PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9575524-B1
Application Number: US-201514834217-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Electronic devices with ventilation systems

Abstract:
An electronic device such as a portable computer may be provided with a lower housing and an upper housing. The electronic device may include hinge structures which allow the upper housing to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the lower housing. The electronic device may include a ventilation port structure with intake openings that allow air to be drawn into the electronic device. The ventilation structure may also include exhaust openings that are used to expel air from the lower housing. When the electronic device is in an open position, it may be desirable for the ventilation structure to form more exhaust openings than when the electronic device is in a closed position. The ventilation structure may form lower exhaust openings when the electronic device is in the closed position and form upper and lower exhaust openings when the electronic device is in the open position.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 an upper housing that contains a display; 
 a lower housing that contains a keyboard; 
 a fan in the lower housing; 
 hinge structures that connect the upper housing to the lower housing so that the upper housing rotates relative to the lower housing about a rotational axis between a closed position and an open position, wherein there is a lower gap between the upper housing and the lower housing that runs parallel to the rotational axis, when the upper housing is in the closed position the fan blows air through the lower gap, and when the upper housing is in the open position the fan blows air through the lower gap and an upper gap between the upper housing and the lower housing that runs parallel to the rotational axis; and 
 a ventilation port structure in the lower housing that extends parallel to the rotational axis, wherein the ventilation port structure comprises first, second, and third portions extending in series parallel to the rotational axis, each of the first, second, and third portions includes a plurality of slots, the fan draws air into the lower housing through the slots of the second portion while exhausting air from the lower housing through the slots of the first and third portions, and the slots in the first and third portions include a first set of slots that are aligned with the upper gap and a second set of slots that are aligned with the lower gap. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the slots in the second portion are aligned with the upper gap and the fan draws air into the lower housing through the slots in the second portion and the upper gap. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2 , wherein when the upper housing is in the open position the fan blows air through the first set of slots and the upper gap. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein when the upper housing is in the closed position the fan blows air through the lower gap at a first rate and when the upper housing is in the open position the fan blows air through the lower gap at a second rate that is lower than the first rate. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein when the upper housing is in the closed position a first percentage of the air blown by the fan passes through the lower gap when the upper housing is in the closed position a second percentage of the air blown by the fan passes through the lower gap, and the second percentage is lower than the first percentage. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the lower housing comprises metal and the upper housing comprises metal. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the upper housing is parallel to the lower housing in the closed position and the upper housing is at an angle between 90° and 135° relative to the lower housing in the open position. 
     
     
       8. A ventilation system for an electronic device that has a lid and a base, wherein the lid rotates about a rotational axis with respect to the base between an open position and a closed position, the ventilation system comprising:
 a ventilation port structure that extends along an edge of the base, wherein the ventilation port structure has at least first and second rows of openings that extend parallel to the rotational axis; and 
 at least one fan that exhausts air from within the base through the first and second rows of openings, wherein when the lid is in the open position a portion of the lid divides the exhausted air into first and second portions, the first portion of the exhausted air flows to one side of the lid through the first row of openings, the second portion of the exhausted air flows to an opposing side of the lid through the second row of openings, the ventilation port structure is configured to direct a larger amount of airflow through the second row of openings when the lid is in the closed position than when the lid is in the open position, and the ventilation port structure is configured to direct a smaller amount of airflow through the first row of openings when the lid is in the closed position than when the lid is in the open position. 
 
     
     
       9. The ventilation system defined in  claim 8 , further comprising a cable mounted in a recess in the ventilation port structure. 
     
     
       10. The ventilation system defined in  claim 8 , further comprising an antenna element on the ventilation port structure. 
