electronic devices

Abstract

An electronic device includes a shell, a circuit board and an airflow generator. The shell has a accommodating space, a first air inlet and an air outlet. The first air inlet and the air outlet are connected to the accommodating space and are respectively located on opposite sides of the shell. The circuit board is located in the accommodating space and divides the accommodating space into a first accommodating area and a second accommodating area. The first air inlet corresponds to the first accommodating area and the second accommodating area, the air outlet corresponds to the first accommodating area, the airflow generator is located in the first accommodating area, and the shell also has a second air inlet. The second air inlet is connected to the accommodating space and corresponds to the second accommodating area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device having an air inlet and an air outlet. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, electronic components housed within electronic devices (such as central processing units) generate heat during operation. To prevent heat accumulation and the resulting rise in the operating temperature of the electronic components and the device's internal environment, most electronic devices are equipped with cooling systems. Air cooling is one of the most common heat dissipation methods, utilizing air as a medium to cool the object. In some cases, fans may be incorporated into air cooling systems to create or enhance air flow, thereby enhancing the cooling effect.

[0003] At the same time, as the market trend of electronic products is moving towards smaller size and higher performance, the accompanying cooling systems need to be able to effectively cool electronic components that generate higher heat energy in increasingly compact spaces. Take ultra-microcomputers as an example. Due to the small size of ultra-microcomputers, the configuration within their casing is very compact. Electronic components in some areas are easily blocked by adjacent components (such as circuit boards) and cannot obtain cooling airflow. In this case, the system generally increases the fan speed to indirectly affect the temperature in areas that are not reached by the airflow path by increasing the heat dissipation of the heat source within the airflow path. However, this approach is not only limited in effectiveness, but also generates noise problems when the fan speed is high. When the CPU is running efficiently, the system will further increase the fan speed, making the fan noise problem more serious. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that effectively solves the problems associated with the aforementioned traditional heat dissipation means by generating a special airflow distribution.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, comprising a housing, a circuit board, and an airflow generator. The housing has a housing space, a first air inlet, and an air outlet, the first air inlet and the air outlet communicating with the housing space and being located on opposite sides of the housing, respectively. The circuit board is located in the housing space and divides the housing space into a first accommodation area and a second accommodation area, the first air inlet corresponding to the first accommodation area and the second accommodation area, and the air outlet corresponding to the first accommodation area. The airflow generator is located in the first accommodation area, and the housing further has a second air inlet communicating with the housing space and corresponding to the second accommodation area.

[0006] According to the electronic device disclosed in the aforementioned embodiment of the present invention, since the first air inlet corresponds to the first and second accommodating areas, the air outlet corresponds to the first accommodating area, and the shell further has a second air inlet corresponding to the second accommodating area, the airflow generator in the first accommodating area can inhale external air through the first air inlet, and the gas flow generated in the first accommodating area will cause a pressure difference between the first accommodating area and the second accommodating area, thereby driving external air into the second accommodating area from the second air inlet connected to the second accommodating area. In this way, the electronic components placed in the first and second accommodating areas can obtain heat dissipation airflow. Therefore, the airflow generator does not need to adopt the traditional method of increasing the rotation speed to indirectly affect the temperature of areas that cannot be reached by the airflow, and can effectively dissipate heat for electronic components in different areas at the same time in a lower noise operation mode.

[0007] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this does not limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded diagram of the electronic device.

[0010] Figure 3 For the Figure 1 A side sectional view of line 3-3.

[0011] Figures 4-6 for Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of electronic devices at different viewing angles.

