing through the thermal assembly 102.

[0026] Although the thermal assembly 102 may have different dimensions in different implementations, the length of each elongated channel in the heat exchanger portion 118 may be understood to have a length (e.g., channel length 118a) that is several times longer than the diameter of the honeycomb structure 117, thereby forming an opening to each channel to effectively spread and dissipate the heat generated inside the Faraday cage 104.

[0027] In addition to those elements discussed above, electronic device 100 also includes a ventilation and cooling system that also includes one or more fans (e.g., fan 126) inside faraday cage 104 to direct airflow through thermal assembly 102. Some implementations may implement thermal assembly 102 in a cooling system that does not include fans.

[0028] To further dissipate the heat transferred to the thermal component 102, the electronic device 100 also includes a heat pipe 120 that is coupled to the thermal component 102 at a location outside the Faraday cage 104. The heat pipe 120 removes heat from the thermal component 102 and directs it to the heat sink 122. Implementations that include the heat pipe 120 and / or the heat sink can provide thermal coupling between these components and the thermal component 102 in a variety of different ways. Some implementations may not include the heat sink 122 or the heat pipe 120, or both.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In some implementations, each honeycomb structure in the EMI shielding portion 116 is open to only one channel, and the internal shape of each channel matches the shape of the corresponding honeycomb structure (e.g., the hexagonal honeycomb structure openings in the EMI shielding portion 116 are expanded into hexagonal channels that run through the length of the heat exchanger portion 118).

[0030] Thermal assembly 102 may be made of a variety of suitable electrically conductive materials, including, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, and or other materials having suitable thermal conductivity.

[0031] Due to the fact that the honeycomb structure can effectively shield radiation emissions, the air flow impedance leaving the Faraday cage 104 is less compared to a design in which the Faraday cage 104 and the heat exchanger are separate components that act as two separate barriers to the air flow.

[0032] Although not shown, it will be appreciated that the Faraday cage 104 may also include a porous honeycomb structure opening for intake air (e.g., the second thermal assembly 102), and may also enclose one or more fans for circulating airflow from the intake air and exhausting it through the honeycomb structure in the EMI shielding portion 116.

[0033] Figure 2A , 2B 2C illustrate various aspects of an example thermal assembly that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger according to some implementations. Figure 2A An example metal plane component 210 is illustrated that can be manipulated (e.g., bent and adhered to itself in various places) to form a portion of a combined thermal assembly that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger. During the construction process, the metal plane component 210 is bent along various deflection points (e.g., deflection points 214 and 216) to form a single honeycomb structure column, which is then attached to other honeycomb structure columns to form a similar structure to that described with respect to FIG. Figure 1 Honeycomb structure shown and described.

[0034] Figure 2B Three example honeycomb structure columns 218, 220, 222 are illustrated, each of which is composed of different Figure 2A The planar metal components are individually bent along designated deflection points (e.g., deflection point 214) to form the resulting honeycomb structure column. For example, Figure 2A The central pane 206 of the metal planar component 210 may correspond to the top surface 212 of the honeycomb structure column 218 .

[0035] In some implementations, the butted adjacent surfaces of each individual honeycomb structure column are bonded together by a conductive adhesive, solder, or other suitable means to form a seam between those surfaces. In some implementations, the adhesive or solder is thermally conductive so as to distribute heat between the honeycomb structure columns. In some implementations, the columns are mechanically connected to each other (e.g., via snaps or latches). The different honeycomb structure columns 218, 220, and 222 are interconnected with several other similar columns to form a thermal assembly that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger, such as Figure 1102 of the thermal assembly. It is noted that for simplicity, the column 222 is shown at a position offset from the other two honeycomb structure columns 218 and 220. Once integrated into the final thermal assembly, the honeycomb structure column 222 can be aligned with the adjacent honeycomb structure column 220 in the same manner as the column 220 is aligned with the honeycomb structure column 218.