     
     
       11. The ventilation system defined in  claim 10  wherein a portion of the ventilation port structure is located between the first and second rows of openings and the antenna element is supported by the portion of the ventilation port structure. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus comprising:
 a lower electronic device housing; 
 an upper electronic device housing, wherein the upper electronic device housing rotates about a rotational axis with respect to the lower electronic device housing between an open position and a closed position and when the upper electronic device housing is in the open position there is a lower gap between the upper electronic device housing and the lower electronic device housing that runs parallel to the rotational axis and an upper gap between the upper electronic device housing and the lower electronic device housing that runs parallel to the rotational axis; and 
 a ventilation port structure that extends along an edge of the lower electronic device housing, wherein the ventilation port structure has an intake port and an exhaust port, the exhaust port comprises a first opening that is aligned with the lower gap and a second opening that is aligned with the upper gap, and the ventilation port structure comprises a portion that is interposed between the first opening and the second opening. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus defined in  claim 12 , wherein the intake port comprises a plurality of slots that are aligned with the upper gap. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus defined in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 at least one fan that exhausts air from within the lower electronic device housing through the exhaust port, wherein when the upper electronic device housing is in the closed position the upper electronic device housing blocks the second opening and prevents the fan from exhausting air through the second opening. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus defined in  claim 12 , wherein the upper electronic device housing is parallel to the lower electronic device housing in the closed position and the upper electronic device housing is at an angle between 90° and 135° relative to the lower electronic device housing in the open position. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus defined in  claim 12 , wherein the portion of the ventilation structure is a middle portion of the ventilation structure, the ventilation structure comprises a top portion, and the top portion and the middle portion of the ventilation structure define the second opening. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus defined in  claim 16 , wherein the ventilation structure comprises a bottom portion and the bottom portion and the middle portion of the ventilation structure define the first opening. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus defined in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 at least one fan that exhausts air from within the lower electronic device housing through the exhaust port, wherein the middle portion of the ventilation structure has a leading vertex that splits the air into a first portion that is exhausted from within the lower electronic device housing through the first opening and a second portion that is exhausted from within the lower electronic device housing through the second opening. 
 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the ventilation port structure is interposed between the first set of slots and the second set of slots. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first set of slots are aligned with only the upper gap and wherein the second set of slots are aligned with only the lower gap.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates to electronic devices, and more particularly, electronic devices with ventilation systems. 
     Electronic devices such as portable computers often generate heat during operation. Internal components in a portable computer may generate heat. Heat generated by the portable computer may adversely affect the portable computer&#39;s performance, as some internal components may only function properly below a certain temperature. Additionally, heat generation may detract from a user&#39;s experience. For example, if the exterior surfaces of a portable computer are too hot, the user may experience discomfort during use. 
     In order to control temperature, portable computers may use a ventilation system. In a typical arrangement, a portable computer may include an input vent and an exhaust vent. A fan may be used to draw air through the input vent. The fan may blow air past a high temperature internal component and out the exhaust vent. In this way, the fan expels heat from the portable computer and controls the temperature of the device. 
     For certain electronic devices, it may be difficult to cool the device while maintaining the desired device aesthetic. For example, it may not be satisfactory for ventilation structures to be visible during operation of the device. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved ventilation structures for electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device such as a portable computer may be provided with a lower housing and an upper housing. The lower housing may include components such as a keyboard or a touchpad. The upper housing may include a display. The electronic device may include hinge structures which allow the upper housing to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the lower housing. When the electronic device is in a closed position, the upper housing may be substantially parallel to the lower housing. When the electronic device is in an open position, the upper housing may be positioned at an angle between 90° and 135° relative to the lower housing. 
     An electronic device may include a ventilation port structure to assist in controlling the temperature of the device. A fan in the electronic device may blow air past a heat generating component and through the ventilation port structure to expel hot air from the device. The ventilation port structure may have intake openings that allow air to be drawn into the electronic device. The fan may draw air from the front of the upper housing such that the air passes through an upper gap between the hinge structures and an upper portion of the lower housing and proceeds into the lower housing. 
     The ventilation port structure may also include exhaust openings. The exhaust openings may be used to expel air from the lower housing of the electronic device. To ensure that hot exhaust air is not recirculated into the device, the exhaust openings may be separated from the intake openings. The exhaust openings may be formed in a lower portion of the ventilation structure such that exhaust air passes through a lower gap between the hinge structures and a lower portion of the lower housing. To further separate the exhaust openings and the intake openings, the intake openings may be formed in a central portion of the ventilation structure and the exhaust openings may be formed on either side of the intake openings. 
