Active Cooling Fin Pack With Protruding Blade
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Solution Overview
Problem
In thin computing devices, the narrow exhaust vents required for aesthetic purposes lead to increased fan speed and power consumption to remove heat, and moving the fin pack away from the vent creates hot spots that are inefficiently addressed by insulators or heat spreaders.
Innovation Solution
A fin pack design with a housing and fins positioned to optimize airflow, including a blade extending past the exit to prevent hot spots and increase heat distribution area, ensuring the total cross-sectional area of airflow paths matches or exceeds the exhaust vent area to maintain efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the exhaust vent area is reduced for aesthetic purposes and thin device design, then the device appearance is improved and thickness is reduced, but the fan speed and power consumption must be increased to move the same amount of heated air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the fin pack in the third dimension by adding a blade that protrudes beyond the exhaust vent plane. This dimensional extension creates additional heat transfer surface area in the exhaust region, allowing more effective heat removal through the same reduced vent area, thereby maintaining lower fan power consumption despite the smaller exhaust opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade structure performs preliminary heat transfer action before air exits the exhaust vent. By extending fins into the exhaust region, heat is transferred to the airflow in advance of the vent opening, improving the thermal efficiency of the exhaust stream and reducing the power needed to move the heated air outward.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the fin pack is moved away from the exhaust vent to reduce fan speed, then fan power consumption is reduced, but hot spots form on the device surface that require additional insulators or heat spreaders
Solution Approach 1:
By extending the fin pack blade in the third dimension beyond the exhaust vent plane, the patent creates additional heat transfer surface area that directs heat away from the device surface. This dimensional extension allows heat to be transferred to the exhaust airflow before it reaches the device exterior, eliminating hot spots without requiring additional insulators or heat spreaders.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade structure extracts heat from the airflow path before it exits the exhaust vent. By positioning fins in the exhaust region, heat is removed from the air stream in advance, preventing the formation of hot spots on the device surface and eliminating the need for separate thermal management components.
3Temperature
If insulators or heat spreaders are added to address hot spots, then hot spot temperature is reduced, but device complexity and component count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it extends the heat transfer surface area, directs exhaust airflow, and prevents hot spot formation. By integrating these functions into a single component rather than adding separate insulators or heat spreaders, the patent reduces device complexity while effectively managing thermal issues.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fin pack design effectively prevents hot spots and enhances heat removal efficiency by matching airflow paths with exhaust vent area, reducing fan power consumption and noise while maintaining aesthetic considerations.
Implementation Method 1
A fan blows air through the fin pack in order to force the heat through an exhaust vent and out of the computing device
Implementation Method 2
The blade is configured to prevent a hot spot from forming on the top wall along a second plane through a center line of the fin pack
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to active cooling or removing heat generated by a processor in a computing device. More specifically, a cooling system in a computing device may include a heatpipe which moves the heat through a fin pack and out an exhaust vent. The fin packs described herein may include a blade at the exit end of the fin pack. The blade is oriented between the end wall of a computing device and the exit of the fin pack. The blade both keeps the air creating hot spots at the surface of the computing device and provides additional surface area for moving heat away from the heat pipe. The blade may have different configurations, for example, a generally rectangular shape or an arced-shape.