Electronic device

The electronic device integrates a top air inlet, side exhaust, and drain port with a radiator to efficiently cool components while preventing water ingress, ensuring effective water drainage.

CN119172977APending Publication Date: 2024-12-20FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410758540.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-06-19
Filing Date
2024-06-13
Publication Date
2024-12-20

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing electronic devices face challenges in efficiently cooling components while preventing water ingress through air inlets, particularly when air is drawn from the top plate, as water can enter and damage internal components.

Method used

An electronic device design with an air inlet on the top plate, a side exhaust port, and a drain port below the exhaust, utilizing a radiator with an inner bottom surface to capture and discharge water, ensuring efficient cooling and water drainage.

Benefits of technology

The design allows efficient air intake for cooling while effectively discharging water to the outside, protecting internal components from moisture ingress using a simple configuration.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Provided is an electronic device that enables air to be sucked in from a top plate for efficiently cooling a heat-generating element while also allowing water entering through an air inlet of the top plate to be discharged to the outside of a case using a simple configuration. The electronic device is an electronic device that dissipates heat using air cooling, and includes: a heat-generating element; the shell comprises a top plate, and an air inlet is formed in the top plate; the side plate is provided with an exhaust port and a water outlet positioned below the exhaust port; a fan installed inside the housing so as to face the exhaust port; and a heat sink installed inside the housing in close contact with the heat generating element and covering the air inlet, the air outlet, the water outlet, and the fan, in which the heat sink is configured to have an inner bottom surface that discharges water entering the internal space from the air inlet through the water outlet.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Generally, there is known an electronic device designed to prevent water from coming from above from coming into contact with electric components and electronic components. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle-mounted device as an electronic device characterized in that an air intake port for cooling air and an air exhaust port for discharging the cooled air are provided on a bottom plate of a housing that accommodates the electric components and the electronic components, thereby preventing water and dust from entering the interior of the housing through the air intake port and the air exhaust port.

[0003] [Citation List]

[0004] [Patent Document]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022110640 A Summary of the invention

[0006] [Technical issues]

[0007] Generally, in electronic equipment, since there is a tendency to form a large space above the equipment, it is easy to draw in cold air from above. Therefore, from the perspective of cooling efficiency, it is desirable to provide an air inlet on the top plate of the electronic equipment. Unfortunately, as described above, providing an air inlet on the top plate is problematic because water may enter the interior of the housing through the air inlet.

[0008] The present invention has been completed in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide an electronic device that enables air to be sucked in from a top plate for efficiently cooling a heating element, while also allowing water entering through the air inlet of the top plate to be discharged to the outside of the housing using a simple configuration.

[0009] [Solution to the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electronic device according to the present invention that uses air cooling to dissipate heat includes: a heating element;

[0011] The housing comprises: a top plate, the heating element is installed inside the top plate, and an air inlet is arranged in the top plate; and a side plate, an exhaust port is arranged on the side plate, and a drain port is arranged below the exhaust port;

[0012] A fan is installed inside the shell in a manner facing the exhaust port, wherein the fan discharges the air sucked from the air inlet to the exhaust port; and a radiator is installed inside the shell in close contact with the heating element, covers the air inlet, the exhaust port, the drain port and the fan, and is configured to have an inner bottom surface, which discharges water entering the internal space from the air inlet through the drain port.

[0013] [Beneficial effects of the present invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, by providing an air inlet on the top plate, air can be sucked in from the top plate and the heating element can be efficiently cooled. In addition, even if water enters through the air inlet of the top plate, the water can be captured by the inner bottom surface of the radiator and guided to the drain port, thereby allowing the water to be discharged to the outside of the housing using a simple configuration in the shape of a radiator. Therefore, the present invention enables an electronic device to be provided, which enables air to be sucked in from the top plate for efficiently cooling the heating element, while also allowing the water entering through the air inlet of the top plate to be discharged to the outside of the housing using a simple configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a front view of the vehicle-mounted device according to the present embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle-mounted device according to the present embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a heat sink according to the present embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 is a front view of the heat sink according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.

[0020] Figure 6 is along with Figure 1 The cross section taken along line VI-VI corresponds to a partial cross-sectional view.

