Cooling module and electronic device

Abstract

To provide a cooling module capable of maintaining cooling performance for a longer period of time, and to provide an electronic apparatus including the cooling module.SOLUTION: A cooling module includes a fan having a discharge port, and a heat sink having a plurality of fins arranged side by side with a gap therebetween and disposed facing the discharge port, wherein the heat sink has a duct portion in which a fin pitch of the fins is larger than that of other portions, and the duct portion is provided at a position closer to at least one end of both ends of the heat sink in a width direction of the heat sink along a width direction of the discharge port, the end being located on a downstream side in a flow direction of air in the fan.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Electronic devices such as notebook PCs are equipped with a cooling module for cooling heat-generating elements such as a CPU (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such cooling modules include a heat pipe that absorbs and transports heat generated by the CPU, and a heat sink and fan that expel the heat transported by the heat pipe to the outside of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-059833 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a strong demand for smaller and thinner electronic devices such as those mentioned above. Consequently, efforts are being made to make the heat sinks used in these devices smaller and thinner. Furthermore, it is desirable for the fin pitch of the heat sink to be minimized in consideration of heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, if electronic devices are used for many years or in harsh environments with a lot of dust, dust may gradually become clogged in the heat sink, increasing ventilation resistance. This can lead to a decline in the heat exchange performance of the heat sink, and a gradual decline in cooling performance in the cooling module.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology, and has an object to provide a cooling module that can maintain cooling performance for a longer period of time, and an electronic device equipped with the cooling module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cooling module according to a first aspect of the present invention is a cooling module to be mounted on an electronic device, comprising: a fan having an outlet; and a heat sink having a plurality of fins arranged with gaps between them and arranged facing the outlet, wherein the heat sink has a duct portion in which the fin pitch of the fins is larger than in other portions, and the duct portion is located at a position close to at least the end located downstream in the direction of air flow in the fan, of both ends in the width direction of the heat sink along the width direction of the outlet.

[0007] An electronic device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, a heat generating element provided within the housing, and a cooling module provided within the housing for cooling the heat generating element, wherein the cooling module comprises a fan having an outlet, and a heat sink having a plurality of fins arranged with gaps between them and arranged facing the outlet, wherein the heat sink has a duct portion in which the fin pitch of the fins is larger than in other portions, and the duct portion is provided at a position close to at least the end located downstream in the direction of air flow in the fan, of both ends in the width direction of the heat sink along the width direction of the outlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the cooling performance can be maintained for a longer period of time. [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 heat sink and the fan. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a heat sink. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the heat sink shown in FIG. 4A, seen from the opposite direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the heat sink and its surrounding area. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is an exploded front view of the duct portion of the heat sink and its surrounding area. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a front view showing the state in which the fins shown in FIG. 7A are joined together. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of a heat sink having a duct portion according to a first modified example and its surrounding area. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a front view of a heat sink having a duct portion according to a second modification and its surrounding area. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of a heat sink having a duct portion according to a third modification and its surrounding area. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view of a heat sink having a duct portion according to a fourth modification and its surrounding area. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a front view of a heat sink having a duct portion according to a fifth modified example and its surrounding area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cooling module and an electronic device according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below 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 is a clamshell notebook PC in which a display housing 12 and a housing 14 are connected by a hinge 16 so that they can rotate relative to each other. The electronic device according to the present invention may be, other than a notebook PC, for example, a desktop PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a game console.

[0012] The display housing 12 is a thin, flat box. A display 18 is mounted on the display housing 12. The display 18 is configured, for example, with an organic light emitting diode (OLED) or liquid crystal.

[0013] Below, the housing 14 and each element mounted thereon will be described assuming that the housings 12 and 14 are in an open state as shown in Figure 1, and the posture for viewing the display 18 is used as the reference, with the front side referred to as the front, the back side referred to as the rear, the width direction referred to as the left and right, and the height direction (thickness direction of the housing 14) referred to as the top and bottom.

