Patent Publication Number: US-8978739-B2

Title: Heat dissipating device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to heat dissipating devices and, particularly, to a heat dissipating device with a fan. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Currently, a thermal module may be provided to dissipate heat from a heat radiation element such as a CPU mounted on a motherboard. In general, a typical thermal module includes a fan and a metallic base. In assembly, the metallic base is mounted on the motherboard first. Then the fan is mounted on the metallic base by fasteners such as screws. Subsequently, the motherboard is installed in a computer case. In use, heat from the CPU is transferred to the metallic base and is further dissipated to the atmosphere with the fan. 
     However, nowadays the computer case is manufactured smaller to meet miniaturization requirement, and the fan is installed onto the motherboard by manual operation from peripherals of the fan, using a screwdriver, for example. As such, when the fan is broken and needs replacement or repair, the computer case cannot accommodate the screwdriver operated by hands, to detach the fan from the motherboard directly. Instead, the fan can be replaced or can be repaired only after the motherboard has been detached from the computer case and removed, and then the fan can be detached from the motherboard. When the fan is replaced or is repaired, the new fan is again installed to the motherboard, and the motherboard is reinstalled in the computer case. It is, therefore, very difficult to replace or repair the fan in the computer case. 
     Therefore, what is needed, is a heat dissipating device, which can overcome the above shortcomings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric and assembled view of a heat dissipating device according to an embodiment, the heat dissipating device including a fan. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric and exploded view of the heat dissipating device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the heat dissipating device of  FIG. 1 , showing the fan being rotated. 
         FIG. 4  is a side plane view of the heat dissipating device of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiment of the heat dissipating device will now be described in detail below and with reference to the drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a heat dissipating device  100  in accordance with an embodiment is shown. The heat dissipating device  100  dissipates heat from a heat radiation element such as a CPU. The CPU may be mounted on a motherboard, for example. In this embodiment, the heat dissipating device  100  includes a support base  20 , a fixing frame  40 , a number of heat sinks  50 , a number of heat pipes  55 , a fan  60 , and a securing arm  80 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the base  20  includes a first base board  21  and a second base board  22 . The first base board  21  includes a first main body  210  and two first supporting arms  211 . The first main body  210  is substantially rectangular plate-shaped. The first supporting arms  211  protrude from a side of the first main body  210 . The two first supporting arms  211  are substantially parallel to each other. The first main body  210  and the first supporting arms  211  cooperatively define a groove  21 A. The second base board  22  includes a second main body  220 , two second supporting arms  222 , and two third supporting arms  223 . The second main body  220  is substantially rectangular plate-shaped. The second supporting arms  222  and the third supporting arms  223  protrude from four corners of the second main body  220 . The second supporting arms  222  are located nearer to the first base board  21 . The two third supporting arms  223  are located farther from the first base board  21 . In assembly, the first base board  21  is attached to the second base board  22  and a motherboard by two first screws  26 . The second base board  22  is attached to the motherboard by two second screw  28 . In this embodiment, the second supporting arms  222  are overlapping the respective first supporting arms  211 , and the first screws  26  extend through the respective second supporting arms  222  and the respective first supporting arms  211  in sequence, to be threadedly attached to the motherboard. The second screws  28  extend through the respective third supporting arms  223  to be threadedly attached to the motherboard. As such, the base  20  is firmly attached to the motherboard. In this embodiment, when the base  20  is attached to the motherboard, a surface of the motherboard is exposed in the groove  21 A. The CPU fully contacts the base  20 , the same as the second base board  22  of the base  20 . 