[0036] Although the different columns may be connected together in a variety of suitable ways, the illustrated example uses a latch and hook type attachment mechanism. Figure 2A exemplifies a method designed such as by inserting a latch 224 (in Figure 2A , 2B , 2C) are connected to corresponding openings 226, 228 (e.g., also in Figure 2A , 2B , 2C) to create several stamped features that interlock with each other.

[0037] Figure 2C An enlarged view of a honeycomb structure column 218 is illustrated, which shows the interlocking stamped features described above in more detail. Specifically, the illustrated design includes stamped latches (e.g., Figure 2A The latch 224 is bent inwardly and around a center post between two openings 226, 228 stamped on adjacent honeycomb structure columns 220 to attach the two honeycomb structure columns 218 and 220 together. In some implementations, adjacent columns may be attached to each other via other attachment mechanisms including, but not limited to, conductive adhesives, solder, etc. (e.g., in addition to or in place of the stamped latches described above).

[0038] Once constructed, the thermal assembly formed by attaching the individual columns together as described and illustrated above includes a porous honeycomb wall structure that acts as an RF shield for radiation within the target frequency range. Each cell in the honeycomb wall structure extends in length to form a corresponding elongated channel that provides heat dissipation for air passing through the thermal assembly 202. Figure 2A and 2B Various aspects of thermal assembly 202 not explicitly described may be related to Figure 1 Or those aspects that are the same or similar to those described in other implementations of this document.

[0039] Figure 3AA perspective view of another example thermal assembly 300 that functions as both an EMI shield and a heat exchanger when integrated into an electronic device is illustrated. The thermal assembly 300 includes an EMI shielding portion 304 and a heat exchanger portion 306. The EMI shielding portion 304 is a wall formed by a honeycomb honeycomb structure that is specifically designed to meet specified EMI shielding requirements for radiation within a target frequency range. For example, such requirements may impose limits on the maximum honeycomb structure diameter, such as by requiring that the diameter be less than the maximum peak-to-peak amplitude within the target shielding frequency range. In other implementations, the EMI shielding portion 304 is designed to meet EMI shielding requirements that provide a maximum percentage of open surface area in the EMI shielding portion 304.

[0040] In one implementation, thermal element 302 is integrated within an electronic device such that EMI shielding portion 304 forms one wall of a Faraday cage surrounding an RF source component or RF sensitive component. Although the porous honeycomb structures forming the EMI shielding portion are shown as being hexagonal, and the hexagonal design may provide some advantages with respect to heat conduction and dissipation (e.g., due to the increase in surface area of ​​contact between adjacent honeycomb structures), other shapes may also be suitable, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

[0041] Figure 3A The implementation shown in Figure 2A-2C The difference is that vertically adjacent honeycomb structures (e.g., honeycomb structures 308, 310) share separate honeycomb structure walls. Although the heat exchanger portion 306 is composed of elongated channels (e.g., elongated channels 322 of length L), the shape and configuration of these channels are different from those of the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The fins 312, 314, 316 are different from those illustrated and described. Specifically, according to some implementations, the heat exchanger portion 306 is composed of a number of fins (e.g., fins 312, 314, 316) extending from the honeycomb structure walls forming the honeycomb structure of the EMI shielding portion 304. Each different honeycomb structure column is in fluid communication with different channels between different corresponding fin pairs. For example, the bold honeycomb structure column 318 shown on the left side of the structure is composed of honeycomb structures that are each thermally coupled and fluidically coupled to the same channel (e.g., channel 322), which is formed between fins 314 and 316. To accommodate this, each honeycomb structure in the EMI shielding portion has a tapered portion 324 that connects the honeycomb structure wall of the EMI shielding portion 304 to a corresponding pair of fins of the heat exchanger portion 306, so that a pair of fins extends from the same vertical column of the structure (e.g., column 318) and is connected to each honeycomb structure in the column.

