Electronic devices with multi-layer heat reduction components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753506-B2
Application number	US-201514622433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure an electronic device with a multi-layer heat reduction component is described. The device includes a number of integrated circuits and a first layer in contact with at least one of the number of integrated circuits to remove heat from at least one integrated circuit. The device also includes a second layer separated from the first layer by an air gap to reduce heat transfer between the first layer and the second layer. The second layer is retractable to expose the first layer when docked to a station. The electronic device operates in a first mode when docked to a station and a second mode when not docked to the station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device with a multi-layer heat reduction component, the device comprising:
a number of integrated circuits coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB);
a first layer in contact with the number of integrated circuits to remove heat from the number of integrated circuits;
a retraction feature to receive a trigger of a docking station; and
a second layer separated from the first layer by an air gap that is at least 2 millimeters (mm) thick to reduce heat transfer between the first layer and the second layer;
wherein the second layer is arranged with respect to the first layer such that, responsive to docking with the docking station, a trigger of the docking station interacts with the retraction feature, responsive to which the second layer retracts and receives a liquid cooling coil of a cooling system of the docking station within the air gap and adjacent to the exposed first layer;
and further wherein the electronic device is to operate in a first mode when docked to the docking station and to operate in a second mode when not docked to the docking station.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , in which the second layer forms at least part of an outer cover of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , in which the electronic device, when in the second mode, provides supplemental processing power to a device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , in which the electronic device has a 35 watt (W) thermal design power (TDP) processor to provide power to a separate electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , in which the electronic device is sized to be portable.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , in which:
when docked, the electronic device operates with a thermal design power of at least 35 watts; and
when not docked, the electronic device operates with a thermal design power of less than 5 watts.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device provides processing power to a mobile device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device provides supplemental processing power to a second electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device provides processing power to both a mobile device and a second electronic device.

10. A system for powering an electronic device having a multi-layer heat reduction component, the system comprising:
an electronic device to, when in both a mobile mode and a docked mode, provide supplemental processing power to a mobile device, the electronic device comprising:
a number of integrated circuits coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB);
a multi-layer heat reduction component comprising a retractable outer layer, an air gap that is at least 2 millimeters (mm) thick, and an inner layer coupled to at least one of the number of integrated circuits, wherein the retractable outer layer, the inner layer, and the air gap are arranged such that the air gap separates the retractable outer layer and the inner layer,
the multi-layer heat reduction component further comprising a retraction feature to receive a trigger of a docking station, and responsive to an interaction between the trigger and the retraction feature the retractable outer layer is to expose the inner layer to a cooling system of the docking station; and

the docking station to comprise a cooling system comprising a liquid cooling coil and a fan and responsive to coupling with the electronic device, the docking station is to:
allow the electronic device to operate in a high power mode; and
cool the electronic device via the cooling system of the docking station, the cooling system arranged such that the liquid cooling coil is within the air gap and adjacent to the inner layer of the electronic device;

in which the electronic device is to operate in a low power mode when not docked.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is docked in a display panel.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the docking station is integral to a second electronic device.

13. An electronic device comprising:
a number of integrated circuits coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB);
a multi-layer heat reduction component comprising:
a first layer coupled to at least one of the number of integrated circuits to remove heat from the at least one integrated circuit; and
a second layer separated from the first layer by an air gap that is at least 2 millimeters (mm) thick to act as an insulation layer in a lower power mobile mode to reduce a thermal output of the electronic device;
a retraction feature to receive a trigger of a docking station, and
wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the retraction feature are arranged such that, responsive to an interaction between the trigger of the docking station and the retraction feature of the multi-layer heat reduction component, the second layer retracts and receives a liquid cooling coil of a cooling system of the docking station within the air gap adjacent to the exposed first layer to actively cool the electronic device through the air gap and the electronic device operates in a higher power docked mode; and

a sensor system to:
indicate when the electronic device is in an enclosed environment; and
responsive to an indication of an enclosed environment, place the electronic device in a standby mode until an output of the sensor system is de-asserted.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , in which the sensor is a light sensor that detects ambient light.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Saroor Shaheen
• Brooks Robert C
• Biggs Kent E
• Castell Robin T

Classifications

• G06F1/203 Primary

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

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title