[0012] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional diagram of an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Wherein, the reference numerals:

[0015] 1,1',1": Electronic devices

[0016] 10: Shell

[0017] 11: First shell

[0018] 12,12',12": Second shell

[0019] 20: Circuit Board

[0020] 30: Airflow generator

[0021] 41: First electronic component

[0022] 42: Second electronic component

[0023] 43: Third electronic component

[0024] 111: first side plate

[0025] 112: Second side plate

[0026] 121: Second air inlet

[0027] 122: Connection port opening

[0028] 1110: First air inlet

[0029] 1120: Air outlet

[0030] S: Accommodation space

[0031] A1: First accommodating area

[0032] A2: Second accommodation area

[0033] A3: Side channel

[0034] D1: Distance

[0035] D2: Distance

[0036] F: Airflow

[0037] H: Height DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The structural principle and working principle of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0039] Below, various aspects of the present invention will be described in sufficient detail, along with some and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, to enable those skilled in the art to thoroughly understand and implement the present invention. However, it should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the present invention to certain specific embodiments. Rather, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments as defined by the claims. In addition, to facilitate understanding and viewing, various features in the drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0040] Terms such as "substantially", "about" and "approximately" may be used below to describe the reasonable or acceptable amount of deviation that may exist in the modified situation or event, but the expected result can still be achieved. "At least one" may also be used below to describe the number of the described objects, but unless otherwise clearly stated, it should not be limited to the case where the number is "only one". The term "and / or" may also be used below, which should be understood to include any one and all combinations of one or more of the listed items. Terms such as "connected", "connected", "set", "fixed", and "assembled" may also be used below to describe the relative positional relationship of multiple described objects, but unless otherwise clearly stated, it should not be limited to the case where the described object is "connected", "set", "fixed" or "assembled" to another described object in a direct and non-intermediate manner, but can be understood as the case where one or more intermediate media may be included between the described objects. The following text may also use terms such as "connected" to describe the relationship between two spaces, areas, grooves, channels and / or openings. Unless otherwise stated, "connected" in the following text specifically means that fluids such as air can flow between the described objects.

[0041] See also Figures 1-2 One embodiment of the present invention proposes an electronic device 1, which may include a shell 10. The shell 10 may serve as the exterior shell of the electronic device 1 and is used to accommodate related electronic / non-electronic components. Specifically, the shell 10 may include a first shell 11 and a second shell 12. The first shell 11 may be, but is not limited to, a box-shaped object with an opening opened outward at one end. The second shell 12 may be, but is not limited to, slightly plate-shaped, and the second shell 12 may be detachably assembled to the first shell 11 in any suitable manner and cover the opening opened to the outside of the first shell 11. For example, the second shell 12 may be directly engaged with the first shell 11 or assembled to the first shell 11 using locking components such as screws and bolts, but the present invention is not limited to the assembly method of the first shell 11 and the second shell 12.

[0042] Further, please continue Figures 1-2 Further reading Figures 3 to 6 , in order to understand the contents related to the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 in more detail. As shown in the figure, after the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are assembled, they can jointly define or surround a accommodating space S, and the aforementioned related electronic / non-electronic components can all be accommodated in the accommodating space S. For example, in this embodiment, the electronic device 1 may further include a circuit board 20, and the circuit board 20 may be configured in the accommodating space S. Furthermore, the circuit board 20 may be located in the area surrounded by the first shell 11, and the accommodating space S may be roughly divided into a first accommodating area A1 and a second accommodating area A2, so as to facilitate the spatial allocation of other electronic / non-electronic components in the accommodating space S except for the circuit board 20.

[0043] For example, as shown in the figure, the electronic device 1 of this embodiment may also include a first electronic component 41 and a second electronic component 42. The first electronic component 41 is, for example, a central processing unit, but the present invention is not limited to this; for example, in other embodiments, the first electronic component 41 may also be other types of electronic components. The first electronic component 41 may be disposed on the circuit board 20 and configured in the first accommodation area A1. The second electronic component 42 is, for example, a hard disk. For example, the second electronic component 42 may be, for example, a solid-state storage device suitable for an M.2 connector, but the present invention is not limited to this; for example, in other embodiments, the second electronic component 42 may also be other types of electronic components. The second electronic component 42 may be disposed on the other side of the circuit board 20 and configured in the second accommodation area A2. That is, the first electronic component 41 and the second electronic component 42 may be located on opposite sides of the circuit board 20 and in different areas divided by the circuit board 20. Furthermore, in order to ensure heat dissipation of the first electronic component 41 and the second electronic component 42 while dividing them into different areas by the circuit board 20 , the heat dissipation mechanism adopted by the electronic device 1 has a special design.

