Notebook computer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a notebook computer, which houses at least one heat source and comprises a heat exchanger, a built-in water cooling system and an external water cooling connection. The heat exchanger is used to thermally contact the heat source. The built-in water cooling system is connected to the heat exchanger. The external water cooling connection is connected to the heat exchanger and is used to connect the heat exchanger to an external water cooling system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a notebook computer, and more particularly to a notebook computer with a built-in air cooling and water cooling system. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices generate a significant amount of heat during operation. If this heat cannot be effectively dissipated, internal electronic components may overheat, leading to malfunctions or crashes. Therefore, electronic devices are typically equipped with appropriate cooling systems to ensure that components operate within their preset temperature ranges. Especially for high-performance electronic devices, in addition to air cooling, water cooling systems are often used to further enhance heat dissipation.

[0003] Taking laptops as an example, traditional laptops have built-in air-cooling systems consisting of heat pipes, fans, and heat sinks. However, with the improvement of overall performance, it is necessary to introduce water-cooling to enhance heat dissipation efficiency. To this end, in recent years, some high-end laptops have added connectors for external water cooling to enhance system cooling by introducing external water cooling circulation. However, external water cooling makes the whole device bulky and inconvenient to carry. On the other hand, without external water cooling, the laptop's own heat dissipation capacity is insufficient to meet the cooling requirements, thus creating a high dependence on external water cooling systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a notebook computer, one object of which is to solve the aforementioned problems of conventional notebook computers.

[0005] A notebook computer disclosed according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one heat source and comprises a heat exchanger, an internal water cooling system, and an external water cooling connector. The heat exchanger is used for thermal contact with the heat source. The internal water cooling system is connected to the heat exchanger. The external water cooling connector is connected to the heat exchanger for connecting the heat exchanger to an external water cooling system.

[0006] The notebook computer disclosed in the foregoing embodiments of the present invention has the ability to expand an external water cooling system because it is equipped with an external water cooling connector. At the same time, the notebook computer has a built-in water cooling system, so it can still provide effective heat dissipation when no external water cooling system is connected.

[0007] Compared to traditional notebook computers that have the capability to connect to an external water cooling system, these devices only have an air cooling system and lack an internal water cooling system. Therefore, their overall heat dissipation efficiency drops significantly when no external water cooling system is connected, resulting in a high dependence on an external water cooling system. Consequently, they require external water cooling for normal use, making the entire device bulky and inconvenient to carry. In contrast, the notebook computer disclosed in the foregoing embodiments of this invention possesses highly efficient heat dissipation capabilities and still achieves good heat dissipation performance even without an external water cooling system.

[0008] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a partial schematic diagram of a notebook computer applying an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a notebook computer with its heat exchanger cut across.

[0011] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the notebook computer along line 3-3.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a partial schematic diagram of a notebook computer to which another embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a partial schematic diagram of a notebook computer to which another embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0014] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0015] 1, 1', 1”: Notebook computer

[0016] 10: Shell

[0017] 20, 20': Heat exchanger

[0018] 21: Convex column

[0019] 30: Heat pipe

[0020] 40: Flow tube

[0021] 50: Fan

[0022] 60: Heat dissipation fins

[0023] 70, 70': External water cooling connector

[0024] 71: Connector

[0025] 72: Management Department

[0026] 80: Water pump

[0027] V1~V2: Electrically actuated valves

[0028] S1: Air-cooling system

[0029] S2: Built-in water cooling system

[0030] S3, S3': Connected to external water cooling system Detailed Implementation

[0031] The structural and working principles of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0032] The following detailed description of the features and advantages of the present invention in the embodiments is sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. Based on the disclosure, patent claims, and drawings in this specification, anyone skilled in the art can easily understand the relevant objectives and advantages of the present invention. The following embodiments further illustrate the points of the present invention in detail, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0033] Furthermore, for the sake of neatness, some conventionally used structures and components may be depicted in a simplified schematic manner in the drawings. Some features in the drawings of this invention may be slightly enlarged or their scale or size altered to facilitate understanding and viewing of the technical features of the invention, but this is not intended to limit the invention. Additionally, the perspective of the drawings can be understood from the accompanying coordinate axes.

