Abstract:
A liquid cooling device includes a casing ( 10 ) having a container ( 14 ) for accommodating liquid therein, and a liquid inlet port ( 18 ) in communication with the container ( 14 ). A funnel-shaped channel is defined in the liquid inlet port ( 18 ), and radiuses of the funnel-shaped channel are descended along a liquid flow direction.

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 utilizing liquid for cooling a heat-generating device.  
         [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 wait-to-be-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.  
         [0006]     It is apparent, the liquid inlet is columned-shaped and its inner radius is fixed. As a result, the liquid flows, at a substantially constant speed, through the liquid inlet into the casing. Heat exchange is not sufficient between the fluid and the casing. Heat taken away from the casing by the liquid is limited. So it is difficult to get maximized heat exchange efficiency of the liquid cooling device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling device getting 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 and a liquid outlet port in communication with the container. A funnel-shaped channel is defined in the liquid inlet port, and radiuses of the funnel-shaped channel are descended along a liquid flow direction.  
         [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 a 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 line 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 for a heat-generating component in accordance with a 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 to absorb heat therefrom, 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, the liquid inlet port  18  defines a funnel-shaped inner channel  180  by an inner surface  181  thereof. Radiuses of the channel  180  are gradually descended along a direction of the liquid flow, i.e., an arrow direction shown in  FIG. 3 . The inner surface  181  of the liquid inlet port  18  is a beeline in an axial direction of the channel  180 . When the liquid flows within the liquid inlet port  18 , the liquid flow speed increases gradually because the radiuses of the channel  180  are descended along the direction of the liquid flow. Thus, a shooting flow is produced when the liquid enters the container  14  through the liquid inlet port  18 . The liquid strongly strikes a middle of the base  11 . A turbulent flow is produced in the container  14 , after the liquid striking the base  11 . Heat exchange efficiency between the liquid and the casing  10  is thereby increased, and the liquid extremely absorbs heat from the base  11 . Then the liquid flows out from the liquid outlet port  19 , taking heat away from the casing  10 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows another type of the liquid inlet port  18 , named by liquid inlet portion  38 . The liquid inlet portion  38  defines a funnel-shaped inner channel  380  by an inner surface  381  thereof. Radiuses of the channel  380  are gradually descended along a direction of the liquid flow. The inner surface  381  of the liquid inlet portion  38  is concave in an axial direction of the channel  380 . It is feasible that the inner surface  381  is convex in the axial direction of the channel  380 . Other references about the liquid cooling device using the liquid inlet portion  38  are the same as those about the liquid cooling device using the liquid inlet port  18 , and are omitted here.  
         [0020]     Generally, heat is collected in a middle of the base  11 , so the liquid inlet portion of the liquid cooling device, whether it is the liquid inlet port  18  or the liquid inlet portion  38 , is positioned at a middle of the lid  12  corresponding to the middle of the base  11 . The liquid flowing through the liquid inlet port  18 , or the liquid inlet portion  38  thereby directly strikes the middle of the base  11  to extremely absorb heat from the base  11 . Most importantly, a shooting flow is produced when the liquid enters the container  14  through the liquid inlet port  18 , or the liquid inlet portion  38 . The liquid strongly strikes the middle of the base  11 . A turbulent flow is produced in the container  14  after the liquid entering the container  14 . Heat exchange efficiency between the liquid and the casing  10  is thereby increased, and the liquid extremely absorbs heat from the base  11 .  
         [0021]     For showing clearly, the casing  10 , the fin member  30  and the actuator  50  are positioned separately, and connected by the  100 ,  200  in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, it is also understood that the fin member  30  can be directly positioned on the casing  10 , and the actuator  50  can be positioned within the fin member  30 , without the liquid outlet pipe  100  and the liquid inlet pipe  200 , to thereby save space occupied by the liquid cooling device.  
         [0022]     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.