Optimized vent walls in electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948953-B2
Application number	US-201916512023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2019
Priority date	Jun 8, 2012
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments related to a component for use in a portable electronic device. The component includes a wall of the portable electronic device, containing an intake zone that includes a set of intake vents. The wall also includes an exhaust zone containing a set of exhaust vents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a fan disposed within the portable electronic device;
a bottom case extending about the fan, the bottom case having a wall characterized by:
a first set of vents defined in the wall of the bottom case,
a second set of vents defined in the wall of the bottom case proximate the fan and adjacent the first set of vents;
a housing comprising a clutch barrel rotatable with respect to the bottom case and positioned proximate the second set of vents, wherein the clutch barrel defines a flow path from the second set of vents about the clutch barrel; and
a top case coupled with the bottom case and providing:
a first positional alignment of the housing with the bottom case in which the housing is in closed contact with the top case, and
a second positional alignment of the housing with the bottom case in which the housing is separated from the top case, wherein, when in the second positional alignment, the clutch barrel defines a plurality of flow paths.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a heat pipe extending between the fan and the second set of vents.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a heat sink contacting the heat pipe.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, when in the first positional alignment, the clutch barrel defines a single flow path from the second set of vents.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the single flow path extends towards a base of the bottom case.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flow paths include a first flow path extending along the clutch barrel and the top case, and a second flow path extending along the clutch barrel and the bottom case.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing incorporates a display, and wherein the plurality of flow paths direct fluid flow to avoid the display.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the fan is a first fan, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a second fan, wherein the first fan is positioned proximate a first portion of the second set of vents, and wherein the second fan is positioned proximate a second portion of the second set of vents.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a laptop computer.

10. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a top case;
a bottom case coupled with the top case to define an internal volume;
a fan disposed in the bottom case, wherein the bottom case includes a wall characterized by:
a first set of vents defined in the wall of the bottom case,
two second sets of vents defined in the wall of the bottom case proximate the fan, wherein the first set of vents is located between the two second sets of vents; and

a housing comprising a clutch barrel rotatable with respect to the bottom case and positioned proximate the second set of vents, wherein the clutch barrel at least partially extends about a hinge rotatably coupling the housing with the bottom case, wherein the hinge provides a first positional alignment of the housing with the bottom case in which the housing is in closed contact with the top case, and wherein, when in the first positional alignment, the clutch barrel defines a single flow path from the two second sets of vents.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising a heat generating component positioned within the internal volume, the heat generating component thermally coupled with a heat distribution assembly configured to distribute heat from the heat generating component towards the two second sets of vents.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the distributed heat is expressed from the two second sets of vents and directed along the clutch barrel along the bottom case.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the distributed heat is further directed along the clutch barrel along the top case.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising two fans, each fan positioned proximate a second set of vents of the two second sets of vents.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing comprising a rotatable display and a clutch barrel defining airflow paths from the portable electronic device; and
a bottom case at least partially defining an internal volume of the portable electronic device in which a fan is disposed, wherein the internal volume houses a heat generating component, and wherein the bottom case includes a wall characterized by:
a first set of vents defined in the wall of the bottom case, and
two second set of vents defined in the wall of the bottom case and defined at an angle within the wall of the bottom case, wherein the first set of vents is located between the two second sets of vents, and wherein a first positional alignment of the housing with the bottom case includes the housing in closed contact with a top case, and wherein, when in the first positional alignment, the clutch barrel defines a single flow path from the two second sets of vents.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the clutch barrel defines an airflow path from the second set of vents directed away from the rotatable display.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Degner Brett W
• Andre Bartley K
• Bataillou Jeremy D
• Nigen Jay S
• Ligtenberg Christiaan A
• Hopkinson Ron A
• Schwalbach Charles A
• Casebolt Matthew P
• Rundle Nicholas A
• Liang Frank F

Classifications

• G06F1/203 Primary

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

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title