Electronic device

Abstract

To provide an electronic device which can restrain a surface temperature of a housing and improve space efficiency in the housing.SOLUTION: The electronic device comprises a housing, a heating element which is provided in the housing, and a cooling module which is provided in the housing to cool the heating element. The cooling module includes: a heat diffusion member which absorbs and diffuses heat of the heating element; and a pair of fans which are arranged with the heat diffusion member therebetween and are provided with discharge openings only in side surfaces facing each other to be able to discharge air toward the heat diffusion member. The housing has an outer wall extending along an arrangement direction of the pair of fans and having an exhaust port formed therein, and the exhaust port is located between the pair of fans with the arrangement direction as a reference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device equipped with a cooling module. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic devices such as notebook PCs are equipped with heat generating elements such as CPUs. These types of electronic devices are usually equipped with a cooling module that includes a fan and a heat sink and absorbs heat generated by the heat generating elements and dissipates it to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7371170 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The cooling module of Patent Document 1 includes a pair of left and right fans and a pair of heat sinks located immediately behind the rear-facing outlets of each fan. The heat sink transports heat from the heat-generating element using a heat pipe and dissipates the heat to the outside of the housing using airflow from the fan. In other words, the heat from the heat-generating element is concentrated in the heat sink. As a result, the surface temperature of the housing can become locally high directly above or below the heat sink. In particular, housings that have become significantly thinner in recent years are more susceptible to surface temperature increases.

[0005] Furthermore, the configuration of Patent Document 1 has a heat sink installed behind each fan, which eats into the space inside the housing, making it difficult to secure installation space for the battery device and various other devices that are placed in front of the housing.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and aims to provide an electronic device that can suppress the surface temperature of the housing and improve the space efficiency within the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, a heat generating element disposed within the housing, and a cooling module disposed within the housing for cooling the heat generating element, wherein the cooling module has a heat diffusion member that absorbs and diffuses heat from the heat generating element, and a pair of fans that are arranged so as to straddle the heat diffusion member and have outlets on only one side facing each other, thereby being able to discharge air toward the heat diffusion member, wherein the housing has an outer wall that extends along the alignment direction of the pair of fans and has an exhaust outlet formed therein, and the exhaust outlet is located between the pair of fans when the alignment direction is used as a reference. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the surface temperature of the housing and improve the space efficiency within the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device according to an embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the housing. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the housing as seen obliquely from behind. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the housing as seen obliquely from the front. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view that schematically shows the internal structure of the housing around the cooling module. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view that schematically shows the internal structure of the housing around the cooling module. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view that schematically shows a cooling module having a heat diffusion member according to a modified example and the internal structure of a housing in the vicinity thereof. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a table showing the results of a simulation experiment comparing the cooling performance of an electronic device and the surface temperature of the housing when cooling modules with different configurations are mounted on the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment, viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment is a clamshell notebook PC. The electronic device 10 has a configuration in which a cover 11 and a housing 12 are connected by a hinge 14 so that they can rotate relative to each other. In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 is a notebook PC, but the electronic device may be other than a notebook PC, such as a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a portable game console.

[0012] The cover 11 is a thin, flat, box-shaped housing. The cover 11 is equipped with a display 16. The display 16 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display.

[0013] The housing 12 is a thin, flat box. A keyboard device 18 and a touchpad 19 face the top surface (surface 12a) of the housing 12. Hereinafter, the housing 12 and each of the components mounted thereon will be described based on the posture of an operator operating the keyboard device 18, with the width direction (left and right) of the housing 12 referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the depth direction (front and back) of the housing 12 referred to as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (top and bottom) of the housing 12 referred to as the Z1 and Z2 directions. The X1 and X2 directions may be collectively referred to as the X direction, and the Y1, Y2 directions and the Z1, Z2 directions may similarly be referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction. These directions are defined for convenience of explanation and may naturally change depending on the usage state or installation posture of the electronic device 10, etc.