[0021] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 An enlarged view of the main part of the

[0022] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0023] 1In-vehicle device (electronic equipment)

[0024] 2 Shell

[0025] 3 bottom shell (first component)

[0026] 4 Top shell (second component)

[0027] 30 bottom plate part (bottom plate)

[0028] 31 front panel part (first side panel part)

[0029] 40 Top plate part (top plate)

[0030] 41 front panel part (side panel)

[0031] 45 Air Inlet

[0032] 48 Exhaust port

[0033] 49 Drainage outlet

[0034] 51 Heating element

[0035] 60 Radiator

[0036] 60S interior space

[0037] 69 cooling fins

[0038] 78 inner bottom surface

[0039] 90 Fan DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] [1. Configuration of electronic equipment]

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 is a front view of the vehicle-mounted device 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0043] In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted device 1 will be described as an example of an electronic device. In this embodiment, references to the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the vehicle-mounted device 1 are based on Figure 1 That is, the front side of the vehicle-mounted device 1 corresponds to Figure 1 The near side of the vehicle-mounted device 1 corresponds to Figure 1 In addition, the left and right sides of the vehicle-mounted device 1 are described as corresponding to Figure 1 The left and right sides of the .

[0044] The vehicle-mounted device 1 is, for example, a device installed in a vehicle, such as an infotainment system, an audio device, or a navigation system. The vehicle-mounted device 1 includes a housing 2 that forms its external appearance. The housing 2 is made of a suitable material (such as metal or resin) and has a shape (rectangular in the example shown) and size that fits the installation space in the vehicle. The installation space may be, for example, a storage recess provided in the dashboard of the vehicle; however, if there is no display portion or control panel, the vehicle-mounted device may also be embedded in a place that is not visible inside the dashboard of the vehicle. The size of the installation space uses the German Industrial Standard size of 1DIN or 2DIN.

[0045] Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle-mounted device 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0046] The vehicle-mounted device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a bottom case 3 disposed at a lower portion, a circuit board 5 accommodated in the bottom case 3, a radiator unit 6 disposed above the circuit board 5, and a top case 4 covering the circuit board 5 and the radiator unit 6 by closing the bottom case 3 from above.

[0047] The bottom shell (first member) 3 is in the shape of a shallow box with an open top. The bottom shell 3 in this embodiment has a rectangular flat bottom plate portion (bottom plate) 30, and a front plate portion (first side plate portion) 31, a rear plate portion 32, a left plate portion 33, and a right plate portion 34 corresponding to the side plate portions arranged on the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the bottom plate portion 30.

[0048] The top case (second member) 4 is a deep box-shaped with an open bottom. The top case 4 of this embodiment has a rectangular flat top plate portion (top plate) 40, and a front plate portion (side plate) 41, a rear plate portion 42, a left plate portion 43, and a right plate portion 44 corresponding to the side plate portions provided on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the top plate portion 40.

[0049] The housing 2 of the present embodiment is formed by a bottom housing 3 and a top housing 4. That is, the hollow housing 2 is formed by connecting the front plate portion 31, the rear plate portion 32, the left plate portion 33, and the right plate portion 34 of the bottom housing 3 to the front plate portion 41, the rear plate portion 42, the left plate portion 43, and the right plate portion 44 of the top housing 4, respectively. In the present embodiment, the front side plate of the housing 2 is formed by the front plate portion 31 and the front plate portion 41. The rear side plate of the housing 2 is formed by the rear plate portion 32 and the rear plate portion 42. The left side plate of the housing 2 is formed by the left plate portion 33 and the left plate portion 43. The right side plate of the housing 2 is formed by the right plate portion 34 and the right plate portion 44.

[0050] A circuit board 5 is arranged inside the housing 2. The circuit board 5 is, for example, a printed circuit board. The circuit board 5 is attached to the bottom shell 3. The circuit board 5 has a substrate 50 mounted across substantially the entire surface of the bottom plate portion 30. The substrate 50 is equipped with electrical components 51 and electronic components 52 required for the vehicle-mounted device 1. On the substrate 50, a large number of components are arranged on the mounting surface in order to realize the various functions of the vehicle-mounted device 1. Among these components, there is a heating element 51, which generates more heat than other components and requires heat dissipation in order to operate stably. An exemplary heating element 51 may include a processor (such as an MPU (microprocessing unit) or a CPU (central processing unit)) and various integrated circuits.

[0051] The heat sink unit 6 is closely attached to the heat generating element 51. The heat sink unit 6 absorbs heat from the heat generating element 51 and dissipates the heat into the surrounding air, thereby cooling the heat generating element 51 by air cooling. The heat sink unit 6 includes a heat sink 60, a fan holder 80 fixed to the heat sink 60, and a fan 90 fixed to the fan holder 80.

[0052] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a heat sink 60 according to the present embodiment. Figure 4 is a front view of the heat sink 60 according to the present embodiment. Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.

