Electronic equipment and fans

Abstract

To provide electronic devices that can improve cooling performance. [Solution] The electronic device comprises a housing, a circuit board on which a heating element is mounted and housed within the housing, an impeller, a fan housing housing the impeller, and a fan housed within the housing, wherein the fan housing has a housing member made of a thermal conductive material, and the housing member has a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the fan housing and is thermally connected to the heating element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device equipped with a fan.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device such as a notebook PC mounts a substrate on which heat-generating components such as ICs are mounted. Such an electronic device may be configured to be able to cool the heat-generating component with a cooling module equipped with a fan (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The cooling module absorbs the heat generated by the heat-generating component and dissipates it to the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A normal cooling module is mainly intended to cool the CPU and GPU, which are the largest heat-generating components. On the other hand, many heat-generating components other than the CPU and GPU are also mounted on the substrate, and these may need to be cooled. In particular, the fan occupies a relatively large space inside the housing and is only used for blowing air onto the heat-generating component and the heat sink that has received its heat. Therefore, if the fan can have a cooling function other than blowing air, the cooling performance of the entire electronic device can be improved. Also, if the fan has such a cooling function, for example, active cooling of heat-generating components outside the cooling range of the cooling module, that is, independent of the air-blowing target of the fan, can be achieved, and further improvement in cooling performance can be expected.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device capable of improving cooling performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing, a substrate on which a heating element is mounted and housed within the housing, an impeller, and a fan housing housing the impeller, the fan housing having a housing member made of a thermal conductive material, the housing member having a protrusion that protrudes outward from the fan housing and is thermally connected to the heating element. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, cooling performance can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device according to one embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the enclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the protruding part of the fan and its surrounding area. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the protruding portion and its surrounding area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment, viewed from above. As shown in Figure 1, the electronic device 10 in this embodiment is a clamshell-type notebook PC. The electronic device 10 has a configuration in which a lid 11 and a housing 12 are connected by a hinge 14 so that they can rotate relative to each other. In this embodiment, a notebook PC electronic device 10 is used as an example, but the electronic device may be something other than a notebook PC, such as a tablet PC, smartphone, or portable game console.

[0011] The lid 11 is a thin, flat, box-shaped enclosure. The lid 11 houses a display 16. The display 16 is, for example, an organic EL display or a liquid crystal display.

[0012] The enclosure 12 is a thin, flat box. The keyboard device 18 and touchpad 19 face the top surface (surface 12a) of the enclosure 12. Hereinafter, the enclosure 12 and each component mounted thereon will be described using the operator's posture when operating the keyboard device 18 as the reference point, with the width direction (left and right) of the enclosure 12 being referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the depth direction (front and back) of the enclosure 12 being referred to as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (up and down) of the enclosure 12 being referred to as the Z1 and Z2 directions. The X1 and X2 directions may also be collectively referred to as the X direction, and similarly, the Y1 and Y2 directions and the Z1 and Z2 directions may be referred to as the Y direction and Z direction. For the sake of explanation, the surface 12a side (Z1 side) may be referred to as the bottom and the opposite side (Z2 side) as the top in the thickness direction of the enclosure 12 (see Figures 3 and 4). These directions are defined for the sake of explanation and may naturally change depending on the usage state or installation posture of the electronic device 10.

[0013] The housing 12 is composed of a cover material 20 that forms the top surface and the four sides, and a cover material 21 that forms the bottom surface. The cover material 20 is formed by creating vertical walls 20B on the four edges of a cover plate 20A that forms the surface 12a of the housing 12. Therefore, the cover material 20 has a roughly bathtub shape with an open bottom. The cover material 21 has a roughly flat shape and serves as a lid that closes the bottom opening of the cover material 20. The cover materials 20 and 21 are overlapped in the thickness direction and detachably connected to each other. The vertical walls 20B may also be formed on the cover material 21. In this case, the cover material 20 may consist only of a cover plate 20A.

[0014] The hinge 14 is installed in a concave hinge groove 12b formed on the rear edge of the housing 12, connecting the housing 12 and the lid 11.

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the internal structure of the housing 12. Figure 2 is a view of the inside of the housing 12 from the bottom side with the cover material 21 removed.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 12 contains a cooling module 24, a circuit board 25, and a battery device 26. Various other electronic and mechanical components are also installed inside the housing 12.

