Cooling devices for electronic equipment
The cooling device maintains airflow discharge and stability by using two air blowers and partition walls to guide air to the heat sink, addressing the issue of miniaturized fans reducing cooling performance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOSHIBA TEC KK
- Filing Date
- 2022-12-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-08
AI Technical Summary
Miniaturization of cooling fans in electronic devices leads to a decrease in cooling air discharge, compromising the cooling performance of heat sinks.
A cooling device comprising a heat sink, two air blowers, and a housing with specific wall and separation walls that guide air flow symmetrically and independently to the heat sink, maintaining airflow stability and discharge volume.
The solution allows for miniaturization of cooling fans without reducing the discharge amount of cooling air, improving airflow stability and uniform cooling performance across the heat sink fins.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cooling device for an electronic device.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, electronic devices such as PCs (Personal Computers) include components that become hot, such as CPUs (Central Processing Units). Generally, a heat sink is attached to such components for heat dissipation. Then, heat dissipation is performed by the air sucked in by a fan installed on the upstream side flowing through the heat sink and being exhausted to the downstream side of the heat sink. (For example, Patent Document 1)
[0003] Recently, there has been a great demand for miniaturization of electronic devices, and miniaturization of cooling fans that blow air to heat sinks has been required. However, when the cooling fan is miniaturized, the discharge amount of the cooling air decreases, resulting in a decrease in the cooling performance of the heat sink, which is not preferable.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cooling device for an electronic device capable of achieving miniaturization of a cooling fan without reducing the discharge amount of cooling air.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] The cooling device for electronic equipment according to this embodiment comprises a heat sink, a first air blower, a second air blower, and a housing. The heat sink dissipates heat generated by the electronic equipment by passing air introduced from the outside between a plurality of fins. The first air blower has a first discharge surface that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink. The second air blower has the same size as the first air blower and has a second discharge surface that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink. The housing is equipped with the first air blower and the second air blower, covers the heat sink, and has an exhaust port that discharges the air that has passed between the fins to the outside. The sum of the diameters of the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface is greater than the width of the heat sink, and the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane parallel to the fins, passing through the center of the heat sink in the width direction, with an angle of 90 degrees or more between them on the upstream side of the fins. Furthermore, the housing comprises a first wall portion forming part of the housing, a second wall portion formed inside the housing, a first separation wall, and a second separation wall. The first wall portion is installed between the outer edge of the first air blower and the outer edge of the heat sink in the width direction, and between the outer edge of the second air blower and the outer edge of the heat sink in the width direction, guiding the air discharged from the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface to the heat sink. The second wall portion is installed between the inner edges of the first air blower and the second air blower and the central position in the width direction of the heat sink, guiding the air discharged from the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface to the heat sink without mixing. The first separation wall passes between the first discharge surfaces and between the first wall portion and the second wall portion on the side of the first air blower to the fins of the heat sink. The central position of the first discharge surface and the intermediate position between the fins reached by the outer edge of the first wall on the side of the first air blower of the heat sink and the second wall are connected. The second separation wall passes between the second discharge surfaces and between the first and second walls on the side of the second air blower, and reaches the fins of the heat sink. The central position of the second discharge surface and the intermediate position between the outer edge of the first wall on the side of the second air blower of the heat sink and the position of the fins reached by the second wall are connected. . [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a fan duct in an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a housing that forms a fan duct. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic structure of an electronic device to which a fan duct is attached. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a ventilation hole provided in an electronic device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front view showing an example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a side view showing an example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a plan view showing a second example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a plan view showing a third example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a plan view showing a fourth example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a plan view showing an example of a modified fan duct of the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a plan view showing a second example of a modified fan duct of the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0007] An embodiment in which the cooling device of this disclosure is applied to a fan duct 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0008] (Outline structure of the fan duct) The schematic structure of a fan duct 1, an example of a cooling device according to this disclosure, will be explained using Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a fan duct of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a housing forming the fan duct. For the sake of explanation, a three-dimensional coordinate system XYZ is set in Figure 1. In the three-dimensional coordinate system XYZ, the width direction (left-right direction) of the fan duct 1 is the X-axis direction, the depth direction (front-back direction) is the Y-axis direction, and the height direction (up-down direction) is the Z-axis direction.
