Patent Publication Number: US-10317961-B2

Title: Electronic device having a bimetallic material

Description:
This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/124,353 filed Dec. 6, 2013, which is a U.S. National Stage Application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2012/087631, filed Dec. 27, 2012, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Embodiments may relate to an electronic device, such as a laptop computer or a notebook computer. 
     2. Background 
     Notebook computers and laptop computers may generate heat when operating. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Arrangements and embodiments may be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a computer according to an example arrangement; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a computer according to an example arrangement; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a computer according to an example arrangement; and 
         FIGS. 4A-4C  are side views of a computer according to an example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following detailed description, like numerals and characters may be used to designate identical, corresponding and/or similar components in differing figure drawings. Further, in the detailed description to follow, example sizes/models/values/ranges may be given although embodiments are not limited to the same. Where specific details are set forth in order to describe example embodiments, it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. 
     Arrangements and embodiments may be described with respect to a computer, such as a laptop computer or a notebook computer. However, arrangements and embodiments may be applicable to other electronic devices, such as mobile communication terminals. 
     As used hereinafter, a computer may be described as having a base and a lid. The base may be formed of a chassis, which defines the structure of the base. An outer surface of the chassis may be called a skin. An inner surface of the chassis may be called a chassis wall (or inner chassis wall). The lid may also be formed of a chassis, and thus may have similar descriptions. 
     Embodiments may reduce a skin temperature of a computer by adjustment of an air gap by using a bimetallic material structure (or a bimetallic material). Embodiments may provide a bimetallic material structure to a computer chassis, and thereby reduce a skin temperature by increasing the air gap between a hot component and an inner chassis wall. The bimetallic material structure may be provided at or near hotspot areas. 
       FIG. 1  shows a computer according to an example arrangement. Other arrangements and configurations may also be provided. 
       FIG. 1  shows a computer  10 , such as a notebook computer or a laptop computer. The computer  10  may include a base  20  and a lid  40  that are coupled together by a hinge device  30 .  FIG. 1  shows the computer  10  in an opened state (or an opened position) in which the lid  40  is separated away from the base  20 . The computer  10  may also be provided in a closed state (or a closed position) when the lid  40  is closed so as to be adjacent to the base  20 . 
     The base  20  of the computer  10  may support various components such as a processor, a touch pad, a memory, a keyboard  50 , a circuit board, a battery, etc. These components may generate heat during operation of the computer  10 . 
     The lid  40  of the computer  10  may support a display  45  for a user to view during use of the computer  10 . The lid  40  may support other electric components. The components of the lid  40  may generate heat during operation of the computer  10 . 
     When the computer  10  is in the opened state, the keyboard  50  on the base  20  and the display  45  on the lid  40  may be exposed to a user located in front of the computer  10 . 
     The base  20  may include a first side  22  (or a top side) and a second side  24  (or a bottom side). The lid  40  may include a first side  42  and a second side  44 . When the computer  10  is in the opened state (such as shown in  FIG. 1 ), the first side  42  of the lid  40  is separated away from the first side  22  of the base  20 . In other words, the keyboard  50  on the first side  22  of the base  20  is exposed to a user and the display  45  on the first side  42  of the lid  40  is exposed to a user. When the computer  10  is in the closed state, the first side  42  of the lid  40  is closed so as to be adjacent to the first side  22  of the base  20 . In other words, the keyboard  50  on the first side  22  of the base  20  is not exposed to a user and the display  45  on the first side  42  of the lid  40  is not exposed to a user. 
     The hinge device  30  may allow the lid  40  to rotate (or move) about a rotational axis that is parallel to a width of the lid  40  (or a width of the base  20 ). The lid  40  may rotate about the rotational axis of the hinge device  30  between the closed state and the opened state. 
     In at least one arrangement, a heat exchange device  70  may be provided in an area of the hinge device  30  between the base  20  and the lid  40 . The heat exchange device  70  may be adjacent to the hinge device  30  in an area between the base  20  and the lid  40 , and the heat exchange device  70  may create an opening (or openings) in the area between the lid  40  and the base  20 . The heat exchange device  70  may be passive in at least one example arrangement. 
     Other types of heat exchange devices may also be provided. Heat exchange devices may be provided in other areas of the base  20  and/or the lid  40 . 
     The base  20  may also include numerous components between the first side  22  and the second side  24 . The components may be considered internal components (or within the base  20 ). The internal components may include a processor on a circuit board, for example. 
     A thermal attacher may be coupled to the processor (or other internal component) and a heat spreader may be coupled to the thermal attacher. The heat spreader may be a heat pipe. The thermal attacher and the heat spreader may also be called a heat dissipating device to dissipate heat from the processor to the heat exchange device  70  (or other heat exchange device). 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of a computer according to an example arrangement. Other arrangements and configurations may also be provided. 
       FIG. 2  shows components between the first side  22  (or the top side) and the second side  24  (or the bottom side) of the base. An outer surface  221  of the first side  22  may be called a skin, and an inner surface  222  of the first side  22  may be called a chassis wall (or inner chassis wall). An outer surface  241  of the second side  24  may be called a skin, and an inner surface  242  of the second side  24  may be called a chassis wall (or inner chassis wall). 
     The keyboard  50  may be provided on the top of the base  20 . The outer surface  221  of the first side  22  (i.e., the upper skin) may surround edges of the keyboard  50  (or the keyboard device). The internal components of the base  20  may include a circuit board  60  (such as a printed circuit board), a socket  62 , a processor  64  and a thermal device  66 , for example. Other internal components may also be provided. 