[0014] The housing 12 is composed of a housing member 20 that forms the top surface and four peripheral side surfaces, and a cover material 21 that forms the bottom surface. The housing member 20 is formed by forming standing walls 20B on the four peripheral edges of a cover plate 20A that forms the surface 12a of the housing 12. Therefore, the housing member 20 has a roughly bathtub shape with an open bottom surface. The cover material 21 has a roughly flat plate shape and serves as a lid that closes the bottom opening of the housing member 20. The housing member 20 and the cover material 21 are overlapped in the thickness direction and are detachably connected to each other. The standing walls 20B may be formed on the cover material 21. In this case, the housing member 20 may be composed of only the cover plate 20A.

[0015] The hinge 14 is installed in a concave hinge placement groove 12b formed in the rear edge of the housing 12, and connects the housing 12 and the cover 11. The hinge 14 has a structure in which, for example, hinge shafts 14a serving as rotation axes are supported at both longitudinal ends of the hinge housing 14b (see FIG. 5). The hinge 14 of this embodiment is configured in a so-called one-bar shape in which the hinge housing 14b extends along the longitudinal direction of the hinge placement groove 12b. The hinge 14 rotates integrally with the cover 11 and descends obliquely rearward (see FIG. 5). The hinge 14 has a structure that increases the rotation angle of the cover 11 in this way, a so-called drop-down structure. The hinge 14 may have a structure other than that described above.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the internal structure of the housing 12. Fig. 2 is a view of the inside of the housing member 20 from the bottom side with the cover material 21 removed.

[0017] 2, the housing 12 accommodates a cooling module 24, a motherboard 25, and a battery device 26. The housing 12 also accommodates various electronic components, mechanical components, and the like.

[0018] The motherboard (substrate) 25 is a circuit board that serves as the main board of the electronic device 10. The motherboard 25 is disposed near the Y2 side of the housing 12 and extends in the X direction. The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that serves as the power source for the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 is disposed near the Y1 side of the motherboard 25 and extends in the X direction.

[0019] The motherboard 25 of this embodiment is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 25a. In addition to the CPU 25a, the motherboard 25 can also be equipped with various electronic components such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), memory, and a communication module.

[0020] The motherboard 25 has, for example, an upper surface (first surface 25A) that serves as an attachment surface to the housing member 20, and a lower surface (second surface 25B) that serves as a mounting surface for the CPU 25a and the like.

[0021] Next, an example of the configuration of the cooling module 24 will be described.

[0022] The CPU 25a is a heat generating element that generates the largest amount of heat among the electronic components mounted in the housing 12. The cooling module 24 can absorb and diffuse the heat generated by the CPU 25a and discharge it to the outside of the housing 12. The cooling module 24 may be configured to cool a heat generating element other than the CPU 25a, such as a GPU.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling module 24 of this embodiment includes a heat diffusion member 28 and a pair of fans 30, 30.

[0024] The heat diffusion member 28 absorbs and diffuses heat from the CPU 25a and includes a metal plate 28a and a heat pipe 28b.

[0025] The metal plate 28a is a thin plate made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum. In this embodiment, the metal plate 28a is a copper plate. The metal plate 28a extends in the X direction between the left and right fans 30. The metal plate 28a covers a portion (portion 25C) of the motherboard 25 disposed between the left and right fans 30 and the CPU 25a mounted on portion 25C from the second surface 25B side (Z2 side) (see also FIG. 6). The metal plate 28a is connected to the surface of the CPU 25a. For example, thermally conductive grease and a copper block of approximately the same size as the outer shape of the CPU 25a are interposed between the metal plate 28a and the CPU 25a. Leaf springs 32 are attached to the edges 28a1 and 28a2 of the metal plate 28a along the X direction. The leaf springs 32 are components that press the metal plate 28a against the CPU 25a.

[0026] The heat pipe 28b is a pipe-type heat transport device. The heat pipe 28b is configured by flattening a metal pipe to form a thin, elliptical cross section, with a working fluid sealed in the internal sealed space. Examples of the working fluid include water, alternative chlorofluorocarbons, acetone, and butane. The heat pipes 28b can be used, for example, in pairs. The heat pipes 28b are fixed to the backside of the metal plate 28a, which is connected to the CPU 25a. Each heat pipe 28b overlaps the CPU 25a in the Z direction near the center of its length. This allows the heat pipes 28b to diffuse the heat from the CPU 25a transferred to the metal plate 28a more efficiently and quickly than the metal plate 28a.