[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the fan duct 1 has a roughly box-shaped housing 9 and is a cover member that covers the heat sink 2 and the intake fans 3 and 4 that blow air onto the heat sink 2. The fan duct 1 is a component that combines the functions of both an intake duct and an exhaust duct, passing the air drawn in by the intake fans 3 and 4 from the intake port 11 through the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 installed inside the ventilation pipe (duct) and discharging it from the exhaust port 12.
[0010] Intake fans 3 and 4 draw in air from outside the fan duct 1, introduce the drawn-in air into the fan duct 1, and blow it in the negative direction of the Y-axis. Intake fan 3 is an example of the first blowing section in this disclosure. Intake fan 4 is an example of the second blowing section in this disclosure. Intake ports 11 are provided on the fan duct 1 at a position upstream of the blowing direction of intake fan 3 and intake fan 4, and exhaust ports 12 are provided at a position downstream.
[0011] The intake fan 3 has a first discharge surface that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink 2. The intake fan 4 also has a second discharge surface that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink 2.
[0012] The suction fan 3 and the suction fan 4 are of the same size and are symmetrically arranged with respect to a plane parallel to the fins 22 (a plane parallel to the YZ plane) with a clamping angle of 90 degrees or more, passing through the central position in the width direction of the heat sink 2 along the X axis. Details will be described later (see FIGS. 5 and 6).
[0013] The heat sink 2 is attached to a heat-generating electronic component, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The heat generated by the CPU is conducted through the heat sink 2. Then, the heat transmitted through the heat sink 2 is dissipated to the surrounding air. Thereby, malfunction due to overheating of the CPU is prevented.
[0014] The heat sink 2 is composed of a pedestal portion 21 and a plurality of fins 22. The fins 22 are erected on the pedestal portion 21. The plurality of fins 22 are adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval. The pedestal portion 21 contacts the CPU, and the heat of the CPU is conducted. The fins 22 dissipate the heat conducted from the pedestal portion 21 into the air.
[0015] The heat sink 2 is fixed by a winding spring 44 and a screw 45 on frames 41 and 42 that form layers at a predetermined interval. The motherboard 101 (see FIG. 3) is sandwiched between the frame 41 and the frame 42.
[0016] The suction fan 3 and the suction fan 4 blow air by continuously sending air in one direction by blades rotated by, for example, an electric motor. In the present embodiment, they are arranged in the order of the intake port 11, the suction fan 3 or the suction fan 4, the heat sink 2, and the exhaust port 12 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the blowing direction of the suction fan 3 and the suction fan 4.
[0017] In order to fully exhibit the effects of the above-described fan duct 1, it is desirable that there are no components (obstacles) that obstruct the exhaust on the leeward side of the exhaust port 12. However, depending on the size of the electronic device 100 (see FIG. 3) provided with the fan duct 1 and the arrangement of the built-in components, etc., an obstacle may be arranged on the downstream side of the exhaust port 12.
[0018] In order to discharge air while avoiding obstacles on the leeward side, the fan duct 1 includes a branch wall 13 shown in FIG. 1. The branch wall 13 branches the air flow passing between the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 into two directions. The branch wall 13 will be described in detail later (see FIG. 7).
[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 9 forming the fan duct 1 has a shape in which the side where the suction fans 3 and 4 are attached and the side of the exhaust port 12 are open.
[0020] A top plate 10 is installed at the upper part of the housing 9 in the Z-axis direction, and a bottom plate 14 is installed at the lower part in the Z-axis direction. Also, side walls 18 are installed at both ends in the X-axis direction at the position where the housing 9 covers the heat sink 2. Further, a side wall 7 is installed between the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 14 between the opening on the upstream side (positive Y-axis side) where the suction fan 3 is installed and the heat sink 2. Also, a side wall 8 is installed between the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 14 between the opening on the upstream side (positive Y-axis side) where the suction fan 4 is installed and the heat sink 2. Thereby, the air discharged from the suction fan 3 reaches the heat sink 2 without leaking from the fan duct 1. Also, the air discharged from the suction fan 4 reaches the heat sink 2 without leaking from the fan duct 1. The side wall 7 and the side wall 8 are an example of the first wall portion in the present disclosure.
