Computer cooling protective case

Abstract

To provide a computer cooling protective case which does not require a complex cooling system, and which, while having a simple mechanism that is hard to fail, protects a personal computer operating in a severe environment from surrounding contamination factors and properly cools the personal computer itself to prevent overheat.SOLUTION: A computer cooling protective case includes: a case body 10 storing a personal computer 1 in an airtight state; an air introduction part 16 introducing compressed-air into the case body 10 from the outside; an air exhaust part 19 exhausting excess air inside the case body 10; an air volume increaser 30 converting pressure energy of the compressed-air introduced into the case body 10 from the air introduction part 16 into kinetic energy of surrounding air and generating air with a flow rate larger than an air volume of the compressed-air; an introduction-side air guide 21 and an exhaust-side air guide 22 introducing the air such that the air comes into contact with the personal computer 1; and a bottom plate-side gap 25a and a top plate-side gap 25b returning the air after coming into contact with the personal computer 1 to the air volume increaser 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer cooling and protective case that can protect a computer from harsh environments and prevent overheating. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the trend toward IoT (Internet on Things, an effort to connect various things to the Internet and make advanced use of them) and DX (Digital Transformation, an effort to streamline operations using computers and software), there has been a growing momentum toward using personal computers (hereafter referred to as PCs) in manufacturing sites.

[0003] When installing a PC at a manufacturing site for the purpose of IoT or DX, the environment is not necessarily suitable for the PC. For example, if you try to configure a camera system to closely observe the state of arc welding performed in a factory, you will need to install the camera very close to the welding point. If you use a camera that connects via USB (Universal Serial Bus), it is difficult to install the PC away from the camera due to the USB communication standard. As a result, the PC must be installed and operated in a harsh environment where there are sparks and spatters flying from the welding point, and fumes and mist generated by the evaporation of flux and oil near the welding point. Although not as harsh as the above examples, the use of PCs in various places such as outdoors on farms and roads, construction sites for buildings and bridges, and moving ships and railway vehicles is being actively explored. Therefore, it is expected that there will be more situations in the future where people will want to use PCs in environments with various polluting factors such as rain, mud, dust, sand, and condensation.

[0004] However, most personal computers are designed to be used in relatively clean environments such as offices, and are rarely designed to be used in harsh environments such as those mentioned above. To meet the needs of using a personal computer in a not-so-clean environment, there are products such as "dustproof racks" that protect the computer by storing it inside a sealed case equipped with a fan that takes in outside air through a filter, and "fanless computers" that have large heat dissipation fins on the computer's casing and make the computer itself sealed, but these products are not designed for the harsh environments mentioned above. In such harsh environments, the filters of dustproof racks become clogged with contaminants in a short period of time, and a large amount of contaminants accumulate on the heat dissipation fins of fanless computers in a short period of time, causing them to lose their heat dissipation effect. Even if the computer itself can be well protected, these products cannot protect the various cables connected to the computer.

[0005] When using a PC in such a harsh environment, it is desirable to prepare a case that seals and protects both the PC itself and the cables connected to the PC. In that case, the problem is how to dissipate the heat generated by the PC. In particular, in recent years, there has been a trend away from the conventional configuration in which only sensors are installed at each site and calculation processing is performed centrally, toward "edge computing" in which calculation processing is performed at each site, and the PCs installed at the sites are becoming more powerful. High-performance PCs generate a lot of heat from components such as the CPU, so a major challenge is how to dissipate the heat and prevent overheating. In other words, there is a demand for PCs to be both sealed and cooled at the same time.

[0006] A refrigerant is needed to cool a PC. In other words, a structure is essential to continuously supply the refrigerant, which is a low-temperature fluid, and keep it in contact with the heat-generating components inside the PC. In typical PCs, a fan is used to draw in ambient air and use it as a refrigerant. There is also technology for cooling the CPU, a heat-generating component, by installing a heat pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 1), but even in this case, the heat transferred by the heat pipe is ultimately dissipated into the surrounding air. In other words, the surrounding air is indirectly used as a refrigerant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3920970 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in such harsh environments, as mentioned above with fanless PCs and dustproof racks, it is difficult to take in the air around the PC and use it as a coolant. This inevitably requires a cooling system that supplies coolant from a device separate from the PC. If this cooling system becomes complicated, then measures to protect it from harsh environments will be required, and one of the advantages of PCs, its compactness, will be lost. Therefore, the simpler the cooling system, the better.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a computer cooling and protective case that does not require a complex cooling system, has a simple mechanism that is less likely to break down, yet protects a personal computer operating in a harsh environment from environmental pollutants, and properly cools the personal computer itself to prevent overheating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve this problem, the invention described in claim 1 is characterized by comprising a case body for storing a computer in an airtight state, an air inlet section provided in the case body for introducing compressed air from the outside into the case body, an air exhaust section provided in the case body for discharging excess air, an air volume increasing means for converting the pressure energy of the compressed air introduced into the case body from the air inlet section into kinetic energy of surrounding air, and creating a wind with a larger flow rate than the volume of the compressed air, an air guide means for guiding the wind so that it comes into contact with the computer, and an air circulation means for returning the wind after it has come into contact with the computer to the air volume increasing means.

[0011] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1, a circulation loop is provided in the air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet, for returning a portion of the air from the downstream side to the upstream side.

[0012] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1, the air volume increasing means creates a large flow rate of air by drawing in surrounding air into the jet of compressed air introduced into the case body from the air inlet portion.

[0013] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1, the gauge pressure of the compressed air is equal to or higher than 4 atmospheres and equal to or lower than 8 atmospheres.

[0014] The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1, a flow rate control valve is provided in the air inlet portion, and the flow rate control valve is configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of the compressed air introduced into the case body.

[0015] The invention described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration described in claim 1, the air exhaust section is provided with a check valve, and the check valve is configured to exhaust air within the case body to the outside when the pressure within the case body exceeds a certain threshold value. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 1, it is possible to generate a large flow rate of air without consuming a large amount of compressed air and supply it to an enclosed computer to help cool it.

[0017] According to the invention described in claim 2, a small amount of compressed air can be reused multiple times to help cool the computer, enabling efficient cooling.

[0018] According to the invention as recited in claim 3, the structure of the airflow increasing means can be simplified. Also, moving parts can be eliminated from the airflow increasing means, thereby preventing breakdowns and improving reliability.

[0019] According to the invention as recited in claim 4, compressed air that is widely supplied to factories, construction sites, etc. can be diverted as it is as a refrigerant.

[0020] According to the invention as recited in claim 5, a necessary and sufficient flow rate of compressed air can be introduced into the case body.

[0021] According to the invention described in claim 6, a constant positive pressure is maintained inside the case body, so that it is possible to prevent surrounding contaminants from entering through gaps in the case body. In addition, air is sent into the case that seals and protects devices connected to the computer through a cable protection tube connected to the case body, providing dust protection and cooling effects to the devices. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the computer cooling and protection case of this embodiment with the top plate removed. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a computer cooling protection case according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the computer cooling protection case of the present embodiment from the rear side. FIG. [Figure 4]1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a personal computer stored in the computer cooling and protective case of the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which an inlet side air guide and an outlet side air guide are attached to the personal computer shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a front view showing the computer cooling and protective case of the present embodiment with the front panel removed and a personal computer stored therein; FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a rear view showing the computer cooling and protection case of the present embodiment with the rear panel removed and the personal computer stored therein. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the introduction side air guide and the air volume increaser of this embodiment are connected to each other. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the discharge side air guide of the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the airflow increaser of the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the airflow increaser of the present embodiment, seen from the rear side. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the internal structure of the airflow increaser of the present embodiment with the upper portion cut away. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal structure of the airflow increaser of the present embodiment, with the upper portion cut away, as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a connection diagram of the computer cooling and protection case of this embodiment with peripheral equipment and devices. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the air flow inside the computer cooling protection case of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] 1 to 13 show one embodiment of the present invention. [One embodiment of the invention] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment with the top plate 5b removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment from the front side. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment from the rear side. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a personal computer 1 stored in the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment.

[0024] The case body 10, which is a computer cooling and protection case of this embodiment, houses and operates a personal computer 1, which is an example of a computer. The case body 10 is made to be substantially airtight inside so as to isolate and protect the personal computer 1 from the surrounding harsh environment.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, the personal computer 1 housed in the case body 10 has a front panel 3a, a back panel 3b (shown in Fig. 7), left and right side panels 4a and 4b, a bottom panel 5a (shown in Figs. 6 and 7), and a top panel 5b. The left and right side panels 4a and 4b are each formed with a number of ventilation holes 6a and 6b, which are configured to take in outside air and allow natural convection when used in a clean environment to cool heat-generating components such as the CPU inside the personal computer 1. The CPU is also configured to be in thermal contact with the bottom panel 5a and top panel 5b inside the personal computer 1, so that heat generated by the CPU is transferred to the bottom panel 5a and top panel 5b and then dissipated into the outside air.

[0026] The front panel 3a of the PC 1 is provided with a power switch 7 and three USB ports 8. The rear panel 3b is also provided with one USB port 8 and a power jack 9, as shown in FIG. 7. When the PC 1 is stored and sealed inside the case body 10, the user cannot touch the power switch 7. For this reason, the PC 1 is preset to start up automatically when the power is turned on. This operation is achieved by the functions of the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) software installed in the PC 1.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the case body 10 is generally formed in a flat box shape. The case body 10 includes a bottom plate 13a located on the lower surface, a top plate 13b located on the upper surface, and a front plate 11a, a back plate 11b, and left and right side plates 12a and 12b that are sandwiched between them and held vertically. The bottom plate 13a and the top plate 13b, the front plate 11a and the back plate 11b, and the left and right side plates 12a and 12b are arranged to form opposing surfaces of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the internal space of the case body 10 is generally sealed. The front plate 11a, the back plate 11b, and the left and right side plates 12a and 12b are made of metal, while the bottom plate 13a and the top plate 13b are made of heat-resistant resin. Therefore, the wireless communication device mounted in the personal computer 1 functions even when the personal computer 1 is sealed in the case body 10.

[0028] An air inlet 16 is provided near one end of the front panel 11a as an air inlet, and a compressed air hose 43 (shown in FIG. 14) is connected to the air inlet 16. The air inlet 16 can take in compressed air supplied from the outside through the compressed air hose 43. Compressed air is widely used as a power source for tools and machines in factories and construction sites. In factories and construction sites, like the 100V commercial power supply in homes, pipes for supplying compressed air are laid out throughout the place, and removable couplers for extracting compressed air are often installed everywhere. Even if the equipment for supplying compressed air is not fixedly installed, there are many portable compressors on the market that take in and compress the surrounding air, and by using these, compressed air can be used anywhere. The case body 10 uses the compressed air, which can be easily used in this way, as a refrigerant for cooling the personal computer 1. The pressure of the compressed air generally obtained is between 4 and 8 atmospheres in gauge pressure, usually about 5 atmospheres.

[0029] 1, a flow rate control valve 17 is installed between the air inlet 16 and the compressed air hose 43. This makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of the compressed air introduced into the case body 10.

[0030] Two corrugated pipe connectors 18 are provided at approximately the center in the length direction of the front panel 11a. In addition, one corrugated pipe connector 18 and an air outlet 19 as an air outlet are provided near one end in the length direction of the back panel 11b. Corrugated pipes 44 (shown in FIG. 14), which are protective pipes made of flame-retardant material, are connected to these three corrugated pipe connectors 18, respectively, and are configured to protect two USB cables and one power cable connected to the personal computer 1 from a harsh installation environment. The two USB cables are used to connect a USB-connected camera 46 (shown in FIG. 14) to the personal computer 1 when configuring a camera system for closely observing the state of arc welding, for example. In this case, the corrugated pipe 44 not only protects the USB cable, but also guides a part of the compressed air introduced into the case body 10 to a USB-connected device cooling and protection case 45 (shown in FIG. 14) that houses the camera, and cools the USB-connected camera 46, which is sealed to prevent dust.

[0031] The air exhaust port 19 is provided with a check valve 20 as shown in FIG. 1. This check valve 20 is configured to exhaust the air inside the case body 10 to the outside when the pressure inside the case body 10 exceeds a certain threshold value. This threshold value is usually set to about 0.1 atmospheres in gauge pressure, and the inside of the case body 10 is also kept at that pressure. By keeping the inside of the case body 10 at a positive pressure relative to the outside air, it is possible to prevent surrounding contaminants from entering the inside through gaps in the case body 10 and damaging the personal computer 1, even if the case body 10 is installed in a harsh environment. Depending on the usage situation, this set pressure may be increased or decreased within a range of 0 atmospheres or more and 0.5 atmospheres or less. Increasing the pressure increases the effect of preventing the intrusion of contaminants and increases the amount of air supplied to connected devices such as USB-connected cameras via the corrugated pipe 44, but it increases the consumption of compressed air and also requires the structure to be strong so that the case body 10 does not burst due to the internal pressure, so the optimal pressure is determined by comparing these advantages and disadvantages.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the space inside the case body 10 is divided into an air inlet side space 23 and an air outlet side space 24, with the PC 1 to which the inlet side air guide 21 and the outlet side air guide 22 are attached as the boundary. In this embodiment, in order to make the dimensions of the case body 10 as small as possible relative to the PC 1, the PC 1 is rotated around a vertical axis and disposed at an angle. As a result, wedge-shaped spaces are formed between the left and right side plates 12a and 12b of the case body 10 and the left and right side plates 4a and 4b of the PC 1, and the inlet side air guide 21 and the outlet side air guide 22, which are formed in the same wedge shape, are fitted into these wedge-shaped spaces. The inlet side air guide 21 and the outlet side air guide 22 act as air ducts that guide the air from the air inlet side space 23 into the inside of the PC 1 and blow it out into the air outlet side space 24, and also act as spacers that fix the PC 1 at a predetermined position inside the case body 10.

[0033] Next, a specific structure for feeding air as a coolant into the personal computer 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the state in which the introduction side wind guide 21 and the discharge side wind guide 22 are attached to the personal computer 1 shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front view showing the state in which the front panel 11a is removed from the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment and the personal computer 1 is stored. Fig. 7 is a rear view showing the state in which the back panel 11b is removed from the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment and the personal computer 1 is stored. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the state in which the introduction side wind guide 21 and the air volume increaser 30 of this embodiment are connected. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the discharge side wind guide 22 of this embodiment.

[0035] 5 to 9, the inlet side air guide 21 and the outlet side air guide 22 are each formed in a hollow shape and constitute a kind of air duct. The inlet side air guide 21 and the outlet side air guide 22 function as air guide means to connect the multiple ventilation holes 6a and 6b formed in the left and right side panels 4a and 4b of the personal computer 1 to the air inlet side space 23 and the air outlet side space 24, respectively.

[0036] The entrance side air guide 21 and the discharge side air guide 22 are both approximately the same height as the left and right side panels 12a and 12b of the case body 10, and are formed to be higher than the left and right side panels 4a and 4b of the computer 1. At the portions where the entrance side air guide 21 and the discharge side air guide 22 come into contact with the computer 1, fitting recesses 21a and 22a are respectively formed into which the left and right side panels 4a and 4b of the computer 1 can be fitted snugly.

[0037] The widths of the fitting recesses 21a and 22a are approximately the same as the left and right side panels 4a and 4b of the personal computer 1, respectively, but the heights are a predetermined height h inward from the upper and lower surfaces of the inlet-side air guide 21 and the outlet-side air guide 22, respectively. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the personal computer 1 is stored in the case body 10, the left and right side panels 4a and 4b fit into the fitting recesses 21a and 22a of the inlet-side air guide 21 and the outlet-side air guide 22 to hold the personal computer 1, and a bottom-side gap 25a and a top-side gap 25b, each having a distance of the above h, are formed between the bottom panel 13a and the bottom panel 5a of the personal computer 1, and between the top panel 13b and the top panel 5b of the personal computer 1, respectively. The bottom-side gap 25a and the top-side gap 25b function as an air guide means and an air circulation means. That is, on the bottom plate 13a side, the air inlet side space 23 and the air outlet side space 24 are connected through the bottom plate side gap 25a, and on the top plate 13b side, the air inlet side space 23 and the air outlet side space 24 are connected through the top plate side gap 25b.

[0038] 6 to 9, the inlet air guide 21 has an opening 21b formed in a portion thereof that contacts the left side panel 4a of the personal computer 1, and a connecting port 21c formed in a portion thereof that connects to the air volume increaser 30 described below. The outlet air guide 22 has an opening 22b formed in a portion thereof that contacts the right side panel 4b of the personal computer 1, and a communication port 22c formed in a portion thereof that connects to the air outlet side space 24.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 8, an air volume increaser 30 as an air volume increasing means is connected to the inlet side air guide 21. As shown in Fig. 1, the air inlet 16 and the air volume increaser 30 are connected via a compressed air tube 27, and the compressed air introduced from the air inlet 16 flows into the air volume increaser 30 while maintaining its high pressure.

[0040] Next, the structure of the air volume increaser 30 will be described with reference to Figs.

