PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-7397164-B1
Application Number: US-91278804-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Substantially noiseless cooling device for electronic devices

Abstract:
A cooling device of an electronic component. The cooling device comprises a carrier having one or more openings, a piezoelectric member moveably disposed in one of the openings, a plurality of conductive wires disposed within the carrier and extending into the openings, wherein one or more conductive wires being coupled to the piezoelectric member, and an interconnecting member connecting the conductive wires to a power source, wherein when power is supplied, the piezoelectric member vibrates to circulate air and dissipate heat.

Claims:
1. A cooling device comprising:
 a carrier having one or more openings; 
 a piezoelectric member, moveably disposed in one of the openings; 
 a plurality of conductive wires disposed on the carrier and extending into the openings, wherein one or more of the plurality of conductive wires being coupled to the piezoelectric member; and 
 an interconnecting member connecting the conductive wires to a power source, wherein when power is supplied, the piezoelectric member vibrates relative to the carrier which causes the piezoelectric member to be the sole provider of an air jet impingement, wherein the air jet impingement is significant enough to dissipate heat generated by an electronic component. 
 
     
     
       2. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to vibrate at a non-audible frequency. 
     
     
       3. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of conductive wires interconnects serially the piezoelectric members. 
     
     
       4. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to vibrate at a non-audible frequency that produces a vibration magnitude less than or equal to about 2 mm. 
     
     
       5. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the air jet impingement impinges on a surface to create air circulation over the surface. 
     
     
       6. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the carrier is rigid. 
     
     
       7. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of conductive wires are further strain relief members to allow the piezoelectric member to vibrate. 
     
     
       8. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the carrier is mountable to an electronic device to provide heat dissipating for the electronic device. 
     
     
       9. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the carrier is mountable to an electronic device of a computer system to provide heat dissipation for the electronic device of the computer system. 
     
     
       10. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to move in a substantially perpendicular direction to a surface of the carrier and wherein the piezoelectric member defines a plane which is parallel with the surface&#39;s plane and wherein the one or more openings are parallel with the plane. 
     
     
       11. The cooling device of  claim 1  wherein the cooling device includes more than one piezoelectric members, each of the piezoelectric members is disposed within one of the openings. 
     
     
       12. The cooling device of  claim 11  wherein all of the piezoelectric members disposed in the carrier vibrate substantially at the same rate and substantially at the same magnitude when power is supplied to the conductive wires. 
     
     
       13. The cooling device of  claim 1  the piezoelectric member is one of a disc member, a strip member, or a beam member. 
     
     
       14. A computer system comprising:
 an electronic component disposed within an enclosure case; 
 a cooling device placed over a surface of an electronic component of the computer system, the cooling device further comprises a carrier having a plurality of openings, a plurality of piezoelectric members each moveably disposed in one of the openings of the carrier, a plurality of conductive wires disposed on the carrier and extending into the openings, wherein the plurality of conductive wires are coupled to the plurality of piezoelectric members; and 
 an interconnecting member connecting the plurality of conductive wires to a power source, wherein when power is supplied, the piezoelectric members vibrate relative to the carrier which causes the piezoelectric members to be the sole providers of an air jet impingement to dissipate heat generated by the electronic component. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the electronic component includes any one of an integrated circuit chip, a central processing unit, a hard drive, a battery, and a graphic controller card. 
     
     
       16. The computer system of  claim 15  further comprises a display apparatus coupled to the enclosure case and controlled at least in part by the graphic controller chip. 
     
     
       17. The computer system of  claim 15  wherein the computer system is a notebook computer. 
     
     
       18. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to vibrate at a non-audible frequency. 
     
     
       19. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to vibrate at a non-audible frequency that produces a vibration magnitude less than or equal to about 2 mm. 
     
     
       20. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the air jet impingement impinges on a surface to create air circulation over the surface of the electronic component. 
     
     
       21. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the carrier is rigid. 
     
     
       22. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the plurality of conductive wires are further strain relief members to allow the piezoelectric members to vibrate. 
     
     
       23. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the carrier is mountable to the electronic component to provide heat dissipating for the electronic component. 
     
     
       24. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to move in a substantially perpendicular direction to a surface of the carrier and wherein the piezoelectric members are disposed in a plane which is parallel with the surface&#39;s plane and wherein the openings are parallel with the plane. 
     