[0021] A branch wall 13 is formed on the downstream side (negative Y-axis side) of the housing 9. The branch wall 13 includes an upper wall portion 131 and a lower wall portion 132. A part of the air passing between the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 flows along the upper wall portion 131 and is discharged from the upper exhaust port 121. Then, the remaining air passing between the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 flows along the lower wall portion 132 and is discharged from the lower exhaust port 122.
[0022] On the upstream side (positive Y-axis side) of the housing 9, a partition wall 15, a separation wall 31, and a separation wall 32 are formed along the Z-axis.
[0023] The partition wall 15 is installed between the intake fan 3 and the intake fan 4 and the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction (X-axis direction), and guides the air discharged by the intake fan 3 and the intake fan 4 to the heat sink 2 without mixing. Note that the partition wall 15 is an example of the second wall portion in this disclosure. The partition wall 15 will be described in more detail later (see Figure 5).
[0024] The separation wall 31 is a wall that passes between the intake fans 3 and between the side wall 7 and the partition wall 15, and reaches the fins 22 of the heat sink 2. Note that the separation wall 31 is an example of the first separation wall in this disclosure. The separation wall 31 will be described in more detail later (see Figure 5).
[0025] The separation wall 32 is a wall that passes between the intake fans 4 and between the side wall 8 and the partition wall 15, and reaches the fins 22 of the heat sink 2. Note that the separation wall 32 is an example of a second separation wall in this disclosure. The separation wall 32 will be described in more detail later (see Figure 5).
[0026] (Outline structure of electronic devices) Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the electronic equipment to which a fan duct is attached. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic structure of electronic equipment to which a fan duct is attached. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a ventilation hole provided in electronic equipment.
[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the electronic device 100 includes a motherboard 101, CPU 102, memory 103, SSD (Solid State Drive) 104, riser card 105, and I / O board 106 inside the enclosure 110.
[0028] The motherboard 101 is an example of a circuit board on which an electronic component (CPU 102 in this embodiment) that dissipates heat by the heatsink 2 is mounted. The memory 103 and SSD 104 also generate heat as they operate. This heat is also dissipated by the airflow within the enclosure 110 created by the airflow from the intake fans 3 and 4.
[0029] The I / O board 106 is connected to the motherboard 101 via a slot on the riser card 105. Because the I / O board 106 is connected to the slot on the riser card 105, it is positioned parallel to the motherboard 101, which makes it possible to reduce the height dimension of the chassis 110.
[0030] However, with the arrangement described above, if the I / O board 106 is located downstream of the exhaust port 12, the I / O board 106 becomes an obstacle that obstructs the exhaust. In this embodiment, the exhaust from the fan duct 1 is configured to avoid the I / O board 106.
[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the fan duct 1 is housed inside the housing 110 of the electronic device 100. The housing 110 is provided with ventilation holes 161, 162, and 163 for taking in air introduced into the fan duct 1, and ventilation holes 164, 165, and 167 for exhausting the air that has passed through the fan duct 1.
[0032] Ventilation holes 161, 162, and 163 are provided in the front cover 111, which forms the front of the housing 110. Ventilation hole 164 is provided in the rear cover 112, which forms the back of the housing 110. Ventilation holes 165 and 167 are provided in the I / O panel 113, which forms part of the back of the housing 110. The I / O panel 113 is equipped with connection terminals for various peripheral devices to the electronic device 100.