     The fixing frame  40  is attached to the base  20 , and secures the heat sinks  50  on the base  20 . The heat sinks  50  are arranged in a row, and are substantially parallel to one another. In this embodiment, the fixing frame  40  is substantially U-shaped. That is, the fixing frame  40  includes a top board  41  substantially parallel to the first base board  21 , and two pedestals  42  extending downwards from opposite ends of the top board  41 . The top board  41 , the pedestals  42 , and the first base board  21  cooperatively define a first receiving space  400  receiving the heat sinks  50 . In this embodiment, the top board  41  is substantially rectangular. The fixing frame  40  includes two flanges  43  extending from the two pedestals  42  in opposite directions. In addition, the pedestals  42  extend horizontally toward the second base board  22 . Each of the pedestals  42  includes an extension portion  424  protruding from the top board  41 . In assembly of the fixing frame  40 , the fixing frame  40  is fixed to the first base board  21  by two third screws  423 . The two third screws  423  extend through the corresponding flanges  43  and the first base board  21  to be threadedly attached to the motherboard. The top board  41  of the fixing frame  40  abuts against the heat sinks  50 , such that the heat sinks  50  fully contact the first base board  21 . With this configuration, the heat sinks  50  are used to dissipate heat from the first base board  21 . In alternative embodiments, adhesive or glue can be coated on the surfaces of the heat sinks  50 , and the heat sinks  50  can be firmly attached to the first base board  21  via the adhesive or glue. The heat sinks  50  thus dissipate heat from the first base board  21  efficiently. 
     In this embodiment, the heat sinks  50  are spaced from one another to form a corresponding space between each two neighboring heat sinks  50 . The spaces allow airflow therethrough to draw heat away from the heat sinks  50 . In alternative embodiments, the fixing frame  40  may be structured and arranged in another configuration to secure the heat sinks  50  on the base  20 . 
     Each of the heat pipes  51  includes an evaporator section  551 , a condenser section  552 , and a connection section  553  located between and connected to the evaporator section  551  and the condenser section  552 . The condenser sections  552  are attached to the heat sinks  50 . In this embodiment, extending from the condenser sections  552  are two pedestals  42 , the heat sinks  50  are disposed between the two pedestals  42  in a way that they abut against the heat sinks  50 . The connection sections  553  are deformed, and extend from the heat sinks  50  to the base  20 . The evaporator sections  551  extend through the second base board  22  to fully contact the second base board  22  to be located adjacent to the CPU. In use, heat from the CPU is transferred from the evaporator section  551  to the condenser section  552 , and the heat sinks  50  dissipate heat from the condenser section  552 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the fan  60  is pivotably attached to the fixing frame  40 . The fixing frame  40  includes two first pivoting portions  4240 . The fan  60  includes two second pivoting portions  64 . The two first pivoting portions  4240  and the two second pivoting portions  64  engage with each other, such that the fan  60  can be rotated relative to the fixing frame  40 . In this embodiment, the two first pivoting portions  4240  are two receiving holes  4240 . The two second pivoting portions  64  are two shafts  64 . The two receiving holes  4240  are defined in the respective extension portions  424 , and coaxially are aligned with each other. The two shafts  64  are extending from opposite sides of the fan  60 , and are coaxially aligned with each other. The two shafts  64  are fittingly received in the respective receiving holes  4240 , such that the fan  60  can be rotated about the axes of the aligned receiving holes  4240 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the two first pivoting portions  4240  may be two shafts. The two second pivoting portions  64  may be two corresponding receiving holes receiving the shafts. In other alternative embodiments, the fixing frame  40  may include only a receiving hole or a shaft, the fan  60  may include only a corresponding shaft or a corresponding receiving hole. By inserting the shaft and in the corresponding receiving hole, the fan  60  can also be rotated relative to axes of the receiving hole. 
     In this embodiment, the fan  60  includes a first surface  61 , a second surface  62 , a plane surface  63 , and a curved surface  65 . The first surface  61  and the second surface  62  are located at opposite sides of the fan  60 . The plane surface  63  and the curved surface  65  each are located between and adjoin the first surface  61  and the second surface  62 . The curved surface  65  is in substantially U-shaped configuration. The curved surface  65  adjoins the plane surface  63 . 
     The fan  60  includes a number of blades ( FIG. 2  shows only a rotation axis  66  of the blades), and the fan  60  has a second receiving space  600  receiving the blades. The second receiving space  600  is exposed at the first surface  61  and the plane surface  63 . The two shafts  64  extend from opposite portions of the curved surface  65 , which adjoin the plane surface  63  nearer to the first surface  61 . In addition, the fan  60  includes a protrusion  68  protruding from the curved surface  65 . The protrusion  68  is located nearer to the second surface  62  and further from the first surface  61 . In operation, the fan  60  can be rotated in a clockwise direction S shown in  FIG. 4 . The first surface  61  is substantially coplanar with the top board  41  when the fan  60  is rotated to abut against the base  20 . 
