Image Pickup Cooling Duct System for Ice Pack Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling mechanisms for image pickup apparatuses in high-temperature environments using general-purpose ice packs are inefficient, as they often heat the exterior surface, making it unsafe for photographers to touch and limiting the shape of the ice pack due to housing unit constraints.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a cooling unit with a first duct, a second duct, and a third duct, where air passes through these ducts in a specific order to efficiently dissipate heat from the image pickup device and main board, using a general-purpose ice pack to cool the air before it is directed through the ducts, thereby keeping the exterior surface cool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a housing unit for the ice pack is provided to cool electronic components, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the shape of the ice pack is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the housing unit for the ice pack and extracts only the necessary cooling function. The ice pack is placed directly on the exterior surface without being confined in a housing unit, allowing use of general-purpose ice packs with various shapes while maintaining cooling efficiency through direct thermal contact with the exterior surface that is thermally connected to internal heat sources
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior surface serves multiple functions: it acts as both the user interface surface and a thermal conduction path for cooling. By making the exterior surface thermally connected to heat sources inside, it can conduct heat away to the ice pack while remaining accessible for direct ice pack contact, thus accommodating universal ice pack shapes
2Adaptability or versatility
If the exterior surface is thermally connected to heat sources to enable ice pack cooling, then general-purpose ice packs can be used, but the exterior surface is heated to high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The exterior surface is divided into different thermal zones: a first exterior surface portion that is thermally connected to heat sources for efficient heat transfer to the ice pack, and a second exterior surface portion that is not thermally connected and remains cool for user contact. This segmentation allows the hot zone to efficiently cool components while the cold zone remains safe for photographers
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the exterior surface have different thermal properties. The first exterior surface portion has high thermal conductivity to efficiently transfer heat from internal components to the ice pack, while the second exterior surface portion has low thermal conductivity to remain cool. This local differentiation of thermal quality enables both effective cooling and user safety
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
This configuration allows for effective cooling of the image pickup apparatus without heating the exterior surface, enabling safe operation in high-temperature environments and efficient heat dissipation from both the image pickup device and main board components.
Implementation Method 1
the second duct is thermally connected to a first heat source, the third duct is thermally connected to a second heat source that generates a larger amount of heat than the first heat source
Implementation Method 2
air taken in through the inlet passes through the first duct, the second duct, and the third duct in this order and is discharged through the outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus which is capable of efficiently cooling itself using a general-purpose ice pack so as to be able to shoot without heating an exterior surface thereof to a high temperature even under a high temperature environment. A cooling unit of the image pickup apparatus has a first duct having an inlet, a second duct connected to the first duct, and a third duct having an outlet and connected to the second duct. The second duct is thermally connected to a first heat source, the third duct is thermally connected to a second heat source that generates a larger amount of heat than the first heat source, and air taken in through the inlet passes through the first duct, the second duct, and the third duct in this order and is discharged through the outlet.