     The circuit board  60  may be provided between the first side  22  and the second side  24  of the base  20 . The socket  62  may be provided on the circuit board  60  to couple the processor  64  to the circuit board  60 . The thermal device  66 , such as a heat sink, may be provided on the processor  64  to help dissipate heat from the processor  64 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a gap  68  between the thermal device  66  and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second side  24 . The gap  68  may be an air gap. A distance of the gap  68  may affect a temperature of the skin (i.e., the outer surface  241  of the second side  24 ). 
     Internal components may produce heat and/or may be heated during use of the computer  10 . These devices may be called heat producing devices, hot devices, hot components, etc. For example, the processor  64  and the thermal device  66  may be considered a hot component. 
     A temperature of the chassis of the second side  24  may be dependent on a distance between a hot component (such as a heat producing device) and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second side  24 . For example, when the distance (or gap) between a hot component and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second side  24  decreases, then a temperature of the skin (i.e., the outer surface  241 ) forming the second side  24  may increase. On the other hand, when the distance (or gap) between a hot component and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second skin  24  increases, then a temperature of the skin forming the second side  24  may decrease. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the air  68  may represent the distance between a hot component and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second side  24 . When the gap  68  (such as between the thermal device  66  and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second side  24 ) decreases, then a temperature of the skin (i.e., the outer surface  241 ) forming the second side  24  may increase. On the other hand, when the gap  68  (such as between the thermal device  66  and the inner surface  242  (or the chassis wall) of the second skin  24 ) increases, then a temperature of the skin forming the second side  24  may decrease. 
     When a temperature of a skin of a computer increases, then a user may have a lower comfort level (due to the higher temperature). 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of a computer according to an example arrangement. Other arrangements may also be provided. 
       FIG. 3  shows that the second side  24  of the base  20  may include the skin  241  and a door  242 . The skin  241  may surround edges of the door  242 . The door  242  may be provided at an area that corresponds to a location of a heat producing device (or hot component) provided inside the base  20 , such as the processor  64 . The door  70  may be aligned with the heat producing device (or hot component) so that the door  70  may be easily removed for access to the processor  64 . 
     The door  70  may also be called a sheet, a plate or a patch, for example. 
     The door  242  may be attached to the skin  241  by screws or other attaching device (such as snaps). The door  242  may be positioned so that it may be removed from the base  20  for access to internal components. 
     In an example arrangement, the skin  241  may be formed of plastic or metal (such as an Al alloy). As will be discussed below, in an example embodiment, the door  70  may be a bimetallic material structure. 
     Embodiments may provide a bimetallic sheet/door/patch/plate to a computer chassis on a hot area for skin temperature reduction. 
       FIGS. 4A-4C  are side views of a computer according to an example embodiment. Other embodiments and configurations may also be provided. 
     More specifically,  FIGS. 4A-4C  show the first side  22  of the base  20 , the skin  241  (on the second side  24 ) and a bimetallic material structure  100 . The bimetallic material structure  100  may correspond to the door  70  of the base  20 . 
       FIGS. 4A-4C  also shows the keyboard  50 , the circuit board  60  and the processor  64  on the circuit board  60 . For ease of illustration,  FIGS. 4A-4C  only shows the processor  64  on the circuit board  60  (even though the socket  62  may be provided on the circuit board  60  to receive the processor  64 ). Other heat producing devices or heat components may also be provided. 
       FIGS. 4A-4C  show the bimetallic material structure  100  provided at a location (or area) that aligns with a heat producing device provided in the base  20 . For example, the bimetallic material structure  100  may be provided in a same area as the processor  64  (i.e., the bimetallic material structure  100  is aligned with the processor  64 ). The bimetallic material structure  100  may be surrounded by the skin  241  (i.e., forming the outer surface of the second side  24  of the base  20 ). 
     In another embodiment, the entire bottom portion of the base  20  may be formed of a bimetallic material structure  100  (or bimetallic structure). In another embodiment, the entire chassis that forms the base  20  may be formed of the bimetallic material structure  100  (or bimetallic structure). 
     The bimetallic material structure  100  may be formed of two metal layers that have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). For example and as shown in  FIGS. 4A-4C , the bimetallic material structure  100  may include a first metal layer  101  and a second metal layer  102 . The first metal layer  101  may have a first CTE, and the second metal layer  102  may have a second CTE. The first CTE may be less than the second CTE. 
     As one example, the first metal layer  101  having the first CTE may be a passive layer formed of FeNi36. The second metal layer  102  may be an active layer formed of MnCu18Ni10. Other materials may be used for both the first metal layer  101  and the second metal layer  102 . 
     The different CTEs of the first and second metal layers  101 ,  102  may allow more bending of the bimetallic material structure  100  when a temperature of the bimetallic material structure  100  (or an interior of the base  20 ) increases. The second metal layer  102  may bend more than the first metal layer  101 , as shown in  FIGS. 4A-4C . Embodiments may utilize a larger bending degree of the bimetallic material structure  100  to increase a gap between the hot component and the bimetallic material structure  100 . Thus, a temperature of the skin may be reduced. 
       FIG. 4A  shows a gap  112  between the processor  64  (i.e., a hot component) and the first metal layer  101  when a colder temperature (or first temperature) is provided in the internal area of the base  20 .  FIG. 4B  shows a gap  114  between the processor  64  and the first metal layer  101  when a warmer temperature (or second temperature) is provided in the internal area of the base  20 .  FIG. 4C  shows a gap  116  between the processor  64  and the first metal layer  101  when a hotter temperature (or third temperature) is provided in the internal area of the base  20 . The gap  116  is larger than the gap  114 , and the gap  114  is larger than the gap  112 . 
     Embodiments may relate to a tablet in which the base may be called a body. Embodiments may also relate to a notebook computer. 
     Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments. 
     Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.