CN112925399B

CN112925399B - Laptop computer with display side cooling system

Info

Publication number: CN112925399B
Application number: CN202011436430.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·库尔卡尼; G·戈尔拉; A·贝尔; B·兰德威尔
Original assignee: Nvidia Corp
Current assignee: Nvidia Corp
Priority date: 2019-12-06
Filing date: 2020-12-07
Publication date: 2025-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-07
Also published as: CN112925399A

Abstract

The present invention discloses a laptop computer with a display side cooling system. A laptop computing device includes: a base including a keyboard; and a display portion movably coupled to the base, and includes: a heat sink having a heat sink; one or more heat generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the heat sink; and at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the heat sink.

Description

Laptop computer with display side cooling system

Technical Field

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional application No. 62945056 filed on 12/6 2019. The subject matter of the related application is incorporated herein by reference.

Field of various embodiments

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to computer architecture and thermal solutions for computing devices, and more particularly, to laptop computers with display-side cooling systems.

Background

In most, if not all, laptop computers, the motherboard is located directly beneath the keyboard. As a result, heat generated by motherboard-mounted electronic components, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), typically causes the palm rest area of the laptop computer to become hot during use. Sometimes, particularly in high power laptop computers, the palm rest area may be so warm that it is uncomfortable for the user. This problem can be alleviated by integrating various combinations of heat sinks, heat pipes and air mover solutions into the laptop computer that transfers heat generated on the motherboard to the palm rest of the laptop computer. These methods have certain drawbacks.

First, the heat sinks and fans typically employed in laptop computers are often relatively small due to space constraints. As a result, when the laptop is operating at optimum performance, the fan must be operated at a very high speed to remove sufficient heat from the laptop (through the heat sink). High speed operation of the fan may cause a degree of audible noise and vibration, thereby reducing the overall quality of the user experience. This problem is particularly true in high performance laptop computers, which can generate significant amounts of heat when handling larger, more complex workloads. Second, the surface temperature of the base of the laptop computer increases even when the palm rest area of the laptop computer is cooled. The uneven surface temperatures produced by laptop computers can lead to an overall poor ergonomic experience for the user. Furthermore, the surface temperature of the base of the laptop computer can easily exceed a temperature that is considered comfortable for the user over a long period of time. Third, the ability of conventional laptop computer heat dissipation solutions to transfer heat from a motherboard can vary significantly depending on whether the laptop computer rests on a hard surface or on the user's laptop. For example, when a laptop computer rests on a user's laptop, the inlet of the fan may be partially or even completely blocked, thereby greatly reducing airflow through the heat sink and limiting heat transfer to the motherboard. Requiring the user to use the laptop computer on a hard surface for better thermal performance reduces the overall quality of the user experience.

As previously mentioned, what is needed in the art is a more efficient method of cooling a laptop computer during operation.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for cooling heat-generating components of a computing device. In various embodiments, a laptop computing device includes a base including a keyboard, and a display portion movably coupled to the base and including a heat sink having a heat sink, one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the heat sink, and at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the heat sink.

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth another technique for cooling heat-generating components of a computing device. In various embodiments, an apparatus includes a heat sink having a plurality of fins and a vapor chamber, one or more heat-generating electronic devices thermally coupled to the vapor chamber, and at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the plurality of fins, wherein a first fin included in the plurality of fins and a second fin included in the plurality of fins form a first air channel having a first air inlet and a first air outlet, wherein the first fin is adjacent to the second fin, and a first distance between the first fin and the second fin proximate to the first air inlet is less than a second distance between the first fin and the second fin proximate to the first air outlet.

One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for cooling heat generating components of a computing device. In various embodiments, a computing device includes a base, a display movably connected to the base and including a housing having a movable panel and one or more fixed panels, and a mechanical assembly that positions the movable panel away from the one or more fixed panels when the display is opened from the base.

At least one technical advantage of the disclosed designs over the prior art is that in the disclosed designs, the heat generating integrated circuit is disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger vapor chamber to be achieved. A larger vapor chamber may enable greater heat dissipation capacity and greater cooling efficiency, thereby enabling the computing device to operate at a higher operating level. Furthermore, in the disclosed design, the cooling fan is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger cooling fan to be implemented. Because larger cooling fans can provide adequate levels of cooling airflow at lower speeds, cooling fan noise is reduced in the disclosed design without negatively impacting peak computing performance of the computing device. In addition, in the disclosed design, the air outlet is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which results in directing the cooling airflow away from the user and further reduces the noise of the overall cooling fan.