     When the fan  60  abuts against the base  20 , the plane surface  63  of the fan  60  is located adjacent to the heat sinks  50 . The blades of the fan  60  can be rotated to generate airflow through the spaces of the heat sinks  50 , thus drawing heat away from the heat sinks  50 , and increasing heat dissipating efficiency of the device  100 . In this embodiment, the second receiving space  600  of the fan  60  and the groove  21 A cooperatively define an air flowing channel P (see  FIG. 1 ). The airflow generated by the blades of the fan  60  can be used to draw the heat from a surface of the motherboard (the heat is generally generated by the CPU) along the air flowing channel P to an exterior of the fan  60 . 
     The fixing frame  40  is suitable to be deformed or is flexible, thus the two extension portions  424  can be distorted slightly in opposite directions, and the two shafts  64  can be easily inserted into respective receiving holes  4240 . In this embodiment, the fixing frame  40  can be a galvanized steel plane sheet. Each of the extension portions  424  has a slot  425  defined therein. The slot  425  is defined adjacent to the receiving hole  4240 , and is configured for spacing a section of the extension portion  424  with the receiving hole  4240  from another section of the extension portion  424  without the receiving hole  4240 . Therefore, the sections of the extension portions  424  with the receiving holes  4240  can be distorted slightly in opposite directions easily. In this embodiment, each of the slots  425  extend in a direction substantially parallel to the first base board  21  toward the heat sinks  50  but do not extend to the pedestals  42 . 
     The securing arm  80  abuts the fan  60  against the base  20 . In this embodiment, the securing arm  80  is made by deforming a metallic rod, and includes two shaft portions  81 , a retaining portion  82 , an engaging portion  83 , and a restraining portion  84 . The two shaft portions  81  are coaxially aligned with each other. The retaining portion  82  is located between and connected to the two respective shaft portions  81 . The engaging portion  83  is connected to an end of a shaft portion  81  facing away from the retaining portion  82 . The restraining portion  84  is connected to an end of another shaft portion  81  facing away from the retaining portion  82 . In this embodiment, the base  20  includes a strip-shaped supporting portion  23  protruding from the second base board  22 . The supporting portion  23  has a recess  23 A defined therein, and includes a hooked end  230  protruding from a peripheral portion of the second base board  22 . For pivotably attaching the securing arm  80  to the base, the second base board  22  has a guiding hole  225  and two steps  228  defined therein. Each step  228  includes a bottom surface  2280  and a side surface  2282 . The side surface  2282  is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface  2280 . In assembly, the aligned shaft portions  81  of the securing arm  80  are received in the guiding hole  225 . The aligned shaft portions  81  are substantially parallel to the aligned shafts  64 . When the fan  60  is rotated in a clockwise direction S shown in  FIG. 4 , the protrusion  68  abuts against the supporting portion  23  of the second base board  22 , and is received in the recess  23 A. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the protrusion  68  abuts against the supporting portion  23 , the engaging portion  83  can be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction T shown in  FIG. 4  about the aligned shaft portions  81 . The retaining portion  82  is rotated to retain the protrusion  68  on the supporting portion  23 . In this embodiment, the engaging portion  83  cooperates to maintain the protrusion  38  abutting against the supporting portion  230 . In this embodiment, the engaging portion  83  engages the hooked end  230 , the restraining portion  84 , and the engaging portion  83  are located on the respective bottom surfaces  2280  of the steps  228 . As such, the two side surfaces  2282  of the steps  228  cooperatively restrain the aligned shaft portions  81  from sliding in the guiding hole  225 . 
     In use, when the fan  60  needs replacement or repair, the engaging portion  83  can be detached from the hooked end  230 , and the securing arm  80  can be rotated in the clockwise direction S to disengage the retaining portion  82  away from the protrusion  68 . As such, the fan  60  can be rotated in the counter-clockwise direction T, and can be rotated away from the second base board  22 . Then the two extension portions  424  can be deformed slightly in opposite directions to disengage the two shafts  64  from the respective receiving holes  4240 , and the fan  60  can be detached from the fixing frame  40 . When the fan  60  is detached from the fixing frame  40 , the fan  60  can be easily replaced or can be repaired. 
     It is understood that the above-described embodiment is intended to illustrate rather than limit the disclosure. Variations may be made to the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure.