Removable Fan Cartridges for Thin Electronic Device Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices face limitations in cooling capacity due to constrained fan height, which is dependent on the device's Z height, leading to inadequate thermal dissipation and noise levels, especially in thin laptops.
Innovation Solution
Removable fan cartridges with interchangeable designs that allow users to swap between different fan configurations, including larger and more powerful fans, to enhance cooling capacity and adjust noise levels, utilizing hyperbaric flow architecture to maximize fan performance without increasing device thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the device Z height is reduced to improve portability, then device thickness decreases and mobility improves, but fan height is constrained which limits cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into a fixed base unit and interchangeable fan cartridges. The fan cartridge can be removed and replaced with different configurations, allowing the cooling capacity to be independently optimized without changing the device's overall Z height. This segmentation enables the fan to achieve greater effective height within the constrained space by utilizing the removable cartridge mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system transitions from a static, fixed fan configuration to a dynamic, interchangeable cartridge system. Users can swap fan cartridges based on thermal requirements, enabling the cooling capacity to adapt to different operating conditions while maintaining a consistent device thickness profile.
2Temperature
If larger fans are installed to improve cooling capacity, then thermal dissipation improves, but device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fan cartridge design provides multi-functionality by serving as both a structural component and a interchangeable performance module. The same cartridge interface accommodates different fan sizes and configurations, allowing the system to achieve multiple cooling performance levels without requiring different device housings or increasing overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables parameter changes in cooling capacity by allowing substitution of fan cartridges with different specifications. Users can change fan size, speed, and configuration parameters by swapping cartridges, achieving variable thermal dissipation performance while maintaining constant device dimensions.
3Device complexity
If fixed fan configurations are used to simplify design, then device complexity decreases, but adaptability to different thermal requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The fan component is extracted from the permanent device structure and placed in a removable cartridge. This extraction allows the main device body to maintain simple, fixed dimensions while the extracted fan module can be independently varied to meet different thermal requirements, separating the adaptability function from the base device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for accessories for electronic devices and removable fan cartridges for electronic devices. An example electronic device accessory includes a backplate panel removably couplable to a first chassis of a first electronic device to replace a portion of a first cover of the first chassis and removably couplable to a second chassis of a second electronic device to replace a portion of a second cover of the second chassis. The example electronic device accessory also includes a mating device to releasably couple the backplate panel to the first chassis and independently releasably couple the backplate panel to the second chassis and a fan coupled to the backplate panel. The fan is to increase a Z height of the first electronic device when the backplate panel is coupled to the first electronic device and increase a Z height of the second electronic device when the backplate panel is coupled to the second electronic device.