[0041] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the air flow increaser 30 of this embodiment as seen from the front side. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the air flow increaser 30 of this embodiment as seen from the back side. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the internal structure of the air flow increaser 30 of this embodiment as seen from the front side with the upper part cut away. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the internal structure of the air flow increaser 30 of this embodiment as seen from the back side with the upper part cut away.

[0042] 10 and 11, the air volume increaser 30 is formed in a block shape as a whole, and includes an air inlet 31 connected to the compressed air tube 27 to introduce compressed air, a tubular nozzle 32 that blows out the compressed air introduced from the inlet hole 31a of the air inlet 31 as a thin jet, and an air discharge part 33 that receives the jet blown out from the nozzle 32 in a thick flow path. An opening 34 is formed around the nozzle 32 so as to communicate with the air inlet side space 23.

[0043] 12 and 13, air discharge section 33 is provided with a Venturi tube section 35 in which the jet of air blown out from nozzle 32 draws in air entering from opening 34. In addition, on the inlet and outlet sides of Venturi tube section 35, inlet side bell section 36 and outlet side bell section 37 are provided which are formed to gradually change the inner diameter of Venturi tube section 35 to smooth the flow of air.

[0044] A positioning protrusion 38 is integrally formed around the outlet side bell portion 37 of the air discharge section 33, and this fits into the connecting port 21c of the introduction side air guide 21, so that the introduction side air guide 21 and the air volume increaser 30 are airtightly connected.

[0045] The airflow increaser 30 is structured so that compressed air supplied from the compressed air tube 27 is blown out of a thin tubular nozzle 32, and the generated jet is blown into a Venturi tube section 35 with an inner diameter larger than that of the nozzle 32. The high-speed airflow blown out of the thin nozzle 32 entrains the air around the nozzle 32, i.e., the air that has entered through the opening 34 from the air introduction section side space 23, by the Bernoulli effect, and is discharged from the outlet side bell section 37 with an increased airflow. In other words, the airflow increaser 30 has the function of converting the pressure energy of a small amount of compressed air into the kinetic energy of a large amount of air that has entered through the opening 34, and changing it into a large flow rate wind. The larger the multiplication factor by which the airflow increaser 30 doubles the airflow, the higher the flow rate of the air that comes into contact with the PC 1 and the more times the air comes into contact with the PC 1, improving the cooling effect of the PC 1. The air volume multiplication factor of air volume increaser 30 varies greatly depending on the thickness and length of nozzle 32, the shape of opening 34, the inner diameter and shape of Venturi tube section 35, and the shapes of inlet bell section 36 and outlet bell section 37. Therefore, a design that maximizes the air volume multiplication factor should be sought without being limited to the shapes and dimensions shown in Figures 10 to 13.

[0046] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described below, assuming that the personal computer 1 is housed in the case body 10 of this embodiment and is installed and used in a harsh environment with many contaminant factors.

[0047] Fig. 14 is a connection diagram between the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment and peripheral equipment and peripheral devices. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the air flow inside the computer cooling protection case of this embodiment.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 14, a compressed air hose 43 connected to a compressed air source 41, which is a compressed air supply facility installed at a place of use such as a factory, is connected to the air inlet 16 of the case body 10. If no compressed air supply facility is already installed, a portable compressor may be newly installed and the compressed air hose 43 may be connected to it. A corrugated pipe 44a through which the power cable of the personal computer 1 passes is connected to the corrugated pipe connector 18 provided on the back plate 11b of the case body 10. The end of the power cable is connected to a power source 42, which is an existing power outlet, via a power adapter. A corrugated pipe 44b through which a USB cable passes is connected to the corrugated pipe connector 18 provided on the front plate 11a of the case body 10. The end of the USB cable is connected to a USB-connected camera 46 as a peripheral device stored in a USB-connected device cooling protection case 45, for example.

[0049] There is a gap between the inner diameter of the corrugated tubes 44 and the outer diameter of the cable through which they pass, allowing air to flow therethrough. A gap is formed between the USB connection device cooling protection case 45 and the USB connection type camera 46, and an air exhaust pipe is connected to the opposite side to where the corrugated tube 44b is connected. Therefore, the air that flows into the USB connection device cooling protection case 45 from the corrugated tube 44b flows around the USB connection type camera 46 to cool it, and then is dissipated into the outside air from the air exhaust pipe. In addition, the inflow of air makes the pressure inside the USB connection device cooling protection case 45 higher than the outside air, which also has the effect of preventing contaminants from entering the USB connection device cooling protection case 45. A similar air flow occurs in the corrugated tube 44a through which the power cable passes, so it is also possible to use this to protect the power adapter and power outlet in the same way.

