U.S. patent application number 09/512791 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-25 for cable and heat sink.
Invention is credited to Ishii, Shigeru, Mori, Shigeki, Nakai, Shinji, Nishimura, Hirokazu.
Application Number | 20020046866 09/512791 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 12780938 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020046866 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ishii, Shigeru ; et
al. |
April 25, 2002 |
Cable and heat sink
Abstract
A cable (and heat sink) for radiating heat includes a heat
conducting and radiating member for conducting heat in a
longitudinal direction of the cable and radiating the conducted
heat. The heat sink includes the cable for radiating heat, and a
heat connecting member for thermally connecting a heat generator to
the cable.
Inventors: |
Ishii, Shigeru;
(Machida-shi, JP) ; Mori, Shigeki; (Machida-shi,
JP) ; Nishimura, Hirokazu; (Yokohama-shi, JP)
; Nakai, Shinji; (Yokohama-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCGINN & GIBB, PLLC
8321 OLD COURTHOUSE ROAD
SUITE 200
VIENNA
VA
22182-3817
US
|
Family ID: |
12780938 |
Appl. No.: |
09/512791 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
174/102R |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20445 20130101;
G06F 1/163 20130101; G06F 1/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
174/102.00R |
International
Class: |
H05K 007/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 25, 1999 |
JP |
11-047643 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cable for radiating heat, comprising: a heat conducting and
radiating member for conducting heat in a longitudinal direction of
said cable and radiating the conducted heat.
2. The cable according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality
of conductors extending in the longitudinal direction of said
cable, wherein said heat conducting and radiating member extends in
the longitudinal direction of said cable and is disposed along said
conductors.
3. The cable according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of
conductors comprise a transmission line for transmitting at least
one of signals and power.
4. A cable for radiating heat, comprising: a plurality of
conductors extending in a longitudinal direction of said cable; a
heat conducting and radiating member covering a circumference of
said conductors to conduct heat in a longitudinal direction of said
cable and to radiate the conducted heat; and a coating covering the
circumference of said heat conducting and radiating member.
5. A heat sink comprising: a cable for radiating heat; and a heat
connecting member for thermally connecting a heat generator to said
cable.
6. The heat sink according to claim 5, wherein said cable
comprises: a plurality of conductors extending in a longitudinal
direction of said cable; a heat conducting and radiating member
covering a circumference of said conductors to conduct heat in the
longitudinal direction of said cable and to radiate the conducted
heat; and a coating covering a circumference of said heat
conducting and radiating member.
7. The heat sink according to claim 5, wherein said cable
comprises: a heat conducting and radiating member for conducting
heat in a longitudinal direction of said cable and radiating the
conducted heat.
8. The heat sink according to claim 7, wherein a heat connecting
member conducts heat from said heat generator to said heat
conducting and radiating member of said cable.
9. The heat sink according to claim 7, further comprising: a
conductor extending in the longitudinal direction of said cable,
wherein said heat conducting and radiating member extends in the
longitudinal direction of said cable and is disposed along said
conductor.
10. The heat sink according to claim 9, wherein said conductor
comprises a transmission line for transmitting at least one of
signals and power.
11. A portable device, comprising: the cable of claim 1.
12. The portable device, as claimed in claim 11, further
comprising: a plurality of conductors extending in the longitudinal
direction of said cable, wherein said heat conducting and radiating
member extends in the longitudinal direction of said cable and is
disposed along said conductors.
13. The portable device, as claimed in claim 12, wherein said
plurality of conductors comprise a transmission line for
transmitting at least one of signals and power.
14. A wearable computer comprising: the cable of claim 1.
15. A portable device comprising: the cable of claim 4.
16. A wearable computer comprising: the cable of claim 4.
17. A portable device comprising: the cable of claim 5.
18. A wearable computer comprising: the cable of claim 5.
19. The wearable computer, according to claim 18, wherein said
cable comprises: a plurality of conductors extending in a
longitudinal direction of said cable; a heat conducting and
radiating member covering a circumference of said conductors to
conduct heat in the longitudinal direction of said cable and to
radiate the conducted heat; and a coating covering a circumference
of said heat conducting and radiating member.
20. The wearable computer according to claim 18, wherein said cable
comprises: a heat conducting and radiating member for conducting
heat in a longitudinal direction of said cable and radiating the
conducted heat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a cable for
radiating heat. More particularly, it relates to a cable connected
to a portable computer that can transmit image signals displayed to
users and conduct heat generated inside the portable computer to
its exterior for heat radiation.
[0003] The present invention also generally relates to a heat sink
using the heat-radiating cable, and more particularly, to a heat
sink that radiates heat by conducting heat to the cable from a
central processing unit (CPU) in a portable computer, which is a
heat generator from which heat cannot be radiated easily and to
which a radiator cannot be attached easily.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Conventional systems such as that of "Nikkei Electronics
January 11, pp. 83 to 95 (Document 1; Nikkei BP Co., Ltd.,
published on Jan. 11, 1999, No. 734)" disclose a small computer
that is conveniently portable (e.g., a "wearable computer").
