Cooling system

Abstract

This cooling system includes: a cooling box 10; a cooling body 50 for cooling a heat source 200; a housing part 20 composed of a housing box, a bag, or the like for housing the heat source 200 and the cooling body 50; a guide part 40 provided between the cooling box 10 and the housing part 20 for guiding a fluid from the inside of the housing part 20 to the inside of the cooling box 10; and a drive part for creating a flow of the fluid from the housing part 20 to the cooling box 10.

Description

Cooling System

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling system.

[0002] Conventionally, cooling devices for cooling heat sources have been proposed. For example, in JP-A-2018-148188, a cooling device composed of a heat sink and a duct is proposed. The heat sink includes a base portion and a fin portion that contact an electronic element. An opening is provided in the duct at the position of the electronic element.

[0003] On the side surface of the housing of the electronic device of JP-A-2018-148188, two suction fans are provided, and cooling air is caused to flow along the flow direction from upstream to downstream along the surface of a thin unit provided inside the frame.

[0004] In the conventional aspect as shown in JP-A-2018-148188, the cooling effect is not sufficient.

[0005] The present invention provides a cooling system that can achieve a higher cooling effect compared to the prior art.

[0006] The cooling system according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a cooling box, a cooling body for cooling a heat source, a housing portion composed of a housing box, a bag, or the like that houses the heat source and the cooling body, a guide portion provided between the cooling box and the housing portion for guiding a fluid from the inside of the housing portion to the inside of the cooling box, and a drive portion that creates a flow of the fluid from the housing portion to the cooling box. An example of the drive portion in this aspect is a suction portion. As another example, the drive portion may apply pressure from the outside (for example, by a blower or the like) to push the fluid into the housing portion.

[0007] In addition, the cooling body may create various space regions such as holes or planar cubes inside, or may be provided with a vapor chamber, a heat sink, fins, a heat pipe, or the like in the space region, and the fluid may be connected to the cooling box.

[0008] Furthermore, the cooling box fluid may be guided from both the inside of the housing (including the external surface of the cooling element, and sometimes including the heat source itself) and the inside of the cooling element.

[0009] A cooling system according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises: a housing; a cooling element for cooling a heat source within the housing; and a drive unit for injecting fluid into the housing and discharging fluid from the housing. An example of the drive unit in this aspect is a suction unit, but as another example, the drive unit may apply external pressure (for example, by a blower) to push the fluid into the housing.

[0010] According to the present invention, a cooling system that can achieve a higher cooling effect can be provided.

[0011] A side view of a cooling system according to the first aspect of the present invention. A side view showing the internal configuration of the cooling system shown in Figure 1. A perspective view showing the disassembled mounting section used in the cooling system according to the second aspect of the present invention. A perspective view of the mounting section used in the cooling system according to the second aspect of the present invention. A side view showing the internal configuration of the cooling system according to the third aspect of the present invention. A plan view showing an example of a cooling body used in the cooling system of the present invention. A side view of a cooling system in which a suction section is provided in the housing section in the present invention. A side view showing the internal configuration of the cooling system shown in Figure 7.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5 of the embodiment, the cooling system according to this embodiment includes a cooling box 10, a suction unit 30 for sucking fluid from inside the cooling box 10, a cooling body 50 for cooling a heat source 200, a housing unit 20 consisting of a housing box or bag, etc., for housing the heat source 200 and the cooling body 50, and a guide unit 40 provided between the cooling box 10 and the housing unit 20 for guiding fluid from inside the housing unit 20 to inside the cooling box 10. The heat source 200 may be an electronic component such as an LED or a semiconductor element. The cooling body 50 is, for example, a heat sink, and the heat sink may have fins. As shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 5, the cooling body 50 may include a vapor chamber 52 and a heat sink 51 provided in the vapor chamber 52. Heat pipes may also be used.

[0013] The heat source 200 may be provided on the cooling body 50 or the mounting section 60 (described later) via the substrate 210. The fluid in this embodiment is typically air, but it may be other gases or liquids such as water.

[0014] By providing a suction unit 30 that sucks the fluid inside the cooling box 10, a fluid such as air can be efficiently guided from the storage unit 20 to the cooling box 10, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the cooling body 50 on the heat source 200. The suction unit 30 may be mounted on the cooling box 10 and configured to suck the fluid inside the cooling box 10 to the outside. The suction unit 30 may be provided on the top surface (front), bottom surface (back), and side of the cooling box 10. The suction unit 30 may be a suction fan, a sirocco fan, or a turbo fan. Alternatively, it may be a suction device with a narrow tip that sucks from the outside, like a vacuum cleaner. Furthermore, outside air may be directly drawn into the storage unit 20. In addition, the cooling effect can be further improved by forcibly sending fluid into the sealed storage box from the outside through the guide unit.

[0015] In this embodiment, a suction unit 30 will be used as an example of a drive unit for explanation. However, as mentioned above, outside air may be forced into the housing unit 20 by, for example, a blower, to create a fluid flow from the housing unit 20 to the cooling box 10.

[0016] The suction unit 30, consisting of a suction fan or the like, may occupy 60% or more of the area of ​​the cooling box 10 when viewed from above. By providing such a large suction unit 30 consisting of a suction fan or the like, high suction performance can be achieved, and a higher cooling effect can be achieved. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the suction fan occupies 70% or more of the area of ​​the cooling box 10 when viewed from above, and more preferably occupies 80% or more of the area. The thicker the cooling box and the higher the degree of airtightness, the better. Similarly, it is desirable that the storage box also be airtight.

[0017] The suction section 30, consisting of a suction fan or the like, may occupy a larger area or volume than the guide section 42. For example, the area surrounding the suction section 30 and the outlet of the guide section 42 from the storage box should ideally have a spatial area of ​​1.1 times or more the surface area or volume of the guide section outlet, more preferably 2 times or more, and even more preferably 10 times or more. In addition, the higher the degree of airtightness of the guide section outlet and the surrounding area in front of the suction section, the better. In this way, a large suction section 30 consisting of a suction fan or the like can be provided, achieving high suction performance and a higher cooling effect. Furthermore, in the guide section that introduces outside air into the storage box, compared to forcibly blowing air, the air exhausted from the cooling section is not affected by the Earth's atmospheric pressure, allowing for more efficient airflow.

[0018] A suction fan may be provided on the same side as the heat source 200 placed on the cooling body 50. That is, if the heat source 200 is provided on the upper surface of the cooling body 50, a suction fan may be provided on the upper surface of the cooling box 10. Similarly, if the heat source 200 is provided on the lower surface of the cooling body 50, a suction fan may be provided on the lower surface of the cooling box 10. However, the system is not limited to these configurations, and a suction fan may be provided on the opposite side of the heat source 200 placed on the cooling body 50. That is, if the heat source 200 is provided on the upper surface of the cooling body 50, a suction fan may be provided on the lower surface of the cooling box 10. Similarly, if the heat source 200 is provided on the lower surface of the cooling body 50, a suction fan may be provided on the upper surface of the cooling box 10. In this configuration, the system can be miniaturized by integrating the cooling box and the housing 20. The suction guide of the housing 20 may be provided by an external pipe or duct, or it may be directly drawn in from the outside air. Alternatively, it may be a structure in which fluid is blown in from the outside or from an external device.

[0019] The size of the cooling box 10 may be larger than the size of the heat source 200. By increasing the size of the cooling box 10, the suction force of the suction unit 30 can be increased, and the cooling effect of the cooling body 50 on the heat source 200 can be further enhanced. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the size of the cooling box 10 is 1.5 times or more the size of the heat source 200, and more preferably 5 times or more. There is no particular upper limit to the size of the cooling box 10, but if it becomes too large, it may cause problems with the storage space, so the size of the cooling box 10 may be 50 times or less the size of the heat source 200, 30 times or less, or 10 times or less. If multiple heat sources 200 are provided in the storage unit 20, the sum of the sizes of the heat sources 200 and the size of the cooling box 10 may have the above relationship.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a mounting section 60 on which the heat source 200 is placed may be provided. The cooling body 50 may be housed within the mounting section 60. The mounting section 60 may be provided with a fluid inlet 66 and a fluid outlet 67, so that the fluid introduced into the housing section 20 enters through the fluid inlet 66 and exits through the fluid outlet 67. When the cooling body 50 is housed within the mounting section 60, the cooling body 50 is cooled by the fluid entering through the fluid inlet 66 and exiting through the fluid outlet 67, and as a result, the heat source 200 placed on the mounting section 60 is also cooled.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the mounting section 60 may be separable into an upper housing 61 and a lower housing 62. By adopting this configuration, the cooling body 50 can be easily housed within the mounting section 60.

[0022] An arrangement may be adopted in which the mounting section 60 is not provided within the housing section 20. In this case, the heat source 200 may be placed on the cooling body 50. In this case, the fluid entering from the fluid pipes 45 and 46 and exiting from the fluid pipe 43 or duct 42 (see Figures 2 and 5) will be sucked in by the suction section 30 provided in the cooling box 10.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, the guide section 40 may be a fluid pipe 49 that penetrates the cooler 50. The guide section 40 may have multiple fluid pipes 49. The fluid pipes 49 may be arranged in parallel, and each fluid pipe 49 may penetrate the cooler 50.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 20 and the cooling box 10 may be arranged in contact with each other. The guide 40 may have a duct 42 provided between the housing 20 and the cooling box 10. In this case, the fluid pipe 49 may penetrate the cooling body 50 and be connected to the duct 42 (see Figure 6). Alternatively, the fluid pipe may not be provided, and the housing 20 and the cooling box 10 may be connected via the duct 42 (see Figure 2), so that the fluid in the housing 20 is drawn into the cooling box 10. By adopting a configuration in which the housing 20 and the cooling box 10 are connected via the duct 42, the cooling system can be miniaturized.

[0025] If a fluid pipe 49 is not provided that penetrates the cooling body 50, the fluid, such as the air being drawn in, will circulate around the cooling body 50.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the housing section 20 may be provided with an inlet opening 21 and an outlet opening 22, so that the fluid sucked by the suction section 30 flows from the inlet opening 21 through the cooling body 50 to the outlet opening 22. The cooling box 10 may be provided with an inlet opening 11 and an outlet opening 12. The outlet opening 12 may be provided on the upper surface of the cooling box 10. In the configuration shown in Figure 2, the outlet opening 22 of the housing section 20 and the inlet opening 11 of the cooling box 10 are provided opposite each other, and the duct 42 is provided passing through the outlet opening 22 of the housing section 20 and the inlet opening 11 of the cooling box 10. In the configuration shown in Figure 5, the outlet opening 22 of the housing section 20 and the inlet opening 11 of the cooling box 10 are connected via a guide section 40 consisting of fluid pipes 43, 44 and a downstream box 70, which will be described later.

[0027] An upstream box 75 connected to the inlet opening 21 may be provided. Similarly, a downstream box 70 connected to the outlet opening 22 may be provided. Providing such boxes is beneficial because it allows for smoother fluid flow into the housing 20 and the cooling box 10, thereby achieving a higher cooling effect.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, fluid pipes 46 and 47 may be connected to the upstream box 75, with fluid pipe 46 connecting the housing 20 and the upstream box 75. Alternatively, fluid pipes 43 and 44 may be connected to the downstream box 70, with fluid pipe 43 connecting the housing 20 and the downstream box 70, and fluid pipe 44 connecting the cooling box 10 and the downstream box 70.

[0029] A cooling system may be provided that includes a housing section 20, a cooling body 50 for cooling a heat source 200 inside the housing section 20, and a suction section 30 for sucking out fluid inside the housing section 20.

[0030] A mechanism may be provided to apply pressure from outside the cooling system to push the fluid in. This pushing mechanism may be a blower.

[0031] As shown in Figure 7, the suction unit 30 may be directly connected to the housing unit 20. In the configuration shown in Figure 7, an opening 14 may be provided on the upper surface of the housing unit 20, and suction by the suction unit 30 may be performed through this opening 14. In this case, as in the configuration shown in Figure 1, the cooling body 50 may be housed in the mounting unit 60. The heat source 200 placed on the mounting unit 60 may also be cooled by the fluid passing through the mounting unit 60 (see Figure 8). In Figures 7 and 8, the suction unit 30 is provided on the upper surface of the housing unit 20, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the suction unit 30 may be provided on the lower surface or side surface of the housing unit 20.

[0032] The above-described embodiments and the disclosure of drawings are merely examples for illustrating the invention described in the claims, and the above-described embodiments or the disclosure of drawings do not limit the invention described in the claims.

[0033] 10 Cooling box 20 Housing section 30 Suction section 40 Guide section 50 Cooling element 200 Heat source

Claims

1. A cooling system comprising: a cooling box; a cooling element for cooling a heat source; a housing for housing the heat source and the cooling element; a guide for guiding fluid from the inside of the housing into the inside of the cooling box, provided between the cooling box and the housing; and a drive unit for creating a fluid flow from the housing to the cooling box.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the size of the cooling box is larger than the size of the heat source.

3. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the size of the cooling box is 1.5 times or more the size of the heat source.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the size of the internal space of the sealed cooling box is larger than the inner diameter cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet of the guide for introducing fluid from the storage box.

5. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive unit is a suction unit that sucks fluid from inside the cooling box, and the suction unit is installed in the cooling box and discharges the fluid inside the cooling box to the outside.

6. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing and the cooling box are connected by any combination of fluid guides, such as pipes, tubes, holes, ducts, and tubes, as well as holes, spaces, etc., provided inside the cooling body.

7. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cooling body comprises one or more structures having a cooling function, such as a heat sink, a vapor chamber, and a heat pipe.

8. A cooling system comprising: a housing; a cooling body for cooling a heat source within the housing; and a drive unit installed in the housing for discharging fluid from the housing.

9. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein the drive unit is installed outside the housing unit.

10. The cooling system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the drive unit is a suction unit that sucks fluid from the housing unit.

11. The cooling system according to claim 1 or 8, comprising a mounting section disposed within the housing section for mounting the heat source, wherein the cooling body is housed within the mounting section.

12. The cooling system according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the drive unit applies external pressure to push the fluid into the containment unit.

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