     When the electronic device is in the open position, it may be desirable for the ventilation structure to form additional exhaust openings. The ventilation structure may form the lower exhaust openings when the electronic device is in the closed position and form upper and lower exhaust openings when the electronic device is in the open position. The ventilation structure may be an elongated plastic structure with an upper portion, a lower portion, and a central portion. The lower portion and central portion may form lower exhaust openings that expel air out of the lower housing in both the open and closed positions. The lower portion and upper portion may form upper exhaust openings that are blocked by the upper and lower housing in the closed position. In the open position, the upper exhaust openings may not be blocked and may be used to exhaust hot air. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device such as a laptop computer with a ventilation system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device such as a laptop computer with a ventilation system that draws air into and exhausts air from a lower housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative electronic device of  FIG. 2  when the upper housing is opened at a wide angle in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an illustrative lower housing of an electronic device with a ventilation system with multiple fans in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of an illustrative lower housing of an electronic device with a ventilation system with a single fan in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of an illustrative ventilation structure with intake openings and exhaust openings in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative exhaust portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 6  in a closed laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative exhaust portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 6  in an open laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative intake portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 6  in a closed laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative intake portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 6  in an open laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of an illustrative ventilation structure with intake openings and upper and lower exhaust openings in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative exhaust portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 11  in a closed laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative exhaust portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 11  in an open laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative exhaust portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 11  in an open laptop computer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative exhaust portion of the ventilation structure of  FIG. 11  that has recesses for additional electronic components in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative lower housing with an integrally formed ventilation portion in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices may include ventilation systems. The ventilation system may be used to expel heat from the electronic device to control the temperature of the electronic device. An illustrative electronic device that may be provided with a ventilation system is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Electronic device  10  of  FIG. 1  has the shape of a laptop computer and has upper housing  12 A and lower housing  12 B with components such as keyboard  16  and touchpad  18 . Device  10  has hinge structures  20  (sometimes referred to as a clutch barrel) to allow upper housing  12 A to rotate in directions  22  about rotational axis  24  relative to lower housing  12 B. Display  14  is mounted in housing  12 A. Upper housing  12 A, which may sometimes be referred to as a display housing or lid, is placed in a closed position by rotating upper housing  12 A towards lower housing  12 B, which may sometimes be referred to as a base, about rotational axis  24 . 
     Upper housing  12 A and lower housing  12 B may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Display  14  may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layer of transparent glass or clear plastic. 
     Display  14  may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Capacitive touch screen electrodes may be formed from an array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductive structures. 
     Display  14  may be a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, an electrophoretic display, an electrowetting display, a display using other types of display technology, or a display that includes display structures formed using more than one of these display technologies. 
     The illustrative configuration for device  10  that is shown in  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. In general, electronic device  10  may be a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative device shown in  FIG. 1 . Portable computer  10  may be located on a surface such as surface  28  (e.g., a table, desk, etc.). Hinge structures  20  may be used to allow portions of the electronic device to rotate relative to each other. The hinge structures may, for example, be used to allow upper housing  12 A (sometimes referred to as a lid) to rotate relative to lower housing  12 B (sometimes referred to as a base). Hinge structures  20  may extend along the entire length of lid  12 A or may be included in only a portion of lid  12 A. 
     In order to manage the temperature of portable computer  10 , a ventilation system may be included. As shown, air may enter lower housing  12 B in direction  30 . The air may be drawn into the lower housing by a fan. The fan may blow air past a heat generating component and out of lower housing  12 B in direction  32 . The air may pass underneath upper housing  12 A when being expelled from lower housing  12 B. This configuration helps ensure that the intake and exhaust of the ventilation system are spatially separated. If the intake and exhaust are not spatially separated, the hot exhaust air may be immediately recirculated into the electronic device by the intake. This may adversely affect the performance of the ventilation system. 
     In  FIG. 2 , intake air enters lower housing  12 B through the top of lower housing  12 B (e.g., through upper gap  31  between the top of lower housing  12 B and the front of upper housing  12 A that runs parallel to rotational axis  24 ) while exhaust air exits lower housing  12 B through the bottom of lower housing  12 B (e.g., through lower gap  35  between the bottom of lower housing  12 B and the rear of upper housing  12 A that runs parallel to rotational axis  24 ). This example is merely illustrative. If desired, intake air may enter lower housing  12 B through the bottom of lower housing  12 B and exhaust air may exit lower housing  12 B through the top of lower housing  12 B. Alternatively or in combination, intake air may enter lower housing  12 B through both the top and bottom of lower housing  12 B. Similarly, exhaust air may exit lower housing  12 B through both the top and bottom of lower housing  12 B. 
     The exhaust air in  FIG. 2  may exit lower housing  12 B through lower gap  35  and pass through gap  34 . Gap  34  may be formed between upper housing  12 A and surface  28 . Hinge structures  20  enable upper housing  12 A to rotate relative to lower housing  12 B. When portable computer  10  is not in use, upper housing  12 A may be closed and angle  36  may be 0° (e.g., lower housing  12 B and upper housing  12 A may be parallel). When portable computer  10  is in use, upper housing  12 A may be separated from lower housing  12 B by angle  36 . Angle  36  (sometimes referred to as a lid angle) may typically have a value between 90° and 135° during use, although other angles may be used if desired. 