[0027] The pair of fans 30, 30 are arranged side by side in the X direction, straddling the heat diffusion member 28 between them, and face each other. Each fan 30 has an outlet 34 only on the side surface 30a that faces each other. In other words, the outlets 34 of the left and right fans 30 face each other, sandwiching the heat diffusion member 28 between them. This allows each fan 30 to discharge air toward the heat diffusion member 28. Each fan 30 has an intake port 35 on at least the Z2-side end surface 30c of its upper and lower end surfaces 30b, 30c facing the Z direction. The intake port 35 can also be provided on the Z1-side end surface 30b. The end surfaces 30b, 30c are perpendicular to the side surface 30a and perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the impeller 30d.

[0028] The fan 30 is a centrifugal fan that rotates an impeller 30d housed inside a housing by a motor (see FIG. 6). This allows the fan 30 to draw in air through an inlet 35 and discharge it from an outlet 34.

[0029] Next, an intake / exhaust structure for introducing air into the housing 12 by the fan 30 and discharging the air discharged from the fan 30 to the outside of the housing 12 will be described.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom surface 12c of the housing 12 as seen obliquely from the rear. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom surface 12c of the housing 12 as seen obliquely from the front. Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the housing 12 at the cooling module 24 and its periphery. Fig. 6 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the housing 12 at the cooling module 24 and its periphery.

[0031] 2 to 5, the intake and exhaust structure of the electronic device 10 includes an exhaust port 40 formed in the standing wall 30B (external wall 38) at the rear edge (Y2 side edge) of the housing 12. The exhaust port 40 is an opening for discharging, to the outside of the housing 12, the air (hot air) that is discharged from the outlet 34 of the fan 30 and cooled while passing over the surface of the heat diffusion member 28.

[0032] In this embodiment, the Y2-side standing wall 30B extends along its longitudinal direction and has a hinge placement groove 12b recessed toward the Y1 side. The outer wall 38 is the bottom wall (front wall) of the hinge placement groove 12b. The exhaust port 40 is provided near the longitudinal center of the outer wall 38. The exhaust port 40 is composed of multiple (four in FIG. 3 ) openings 40a arranged closely in the X direction, for example. The exhaust port 40 is located between the left and right fans 30, 30 when the arrangement direction (X direction) of the left and right fans 30, 30 is used as the reference. The heat diffusion member 28 extends in the X direction at a position close to the outer wall 38. Therefore, the exhaust port 40 is close to and faces the Y2-side edge 28a2 of the metal plate 28a.

[0033] The standing wall 30B may be configured without the hinge arrangement groove 12b. In this case, the exhaust port 40 may be formed in the standing wall 30B itself, which is the outer wall, and the same applies to the intake port 42 described below.

[0034] The air intake and exhaust structure of the electronic device 10 may include an air intake 42 formed in the outer wall 38. The air intake 42 is an opening for introducing air outside the housing 12 into the air inlet 35 of the fan 30.

[0035] The intake ports 42 are formed in the outer wall 38 on the same plane as the exhaust ports 40. The intake ports 42 are composed of, for example, multiple openings 42a (four in FIG. 3 ) lined up closely in the X direction. A pair of intake ports 42 are provided and are arranged so as to straddle the exhaust ports 40 in the longitudinal direction of the outer wall 38. Each intake port 42 is located on the Y2 side of the left and right fans 30, 30, respectively, near the left and right ends of the outer wall 38.

[0036] Each fan 30 does not have an outlet port 34 on the Y2 side 30e facing the outer wall 38 (see FIG. 2). The side 30e intersects with the side 30a on which the outlet port 34 is formed. The intake port 42 is adjacent to and faces the side 30e on which the outlet port 34 is not formed.

[0037] The intake and exhaust structure of electronic device 10 can include an intake port (second intake port) 46 formed in upright wall 30B (side wall 44) on the side edge (X1, X2 side edge) of housing 12. Air intake port 46 is an opening for introducing air outside housing 12 into intake port 35 of fan 30.

[0038] The left and right side walls 44 extend in the Y direction, which is perpendicular to the X direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the outer wall 38. Each side wall 44 has a vertical surface along the Z direction that forms the outer periphery of the housing 12, and a tapered surface 44a that gradually slopes from this vertical surface toward the center of the housing 12 toward the Z2 side. An air intake port 46 is provided on the tapered surface 44a of each side wall 44. The air intake port 46 is composed of, for example, multiple openings 46a (two in FIG. 3 ) that are closely aligned in the Y direction. The left and right air intake ports 46 are located on the opposite side of the fan 30 from the exhaust port 40 and the air intake port 42 when the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the side wall 44 is used as a reference. In other words, the air intake port 46 is located forward (on the Y1 side) of the fan 30.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the intake and exhaust structure of the electronic device 10 can include vents 50, 51, and 52 formed in a protrusion 48 provided on the bottom surface 12c of the housing 12.

[0040] The protrusion 48 protrudes from the bottom surface 12c. The protrusion 48 has a rectangular cylindrical shape that is long in the X direction and flattened in the Z direction. The length of the protrusion 48 in the X direction corresponds to substantially the entire width of the housing 12 in the X direction. The protrusion 48 is provided at a position closer to the Y2 side in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) of the bottom surface 12c. The protrusion 48 has a pair of standing walls 48a, 48b extending along its longitudinal direction (X direction). The standing wall 48b on the Y2 side is located immediately in front of the outer wall 38. In a plan view of the housing 12, the protrusion 48 is positioned to vertically overlap the left and right fans 30, 30 (see FIG. 2).

[0041] Two input / output ports 54 are provided on each of the longitudinal ends (left and right end faces) of the protrusion 48. Examples of the input / output ports 54 include those conforming to the HDMI (registered trademark) standard and the USB 3.0 communication standard. This allows the electronic device 10 to have tapered surfaces 44a on the side walls 44, while still allowing the installation of input / output ports 54 that require a certain height. The protrusion 48 also functions as a rear leg that elevates the rear of the housing 12 placed on a support surface, such as a desk, relative to the front. This allows the keyboard device 18 of the electronic device 10 to assume a tilted position with its front lowered during use, improving operability. Reference numeral 55 in FIGS. 3 to 6 denotes rubber legs that serve as legs when the electronic device 10 is placed on a support surface. The rubber legs 55 on the Y2 side are provided on the bottom surface of the protrusion 48.

[0042] The protrusion 48 can also function as part of the air intake and exhaust structure of the electronic device 10 by providing the air vents 50 to 52.

[0043] The ventilation opening 50 is provided near the center of the longitudinal direction of the standing wall 48b on the Y2 side. The ventilation opening 50 functions as an auxiliary exhaust opening for the exhaust opening 40. The ventilation opening 50 is composed of, for example, multiple openings 50a (four in FIG. 3) lined up closely in the X direction. The ventilation opening 50 is located between the left and right fans 30, 30 in the X direction. In other words, the ventilation opening 50 is located so that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the exhaust opening 40 in the Y direction.

[0044] The ventilation openings 51 are formed in the standing wall 48b on the same plane as the ventilation openings 50. The ventilation openings 51 function as auxiliary intake openings for the intake openings 42. The ventilation openings 51 are composed of, for example, multiple openings 51a (three in FIG. 3) lined up closely in the X direction. A pair of ventilation openings 51 are provided and arranged to straddle the ventilation openings 50 in the longitudinal direction of the standing wall 48b. Each ventilation opening 51 is located on the Y2 side of the left and right fans 30, 30, respectively, near the left and right ends of the standing wall 48b. In other words, the ventilation openings 51 are positioned so that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the intake openings 42 in the Y direction.

[0045] The ventilation openings 52 are provided in the standing wall 48a on the Y1 side. The ventilation openings 52 function as auxiliary intake openings for the intake openings 42. The ventilation openings 52 are composed of, for example, a plurality of openings 52a (three in FIG. 3) lined up closely in the X direction. A pair of ventilation openings 52 are provided, and are located on the Y1 sides of the left and right fans 30, 30 in the X direction. Each ventilation opening 51 is provided near both the left and right ends of the standing wall 48a. Each fan 30 does not have an outlet 34 on the Y1-side side surface 30f facing the ventilation openings 51.

[0046] 5 and 6, the end surface 30c on which the suction port 35 of each fan 30 is formed faces the inner space 48c of the protrusion 48. Hereinafter, the end surface 30c may also be referred to as the "suction surface 30c." The inner space 48c is a groove-like space that is deeper in the Z2 direction from the inner surface 21a of the cover material 21 that forms the bottom surface 12c by the height of the protrusion 48. In other words, the inner space 48c expands the internal space of the housing 12 in the Z direction.

[0047] The suction surface 30c faces the Z2 side and is disposed so as to cover the upper part of the inner space 48c. This allows the fan 30 to smoothly draw air from outside the housing 12 through the vents 50, 51 provided in the standing walls 48a, 48b and into the suction port 35. It is preferable that a portion of the thickness of the fan 30, i.e., the suction surface 30c, is inserted into the inner space 48c.

[0048] The depth of the inner space 48c, i.e., the height in the Z2 direction from the inner surface 21a of the cover material 21 to the inner bottom surface 48d of the protrusion 48, can be, for example, approximately 2.5 to 4 mm. The height in the Z2 direction from the inner surface 21a to the suction surface 30c can be, for example, approximately 0.5 to 1.5 mm. In this case, it is preferable to ensure a gap of 1 mm or more between the suction surface 30c and the inner bottom surface 48d. This allows the fan 30 to more smoothly draw air introduced into the inner space 48c through the ventilation openings 50, 51 through the suction port 35. Furthermore, the inner space 48c directly below the fan 30 allows the thickness of the fan 30 to be expanded, thereby increasing the airflow rate of the fan 30. The suction surface 30c may be located closer to the Z1 side than the inner surface 21a.

[0049] By providing the fan 30 with an intake port 35 on the Z1 side end face 30b as well as the Z2 side end face 30c, the fan 30 can more smoothly draw in air from outside the housing 12 through each intake port 42 provided in the outer wall 38.

[0050] Next, a description will be given of the cooling action of the cooling module 24. The dashed dotted arrows shown in Figures 2 to 6 schematically indicate the flow of air.

[0051] In the electronic device 10, heat generated by heat-generating elements such as the CPU 25a is transferred to the heat diffusion member 28 and efficiently diffused. Fans 30 on both sides of the heat diffusion member 28 draw outside air (cool air) through the air intake 42 into the air inlet 35 and discharge it from the air outlet 34. Each fan 30 can also draw outside air (cool air) through the air intake 46 and the air vents 51 and 52.

[0052] The air discharged from the outlets 34 of the left and right fans 30 flows along the surface of the heat diffusion member 28, cooling the heat diffusion member 28 and simultaneously directly cooling the electronic components of the CPU 25a. The cooled air (warm air) is discharged to the outside of the housing 12 through an exhaust port 40 that opens in the center of the outer wall 38. Some of the warm air can also be discharged to the outside of the housing 12 through the vent 50.

[0053] The heat diffusion member 28 is not limited to the configuration including the metal plate 28a and the heat pipe 28b as described above, as long as it can diffuse the heat of a heat generating element such as the CPU 25a.

[0054] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view that schematically shows a cooling module 57 having a heat diffusion member 56 according to a modified example and the internal structure of the housing 12 in its surrounding area.

[0055] 2, 5, and 6, the cooling module 57 shown in Fig. 7 includes a heat diffusion member 56 having a different configuration from the heat diffusion member 28. The heat diffusion member 56 is a vapor chamber. Hereinafter, the heat diffusion member 56 may also be referred to as the "vapor chamber 56."

[0056] The vapor chamber 56 is a plate-type heat transport device. The vapor chamber 56 has a sealed space formed between two thin metal plates, and a working fluid sealed in this sealed space. The working fluid may be the same as or similar to that used in the heat pipe 28b described above. The vapor chamber 56 has a significantly higher thermal conductivity than the metal plate 28a described above.

[0057] The vapor chamber 56 can be installed in approximately the same area as the metal plate 28a. As a result, the vapor chamber 56 covers the portion 25C of the motherboard 25 and the CPU 25a from the second surface 25B side (Z2 side) between the left and right fans 30, 30. The vapor chamber 56 is connected to the surface of the CPU 25a via thermally conductive grease, a copper block, or the like, similar to the metal plate 28a. As a result, the vapor chamber 56 can efficiently absorb and quickly dissipate heat from the CPU 25a.

[0058] The protrusion 48 may be omitted. The electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration in which the housing 12 does not have the protrusion 48. In this case, the housing 12 preferably has an air intake 58 on the bottom surface 12c of the cover material 21. The air intake 58 is an opening formed in a position that overlaps vertically with the suction surface 30c of each fan 30. The air intake 58 is adjacent to and faces the suction port 35 of each fan 30. This allows the fan 30 to draw in outside air through the suction port 35 via the air intake 58.

[0059] The vapor chamber 56 may be applied to a configuration having the protrusion 48 shown in Fig. 5. The cooling module 57 may be mounted on a housing 12 having a configuration including the protrusion 48.

[0060] Next, the effects of the electronic device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] FIG. 8 is a table showing the results of a simulation experiment comparing the cooling performance of an electronic device and the surface temperature of the housing 12 when cooling modules with different configurations are mounted in the housing 12.

[0062] 8, the right column "cooling module 24" shows the experimental results for the cooling module 24 equipped with the heat diffusion member 28. The middle column "cooling module 57" shows the experimental results for the cooling module 57 equipped with the heat diffusion member 56.

[0063] The "cooling module 60" in the left column is a comparative example, showing the experimental results of a cooling module similar to that of the prior art. The cooling module 60 is configured with left and right fans 61, each with a heat sink 62 located behind the other. Heat from a heat-generating element such as the CPU 25a is transferred to a heat pipe 64 via a copper plate 63, and is then efficiently transported by the heat pipe 64 to the left and right heat sinks 62. Therefore, the fan 61 of the cooling module 60 has an outlet 34 facing the copper plate 63, as well as a second outlet 65 facing the heat sink 62.

[0064] In Figure 8, "fan static pressure" evaluates the magnitude of the static pressure of the fan 30. "Total airflow" indicates the total airflow (CFM) of the left and right fans 30, 30 (61, 61). "Weight" evaluates the magnitude of the weight of each cooling module 24, 57, 60. "Top surface temperature" indicates the temperature (°C) of the high-temperature part on the surface 12a of the housing 12. "Bottom surface temperature" indicates the temperature (°C) of the high-temperature part on the bottom surface 12c of the housing 12.

[0065] As a result of the experiment, it was found that the cooling modules 24, 57 of this embodiment have a higher static pressure of the fan 30 than the cooling module 60 of the comparative example, and furthermore, while the total air volume of the fan 30 (61) remains almost the same, the air speed is faster. Note that the cooling modules 24, 57 of this embodiment also have the advantage of being lighter in weight than the cooling module 60 of the comparative example because they do not have the heat sink 62.

[0066] It was also found that the cooling modules 24 and 57 of the present embodiment have a significantly lower top surface temperature than the cooling module 60 of the comparative example. That is, the electronic device 10 of the present embodiment significantly reduces the temperature of the surface 12a of the keyboard device 18 and its surroundings, which are often touched directly by the operator. This confirms that the usability of the electronic device 10 is significantly improved. One of the reasons for the high top surface temperature of the cooling module 60 of the comparative example is thought to be that heat from the CPU 25a is concentrated on the heat sink 62, resulting in a localized high-temperature area on the surface 12a directly above it.

[0067] It was found that the bottom surface temperatures of the cooling modules 24 and 57 of this embodiment were almost the same as those of the comparative cooling module 60. Specifically, it was found that the top surface temperature of the cooling module 57 was slightly higher than that of the cooling module 60, but the top surface temperature of the cooling module 24 was lower.