[0014] The housing 14 is a thin, flat box. The housing 14 is composed of a cover member 14A that forms the top surface and four side surfaces, and a cover member 14B that forms the bottom surface. The upper cover member 14A has a roughly bathtub shape with an open bottom surface. The lower cover member 14B has a roughly flat plate shape and serves as a lid that closes the bottom opening of the cover member 14A. The cover members 14A and 14B are stacked in the thickness direction and detachably connected to each other. A keyboard 20 and a touchpad 21 are provided on the top surface of the housing 14. The rear end of the housing 14 is connected to the display housing 12 using a hinge 16.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic internal structure of the housing 14, and is a schematic cross-sectional plan view of the housing 14 taken at a point slightly below the keyboard 20. As shown in FIG.

[0016] 2, a cooling module 22, a motherboard 24, and a battery device 26 are provided inside the housing 14. Various electronic components, mechanical components, etc. are also provided inside the housing 14.

[0017] The motherboard 24 is the main board of the electronic device 10. The motherboard 24 is disposed toward the rear of the housing 14 and extends in the left-right direction. The motherboard 24 is a printed circuit board on which various electronic components such as the CPU 30, the GPU 31, power components, a communication module, memory, and connection terminals are mounted. The motherboard 24 is disposed below the keyboard 20 and is screwed to the rear surface of the keyboard 20 and the inner surface of the cover member 14A. The upper surface of the motherboard 24 is the mounting surface for the cover member 14A, and the lower surface is the mounting surface for the CPU 30 and the like.

[0018] The CPU 30 is disposed on the left side of the center of the mounting surface of the motherboard 24. The CPU 30 performs calculations related to the main control and processing of the electronic device 10. The GPU 31 is disposed next to the right side of the CPU 30 on the mounting surface of the motherboard 24. The GPU 31 performs calculations necessary for image rendering such as 3D graphics.

[0019] The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that serves as a power source for the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 is disposed in front of the motherboard 24, and extends left and right along the front end of the housing 14.

[0020] Next, the configuration of the cooling module 22 will be described.

[0021] The CPU 30 and GPU 31 are heat-generating elements with the largest heat output among all the electronic components mounted in the housing 14. Therefore, the cooling module 22 absorbs and diffuses the heat generated by the CPU 30 and GPU 31, and then discharges the heat to the outside of the housing 14. The cooling module 22 is stacked so as to cover, for example, a portion of the mounting surface of the motherboard 24.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling module 22 may include a vapor chamber 36, a heat pipe 38, a pair of left and right heat sinks 40 and 41, a pair of left and right fans 42 and 43, and a heat conduction plate 44.

[0023] The vapor chamber 36 is a plate-type heat transport device. The vapor chamber 36 has a sealed space formed between two thin metal plates, and a working fluid sealed in this sealed space. The metal plates are made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, copper, or stainless steel. The sealed space serves as a flow path through which the sealed working fluid flows while undergoing a phase change. Examples of the working fluid include water, alternative chlorofluorocarbons, acetone, and butane. A wick is disposed within the sealed space, which transports the condensed working fluid by capillary action. The wick is formed of a porous material, such as a mesh made of thin metal wires woven into a cotton-like shape or a fine flow path.

[0024] The vapor chamber 36 absorbs and dissipates heat from the CPU 30 and GPU 31, and can transfer this heat to a heat pipe 38 connected to its bottom surface. Reference numerals 30a and 31a in Fig. 2 denote heat receiving plates, such as copper plates, interposed between the top surface of the vapor chamber 36 and the top surfaces of the CPU 30 and GPU 31, respectively.

[0025] The heat pipe 38 is a pipe-type heat transport device. The heat pipe 38 is configured by flattening a metal pipe to form a thin, elliptical cross section, and sealing a working fluid in the sealed space formed inside the metal pipe. The materials and configurations of the metal pipe, sealed space, working fluid, and wick that constitute the heat pipe 38 may be the same as or similar to the materials and configurations of the metal plate, sealed space, working fluid, and wick that constitute the vapor chamber 36 described above.