     
       25. The computer system of  claim 14  wherein the piezoelectric members vibrate substantially at the same rate and substantially at the same magnitude when power is supplied to the plurality of conductive wires. 
     
     
       26. A method to dissipate heat from an electronic component comprising:
 placing a carrier having a plurality of piezoelectric members disposed therein over a surface of the electronic component where heat is generated; 
 wherein the piezoelectric members are connected through a plurality of conductive wires disposed through the carrier and wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to vibrate relative to the carrier when power is supplied to the piezoelectric members; and 
 supplying power to the piezoelectric members, wherein the supplying of power causes the piezoelectric members to be the sole providers of an air jet impingement that impinges on the surface of the electronic component to circulate air, wherein the air jet impingement is significant enough to dissipate heat generated by an electronic component. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  further comprises configuring the piezoelectric members so that the piezoelectric members vibrate at a non-audible frequency when power is supplied. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 26  further comprises configuring the piezoelectric members so that the piezoelectric members vibrate at a non-audible frequency that produces a vibration magnitude less than or equal to about 2 mm when power is supplied. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26  further comprises fixedly mounting the wherein the carrier to the electronic component. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 26  further comprises placing the electronic component within a computer system. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 26  further comprises configuring the piezoelectric members so that the piezoelectric members vibrate in a substantially perpendicular direction to a surface of the carrier and wherein the piezoelectric members are disposed in a plane which is parallel with the surface&#39;s plane and wherein the openings on the surface are parallel with the plane. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 26  wherein all of the piezoelectric members vibrate substantially at the same rate and substantially at the same magnitude when power is supplied. 
     
     
       33. A computer system comprising:
 an electronic component disposed within an enclosure case; 
 a cooling device placed within the enclosure case which provides a vertical space of only about 2 mm for the cooling device of the computer system, the cooling device further comprises a carrier having a plurality of openings formed in a surface of the carrier, a plurality of piezoelectric members each moveably disposed relative to the openings of the carrier and each defining a plane which is parallel with a plane of the openings and parallel with the surface, a plurality of conductive wires disposed on the carrier and coupled to the plurality of piezoelectric members; and 
 an interconnecting member connecting the plurality of conductive wires to a power source, wherein when power is supplied, the piezoelectric members vibrate relative to the carrier which causes the piezoelectric members to be the sole providers of an air jet impingement to dissipate heat generated by the electronic component. 
 
     
     
       34. The computer system of  claim 33  wherein the electronic component includes any one of an integrated circuit chip, a central processing unit, a hard drive, a battery, and a graphic controller card. 
     
     
       35. The computer system of  claim 33  further comprises a display apparatus coupled to the enclosure case and controlled at least in part by the graphic controller chip. 
     