[0068] In this way, the cooling modules 24, 57 of this embodiment can reduce the upper surface temperature, which is particularly in need of temperature suppression, while ensuring cooling performance equal to or greater than that of the cooling module 60 equipped with the conventional heat sink 62. In particular, it has been confirmed that the cooling module 24 using the heat diffusion member 28 is extremely effective in terms of cooling performance.

[0069] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment includes a cooling module 24 (57) provided within the housing 12 to cool a heat-generating element (e.g., a CPU 25a). The cooling module 24 (57) includes a heat diffusion member 28 (56) that absorbs and diffuses heat from the heat-generating element, and a pair of fans 30, 30. The pair of fans 30, 30 are arranged so as to straddle the heat diffusion member 28 (56) between them, and have outlets 34 provided only on the opposing side surfaces 30a, allowing them to discharge air toward the heat diffusion member 28 (56). The housing 12 extends along the arrangement direction of the fans 30, 30 (the X direction) and has an outer wall 38 in which an exhaust port 40 is formed. The exhaust port 40 is located between the pair of fans 30, 30 when viewed from the X direction.

[0070] In this way, the electronic device 10 is configured such that the outlets 34 of the fans 30 face each other. The airflow from each outlet 34 passes through the surface of the heat diffusion member 28 (56) and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 12 through the exhaust port 40 behind it. This allows the electronic device 10 to quickly diffuse heat from the heat-generating element using the heat diffusion member 28 (56) while directly cooling it with the airflow from the fan 30. This prevents the heat from the heat-generating element from concentrating on the heat sink 62, as occurs in conventional cooling modules 60, resulting in locally high surface temperatures on the housing 12 directly above and below. As a result, the electronic device 10 can suppress the surface temperature of even a slim housing 12, improving usability. Furthermore, the cooling module 24 (57) does not require a heat sink, which is typically placed between the fan and the housing's exhaust port. This reduces the weight of the cooling module 24 (57). Furthermore, the electronic device 10 reduces the space occupied by the cooling module 24 (57) within the housing 12. As a result, the electronic device 10 can improve the space efficiency within the housing 12, and the installation space for various devices such as the battery device 26 and an antenna for wireless communication can be expanded.

[0071] The housing 12 can have an intake port 42 formed in the outer wall 38 on the same plane as the exhaust port 40, facing the side surface 30e where the fan 30 does not have an outlet port. This allows the electronic device 10 to omit the intake port 58 that opens on the bottom surface 12c shown in FIG. 7, for example, or to reduce the opening area, thereby improving the appearance quality of the housing 12. The reason why the exhaust port 40 and the intake port 42 can be formed on the same plane in this way is as follows: The cooling module 24 (57) does not have a heat sink 62 like the conventional cooling module 60. Therefore, the housing 12 does not need to have an exhaust port for hot air that has passed through the heat sink immediately after the fan 30, and the intake port 42 can be formed in this empty space.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 2, a space (duct structure 70) may be formed inside the housing 12 to facilitate smoother airflow from the fan 30. The duct structure 70 is a space surrounded by an airtight wall 70a. The airtight wall 70a is, for example, a member formed into a strip of sponge or rubber. The airtight wall 70a does not need to be able to completely block the passage of air, but it does need to have a certain degree of ventilation resistance to regulate the direction of air flow. The airtight wall 70a stands, for example, between the first surface 25A of the motherboard 25 and the underside of the keyboard device 18, and between the second surface 25B and the inner surface 21a of the cover material 21.

[0073] The range of the duct structure 70 is formed, for example, in the Z direction between the first surface 25A of the motherboard 25 and the keyboard device 18, and between the second surface 25B and the inner bottom surface 48d of the protrusion 48. The range of the duct structure 70 is formed, for example, in the X direction between the left and right fans 30, 30. The range of the duct structure 70 is formed, for example, in the Y direction between the exhaust port 40 and the standing wall 48a on the Y1 side of the protrusion 48.

[0074] As a result, air from the outlet 34 of the fan 30 flows through the duct structure 70 and is smoothly discharged to the exhaust port 40 and the vent 50. As a result, the electronic device 10 can prevent the warm air that has cooled the heat diffusion member 28 (56) and the heat-generating element (CPU 25a) from flowing back into the intake 35 of the fan 30 inside the housing 12, further improving cooling efficiency.