Another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the fins of the heat exchanger are more aligned with the direction of the inlet air flow relative to the fins of a conventional heat exchanger. As a result, in the disclosed design, the pressure drop across the heat exchanger is relatively small. The reduced pressure drop enables, among other things, a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without negatively impacting peak computing performance of the computing device.

Yet another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the air intake for the cooling fan is formed in a surface of the computing device other than the bottom surface of the computing device. Thus, with the disclosed design, the cooling efficiency of the computing device is not affected by the surface on which the computing device is placed. In addition, in the disclosed design, the air inlet for the cooling fan formed via the movable panel has a larger free area and a correspondingly lower pressure drop relative to the air inlet disposed on the bottom surface of a conventional laptop computer. In particular, the lower pressure drop enables a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without negatively impacting peak computing performance of the computing device.

These technical advantages represent one or more technical improvements over prior art computing device designs.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a laptop computer configured to implement one or more aspects of various embodiments;

FIG. 2A is a schematic front view of a display portion of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2B is a schematic side view of a display portion of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of the display portion of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, taken along section line A-A shown in FIG. 2A, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a display portion of the laptop computer of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the heat sink of FIGS. 2A-2C, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a heat sink and heat exchanger plate from a plenum of the display portion shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a portion of a laptop computer having a cooling air inlet of variable size in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of a laptop computer with a display portion including a housing having a movable panel, and in accordance with various embodiments

Fig. 8 is a schematic front view of a display portion of a laptop computer including a heat sink having a radially dispersed array of heat sinks, in accordance with various embodiments.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these specific details.

Introduction to the invention

Various embodiments of the present disclosure propose a laptop computer with a display side cooling system. In some embodiments, the display portion of the laptop computer houses a motherboard having one or more processors, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and/or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), mounted thereon, with a single heat sink on the motherboard having at least one cooling fan configured to direct cooling air through the heat sink fins of the heat sink. Thus, in such embodiments, the largest heat sources in the laptop and the cooling system for removing heat generated by these heat sources are arranged in the display of the laptop, rather than in the base of the laptop housing the keyboard.

In addition, in some embodiments, the vapor chamber included in the heat sink is configured as a support structure for the motherboard and/or one or more cooling fans located in the display portion. In such embodiments, the vapor chamber may be formed from titanium and may include a novel internal support column configuration that reduces the weight and/or deflection of the vapor chamber as compared to conventional radiator vapor chambers. Additionally, in some embodiments, the display portion of the laptop computer includes one or more cooling fan inlets and/or one or more cooling fan outlets, each located within or on a surface of the display portion. In such embodiments, the one or more cooling fan inlets may be fixed in size or may be configured to open when the display portion of the laptop computer is opened from the base. Additionally, in some embodiments, the fins thermally coupled to the vapor chamber are configured as an array of radially divergent fins. In such embodiments, the radially diverging fins may be aligned with the direction of the incoming airflow, which reduces the pressure drop associated with the airflow across the fins. Additionally, in some embodiments, the display portion of the laptop computer includes a display screen configured to be remote from a heat generating component in the display portion, such as a motherboard, when the display portion is opened from the base portion. Thus, in such embodiments, the air gap between the display screen and the heat generating components in the display portion is separated by the air gap, which prevents partial overheating of the display screen during operation of the laptop computer.

System overview

Fig. 1 illustrates a laptop computer 100 configured to implement one or more aspects of various embodiments. The laptop computer 100 is a laptop personal computer having a hinged or "flip" configuration and typically includes the functionality of a desktop computer and associated external devices. For example, in some embodiments, the laptop computer 100 includes an integrated keyboard 101, a touchpad (or touch pad) 102, and a display screen 121. By folding the display screen 121 over the keyboard 101, the laptop computer 100 can be easily stored and carried. Thus, the laptop computer 100 may be easily transported and adapted for mobile use. As shown, the laptop computer 100 includes a base 110 and a display 120 movably coupled to the base 110. The base 110 includes a keyboard 101, a touch panel 102, and a palm rest 103, and the display portion 120 includes a display screen 121, for example, as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) based display screen. The laptop computer 100 may further include physical interfaces for various input and output devices along the side edges 105 of the base 110, such as one or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, external display ports, ethernet ports, and the like. The laptop computer 100 may further include one or more integrated webcams and/or built-in microphones (not shown).