[0026] The heat pipe 38 of this embodiment is curved forward near the center, is formed into a roughly U-shape in a plan view, and extends in the left-right direction. The center portion 38a of the heat pipe 38 is connected to the underside of the vapor chamber 36 at a position that overlaps the CPU 30 and GPU 31 in the vertical direction. One end 38b of the heat pipe 38 is connected to the underside of the heat sink 40, and the other end 38b is connected to the underside of the heat sink 41. Two or more heat pipes 38 may be used in parallel. When the cooling module 22 is equipped with only one set of heat sink and fan, it is preferable that one end of the heat pipe 28 is connected to the CPU 30 or GPU 31, and the other end is connected to the heat sink.

[0027] The heat-conducting plate 44 is connected to the front edge of the vapor chamber 36 and protrudes forward. The heat-conducting plate 44 is a thin plate made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as metal, such as aluminum or copper, or graphite.

[0028] Next, the configurations of the heat sinks 40 and 41 and the fans 42 and 43 will be described.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the left and right heat sinks 40, 41 may have a substantially symmetrical structure, although they may differ slightly in size, heat exchange area, etc. Similarly, the left and right fans 42, 43 may also have a substantially symmetrical structure. Therefore, the following mainly describes the right-side heat sink 41 and fan 43, and the left-side heat sink 40 and fan 42 are given the same reference numerals as those on the left side, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that the fans 42, 43 and heat sinks 40, 41 may be configured as a single unit rather than as a pair.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the heat sink 41 and the fan 43. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the heat sink 41. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the heat sink 41 shown in FIG. 4A, seen from the opposite direction. FIG. 5 is a front view of the heat sink 41 and its surroundings. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, the fan 43 has a fan housing 43b with an outlet port 43a formed on one side. The fan 43 is disposed immediately in front of the heat sink 41, with the outlet port 43a, which opens rearward, facing the front surface of the heat sink 41. The fan 43 is a centrifugal fan that rotates an impeller 43c housed inside the fan housing 43b using a motor. The fan housing 43b can be composed of, for example, a cover plate 43d that forms the top and side surfaces, and a cover plate 43e that forms the bottom surface. Each of the cover plates 43d, 43e has an inlet port 43f. The inlet port 43f may be provided on only one of the cover plates 43d, 43e.

[0032] An air path 43g is formed inside fan housing 43b. Air path 43g is a flow path for air that runs from intake port 43f, around impeller 43c, to exhaust port 43a. The dashed-dotted arrows in Fig. 3 schematically indicate the flow of air, and this is also true in Fig. 6 and other figures.

[0033] In FIG. 3, air A is introduced through intake port 43f, flows through air path 43g formed around impeller 43c, and gradually compresses, increasing its wind speed, before reaching discharge port 43a. Discharge port 43a is wider than air path 43g. Therefore, the wind speed of air A discharged from discharge port 43a gradually decreases from wall portion 43b1 located upstream in the width direction (left-right direction) of discharge port 43a toward wall portion 43b2 located downstream. As shown schematically in FIG. 3, the air discharged from discharge port 43a has the highest wind speed for air A1 on the upstream side, followed by air A2 and air A3, and the lowest wind speed for air A4 on the downstream side. Note that the wind speed of air discharged from discharge port 43a of actual fan 43 cannot be digitally classified like air A1 to A4, but changes analogously. Therefore, it is possible that the wind speeds are reversed between the upstream and downstream sides within a small range. Taking this into consideration, in this embodiment, the wind speed of the air discharged from the discharge port 43a is exemplified as four stages of air A1 to A4.

[0034] 2 to 6, the heat sink 41 (40) has plate-shaped portions 46, 47, a plurality of fins 48 standing upright and aligned laterally between the plate-shaped portions 46, 47, and a duct portion 50. The plate-shaped portions 46, 47 and the fins 48 can be made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as copper, aluminum, or stainless steel.

[0035] The plate-shaped portions 46, 47 form the upper and lower surfaces of the heat sink 41 and are parallel to each other with a gap between them equal to the upright height of the fins 48. The plate-shaped portions 46, 47 are arranged parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the fan housing 43b, respectively. The upper plate-shaped portion (first plate-shaped portion) 46 is arranged substantially flush with the upper surface of the fan housing 43b and closes the upper openings of the gaps G between the fins 48. The lower plate-shaped portion (second plate-shaped portion) 47 is arranged substantially flush with the lower surface of the fan housing 43b and closes the lower openings of the gaps G between the fins 48. The end portion 38b of the heat pipe 38 is joined to the outer surface (lower surface) of the plate-shaped portion 47 by welding or the like.

[0036] 7A and 7B, the heat sink 41 of this embodiment has plate pieces 48a, 48b of each fin 48 aligned in the left-right direction to form plate-like portions 46, 47. Each of the plate-like portions 46, 47 may be formed from a single metal plate.

[0037] The fins 48 are formed of thin plates that rise up and down between the plate-shaped portions 46 and 47 and extend in the front-rear direction. The fins 48 are arranged with gaps G between them along the width (left-right direction) of the heat sink 41, which corresponds to the width of the outlet 43a. As a result, the gaps G between adjacent fins 48 in the heat sink 41 form airflow paths through which air from the outlet 43a passes. The fin pitch (width of the gaps G) of the fins 48 may be, for example, 1 mm. As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 6, each fin 48 may have an inclined portion 48c in a portion that extends toward the outlet 43a beyond the edge 46a of the plate-shaped portion 46 and the opening 52. The inclined portion 48c gradually slopes downward from the outlet side (rear side) of the heat sink 41 toward the outlet 43a (front side) and is inserted into the fan housing 43b. The fins 48 may be rectangular in side view without the inclined portion 48c.

[0038] The duct portion 50 is a path for discharging dust D that is sucked into the fan 43 along with the air and discharged from the outlet 43a toward the heat sink 41. Examples of the dust D include dust, dirt, fibers, and hair. The duct portion 50 is an air flow path formed in a duct shape by configuring the fin pitch of the fins 48 to be larger than other portions. The duct portion 50 has a width greater than the gap G. As shown in FIG. 5, the width dimension of the heat sink 41 is referred to as width W, and the width dimension of the duct portion 50 is referred to as width W1. The width W1 can be set to, for example, approximately 10 to 20% of the width W. As described above, if the fin pitch is, for example, 1 mm, the width W1 of the duct portion 50 can be set to, for example, approximately 5 to 15 mm.

[0039] The duct portion 50 is provided at a position close to the end 41b, which is located downstream (toward the wall portion 43b2) in the direction of air flow within the fan housing 43b, of the ends 41a, 41b on both sides in the width direction of the heat sink 41. The duct portion 50 is formed, for example, between the fin 48 at the right end forming the end 41b and the adjacent fin 48 facing it across a width W1. In the duct portion 50, the upper and lower openings between the fins 48, 48 arranged at a pitch of width W1 are closed by the plate-shaped portions 46, 47. As a result, the duct portion 50 is formed as a rectangular cylindrical air flow path extending in the front-to-rear direction.

[0040] The duct portion 50 can also be provided at a position closer to the end 41a located on the upstream side (wall portion 43b1 side) in the air flow direction inside the fan housing 43b, of both ends 41a, 41b in the width direction of the heat sink 41. Note that the heat sink 41 of this embodiment does not have a duct portion 50 provided at a position closer to the upstream end 41a.

[0041] The heat sink 41 may have an opening 52 in the plate-shaped portion 46 that forms the upper surface. The opening 52 may be a concave opening formed by cutting out a portion of the edge 46a of the plate-shaped portion 46 facing the discharge port 43a in a direction away from the discharge port 43a. The opening 52 may be formed in a range that includes the center in the width direction of the heat sink 41. The opening 52 forms a bypass path that allows a portion of the air discharged from the discharge port 43a to bypass and be discharged before it. The opening 52 may be located in a central position that avoids a predetermined range from the upstream end 41a and a predetermined range from the downstream end 41b. In other words, the openings 52 in this embodiment are not located on either end 41a or 41b of the heat sink 41. Therefore, the openings 52 are not located in the duct portion 50.

[0042] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, each fin 48 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "fin 48A") located near the upstream end 41a where no opening 52 is provided can be made longer in the air flow direction (front-to-back direction) than the fins 48 in other parts.

[0043] As described above, the cooling module 22 of this embodiment includes a heat sink 41 having a plurality of fins 48 arranged with gaps between them and disposed facing the outlet 43a of the fan 43. The heat sink 41 has a duct portion 50 in which the fin pitch of the fins 48 is greater than in other portions. The duct portion 50 is provided at least at a position closer to the end 41b located downstream in the direction of air flow in the fan 43, out of both ends 41a, 41b in the width direction of the heat sink 41 that are aligned with the width direction of the outlet 43a.

[0044] The cooling module 22 can smoothly discharge dust D, which is sucked in by the fan 43 and expelled together with air from the outlet 43a toward the heat sink 41, to the outside of the housing 12 through the duct portion 50. That is, the heat sink 41 has a duct portion 50 with an expanded fin pitch only in a portion thereof. This allows the heat sink 41 to ensure a sufficient heat exchange area with the air from the outlet 43a using the fins 48 other than the duct portion 50. However, the fin pitch of the fins 48 other than the duct portion 50 is small, for example, about 1 mm, and there is a risk of dust D of, for example, several millimeters becoming clogged. If dust D clogs the heat sink 41, the amount of air passing through it decreases, raising concerns about a decline in heat exchange performance. In this regard, the heat sink 41 can smoothly discharge dust D using the duct portion 50 with an expanded fin pitch.

[0045] In particular, the duct portion 50 is located at least toward the downstream end 41b of the heat sink 41 in the width direction. In other words, the duct portion 50 is located in a position where the air A4 flows at the slowest speed in the width direction of the heat sink 41. Therefore, although the surface area of ​​the fins 48 of the heat sink 41 is reduced by the duct portion 50, the impact on the overall heat exchange performance of the heat sink 41 can be minimized. Furthermore, the dust D discharged to the rear surface of the heat sink 41 is pressed against the rear end surfaces of each fin 48, and some of the dust D gradually moves from the upstream side to the downstream side. As a result, the dust D is guided to the duct portion 50 located downstream of the heat sink 41 and more efficiently discharged to the outside.

[0046] Therefore, the cooling module 22 can prevent the heat sink 41 from becoming clogged with dust D even when the electronic device 10 is used for many years or in a harsh environment with a lot of dust and dirt. As a result, the cooling module 22 can maintain the heat exchange performance of the heat sink 41 for a long period of time, and can maintain the cooling performance for an even longer period of time.

[0047] As described above, the duct portion 50 can be provided closer to the end 41a, which is located on the upstream side in the width direction of the heat sink 41. However, it is preferable not to provide the duct portion 50 on the end 41a side. That is, considering only the efficiency of discharging dust D, it is preferable to provide the duct portion 50 on the end 41a side as well. However, air A1 with a high wind speed passes through the gaps G between the fins 48A on the end 41a side. For this reason, providing the duct portion 50 on the end 41a side as well could significantly reduce the heat exchange performance of the entire heat sink 41. Therefore, in the heat sink 41 of this embodiment, in order to achieve both heat exchange performance and dust D discharge efficiency, the duct portion 50 is provided only on the downstream end 41b side.

[0048] Therefore, it is preferable that the fins 48A are longer in the air flow direction than the other fins 48. This allows the heat sink 41 to secure a larger heat exchange area between the fins 48A and the air A1, which has a higher wind speed and is discharged from the discharge port 43a, and further improves the heat exchange efficiency.

[0049] The heat sink 41 has a configuration in which multiple fins 48 are arranged and stand between plate-shaped portions 46, 47 extending along its width direction. The plate-shaped portion 46 can have an opening 52 formed by cutting out a portion of the edge portion 46a facing the discharge port 43a. The opening 52 can bypass and discharge a portion of the air discharged from the discharge port 43a. This allows a portion of the air to pass through the opening 52 (see air A5 in Figure 6), thereby reducing the ventilation resistance of the heat sink 41 and improving its heat exchange performance. The opening 52 can also discharge a portion of the dust D from the discharge port 43a (see Figure 6).

[0050] The openings 52 are not provided on the sides of both ends 41a, 41b of the heat sink 41. This prevents the air A5 passing through the openings 52 from being discharged left and right from both ends 41a, 41b in the width direction of the heat sink 41. As a result, the heat sink 41 can avoid a situation in which the amount of air flowing through the gaps G between the fins 48 is excessively reduced by the openings 52, thereby preventing a decrease in heat exchange performance.

[0051] Incidentally, the heat sink 41 has such an opening 52 in the central range in the width direction. On the other hand, there is a problem in that dust D is difficult to remove from both ends 41a, 41b where the opening 52 is not provided. Furthermore, because both ends 41a, 41b are located along the wall portions 43b1, 43b2 of the fan housing 43b, dust D is more likely to accumulate there. In this regard, the heat sink 41 has a duct portion 50 at least at the end 41b. Therefore, the heat sink 41 can effectively discharge dust D even on the sides of the opening 52.

[0052] Here, an example of a manufacturing method for the heat sink 41 (40) of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 7A is an exploded front view of the duct portion 50 and its surrounding area of ​​the heat sink 41. Fig. 7B is a front view showing the state in which the fins 48 shown in Fig. 7A are joined together.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 7A, and 7B, the heat sink 41 (40) can be configured by stacking and joining multiple fins 48, each having plate pieces 48a, 48b bent at the upper and lower ends in the rising direction. The plate piece 48a is a fin-shaped portion formed by bending one end (upper end) of the fin 48 in the rising direction. The plate piece 48b is a fin-shaped portion formed by bending the other end (lower end) of the fin 48 in the rising direction. Each plate piece 48a, 48b protrudes toward the adjacent fin 48. Each plate piece 48a, 48b protrudes in the same direction.

[0054] In this embodiment, each fin 48 has its plate pieces 48a arranged continuously to form a plate shape, thereby constituting the plate-like portion 46. Each fin 48 has its plate pieces 48b arranged continuously to form a plate shape, thereby constituting the plate-like portion 47.

[0055] The fins 48 (hereinafter also referred to as "fins 48B") that make up the duct portion 50 are configured so that the protruding length of the plate pieces 48a, 48b is greater than that of the other fins 48. This makes it easy to form the duct portion 50 in the heat sink 41 by simply lining up and joining the fins 48 and 48B. Note that the fins 48A only need to be configured so that their length in the front-to-rear direction is longer than that of the other fins 48.

[0056] The configuration of the duct portion is not limited to the above. Fig. 8 is a front view of a heat sink 41 having a duct portion 50A according to a first modification and its surrounding area.

[0057] The duct portion 50 described above is formed between two fins 48, 48. In contrast, the heat sink 41 (40) shown in FIG. 8 has two or more fins 48 (hereinafter also referred to as "fins 48C") arranged side by side, with the fin pitch wider than that of the other portions, and the gaps between the fins 48C are each configured as a duct portion 50A. The fin pitch of the fin 48C is, for example, at least twice the fin pitch of the other fins 48. This allows the duct portion 50A to promote the discharge of dust D of a certain size while increasing the heat exchange area compared to the duct portion 50.

[0058] FIG. 9 is a front view of a heat sink 41 having a duct portion 50B according to a second modification and its surrounding area.

[0059] The above-described duct portion 50 is formed over the entire height of the fins 48 in the rising direction. In contrast, the duct portion 50B of the heat sink 41 (40) shown in FIG. 9 is formed over approximately the lower half of the entire height of the fins 48 in the rising direction. Therefore, fins 48 (hereinafter also referred to as "fins 48D") configured to be lower than the other portions are arranged in parallel above the duct portion 50B, similar to the other portions. The lower openings of the gaps G between the fins 48D are closed by plate-shaped portions 54 that are stepped relative to the plate-shaped portions 47 of the other portions. As a result, the duct portion 50B can increase the heat exchange area compared to the duct portion 50 while also allowing for the discharge of large dust D in the width direction.