     
       36. The computer system of  claim 33  wherein the computer system is a notebook computer.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Aspects of the present invention pertains to a substantially noiseless cooling device for cooling electronic devices such as a hard drive, an optical device, a battery, a central processing unit (CPU) or other integrated circuit device of a computer (or an enclosure skin of a system) and more particularly, of a notebook computer. 
     Advances continue to be made in the manufacture of solid-state electronic devices, resulting in increasing functionality, density, and performance of the integrated circuits (ICs). The amount of heat generated, and accordingly the amount of power needed to be dissipated, by modern integrated circuits generally increases with increases in the density and speed of the circuits. Removal of heat produced by the integrated circuits therefore continues to be of significant concern of modern integrated circuit package and system designers, considering the loss of performance and the degradation in reliability of integrated circuits when operated at elevated temperatures. 
     In addition, the trend toward more compact electronic systems is also continuing, exacerbating the thermal problem produced by the high-complexity and high-performance integrated circuits. For example, laptop or notebook sized computers have recently become quite popular, with continuing market pressure toward even smaller computer systems such as personal digital assistants (PDA). However, these small computer systems eliminate many of the traditional techniques for heat removal available for large-scale computer systems, such as the use of fans for convection cooling of the integrated circuits. As such, many modern computer systems utilize thermal conduction as the primary mode of heat removal from the integrated circuits in the computer system. 
     Many methods and apparatuses have been developed to remove heat from heat generating components located within the confines of a computer system enclosure. One method includes a simple attachment of a finned heat sink to the top surface of the device. Another method includes using finned heat sinks having integral fans. Another method includes the use of large, flat heat spreading plates attached directly or indirectly to the device to be cooled off. Many methods involves coupling the heat spreading plate to a heat pipe or other low resistance thermal path. 
     Although various methods or apparatuses have shown sufficient in the past, they do not provide the heat removal capacity and/or efficiency needed to cool current and future high-performance microprocessors or electronic devices included in computer systems, especially portable computer systems or other thin profile electronic devices. For example, because of the density of electronics inside a notebook computer, a number of strategies (e.g., heat pipes, radiator fins, and fans) have been used to provide adequate cooling to the components inside such computer. However, at least for some models of the notebook computer, the lower surface of the computer becomes quite hot during operation. If adequate ventilation to the devices are not provided, overheating of the internal components may result along with possible malfunction. Also, inadequate ventilation may cause discomfort to user using such notebook computer due to the overheating factor. 
     As processors and power devices get faster and hotter, and as package densities increase, the need for reliable, effective, and efficient thermal management devices become crucial. Thus, there is a need for a heat-dissipating device that can dissipate heat generated from an IC, ICs, or IC containing electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance to embodiments of the present invention, a cooling device is provided. The cooling device utilizes piezoelectric components, which can vibrate when power is supplied. The piezoelectric components are configured so that they vibrate at a non-audible frequency in the infrasonic or ultrasonic range and so that they vibrate with a substantially small magnitude in the order of sub-millimeter, or that they vibrate with a magnitude less than or equal to about 1 mm. The piezoelectric components configured as such allowed the cooling device to be placed in a confined and small space and still effectively create air circulation to cool particular electronic devices. Additionally, piezoelectric components configured as such allowed the cooling device to operate as a substantially “noiseless” cooling device since the piezoelectric components vibrate at a non-audible frequency. 
     One aspect of the invention pertains to a cooling device that comprises a carrier having one or more openings, a piezoelectric member moveably disposed in one of the openings, a plurality of conductive wires disposed within the carrier and extending into the openings, wherein one or more conductive wires being coupled to the piezoelectric member, and an interconnecting member connecting the conductive wires to a power source, wherein when power is supplied, the piezoelectric member vibrates to circulate air and dissipate heat. 
     One aspect of the invention pertains to a computer system that comprises an electronic component disposed within an enclosure case of the computer system and a cooling device placed over a surface of the electronic component of the computer system. The cooling device comprises a carrier having a plurality of openings, a plurality of piezoelectric members each moveably disposed in one of the openings of the carrier, a plurality of conductive wires disposed within the carrier and extending into the openings, wherein the plurality of conductive wires coupling to the plurality of piezoelectric members, and an interconnecting member connecting the plurality of conductive wires to a power source. When power is supplied, the piezoelectric members vibrate to dissipate heat generated by the electronic component. 