[0017] The circuit board 25 is a circuit board that serves as the motherboard for the electronic device 10. The circuit board 25 is located near the Y2 side of the enclosure 12 and extends in the X direction. The battery device 26 is a rechargeable battery that powers the electronic device 10. The battery device 26 is located near the Y1 side of the circuit board 25 and extends in the X direction.

[0018] The circuit board 25 of this embodiment is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 25a and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 25b. The CPU 25a is a processing unit that performs calculations related to the main control and processing of the electronic device 10. The GPU 25b is a processing unit that performs calculations necessary for image rendering such as 3D graphics. The circuit board 25 is further equipped with various electronic components such as a memory module 25c, a storage device, and a communication module.

[0019] The circuit board 25 further has external connection terminals 25d and 25e mounted on it. The external connection terminals 25d and 25e are mounted, for example, on the X1 side edge of the circuit board 25 and face the outer wall (vertical wall 20B) of the housing 12. The external connection terminals 25d and 25e are, for example, receptacle connectors compliant with the USB Type-C standard. The external connection terminals 25d and 25e are connected to a control IC (controller 25f) that supports the high-speed data transfer standard Thunderbolt 5 (Thunderbolt is a registered trademark). The connection distance (wiring distance) between the controller 25f and the external connection terminals 25d and 25e is defined by the Thunderbolt 5 standard. For this reason, the controller 25f is located close to the external connection terminals 25d and 25e (see Figure 2).

[0020] The substrate 25 has, for example, the first surface 25A on the Z1 side serving as the mounting surface for the cover material 20, and the second surface 25B on the Z2 side serving as the mounting surface for the CPU 25a and the like. The controller 25f is mounted on the second surface 25B. The external connection terminals 25d and 25e are mounted on the first surface 25A.

[0021] The CPU 25a and the GPU 25b are heat generators with the largest heat generation amount 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 the GPU 25b and discharge it outside the housing 12. The cooling module 24 of the present embodiment can also cool the memory module 25c and the like. Further, the cooling module 24 includes a heat receiving plate (protrusion 32) for cooling the controller 25f on one of the fans 30A, and details will be described later.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling module 24 of the present embodiment includes a pair of heat pipes 27, a pair of heat sinks 28, 28, a pair of fans 30A, 30B, and a heat diffusion member 31.

[0023] The heat pipe 27 is a pipe-type heat transport device. The heat pipe 27 is formed by flattening a metal pipe thinly into an elliptical cross-sectional shape and enclosing a working fluid in the inner sealed space. Examples of the working fluid include water, alternative Freon, acetone, or butane. The heat pipe 27 can be used, for example, in a pair of two. The heat pipe 27 partially overlaps the CPU 25a and the GPU 25b in the Z direction and is connected to these CPU 25a and GPU 25b. Both ends of the heat pipe 27 are respectively connected to the left and right heat sinks 28. Thereby, the heat pipe 27 transports the heat generated by the CPU 25a and the GPU 25b to the left and right heat sinks 28 with high efficiency.

[0024] The heat pipe 27 is thermally connected to the CPU 25a and the GPU 25b near the center in the longitudinal direction, for example. A heat diffusion member 31 is interposed between the heat pipe 27 and the CPU 25a and the GPU 25b.

[0025] The heat diffusion member 31 is a member that absorbs and diffuses heat from the CPU 25a and GPU 25b. The heat diffusion member 31 is provided so as to cover a part of the second surface 25B of the substrate 25 together with the CPU 25a, etc. The heat diffusion member 31 may be made of, for example, a metal plate or a vapor chamber. The metal plate is a thin metal plate-shaped member made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum. The vapor chamber is essentially a heat pipe formed in a plate shape, and a working fluid is sealed in a sealed space formed between two metal plates.

[0026] The heat diffusion member 31 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape in a plan view, as shown in Figure 2, for example. The heat diffusion member 31 is located between the left and right fans 30A and 30B. The heat diffusion member 31 covers a part of the substrate 25 (part 25C) and the CPU 25a etc. mounted on part 25C from the second surface 25B side (Z2 side). Part 25C is a part of the substrate 25 positioned between the fans 30A and 30B.