[0044] Specifically, it is known that the operation of a central processing unit (CPU) generates a large amount of heat, which can affect the operating performance of the CPU and other surrounding components. Therefore, in the scenario where the first electronic component 41 is a CPU, the electronic device 1 may further include an airflow generator 30. The airflow generator 30 is disposed in the first accommodation area A1, with the first electronic component 41 positioned between the circuit board 20 and the airflow generator 30. The airflow generator 30 may be, for example, any suitable radial fan to generate air flow within the first accommodation area A1. Accordingly, the housing 10 is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet on opposite sides thereof to ensure that the airflow generated by the airflow generator 30 covers both the first electronic component 41 and the second electronic component 42. A more detailed description is provided below.

[0045] In this embodiment, the first shell 11 may include a first side panel portion 111 and a second side panel portion 112. The first side panel portion 111 and the second side panel portion 112 are respectively located on different sides of the first shell 11. For example, the first side panel portion 111 and the second side panel portion 112 may be opposite to each other and respectively located on opposite sides of the first shell 11. In addition, the first side panel portion 111 has at least one first air inlet 1110 connected to the accommodating space S, and the second side panel portion 112 has at least one air outlet 1120 connected to the accommodating space S. The first air inlet 1110 may be, but is not limited to, perforations arranged at intervals along a specific direction, but the present invention is not limited to the number and form of the first air inlets 1110 shown in the figure; for example, in other embodiments, the number and form of the first air inlets of the first side panel may be adjusted and modified according to actual needs. The air outlet 1120 can be, but is not limited to, perforations arranged at intervals along a specific direction, but the present invention is not limited to the number and form of the air outlet 1120 shown in the figure; for example, in other embodiments, the number and form of the air outlet on the second side panel can be adjusted and modified according to actual needs.

[0046] The first air inlet 1110 and the air outlet 1120 are located on opposite sides of the first shell 11 (or, in other words, on opposite sides of the housing 10). Thus, the airflow generator 30 can draw external air into the first accommodating area A1 of the accommodating space S through the first air inlet 1110, thereby generating an air flow (shown as airflow F in the figure) within the first accommodating area A1 from the first air inlet 1110 to the air outlet 1120. This flow removes heat generated by the first electronic component 41, effectively cooling the first electronic component 41 and maintaining or improving its operating efficiency.

[0047] Furthermore, while the first air inlet 1110 corresponds to the airflow generator 30 in the first accommodating area A1, the first air inlet 1110 also corresponds to the second accommodating area A2. As shown in the figure, the side of the first air inlet 1110 relatively far from the second shell 12 is separated from the side of the first shell 11 relatively far from the second shell 12 by a distance (the distance D1 shown in the figure), so that a large part of the first air inlet 1110 corresponds to the second accommodating area A2, but a part of the first air inlet 1110 also corresponds to the first accommodating area A1. Therefore, the first accommodating area A1 and the second accommodating area A2 of the accommodating space S can both maintain gas communication with the external space through the first air inlet 1110. However, it should be noted that the distance D1 (or the position and size of the first air inlet 1110 on the first side plate 111) can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the present invention is not limited to the content shown in the figure.

[0048] On the other hand, the side of the air outlet 1120 that is relatively close to the second shell 12 is separated from the side of the first shell 11 that is relatively close to the second shell 12 by a distance (distance D2 as shown in the figure), but the air outlet 1120 only corresponds to the first accommodating area A1 and does not cover the second accommodating area A2. For example, in some embodiments, the air outlet 1120 may not be directly connected to the second accommodating area A2. This configuration helps to increase the flow rate of the heat dissipation airflow within the first accommodating area A1. However, it should be noted that the distance D2 (or, the position and size of the air outlet 1120 on the second side panel 112) can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the present invention is not limited to the content shown in the figure.