     Another aspect of the invention pertains to a method to dissipate heat from an electronic component that comprises placing a carrier having a plurality of piezoelectric members disposed therein over a surface of the electronic component where heat is generated. The piezoelectric members are connected through a plurality of conductive wires disposed through the carrier and wherein the piezoelectric members are configured to vibrate when power is supplied to the piezoelectric members. The method further comprises supplying power to the piezoelectric members to cause in air jet impingement that impinges on the surface of the electronic component to circulate air. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary cooling device in accordance to embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another exemplary cooling device in accordance to embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a computer system that can benefit from a cooling device of the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4-6  illustrates a cooling device being incorporated into a computer system to dissipate heat for a hard drive of the computer system; and 
         FIGS. 7-9  illustrates a cooling device being incorporated into a computer system to dissipate heat for a battery of the computer system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to specific configurations and techniques pertaining to an apparatus and method for removing heat from a heat generating component located within an electronic or computer system enclosure is described. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth such as material types, dimensions, processing steps, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known elements and processing techniques have not been shown in particular detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. In order to illustrate the need for cooling systems that are capable of being integrated within an enclosure especially one having limited available space, this discussion will mainly be limited to those needs associated with removing heat from integrated circuits housed within portable computers, such as notebook and laptop computers. It will be recognized, however, that such focus is for descriptive purposes only and that the apparatus and methods of the present invention are applicable to other thin profile or small form factor electronic devices. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the various changes and modifications to be made while remaining within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, well known elements, devices, components, circuits, process steps and the like are not set forth in detail. 
     Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a substantially noiseless cooling device for cooling electronic devices such as a hard drive, an optical device, a battery, a central processing unit (CPU) or other integrated circuit devices of an electronic device, a computer system and more particularly, of a laptop or notebook computer. 
     In accordance to embodiments of the present invention, a cooling device is provided. The cooling device utilizes piezoelectric components, which can vibrate when power is supplied. The piezoelectric components are configured so that they vibrate at a non-audible frequency in the infrasonic or ultrasonic range and so that they vibrate with a substantially small magnitude in the order of sub-millimeter, or that they vibrate with a magnitude less than or equal to about 1 mm. The piezoelectric components configured as such allowed the cooling device to be placed in a confined and small space and still effectively create air circulation to cool particular electronic devices. Additionally, piezoelectric components configured as such allowed the cooling device to operate as a substantially “noiseless” cooling device since the piezoelectric components vibrate at a non-audible frequency. The cooling device of the embodiments of the present invention can be used to place over a particular electronic device that generates heat to create or generate air circulation over the particular electronic device to dissipate the heat. Throughout this discussion, the use of the term “particular electronic device” may refer to a wide range of electronic devices such as a battery, a battery compartment memory module access door, a hard disk drive, an optical drive, a graphic card controller, a central processing unit, an integrated circuits or other devices disposed in a computer system or other like machines. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary cooling device  100 , which includes a piezoelectric member  102  disposed within an opening  104  of a carrier  106 . The piezoelectric member  102  is electrically actuated. The piezoelectric member  102  comprises an element that when subjected to an electrical energy can convert such energy into a mechanical energy represented by vibration. Thus, the piezoelectric member  102  can be connected to an electrical current or electrical charge, which when so connected, will vibrate. The vibration of the piezoelectric member  102  causes air to circulate thus, cooling down the electronic device that the cooling device  100  is placed over. In one embodiment, when electrical energy is supplied to the piezoelectric member  102 , the piezoelectric member  102  creates an air jet impingement that impinges on the surface of the particular electrical device that the cooling device  100  is placed over so that air will be circulated. Additionally, negative pressure can be created so that more air is drawn in or across the cooling device  100  to dissipate heat for the particular electronic device. When the piezoelectric member  102  vibrates or actuates, there is thus an air turbulence created over the surface of the particular electronic device to dissipate heat from such device. 