[0034] Additionally, the terms "end," "section," "part," "area," and "location" may be used below to describe specific elements and structures or specific technical features thereon or between them, but these elements and structures are not limited by these terms. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "at least one" as used below means that the number of specific components and structures is one or more. The following may also describe a specific element or structure as "thermally contacting" another specific element or structure, but unless specifically stated otherwise, this description is not limited to the transfer of heat between the specific elements and structures, whether directly or indirectly. Similarly, the following may also describe a specific element or structure as "connected" or "connected" to another specific element or structure, but unless specifically stated otherwise, this description is not limited to the connection between the specific elements or structures, whether directly or indirectly. Wherein, unless specifically stated otherwise, "connected" means that there may be flow of liquid or gas between the specific elements or structures.

[0035] First, please refer to Figures 1-3This embodiment proposes a notebook computer 1. It should be noted that one aspect of the present invention lies in the design of the air-cooling and water-cooling systems inside the notebook computer 1. Therefore, the drawings only show the parts of the notebook computer 1 that are related to this.

[0036] As shown in the figure, the notebook computer 1 may include a heat exchanger 20, an air cooling system S1 used in conjunction with the heat exchanger 20, and an in-built liquid cooling system S2, wherein the heat exchanger 20, the air cooling system S1 and the in-built liquid cooling system S2 are disposed within a housing 10.

[0037] The described housing 10 may be, but is not limited to, a portion of the exterior housing commonly used in notebook computers. It supports and houses related electronic / non-electronic components within the notebook computer 1 used to implement various other functions. However, it is understood that, to expose the interior of the housing 10, one side of the housing portion is omitted and not shown. Furthermore, the housing 10 is only used to facilitate the explanation of the air-cooling system S1 and the built-in water-cooling system S2, and the present invention is not limited to the housing 10 and its size, material, and design.

[0038] The heat exchanger 20, commonly known as a "water cooling head," is a hollow, sealed structure with space for coolant flow. The coolant can be, but is not limited to, any suitable liquid commonly used in water cooling; however, this invention is not limited to coolants or their types and compositions. For the sake of simplicity, the coolant is not shown in the figures.

[0039] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 20 can be made of any suitable material with good thermal conductivity (such as copper), and is therefore suitable for direct or indirect thermal contact with a heat source (not shown) to remove heat. The heat source can be, but is not limited to, any electronic component in a notebook computer that requires heat dissipation, such as the central processing unit, but the invention is not limited to the type, size, and number of heat sources.

[0040] In general, the air-cooled system S1 is in thermal contact with the heat exchanger 20 and the built-in water-cooled system S2 is connected to the heat exchanger 20. The air-cooled system S1 is in thermal contact with the built-in water-cooled system S2. Therefore, the heat energy absorbed by the heat exchanger 20 from the heat source can be transferred to both the air-cooled system S1 and the built-in water-cooled system S2. The air-cooled system S1 can remove the heat absorbed by the built-in water-cooled system S2 from the heat exchanger 20.

[0041] In detail, in this embodiment, the notebook computer 1 may also include at least one heat pipe 30, one flow pipe 40, at least one fan 50, at least one heat dissipation fin 60, one external water cooling connector 70, and one water pump 80.

[0042] A portion of the heat pipe 30 penetrates the heat exchanger 20 and comes into thermal contact with the bottom of the heat exchanger 20 and the internal coolant. Specifically, the heat pipe 30 may be attached to or welded to the inner bottom surface of the heat exchanger 20, thereby allowing the heat generated by the heat source to be rapidly transferred to the heat pipe 30 via the heat exchanger 20, and then transferred to the outside of the heat exchanger 20 via the heat pipe 30. Of course, in some other embodiments, the heat pipe 30 may not directly come into thermal contact with the inner bottom surface of the heat exchanger 20. In this case, the heat exchanger 20 can still transfer heat to the heat pipe 30 via the flow of coolant. Furthermore, another portion of the heat pipe 30 is embedded in and comes into thermal contact with the heat dissipation fins 60 on the fan 50, thereby allowing the heat absorbed by the heat pipe 30 to be transferred to the heat dissipation fins 60, and then dissipated to the outside by the airflow generated by the operation of the fan 50. Thus, the heat generated by the heat source can be dissipated at least through the heat exchanger 20, the heat pipe 30, the heat dissipation fins 60, and with the help of the airflow from the fan 50.

[0043] It should be further noted that the heat pipe 30 may be made of any suitable material with good thermal conductivity, such as copper, but the invention is not limited thereto; the fan 50 may be, but is not limited to, any suitable fan commonly used in notebook computer environments, but the invention is not limited to the type, size and number of fans; the heat sink 60 may be, but is not limited to, any common heat sink fins, and the invention is not limited to their size, material, etc.