[0033] In the electronic device 100 of this embodiment, the I / O board 106 is positioned behind the CPU 102. Therefore, the exhaust port 12 of the fan duct 1 is separated into an upper exhaust port 121 that opens upward and a lower exhaust port 122 that opens downward so that the exhaust avoids the I / O board 106 (see Figures 1 and 2). Specifically, the exhaust port 12 is separated into the upper exhaust port 121 and the lower exhaust port 122 by the branching wall 13 shown in Figures 1 and 2.
[0034] (Intake fan arrangement structure) Figures 5 to 7 illustrate the arrangement of intake fans 3 and 4 in the fan duct 1. Figure 5 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of intake fans in the fan duct. Figure 6 is a front view showing an example of the arrangement of intake fans in the fan duct. Figure 7 is a side view showing an example of the arrangement of intake fans in the fan duct.
[0035] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the intake fan 3 has multiple blades that rotate around a rotation axis 5. The intake fan 3 draws in air from the intake port 11 and discharges it from a first discharge surface 24. The first discharge surface 24 is a circular area with a diameter D. Similarly, the intake fan 4 has multiple blades that rotate around a rotation axis 6. The intake fan 4 draws in air from the intake port 11 and discharges it from a second discharge surface 25. The second discharge surface 25 is a circular area with a diameter D.
[0036] Intake fans 3 and 4 are the same size. The size of intake fans 3 and 4 is set such that the sum of the diameters D of the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25, 2D, is greater than the width W of the heatsink 2.
[0037] Furthermore, the first discharge surface 24 from which the intake fan 3 discharges air and the second discharge surface 25 from which the intake fan 4 discharges air are arranged symmetrically with respect to a surface 30 that passes through the center of the heatsink 2 in the width direction and is parallel to the fins 22, on the upstream side of the heatsink 2.
[0038] More specifically, in Figure 5, the angle θ of the first discharge surface 24 relative to surface 30 and the angle θ of the second discharge surface 25 relative to surface 30 are set to be equal, and the angle (2θ) between the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 is set to be 90° or more. That is, the angle θ is set to be 45° or more.
[0039] Furthermore, the housing containing the intake fan 3 and the housing containing the intake fan 4 are in contact at the position of surface 30. Therefore, the housing containing the intake fan 3, the housing containing the intake fan 4, the side walls 7 and 8, the top plate 10 (see Figure 2), and the bottom plate 14 (see Figure 2) form a closed space, so that the intake fans 3 and 4 do not leak to the outside of the housing 9 before reaching the heat sink 2.
[0040] Furthermore, the fan duct 1 includes a partition wall 15 between the inner edges of the intake fan 3 (first air blowing section) and the intake fan 4 (second air blowing section) and the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, which guides the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 to the heat sink 2 without mixing. The partition wall 15 is formed, for example, by raising ribs from the top plate 10 (see Figure 2) in the negative Z-axis direction. Alternatively, the partition wall 15 may be formed, for example, by raising ribs from the bottom plate 14 (see Figure 2) in the positive Z-axis direction. The partition wall 15 may also be formed as a columnar portion that is cut away from the top plate 10 or the bottom plate 14.
[0041] In this way, by installing the partition wall 15, the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and the air discharged from the second discharge surface 25 do not come into contact with each other and therefore do not affect one another. As a result, the air drawn in by the intake fan 3 and the air drawn in by the intake fan 4 are reliably guided in a direction along the fins 22 of the heatsink 2.
[0042] Furthermore, a separation wall 31 (first separation wall) is installed inside the housing 9, passing through a position between the first discharge surfaces 24 and a position between the side wall 7 on the side of the intake fan 3 (first air blower) and the partition wall 15, and reaching the fins 22 of the heat sink 2. The separation wall 31 is formed to be thinner than the partition wall 15. The separation wall 31 is formed in the same way as the partition wall 15, for example, by raising ribs from the top plate 10 (see Figure 2) in the negative Z-axis direction. Alternatively, the separation wall 31 may be formed, for example, by raising ribs from the bottom plate 14 (see Figure 2) in the positive Z-axis direction.
[0043] The formation of the separation wall 31 creates two independent flow paths 33 and 34 between the first discharge surface 24 and the heat sink 2. Flow path 33 is a space partitioned vertically (Z-axis direction) by the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 14, and horizontally (X-axis direction) by the separation wall 31 and the side wall 7. Flow path 34 is a space partitioned vertically (Z-axis direction) by the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 14, and horizontally (X-axis direction) by the partition wall 15 and the separation wall 31.
[0044] Furthermore, a separation wall 32 (second separation wall) is installed inside the housing 9, passing through a position between the second discharge surfaces 25 and a position between the side wall 8 on the side of the intake fan 4 (second air blower) and the partition wall 15, and reaching the fins 22 of the heat sink 2. The separation wall 32 is formed to be thinner than the partition wall 15.
[0045] The formation of the separation wall 32 creates two independent flow paths 35 and 36 between the second discharge surface 25 and the heat sink 2. Flow path 35 is a space partitioned vertically (Z-axis direction) by the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 14, and horizontally (X-axis direction) by the separation wall 32 and the side wall 8. Flow path 36 is a space partitioned vertically (Z-axis direction) by the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 14, and horizontally (X-axis direction) by the partition wall 15 and the separation wall 32.
[0046] The air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 are guided to the heat sink 2 by forming vortices as the intake fans 3 and 4 rotate. As a result, turbulence may occur in the airflow before reaching the heat sink 2, potentially weakening the flow velocity. Therefore, by forming a separation wall 31 and creating flow paths 33 and 34 leading to the heat sink 2, the stability of the airflow can be improved. Similarly, by forming a separation wall 32 and creating flow paths 35 and 36 leading to the heat sink 2, the stability of the airflow can be improved.
[0047] Furthermore, since the separation wall 31 is formed between the center of the first discharge surface 24 and the center of the side wall 7 of the heat sink 2 and the partition wall 15, approximately the same amount of air flows through the flow path 33 and the flow path 34. Also, since the separation wall 32 is formed between the center of the second discharge surface 25 and the center of the side wall 8 of the heat sink 2 and the partition wall 15, approximately the same amount of air flows through the flow path 35 and the flow path 36. Therefore, a uniform amount of air is delivered to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 regardless of their location, resulting in uniform cooling performance regardless of the location of the fins 22.
[0048] As shown in Figure 7, the air that passes between the fins 22 of the heatsink 2 reaches the branching wall 13. The branching wall 13 has an upper wall portion 131 and a lower wall portion 132. The upper wall portion 131 and the lower wall portion 132 are connected by an edge along the X-axis on the upstream side in the airflow direction. The upper wall portion 131 and the lower wall portion 132 are also inclined with respect to the airflow direction such that the distance between them increases as you move downstream in the airflow direction. The upper wall portion 131 guides the air that has passed between the fins 22 of the heatsink 2 diagonally upward and discharges it from the upper exhaust port 121. The lower wall portion 132 guides the air that has passed between the fins 22 of the heatsink 2 diagonally downward and discharges it from the lower exhaust port 122. In this way, the branching wall 13 guides the exhaust to avoid a certain area downstream of itself and branches the exhaust. Therefore, even if peripheral devices such as the I / O board 106 (see Figure 3) are located downstream of the branch wall 13, the cooling performance of the heatsink 2 will not be hindered.
[0049] (Another form of intake fan arrangement structure) Figures 8, 9, and 10 illustrate another configuration of the arrangement of intake fans 3 and 4. Figure 8 is a plan view showing a second example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. Figure 9 is a plan view showing a third example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct. Figure 10 is a plan view showing a fourth example of the arrangement of intake fans in a fan duct.
[0050] Figure 8 shows an example where intake fan 3 and intake fan 4 are both installed with an angle of deflection θ = 90°. That is, the angle between intake fan 3 and intake fan 4 (2θ) is set to 180°.
[0051] According to the arrangement shown in Figure 8, the air discharged by intake fans 3 and 4 is guided to the fins 22 of the heatsink 2 through a flow path partitioned by side wall 7, side wall 8, partition wall 15, separation wall 31, and separation wall 32. Therefore, the stability of the airflow is maintained, and high cooling performance can be maintained.
[0052] Figure 9 shows an example where intake fan 3 and intake fan 4 are both installed with an angle of deflection θ = 45°. That is, the angle between intake fan 3 and intake fan 4 (2θ) is 90°.
[0053] According to the arrangement shown in Figure 9, the air discharged by intake fans 3 and 4 is guided to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 through a flow path partitioned by side wall 7, side wall 8, partition wall 15, separation wall 31, and separation wall 32. Therefore, the stability of the airflow is maintained, and high cooling performance can be maintained. If the angle θ is made even smaller, that is, if the angle between intake fans 3 and 4 (2θ) is made smaller than 90°, the amount of air discharged from intake fan 3 that directly hits partition wall 15 and separation wall 31 increases, and the stability of the airflow in the partitioned flow path decreases. Therefore, it is desirable to set the angle between intake fans 3 and 4 (2θ) to 90° or more.
[0054] Figure 10 shows an example where intake fans 3 and 4 are installed with an angle θ exceeding 90°. That is, the angle between intake fans 3 and 4 (2θ) is set to be greater than 180°. Partition walls 16 and 17 are installed between the inner edges of intake fans 3 and 4 and the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, to guide the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 to the heat sink 2 without mixing them. Partition wall 16 is installed between the inner edge of intake fan 3 and the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, and guides the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 without mixing it with the air discharged from the second discharge surface 25. The partition wall 17 is installed between the inner edge of the intake fan 4 and the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, and guides the air discharged from the second discharge surface 25 to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 without mixing it with the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24.
[0055] Furthermore, a separation wall 31 is installed downstream of the first discharge surface 24, passing through the central position of the first discharge surface 24 and the position between the side wall 7 and the partition wall 16, and leading to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2. Also, a separation wall 32 is installed downstream of the second discharge surface 25, passing through the central position of the second discharge surface 25 and the position between the side wall 8 and the partition wall 17, and leading to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2.
[0056] Furthermore, the side wall 7, partition wall 16, and separation wall 31 are formed in a curved shape so as not to disturb the airflow discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and guide it to the heat sink 2. Also, the side wall 8, partition wall 17, and separation wall 32 are formed in a curved shape so as not to disturb the airflow discharged from the second discharge surface 25 and guide it to the heat sink 2.
[0057] According to the arrangement shown in Figure 10, the air discharged by intake fans 3 and 4 is guided to the fins 22 of the heatsink 2 through a flow path partitioned by side wall 7, side wall 8, partition wall 15, separation wall 31, and separation wall 32. Therefore, the stability of the airflow is maintained, and high cooling performance can be maintained.
[0058] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the fan duct 1 (cooling device) of this embodiment includes a heat sink 2 that dissipates heat generated from the electronic equipment 100 by passing air introduced from the outside between a plurality of fins 22, an intake fan 3 (first air blower) having a first discharge surface 24 that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink 2, and an intake fan having the same size as the intake fan 3 and a second discharge surface 25 that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink 2. The heat sink 2 is covered by an intake fan 4 (second blower), and the intake fan 3 and intake fan 4 are installed in a housing 9 which has an exhaust port 12 that discharges air that has passed between the fins 22 to the outside. The sum of the diameters D of the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 is greater than the width W of the heat sink 2, and the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 are separated by an angle of 90 degrees or more on the upstream side of the fins 22, passing through the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction. Arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane parallel to the fins 22, forming part of the housing 9, and installed between the outer edge of the intake fan 3 and the outer edge of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, and between the outer edge of the intake fan 4 and the outer edge of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, side walls 7, 8 (first wall portion) that guide the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 to the heat sink 2, and both formed inside the housing 9, the inner edges of the intake fan 3 and the intake fan 4, and the width direction of the heat sink 2 The cooling fan is provided with a partition wall 15 (second wall portion) installed between the central position and the heat sink 2, which guides the air discharged from the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 to the heat sink 2 without mixing; a separation wall 31 (first separation wall) that passes through the position between the first discharge surface 24 and the position between the side wall 7 and the partition wall 15 to reach the fins 22 of the heat sink 2; and a separation wall 32 (second separation wall) that passes through the position between the second discharge surface 25 and the position between the side wall 8 and the partition wall 15 to reach the fins 22 of the heat sink 2. Therefore, the cooling fan can be miniaturized without reducing the amount of cooling air discharged. In particular, by providing the separation walls 31 and 32, the stability of the airflow between the intake fans 3 and 4 and the heat sink 2 can be improved, thereby improving the cooling performance of the heat sink 2.
[0059] Furthermore, in the fan duct 1 (cooling device) of this embodiment, the separation wall 31 (first separation wall) connects the central position of the first discharge surface 24 to an intermediate position between the outer edge of the side wall 7 (first wall portion) of the heat sink 2 and the position of the fin 22 reached by the partition wall 15 (second wall portion), and the separation wall 32 (second separation wall) connects the central position of the second discharge surface 25 to an intermediate position between the outer edge of the side wall 8 (first wall portion) of the heat sink 2 and the position of the fin 22 reached by the partition wall 15 (second wall portion). Therefore, a uniform amount of air is delivered to the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 regardless of their location, and uniform cooling performance can be obtained regardless of the location of the fins 22.
[0060] Furthermore, in the fan duct 1 (cooling device) of this embodiment, the separation wall 31 (first separation wall) and the separation wall 32 (second separation wall) are thinner than the partition wall 15 (second wall portion). Therefore, the separation wall 31 does not disturb the airflow discharged from the first discharge surface 24. Similarly, the separation wall 32 does not disturb the airflow discharged from the second discharge surface 25. As a result, the cooling airflow can be divided into multiple flow paths while maintaining stability.
[0061] (Modified form of the embodiment) Using Figures 11 and 12, we will now describe a modified example of the fan duct 1 described above. Figure 11 is a plan view showing an example of a modified fan duct of the embodiment. Figure 12 is a plan view showing a second example of a modified fan duct of the embodiment.
[0062] The fan duct 1 shown in Figure 11 is an example in which the orientation of the separation walls 31 and 32 described in Figure 5 has been changed. Specifically, by changing the orientation of the separation walls 31 and 32, the cross-sectional area of the flow path downstream of the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25 is not evenly divided by the separation walls 31 and 32. In this way, by narrowing the cross-sectional area of the flow path from the upstream side to the downstream side, the airflow velocity can be increased. Therefore, if the temperature of the multiple fins 22 of the heat sink 2 is not uniform, the cooling performance can be partially improved by directing air with a higher flow velocity to the fins 22 that are hotter.
[0063] For example, in Figure 11, the cross-sectional area of the flow paths 33 and 35 decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side, so the airflow velocity increases compared to flow paths 34 and 36. Therefore, the cooling performance of the fins 22 of the heat sink 2 that face the flow paths 33 and 35 is improved compared to the other parts.
[0064] In Figure 11, the separation wall 31 and the separation wall 32 are installed symmetrically with respect to the center of the heat sink 2 in the width direction, but they do not necessarily need to be installed symmetrically.
[0065] The fan duct 1 shown in Figure 12 is an example in which the number of separation walls 31 and 32 described in Figure 5 has been increased. Specifically, separation walls 31a and 31b are installed downstream of the first discharge surface 24. Separation walls 32a and 32b are installed downstream of the second discharge surface 25. In this way, three or more flow paths may be formed downstream of both the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25.
[0066] The amount of air flowing through each channel can be adjusted by changing the installation positions of the separation walls 31a and 31b, and the installation positions of the separation walls 32a and 32b. Specifically, when viewing each formed channel from the downstream side (negative Y-axis side), the longer the trajectory traced by the tip of the blade of the intake fan 3 or intake fan 4, the greater the amount of air blown through the channel.
[0067] Furthermore, as explained in Figure 11, the flow velocity of the air flowing through each channel may be changed by appropriately changing the directions of the separation walls 31a and 31b, and the directions of the separation walls 32a and 32b. This allows high-velocity air to be directed to specific fin 22 regions of the heat sink 2, thereby improving the cooling performance of those specific fin 22 regions.
[0068] (Effects of modified embodiments of the embodiment) As described above, in the modified fan duct 1 (cooling device) of this embodiment, the separation wall 31 (first separation wall) and the separation wall 32 (second separation wall) are installed so as not to evenly divide the cross-sectional area of the flow path downstream of the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25. Therefore, specific fins 22 of the heat sink 2 can be cooled more strongly.
[0069] Furthermore, in a modified fan duct 1 (cooling device) of this embodiment, multiple separation walls 31a, 31b (first separation walls) are installed downstream of the first discharge surface 24, and multiple separation walls 32a, 32b (second separation walls) are installed downstream of the second discharge surface 25. Therefore, multiple flow paths are formed downstream of the first discharge surface 24 and the second discharge surface 25, and the flow velocity of the cooling air can be set for each flow path.
[0070] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]
[0071] 1. Fan duct (cooling device) 2 Heatsinks 3. Intake fan (first air blower) 4. Intake fan (second air blower) 5,6 Rotation axis 7,8 Side walls (first wall section) 9 cabinets 10 Top plate 11 Air intake 12 Exhaust vents 13 Branch Wall 14 Bottom plate 15, 16, 17 Partition wall (second wall section) 18 Side wall 22 fins 24 First discharge surface 25 Second discharge surface 30 sides 31 Separation wall (first separation wall) 32 Separation wall (second separation wall) 33, 34, 35, 36 channel 100 Electronic equipment 106 I / O board 110 cabinets 121 Upper exhaust port 122 Lower exhaust port 131 Upper wall section 132 Lower wall part D diameter W width θ declination [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0072] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-283171
Claims
1. A heat sink that dissipates heat generated by electronic devices by passing air introduced from the outside through multiple fins, A first air blower having a first discharge surface that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink, A second air blower having the same size as the first air blower and a second discharge surface that discharges air introduced from the outside toward the heat sink, The first air blower and the second air blower are installed in a housing that covers the heat sink and has an exhaust port for discharging air that has passed between the fins to the outside, The sum of the diameters of the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface is greater than the width of the heat sink, and the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane parallel to the fin, passing through the center of the heat sink in the width direction, with an angle of 90 degrees or more between them on the upstream side of the fin. A first wall portion is provided, which forms part of the housing and is installed between the outer edge of the first air blower and the outer edge of the heat sink in the width direction, and between the outer edge of the second air blower and the outer edge of the heat sink in the width direction, and which guides the air discharged from the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface to the heat sink. Both are formed inside the aforementioned housing. A second wall portion is installed between the inner edges of the first and second air blowers and the central position in the width direction of the heat sink, and guides the air discharged from the first and second discharge surfaces to the heat sink without mixing them, A first separating wall connects the central position of the first discharge surface, which passes through the position between the first discharge surface and the position between the first wall and the second wall on the side of the first air blower, to the fins of the heat sink, and an intermediate position between the outer edge of the heat sink on the side of the first wall on the side of the first air blower and the position of the fins reached by the second wall, The heat sink comprises a second separating wall connecting the central position of the second discharge surface, which passes through the position between the second discharge surface and the position between the first wall and the second wall on the side of the second air blower, to the fins of the heat sink, and an intermediate position between the outer edge of the heat sink on the side of the first wall on the side of the second air blower and the position of the fins reached by the second wall, Cooling device for electronic equipment.
2. The first separation wall and the second separation wall are installed so as not to equally divide the cross-sectional area of the flow path downstream of the first discharge surface and the second discharge surface. Cooling device for electronic equipment according to claim 1.
3. Multiple first and second separation walls are installed. Cooling device for electronic equipment according to claim 2.
4. The first separation wall and the second separation wall are thinner than the second wall portion. Cooling device for electronic equipment according to claim 1.
Citation Information
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