     The piezoelectric member  102  can be made of ceramics (such as silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ), boron carbide (B 4 C), silicon carbide (SiC), magnesium diboride (MgB 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), and ferrite (Fe 3 O 4 )), quartz crystals, quartz analogue crystals (such as berlinite (AlPO 4 ) and gallium orthophosphate (GaPO 4 )), ceramics with perovskite (lime titanate mineral) or tungsten-bronze structures (such as BaTiO 3 , KNbO 3 , LiNbO 3 , LiTaO 3 , BiFeO 3 , NaxWO 3 , Ba 2 NaNb 5 O 5 , Pb 2 KNb 5 O 15 ), and certain polymers such as polyvinlidene fluoride, (—CH 2 -CF 2 —) n , rubber, and wood. 
     The piezoelectric member  102  can have various shape and size depending on application or depending on the electronic component that the cooling device  100  is adapted to dissipate heat. The piezoelectric member  102  can be a disc, a strip, or a beam, each having a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, an oval shape, or other suitable shape. In one embodiment, the piezoelectric member  102  has a shape that is similar to the shape of the opening  104 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the piezoelectric member  102  is a circular disc and the opening  104  has a circular shape of similar parameter as the piezoelectric member  102 . In one embodiment, the piezoelectric member  102  has a size of a dime. In some embodiment, the piezoelectric member  102  has a circular shape and has a diameter ranging from about 0.5 cm to about 2.5 cm. The piezoelectric member  102  may have a thickness less than or equal to about 1 mm. Other sizes and shapes could also be possible without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. 
     In the present embodiment, the opening  104  also has a size similar to the size of a dime. The piezoelectric member  102  and the opening  104  can be sized to be very close to each other or not so close to each other. A gap  110  is created between the piezoelectric member  102  and the opening  104 . The gap  110  contributes to the air space provide for heat generated from a particular electronic device to dissipate as the piezoelectric member  102  is actuated or vibrated. In generally, the larger the gap  110 , the more heat is able to dissipate into the surrounding area. In one embodiment, the gap  110  has a length of about 1 mm to about 10 mm. 
     The dimension and material of the piezoelectric member  102  dictates the frequency that the piezoelectric member  102  will vibrate. The size, thickness, and shape as well as the material of the piezoelectric member  102  all controls to the frequency of the piezoelectric member  102  vibration. The piezoelectric member  102  is thus configured so that the piezoelectric member  102  can vibrate within a non-audible frequency, either in infrasonic (below audible range) or ultrasonic range (above audible range). Because the piezoelectric member  102  is configured to vibrate or actuate within the non-audible frequency, the cooling device  100  can operate as a “noiseless fan” or a “noiseless cooling device” to dissipate heat for a particular electronic device. 
     Within the ultrasonic range, the piezoelectric member  102 &#39;s magnitude of vibration is small. The piezoelectric member  102  can vibrate with a magnitude of about 1 mm or less. The piezoelectric member  102  thus can actuate with a magnitude of about 1 mm or less, and in some embodiment, the piezoelectric member  102  actuates at a magnitude at the micron levels. With such a small magnitude of vibration, the motion, vibration, or actuation of the piezoelectric member  102  may not necessarily be visible. Further, with such a small magnitude of vibration, the piezoelectric member  102  can be sandwiched in a very small space (e.g., about 1-2 mm or less) and still function efficiently in a noiseless fashion to create air flow to dissipate heat for the particular electronic device. 
     Within the infrasonic range, the piezoelectric member  102 &#39;s magnitude of vibration is still small but may be slightly larger than that of the ultrasonic range. In one embodiment, at the infrasonic range, the piezoelectric member  102  vibrates with a magnitude of 1 mm or more, or alternatively, a magnitude of about 1-3 mm. The piezoelectric member  102  operating in the infrasonic range still produces a noiseless vibration and still can be sandwiched within a very small space. 
     The frequency of the piezoelectric member  102  can be chosen to accommodate the space available for the cooling device  100  to dissipate heat from a particular electronic device. For instance, when only a small space (e.g., about 1-2 mm or less) is available, as is typical in a notebook or a laptop computer system, the piezoelectric member  102  could be configured to operate in the ultrasonic range so that the piezoelectric member  102  can vibrate or actuate with a small magnitude. When a larger space (e.g., about 1-2 mm or more) is available, the piezoelectric member  102  could be configured to operate in the infrasonic range (or alternatively, ultrasonic range) so that the piezoelectric member  102  can vibrate or actuate with an appropriate magnitude. 
     The electrical energy supplied to the piezoelectric member  102  contributes minutely or minimally to the frequency of the vibration thus can be of a wide range of power. In one embodiment, an electrical energy of about 10-100 milli-watts is used to supply currents or charges to the piezoelectric member  102  sufficiently to cause the piezoelectric member  102  to actuate or vibrate. The electrical energy for the cooling device  100  can be easily obtained from a convenient source such as a power supply component in a computer system. 