     The size of gap  34  may vary depending on the size of angle  36 . As angle  36  gets larger, gap  34  may become smaller. This may allow less exhaust air to exit the portable computer. In  FIG. 2  angle  36  may be equal to, for example, 100°. At this angle of separation, gap  34  is sufficiently large for air to exit lower housing  12 B via path  32 . In  FIG. 3 , angle  36  may be equal to, for example, 135°. At this angle of separation, upper housing  12 A may be very close to surface  28 . Portions of housing  12 A may be in direct contact with surface  28 . Consequently, gap  34  may be very small. The small size of gap  34  may prevent exhaust air from being expelled behind upper housing  12 A. The exhaust air may instead follow path  32  and remain adjacent to the portable computer. This may prevent the ventilation system from adequately cooling electronic device  10 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of an illustrative portable computer lower housing with a ventilation structure. Ventilation structure  40  may be a structure positioned on an edge of lower housing  12 B. The ventilation structure may be an elongated plastic structure with a longitudinal axis that is parallel to rotational axis  24 . Ventilation structure  40  may form ventilation openings or ports for electronic device  10 . Ventilation structure  40  may sometimes be referred to as a ventilation port structure or a ventilation housing structure. Ventilation structure  40  may be made from a dielectric material or other materials such as metal if desired. 
     Ventilation structure  40  may be formed at an edge of lower housing  12 B adjacent to hinge structures  20 . In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , ventilation structure  40  is shown as extending across lower housing  12 B. This example is merely illustrative. Ventilation structure  40  may have any desired length. Ventilation structure  40  may extend from a sidewall on one side of the lower housing to a sidewall on the other side of the housing. Attachment mechanisms such as adhesive or screws may be used to attach ventilation structure  40  to the sidewall of the lower housing  12 B. This example is merely illustrative and attachment mechanisms may be used to attach ventilation structure  40  to other structures such as the top or bottom of lower housing  12 B or an internal structure within lower housing  12 B. Ventilation structure  40  may extend across only a portion of lower housing  12 B. For example, ventilation structure  40  may overlap with hinge structures  20  in  FIG. 1 . There may be additional components that separate ventilation structure  40  from the sidewalls of lower housing  12 B. 
     In order to spatially separate the intake and exhaust of the ventilation system and prevent hot exhaust air from being recirculated into the lower housing, different portions of the ventilation structure may be used for intake and exhaust. As shown in  FIG. 4 , lower housing  12 B may include one or more fans  42 . In  FIG. 4 , there is one fan on each side of ventilation structure  40 . Fan  42 A may expel air through portion  44 A of ventilation structure  40  while fan  42 B may expel air through portion  44 B of ventilation structure  40 . In between the two exhaust areas  44  may be an intake area  46 . Ventilation structure  40  may have ventilation ports that allow intake air to enter lower housing  12 B at portion  46 . 
     The intake air may enter lower housing  12 B through the top of lower housing  12 B in the central portion of ventilation structure  40  (e.g., portion  46 ) while exhaust air may exit lower housing  12 B through the bottom of lower housing  12 B at the ends of ventilation structure  40  (e.g., portions  44 A and  44 B). This arrangement ensures spatial separation of the hot exhaust air and the cool intake air. 
     The example of lower housing  12 B including one fan on each end of ventilation structure  40  with an intake area in between is merely illustrative. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the lower housing may instead include only one fan  42 . Approximately half of ventilation structure  40  (e.g., portion  46 ) may be used to draw air into lower housing  12 B. Fan  42  may expel exhaust air through an additional portion  44  of ventilation structure  40 . 
     In general, lower housing  12 B may include any desired number of fans (e.g., one, two, three, four, more than four, etc.) in any desired locations. Each fan may be associated with a unique exhaust area of ventilation structure  40 . In certain embodiments, multiple fans may be used to blow air through a single exhaust area. 
     In order to accommodate both intake areas and exhaust areas, ventilation structure  40  may have a different structure at different portions of the ventilation structure. For example, at intake areas (e.g., portion  46 ), ventilation structure may have an intake port at a top portion of the structure. This will allow the intake air to enter lower housing  12 B through the top of the lower housing from in front of the upper housing. There may be no openings at the bottom of ventilation structure  40  in the intake areas to prevent intake of hot exhaust air. Alternatively, at exhaust areas ventilation structure  40  may have an exhaust port at a bottom portion of the structure. This will allow the exhaust air to exit lower housing  12 B through the bottom of the lower housing behind the upper housing. 