According to various embodiments, the laptop computer 100 also includes a display side cooling system and architecture that prevents the palm pad 103 and the bottom surface 104 of the base 110 from reaching elevated temperatures during use. In an embodiment, one or more primary heat sources in the laptop computer 100, such as a motherboard-mounted processor, are located in the display 100, rather than in the base 110. Further, in embodiments, one or more heat transfer devices are also located in the display portion 100 instead of the base 110, such as one or more cooling fans and a heat sink that is fluidly coupled to the cooling fans and thermally coupled to a heat source. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 2A, 2B and 2C.

Fig. 2A is a schematic front view of the display 120 according to various embodiments. Fig. 2B is a schematic side view of the display 120 according to various embodiments. Fig. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of the display 120 taken along section line A-A shown in fig. 2A, in accordance with various embodiments.

The display 120 includes a heat sink 220 configured as a support structure within the housing 201 or other enclosure of the display 120. Further, the display part 120 includes a cooling fan 230 mounted on the heat sink 220 and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 240 mounted on the heat sink 220. For example, in some embodiments, PCB 240 is the motherboard of laptop computer 100. As such, various heat generating electronic devices 241 (indicated in fig. 2A) are mounted on PCB 240, for example as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 242, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) 243, one or more memory chips 244, one or more flash memory devices 245, other heat generating integrated circuits (not shown), and the like. In operation, heat generated by heat-generating electronics 241 is transferred from PCB 240 and out of display 120 via heat sink 220 and cooling air forced across the surface of heat sink 220 by fan 230. In some embodiments, one or more surfaces of the housing 201 include a highly radiant coating or surface to further increase the heat transferred from the display 120 via radiant heat transfer. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, PCB 240 is located between heat-generating electronics 241 and heat sink 220. In other embodiments, the PCB 240 is located on one side of the heat-generating electronic device 241 and the heat sink 220 is located on the opposite side of the heat-generating electronic device 241.

Display side radiator

Heat sink 220 is a substantially planar structure that is positioned parallel to display screen 121 and, in some embodiments, is separated from display screen 121 by an air flow gap 221. In some embodiments, the heat sink 220 is configured as a vapor chamber that includes a vapor region 222 and a condensate collection region 223. The working fluid disposed within the heat sink 220 may comprise any technically feasible liquid that evaporates at the temperature reached by the condensate collection area 223 during operation of the laptop computer 100. For example, suitable working fluids include water, methanol, propylene glycol, various combinations thereof, and the like. In some embodiments, the inner surfaces of the vapor region 222 and the condensate collection region 223 have been passivated to prevent corrosion of the heat sink 220 and to enhance wetting of the inner surfaces of the vapor region 222. In such embodiments, the heat sink 220 may further include a wicking structure (not shown) formed of titanium or a titanium-containing alloy disposed within the vapor region 222 and/or the condensate collection region 223. In some embodiments, the wicking structure also undergoes a passivation process.

In some embodiments, the heat spreader 220 is formed of titanium or a titanium-containing alloy. In such embodiments, the heat sink 220 generally has sufficient mechanical strength and rigidity to serve as a structural element of the display portion 120. Thus, in such embodiments, the heat sink 220 may have the cooling fan 230, PCB 240, and/or other components mounted, rather than on a portion of the housing 201. As a result, in such embodiments, the heat sink 220 may be used to cool a plurality of heat-generating devices, such as CPUs and GPUs. In contrast, heat sinks in conventional computing devices are typically dedicated to a single high power device, such as a single processor.

As shown in fig. 2B and 2C, the vapor region 222 and the condensate collection region 223 are both located within the heat sink 220 and are in fluid communication with each other. In such embodiments, the condensate collection region 223 is configured to collect the condensed liquid cooled in the vapor region 222 of the heat sink 220 and is located adjacent to the PCB 240 or in contact with the PCB 240. Accordingly, the heat generated by the heat generating electronics 241 is directed by the PCB 240 into the condensate collection region 223, heating and evaporating the condensed liquid in the condensate collection region 223 into vapor, and the vapor flows into the vapor region 222. The vapor condenses in vapor region 222 onto the inner surface of heat sink 220 and then transfers thermal energy from PCB 240 to wall 224 of vapor region 222. The walls 224 of the vapor region 222 conduct thermal energy into an assembly of heat exchanger fins 225, the heat exchanger fins 225 being coupled to the outer surface of the vapor region 222, and cooling air passing from the plenum 232 through the heat exchanger fins 225 and out the cooling air outlet 231 removes thermal energy from the display 120. In some embodiments, the heating radiator 220 further comprises a conduit 229 for guiding cooling air from the heat exchanger fins 225 to the cooling air outlet 231. Alternatively, some or all of the heat exchanger plates 225 may extend to the cooling air outlet 231. Such an embodiment is shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of a display 320 according to various embodiments. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the heat exchanger fins 324 extend to the cooling air outlet 231. In addition, in some embodiments, the display portion 320 includes a plenum 332 having a different configuration than the plenum 232 in fig. 2A. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, one or more heat-generating electronics 241 may be positioned on PCB 240 in a manner that is partially or fully disposed within plenum 332. Thus, in such embodiments, cooling air is received by the plenum 332 and flows to the heat exchanger fins 324, and may flow directly through such heat generating electronics 241.