[0027] Each heatsink 28 is positioned near the X1 and X2 side edges of the housing 12. Each heatsink 28 faces an outlet 30a that opens on the Y2 side of fans 30A and 30B. The heatsink 28 has a structure in which thin metal fins are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. Each fin is a thin metal plate with high thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum. Each fin stands upright in the Z direction and extends in the Y direction. As a result, the air sent from the outlet 30a of fans 30A and 30B passes through the heatsink 28.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, fans 30A and 30B are positioned close to the Y1 side of the left and right heatsinks 28, respectively. As shown in Figure 2, fans 30A and 30B may have a substantially symmetrical structure except that one fan 30A has a protruding portion 32. Therefore, in the following explanation, unless the left and right fans 30A and 30B are described separately, they may be collectively referred to as "fan 30".

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the protrusion 32 and its surrounding area provided on the fan 30A. Figure 4 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the protrusion 32 and its surrounding area.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fan 30 has a fan housing 34 and an impeller 35.

[0031] The fan housing 34 can be constructed by connecting housing members 36 and 37. Housing member 36 is a plate-shaped member that forms the Z2 side surface of the fan 30. The protrusion 32 functions as a heat receiving plate. The protrusion 32 is provided on one of the fans 30A. Therefore, it is preferable that the housing member 36 of fan 30A be made of a metal plate having high thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum. In this embodiment, fan 30A has its housing member 36 made of a copper plate. For the other fan 30B, which does not have a protrusion 32, it is preferable to make the housing member 36 out of a metal plate such as stainless steel (SUS). This is because stainless steel has lower thermal conductivity than copper but higher strength.

[0032] The housing member 37 has a cover plate 37a and a side wall 37b. The cover plate 37a and the side wall 37b may be made of a metal plate such as stainless steel. The cover plate 37a is a plate-shaped member that forms the surface of the fan 30 on the Z1 side. The side wall 37b is a vertical wall member that rises in the Z direction from the outer peripheral edge of the cover plate 37a. As a result, the housing member 37 has a substantially bathtub shape with an opening on the Z1 side.

[0033] The housing member 36 is connected to the housing member 37, closing the opening of the housing member 37. The housing members 36 and 37 are fastened together, for example, by a plurality of screws 38 arranged along the outer peripheral edge of the housing member 36. Each screw 38 penetrates the housing member 36 in the thickness direction and is tightened into a screw hole formed in the side wall 37b. As shown in Figure 2, the fan 30B uses three screws 38, and the fan 30A uses four screws 38. The fourth screw 38 of the fan 30A (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "screw 38A") is located at the base end of the protrusion 32.

[0034] The fan housing 34 of this embodiment has two discharge ports 30a and 30b and an intake port 30c.

[0035] One of the discharge ports 30a is formed on the Y2 side surface 34a of the fan housing 34 and discharges air in the Y2 direction. The air discharged from the discharge port 30a passes through the heat sink 28. The air that has passed through the heat sink 28 is discharged to the outside of the housing 12 through a vent 20a formed in the Y2 side vertical wall 20B of the housing 12.

[0036] The other outlet 30b discharges air in the X direction. In Figure 2, the fan 30A located on the X1 side has an outlet 30b on the X2 side surface 34b of the fan housing 34. The fan 30B located on the X2 side has an outlet 30b on the X1 side surface 34b of the fan housing 34. As a result, the outlets 30b of the left and right fans 30 face each other, with the portion 25C of the substrate 25 and the heat diffusion member 31 in between. The air discharged from the outlets 30b flows along the surfaces 25A and 25B of the substrate 25, cooling the heat diffusion member 31, the substrate 25, and the CPU 25a, etc. This air is discharged to the outside of the housing 12 through a vent 20b formed in the vertical wall 20B on the Y2 side of the housing 12.

[0037] The intake port 30c is formed on the surface 34c of the fan housing 34 on the Z2 side. The intake port 30c may also be formed on the surface of the fan housing 34 on the Z1 side, or on both the upper and lower surfaces in the Z direction.

[0038] The fan 30 can be a centrifugal fan in which an impeller 35 housed inside the fan housing 34 is rotated by a motor. This allows the fan 30 to draw in air from the intake port 30c and discharge it from the outlets 30a and 30b.