[0049] In addition, the end edge of the circuit board 20 is separated from the first side plate portion 111 of the first shell 11, thereby defining a side flow channel A3 between the first side plate portion 111 that can connect the first accommodating area A1 and the second accommodating area A2. Thereby, the airflow entering the first accommodating area A1 through the first air inlet 1110 can affect the gas flow in the second accommodating area A2 through the side flow channel A3.

[0050] In addition, in order to ensure that the airflow entering the first accommodating area A1 affects the second accommodating area A2 so as to cover the second electronic component 42, the second shell 12 has at least one second air inlet 121 connected to the second accommodating area A2. The second air inlet 121 can be, but is not limited to, a mesh, but the present invention is not limited to the number and form of the second air inlets 121 shown in the figure; for example, in other embodiments, the number and form of the second air inlets of the second shell can be adjusted and modified according to actual needs. The second air inlet 121 can be located on one side of the first air inlet 1110 of the second shell 12 adjacent to the first side plate 111, or in other words, the first air inlet 1110 and the second air inlet 121 can be located on adjacent sides of the second accommodating area A2, respectively. In addition, the second air inlet 121 can correspond to the second electronic component 42. In this way, when the airflow generator 30 draws in external air through the first air inlet 1110, the gas flow generated in the first accommodating area A1 will cause a pressure difference between the first accommodating area A1 and the second accommodating area A2, thereby driving the external air into the second accommodating area A2 from the second air inlet 121 connected to the second accommodating area A2 and passing through the second electronic component 42, thereby taking away the heat energy accumulated in the second electronic component 42, thereby achieving the effect of effectively cooling the second electronic component 42.

[0051] Through the aforementioned configuration of the first air inlet 1110, the second air inlet 121, and the air outlet 1120, the first electronic component 41 in the first accommodating area A1 and the second electronic component 42 in the second accommodating area A2 can both obtain heat dissipation airflow. As a result, the airflow generator 30 does not need to adopt the traditional method of indirectly affecting the temperature of areas that the airflow cannot reach by increasing the rotation speed, and can thus effectively dissipate heat for electronic components in different areas at the same time in a lower noise operation mode.

[0052] Moreover, the aforementioned configuration of the first air inlet 1110, the second air inlet 121, and the air outlet 1120 enables the airflow generator 30 to generate heat-dissipating airflow in the second accommodation area A2 divided by the circuit board 20, and also helps to dissipate the heat of the electronic components carried by the second shell 12. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second shell 12 of the electronic device 1 may have a height H in appearance, or in other words, a space with a specific depth may be defined or enclosed within the second shell 12 to accommodate at least one third electronic component 43. The third electronic component 43 may be, for example, a hard disk. For example, the third electronic component 43 may be, for example, a solid-state storage device suitable for an M.2 connector, but the present invention is not limited thereto; for example, in other embodiments, the third electronic component 43 may also be other types of electronic components. In addition, the third electronic component 43 carried by the second shell 12 can be a 2.5-inch internal hard drive, but the present invention is not limited to this; for example, in other embodiments, the second shell 12 can also carry two or more third electronic components 43, such as solid-state storage devices with two M.2 connectors.

[0053] Because the second housing 12 is detachable, it can be removed to replace or add the desired third electronic component 43 as needed, thereby expanding the functionality of the electronic device 1. Furthermore, because the airflow generator 30 generates heat-dissipating airflow within the second accommodating area A2, heat generated by the third electronic component 43 can be carried along with the heatsink airflow to the first accommodating area A1 and discharged through the air outlet 1120. This allows the electronic device 1 to expand its functionality while also meeting the heat dissipation requirements of the added electronic components.