[0053] The heat sink 60 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, copper or aluminum alloy. The heat sink 60 in this embodiment is made of aluminum die casting. The heat sink 60 is in a roughly block shape that is almost bilaterally symmetrical in appearance.

[0054] In plan view, the heat sink 60 has a rectangular base portion 61. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a heat receiving portion 62 shaped like a rectangular prism is formed on the lower surface of the base portion 61. The heat receiving portion 62 is formed to be biased to one side (the left side when viewed from the left-right direction) relative to the base portion 61 (see Figure 4 ). A flat contact surface 62a is formed on the lower surface of the heat receiving portion 62. The contact surface 62a is closely attached to the upper surface of the heating element 51. The contact surface 62a is closely attached to the upper surface of the heating element 51 via thermal grease or a thermal conductive sheet. Therefore, the heat sink 60 receives heat from the heating element 51 through the heat receiving portion 62. It should be noted that the thermal grease or the thermal conductive sheet may be omitted.

[0055] Columnar legs 63, 64 are formed on the left and right sides of the heat receiving portion 62 so as to protrude downward. The legs 63, 64 protrude downward further than the heat receiving portion 62. The legs 63, 64 are arranged offset in the front-rear direction. Under the legs 63, 64, there are fastening holes (not shown) for fastening the fastener 103 (see FIG. Figure 2 ). The legs 63, 64 are in contact with the circuit board 5 from above. This positions the contact surface 62a at a height where it is closely attached to the upper surface of the heat generating element 51 of the circuit board 5 fixed to the bottom case 3.

[0056] Above the base portion 61 , an outer wall portion 65 is formed together with the base portion 61 to form a concave shape that is open upward and forward. An internal space 60S of the heat sink 60 is formed by a portion surrounded by the base portion 61 and the outer wall portion 65 .

[0057] The outer wall portion 65 has a rear wall portion 66 extending upward from the rear end of the base portion 61. Figure 5 As shown, the rear wall portion 66 has a lower rear surface 66 a inclined forward as rising from the rear end of the base portion 61 , and an upper rear surface 66 b extending upward in the vertical direction from the upper end of the lower rear surface 66 a .

[0058] A left wall portion 67 extending forward is formed at the left end of the rear wall portion 66. The left wall portion 67 extends upward from the side edge of the left side of the base portion 61. In the present embodiment, the left wall portion 67 extends upward in a manner that is slightly inclined to the left as it rises (see Figure 4 ). A holder fixing portion 67a is formed at the front end of the left wall portion 67. The holder fixing portion 67a in this embodiment has a positioning pin 67b protruding forward and a fastening hole 67c formed above the positioning pin 67b.

[0059] A plate-shaped top plate fixing portion 67d protruding to the left is formed above the left wall portion 67. An insertion hole penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the top plate fixing portion 67d, and the insertion hole is provided for the fastener 102 (see Figure 2 ) is inserted through.

[0060] A right wall portion 68 extending forward is formed at the right end of the rear wall portion 66. The right wall portion 68 extends upward from the side edge of the right side of the base portion 61. In the present embodiment, the right wall portion 68 extends upward in a manner that is slightly inclined to the right as it rises (see Figure 4). A holder fixing portion 68a is formed at the front end of the right wall portion 68. The holder fixing portion 68a in this embodiment has a positioning pin 68b protruding forward and a fastening hole 68c formed below the positioning pin 68b. Therefore, in the holder fixing portion 68a of the right wall portion 68, the positions of the positioning pin 68b and the fastening hole 68c are reversed upside down compared to the holder fixing portion 67a of the left wall portion 67.

[0061] A plate-shaped top plate fixing portion 68d protruding rightward is formed above the right wall portion 68. An insertion hole penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the top plate fixing portion 68d, and the insertion hole is provided for the fastener 102 (see Figure 2 ) is inserted through.

[0062] Inside the outer wall portion 65 of the surrounding shape, that is, in the inner space 60S, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 69 are provided. The heat dissipation fins 69 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The heat dissipation fins 69 stand upright on the upper surface 61a of the base portion 61. The heat dissipation fins 69 are in a substantially triangular prism shape that gradually narrows as they rise. The heat dissipation fins 69 extend in the front-back direction. The heat dissipation fins 69 extend rearward from the holder fixing portions 67a, 68a and are connected to the front surface 66c of the rear wall portion 66.

[0063] In the heat sink 60, the space surrounded by the base portion 61, the outer wall portion 65 and the heat dissipation fins 69 forms a triangular prism-shaped ventilation space 60S1 that gradually narrows from the top to the bottom. In other words, the internal space 60S is divided by the heat dissipation fins 69 to form each ventilation space 60S1. The ventilation space 60S1 is open at the top and the front.