[0039] The space between the sides 34b, 34b of fans 30A and 30B is a duct space surrounded on three sides other than the vent 20b by an airtight wall 40. This duct space is designed to make the airflow from the discharge port 30b towards the vent 20b smoother. The airtight wall 40 is made of, for example, a sponge or rubber formed into a strip. The airtight wall 40 does not need to completely block the passage of air, but it needs to have a certain degree of airflow resistance to restrict the direction of airflow. The airtight wall 40 extends in the X direction, connecting the Y1 side ends of the sides 34b of fans 30A and 30B. The airtight wall 40 also extends along the periphery of each surface in the Z direction of the fan 30 and the heat sink 28. The airtight wall 40 is not shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0040] Next, the protruding portion 32 will be described.

[0041] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the protrusion 32 is a heat receiving plate for absorbing heat from the heat-generating element (controller 25f) mounted outside the cooling range of the cooling module 24, i.e., outside of section 25C. Therefore, the protrusion 32 is provided on the fan 30A, which is close to the controller 25f. The protrusion 32 protrudes outward from the fan housing 34 and is thermally connected to the controller 25f. As a result, the protrusion 32 can absorb heat from the controller 25f and dissipate and release that heat using the housing member 36.

[0042] The protruding portion 32 extends from the side surface 34d of the fan housing 34 toward the controller 25f. The protruding portion 32 is installed so as to overlap the mounting surface (second surface 25B) of the circuit board 25 vertically and covers the controller 25f. In this embodiment, the side surface 34d is the side surface facing the controller 25f and is different from the side surfaces 34a and 34b on which the discharge ports 30a and 30b are formed. The protruding portion 32 can be a structure that extends a part of the housing member 36. That is, the protruding portion 32 in this embodiment is formed of a copper plate material, which is a heat conductive material with high thermal conductivity.

[0043] The protruding portion 32 may have a heat receiving portion 32a, a fixing portion 32b, and a bent portion 32c.

[0044] The heat receiving portion 32a is a plate portion that is thermally connected to the controller 25f. Preferably, the heat receiving portion 32a has an outer shape larger than the controller 25f in the plan view shown in Figure 2, and has a shape that can completely cover the controller 25f. The Z1 side surface of the heat receiving portion 32a, which faces the second surface 25B, becomes the heat receiving surface 32a1.

[0045] The heat receiving section 32a is connected directly or indirectly to the top surface 25f1 of the controller 25f. In the configuration example shown in Figure 4, the heat receiving section 32a is connected to the top surface 25f1 via a thermal pad 42. The thermal pad 42 is a heat conductive member that increases the degree of contact between the top surface 25f1 and the heat receiving surface 32a1. The thermal pad 42 is, for example, a cushioning material with high thermal conductivity and low rebound properties, such as a silicone elastomer. A thermal conductive grease or the like can also be interposed between the top surface 25f1 and the heat receiving surface 32a1, either in place of or together with the thermal pad 42.

[0046] Reference numeral 44, shown by a dashed line in Figure 4, represents a sheet material covering the heat receiving surface 32a1. The sheet material 44 can be made of, for example, a synthetic film mainly composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The sheet material 44 is attached to the heat receiving surface 32a1 with double-sided adhesive tape or the like. The sheet material 44 is an insulating sheet that prevents the protruding portion 32 from short-circuiting with the mounted components on the substrate 25. The sheet material 44 may have cutouts in the portion that connects to the thermal pad 42.

[0047] The fixing portion 32b is the part that fixes the tip of the protruding portion 32 to the substrate 25. The fixing portion 32b can be made up of a plate piece with the tip of the protruding portion 32 protruding in a substantially semicircular shape. The fixing portion 32b is fastened to the substrate 25 using a screw 46. A hole 32b1 is formed through the fixing portion 32b through which the screw 46 passes. The screw 46 is passed through, for example, the hole 32b1 and a hole 25g formed through the substrate 25, and is tightened to a boss 47. The boss 47 is a cylindrical member that rises from the inner surface of the cover plate 20A and has a screw hole in the center. As a result, the screw 46 fastens the fixing portion 32b and the substrate 25 together with the cover material 20, and rattling of the protruding portion 32 can be suppressed. The screw 46 may also be fastened to, for example, a stud component mounted on the second surface 25B of the substrate 25. For example, the fixing portion 32b may be omitted if the rigidity of the protrusion 32 is high or if the protrusion length of the protrusion 32 is short. Reference numeral 48 in Figure 4 indicates a resin washer for capturing the screw 46 with the fixing portion 32b.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, there is a step between the heat receiving section 32a and the second surface 25B equal to the thickness of the controller 25f and the thermal pad 42. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a bent tip section 32d between the fixed section 32b and the heat receiving section 32a to absorb this step. The bent tip section 32d is a crank section in the Z direction provided on the base end side of the fixed section 32b. This allows the bent tip section 32d to position the Z-direction height of the fixed section 32b lower than that of the heat receiving section 32a.

