Adjustable air gap for mobile devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10462274-B2
Application number	US-201515777137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments are generally directed to an adjustable gap structure for mobile devices. An embodiment of a mobile device includes a cover; a printed circuit board including a processing component and thermal solution, the printed circuit board being movable along a first axis towards or away from the cover to provide an adjustable air gap; one or more ferromagnetic elements coupled with the printed circuit board; and one or more magnets, wherein, in first mode, the one or more magnets are to attract the one or more ferromagnetic elements and maintain an air gap of a first distance between the thermal solution and the cover, and wherein, in a second mode, an external magnetic force is to pull the ferromagnetic elements away from the one or more magnets and reduce the air gap between the thermal solution and the cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device comprising:
a cover;
a printed circuit board including a processing component, the printed circuit board being movable along a first axis towards or away from the cover to provide an adjustable air gap;
one or more ferromagnetic elements coupled with the printed circuit board; and
one or more magnets;
wherein, in first mode, the one or more magnets are to attract the one or more ferromagnetic elements and maintain an air gap of a first distance between a thermal solution and the cover, and
wherein, in a second mode, an external magnetic force is to pull the ferromagnetic elements away from the one or more magnets and reduce the air gap between the thermal solution and the cover.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ferromagnetic elements include metal brackets.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more guide pins to limit the movement of the printed circuit board to movement along the first axis.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first mode is a handheld mode and the second mode is a docking mode.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is to operate at a first performance level in the first mode and operate at a second performance level in the second mode, the second performance level being higher than the first performance level.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the air gap is eliminated in the second mode.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device further includes an internal thermal solution.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is to transition to the second mode when the mobile device is in contact with a docking mechanism.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the docking mechanism includes:
an external thermal solution for the mobile device; and
one or more magnets to provide the external magnetic force to overcome a magnetic force provided by the one more magnets of the mobile device.

11. A method comprising:
operating a mobile device in a first mode in which the mobile device uses one or more magnets included in the mobile device to maintain an air gap of a first distance in the mobile device; and
transitioning the mobile device into a second mode in which an external magnetic field originating from outside the mobile device overcomes a magnetic force of the one or more magnets and reduces the air gap to a second distance.

12. The method of claim 11 , further including:
operating the mobile device at a first performance level in the first mode; and
operating the mobile device at a second performance level in the second mode, the second performance level being higher than the first performance level.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the air gap is eliminated in the second mode.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reduction of the air gap to the second distance enables enhanced cooling of the mobile device by an external thermal solution.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the mobile device further includes a printed circuit board and one or more ferromagnetic elements coupled with the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being movable along a first axis towards or away from the cover to provide an adjustable air gap; and
maintaining the air gap of the first distance in the mobile device includes the one or more magnets to provide a magnetic force on the one or more ferromagnetic elements.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first mode is a handheld mode and wherein the second mode is a docking mode.

17. A smart phone comprising:
a cover including a back cover on a first side;
a display screen with touch operation on a second side, the second side being opposite to the first side;
a printed circuit board including a processing component, the printed circuit board being movable along a first axis towards or away from the back cover to provide an adjustable air gap; one or more ferromagnetic elements coupled with the printed circuit board; and
a force element to provide a force on the printed circuit board to pull the printed circuit away from the back cover;
wherein, in first mode, the force element is to maintain an air gap of a first distance between a thermal solution and the cover, and
wherein, in a second mode, an external magnetic force is to pull the ferromagnetic elements away from one or more magnets and reduce the air gap between the thermal solution and the cover.

18. The smart phone of claim 17 , wherein the force element includes one or more magnets to provide a magnetic force on the one or more ferromagnetic elements.

19. The smart phone of claim 17 , wherein the force element includes a spring or elastic element to provide a physical force on the printed circuit board.

20. The smart phone of claim 17 , wherein the smart phone is to operate at a first performance level in the first mode and operate at a second performance level in the second mode, the second performance level being higher than the first performance level.

21. The smart phone of claim 17 , wherein the first mode is a handheld mode and the second mode is a docking mode.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Weng Moss
• Hung Alesi
• Yen Chang-Wu
• Cheng Ching-Shan

Classifications

• H05K7/20436

  Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing · CPC title

• H05K7/142

  Spacers not being card guides · CPC title

• H04M1/0277 Primary

  for a printed circuit board assembly · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• H05K7/20336

  Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps · CPC title