[0064] A rib-shaped top plate approach portion 70 is formed above the heat dissipation fins 69 of the outer wall portion 65. The top plate approach portion 70 extends in an enclosing shape along the upper edge shape of the outer wall portion 65. In the present embodiment, in a plan view, the top plate approach portion 70 is roughly U-shaped with an open front. Specifically, the top plate approach portion 70 has a rear wall portion 71, a left wall portion 72, and a right wall portion 73 corresponding to the rear wall portion 66, the left wall portion 67, and the right wall portion 68, respectively. The top plate approach portion 70 is formed on the outside of the opening shape relative to the ventilation space 60S1, thereby forming a step on the heat dissipation fins 69. The top plate approach portion 70 can contact the top plate portion 40 of the top shell 4 from below.

[0065] A forward extending portion 74 extending forward is formed at the front end of the base portion 61. Figure 4), the forward extending portion 74 is formed into a flat, substantially U-shape. Specifically, the forward extending portion 74 has a bottom surface portion 75 extending in the left-right direction, a left wall portion 76 protruding upward from the left end of the bottom surface portion 75, and a right wall portion 77 protruding upward from the right end of the bottom surface portion 75. Figure 5 As shown, the upper surface 75a of the bottom surface portion 75 is recessed downward in a stepped manner relative to the upper surface 61a of the base portion 61. A step surface 61b connecting the upper surface 75a and the upper surface 61a is formed between the upper surface 75a and the upper surface 61a. The step surface 61b is located further rearward than the front end of the outer wall portion 65. The front end of the forward extending portion 74 can contact the front plate portion 41 of the top case 4 from the rear.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the front surface 66c of the rear wall portion 66 is inclined forward (toward the drain outlet 49 side) as it descends. In addition, the upper surface 61a of the base portion 61 is inclined downward as it extends forward (toward the drain outlet 49 side). In addition, the upper surface 75a of the bottom surface portion 75 of the forward extending portion 74 is inclined downward as it extends forward (toward the drain outlet 49 side). In the side view, the angle formed between the front surface 66c of the rear wall portion 66 and the upper surface 61a of the base portion 61 is an obtuse angle. The upper surface 61a of the base portion 61 and the upper surface 75a of the bottom surface portion 75 of the forward extending portion 74 are inclined at the same angle relative to the horizontal plane. The step surface 61b is inclined more steeply than the upper surface 61a and the upper surface 75a. The inclination angle of the upper surface 61a and the upper surface 75a relative to the horizontal plane is preferably 1 to 2 degrees. The inner bottom surface 78 of the heat sink 60 in the present embodiment is formed by the upper surface 61 a , the step surface 61 b ​​, and the upper surface 71 a .

[0067] Figure 6 is along with Figure 1 The cross section taken along line VI-VI corresponds to a partial cross-sectional view. Figure 7 yes Figure 6 An enlarged view of the main part of the

[0068] like Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, a bent plate-like fan holder 80 is supported by the radiator 60. The fan holder 80 has a plate-like main body portion 81 having a thickness in the front-to-back direction. A vent 81a is formed in the main body portion 81, which passes through in the front-to-back direction. The vent 81a is formed in a position facing the front surface of the internal space 60S of the radiator 60. Fixed portions 82 and 83 are formed on the left and right sides of the vent 81a. The fixed portions 82 and 83 are respectively fixed to the holder fixing portions 67a and 68a of the radiator 60. The fixed portions 82 and 83 have holes 82b and 83b and an insertion hole 83c (the insertion hole for the fixed portion 82 is not shown), the positioning pins 67b and 68b are adapted to the holes 82b and 83b for positioning, and the fastener 100 is inserted through the insertion hole 83c. The fixing portions 82 , 83 have a fan fastening portion 83 a (the fan fastening portion for the fixing portion 82 is not shown) to which the fastener 101 from the fan 90 is fastened.

[0069] An upper retainer portion 84 and a lower retainer portion 85 that are bent forward are formed at both ends of the upper and lower ends of the main body portion 81. The lower retainer portion 85 is formed so as to maintain a predetermined gap δ relative to the upper surface 75a of the forward extending portion 74. The predetermined gap δ is a gap through which water can pass. In the present embodiment, the vertical width of the gap δ is, for example, 2 mm. The vertical width of the gap δ may exceed 2 mm as long as it prevents foreign matter such as screws from entering, or may be less than 2 mm as long as it does not hinder the flow of water.