[0049] The bent portion 32c is a crank portion in the Z direction provided between the base end portion 32e of the protruding portion 32 and the heat receiving portion 32a. As shown in Figure 4, there is a step (height difference) H in the Z direction between the surface 34c of the fan housing 34 where the base end portion 32e is located and the top surface 25f1 of the controller 25f. This is because the thickness of the fan housing 34 in the Z direction is considerably greater than the thickness of the substrate 25 and the controller 25f. The bent portion 32c is positioned so that the heat receiving portion 32a is lower Z1 side than the base end portion 32e, and can absorb the step H. For example, if there is no step H or if it is very small, the bent portion 32c may be omitted.

[0050] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fan housing 34 has at least one of the multiple screws 38 connecting the housing members 36 and 37 located at the base end 32e of the protruding portion 32. Hereinafter, the screw 38 located at the base end 32e may be referred to as "screw 38A". Screw 38A fastens the housing members 36 and 37 through a hole 32e1 formed through the base end 32e.

[0051] In other words, the protrusion 32 receives an upward (Z2 direction) reaction force from the controller 25f and the thermal pad 42. This reaction force tends to be larger, especially when the protrusion 32 has a bent shape 32c. As a result, the housing member 36 on which the protrusion 32 is formed may lift up from the housing member 37 at the base end 32e and its surrounding area, potentially creating a gap between the housing members 36 and 37. The screw 38A is intended to prevent the occurrence of this gap and to further enhance the stability of the protrusion 32.

[0052] As described above, the electronic device 10 of this embodiment comprises a circuit board 25 on which a controller 25f is mounted as a heat-generating element, and a fan 30A having a fan housing 34 that houses an impeller 35. The fan housing 34 has a housing member 36 made of a heat-conducting material. The housing member 36 has a protrusion 32 that projects outward from the fan housing 34 and is thermally connected to the controller 25f.

[0053] Thus, the housing member 36 and the protrusion 32 are made of a heat-conducting material. Therefore, the fan housing 34 can absorb heat from heat-generating elements around it through the protrusion 32. The heat absorbed by the protrusion 32 is diffused by the housing member 36 and dissipated by the airflow generated by the rotation of the impeller 35. Consequently, the electronic device 10 can actively cool heat-generating elements, such as the controller 25f, which are outside the cooling range of the cooling module 24, by utilizing the fan housing 34, thereby improving cooling performance.

[0054] In particular, the controller 25f is a control IC for the external connection terminals 25d and 25e, which are located on the outer wall of the enclosure 12. Therefore, as described above, the controller 25f is limited in the wiring distance to the external connection terminals 25d and 25e. For this reason, the controller 25f must be placed at a distance from the CPU 25a and other components located near the center of the enclosure 12, and must be placed outside the cooling range of the cooling module 24. The protrusion 32 is particularly suitable for cooling heat-generating components such as the controller 25f in such a configuration. Of course, the protrusion 32 may also be used to cool heat-generating components that are within the cooling range of the cooling module 24.

[0055] As shown in Figure 2, the housing member 36 may have a heat sink 50 that is thermally connected to the heat pipe 27 and the heat sink 28. For example, a pair of heat sinks 50 are provided on the left and right edges of the housing member 36 on the Y2 side. The heat sinks 50 are fixed to the surface of the heat pipe 27, for example, by soldering. The heat sinks 50 may also be fixed to the heat sink 28. In this way, the housing member 36 can dissipate the heat from the controller 25f received by the protrusion 32, in conjunction with the rotation of the impeller 35, and also dissipate heat to the heat sink 28.