[0044] On the other hand, the flow pipe 40 connects to both sides of the heat exchanger 20, thus forming a closed space together with the internal space of the heat exchanger 20 for the circulation of coolant. The water pump 80 can be installed at any position in the flow path of the flow pipe 40, thereby driving the coolant to circulate in a specific direction within this closed space. In this way, the heat energy absorbed by the coolant can be transferred to the heat pipe 30, and then transferred to the outside of the heat exchanger 20 via the heat pipe 30. Furthermore, a portion of the flow pipe 40 is in direct or indirect thermal contact with the aforementioned heat dissipation fins 60. Thus, the heat energy absorbed by the coolant, guided by the flow pipe 40 and driven by the coolant, can be transferred through the area of ​​the flow pipe 40 in thermal contact with the heat dissipation fins 60, and then through the pipe wall of the flow pipe 40 to the heat dissipation fins 60, and then dissipated to the outside by the airflow generated by the fan 50. In this way, the heat energy generated by the heat source can also be simultaneously dissipated through the heat exchanger 20, the flow pipe 40, the heat dissipation fins 60, and with the help of the airflow from the fan 50.

[0045] Therefore, it can be seen that in the notebook computer 1, the heat pipe 30, fan 50 and heat sink 60 that are in thermal contact with the heat exchanger 20 can together constitute the aforementioned air cooling system S1. At the same time, the flow pipe 40 that is connected to the heat exchanger 20 and in thermal contact with the heat sink 60 and the water pump 80 can constitute the aforementioned built-in water cooling system S2, so as to perform dual heat dissipation of air cooling and water cooling simultaneously during the operation of the notebook computer 1.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger 20 may also be connected to an external water-cooling connector 70, allowing the notebook computer 1 to introduce external water-cooling circulation when needed. Specifically, the external water-cooling connector 70 may include a connector 71 and at least two pipe sections 72. The pipe sections 72 can be made of any suitable material suitable for guiding coolant. One end of each pipe section 72 is connected to both sides of the heat exchanger 20, forming an external water-cooling system S3 with the heat exchanger 20. The other end of each pipe section 72 is housed together via the connector 71 and exposed through the housing 10, thereby connecting the external water-cooling system S3 to an external water-cooling box (not shown). Therefore, when the external water-cooling box is connected to the pipe section 72 of the external water-cooling connector 70, it can form an external water-cooling circulation with the heat exchanger 20 via the pipe section 72. Therefore, the main function of the external water cooling connector 70 is to enable the heat exchanger 20 to connect to external water cooling. Under this premise, the structure of the external water cooling connector 70, the length of its pipe 72 and the connector 71 can be adapted to actual needs. For example, in other embodiments, the external water cooling connector can also be replaced with two short pipes directly connected between the heat exchanger and the shell.

[0047] In summary, since the notebook computer 1 is equipped with an external water cooling connector 70, it has the ability to expand to an external water cooling system. However, since the notebook computer 1 also has a built-in air cooling system S1 and a built-in water cooling system S2, it can still provide efficient heat dissipation when the notebook computer 1 is not connected to an external water cooling system. Compared to traditional notebook computers that have the ability to connect to an external water cooling system, they only have an air cooling system and lack a built-in water cooling system. Therefore, when no external water cooling system is connected, the overall heat dissipation efficiency drops significantly, resulting in a high dependence on the external water cooling system. However, as mentioned above, since the notebook computer 1 in this embodiment has both a built-in air cooling system and a water cooling system, it already has efficient heat dissipation capabilities when no external water cooling system is connected, thus eliminating the need to carry a bulky external water cooling box.

[0048] Furthermore, it should be noted that when the notebook computer 1 is not connected to an external water-cooling box via the external water-cooling connector 70 and is only using the aforementioned air-cooling system S1 and internal water-cooling system S2 for heat dissipation, the end of the pipe 72 of the external water-cooling connector 70 (not shown, i.e., the port exposed through the housing 10) can be temporarily sealed with a suitable plug, and the plug can be removed when needed. In some embodiments, an electrically actuated valve V1 can be selectively provided between the heat exchanger 20 and the pipe 72 of the external water-cooling connector 70 to close when only the air-cooling system S1 and internal water-cooling system S2 are used to prevent coolant from flowing into the pipe 72, and to open when an external water-cooling box is needed to allow coolant to flow into the pipe 72. In other embodiments, an electrically actuated valve V2 can also be selectively provided between the heat exchanger 20 and the flow pipe 40 to close the flow pipe 40 when an external water-cooling box is needed, so that the coolant is more concentrated for the external water-cooling system S3.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, multiple protrusions 21 may be selectively arranged inside the heat exchanger 20, which can increase the contact area between the physical structure of the heat exchanger 20 and the coolant, thereby increasing the efficiency of heat exchange. However, the present invention is not limited to the protrusions 21 and their number, size, distribution and arrangement.

