JPH11243289A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment which is capable of effectively cooling down a CPU. SOLUTION: The electronic equipment is equipped with heat pipes 1 which cool down a CPU 5, the heat absorbing part 2 of the heat pipes 1 is arranged adjacent to the CPU 5, whereby a transfer of heat from the CPU 5 to the heat absorbing part 21 is improved in efficiency. The heat dissipating parts 4 of the heat pipes 1 are arranged on a heat sink 6 separating from each other, so that the CPU 5 can be surely cooled down adequately by one of the heat dissipating parts 4, even when the other heat dissipating part 4 deteriorates in heat dispersion efficiency. Furthermore, fins 7 are attached to the heat pipes 1, whereby the heat dissipating parts 4 can be improved in cooling efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device having a built-in heating element that requires heat radiation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the speed and weight of electronic devices such as personal computers and word processors have been tremendously increasing. As a result, the density of semiconductor elements such as integrated circuits has increased, and the amount of heat generated by heating elements such as a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) in electronic equipment cannot be ignored. Unless optimal heat dissipation measures are taken, thermal runaway of the element may occur, eventually leading to the destruction of electronic circuits and, in the worst case, smoke to fire.

In order to solve such a problem, a cooling device in which a heat radiating element is cooled using a heat pipe, and a heat sink formed of an aluminum alloy plate or the like is connected to the heat pipe to enhance a heat radiating effect is known. Proposed.

[0004] The heat pipe forms a cylindrical vapor space for passing vapor in a longitudinal direction in a cylindrical housing made of a metal (for example, stainless steel) having good heat conductivity, and a liquid passes around the space. A wick structure is provided.

The heat pipe is functionally divided into three portions from one end in the longitudinal direction: a heat absorbing portion, a heat transferring portion, and a heat radiating portion.

To briefly explain the principle of operation, first, when the temperature of the heat absorbing portion of the heat pipe rises, the working fluid (pure water) in the heat absorbing portion evaporates. Next, the pure water that has become steam passes through the heat transfer section together with the heat and moves to the heat radiating section. That is, the pure water carries the heat of the heat absorbing section to the heat radiating section. Then, the water vapor containing heat is cooled by the heat radiation in the heat radiating portion and returns to the liquid. Further, the pure water returned to the liquid by cooling the heat radiating section returns to the heat absorbing section through the wick structure. Cooling is performed by such a circulation operation of pure water.

[0007] Numerous methods have been proposed for cooling a heating element by using a single heat pipe having such a cooling function (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-293).
985).

[0008]

However, in the conventional cooling technique using one heat pipe, since only one heat pipe is used, the heat transfer efficiency from the heating element to the heat pipe is extremely low. There is a problem that it is difficult to lower the temperature of the heating element. In addition, since the area to be the heat radiating portion is only one heat pipe, if the heat diffusion efficiency of the heat radiating portion is reduced by some influence, there is a problem that the heat generating element cannot be efficiently cooled.

[0009]

By arranging the heat absorbing portions of the plurality of heat pipes near the heat generating component, the efficiency of heat transfer from the heat generating element to the heat absorbing portion can be improved. Further, by disposing the heat radiating portions of the heat pipe so as to be separated from each other, even when the heat diffusion efficiency in one of the heat radiating portions is reduced, the cooling to the heat generating element can be sufficiently ensured by the other heat radiating portion.

Furthermore, by disposing the heat pipe substantially at the center of the heat sink, heat from the heat radiating portion can be diffused to the entire heat sink.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. 1 and 3 are diagrams relating to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1 is a top view of an apparatus using a heat pipe according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the first embodiment, two heat pipes 1 are arranged on a T-shaped heat sink 6.

More specifically, each heat absorbing portion 2 of the heat pipe 1 approaches each other at a position on the heat sink 6 corresponding to the vicinity of the lowermost end of the T-shape, and the heat pipe 1
Are bent along the shape of the heat sink 6 so that each of the heat radiating portions 4 is located at a position on the heat sink 6 corresponding to the left and right ends of the T-shape.