[0070] The fan holder 80 supports the fan 90. In the present embodiment, the fan 90 uses an axial flow fan. The fan 90 has a rectangular ring-shaped fan case 91, a fan motor 92 supported by the inner circumference of the fan case 91, and a blade 93 rotatably supported by the fan motor 92. The fan case 91 is fastened to the fan fastening portion 83a of the fan holder 80 by a fastener 101. In this way, the fan 90 is fixed to the fan holder 80. It should be noted that the fan 90 can be a fan of a type other than the axial flow fan, such as a centrifugal fan. In this case, the shape of the fan holder and other components is modified according to the configuration of the fan.

[0071] Here, an air inlet 45 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the top plate portion 40 of the top case 4. The air inlet 45 is formed in a position facing the upper surface of the internal space 60S of the radiator 60. The air inlet 45 is a rectangular opening having edges on four sides. The air inlet 45 is formed to have an opening area smaller than the surrounding shape of the top plate approaching portion 70. That is, the rear wall portion 71 of the top plate approaching portion 70 is located further rearward than the rear edge of the air inlet 45. The left wall portion 72 of the top plate approaching portion 70 is located further to the left than the left edge of the air inlet 45. The right wall portion 73 of the top plate approaching portion 70 is located further to the right than the right edge of the air inlet 45. The air flowing in from the air inlet 45 can flow into the ventilation space 60S1 of the internal space 60S of the radiator 60.

[0072] Radiator fastening portions 46, 47 that protrude downward are formed on the left and right sides of the air inlet 45. The radiator fastening portions 46, 47 are fixed to the top plate fixing portions 67d, 68d of the radiator 60.

[0073] In the front plate portion 41 of the top case 4, an exhaust port 48 is formed in a position facing the front of the fan 90. The exhaust port 48 is formed by a plurality of openings 48a, 48b extending in a circular arc shape. Figure 1 As shown, the exhaust port 48 has a plurality of openings 48a in the shape of small diameter annular holes separated in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of openings 48b in the shape of large diameter annular holes separated in the circumferential direction. The exhaust port 48 is formed to face the blades 93 of the fan 90. The exhaust port 48 is formed with an area smaller than the inner circumference of the fan case 91.

[0074] A drain port 49 is formed below the exhaust port 48. The drain port 49 is a slit hole extending in the left-right direction. The drain port 49 is formed to be longer than the width of the exhaust port 48 in the left-right direction. In addition, the drain port 49 is formed to be shorter than the width of the bottom surface portion 75 of the forward extending portion 74. That is, the left wall portion 76 of the forward extending portion 74 is located further to the left than the left end of the drain port 49. In addition, the right wall portion 77 of the forward extending portion 74 is located further to the right than the right end of the drain port 49.

[0075] The upper edge of the drain port 49 is located above the upper surface 75a of the bottom surface portion 75. The lower edge of the drain port 49 is located below the upper surface 75a of the bottom surface portion 75. The distance between the upper edge and the lower edge of the drain port 49 (i.e., the height 49W of the drain port 49) is formed to a predetermined size. The predetermined size prevents foreign matter (such as sand) from entering the interior of the housing 2 through the drain port 49. In the present embodiment, the height 49W is larger than the vertical width of the gap δ. The predetermined size is, for example, about 2 mm.

[0076] A pair of left and right notch portions 31a cut into a straight line downward are formed in the front plate portion 31 of the bottom shell 3. The notch portion 31a is formed to be more outward in the left-right direction than the drain port 49 of the top shell 4. In the present embodiment, the notch portion 31a is formed to be more outward in the left-right direction than the forward extending portion 74. The notch portion 31a forms a curved portion 31b bent into the interior of the housing 2 in a cutout shape at the upper edge of the front plate portion 31. The curved portion 31b is inclined backward as it rises. The left-right width of the curved portion 31b outward in the left-right direction is wider than the forward extending portion 74.

[0077] The housing 2 is connected so that the front plate portion 31 of the bottom case 3 overlaps the inner surface of the front plate portion 41 of the top case 4. At this time, the drain port 49 is located inside the left and right notch portions 31a and 31a. In addition, the curved portion 31b is located below the drain port 49.

[0078] Next, an example of how to assemble the vehicle-mounted device 1 will be described.

[0079] The fan holder 80 is fixed to the heat sink 60 by the fastener 100. The fixed fan holder 80 allows the fan 90 to be fixed thereto by the fastener 101. In this way, the heat sink unit 6 is formed.