     In one embodiment, the piezoelectric member  102  is moveably disposed within the opening  104  such that when the electrical energy is applied, the piezoelectric member  102  can vibrate or actuate up and down in a vertical direction or in a perpendicular direction relative to the plane of the carrier  106 . In one embodiment, the piezoelectric member  102  is held in the opening by a plurality of conductive wires  108  which also act as strain relief wires. The wires  108  enable electrical energy in the form of current or charge to be delivered to the piezoelectric member  102 . The wires  108  also allow the piezoelectric member  102  to be moveably held in the openings  104  while being able to actuate as a result of the electrical energy. 
     Still with  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the plurality of conductive wires  108  are placed within the carrier  106  and extending out into the opening  104  so that they can be coupled to the piezoelectric member  102 . One or more of the conductive wires  108  can be coupled to the piezoelectric member  102  by various techniques. In one embodiment, the conductive wires  108  are placed in openings (not shown) created into the piezoelectric member  102  and sealed (e.g., using adhesive) to create the coupling of the conductive wires  108  to the piezoelectric member  102 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the cooling device  100  is configured to include more than one piezoelectric member  102 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the cooling device  100  includes a plurality of piezoelectric members  102  placed in the carrier  106 . A plurality of piezoelectric members  102  is typically more preferable than one single piezoelectric member  102  since more air circulation can be generated. In this embodiment, the carrier  106  includes a plurality of openings  104  and one piezoelectric member  102  is placed within each opening  104 . Similar to previously described, a plurality of conductive wires  108  are disposed within the carrier  106  and extending out of the openings  104  to couple to each of the piezoelectric members  102 . 
     In one embodiment, the conductive wires  108  are interconnected serially and the piezoelectric members  102  are charged with an electrical current, also, serially. An interconnecting member or wire  112  is connected to the conductive wires  108  serially through a grid line  114 . Electrical current can thus be supplied to the piezoelectric members  102  through the interconnecting member  112 , the grid line  114 , and the plurality of conductive wires  108 . A power source  116  is coupled to the interconnecting member  112  to transmit the electrical current to the piezoelectric members  102 . In one embodiment, the power source  116  is capable of transmitting a lower power of about 10-100 milli watts to the piezoelectric members  102 . In one embodiment, the power source is a power supply of the particular electronic device that the cooling device  100  is placed over to dissipate heat generated by the electronic device. In one embodiment, the power source is the power source installed in a computer system within which the particular electronic device resides. In another embodiment, the cooling device  100  is connected to a main logic board or a printed circuit board of a computer system within which the particular electronic device resides in order for the main logic board or the printed circuit board to supply the low power into the cooling device  100 . 
     In one embodiment, the carrier  106  is a rigid member, preferably made of a plastic material. Other suitable material can also be used. The carrier  106  is rigid to allow the piezoelectric members  102  to actuate or vibrate more efficiently to generate air over the particular electronic device. Additionally, the carrier  106  is made of a non-conductive material or alternatively, is conductively isolated form the plurality of conductive wires  108 . The carrier  106  may have a thickness similar to the space (or the height of the space) allowed for the cooling device  100 . In one embodiment, the carrier  106  has a thickness of about 1-2 mm. In other embodiment, the carrier  106  has a thickness less than 2 mm. It is to be understood that the carrier  106  can easily be made thicker than 2 mm in certain embodiments where there are more space allowed for the cooling device  100 . In one embodiment, the carrier  106  has a thickness similar to the thickness of the piezoelectric members  102  (e.g., about 1-2 mm). In one embodiment, the plurality of conductive wires  108  are placed within the body of the carrier  106  (e.g., a grid of conductive wires are assembled in a mesh form prior to the formation of the carrier  106  wherein the material to form the carrier  106  is poured over the assembled conductive wires to form the carrier  106  having the plurality of conductive wires  108  embedded therein. The openings  104  are created in the carrier  106 . The conductive wires  108  extended into the openings  104 . The piezoelectric members  102  are placed in the openings and connected to the conductive wires  108 . The conductive wires moveably hold the piezoelectric members  102  within the openings  104  while acting as strain relief to allow the piezoelectric members  102  to actuate, for example, vertically or perpendicularly relative to the planar surface of the carrier  106 . The space or gap  110  will allow the air circulation to be created or generated as the piezoelectric members  102  is vibrated. When the carrier  106  is rigid, more air can be generated since the piezoelectric members  102  can vibrate more efficiently. 
     In one embodiment, the piezoelectric members  102  are arranged in an array of rows and columns as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Electrical energy is supplied to each of the piezoelectric members  102  via a serial connection. Such arrangement may provide a greater cooling performance of the piezoelectric members  102  than the sums of the individuals without such arrangement. 