[0075] 5 to 7, portion 25C of motherboard 25 can be positioned midway in the height of outlet 34 when the thickness direction (Z direction) of fan 30 is taken as the reference. This allows cool air from outlet 34 of fan 30 to flow smoothly between keyboard device 18 and first surface 25A of motherboard 25, and between second surface 25B of motherboard 25 and inner surface 21a or inner space 48c. This allows electronic device 10 to further reduce the surface temperature of housing 12.

[0076] The housing 12 may also have an air intake 46 on each of the left and right side walls 44 that are perpendicular to the outer wall 38 on which the air intake 42 is provided. This increases the amount of air intake by the fan 30 and the amount of air discharged, further improving the cooling capacity of the cooling module 24 (57).

[0077] The housing 12 may also have a protrusion 48 that protrudes from the bottom surface 12c and extends along the arrangement direction (X direction) of the fans 30, 30. The protrusion 48 may have vents 50-52 formed in one or both of a pair of standing walls 48a, 48b extending along its longitudinal direction. This allows each of the vents 50-52 to function as an exhaust port or an intake port depending on its arrangement.

[0078] Here, in the electronic device 10, no heat sink is disposed between the fan 30 and the outer wall 38, so the fan 30 is disposed closer to the outer wall 38 by the width of the heat sink. This allows the Y-direction position of the protrusion 48, which is disposed in a position that overlaps the fan 30 in the vertical direction, to be moved as far back as possible in the electronic device 10. This allows the protrusion 48 to be disposed near the rear end of the bottom surface 12c in the electronic device 10, improving the cohesiveness of the design on the bottom surface 12c side and the appearance quality.

[0079] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10 Electronic equipment 11 Lid 12. Case 16 Display 18 Keyboard Device 24,57,60 Cooling Module 25 Motherboard 25a CPU 28,56 Heat diffusion member 30,61 fans 34 Discharge port 35 Intake port 38 Exterior Wall 40 exhaust port 42, 46, 58 Air intake 48 Protrusion 50~52 Ventilation hole

Claims

1. An electronic device, The housing and a heating element provided within the housing; a cooling module provided in the housing and configured to cool the heat generating element; Equipped with The cooling module comprises: a heat diffusion member that absorbs and diffuses heat from the heat generating element; a pair of fans arranged across the heat diffusion member and each having an outlet on only one side surface thereof facing each other, so that the pair of fans can discharge air toward the heat diffusion member; and the housing has an outer wall extending along an arrangement direction of the pair of fans and having an exhaust port formed therein; The exhaust port is located between the pair of fans when the arrangement direction is taken as a reference. An electronic device characterized by:

2. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, The fan has an intake port provided on an end surface perpendicular to the one side surface, The housing has an intake port formed on the outer wall on the same plane as the exhaust port and facing a side of the fan that does not have an outlet port. An electronic device characterized by:

3. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, A lid with a display mounted on it, a hinge that rotatably connects the cover to one edge of the housing on which the outer wall is provided; Further equipped An electronic device characterized by:

4. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, a substrate at least a portion of which is disposed between the pair of fans and on which the heating element is mounted on a portion disposed between the pair of fans; The substrate is located midway in height of the outlet port when the thickness direction of the fan is used as a reference. An electronic device characterized by:

5. 5. The electronic device according to claim 3, the housing has a pair of side walls extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the outer wall, each of the side walls having a second air intake port formed therein; The second intake port is located on the opposite side of the fan from the exhaust port and the intake port when the longitudinal direction of the side wall is taken as a reference. An electronic device characterized by:

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The heat diffusion member is a member in which a heat pipe is connected to the surface of a metal plate, or a vapor chamber. An electronic device characterized by:

7. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the housing has a protrusion that protrudes from a bottom surface and extends along the arrangement direction, The protruding portion has a pair of standing walls extending along its longitudinal direction, and a vent hole is formed in one or both of the pair of standing walls. An electronic device characterized by:

8. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7, The vent hole is located at a position corresponding to at least one of the exhaust hole and the pair of fans with respect to the longitudinal direction of the protrusion. An electronic device characterized by:

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