       FIG. 6  shows a side view of an illustrative ventilation structure that may be included in the lower housing of a portable computer. As shown, exhaust slots  62  may be formed on the sides  64  of ventilation structure  40 . Intake slots  60  may be formed in central portion  66  of ventilation structure  40 . The intake openings and the exhaust openings may be separated by portions of ventilation structures without openings (e.g., portions  68 ). These portions may be included to ensure that the heated exhaust air is not recirculated into lower housing  12 B through intake openings  62 . Portions  68  may have a width  70  that defines the distance between the intake openings and the exhaust openings. Width  70  may be any desired distance. For example, the intake openings and exhaust openings may be separated by one or more millimeters, one or more centimeters, three or more centimeters, or any other desired distance. 
       FIG. 6  also shows how intake openings  60  may be positioned on an upper portion of ventilation structure  40 . This ensures that the air that enters lower housing  12 B through intake openings  60  comes through the upper gap from above the lower housing. Exhaust openings  62  may be positioned on a lower portion of ventilation structure  40 . This ensures that the air that exits the lower housing  12 B travels through the exhaust openings and through the lower gap to behind the lower and upper housings of device  10 . 
     Intake openings  60  and exhaust openings  62  may have any desired shape or size. For example, the openings may be rectangular, square, circular, or elliptical. The openings may have rounded corners or sharply angled corners. Other shapes may be used if desired. The openings may have a uniform size or varying size. For example, intake openings  60  may all be the same size. Exhaust openings  62  may all be the same size. Exhaust openings  62  may be smaller or larger than intake openings  60 . The size of the openings may also vary. For example, each opening may be a different size. Certain openings may be one size while other openings may be a different size. The sizes of the openings may be designed for the specific application of the accompanying electronic device. 
     Some or all of ventilation structure  40  may be formed as an integral part of lower housing  12 B. For example, lower housing  12 B may be a unitary piece of metal or plastic that is machined to include a ventilation portion  40 . Consequently, ventilation structure  40  may sometimes be referred to as a ventilation housing portion 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative ventilation structure taken along line  74  of  FIG. 6 . As shown, ventilation structure  40  may be positioned in between top and bottom portions of lower housing  12 B. Ventilation structure  40  may be attached to lower housing  12 B with a screw, adhesive, or other desired fasteners. For example, ventilation structure  40  may have openings that receive a screw. The screw may pass through the ventilation structure&#39;s opening and into a corresponding threaded opening in lower housing  12 B. The ventilation structure may have a threaded opening. A screw may pass through an opening in lower housing  12 B and into the ventilation structure&#39;s threaded opening to secure the ventilation structure to the lower housing. The ventilation structure&#39;s opening may be on a top surface, a side surface, or a bottom surface of ventilation structure  40 . 
     Adhesive may also be used to attach ventilation structure  40  to lower housing  12 B. Adhesive may be applied to a top surface of the ventilation structure, a bottom surface of the ventilation structure, a side surface of the ventilation structure, or multiple surfaces of the ventilation structure. Adhesive may also be applied to lower housing  12 B at the locations where ventilation structure  40  will be adhered. Any desired type of adhesive may be used (e.g., pressure sensitive adhesive, liquid curable adhesive, moisture curable adhesive, light curable adhesive, thermally curable adhesive, etc.). 
     Protrusions and corresponding recesses may be used to attach ventilation structure  40  to lower housing  12 B. For example, ventilation structure  40  may include a number of protrusions that protrude into corresponding recesses in lower housing  12 B to secure ventilation structure  40  to lower housing  12 B. Alternatively or in combination, lower housing  12 B may include a number of protrusions that protrude into corresponding recesses in ventilation structure  40 . The ventilation structure may include any desired number of protrusions and recesses for attaching the ventilation structure to lower housing  12 B. 
     Ventilation structure  40  may have portions that form exhaust openings  62  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Ventilation structure may have a top portion  40 A and a bottom portion  40 B that combine to form a channel for guiding exhaust air out of the lower housing of the electronic device. When upper housing  12 A is closed relative to lower housing  12 B, as shown in  FIG. 7 , exhaust opening  62  may be sufficiently large to allow exhaust air escape.  FIG. 8  shows the illustrative ventilation structure of  FIG. 7  when upper housing  12 A is open relative to lower housing  12 B. In this position, as discussed in connection with  FIG. 3 , exhaust air may not be able to exit the ventilation area due to the small gap created when a portion upper housing  12 A is adjacent to the resting surface of the electronic device. 