[0050] The pressure of compressed air supplied in factories and compressed air discharged from compressors is usually about 5 atmospheres on a gauge pressure basis. This pressure is suitable for obtaining enough power to move things as a power source for tools and machines, but it is too high to be used as a refrigerant and to come into direct contact with a computer. If high-pressure air or the strong winds it generates come into direct contact with computer 1, it will have a detrimental effect on computer 1 and its internal components, causing large forces and vibrations. And yet it is not very effective at cooling the inside of computer 1, because the air flow rate is too low.

[0051] The cooling effect of a refrigerant depends almost entirely on the pressure of the refrigerant, but is highly dependent on the flow rate. Therefore, if you try to obtain sufficient cooling effect by using high-pressure compressed air as is, you must supply a large amount of compressed air, which places a large load on the compressor and other devices that supply the compressed air. This is because the product of the air pressure and the flow rate is the power consumption (work rate) of the compressor that creates the compressed air.

[0052] Therefore, in this embodiment, the supplied compressed air is not used as it is as a refrigerant for cooling the PC 1, but the pressure energy of the compressed air is used to move the air inside the case body 10, and the generated large flow rate of wind is used to cool the PC 1. By circulating the generated wind inside the case body 10, the air as a refrigerant is supplied to the PC 1 many times and comes into contact with it, greatly improving the cooling effect. Since a large flow rate of wind is generated with a small amount of compressed air, the consumption of compressed air can be reduced, and the power consumption of the compressor can also be reduced. In addition, since the consumption of compressed air is small, the diameter of the compressed air hose 43 connected to the air inlet 16 can be made narrower, making it easier to handle.

[0053] Compressed air introduced into case body 10 from compressed air hose 43 through air inlet 16 flows into air flow increaser 30 through compressed air tube 27. Air flow increaser 30 blows the introduced compressed air out of nozzle 32 and into Venturi tube 35 at the back of inlet bell 36. The high-speed jet of air blown out of nozzle 32 draws in air A7 from the surroundings, i.e., air inlet side space 23, due to the Bernoulli effect, and becomes air A2 with an increased air volume, which is then discharged from outlet bell 37. The air is then redirected by inlet air guide 21, flows into computer 1 through multiple ventilation holes 6a on the left side of computer 1, and becomes air A3, which comes into contact with heat-generating components such as the CPU inside computer 1.

[0054] The air A4, which has thus acted as a coolant to cool the heat-generating components in the PC 1, flows through the numerous ventilation holes 6b on the right side of the PC 1 into the exhaust-side air guide 22, where it is redirected and released into the air exhaust-side space 24. The released air A5 is then split into air A6a passing through the bottom-side gap 25a and air A6b passing through the top-side gap 25b, and merges in the air introduction-side space 23. It is then sucked back into the airflow increaser 30 and circulates within the case body 10. The PC 1 is structured to transfer heat generated by the CPU to the bottom plate 5a and top plate 5b, and dissipate it into the surrounding air, so that the contact of air A6a with the bottom plate 5a and air A6b with the top plate 5b, respectively, further enhances the effect of cooling the CPU.

[0055] When the pressure inside the case body 10 exceeds a certain threshold, the check valve 20 operates to exhaust the air inside the case body 10 to the outside through the air exhaust port 19. As a result, the pressure inside the case body 10 is maintained at about 0.1 atmospheres. Some of the air also flows into the inside of the corrugated tube 44 connected to the corrugated tube connector 18, and cools devices such as a camera connected to the computer 1.

[0056] The air flow inside the case body 10 is shown in Fig. 15. As described above, a major feature of this embodiment is that a circulation loop consisting of the air volume increaser 30, the inlet side air guide 21, the outlet side air guide 22, the air outlet side space 24, the bottom plate side gap 25a, the top plate side gap 25b, and the air inlet side space 23 exists in the middle of the air flow introduced from the air inlet 16 and exhausted from the air exhaust section 33.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to generate a large flow rate of air without consuming a large amount of compressed air, and supply it to the sealed personal computer 1 to help cool it.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to simplify the structure of the air volume increaser 30. Furthermore, moving parts are eliminated from the air volume increaser 30, thereby preventing breakdowns and improving reliability.

