Method and apparatus for cooling a telecommunication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10014885-B2
Application number	US-201214388461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2012
Priority date	May 3, 2012
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling a telecommunication device includes a controller, a first cooling unit, a second cooling unit, and at least one sensor. The first cooling unit includes a heat sink that dissipates heat from the telecommunication device. The second cooling unit includes an airflow generator that, when activated, provides an airflow that dissipates heat from the telecommunication device. The at least one sensor is operably connected with the telecommunication device. The controller is configured to compare a temperature detected by the at least one sensor to a first threshold temperature specified such that a load of the telecommunication device shall be reduced when the temperature detected by the at least one sensor exceeds the first threshold temperature. The controller is configured to activate or increase the airflow provided by the second cooling unit if the temperature detected by the at least one sensor exceeds the first threshold temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cooling a telecommunication device, the apparatus comprising:
at least one sensor operably connected with the telecommunication device and configured to detect a temperature inside or at the telecommunications device;
a first cooling unit comprising a heat sink adapted to dissipate heat from the telecommunication device;
a second cooling unit comprising an airflow generator adapted to provide airflow to the telecommunication device when the airflow generator is activated; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the second cooling unit, the controller configured to:
compare the temperature detected by the at least one sensor to a first threshold temperature, wherein the first threshold temperature is specified such that a load of the telecommunication device shall be reduced when the temperature detected by the at least one sensor exceeds the first threshold temperature; and
activate or increase the airflow provided by the second cooling unit if the temperature detected by the at least one sensor exceeds the first threshold temperature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine, during operation of the second cooling unit, whether the temperature is below a second threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller deactivates or decreases the airflow provided by the second cooling unit in response to determining that the temperature is below the second threshold during operation of the second cooling unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second cooling unit is further configured to provide different levels of airflow and the controller is further configured to operate the second cooling unit at the different levels of airflow depending on the temperature associated with the telecommunication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the airflow generator comprises a tunable output power that provides the different levels of airflow.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second cooling unit comprises a plurality of airflow generators and the different levels of airflow are obtained by turning some of the airflow generators on or off.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a telecommunication device;
one or more sensors operably connected with the telecommunication device and configured to detect a temperature inside or at the telecommunications device;
a first cooling unit comprising a heat sink adapted to dissipate heat from the telecommunication device, wherein the heat sink includes a plurality of fins arranged in parallel on a surface of the telecommunication device;
a second cooling unit comprising an airflow generator adapted to provide airflow to the telecommunication device when the airflow generator is activated wherein the airflow generator is provided to generate the airflow along the surface of the telecommunication device; and
a controller operably connected to the one or more sensors and the second cooling unit, the controller configured to:
compare the temperature detected by the one or more sensors to a first threshold temperature, wherein the first threshold temperature is specified such that a load of the telecommunication device shall be reduced when the temperature detected by the one or more sensors exceeds the first threshold temperature; and
activate or increase the airflow provided by the second cooling unit if the temperature detected by the one or more sensors exceeds the first threshold temperature.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the fins are spaced at least 5 mm apart and no more than 15 mm apart; and
each fin has an average thickness of at least 0.8 mm and no more than 3 mm.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second cooling unit is installed in a fixed position relative to the heat sink.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second cooling unit is installed on the bottom of the telecommunication device and wherein the second cooling unit comprises a synthetic let actuator array of airflow generators that, when activated, alternates between ejection and suction of air.

Assignees

• Zhang Yang
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Zhang Yang

Classifications

• H05K7/20136

  Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans (H05K7/202 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20209

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title

• F28F27/00

  Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus (control arrangements in general G05) · CPC title

• H04B1/036 Primary

  Cooling arrangements · CPC title

• H05K7/20127

  Natural convection · CPC title