     Ventilation structure  40  may be manufactured using any desired method (e.g., injection molding, 3D printing, etching etc.). Ventilation structure  40  may be formed as a solid piece of material such as plastic. Alternatively, ventilation structure  40  may have one or more hollow portions. For example, top portion  40 A of ventilation structure  40  may be hollow. Hollow portions of the ventilation structure may be used to accommodate additional electronic components or cables. 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  are cross-sectional side views of an illustrative ventilation structure taken along line  72  of  FIG. 6 . As shown, portions of the ventilation structure may be used to form intake openings  60 . Ventilation structure  40  may have a top portion and a bottom portion that combine to form a channel for guiding intake air into the lower housing of the electronic device. Ventilation structure  40  may be designed such that the airflow into intake openings  60  is comparable when the portable computer is in both closed (e.g.,  FIG. 9 ) and open (e.g.,  FIG. 10 ) positions. 
     If desired, lower housing  12 B or upper housing  12 A may vary along the length of ventilation structure  40 . For example, the central portion of lower housing  12 B (e.g., the portion adjacent to central portion  66  of ventilation structure  40 ) may be different than the edge portions of lower housing  12 B (e.g., the portions adjacent to sides  64  of ventilation structure  40 ). The central portion of lower housing  12 B may be separated from upper housing  12 A by a gap  90  when the portable computer is in a closed position. The edge portions of lower housing  12 B may not be separated from upper housing  12 A by this gap. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the edge portions of lower housing  12 B may be separated from upper housing  12 A by little to no gap. Gap  90  may be produced by having top portion  92  of lower housing  12 B extend a shorter distance in the central portions of the lower housing than the edge portions of the lower housing. Additionally, the central portion of upper housing  12 A may have a recess in area  94  to ensure gap  90  is of sufficient width. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , ventilation structure  40  may have exhaust openings in only a bottom portion of the structure. However, as discussed in connection with  FIGS. 3 and 8  above, this may be problematic when upper housing  12 A is at a large angle relative to lower housing  12 B. At high angles, the exhaust air may not be able to exit the lower housing between the upper housing and the resting surface of the device, reducing the effectiveness of the ventilation system. To ensure adequate ventilation at all lid angles, ventilation structure  40  may be provided with both upper and lower exhaust openings. 
       FIG. 11  shows an illustrative ventilation structure with both upper and lower exhaust openings. As shown, exhaust openings  62 A and  62 B may be formed on the sides  64  of ventilation structure  40 . Intake openings  60  may be formed in central portion  66  of ventilation structure  40 . The intake openings and the exhaust openings may be separated by portions of ventilation structures without openings (e.g., portions  68 ). These portions may be included to ensure that the heated exhaust air is not recirculated into lower housing  12 B through intake openings  62 . Portions  68  may have a width  70  that defines the distance between the intake openings and the exhaust openings. Width  70  may be any desired distance. For example, the intake openings and exhaust openings may be separated by one or more millimeters, one or more centimeters, three or more centimeters, or any other desired distance. 
     Exhaust openings  62 B may be positioned on a lower portion of ventilation structure  40 . This ensures that the air that exits the lower housing  12 B travels through exhaust openings  62 B to behind the lower housing and the upper housing of device  10 . To ensure adequate ventilation at large lid angles, ventilation structure  40  may include exhaust openings  62 A on an upper portion of ventilation structure  40 . Exhaust openings  62 A may allow a portion of the exhaust air to be expelled out the top of the lower housing in front of the upper housing. 
     Exhaust openings  62 A and  62 B may be the same size or different sizes. In certain scenarios, it may be advantageous for the upper exhaust openings  62 A to be smaller than the lower exhaust openings  62 B. Lower exhaust openings  62 B may be larger than upper exhaust openings  62 A to allow the majority of exhaust air to exit lower housing  12 B through the lower exhaust openings. This ensures improved spatial separation of the hot exhaust air and cool intake air. Additionally, exhausting only a small portion of air through the top of lower housing  12 B ensures that the display in upper housing  12 B is not overheated. 
     Ventilation structure  40  of  FIG. 11  may be implemented in electronic device  10  such that the angle of upper housing  12 A relative to lower housing  12 B changes the ventilation system of the device. For example, ventilation structure  40  may be arranged such that upper exhaust openings  62 A are blocked when the portable computer is closed. When the portable computer is closed, lower exhaust openings  62 B offer sufficient ventilation to control the temperature of lower housing  12 B. Therefore, when the portable computer is closed substantially all (e.g., 95% or more) of the exhaust air may exit lower housing  12 B through the lower exhaust openings. However, as discussed in connection with  FIG. 3 , using only lower exhaust openings  62 B may be insufficient when upper housing  12 A is at a large angle relative to lower housing  12 B. Therefore, upper exhaust openings  62 A may not be blocked when the lid of the portable computer is open. This allows exhaust air to be expelled through both openings  62 A and  62 B at large angles, ensuring adequate ventilation of lower housing  12 B at all lid angles. 