[0054] It should be noted that the aforementioned second housing 12 and the electronic component (ie, the third electronic component 43) carried thereon are for illustration purposes only, and the present invention is not limited to the contents shown in the aforementioned embodiment. For example, please refer to Figure 7Another embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device 1'. This electronic device differs from the aforementioned electronic device only in its second housing 12'. Therefore, the following description focuses solely on the second housing 12'. As shown, depending on the type of electronic component housed within the second housing 12', the second housing 12' may be provided with at least one connection port opening 122, thereby exposing the connection port (unnumbered) of the housed electronic component through the connection port opening 122.

[0055] Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the second housing may not carry any electronic components. Figure 8 Another embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device 1", which differs from the electronic device of the aforementioned embodiment only in its second housing 12", so only the second housing 12" will be described below. As shown in the figure, the second housing 12" does not need to carry any electronic components and can be in a relatively flat plate shape.

[0056] According to the electronic device disclosed in the aforementioned embodiment of the present invention, since the first air inlet corresponds to the first and second accommodating areas, the air outlet corresponds to the first accommodating area, and the shell further has a second air inlet corresponding to the second accommodating area, the airflow generator in the first accommodating area can inhale external air through the first air inlet, and the gas flow generated in the first accommodating area will cause a pressure difference between the first accommodating area and the second accommodating area, thereby driving external air into the second accommodating area from the second air inlet connected to the second accommodating area. In this way, the electronic components placed in the first and second accommodating areas can obtain heat dissipation airflow. Therefore, the airflow generator does not need to adopt the traditional method of increasing the rotation speed to indirectly affect the temperature of areas that cannot be reached by the airflow, and can effectively dissipate heat for electronic components in different areas at the same time in a lower noise operation mode.

[0057] Furthermore, the aforementioned configuration of the first air inlet, the second air inlet, and the air outlet enables the airflow generator to generate heat-dissipating airflow in the second accommodation area divided by the circuit board, thereby enabling the electronic components to be disposed in the second shell. Furthermore, the second shell is detachable, so the second shell can be disassembled according to the needs of the user to replace or add the required electronic components, thereby enabling the electronic device to have functional expansion capabilities while taking into account the heat dissipation requirements of the expanded electronic components.

[0058] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: A housing having a receiving space, a first air inlet, and an air outlet, wherein the first air inlet and the air outlet are connected to the receiving space and are located on opposite sides of the housing; a circuit board located in the accommodating space and dividing the accommodating space into a first accommodating area and a second accommodating area, wherein the first air inlet corresponds to the first accommodating area and the second accommodating area, and the air outlet corresponds to the first accommodating area; and an airflow generator located in the first accommodating area; The housing further has a second air inlet, which is connected to the accommodating space and corresponds to the second accommodating area.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The airflow generator is a radial fan.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The shell includes a first shell and a second shell, the first air inlet and the air outlet are respectively located on opposite sides of the first shell, the second air inlet is located on the second shell, and the second shell can be detachably assembled to the first shell and together with the first shell surround the accommodating space.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein: The first shell includes a first side plate portion and a second side plate portion opposite to each other, the first air inlet and the air outlet are respectively located on the first side plate portion and the second side plate portion, and the circuit board and the first side plate portion are separated and jointly define a side flow channel connecting the first accommodating area and the second accommodating area.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: It further includes a first electronic component and a second electronic component. The first electronic component is located in the first accommodating area and between the airflow generator and the circuit board. The second electronic component is located in the second accommodating area. The second air inlet corresponds to the second electronic component.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein: The first air inlet and the second air inlet correspond to two adjacent sides of the second electronic component respectively.

7. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: It further includes at least one electronic component disposed on the second shell.

8. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: The side of the first air inlet relatively far from the second shell is spaced apart from the side of the first shell relatively far from the second shell.

9. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein: A distance is provided between a side of the air outlet relatively close to the second shell and a side of the first shell relatively close to the second shell.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein: The air outlet is not directly connected to the second accommodating area.

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