[0042] and Figures 1 to 2C Due to the fact that the channel (e.g., channel 322 of length L) has more open area for airflow compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 3A Embodiments of can provide reduced airflow impedance and, therefore, better heat dissipation. For example, the channels of heat exchanger portion 306 each have an effective width that matches the diameter of an individual one of the honeycomb structures (e.g., honeycomb structure 308) and a height that matches the entire column of the honeycomb structures (e.g., column 318). In contrast, Figure 1 The implementation provides channels through the heat exchanger portion, each channel having a width and height that effectively matches the width and height of a single honeycomb structure opening in the shield portion.

[0043] exist Figure 3A-3A In the implementation of , the fins (e.g., 314 and 316) are shown as being planar. Planar fins may be particularly advantageous for simplicity of manufacturing and ease of attachment between components; however, in at least one other implementation, the fins have other shapes (e.g., wavy, zigzag, etc.).

[0044] In different implementations, the thermal assembly 302 may be of different sizes. In some implementations, the diameter of the honeycomb structure (e.g., opening) in the EMI shielding portion 304 may be selected based on the EMI shielding requirements to provide EMI shielding within the target frequency range. In contrast, the lengths of the fins 312, 314, and 316 are selected to provide an optimized amount of heat dissipation to the airflow passing through them. In one implementation, the lengths of the fins 312, 314, and 316 are at least ten times the diameter of each honeycomb structure. For example, a common honeycomb structure diameter for EMI shielding in consumer electronics is 2.5 mm, while a common fin length for a heat exchanger may be 50 mm or longer.

[0045] Figure 3B This example shows the relative Figure 3A The YZ plane of the axis shown in the example is taken Figure 3A 304 of the thermal assembly 300 shown in FIG. 304. In the illustrated implementation, the honeycomb structures in the EMI shielding portion 304 each have a hexagonal honeycomb structure body (e.g., hexagonal honeycomb structure body 308). The base of each honeycomb structure includes a tapered portion (e.g., tapered portion 324) that gradually tapers the sides of the hexagonal region inward toward the center of the hexagonal honeycomb structure to guide the airflow into the first end of the honeycomb structure to enter the channel between the corresponding pair of fins. For simplicity, Figure 3A The relative positions of the fins shown in FIG. 3 are shown by dashed lines (e.g., fin position lines 326). The size of the honeycomb structure aperture (a1) (also referred to herein as the honeycomb structure diameter) of each hexagonal honeycomb structure can be customized to ensure that the EMI shielding portion 304 can be used to block the passage of EMI waves having frequencies within a target frequency range.

[0046] Figure 3C Indicates along about Figure 3A The XY plane of the axis shown in the example is taken Figure 3A . In this view, the tapered portion of each honeycomb structure (e.g., tapered portion 324) is visible, and the honeycomb structure depth (d1) relative to the fin length (d2) is shown. The fin length (d2) can be many times longer than the honeycomb structure depth (d1). In one example implementation, the honeycomb structure depth is about 5 mm, while the fin length is about 50 mm or more.

[0047] Figure 3D Illustrated along the Figure 3A The XZ plane of the axis shown in the example is taken Figure 3A . In this view, it can be seen that each cell structure in the EMI shielding portion 304 has a main cell structure portion of length L1 and a tapered portion of length L2. The length of the main cell structure portion (L1) can be customized to meet RF containment needs. The length of the cell structure and therefore the length of intimate electrical contact with one cell structure is large enough to create a low impedance ground path between mating cell structures.

[0048] Better airflow and thermal performance can be achieved when the length (L1) of this main honeycomb section is kept as short as possible without compromising shielding capabilities, so as to more quickly transition air out of the hexagonal honeycomb structure and into the low impedance channels between the parallel fins.