     Air may be exhausted through upper exhaust openings  62 A at a first rate when the portable computer is closed and a second rate that is greater than the first rate when the portable computer is open. Similarly, air may be exhausted through lower exhaust openings  62 B at a first rate when the portable computer is closed and a second rate that is less than the first rate when the portable computer is open. 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  are cross-sectional side views of an illustrative ventilation structure taken along line  110  of  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 12  shows ventilation structure  40  in a portable computer with the lid closed while  FIG. 13  shows ventilation structure  40  in a portable computer with the lid open. As shown in  FIG. 12 , upper exhaust openings  62 A may be formed by top portion  40 A of ventilation structure  40  and middle portion  40 C of ventilation structure  40 . Lower exhaust openings  62 B may be formed by lower portion  40 B of ventilation structure  40  and middle portion  40 C of ventilation structure  40 . The central portion  40 C of ventilation structure  40  may have a leading vertex  120 . Exhaust air from the lower housing may be split by vertex  120  of dividing portion  40 C. The positioning and angle of vertex  120  may determine what portion of the exhaust air will exit lower housing  12 B through the lower exhaust openings  62 B and what portion of the exhaust air will exit lower housing  12 B through the upper exhaust openings  62 A. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , lower housing  12 B and upper housing  12 A may combine to block upper exhaust openings  62 A when the portable computer is closed. Portion  92  of lower housing  12 B may be adjacent to upper housing  12 A when the portable computer is closed. This ensures that substantially all of the exhaust air exits through lower exhaust openings  62 B when the portable computer is closed. Lower housing  12 B may be separated from upper housing  12 A by less than 2 millimeters, less than 1 millimeter, less than 0.5 millimeters, less than 0.1 millimeters, or approximately 0 millimeters when the portable computer is closed. In certain embodiments, top portion  40 A of ventilation structure  40  may be adjacent to upper housing  12 A when the portable computer is closed. In general, any design that ensures upper exhaust openings  62 A are blocked when the device is closed may be used. 
     When the portable computer is open, as shown in  FIG. 13 , upper exhaust openings  62 A may be used to expel a portion of the hot exhaust air from lower housing  12 B. Opening the portable computer separates portion  92  of lower housing  12 B from upper housing  12 A. As a result, upper exhaust openings  62 A are no longer blocked. Upper exhaust openings  62 A may be aligned with upper gap  31  while lower exhaust openings  62 B may be aligned with lower gap  35 . A portion of the exhaust air may thus follow path  134  and be expelled through upper gap  31  and upper exhaust openings  62 A, while a portion of the exhaust air may follow path  136  and be expelled through lower gap  35  and lower exhaust openings  62 B. 
     Upper exhaust openings  62 A may be used to expel any desired percentage of the exhaust air. For example, upper exhaust openings  62 A may be used to expel less than 10% of the exhaust air while lower exhaust openings  62 B may be used to expel more than 90% of the exhaust air, upper exhaust openings  62 A may be used to expel less than 20% of the exhaust air while lower exhaust openings  62 B may be used to expel more than 80% of the exhaust air, upper exhaust openings  62 A may be used to expel less than 40% of the exhaust air while lower exhaust openings  62 B may be used to expel more than 60% of the exhaust air, or upper exhaust openings  62 A may be used to expel 40% or more of the exhaust air while lower exhaust openings  62 B may be used to expel 60% or less of the exhaust air. 
     The ventilation port structure may be configured to direct a larger amount of airflow through lower exhaust openings  62 B when the lid is in the closed position than when the lid is in the open position. The ventilation port structure may be configured to direct a smaller amount of airflow through upper exhaust openings  62 B when the lid is in the closed position than when the lid is in the open position. 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device with ventilation structure  40  of  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 14  shows that the shape of central portion  40 C of ventilation structure  40  may be adjusted to finely tune the temperature profile of the electronic device. For example,  FIG. 13  shows top portion  40 A separated from middle portion  40 C by a distance  130 , while lower portion  40 B is separated from middle portion  40 C by a distance  132 . 