[0080] The radiator unit 6 is fixed to the top plate portion 40 of the top case 4. Specifically, the fastener 102 is inserted into the top plate fixing portions 67d, 68d of the radiator 60 from below, while the fastener 102 is fastened to the radiator fastening portions 46, 47 of the top plate portion 40.

[0081] At this time, the fan 90 of the radiator unit 6 is positioned to face the exhaust port 48 of the top case 4. In addition, the radiator 60 of the radiator unit 6 contacts the inner surface of the top plate portion 40 with the upper end of the top plate approaching portion 70 at the rear, left and right sides of the air inlet 45 of the top case 4, while the front end of the forward extending portion 74 contacts the inner surface of the front plate portion 41 near the drain port 49 of the top case 4. Therefore, the radiator 60 is installed in a manner covering the air inlet 45, the exhaust port 48, the drain port 49 and the upper edge of the fan 90.

[0082] A circuit board 5 is provided in the bottom case 3. The circuit board 5 is fixed to the bottom case 3 by several fasteners. The bottom case 3 to which the circuit board 5 is fixed is closed by the top case 4 to which the radiator unit 6 is fixed. At this time, the legs 63, 64 of the radiator 60 are in contact with the substrate 50 of the circuit board 5, and the fastener 103 is inserted from below the bottom case 3. Then, the fastener 103 is fastened to the legs 63, 64, and the circuit board 5 and the bottom case 3 are clamped together with the legs 63, 64 of the radiator unit 6. Therefore, the contact surface 62a of the heat receiving portion 62 of the radiator 60 is closely attached to the heating element 51. In this way, the vehicle-mounted device 1 can be assembled.

[0083] It is noted that the fasteners 100 to 103 are bolts or screws.

[0084] [2. Operation of cooling device]

[0085] Next, the operation mode of this embodiment will be described.

[0086] When the vehicle-mounted device 1 is operated and the fan 90 is operated, the fan 90 discharges air from the exhaust port 48. Therefore, negative pressure is applied to the ventilation space 60S1 of the radiator 60, and air is sucked into the ventilation space 60S1 of the radiator 60 from the air inlet 45 of the top plate portion 40. That is, in the ventilation space 60S1, an air flow A moving from the air inlet 45 to the exhaust port 48 is generated, so that the heat dissipation fins 69 are cooled via the air flow A, and then the heated air is discharged from the exhaust port 48. In the present embodiment, since the air inlet 45 is formed in the top plate portion 40, it is easy to suck in cold air from the air inlet 45, thereby efficiently cooling the radiator 60. Therefore, efficient cooling of the radiator 60 achieves efficient heat dissipation of the heating element 51 closely attached to the radiator 60.

[0087] Here, in the present embodiment, water may enter through the air inlet 45. Specifically, the vehicle-mounted device 1 may be installed under an air conditioner, a defroster, or their ducts, in which case condensate from these devices may enter through the air inlet 45. In the present embodiment, in the case where water enters the interior of the housing 2 through the air inlet 45, the entered water passes through the interior of the enclosed shape of the top plate approaching portion 70 and enters the internal space 60S of the radiator 60. That is, as Figure 7 As indicated by arrow B1 in FIG. 8 , water reaches the inner bottom surface 78 by flowing along the inner surface of the outer wall portion 65 of the radiator 60 and the surfaces of the heat dissipation fins 69 or directly falling onto the inner bottom surface 78 .

[0088] The water reaching the inner bottom surface 78 is blown away by the airflow A generated by the fan 90. Figure 7In particular, in the present embodiment, since the inner bottom surface 78 is inclined so that the side close to the drain port 49 is lower, the water on the inner bottom surface 78 is easily guided to the drain port 49. The water on the inner bottom surface 78 that moves toward the drain port 49 is discharged from the housing 2 from the drain port 49 through the gap δ between the fan holder 80 and the forward extending portion 74, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown by arrow B3. Therefore, using the heat sink 60, water that has entered the interior of the housing 2 can be discharged without contacting the electrical components 51 and the electronic components 52 of the circuit board 5. In the present embodiment, since water can pass through the gap δ below the fan holder 80, the fan 90 can also be prevented from contacting the water.

[0089] Note that even if water leaks downward between the forward extending portion 74 of the radiator 60 and the front plate portion 41 of the housing 2, the water can be discharged to the outside of the housing 2 via the bent portion 31b that is longer in the left-right direction below the forward extending portion 74. Even if the fan 90 is stopped, the water can be discharged due to the inclined shape of the inner bottom surface 78 of the radiator 60.