On the heat absorbing portion 2 of the heat pipe 1, as shown in FIG. 3, a circon sheet 9 made of rubber having high heat conductivity and a heat radiating plate 10 made of a metal material having high heat conductivity such as aluminum. CPU 5 is provided. Note that the metal plate 11 suppresses the left and right movement of the heat pipe 1 and
This is for increasing the efficiency of heat transfer from the heat pipe 1 to the heat sink 6.

Further, the heat pipe 1 is fixed to the heat sink 6 by caulking the heat pipe 1 and the heat sink 6 using a metal plate 8.

In the configuration of the first embodiment, the CPU
5, the contact area between the CPU 5 and the heat pipe 1 is increased by using two heat pipes 1 for cooling the CPU 5.
5 has improved the heat transfer efficiency from the heat pipe 1 to the heat pipe 1. In addition, even if the heat diffusion efficiency of one of the heat radiating portions 4 is reduced by installing the two heat radiating portions 4 apart from each other,
Cooling for the CPU 5 can be sufficiently ensured by the other heat radiation unit 4.

Further, since the heat pipe 1 is disposed so as to extend substantially at the center of the heat sink 6, the heat generated from the heat radiating portion 4 can be spread over the entire heat sink 6. With these various effects, the CPU 5 can be efficiently cooled.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, since the circon sheet 9 is interposed between the heat pipe 1 and the heat radiating plate 10, the degree of adhesion between the heat radiating plate 10 and the heat pipe 1 is increased, and
5 to the heat pipe 1 is improved in heat transfer efficiency.

FIGS. 2 and 4 are diagrams relating to the second embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a state in which two heat pipes 1 in the vicinity of the heat absorbing section 2 in FIG.
This is a device in which fins 7 are formed to increase the cooling efficiency of the device. The structure near the CPU 5 of the above-described apparatus is similar to that of the first embodiment.
0 and the CPU 5 are stacked in this order. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fin 7 shown in FIG.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 has the effect of the first embodiment, and furthermore, the cooling fins 7 are formed on the metal plate 8 in the heat radiating section 4 of FIG. And the cooling efficiency of the heat radiating section 4 is improved.

In this embodiment, the fins 7 are formed on the metal plate 8. However, the metal plate 8 and the fins 7 may be formed independently of each other, or the fins 7 may be formed on the entire heat radiating portion 4 of the heat pipe 1. The same effect as in the present embodiment can be expected even if it is formed.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an electronic device that cools a heat-generating component by using a plurality of heat pipes each including a heat-absorbing section, a heat-transfer section that transfers heat absorbed by the heat-absorbing section, and a heat-radiating section that radiates the transferred heat, By arranging the heat radiating portions of the heat pipe so as to be separated from each other, even when the heat diffusion efficiency of one of the heat radiating portions is reduced, cooling of the CPU can be sufficiently ensured by the other heat radiating portion.

Further, since the heat pipe is disposed on the heat sink and the heat pipe is disposed so as to extend substantially at the center of the heat sink, heat generated from the heat radiating portion is spread over the entire heat sink. Can be

Further, by attaching the cooling fins to the heat pipe, the heat radiating area of the heat pipe is enlarged, and the cooling efficiency of the heat radiating portion is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of an apparatus using a heat pipe according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an apparatus using a heat pipe according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a fin of the device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat pipe 2 Heat absorption part 3 Heat transfer part 4 Heat radiating part 5 CPU 6 Heat sink 7 Fin 8 Metal plate 9 Sircon sheet 10 Heat radiating plate 11 Metal plate

Claims (5)

[Claims] An electronic device for cooling a heat-generating component by using a plurality of heat pipes each including a heat-absorbing section, a heat-transfer section that conducts heat absorbed by the heat-absorbing section, and a heat-radiating section that radiates the transferred heat. In the electronic device, the heat absorbing portion of the heat pipe is arranged near the heat-generating component, and the heat radiating portions of the heat pipe are arranged to be separated from each other. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is disposed on a heat sink. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein said heat pipe is arranged to extend substantially at the center of said heat sink. 4. An electronic device, wherein a cooling fin is attached to the heat pipe according to claim 2. 5. An electronic device for cooling a heat-generating component using a radiator having at least one heat-absorbing portion and a plurality of heat-radiating portions, wherein the heat-absorbing portion is disposed near the heat-generating component and the heat radiating portion is disposed. An electronic device characterized by being spaced apart from each other.