     Modern microprocessors employ millions of transistors in internal circuitry and operate at ever increasing speeds. Additionally, other electronic devices also employ millions of transistors in internal circuitry. As a result, the amount of heat generated by modern microprocessor components and various electronic devices has increased significantly. Particular problems arise when these components, and other high heat generating components, are placed within constrained compartments, such as portable computer, laptop, or notebook enclosures. An example of a computer system is a laptop computer system  300  shown in  FIG. 3 . Electronic devices and microprocessors placed in the computer system  300  are placed in a small and confined space. Conventional fans may not be able to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the various electronic devices or microprocessors in the computer system  300 . The exemplary embodiments of the cooling device of the present invention provide a highly efficient, low power consuming, heat exchanger apparatus that is adaptable to the small confines of such a portable computer enclosure. 
     In one embodiment, a cooling device  100  previously described is incorporated into a notebook computer system  300  as shown in  FIG. 4 . In one embodiment, the notebook computer system  300  comprises many internal electronic components such as a microprocessor  302 , a hard drive  304 , and an optical drive  308 . The microprocessor  302  performs all of the operations of the computer system  300 . For instance, the microprocessor  302  has a set of internal instructions stored in memory, and can access memory for its own use while working. Among many functions, the microprocessor  302  can receive instructions or data through a keyboard (not shown) in combination with another device (mouse, touch pad, trackball, track stick, not shown). The microprocessor  302  can receive and store data through several data storage devices such as the hard drive  304 , the optical drive (CD/DVD drive)  308 , or a floppy drive (not shown). The microprocessor  302  can display data on a display apparatus  306  of the computer system  300 . 
     Any of the internal electronic components of the computer system  300  can overheat as a result of high heat generated by the components. When any of the components, the particular component may fail and/or the computer system  300  may fail. The cooling device  100  previously described can be incorporated into the computer system  300  to dissipate the heat. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the cooling device  100  is placed over the hard drive  304 , in one embodiment. The hard drive  304  is mounted on features in the computer system  300 , such as a bottom case  310  of the computer system  300 . The hard drive  304  can be mounted in a way that allow users to easily remove and/or replace the hard drive  304  as is known in the art. The cooling device  100  can be mounted over the hard drive  304  by being mounted to similar features such as the bottom case  310 . In the present embodiment, the cooling device  100  includes the carrier  106  having a plurality of piezoelectric members  102  moveably disposed in the openings  104  of the carrier  106 . As previously described, the piezoelectric members  102  are electrically connected by a plurality of conductive wires  108  to an interconnecting member  112  that electrically connect the piezoelectric members  102  to a power source  116  ( FIG. 5 ). When power is supplied, the piezoelectric members  102  actuate or vibrate in a non-audible range as previously discussed. Air circulation is thus generated over the surface of the hard drive  304  and/or the internal surface of a palm rest area of the computer system  300  to dissipate heat. In one embodiment, the cooling device  100  has a size and shape relatively or substantially similar to the hard drive  304  so that the cooling device  100  can cover most of the top surface of the hard drive  304  for optimal heat dissipation. The cooling device  100  needs not cover the entire area of the hard drive  304  for it to function efficiently. The vibration or actuation of the piezoelectric members  102  is sufficient to cause air turbulent over the hard drive  304  for heat dissipation. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a final assembly of the computer system  300  having the cooling device  100  placed over the hard drive  304 . In one embodiment, the hard drive  304  is placed into an opening  312  and mounted to the bottom case  310  of the computer system  300 . After the hard drive  304  is mounted, the cooling device  100  is placed over the hard drive  304 . The cooling device  100  may be fixed to the hard drive  304 . Alternatively, the cooling device  100  is placed over the hard drive  304  but is fixedly mounted to another feature of the computer system  300  such as the bottom case  310 . In one embodiment, the cooling device  100  is placed over the hard drive  304  in a way that leaves a small gap between the hard drive  304  surface and the cooling device  100  surface. In the present embodiment, the cooling device  100  can be mounted to the bottom case to allow for such gap. After the interconnecting member  112  of the cooling device is connected to a power source (not labeled) of the computer system  300  and after the cooling device  100  is properly mounted over the hard drive  304 , a top case  314  for the computer system  300  can be placed over and coupled to the bottom case  310 . The top case  314  and the bottom case  310  constitute the enclosure for the computer system  300 . Typically, a touch pad  316  and a keyboard  318  are coupled to the top case  314  to complete the computer system  300 . 
     The computer system  300  may include one or more cooling devices  100  to cool one or more electronic components. In one embodiment, the cooling device  100  is placed over a battery  320  of the computer system  300  as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . Similar to the hard drive  304 , the battery  320  may generate a great amount of heat, which needs to be dissipated to prevent failure to the battery and/or to the computer system  300 . 
     In one embodiment, the battery  320  is mounted on features in the computer system  300 , such as a bottom case  310  of the computer system  300 . The battery  320  can be mounted in a way that allow users to easily remove and/or replace the battery  320  as is known in the art. The cooling device  100  can be mounted over the battery  320  by being mounted to similar features such as the bottom case  310 . In the present embodiment, the cooling device  100  includes the carrier  106  having a plurality of piezoelectric members  102  moveably disposed in the openings  104  of the carrier  106 . As previously described, the piezoelectric members  102  are electrically connected by a plurality of conductive wires  108  to an interconnecting member  112  that electrically connect the piezoelectric members  102  to a power source  116  ( FIGS. 7-8 ). When power is supplied, the piezoelectric members  102  actuate or vibrate in a non-audible range as previously discussed. Air circulation is thus generated over the surface of the battery  320  to dissipate heat. In one embodiment, the cooling device  100  has a size and shape relatively or substantially similar to the battery  320  so that the cooling device  100  can cover most of the top surface of the battery  320  for optimal heat dissipation. The cooling device  100  needs not cover the entire area of the battery  320  for it to function efficiently. The vibration or actuation of the piezoelectric members  102  is sufficient to cause air turbulent over the battery  320  for heat dissipation. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a final assembly of the computer system  300  having the cooling device  100  placed over the battery  320 . In one embodiment, the battery  320  is placed into an opening  322  and mounted to the bottom case  310  of the computer system  300 . After the battery  320  is mounted, the cooling device  100  is placed over the battery  320 . The cooling device  100  may be fixed to the battery  320 . Alternatively, the cooling device  100  is placed over the battery  320  but is fixedly mounted to another feature of the computer system  300  such as the bottom case  310 . In one embodiment, the cooling device  100  is placed over the battery  320  in a way that leaves a small gap between the battery  320  surface and the cooling device  100  surface. In the present embodiment, the cooling device  100  can be mounted to the bottom case  310  to allow for such gap. After the interconnecting member  112  of the cooling device is connected to a power source (not labeled) of the computer system  300  and after the cooling device  100  is properly mounted over the battery  320 , a top case  314  for the computer system  300  can be placed over and coupled to the bottom case  310 . As previously mentioned, the top case  314  and the bottom case  310  constitute the enclosure for the computer system  300 . A touch pad  316  and a keyboard  318  are also coupled to the top case  314  to complete the computer system  300  as previously mentioned. 
     It is to be noted that other internal components of the computer system  300  may be cooled off using the cooling device  100  similar to previously discussed. For instance, the cooling device may be placed over the optical drive  308 , the microprocessor  302 , and other integrated circuits of the computer system  300 . The cooling device  100  enhances air mixing within the computer system  300  and enhances heat transfer at localized areas where hot spots and high heat accumulation areas can be addressed. As is known, in a notebook computer, the palm rest areas typically get hot after a period of use. This is due to the fact that the hard drive, the battery, and/or other internal components of the computer are placed directly beneath the palm rest areas. Heat generated by these internal components transfer to the palm rest areas and thus heating up the area. Thus, it is necessary to manage the heat dissipation at these areas. The cooling device  100  can efficiently perform such heat dissipation function efficiently using low power consumption while still being able to be placed in a small and confined space available in the notebook computer. 
     It is to be understood that the cooling device  100  can be adapted for other electronic components and other computer system besides a notebook like computer system. The cooling device  100  can easily be configured (shape, size, thickness, etc . . . ) to be placed over a surface of an internal electronic component (e.g., a central processing unit or a circuit board) of a particular machine or a particular computer system such as a desk top computer. A few examples of electronic devices that can benefit from the cooling device  100  includes a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, and a monitor display or a digital music player and a portable power supply. 
     The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided merely to illustrate the principles of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the subject matter of the terms of the claimed invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Moreover, the principles of the invention may be applied to achieve the advantages described herein and to achieve other advantages or to satisfy other objectives, as well.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20040806
Publication Date: 20080708
Grant Date: 20080708
Priority Date: 20040806
Inventors: ALI IHAB A.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "F04D33/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F04D33/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/203", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/203", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 39589580