[0090] [3. Effect]

[0091] As described above, in the present embodiment, the vehicle-mounted device 1 is a vehicle-mounted device 1 that uses air cooling to dissipate heat, and the vehicle-mounted device includes: a heating element 51; a shell 2, the shell including: a top plate 40, the heating element 51 is mounted inside the top plate, and an air inlet 45 is provided in the top plate; and a front plate portion 41, an exhaust port 48 is provided on the front plate portion, and a drain port 49 is provided below the exhaust port 48; a fan 90, the fan is mounted inside the shell 2 in a manner facing the exhaust port 48, wherein the fan discharges the air sucked in from the air inlet 45 to the exhaust port 48; and a radiator 60, the radiator is mounted inside the shell 2 in close contact with the heating element 51, and the radiator 60 covers the air inlet 45, the exhaust port 48, the drain port 49 and the fan 90, and is configured to have an inner bottom surface 78, which discharges water entering the internal space 60S from the air inlet 45 through the drain port 49.

[0092] According to this configuration, since the air inlet 45 is provided in the top plate portion 40, it is possible to draw air from the top plate portion 40, thereby efficiently cooling the heating element 51. In addition, even if water enters through the air inlet 45 of the top plate portion 40, the water can be collected by the inner bottom surface 78 of the radiator 60 and guided to the drain port 49, thereby allowing the water to be discharged to the outside of the housing 2 using a simple configuration of the shape of the radiator 60. Therefore, this configuration allows the provision of a vehicle-mounted device 1 that enables air to be drawn from the top plate portion 40 for efficiently cooling the heating element 51, while also allowing the water that has entered through the air inlet of the top plate portion 40 to be discharged to the outside of the housing 2 using a simple configuration.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the inner bottom surface 78 is provided with an inclination for guiding water entering from the air inlet 45 to the water discharge port 49 .

[0094] According to this configuration, it is possible to easily drain the water on the inner bottom surface 78. Even if the fan 90 is stopped, due to the inclined shape of the inner bottom surface 78 of the radiator 60, the water can be drained.

[0095] In the present embodiment, heat dissipation fins 69 are provided in the internal space 60S of the radiator 60 so as not to hinder the water entering from the air inlet 45 from being discharged to the drain port 49. That is, in the present embodiment, the heat dissipation fins 69 have a shape extending in the front-rear direction so that the upper surface and the front surface of the ventilation space 60S1 are open, and the drainage from the ventilation space 60S1 of the internal space 60S is not hindered.

[0096] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent water from staying in the internal space 60S of the radiator 60 .

[0097] In the present embodiment, the drain opening 49 is a slit hole extending along the inner bottom surface 78 of the heat sink 60 .

[0098] According to this configuration, since the slit hole allows communication with the outside of the housing 2 while making it difficult to block the space on the inner bottom surface 78 with the housing 2 , water is more easily discharged from the inner bottom surface 78 to the outside of the housing 2 .

[0099] In this embodiment, the shell 2 has: a bottom shell 3, which is formed with a bottom plate portion 30; and a top shell 4, which is separated from the bottom shell 3 and is formed with a front plate portion 41 in which an exhaust port 48 is arranged, wherein the bottom shell 3 has a front plate portion 31, which is bent so as to extend along the front plate portion 41 at least below the drain port 49 and overlap with the inner side of the top shell 4, and the top edge of the front plate portion 31 at least below the drain port 49 is bent toward the inside of the shell 2.

[0100] According to this configuration, even if water leaks downward from between the front plate portion 41 of the drain port 49 and the forward extending portion 74 of the radiator 60, the curved top edge of the front plate portion 31 (i.e., the curved portion 31b) makes it easier for the leaked water to be discharged to the outside of the housing 2.

[0101] [4. Other implementation plans]

[0102] The embodiment described above merely illustrates one aspect of the present invention, and may be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0103] In the embodiment described above, a configuration is described in which a slope leading to the drain port 49 is provided on the inner bottom surface 78. Although this configuration is preferred, it is not necessary to provide a slope leading to the drain port 49 on the inner bottom surface 78. That is, a configuration in which water is guided to the drain port 49 only by the airflow A generated by the fan 90 may also be adopted.

[0104] In the embodiment described above, an example is given in which the upper surface 75a of the forward extending portion 74 of the inner bottom surface 78 is located above the lower edge of the drain port 49. However, the upper surface 75a of the forward extending portion 74 may be located at the same position as the lower edge of the drain port 49, or may be located below the lower edge of the drain port 49 if it is within an acceptable range.

[0105] In the embodiment described above, an example is given in which the exhaust port 48 is formed on the front plate portion 41. However, the exhaust port 48 may be provided on any one of the rear plate portion 42, the left plate portion 43 or the right plate portion 44, rather than being provided on the front plate portion 41. Although the housing 2 is preferably in a rectangular shape, the housing does not have to be rectangular. If the housing is not rectangular, the exhaust port may be provided at any position on the side plate connecting the outer periphery of the top plate portion and the outer periphery of the bottom plate portion.

[0106] [5. Overview of the Invention]

[0107] Hereinafter, an overview of the present invention will be described.

[0108] (Configuration 1) An electronic device that uses air cooling to dissipate heat, the electronic device comprising: a heating element;

[0109] The housing comprises: a top plate, the heating element is installed inside the top plate, and an air inlet is arranged in the top plate; and a side plate, an exhaust port is arranged on the side plate, and a drain port is arranged below the exhaust port;

[0110] A fan is installed inside the shell in a manner facing the exhaust port, wherein the fan discharges the air sucked from the air inlet to the exhaust port; and a radiator is installed inside the shell in close contact with the heating element, covers the air inlet, the exhaust port, the drain port and the fan, and is configured to have an inner bottom surface, which discharges water entering the internal space from the air inlet through the drain port.

[0111] According to this configuration, since an air inlet is provided in the top plate portion, air can be sucked in from the top plate portion, thereby efficiently cooling the heating element. In addition, even if water enters through the air inlet of the top plate, the water can be captured by the inner bottom surface of the radiator and guided to the drain port, thereby allowing the water to be discharged to the outside of the housing using a simple configuration of the radiator shape. Therefore, this configuration makes it possible to provide an electronic device that allows air to be sucked in from the top plate for efficiently cooling the heating element, while also allowing the water that enters through the air inlet of the top plate to be discharged to the outside of the housing using a simple configuration.

[0112] (Configuration 2) The electronic device according to Configuration 1, wherein a slope that guides water entering from the air inlet to the water outlet is provided on the inner bottom surface.

[0113] According to this configuration, water on the inner bottom surface can be easily drained.

[0114] (Configuration 3) The electronic device according to Configuration 1 or 2, wherein a heat dissipation fin is provided in the internal space of the heat sink and is shaped so as not to prevent water entering from the air inlet from being discharged to the water outlet.

[0115] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent water from being retained in the internal space of the radiator.

[0116] (Configuration 4) The electronic device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the water drain port is a slit hole extending along the inner bottom surface of the heat sink.

[0117] According to this configuration, due to the slit hole, communication with the outside of the housing is possible while making it difficult to block the space on the inner bottom surface with the housing, thereby making it easier for water to be discharged from the inner bottom surface to the outside of the housing.

[0118] (Configuration 5) An electronic device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the shell has: a first member, which forms a bottom plate; and a second member, which is separated from the first member to form the side panel provided with the exhaust port, the first member having a first side panel portion, the first side panel portion being bent so as to extend along the side panel at least below the drain port and overlap with the inner side of the second member, and the top edge of the first side panel portion at least below the drain port is bent toward the inside of the shell.

[0119] According to this configuration, even if water leaks downward from between the side plate of a portion of the drain port and the radiator, the curved top edge of the first side plate portion allows the leaked water to be discharged to the outside of the housing more easily.

Claims

1. An electronic device that uses air cooling to dissipate heat, the electronic device comprising: Heating element; A housing, the housing comprising: a top plate, the heating element is mounted inside the top plate, and an air inlet is arranged in the top plate; and a side plate, an exhaust port is arranged on the side plate, and a drain port is arranged below the exhaust port; a fan installed inside the housing in a manner facing the exhaust port, wherein the fan discharges air sucked from the air inlet to the exhaust port; and A radiator is installed inside the housing in close contact with the heating element, covers the air inlet, the air outlet, the drain outlet and the fan, and is configured to have an inner bottom surface that discharges water entering the internal space from the air inlet through the drain outlet. 2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein a slope that guides water entering from the air inlet to the water outlet is provided on the inner bottom surface.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: A heat dissipation fin is provided in the inner space of the radiator and is shaped so as not to prevent water entering from the air inlet from being discharged to the water outlet. 4 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the water drain port is a slit hole extending along the inner bottom surface of the heat sink.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The housing has: a first member, the first member forming a bottom plate; and a second member, the second member being separated from the first member to form the side plate provided with the exhaust port, The first member has a first side plate portion that is bent so as to extend along the side plate at least below the drain opening and overlap with an inner side of the second member, and At least a top edge of the first side plate portion below the drain port is bent inwardly of the housing.

Citation Information

Cited By

  • Electronic device

    EP4776773A3