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, the wall 224 of the vapor region 222 may extend across the entire width of the display 120. Thus, the wall 224 has a large surface area and is capable of integrating one or more high surface area components of the heat exchanger plate 225 in the display 120. Unlike the assembly of heat exchanger plates associated with conventional heat sinks, which are disposed within the base of a laptop computer, heat exchanger plates 225 are distributed over a wide surface area, such as from left edge 202 to right edge 203 of housing 201. Because the heat exchanger fins 225 are distributed over a larger surface area, the heat exchanger fins 225 have less resistance to airflow (and thus less pressure drop) and can accommodate a greater amount of pressure cooled airflow than the amount of cooling fins associated with conventional heat sinks placed in the base portion of a laptop computer. As a result, the airflow through or across the heat exchange fins 225 may remove the same amount of thermal energy from the heat sink 220 at a significantly lower velocity than the airflow through or across the heat exchange fins associated with a conventional heat sink disposed within a laptop base. Thus, the fan noise (due to the slower speed at which the fan rotates) and exhaust noise (due to the slower cooling rate present in the laptop 100) that remove thermal energy from the heat sink 220 is much less than when conventional fans and heat sinks are used in a laptop.

Due to the size of the heat sink 220, pressure variations within the heat sink 220 may cause undesirable deflection of one or more surfaces of the heat sink 220. In some embodiments, vapor region 222 and/or condensate collection region 223 are internally reinforced with support columns. One such embodiment is described below in connection with fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a heat sink 220 according to various embodiments. As shown, the radiator 220 includes a vapor region 222 and a condensate collection region 223 (represented by dashed lines). Further, the heat sink 220 includes a plurality of internal support columns 401 disposed within the vapor region 222 and/or the condensate collection region 223. The inner support posts 401 are configured to reduce deflection of one or more surfaces of the heat sink 220 due to changes in pressure within the heat sink 220 during operation. In some embodiments, the inner support posts 401 are formed of titanium. In some embodiments, the inner support columns 401 are arranged in a repeating triangular pattern 402. In contrast to the configuration of the inner support columns 401 arranged in a repeating rectangular pattern, the repeating triangular pattern shown in fig. 4 provides the same rigidity and/or deflection of the heat sink 220 with the inner support columns 401 reduced by up to 11%. In addition, since there are fewer total internal support columns 401 placed within the heat sink 220, there is less resistance to condensate flow during operation.

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, heat exchanger sheet 225 is separated from display screen 121 by an air flow gap 221 through which cooling air is forced during operation of laptop computer 100. In such an embodiment, the cooling air forced through the air flow gap 221 cools the display screen 121 and thermally isolates the display screen 121 from the PCB 240 and the heat generating electronics 241 mounted on the PCB 240. In other embodiments, some or all of the heat exchanger fins 225 are in contact with and/or thermally coupled to the display screen 121 and are cooled with the display screen 121 by heat conduction to the heat exchanger fins 225.

In some embodiments, the airflow impedance created by the heat exchanger fins 225 is further reduced because the airflow openings between the heat exchanger fins 225 are significantly larger than the openings between the heat exchanger fins associated with conventional laptop computer heat sinks. Due to the wider spacing between the heat exchanger fins, the larger opening height 225A (shown in fig. 2B) of the heat exchanger fins 225, or a combination of both, such openings may have a larger free area than the openings between the heat exchanger fins of a conventional radiator. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the heat sink 220 and heat exchanger fins 225 as viewed from the air cells 232 of the display 120, according to various embodiments. As shown, heat exchanger fins 225 are disposed on wall 224 of heat sink 220 and on the opposite side of wall 224 from vapor region 222 (indicated by the dashed line).