[0049] Figure 3E A single metal fin assembly 330 is illustrated, which may be combined with other similar assemblies to form Figures 3A-3D 300 is shown in FIG. 300. The back side portion 332 of the metal fin assembly 330 forms a fin that, when integrated into the thermal assembly 300, can be positioned parallel to several other fins of other metal fin assemblies. The front side portion 334 of the metal fin assembly 330 is shaped to form a portion of the above-mentioned honeycomb structure used as an EMI shield. For example, the front side edge 336 of the metal fin assembly 330 is shaped to define a fin structure formed as shown in FIG. Figure 3AHalf of each hexagonal honeycomb structure of the honeycomb structure column in the thermal assembly 300 is shown. For example, the front side edge 336 defines three walls of the upper half of the hexagonal honeycomb structure illustrated by the bold line 336a. This detail effectively guides the airflow (shown by the dashed arrows) through each honeycomb structure and into a channel defined by the first side of the metal fin assembly 330 or defined by the second opposite side of the metal fin assembly 330. In this design, the airflow through the channel is not constrained by the honeycomb structure and is therefore allowed to expand into a larger cross-sectional area of ​​the channel. This larger cross-sectional area of ​​the channel has an inherently higher hydraulic diameter, which in turn reduces the net airflow impedance.

[0050] like Figure 3E As illustrated by the arrows in , the airflow is directed through the hexagonal honeycomb structure of the EMI shielding portion, through a tapered portion (e.g., tapered portion 324), and into a straight channel between two adjacent fins of the heat exchanger portion. This path essentially forms a zigzag pattern through which the airflow can gradually expand as it leaves the honeycomb structure of the EMI shielding portion and enters the channel of the heat exchanger portion without forcing the flow field through additional bottleneck entry points as in some existing designs. Therefore, the disclosed thermal assembly design can provide a reduction in the overall impedance of the airflow through the thermal assembly 300 without compromising the EMI shielding capabilities or heat dissipation characteristics. According to one implementation, the illustrated metal fin assembly 330 is formed using low-cost, high-volume manufacturing methods available today.

[0051] Figure 3F Four metal fin assemblies 340, 342, 344, 346 are illustrated (e.g., similar to Figure 3D The illustrated metal fin assembly 330 is the same or similar), which has been connected together to form Figure 3A 300 is shown in FIG. 300. In this design, the individual components are formed to have the Figure 3D Features generally described. Front side edge portions of adjacent metal fin assemblies (e.g., front side edge portions of the honeycomb portions of metal fin assemblies 340 and 342) are joined at attachment points (e.g., attachment point 348) to create a conductive path for RF containment through each of the honeycomb structures in the leftmost column (highlighted with bold lines). Each of these honeycomb structures in the leftmost column directs air into the channel formed between metal fin assemblies 340 and 342. There are several suitable methods for joining the fins together at the attachment points, including, for example, welding and interlocking stamped features (e.g., as with respect to Figure 2A-2C The interlocking stamping features described herein are the same or similar).

[0052] An example thermal assembly (102) includes: a shield (116) comprising a plurality of honeycomb structures adapted to block radio frequency (RF) having frequencies within a target frequency range; and a heat exchanger (118) comprising a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

[0053] In an example thermal assembly according to any preceding thermal assembly, each channel (322) of the plurality of elongated channels is formed by a pair of fins (314, 316) extending from the shield (304).

[0054] In another example thermal assembly according to any of the foregoing thermal assemblies, each pair of fins (314, 316) is in fluid communication with a subset of the plurality of cell structures arranged in a column (318) within the shield (304).

[0055] In another example thermal assembly according to any of the foregoing thermal assemblies, the plurality of cell structures in the shield (116) form a honeycomb structure.

[0056] In yet another example thermal assembly according to any of the foregoing thermal assemblies, the honeycomb structures of the honeycomb-like structure are each directly attached to one or more fins (314, 315) of the heat exchanger, each pair of fins forming one of the elongated channels.

