Abstract:
A liquid cooling device includes a casing ( 10 ) having a container ( 14 ) for accommodating liquid therein, a liquid inlet port ( 18 ) in communication with the container, and a diversion member ( 20, 20 ′) located in the casing, for leading liquid from the liquid inlet port to a bottom of the container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a cooling device, and more particularly to a cooling device for cooling a heat-generating device utilizing liquid.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Liquid cooling devices were commonly utilized to cool huge systems such as furnaces. Today, liquid cooling devices also are used to cool electronic or electrical components, such as chipsets, dies or computer central processing units (CPUs), by circulating the cooling liquid in a channel.  
         [0005]     Generally, a liquid cooling device comprises a casing, forming a liquid container made of metal material. The casing comprises a base and a lid covering the base. The base is for contacting a cooled component. The lid comprises a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet Liquid pipes respectively connect the liquid outlet and the liquid inlet to a liquid tank. The liquid tank is further provided with a submersible motor therein. In operation to dissipate heat from the cooled component, the liquid in the liquid tank flows through the liquid inlet pipe into the casing, and is drawn by the motor to exit from the casing to the liquid tank for a subsequent circulation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,449 B1 shows such a device utilizing liquid cooling that is used to dissipate heat from a central processing unit or chipset of a computer.  
         [0006]     It is apparent, the liquid directly strikes the base and rebound from the base without heat exchange with the base, and thus splashes in the casing. As a result, the liquid is unable to flow in an optimized route in the casing to get maximized heat exchange efficiency, especially when the container is flat.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling device getting improved liquid flow route for maximized heat exchange efficiency.  
         [0008]     In order to achieve the object set out above, a liquid cooling device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a casing having a container for accommodating liquid therein, a liquid inlet port in communication with the container, and a diversion member located in the casing, for leading liquid from the liquid inlet port to a bottom of the container.  
         [0009]     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of a liquid cooling device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a view of a casing of the liquid cooling device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2 , taken along III-III; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a casing of a liquid cooling device in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a liquid cooling device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a casing  10 , and an actuator  50  connected to the casing  10  by a liquid outlet pipe  100  and a liquid inlet pipe  200  respectively at opposite locations of the actuator  50 .  
         [0015]     The casing  10  comprises a base  11  for intimately contacting a heat generating component or source (not shown) by a side surface thereof, and a lid  12  cooperating with the base  11  to form a container  14  therebetween to accommodate liquid for circulation. The base  11  and the lid  12  are hermetizated by calk packing, shim, or seal, for keeping the liquid from leaking out of the container  14 . A pair of tubular connectors, for connecting the pipes  100 ,  200  to the casing  10 , extends outwardly from the lid  12 . The connectors are respectively named as liquid inlet port  18  and liquid outlet port  19 , according to the directions along which the liquid flows in the connectors. The liquid inlet port  18  is disposed at a middle of the lid  12 .  
         [0016]     The container  14 , the liquid outlet pipe  100 , the actuator  50  and the liquid inlet pipe  200  cooperatively define a hermetical circulation route or loop for liquid. The actuator  50  can be a pump, an impeller, a promoter or the like, for actuating liquid to continuously circulate in the route along the arrow as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0017]     For promoting the cooling efficiency of the device, a radiator is arranged on the liquid circulation route. A fin member  30  is an example of the radiator. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the liquid outlet pipe  100  enters into the fin member  30 , so that heat, still contained in the liquid after naturally cooled in the casing  10 , is removed to the fin member  30  and is dissipated to ambient air. Thus, the liquid is extremely cooled before entering the container  14  for a subsequent circulation. Understandably, a fan (now shown) can be mounted onto the fin member  30  for enhancing heat dissipation capability of the fin member  30 .  
         [0018]     In the present invention, a diversion member, for example a diversion column  20  shown in  FIG. 3 , is further arranged in the container  14  and is directed to the liquid inlet port  18 . The column  20  comprises a locating portion  21  positioned on the base  11  of the casing  10 , a post portion  22  extending from the locating portion  21  toward the liquid inlet port  18 , and an end portion  23  further extending from the post portion  22  into the liquid inlet portion  18 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end portion  23  is tapered from a bottom to an apex thereof, so that liquid enters the container  14  along a sloped outer surface of the tapered end portion  23 . As a result, the liquid is led to and orderly flows on the base  11  to have effective heat exchange with the base  11 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows another type of diversion member, for example a diversion block  20 ′, which is used to guide liquid into the container  14 . The diversion block  20 ′ comprises a bottom portion  24  positioned on the base  11  of the casing  11 . The diversion block  20 ′ extends toward the liquid inlet port  18 , with a top portion  26  thereof entering the liquid inlet port  18 . The diversion block  20 ′ is tapered from the bottom portion  24  to the top portion  26 , to thereby define a concave peripheral surface  25  therebetween. Thus, the liquid enters the container  14  along the concave peripheral surface  25 , and is guided to orderly flow on the base  11  for great heat exchange with the base  11 . Certainly, a convex peripheral surface can also perform what the concave surface  25  does.  
         [0020]     Additionally, the diversion member of the liquid cooling device, whether it is the diversion column  20  or the diversion block  20 ′, is positioned on the base  11  which intimately contacts the cooled component (not shown). Thus, part of heat, accumulated on the base  11 , is transferred to the diversion member, thereby decreasing the temperature of the base  11 . Moreover, the diversion member enlarges the heat exchange surface of the device for greater heat exchange efficiency.  
         [0021]     It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof Thus, the present example and embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.