[0059] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, compressed air that is widely supplied to factories, construction sites, and the like can be directly diverted as a refrigerant.

[0060] Moreover, according to this embodiment, a necessary and sufficient flow rate of compressed air can be introduced into the case body 10.

[0061] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a constant positive pressure is maintained inside the case body 10, which makes it possible to prevent surrounding contaminants from entering the inside through gaps in the case body 10. Also, air is sent through the corrugated pipe 44a connected to the case body 10 into the USB-connected device cooling and protection case 45 that seals and protects the USB-connected camera 46 connected to the personal computer 1, thereby providing dust-proofing and cooling effects to the USB-connected camera 46. [Another embodiment of the invention] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment is included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents, as well as in the scope and gist of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the air inlet 16 and the air volume increaser 30 are configured to be connected via the compressed air tube 27, but this is not limited to this, and the air inlet 16 may be arranged near the air volume increaser 30 and directly connected to the air volume increaser 30. In this embodiment, the introduction side wind guide 21 and the air volume increaser 30, which are two parts, may be formed as one unit, or conversely, a member formed as one part in this embodiment may be combined with multiple parts. In this embodiment, a USB-connected camera 46 is shown as a peripheral device of the personal computer 1, but the concept of this embodiment can be applied to the case where a USB-connected device other than a camera is connected, or to the case where a device connected by wire using a standard other than USB is used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Computer 3a... (PC) front panel 3b: (PC) back panel 4, 4a, 4b... (PC) side panel 5a... (PC) base plate 5b... (PC) top panel 6,6a,6b...ventilation hole 7. Power switch 8...USB port 9. Power jack 10. Case body 11a...Front plate 11b...Back plate 12,12a,12b...Side plate 13a...Bottom plate 13b Top plate 16 Air inlet (air inlet section) 17 Flow control valve 18···Corrugated pipe connector 19 Air exhaust port (air exhaust section) 20. Check valve 21... Introduction side air guide (air guide means) 21a...Mating recess 21b...Opening 21c...Connection port 22....Exhaust side air guide (air guide means) 22a...Mating recess 22b...Opening 22c...Communication port 23 Air inlet side space 24 Air exhaust side space 25a Bottom plate side gap (air guide means, air circulation means) 25b: Top plate side gap (air guide means, air circulation means) 27 Compressed air tube 30....Airflow increaser (means for increasing airflow) 31 Air intake section 31a...Introduction hole 32 Nozzle 33 Air exhaust section 34...Opening 35 Venturi tube section 36....Inlet bell section 37 Exit bell section 38 Positioning protrusion 41 Compressed air source 42...Power supply 43...Compressed air hose 44...Corrugated pipe 44a···(for power cables) Corrugated pipe 44b···(for USB cable) Corrugated pipe 45···USB-connected device cooling and protection case 46 USB-connected camera (peripheral device)

Claims

1. a case body for storing the computer in an airtight state; an air introduction section provided in the case body for introducing compressed air from the outside into the case body; an air exhaust section provided in the case body for exhausting excess air; an air volume increasing means for converting pressure energy of the compressed air introduced into the case body from the air introduction portion into kinetic energy of surrounding air, thereby generating air with a larger flow rate than the amount of the compressed air; an air directing means for directing the airflow to contact the computer; an air circulation means for returning the air after contacting the computer to the air flow increasing means; A computer cooling protective case comprising:

2. 2. The computer cooling protective case according to claim 1, further comprising a circulation loop for returning a portion of the air from the downstream side to the upstream side in the air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet.

3. 2. The computer cooling and protective case according to claim 1, wherein the airflow increasing means creates a large flow of air by drawing in surrounding air into the jet of compressed air introduced into the case body from the air inlet.

4. 2. The computer cooling and protective case according to claim 1, wherein the gauge pressure of the compressed air is between 4 and 8 atmospheres.

5. 2. The computer cooling protective case according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet is provided with a flow rate control valve, and the flow rate control valve is configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of the compressed air introduced into the case body.

6. 2. The computer cooling protection case of claim 1, wherein the air exhaust section is provided with a check valve, and the check valve is configured to exhaust air within the case body to the outside when the pressure within the case body exceeds a certain threshold value.

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