[0056] Here, we will explain the experimental results measuring the cooling performance improvement effect of the protrusion 32. In the experiment, the temperature of each part of the housing 12 was measured and compared in an electronic device 10 having the protrusion 32 (Example) and an electronic device without the protrusion 32 (Comparative Example). In the experiment, a heater was used instead of the controller 25f, assuming the heat generation amount of the controller 25f, and the heat generation amount was set to 3.85W. As a result of the experiment, the heater surface temperature was 67.7°C in the Example and 15.7°C in the Comparative Example. The surface temperature of the cover material 20 directly above the heater was 42.7°C in the Example and 44.0°C in the Comparative Example. The surface temperature of the cover material 21 directly below the heater was 45.0°C in the Example and 45.3°C in the Comparative Example. From the above, the cooling performance improvement effect of the protrusion 32 was confirmed in the experiment.

[0057] The circuit board 25 has other heat-generating elements (CPU 25a and GPU 25b) mounted in a different location from the controller 25f, which is the heat-generating element to be cooled by the protrusion 32. The fans 30 may be provided in pairs so as to straddle the CPU 25a, etc., between them. Each fan 30 may have an air outlet 30b on the side 34b of the fan housing 34 facing each other. The housing 12 may have an exhaust port (vent 20b) provided at a position between the fans 30, 30, with reference to the X direction, which is the direction in which the pair of fans 30, 30 are aligned. In this case, the protrusion 32 may be provided on at least one of the pair of fans 30, 30, and may be configured to protrude from a side 34d different from the side 34b of the fan housing 34. In this case, even heat-generating elements (controller 25f) that are outside the range of the airflow path from the fan outlet 30b to the vent 20b can be efficiently cooled using the protrusion 32.

[0058] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 10 Electronic equipment 11 Lid 12 cabinets 24 Cooling Modules 25 circuit boards 25a CPU 25b GPU 25d, 25e External connection terminals 25f controller 30A, 30B Fan 32 Protrusion 32a Heat receiving part 32b Fixed part 32c Bent shape part 32e proximal end 34-fan enclosure 36,37 Housing components

Claims

1. It is an electronic device, The casing and A circuit board with a heating element mounted and housed within the aforementioned enclosure, The fan comprises an impeller and a fan housing that houses the impeller, and the fan housed within the housing, Equipped with, The fan housing has a housing member made of a heat conductive material, The housing member is a plate-shaped member that forms one surface in the thickness direction of the fan housing, and at least a part of it constitutes the upper surface of the fan housing that covers the impeller. The housing member has a projection that extends outward toward the upper surface, The aforementioned protrusion is thermally connected to the heating element by contacting it on at least one of its surfaces. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, The aforementioned fan enclosure is A second housing member that forms the other surface in the thickness direction, Multiple screws connecting the housing member and the second housing member, It has, At least one of the aforementioned multiple screws is located at the base end of the protrusion. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, A step in the thickness direction is provided between the upper surface of the fan housing and the heating element. The protruding portion has a bent shape that can absorb the step difference. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

4. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The tip of the protruding portion is provided with a fixing portion that is fixed to the substrate. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

5. An electronic device, The casing and A circuit board with a heating element mounted and housed within the aforementioned enclosure, The fan comprises an impeller and a fan housing that houses the impeller, and the fan housed within the housing, Equipped with, The fan housing has a housing member made of a heat conductive material, The housing member has a protruding portion that extends outward toward the outside of the fan housing and is thermally connected to the heating element. The aforementioned substrate has a second heating element mounted in a position different from the aforementioned heating element. The fans are provided in pairs so as to straddle the second heat-generating element between them, and each fan has an air outlet on one side of the fan housing facing each other. The housing has an exhaust port located between the pair of fans, with reference to the direction in which the pair of fans are arranged. The aforementioned protrusion is provided on at least one of the pair of fans and protrudes from a side of the fan housing that is different from the aforementioned side. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 5, Furthermore, it is equipped with an external connection terminal located on the outer wall of the housing, The heating element includes an IC for controlling the external connection terminal. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

7. A fan for mounting on an electronic device containing a heat-generating element, impeller and, A fan housing containing the impeller, Equipped with, The fan housing has a housing member made of a heat conductive material, The housing member is a plate-shaped member that forms one surface in the thickness direction of the fan housing, and at least a part of it constitutes the upper surface of the fan housing that covers the impeller. The housing member has a projection that extends outward toward the upper surface, The aforementioned protrusion is thermally connected to the heating element by contacting it on at least one of its surfaces. A fan characterized by these features.

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