[0060] As shown in a duct section 50C according to a third modification in Fig. 10, the duct section 50B may be configured without the plate-shaped section 54 that forms its upper surface. In the duct section 50C shown in Fig. 10, the lower openings of the gaps G between the fins 48D are open. This allows the duct section 50C to have a higher efficiency in discharging dust D than the duct section 50B.

[0061] FIG. 11 is a front view of a heat sink 41 having a duct portion 50D according to a fourth modification and its surrounding area.

[0062] The duct section 50D shown in FIG. 11 has a configuration that is upside down compared to the duct section 50B shown in FIG. 9. That is, the duct section 50D of the heat sink 41 (40) shown in FIG. 11 is formed to occupy approximately half of the lower part of the total height in the upright direction of the fins 48. For this reason, fins 48 (hereinafter also referred to as "fins 48E") configured to be lower than the other parts are arranged in parallel on top of the duct section 50D, just like the other parts. The upper openings of the gaps G between the fins 48E are closed by plate-shaped portions 55 that are stepped relative to the plate-shaped portions 46 of the other parts. This allows the duct section 50D to also allow for the discharge of large dust D in the width direction, while also increasing the heat exchange area compared to the duct section 50.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 12, a duct portion 50E according to a fifth modification of the present invention may be configured such that the plate-shaped portion 55 forming the lower surface of the duct portion 50D is omitted. In the duct portion 50E shown in Fig. 12, the upper openings of the gaps G between the fins 48E are open. This allows the duct portion 50E to have a higher efficiency in discharging dust D than the duct portion 50D.

[0064] 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]

[0065] 10 Electronic equipment 14. Case 22 Cooling Module 30 CPU 31 GPU 38 Heat Pipe 40,41 Heat sink 41a,41b edge 42,43 Fan 43a Discharge port 43g air path 46, 47, 54, 55 Plate-shaped parts 48(48A~48E) Fins 50, 50A~50E duct section, 52 Opening

Claims

1. A cooling module to be mounted on an electronic device, a fan having an outlet; a heat sink having a plurality of fins arranged with gaps between them and disposed facing the discharge port; Equipped with the heat sink has a duct portion in which the fin pitch of the fins is larger than that of other portions, The duct portion is provided at a position close to at least one end of the heat sink located downstream in the direction of air flow in the fan, the end being parallel to the width direction of the outlet port. A cooling module characterized by:

2. 10. The cooling module of claim 1, The heat sink has a configuration in which the plurality of fins are arranged and stand up between a first plate-shaped portion and a second plate-shaped portion extending along the width direction of the heat sink, the first plate-shaped portion has an opening through which a portion of the air discharged from the discharge port can be discharged, The openings are not provided on either end of the heat sink. A cooling module characterized by:

3. 3. The cooling module according to claim 1, The duct portion is not provided at the end of the heat sink that is located upstream in the air flow direction of the fan. A cooling module characterized by:

4. 4. The cooling module of claim 3, The fins located near the upstream end where the duct portion is not provided are longer in the air flow direction than the fins in other portions. A cooling module characterized by:

5. 10. The cooling module of claim 1, The duct portion is provided at a position closer to one end or the other end in the standing direction of the fin. A cooling module characterized by:

6. 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 fan having an outlet; a heat sink having a plurality of fins arranged with gaps between them and disposed facing the discharge port; Equipped with the heat sink has a duct portion in which the fin pitch of the fins is larger than that of other portions, The duct portion is provided at a position close to at least one end of the heat sink located downstream in the direction of air flow in the fan, the end being parallel to the width direction of the outlet port. An electronic device characterized by:

7. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, The heat sink has a configuration in which the plurality of fins are arranged and stand up between a first plate-shaped portion and a second plate-shaped portion extending along the width direction of the heat sink, the first plate-shaped portion has an opening formed by cutting out a part of an edge portion facing the discharge port, thereby having an opening through which a part of the air discharged from the discharge port can be discharged; The openings are not provided on either end of the heat sink. An electronic device characterized by:

8. 8. The electronic device according to claim 6 or 7, The duct portion is not provided at the end of the heat sink that is located upstream in the air flow direction of the fan. An electronic device characterized by:

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