       FIG. 14  shows top portion  40 A separated from middle portion  40 C by a distance  131 , while lower portion  40 B is separated from middle portion  40 C by a distance  133 . Distance  131  in  FIG. 14  may be smaller than distance  130  in  FIG. 13 , while distance  133  in  FIG. 14  may be larger than distance  132  in  FIG. 13 . As a result, the ventilation opening of  FIG. 14  may distribute a larger percentage of air to lower exhaust opening  62 B than the ventilation structure of  FIG. 13 . For example, the ventilation structure in  FIG. 13  may expel 30% of exhaust air through upper exhaust opening  62 A and 70% of exhaust air through lower exhaust opening  62 B, while the ventilation structure in  FIG. 14  may expel 20% of exhaust air through upper exhaust opening  62 A and 80% of exhaust air through lower exhaust opening  62 B. 
     In certain embodiments, the shape of middle portion  40 C may be uniform across the portions of ventilation structure  40  with lower and upper exhaust openings. For example, a cross-sectional side view of ventilation structure  40  in  FIG. 11  may be the same regardless of whether the cross-sectional side view was taken along line  110 ,  112 ,  114 , or  116 . In other embodiments, each edge may have a different but uniform cross-section. For example, edge  64 A (e.g., cross-sections taken along lines  110 ,  112 , or  114 ) may have the cross-sectional side view shown in  FIG. 13  while edge  64 B (e.g., the cross-section taken along line  116 ) may have the cross-sectional side view shown in  FIG. 14 . In yet another embodiment, each set of openings may have a uniform but unique cross-section. For example, cross-sections taken along lines  110  and  114  in  FIG. 11  may be associated with the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 13 , while the cross-section taken along line  112  may be associated with the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 14 . Finally, the ventilation structure may have a varying cross-section in a single set of openings. For example, the cross-section taken along line  110  in  FIG. 11  may be associated with the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 13  while the cross-section taken along line  114  in  FIG. 11  may be associated with the cross-sectional side view of  FIG. 14 . 
     Ventilation structure  40  may be designed according to the specific application of the ventilation structure. In certain portable computers, there may be electronic components that are more heat sensitive in certain locations and electronic components that are less heat sensitive in certain locations. The ventilation structure may be designed to expel more heat through the upper exhaust openings in the areas with less heat sensitive components. The ventilation structure may expel less heat through the upper exhaust openings in the areas with more heat sensitive components to ensure the heat sensitive components function properly during use. In another scenario, it may be desirable to keep temperature uniform in certain areas. One illustrative example is areas in the portable electronic device with antenna traces. Antenna traces may be sensitive to irregularities in temperature, meaning that optimally the antenna traces should all be one uniform temperature. The ventilation structure may be designed to vary the amount of heat expelled through the upper exhaust openings to ensure that nearby antenna traces maintain a uniform temperature. 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional side view of an electronic device with a ventilation structure. As shown in  FIG. 15 , ventilation structure  40  may have a top portion  40 A, a middle portion  40 C, and a bottom portion  40 B. Top portion  40 A may have a recess  150 . Recess  150  may be used to accommodate cables or other electronic components. Similarly, middle portion  40 C of ventilation structure  40  may have a recess  154 . Recess  154  may provide a surface  152  which can act as a substrate for additional components. For example, antenna traces may be included on surface  152 . This example is merely illustrative. In general, any surface in ventilation structure  40  may act as a substrate for any desired electronic components. 
       FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative lower housing with an integrally formed ventilation portion. As shown, some or all of ventilation housing portion  40  may be formed integrally with lower housing  12 B. In this embodiment, lower housing  12 B and the ventilation housing portion  40  may be formed from the same material (e.g., plastic or metal). Lower housing  12 B may be a unitary piece or may include multiple portions that are attached together. If desired, only some of the ventilation housing portion may be formed integrally with lower housing  12 B. For example, top and bottom portions  40 A and  40 B in  FIG. 12  may be formed integrally with lower housing  12 B while middle portion  40 C may be a separate structure that is attached to lower housing  12 B. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150824
Publication Date: 20170221
Grant Date: 20170221
Priority Date: 20150824
Inventors: PRATHER ERIC R.
LIGTENBERG CHRISTIAAN A.
NIGEN JAY S.
Campo Laura M.
MANCINI NICHOLAS D.
DEGNER BRETT W.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H05K7/20145", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1681", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1637", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1616", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/203", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1662", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/203", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2200/202", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2200/202", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1616", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1616", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K7/20145", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1637", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/203", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1662", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1681", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 56551546