Efficient heat exchange systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016270254-A1
Application number	US-201514642313-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heat exchange system can include an inner enclosure, an outer enclosure, a flow path between the inner and the outer enclosure, an outer fan to induce air flow through the flow path, an inner fan to circulate air within the inner enclosure, and a heat source within the inner enclosure. The heat exchange systems can be used to dissipate heat from the electrical components of various devices, such as laser marking systems, machine readable symbol readers, and dimensioning systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat exchange system comprising:
an outer enclosure; an inner enclosure enclosed within the outer enclosure; a flow path defined between the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure; an outer fan positioned to induce air flow through the flow path; an inner fan enclosed within the inner enclosure; and a heat source enclosed within the inner enclosure.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the heat source is an electrical component of a laser marking system.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the laser marking system is enclosed within the inner enclosure.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the heat source is an electrical component of a machine readable symbol reader.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the inner enclosure is hermetically sealed.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the heat source is positioned within an inner chamber within the inner enclosure and the inner chamber is isolated from an external environment of the system.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the inner enclosure conforms to IP Code IP52 or better.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the inner enclosure includes a plurality of walls and the heat source is separated from each of the walls.

9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the heat source is a first heat source and the system further comprises a second heat source in contact with at least one of the walls.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the system includes a convective heat path from the first heat source to the plurality of walls, a conductive heat path from the second heat source to the plurality of walls, a conductive heat path through the plurality of walls, and a convective heat path from the plurality of walls out of the system through the flow path.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first heat sink coupled to an interior surface of a wall of the inner enclosure and a second heat sink coupled to an exterior surface of the wall.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the second heat sink is positioned in a coldest portion of the flow path.

13 . The system of claim 1 wherein:
the outer enclosure includes a first front wall, a rear wall opposed to the first front wall, a bottom wall, a top wall opposed to the bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall opposed to the first side wall; and
the inner enclosure includes a second front wall spaced apart from the first front wall, the rear wall, the bottom wall, the top wall, a third side wall spaced apart from the first side wall, and a fourth side wall spaced apart from the second side wall and opposed to the third side wall.

14 . A heat exchange system comprising:
an external front wall including an opening; an internal front wall spaced apart from the external front wall to form a front space between the external front wall and the internal front wall, the front space fluidically coupled to the opening; a first side wall component including a first flow channel fluidically coupled to the front space; a second side wall component including a second flow channel fluidically coupled to the front space; a rear wall including a first vent fluidically coupled to the first flow channel and a second vent fluidically coupled to the second flow channel; an outer fan positioned to induce air flow into the opening, through the front space, through the first flow channel, through the second flow channel, out of the first vent, and out of the second vent; a bottom wall and a top wall positioned such that the internal front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall component, the second side wall component, the bottom wall, and the top wall form an enclosure; an inner fan enclosed within the enclosure; and a heat source enclosed within the enclosure.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising a heat sink coupled to an interior surface of the internal front wall.

16 . The system of claim 14 wherein the inner fan is positioned closer to the internal front wall than to the rear wall.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein the inner fan is positioned a distance from the internal front wall that is less than one quarter of the distance between the internal front wall and the rear wall.

18 . The system of claim 16 wherein the inner fan is positioned at a distance from the internal front wall that is less than a width of the internal front wall.

19 . A method comprising:
generating heat at a heat source within an inner enclosure; using an inner fan within the inner enclosure to dissipate the heat from the heat source to one or more walls of the inner enclosure by convection; and using an outer fan outside the inner enclosure to induce air to flow through a flow path between the inner enclosure and an outer enclosure enclosing the inner enclosure to dissipate heat from the walls of the inner enclosure by convection.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein generating heat at a heat source comprises generating heat at an electrical component of a laser marking system.

21 . The method of claim 19 wherein generating heat at a heat source comprises generating heat at an electrical component of a machine readable symbol reader.

22 . The method of claim 19 wherein generating heat at a heat source comprises generating heat at an electrical component of a dimensioning system.

Assignees

• Datalogic IP Tech Srl

Inventors

• Brianese Bruno Pietro

Classifications

• H05K7/20154 Primary

  Heat dissipaters coupled to components · CPC title

• H05K7/202 Primary

  Air circulating in closed loop within enclosure wherein heat is removed through heat-exchangers · CPC title