[0057] In yet another example thermal assembly according to any of the foregoing thermal assemblies, each cell (308) in the honeycomb structure has a tapered portion (324) that directs airflow out of the cell (308) and into a corresponding one of the plurality of elongated channels (322).

[0058] In yet another example thermal assembly according to any of the foregoing thermal assemblies, each of the plurality of honeycomb structures (117, 308) has at least one sidewall conductively attached to a sidewall of another of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

[0059] In another example thermal assembly according to any of the foregoing thermal assemblies, the plurality of elongated channels each have a length (118a) greater than or equal to ten times the maximum diameter of each individual honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

[0060] An example system disclosed herein includes: a Faraday cage (104) that surrounds at least one RF source component (106) or an RF-susceptible component (106), the Faraday cage (104) including at least one side wall, the at least one side wall including a plurality of honeycomb structures forming an RF shield (116); and a heat exchanger (118) attached to the RF shield (116), the heat exchanger including a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels (e.g., channels having a length of 118a) being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure (of the plurality of honeycomb structures 117) in the RF shield (116).

[0061] In an example system according to any of the preceding systems, each channel (322) of the plurality of elongated channels is formed by a pair of fins (314, 316) extending from the shield (304).

[0062] In another example system according to any of the foregoing systems, each pair of fins (314, 316) is in fluid communication with a subset of the plurality of honeycomb structures arranged in a column (318) within the RF shield (304).

[0063] In yet another example system according to any of the foregoing systems, the plurality of cell structures in the RF shield (116) forms a honeycomb structure.

[0064] In yet another example system according to any of the foregoing systems, the honeycomb structures of the honeycomb structure are each directly attached to one or more fins (314, 315) of the heat exchanger (118), each pair of fins forming one of the elongated channels.

[0065] In another example system according to any of the foregoing systems, each cell (308) in the honeycomb structure has a tapered portion (324) that directs airflow out of the cell (308) and into a corresponding one of the plurality of elongated channels (322).

[0066] In yet another example system according to any of the foregoing systems, the plurality of elongated channels each have a length (118a) greater than or equal to ten times the maximum diameter of each individual honeycomb structure in the plurality of honeycomb structures (117).

[0067] In another example system according to any of the foregoing systems, the plurality of cell structures in the RF shield (116) form a honeycomb structure, and each individual cell structure (12) in the honeycomb structure extends to form a different respective channel of the plurality of elongated channels.

[0068] An example ventilation system in an electronic device includes: a wall comprising a plurality of honeycomb structures forming an RF shield (116); a heat exchanger (118) attached to the RF shield (116), the heat exchanger (118) comprising a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure among the plurality of honeycomb structures in the RF shield (116); and a fan positioned on a first side of the shield (e.g., within a Faraday cage 104) to create an airflow path that sequentially directs air through the plurality of honeycomb structures (117) and the elongated channels of the heat exchanger (118).

[0069] In another example ventilation system according to any of the foregoing ventilation systems, the plurality of honeycomb structures form a honeycomb structure, and each of the plurality of elongated channels is formed by a pair of fins (314, 316) extending from the honeycomb structure.

[0070] In yet another example ventilation system according to any of the foregoing ventilation systems, a channel formed by each pair of fins (314, 316) is in fluid communication with a subset of the plurality of cell structures (308, 310) within the RF shield (304).

[0071] An example system disclosed herein includes: a Faraday cage (104) that surrounds at least one RF source component (106) or an RF-susceptible component (106), the Faraday cage (104) including at least one side wall, the at least one side wall including a plurality of honeycomb structures forming an RF shield (116); and a heat exchanger (118) attached to the RF shield (116), the heat exchanger including a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels (e.g., channels having a length of 118a) being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure (of the plurality of honeycomb structures 117) in the RF shield (116).