[0006] The body of a conventional wearable computer has a small
external shape (e.g., 190.times.63 .times.117 mm) and is fixed to a
user's belt for operation, for achieving a high level of
mathematical performance.
[0007] In addition, the wearable computer typically has a display
device mounted on a user's head and connected to the body of the
wearable computer via a cable and an input device that can be
operated with one hand.
[0008] As described above, the wearable computer is configured to
have a very small body, and it is therefore difficult to attach an
external radiator to the wearable computer due to its installation
position on the user's body (e.g., clothes).
[0009] On the other hand, since high mathematical performance is
required of the wearable computer, reducing the amount of heat
radiated (e.g., by maintaining a lower clock frequency) is
constrained. Thus, it is difficult to achieve a balance in a heat
radiation design of a wearable computer.
[0010] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No.
09-288913 discloses an example of a heat-radiating device which
includes a flat power cable including recesses and projections on
its sides to radiate heat away from the cable. This flat cable
radiates heat from itself, but cannot be used for an application
where heat is allowed to escape to the exterior from a device to
which the flat cable is connected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages,
and drawbacks of the conventional wearable computers, the present
invention has been devised, and it is an object of the present
invention to provide a structure (cable) for conducting heat
generated inside a device connected to the cable, to the exterior
for cooling purposes.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat
sink for using a cable connected to a device to conduct heat
generated inside this device to the exterior for heat
radiation.
[0013] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
cable and heat sink in which a heat conducting member is provided
for a cable connecting the body of a portable computer (e.g., a
wearable computer) to a display device and in which the cable with
the heat conducting member radiates heat from the interior of the
portable computer body.
[0014] In order to achieve these objects, in a first aspect of the
present invention, a cable for radiating heat includes a heat
conducting and radiating member for conducting heat in the
longitudinal direction of the cable and radiating the conducted
heat.
[0015] Preferably, the cable includes conductors extending in a
longitudinal direction of a cable, and the heat conducting and
radiating member extends in a longitudinal direction of the cable
and is disposed along the conductors. Further, the conductor is
preferably a transmission line that transmits signals or power.
[0016] In a second aspect according to the present invention, a
cable for radiating heat includes conductors extending in the
longitudinal direction of the cable, a heat conducting and
radiating member covering the circumference of the conductors to
conduct heat in the longitudinal direction of the cable and to
radiate the conducted heat, and a coating covering the
circumference of the heat conducting and radiating member.
[0017] The cable according to the present invention connects the
body of a wearable computer and a display device together and
conducts heat generated by a CPU internally, to the exterior. Thus,
the conducted heat is released externally from a cable surface to
remove heat from the interior of the computer body.
[0018] Preferably, the heat conducting and radiating member
includes a heat conducting sheet wound between signal lines and a
coating of the cable that conducts, in the longitudinal direction
of the cable, heat generated by the CPU in the computer body, to
gradually radiate heat from the surface of the cable.
[0019] In addition, a heat sink according to the present invention
includes a cable for radiating heat, and a heat connecting member
for thermally connecting a heat generator to the cable capable of
radiating heat.
[0020] A heat sink according to the present invention uses the
cable described above in the first and second aspects of the
invention to conduct heat generated by the CPU inside the computer
body, to the exterior for the purpose of heat radiation.
[0021] The heat connecting member preferably includes a heat pipe
for thermally connecting the CPU inside the wearable computer and
the heat conducting and radiating member (e.g., the above heat
conducting sheet) of the cable according to the present invention
used as a cable for connection to a display device. The heat
connecting member conducts heat generated by the CPU to the heat
conducting sheet of the cable in order to radiate heat generated by
the CPU to the exterior.
[0022] The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained
in Japanese Patent Application 11-047643, filed Feb. 25, 1999,
which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The foregoing and other objects, aspects and advantages will
be better understood from the following detailed description of a
preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the
drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a wearable computer to which a cable and
heat sink according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is
applied;
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration of the cable shown in
FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cable shown in FIGS. 1 and
2;
[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a connection between a personal computer
(PC) body and a cable;
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a connection between the cable and a
connection member, which is shown by a dashed circle (a) in FIG.
4;
[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a connection between a CPU and a heat
collecting member; and
[0030] FIG. 7 illustrates heat radiation performed by the cable
according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
FIGS. 1-7, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the structure
according to the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a wearable computer 1 to which a cable and heat
sink according to the present invention are applied. As shown in
FIG. 1, the wearable computer 1 includes a headmount display 10, a
cable 2, and the PC body 3 of the wearable computer.
[0033] In the wearable computer 1, the cable 2 according to the
present invention connects the PC body 3 and the headmount display
10 mounted on, for example, a user's head. The cable transmits
operating power and image signals from the PC body 3 to the
headmount display 10 while conducting heat generated by a CPU
inside the PC body 3 to the exterior of the PC body 3. Thus, the
cable radiates heat from the interior of the PC body 3.
[0034] In addition to transmitting signals and power, the cable 2
can be configured as a loss prevention member (e.g., without
providing power or signal lines) that simply connects the headmount
display 10 and the PC body 3 together. In a specific example in
which the cable 2 is configured as a signal cable as described
above, a configuration of cable 2 is described with reference to
FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows a detailed section of the cable 2 shown in FIG.