Because the heat exchanger fins 225 extend across the wall 224 from the left edge 202 to the right edge 203 of the housing 201, each heat exchanger fin 225 may be separated by a relatively wide spacing 501. Further, since the heat sink 220 is disposed in the display portion 220, rather than under the keypad 101 of the base 110, each heat exchanger plate 225 may have a greater opening height 225A. For example, in some embodiments, the air flow channels 502 between the heat exchanger fins 225 each have an opening height 225A that extends from the surface of the wall 224 to the air flow gap 221 near the display screen 121. In some embodiments, each airflow channel 502 between heat exchanger plates 225 has an opening height 225A that extends from a surface of wall 224 to a surface of display screen 121. In some embodiments, each airflow channel 502 between heat exchanger plates 225 has an opening height 225A that is greater than half of a thickness 505 of display 120. In other embodiments, the air flow channels 502 between the heat exchanger plates 225 may have varying dimensions and opening heights. As a result, each airflow channel 502 between heat exchanger plates 225 has a free area that is significantly larger than the free area of the airflow channels associated with conventional laptop computer heat exchangers. Thus, for a particular airflow, the airflow impedance through airflow channel 502 is greatly reduced compared to the airflow impedance through the airflow channel associated with a conventional laptop computer heat exchanger, thereby making the notebook computer 100 operate quieter.

Low impedance cooling air inlet and outlet

Returning to fig. 2A-2C, a cooling fan 230 is mounted on the heat sink 220 and configured to force cooling air through the heat sink 225 and out of the display 120. Cooling air enters the display 120 through one or more cooling air inlets 233, is forced across the heat exchanger fins 225 by the plenum 232, and exits the display 120 through cooling air outlets 231. The cooling air inlet 233 and the cooling air outlet 231 are provided on the surface of the housing 201 of the display portion 120 or formed in the surface of the housing 201, not on the surface of the base portion 110. Thus, the cooling air inlet 233 and the cooling air outlet 231 are not limited in free area by the available surface area on the side edges 105 (shown in fig. 1) of the base 110, in which case the physical interfaces (e.g., USB ports, external display ports, ethernet ports, etc.) for the various input and output devices may greatly reduce the available space for the air inlet and/or outlet in the cooling base 110. As a result, the cooling air inlet 233 and the cooling air outlet 231 generate a lower airflow impedance and associated airflow noise than the smaller free areas of the cooling air inlet and cooling air outlet disposed on the surface of the base of the laptop computer. In addition, the cooling air outlet 231 faces upward and/or rearward (i.e., away from the display screen 121). Accordingly, the cooling air outlet 231 directs the discharged air, fan noise, and airflow noise to the user, thereby further reducing the audibility of such noise to the user. In addition, the cooling air outlet 231 directs the exhausted air, fan noise, and airflow noise away from any laptop computer 100 resting thereon. Because such surfaces may reflect fan noise and airflow noise back to the user, the configuration of the cooling air outlet 231 as described herein prevents fan noise and airflow noise from being reflected toward the user. In addition, the cooling air inlet 233 cannot be blocked by the user's knee or other surface on which the laptop computer 100 is placed. In contrast, the cooling air inlet is not completely blocked whenever the display 120 is deployed for use.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the cooling air outlet 231 is arranged higher than the cooling air inlet 233 when the display is deployed for use. That is, the cooling air inlet 233 is located in the surface of the case 201 such that, when the base 110 is located on a horizontal surface and the display portion 120 is opened, away from the base 110, the cooling air inlet 233 is located below the cooling air outlet 231. As a result, the cooling air flow through the heat exchanger fins 225 is assisted by free convection. Additionally, in some embodiments, when the laptop computer 100 is operating at some low operating power, free convection of cooling air across the heat exchanger fins 225 is sufficient to cool the heat-generating electronic device 241, and the cooling fan 230 does not have to be operated.

Display side cooling fan

Since the cooling fan 230 is provided in the display part 120 instead of the base part 110, the size of the cooling fan 230 may be increased with respect to the entire size of the laptop computer 100. That is, the available space is large as compared with the display section 120. Thus, the cooling fan 230 may be sized larger relative to the amount of cooling air forced through the heat exchanger plates 225. Thus, in operation, cooling fan 230 may rotate at a lower speed and generate less fan noise than would be required for a smaller fan secured in base portion 110 (e.g., around or below keyboard 101, physical interface ports, and other interfering components placed in base portion 110).

In some embodiments, the cooling fans 230 are controlled to operate synchronously, i.e., at the same rotational speed. For example, in some embodiments, cooling fans 230 each operate at a rotational speed within about 100 revolutions per minute of each other. In such an embodiment, beat frequency phenomena caused by constructive and destructive interference of the fan noise at two different frequencies are avoided. As a result, the acoustic experience of the user is improved. In contrast, in a conventional laptop computer including a plurality of cooling fans (e.g., one fan for cooling a CPU and one fan for cooling a GPU), when the fan speed of one cooling fan is adjusted, audible beat frequencies are generated due to the difference between the rotational frequencies of the two fans, which may reduce the user's auditory experience. Further, in an embodiment in which the rotational frequencies of the two cooling fans 230 are controlled together and thus both operate in unison, the heat dissipation capability of the heat sink 220 may be utilized to remove heat from the PCB 240, or the GPU 243 generates a large amount of heat, even when only one CPU 242. Accordingly, when only the CPU 242 or GPU 243 generates a large amount of heat, a lower fan speed may be employed, and the fan noise and airflow noise are thus reduced. In contrast, conventional laptop computers typically include a dedicated cooling fan and associated heat sink for the CPU and a separately controlled cooling fan and associated heat sink for the GPU. Thus, when only one of the CPU or GPU is generating a large amount of heat, the cooling fan associated with the heat generating component must operate at or near the maximum rotational frequency, thereby generating fan noise and airflow noise audible to the user.

Variable size air inlet

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the cooling air inlet 233 is depicted as a fixed opening in the surface of the housing 201. In other embodiments, the cooling air inlet may be configured as a variable sized opening. One such embodiment is shown in fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of a display 620 having a cooling air inlet of variable size, according to various embodiments. As shown, the display portion 620 is substantially similar to the display portion 120 of fig. 2A-2C, except that the display portion 620 includes a variable air inlet 633. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the variable air inlet 633 is formed when the rear cover 602 of the housing 601 of the display portion 620 is opened. That is, the bottom edge 603 of the rear cover 602 rotates outwardly from the display part 620 to form a variable air inlet 633 between the rear cover 602 and the rest of the display part 620. Thus, a triangular opening 604 is formed near the side edge of the back cover 602, and an edge opening 605 is formed near the bottom edge 603 of the back cover 602. In some embodiments, the display 620 is configured with a variable air inlet 633 in place of one or more fixed-sized cooling air inlets formed in the housing 601, such as the cooling air inlet 233 in fig. 2B. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the display 620 is configured with a variable air inlet 633 in addition to one or more cooling air inlets of a fixed size formed in the housing 601.

In some embodiments, for example, when the display 620 is deployed for use, the variable air inlet 633 is opened via a mechanical linkage. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, variable air inlet 633 is opened and closed in response to one or more measured temperatures, such as the temperature of CPU 242, GPU 243, PCB 240, heat sink 220, and/or cooling air exiting cooling air outlet 231. In such an embodiment, the size of the variable intake 633 may be varied by an electric actuator. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, variable air inlet 633 is opened and closed in response to measured power usage of one or more heat generating electronic devices 241, such as power usage of CPU 242, GPU 243, and the like. In such an embodiment, the size of the variable air inlet 633 is varied by an electric actuator.

Fig. 7 is a partial side view of a laptop computer 700 in which the display portion 720 includes a housing 701 having a movable panel 702, in accordance with various embodiments. The laptop 700 includes a base 710 having one or more fixed panels 703 and a display 720. As shown, mechanical linkage 750 mechanically couples base 710 to movable panel 702, wherein a cooling fan (not shown) is formed when display 720 is opened from base 710, actuation of mechanical linkage 750 causes inlet 704 to be used for the cooling fan. When the display 720 is opened away from the base 710, the inlet 704 is formed by the mechanical linkage 750 positioning the movable plate 702 away from the one or more fixed plates 703 of the base 710.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, mechanical linkage 750 includes a rotating element 751, and when display portion 720 is opened away from base portion 710, mechanical linkage 750 rotates about axis 759. Mechanical linkage 750 also includes a positioning arm 752 that mechanically couples movable panel 702 to a rotating element 751. Positioning arm 752 is included with rotating element 751 or mechanically coupled to rotating element 751. Thus, when the rotary member 751 rotates about the axis 759 (e.g., counterclockwise), the positioning arm 752 rotates about the axis 759 in the same direction (e.g., counterclockwise). In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, rotation of the rotary member 751 in the clockwise direction is caused by the display section 720 opening from the base section 710. In contrast, in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the rotation of the rotary member 751 in the counterclockwise direction is due to the display section 720 being closed toward the base section 710. In the illustrated embodiment, this rotation is enabled because the shaft 759 is fixed to the base 710 and the rotary member 751 is configured as a driven gear coupled with the drive gear 753. The drive gear 753 is fixed relative to the base 710, so that the drive gear 753 remains stationary relative to the base 710 when the display portion 720 is opened away from the base 710 or closed toward the base 710.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, positioning arm 752 is mechanically coupled to movable panel 702 of display 720 by positioning slot 755. Thus, in such an embodiment, the positioning arm 752 is slidably coupled to the display 720. As a result, the clockwise rotation of the positioning arm 752 moves the movable plate 702 away from the base 710 and causes the intake aperture 704 to be formed. Conversely, counterclockwise rotation of the positioning arm 752 moves the movable panel 702 toward the base 710, for example, into a stowed position in which the movable panel 702 is moved into contact with one or more stationary panels 705 of the laptop computing device 700.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the movable panel 702 includes a surface of the computing device 700 that is a top surface of the computing device 700 when the display 720 is closed against the base 710. In other embodiments, the movable panel 702 includes one or more other surfaces of the display portion 720, such as a side or edge surface of the display portion 720. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, a movable panel 702 is disposed in a display portion 720 to form an air intake for one or more cooling fans (not shown) that may also be disposed in the display portion 720. In other embodiments, movable panel 702 is disposed in base 710 to form an inlet for one or more cooling fans also disposed in base 710.

Radiator with radial radiating fins

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A-2C, the heat sink fins are configured as an array of parallel fins. In some embodiments, the heat sink includes an array of radially dispersed fins arranged substantially aligned or substantially parallel to an airflow direction associated with cooling air flowing from the cooling fan into the heat sink. As a result, the heat sink reduces the pressure drop associated with cooling air flowing through the heat sink. One such embodiment is described below in connection with fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a schematic front view of a display portion 800 of a laptop computer, the display portion 800 including a heat sink 820, the heat sink 820 having a series of radially diverging heat sinks 824, in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, air channels 830 are formed between each pair of adjacent radially dispersed fins 824. In addition, each air passageway 830 includes an inlet 831 and an outlet 832. Because the radially dispersed fins 824 are separated from each other in the air flow direction, the free area of the air inlet 831 for a particular air channel 830 is smaller than the free area of the air outlet 832 for that particular air channel.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, each radially dispersed fin 824 has a linear configuration, but in other embodiments, one or more radially dispersed fins 824 have a curved configuration. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, for a pair of adjacent radially dispersed fins 824, a first line 825 defined by a first radially dispersed fin 824 (e.g., fin 824A) intersects a second line 826 defined by a second fin (e.g., fin 824A). In such an embodiment, the orientation of the first line 825 may be selected to be parallel to the airflow direction 827, the airflow direction 827 being associated with cooling air flowing through the inlet 831, the inlet 831 being associated with a first radially fanned out heat sink.

Although the above embodiments are described in terms of a laptop computer, the embodiments may also be implemented in other types of computing devices, such as desktop computers, electronic tablets, smart phones, and the like.

In summary, laptop computers are configured with heat-generating electronics, such as a CPU and/or GPU, disposed in the display portion rather than in the base portion. In addition, a heat transfer device for dissipating heat energy generated by the heat generating electronic device, such as a cooling fan and a large-surface-area, low-airflow-resistance heat sink, is also disposed in the display section. Further, the heat sink may include cooling fins configured as an array of radially divergent fins. In addition, the housing of the laptop computer may include one or more movable panels positioned away from the housing to form a cooling air intake when the laptop computer is opened.

At least one technical advantage of the disclosed designs over the prior art is that in the disclosed designs, the heat generating integrated circuit is disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger vapor chamber to be achieved. A larger vapor chamber may enable greater heat dissipation capacity and greater cooling efficiency, thereby enabling the computing device to operate at a higher operating level. Furthermore, in the disclosed design, the cooling fan is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which allows for a larger cooling fan to be implemented. Because larger cooling fans can provide adequate levels of cooling airflow at lower speeds, cooling fan noise is reduced in the disclosed design without negatively impacting peak computing performance of the computing device. In addition, in the disclosed design, the air outlet is also disposed within the display portion of the computing device, which causes the cooling airflow to be directed away from the user, and further reduces the noise of the overall cooling fan.

Another technical advantage of the disclosed design over the prior art is that in the disclosed design, the fins of the heat exchanger are more aligned with the direction of the inlet air flow than the fins of a conventional heat exchanger. As a result, in the disclosed design, the pressure drop across the heat exchanger is relatively small. The reduced pressure drop enables, among other things, a sufficient level of cooling airflow to be provided at lower cooling fan speeds, thereby reducing cooling fan noise without negatively impacting peak computing performance of the computing device.

Claim combinations are added prior to the application. ]

Any and all combinations of any claim element recited in any claim and/or any element described in the present application fall within the intended scope of the application and protection in any way.

The description of the various embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

Aspects of the present embodiments may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "module," system "or" computer. In addition, any hardware and/or software techniques, processes, functions, components, engines, modules, or systems described in this disclosure may be implemented as a circuit or a set of circuits. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied thereon.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A portable computing device comprising:

a base including a keyboard; and

A display portion is movably coupled to the base portion and includes:

A heat sink having cooling fins;

at least one of a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit thermally coupled to the heat sink; and

A plurality of cooling fans, wherein each of the plurality of cooling fans is configured to force cooling air to flow along a path from the cooling fan and then through at least a portion of the at least one of a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit included in the display portion and then through the heat sink.

2. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit is mounted on a printed circuit board coupled to the heat sink.

3 . The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink comprises a vapor chamber thermally coupled to the heat sink.

4 . The portable computing device of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of cooling fans is mounted on the vapor chamber.

5. The portable computing device of claim 3, wherein the vapor chamber comprises a plurality of built-in pillars arranged in a repeating triangular pattern.

6. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein each built-in pillar included in at least a subset of the plurality of built-in pillars is adjacent to six other built-in pillars included in the plurality of built-in pillars.

7. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit comprises at least two processing units.

8. The portable computing device of claim 7, wherein the heat sink comprises a single vapor chamber, and the at least two processing units are thermally coupled to the single vapor chamber.

9. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the display portion further comprises a display screen physically separated from the heat sink by an air gap.

10. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the display portion has a first surface, and the display portion further comprises a first air inlet formed in the first surface and fluidly coupled to at least one of the plurality of cooling fans.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10, wherein:

The plurality of cooling fans include a first cooling fan and a second cooling fan;

The first air inlet is fluidly coupled to the first cooling fan; and

The display portion further includes a second air inlet formed on the first surface and fluidly coupled to the second cooling fan.

12. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein:

The display portion has a first surface;

The display portion further includes a first air outlet fluidly coupled to the plurality of cooling fans; and

The display portion further includes a first air inlet formed on the first surface, and the position of the first air inlet is set as follows:

When the base rests on a horizontal surface and the display portion is opened away from the base, the first air inlet is disposed below the first air outlet.

13. The portable computing device of claim 1 , wherein the display portion includes an air inlet fluidly coupled to a first inlet of at least one of the plurality of cooling fans, and wherein the air inlet increases in size when the display portion is opened away from the base.

14. The portable computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cooling fans includes a first cooling fan and a second cooling fan, both of which exhaust cooling air into a plenum before flowing through the cooling fans.

15. The portable computing device of claim 14, wherein the first cooling fan is configured to operate at a rotational speed that is within 100 revolutions per minute of a rotational speed associated with the second cooling fan.

16. The portable computing device of claim 3, wherein the at least one of a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit is disposed in an evaporator portion proximate to the vapor chamber.

17. A display comprising:

case;

A radiator, the radiator having a heat sink, and the heat sink is arranged inside the housing;

at least one of a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit, the at least one of the central processing unit or the graphics processing unit being thermally coupled to the heat sink and disposed within the housing; and

A plurality of cooling fans, wherein each of the plurality of cooling fans is configured to force cooling air to flow along a path from the cooling fan and then through at least a portion of at least one of a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit included in the display and then through the heat sink, wherein the plurality of cooling fans are disposed within the housing.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein the display is configured to be removably coupled to a base of a computing device including a keyboard.

19. The display of claim 17, wherein the heat sink comprises a vapor chamber thermally coupled to the heat sink.

20. The display of claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of cooling fans is mounted on the vapor chamber.