[0072] The implementations described herein may be implemented as logical steps in one or more computer systems. Logical operations may be implemented as: (1) a sequence of processor-implemented steps executed in one or more computer systems; and (2) interconnected machine or circuit modules within one or more computer systems. The implementation is a matter of choice depending on the performance requirements of the computer system being utilized. Accordingly, the logical operations that make up the implementations described herein may also be referred to as operations, steps, objects, or modules. In addition, it should be understood that the logical operations may be performed in any order unless explicitly stated or the claim language inherently requires a particular order. The above description, examples, and data, together with the accompanying drawings, provide a comprehensive description of the structure and use of exemplary implementations.

Claims

1. A thermal assembly comprising: a shield comprising a plurality of honeycomb structures adapted to block radio frequency radiation (RF) having frequencies within a target frequency range; as well as a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures; Each of the plurality of elongated channels is formed by a pair of fins extending from the shield, and a length of each fin of the pair of fins is greater than or equal to ten times a diameter of each individual honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

2. The thermal assembly of claim 1, wherein the channels formed by each pair of fins are in fluid communication with a subset of the plurality of cell structures arranged in a column within the shield.

3. The thermal assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cell structures in the shield form a honeycomb structure.

4. The thermal assembly of claim 3, wherein the honeycomb structures of the honeycomb structure are each directly attached to one or more fins of the heat exchanger, each pair of fins forming one of the elongated channels.

5. The thermal assembly of claim 3, wherein each cell of the honeycomb structure has a tapered portion that directs airflow out of the cell and into a corresponding one of the plurality of elongated channels.

6. The thermal assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of honeycomb structures has at least one sidewall conductively attached to a sidewall of another of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

7. The thermal assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of elongated channels has a length greater than or equal to ten times the maximum diameter of each individual honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

8. The thermal assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cell structures in the shield form a honeycomb structure, and each individual cell structure in the honeycomb structure extends to form a different respective channel of the plurality of elongated channels.

9. A system comprising: a Faraday cage enclosing at least one RF source component or RF susceptible component, the Faraday cage comprising at least one side wall comprising a plurality of honeycomb structures forming an RF shield; a heat exchanger attached to the RF shield, the heat exchanger comprising a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding one of the plurality of cell structures in the RF shield; Each of the plurality of elongated channels is formed by a pair of fins extending from the RF shield, the length of each fin of the pair of fins being greater than or equal to ten times the diameter of each individual cell structure of the plurality of cell structures.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the channels formed by each pair of fins are in fluid communication with a subset of the plurality of honeycomb structures disposed within the RF shield.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of cell structures in the RF shield form a honeycomb structure.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each row of cells in the honeycomb structure is fluidly coupled to a different one of the plurality of channels of the heat exchanger.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each cell of the honeycomb structure has a tapered portion that directs airflow out of the cell and into a corresponding one of the plurality of elongated channels.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of elongated channels has a length greater than or equal to ten times the maximum diameter of each individual honeycomb structure of the plurality of honeycomb structures.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of cell structures in the RF shield form a honeycomb structure, and each individual cell structure in the honeycomb structure extends to form a different respective channel of the plurality of elongated channels.

16. A ventilation system in an electronic device, comprising: a wall comprising a plurality of honeycomb structures forming an RF shield; a heat exchanger attached to the RF shield, the heat exchanger comprising a plurality of elongated channels, each of the elongated channels being physically connected to and in fluid communication with at least one corresponding one of the plurality of cell structures in the RF shield; as well as a fan positioned on one side of the shield to create an airflow path that sequentially directs air through the plurality of honeycomb structures and the elongated channels of the heat exchanger; wherein the plurality of honeycomb structures form a honeycomb structure, and each of the plurality of elongated channels is formed by a pair of fins extending from the honeycomb structure; The length of each fin in the pair of fins is greater than or equal to ten times the diameter of each individual honeycomb structure in the plurality of honeycomb structures.

17. The ventilation system of claim 16, wherein the channels formed by each pair of fins are in fluid communication with a subset of the plurality of cell structures within the RF shield.

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