[0050] The foregoing embodiments are one example of a notebook computer according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, please refer to... Figure 4 The figure illustrates a partial schematic diagram of a notebook computer 1' using an embodiment of the present invention. For the purpose of brief explanation, the following description focuses only on the differences between embodiments. As shown in the figure, the heat exchanger 20' in this embodiment is divided into two independent blocks by heat pipes 30. One block is connected to the flow pipe 40, and the other block is connected to the pipe section 72 of the external water cooling connector 70. In this way, the built-in water cooling system S2 formed by the heat exchanger 20' and the flow pipe 40, and the external water cooling system S3 formed by the heat exchanger 20' and the external water cooling connector 70, become two independent water cooling cycles, thereby reducing the probability of unnecessary interference when there is an external water cooling cycle or not.

[0051] For example, please see Figure 5The figure illustrates a partial schematic diagram of a notebook computer 1” applying another embodiment of the present invention. For the purpose of brief explanation, only the differences between the embodiments will be described below. As shown in the figure, the external water cooling connector 70' omits the aforementioned pipe section 72 and is directly connected to the flow pipe 40, and can be connected to the heat exchanger 20 via the flow pipe 40. In this configuration, the external water cooling system S3' consisting of the heat exchanger 20, the flow pipe 40 and the external water cooling connector 70' shares the same circuit with the internal water cooling system S2 consisting of the heat exchanger 20 and the flow pipe 40, which not only helps to simplify the complexity of the water cooling piping, but also helps to reduce the internal space occupied.

[0052] In summary, the notebook computer disclosed in the foregoing embodiments of the present invention has the ability to expand an external water cooling system because it is equipped with an external water cooling connector. However, the notebook computer also has a built-in air cooling system and a water cooling system, so it can still provide effective heat dissipation when no external water cooling system is connected.

[0053] Compared to traditional notebook computers that have the capability to connect to an external water cooling system, these devices only have an air cooling system and lack an internal water cooling system. Therefore, their overall heat dissipation efficiency drops significantly when no external water cooling system is connected, resulting in a high dependence on an external water cooling system. Consequently, they require external water cooling for normal use, making the entire device bulky and inconvenient to carry. In contrast, the notebook computer disclosed in the foregoing embodiments of this invention possesses highly efficient heat dissipation capabilities and still achieves good heat dissipation performance even without an external water cooling system.

[0054] Of course, the present invention may have other various embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications according to the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A notebook computer, comprising at least one heat source, characterized in that, Include: A heat exchanger for thermal contact with the at least one heat source; An integrated water-cooling system is connected to the heat exchanger; An external water-cooling connector is attached to the heat exchanger to connect the heat exchanger to an external water-cooling system. as well as An air-cooled system, the built-in water-cooled system including a flow tube connected to the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger in thermal contact with the air-cooled system via the flow tube; The air-cooling system includes a heat pipe, at least one fan and at least one heat sink fin. The at least one heat sink fin is adjacent to the at least one fan. The heat pipe is connected to the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger makes thermal contact with the at least one heat sink fin via the heat pipe and the flow pipe. The heat pipe divides the heat exchanger into two independent loops that connect the built-in water-cooling system and the external water-cooling connector, respectively.

2. The notebook computer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The external water-cooled connector is connected to the heat exchanger via the flow pipe.

3. The notebook computer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The external water-cooling connector includes a connector and two tubes. One end of each tube is connected to the heat exchanger, and the other end of each tube is housed in the connector for connecting to an external water-cooling box.

4. The notebook computer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a water pump, which is installed in the built-in water cooling system.

5. The notebook computer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat exchanger also includes multiple protruding pillars.

6. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes at least one electrically actuated valve connected between the external water-cooling connector and the heat exchanger, for making the heat exchanger connected to or disconnected from the external water-cooling connector.

7. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes at least one electrically actuated valve, disposed in the built-in water cooling system, for connecting or disconnecting the heat exchanger from the flow tube.

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