1. FIG. 3 is a crosssectional view of the cable 2 shown in FIGS. 1
and 2.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cable 2 extends in a
longitudinal direction and includes conductors 24 transmitting
operating power and image signals from the PC body 3 to the
headmount display 10, a heat conducting sheet 22 provided along the
conductors 24 so as to cover their circumference, and a coating 20
provided to cover the conductors 24 and the heat conducting sheet
22 to protect the interior of the cable 2. The cable 2 is
configured to have the heat conducting sheet 22 between the
conductors 24 and a coating 20 of a normal signal cable.
[0037] The heat conducting sheet 22 is preferably formed of a
material having high heat conductivity and flexibility (e.g., for
example, "Panasonic Graphite Sheet" produced by Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co., Ltd.). The heat conducting sheet 22 conducts heat
generated by the CPU 30 inside the PC body 3 in the longitudinal
direction of the cable 2, while gradually releasing the heat from
the surface of the cable 2 in order to radiate it from the PC body
3.
[0038] The heat conducting sheet 22 preferably has high
conductivity, high flexibility, and high durability. Of these
properties, high heat conductivity is required to radiate heat from
the PC body 3.
[0039] In addition, due to the connection between the PC body 3 and
the headmount display 10, the usability of the wearable computer 1
may be degraded if the cable 2 lacks flexibility. Thus, for similar
reasons, the heat conducting sheet 22 also must be very flexible.
Also, the heat conducting sheet 22 is repeatedly folded prior to
use, so it must equal or exceed the durability of the other
components of the cable 2 (e.g., signal lines 24 and the coating
20).
[0040] The connection between the cable 2 and the CPU 30 in the PC
body 3 is described below with reference to FIGS. 4-6. FIG. 4 shows
a connection between the PC body 3 and the cable 2. FIG. 5 shows a
connection between the cable 2 and a connection member 34, which is
outlined by dashed circle a in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 shows a connection
between the CPU 30 and a heat collecting member 38, which is
outlined by dashed circle b in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the
CPU 30 and other PC parts are located on a card 36 inside the PC
body 3.
[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the cable 2 extends from the
exterior to the interior of the PC body 3, and a coating 20 at the
end of the cable 2 in the interior of the PC is removed to draw out
the heat conducting sheet 22 and the conductors 24 as required. The
conductors 24 are connected to relevant portions of the card
36.
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the heat conducting sheet 22 and
the conductors 24 are attached to the card 36 together with the
connection member 34 and one end of a heat pipe 32 using a screw or
the like. Thus, the heat conducting sheet 22, the connection member
34, and the heat pipe 32 are thermally connected together.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, a heat conducting pad 380 is provided on
a side of the heat collecting member 38. When the heat collecting
member 38 is mounted on the card 36 using four screws 382-1 to
382-4, the heat conducting pad 380 is pressed against the top
surface of the CPU 30.
[0044] In this manner, the heat collecting member 38 and the CPU 30
are thermally connected via the heat conducting pad 380. The other
end of the heat pipe 32 is guided into a slot on the card 36 and
locked to the heat collecting member 38 for caulking and thermal
connection. That is, the CPU 30 and the heat conducting sheet 22 of
the cable 2 are thermally connected via the heat collecting member
38, the heat pipe 32, and the connection member 34.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows heat radiation provided by the cable 2
according to the present invention. As shown by the arrows in FIG.
7, heat generated by the CPU 30 inside the PC body 3 is transferred
to the heat collecting member 38 and then to the heat conducting
sheet 22 of the cable 2 via the heat pipe 32 and the connection
member 34.
[0046] The heat conducting sheet 22 conducts in a longitudinal
direction of the cable 2, the heat transferred via the heat
collecting member 38, the heat pipe 32, and the connection member
34, and gradually releases the heat to the exterior via the coating
20, to radiate the heat from the interior of the PC body 3.
[0047] The exemplary material described above for the heat
conducting sheet 22 may be replaced by another suitable material
having similar heat conductivity and flexibility properties,
depending on the application. Instead of graphite, the heat
conducting sheet may be a material including a metal having a high
heat conductivity (e.g., copper or the like) which has been shaped
into a sheet or a line.
[0048] In addition, the method for connecting the CPU 30 and the
heat conducting sheet 22 as shown in FIG. 4 is only an example, and
a different connection method providing similar heat conduction can
be used depending on the application.
[0049] As described above, the cable according to the present
invention can conduct heat, generated in a device connected
thereto, to the exterior for heat radiation. In addition, the heat
sink according to the present invention can use the cable connected
to a device for which a radiating device cannot be provided easily,
to conduct heat generated inside this device to the exterior for
heat radiation.
[0050] Further, the cable and heat sink according to the present
invention are suitable for heat radiation from the interior of a
portable computer such as a wearable computer by using a cable
connecting the body of the portable computer and a display device
and to which a heat conducting member is added.
[0051] While the invention has been described in terms of a
preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that
the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit
and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *