U.S. patent application number 13/182715 was filed with the patent office on 2013-01-17 for air flow guiding structure.
The applicant listed for this patent is Chih-Peng Chen, Jhao-Ying Huang. Invention is credited to Chih-Peng Chen, Jhao-Ying Huang.
Application Number | 20130014921 13/182715 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47518256 |
Filed Date | 2013-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130014921 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Chih-Peng ; et
al. |
January 17, 2013 |
AIR FLOW GUIDING STRUCTURE
Abstract
An air flow guiding structure includes a plurality of straight
radiating fins being parallelly spaced to define an air flow
passage between any two adjacent ones of the straight radiating
fins; a plurality of first oblique sections extended from first
ends of at least some of the straight radiating fins, such that a
first air flow guiding passage communicating with the air flow
passage is defined between any two adjacent ones of the first
oblique sections; and a plurality of second oblique sections
extended from opposite second ends of at least some of the straight
radiating fins, such that a second air flow guiding passage
communicating with the air flow passage is defined between any two
adjacent ones of the second oblique sections. With these
arrangements, air flows can be quickly guided into and out of the
air flow passages to improve flow field and achieve best heat
dissipation effect.
Inventors: |
Chen; Chih-Peng; (New Taipei
City, TW) ; Huang; Jhao-Ying; (New Taipei City,
TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chen; Chih-Peng
Huang; Jhao-Ying |
New Taipei City
New Taipei City |
|
TW
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
47518256 |
Appl. No.: |
13/182715 |
Filed: |
July 14, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/121 ;
165/185 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 23/467 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 23/3672 20130101; H01L 2924/0002
20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/121 ;
165/185 |
International
Class: |
F28F 7/00 20060101
F28F007/00; F28F 13/12 20060101 F28F013/12 |
Claims
1. An air flow guiding structure, comprising a plurality of
straight radiating fins respectively having a first end and an
opposite second end and being parallelly spaced to define an air
flow passage between any two adjacent ones of the straight
radiating fins; and a plurality of first oblique sections extended
from the first ends of at least some of the straight radiating
fins, such that a first air flow guiding passage communicating with
the air flow passage is defined between any two adjacent ones of
the first oblique sections.
2. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising a plurality of second oblique sections extended from the
second ends of at least some of the straight radiating fins, such
that a second air flow guiding passage communicating with the air
flow passage is defined between any two adjacent ones of the second
oblique sections.
3. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising a plurality of third oblique sections extended from the
first ends of at least some of the straight radiating fins, such
that a third air flow guiding passage communicating with the air
flow passage is defined between any two adjacent ones of the third
oblique sections.
4. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein
the third oblique sections are located to one lateral side of the
first oblique sections.
5. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 2, further
comprising a plurality of fourth oblique sections extended from the
second ends of at least some of the straight radiating fins, such
that a fourth air flow guiding passage communicating with the air
flow passage is defined between any two adjacent ones of the fourth
oblique sections.
6. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein
the fourth oblique sections are located to one lateral side of the
second oblique sections.
7. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a
first angle is contained between the straight radiating fin and the
first oblique section extended therefrom, and the first angle being
larger than 90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree..
8. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein a
second angle is contained between the straight radiating fin and
the second oblique section extended therefrom, and the second angle
being larger than 90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree..
9. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein a
third angle is contained between the straight radiating fin and the
third oblique section extended therefrom, and the third angle being
larger than 90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree..
10. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein a
fourth angle is contained between the straight radiating fin and
the fourth oblique section extended therefrom, and the fourth angle
being larger than 90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree..
11. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the air flow guiding structure is located adjacent to a fan with
the second ends of the straight radiating fins facing toward the
fan; whereby when the fan operates, air flows are forced through
the air flow passages to flow out of the air flow guiding structure
via the first air flow guiding passages.
12. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein
the air flow guiding structure is located adjacent to a fan with
the second oblique sections facing toward the fan; whereby when the
fan operates, air flows are guided by the second air flow guiding
passages to flow into the air flow passages and then out of the
first air flow guiding passages.
13. The air flow guiding structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the air flow guiding structure is mounted in a chassis; the chassis
being provided with a plurality of air outlets, and the air flow
guiding structure being mounted in the chassis with the first air
flow guiding passages facing toward and located adjacent to the air
outlets of the chassis.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an air flow guiding
structure, and more particularly to an air flow guiding structure
that enables upgraded heat dissipation efficiency.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Following the progress in various technological fields,
people demand for efficient and real-time processing of a large
quantity of data. To satisfy this demand, high-frequency and
high-speed processors have been constantly developed and introduced
into the market. However, these high-frequency and high-speed
processors also generate more heat during the operation thereof.
The large amount of heat generated by the processor in a system
must be timely removed to avoid overheat of the processor, so that
the whole system is protected against damage and can be maintained
in good performance. Therefore, there must be an improved heat
dissipating device to achieve the purpose of timely removing a
large amount of heat from a heat-generating electronic element,
such as a processor.
[0003] FIG. 1 shows a heat sink commonly available in the market
for dissipating heat. The heat sink includes a plurality of
radiating fins 1, which are vertically arranged to parallelly space
from one another, so that an air flow guiding area 11 is formed
between any two adjacent ones of the vertical radiating fins 1. A
fan unit 10 is provided to one side of the radiating fins 1 to face
toward the air flow guiding areas 11, so as to provide a heat
dissipating device. When the heat dissipating device is mounted on
a surface of a heat-generating electronic element (not shown) and
when the fan unit 10 operates, cold air is blown into the air flow
guiding areas 11 between the radiating fins 1 via cold air inlets
12 at the side of the heat sink facing toward the fan unit 10, and
hot air flows out of the air flow guiding areas 11 via hot air
outlets 13 at an opposite side of the heat sink. Since the
above-described conventional heat dissipating device includes
vertically arranged and parallelly spaced radiating fins 1, the two
sides of the heat sink with the cold air inlets 12 and the hot air
outlets 13 are in the form of two vertical planes. Hot air flowed
to the hot air outlets 13 can not easily spread outward and tends
to cause reverse flow of heat. Therefore, the air flow guiding
areas 11 in the conventional heat dissipating device fail to enable
effective heat exchange through air convection, resulting in low
heat transfer efficiency and limited heat dissipation effect.
[0004] That is, the conventional heat sink has the following
disadvantages: (1) failing to effectively dissipate heat therefrom;
and (2) tending to produce reverse flow of heat.
[0005] It is therefore tried by the inventor to overcome the above
problems by developing an improved air flow guiding structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an
air flow guiding structure that enables upgraded heat dissipation
efficiency.
[0007] To achieve the above and other objects, the air flow guiding
structure according to an embodiment of the present invention
includes a plurality of straight radiating fins respectively having
a first end and an opposite second end and being parallelly spaced
to define an air flow passage between any two adjacent ones of the
straight radiating fins; a plurality of first oblique sections
extended from the first ends of at least some of the straight
radiating fins, such that a first air flow guiding passage
communicating with the air flow passage is defined between any two
adjacent ones of the first oblique sections and a first angle
larger than 90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree. is contained
between the straight radiating fin and the first oblique section
extended therefrom; and a plurality of second oblique sections
extended from the second ends of at least some of the straight
radiating fins, such that a second air flow guiding passage
communicating with the air flow passage is defined between any two
adjacent ones of the second oblique sections and a second angle
larger than 90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree. is contained
between the straight radiating fin and the second oblique section
extended therefrom.
[0008] The first and the second angles can be changed according to
a user's actual need to provide most suitable air flow guiding
passages. A fan can be arranged adjacent to the second ends of the
straight radiating fins. When the fan operates, the second oblique
sections can guide air flows produced by the fan into the second
air flow guiding passages to smoothly flow through the air flow
passages and out of the first air flow guiding passages, so as to
change the air flow field and avoid reverse flow of heat, and
reduce the temperature of air flowing into a system or a heat sink
to obtain upgraded heat dissipation efficiency.
[0009] With the air flow guiding structure of the present
invention, air flows can be quickly guided in between a plurality
of radiating fins to improve the air flow field and achieve best
heat dissipation effect. Further, the air flow guiding structure of
the present invention can also be used in a narrow space to
effectively improve system heat dissipation, and can be assembled
at reduced cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional heat
dissipating device;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of an air flow
guiding structure according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows the use of the air flow guiding structure of
FIG. 2 to guide air flows;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of an air flow
guiding structure according to a second embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 shows the use of the air flow guiding structure of
FIG. 4 to guide air flows;
[0016] FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of an air flow
guiding structure according to a third embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 7 shows the use of the air flow guiding structure of
FIG. 6 to guide air flows;
[0018] FIG. 8 is an assembled perspective view of an air flow
guiding structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 9 shows the use of the air flow guiding structure of
FIG. 8 to guide air flows;
[0020] FIG. 10A shows the air flow guiding structure according to
the first embodiment of the present invention mounted in a
chassis;
[0021] FIG. 10B shows the air flow guiding structure according to
the second embodiment of the present invention mounted in a
chassis;
[0022] FIG. 10C shows the air flow guiding structure according to
the third embodiment of the present invention mounted in a chassis;
and
[0023] FIG. 10D shows the air flow guiding structure according to
the fourth embodiment of the present invention mounted in a
chassis.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] The present invention will now be described with some
preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the
accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand,
elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted
by the same reference numerals.
[0025] Please refer to FIG. 2 that is an assembled perspective view
of an air flow guiding structure 2 according to a first embodiment
of the present invention.
[0026] As shown, the air flow guiding structure 2 in the first
embodiment includes a plurality of straight radiating fins 20,
which respectively have a first end 201 and an opposite second end
202, and are parallelly spaced to define an air flow passage 3
between any two adjacent ones of the straight radiating fins 20;
and a plurality of first oblique sections 2011 extended from the
first ends 201 of at least some of the straight radiating fins 20,
such that a first air flow guiding passage 31 communicating with
the air flow passage 3 is defined between any two adjacent ones of
the first oblique sections 2011 and a first angle 203 is contained
between the straight radiating fin 20 and the first oblique section
2011 extended therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, the first
angle 203 is larger than 90.degree. and smaller than
180.degree..
[0027] FIG. 3 shows the use of the air flow guiding structure 2 of
FIG. 2 to guide air flows. Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 at the
same time. A fan 4 can be arranged adjacent to the second ends 202
of the straight radiating fins 20. When the fan 4 operates, air
flows are forced into the air flow guiding structure 2 via the
second ends 202 to flow through the air flow passages 3 and then
guided out of the radiating fins 20 via the first air flow guiding
passages 31 between the first oblique sections 2011. Since the
first oblique sections 2011 are oblique relative to the straight
radiating fins 20 by a predetermined angle, the air flows flowing
out of the first air flow guiding passages 31 would not be
reflected from or collide with one another to cause reverse flow of
air. Compared to the conventional heat dissipating device that
includes only straight radiating fins and fan, the air flow guiding
structure 2 according to the first embodiment of the present
invention allows air to more smoothly flow therethrough, so that
increased convection rate of air flowing through the radiating fins
20 can be obtained to achieve fast and efficient heat
dissipation.
[0028] Please refer to FIG. 4 that is an assembled perspective view
of an air flow guiding structure 2 according to a second embodiment
of the present invention. The air flow guiding structure 2 in the
second embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first
embodiment, except for a plurality of second oblique sections 2021,
which are extended from the second ends 202 of at least some of the
straight radiating fins 20, such that a second air flow guiding
passage 32 communicating with the air flow passage 3 is defined
between any two adjacent ones of the second oblique sections 2021
and a second angle 204 is contained between the straight radiating
fin 20 and the second oblique section 2021 extended therefrom. In
the illustrated embodiment, the second angle 204 is larger than
90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree..
[0029] The air flow guiding structure 2 according to the present
invention can be modified in design in response to different user
requirements. For example, different combinations of the straight
radiating fins 20, the first oblique sections 2011 and the second
oblique sections 2021 can be arranged on the air flow guiding
structure 2 to form the air flow passages 3, the first air flow
guiding passages 31 and the second air flow guiding passages 32;
meanwhile, the first and second angles 203, 204 contained between
the straight radiating fins 20 and the first and second oblique
sections 2011, 2021, respectively, can be changed according to
user's actual need. FIG. 5 shows the use of the air flow guiding
structure 2 of FIG. 4 to guide air flows. Please refer to FIGS. 4
and 5 at the same time. A fan 4 can be, for example, arranged
adjacent to the second ends 202 of the straight radiating fins 20
and the second oblique sections 2021. When the fan 4 operates, air
flows are forced into the air flow guiding structure 2 via the
second air flow guiding passages 32 to flow through the air flow
passages 3 and then out of the first air flow guiding passages 31
between the first oblique sections 2011. With these arrangements,
the air flow guiding structure 2 in the second embodiment also
provides suitable air flow guiding passages to avoid reverse flow
of air caused by air flow reflection and collision.
[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the first angles 203
contained between the straight radiating fins 20 and the first
oblique sections 2011 as well as the second angle 204 contained
between the straight radiating fins 20 and the second oblique
sections 2021 are most preferably ranged between 115.degree. and
155.degree.. With these arrangements, air flows can be guided by
the second air flow guiding passages 32 between the second oblique
sections 2021 to flow into the air flow passages 3 between the
straight radiating fins 20 and then out of the first air flow
guiding passages 31 between the first oblique sections 2011 to
ensure minimum air stagnation and best air convection rate in the
air flow guiding structure 2.
[0031] Unlike the conventional heat dissipating device that
includes only straight radiating fins and fan, the air flow guiding
structure 2 according to the second embodiment of the present
invention includes the first oblique sections 2011 and the second
oblique sections 2021 to enable change of air flow field. Further,
by forming the first and the second angle 203, 204, air flowing out
of the air flow passages 3 is stopped from flowing reversely.
Therefore, air flows can smoothly flow through the air flow
passages 3 at increased speed without stagnating between the
radiating fins 20. That is, an increased convection rate of air
flowing through the radiating fins 20 can be obtained to achieve
fast and efficient heat dissipation.
[0032] FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of an air flow
guiding structure 2 according to a third embodiment of the present
invention. The air flow guiding structure 2 in the third embodiment
is generally structurally similar to the second embodiment, except
for a plurality of third oblique sections 2012, which are extended
from the first ends 201 of at least some of the straight radiating
fins 20, such that a third air flow guiding passage 33
communicating with the air flow passage 3 is defined between any
two adjacent ones of the third oblique sections 2012 and a third
angle 205 is contained between the straight radiating fin 20 and
the third oblique section 2012 extended therefrom. In the
illustrated embodiment, the third angle 205 is larger than
90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree.; and the third oblique
sections 2012 are located to a lateral side of the first oblique
sections 2011.
[0033] In the air flow guiding structure 2 according to the third
embodiment of the present invention, different combinations of the
straight radiating fins 20, the first oblique sections 2011, the
second oblique sections 2021 and the third oblique sections 2012
can be arranged on the air flow guiding structure 2; meanwhile, the
first, the second and the third angles 203, 204, 205 contained
between the straight radiating fins 20 and the first, the second
and the third oblique sections 2011, 2021, 2012, respectively, can
be changed according to user's actual need. FIG. 7 shows the use of
the air flow guiding structure 2 of FIG. 6 to guide air flows.
Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7 at the same time. A fan 4 can be, for
example, arranged adjacent to the second ends 202 of the straight
radiating fins 20 and the second oblique sections 2021. When the
fan 4 operates, air flows are guided by the second air flow guiding
passages 32 to flow through the air flow passages 3 and then out of
the first air flow guiding passages 31 between the first oblique
sections 2011. Thereafter, the air flows reversely to the third air
flow guiding passages 33 between the third oblique sections 2012 to
flow through the air flow passages 3 between the straight radiating
fins 20 and then out of the second ends 202 opposite to the third
oblique sections 2012. With these arrangements, the air flow
guiding structure 2 according to the third embodiment of the
present invention also provides smooth air flow guiding passages to
prevent air from stagnating in the air flow passages 3 while
effectively increases the convection rate of air flowing through
the radiating fins 20.
[0034] FIG. 8 is an assembled perspective view of an air flow
guiding structure 2 according to a fourth embodiment of the present
invention. The air flow guiding structure 2 in the fourth
embodiment is generally structurally similar to the third
embodiment, except for a plurality of fourth oblique sections 2022,
which are extended from the second ends 202 of at least some of the
straight radiating fins 20, such that a fourth air flow guiding
passage 34 communicating with the air flow passage 3 is defined
between any two adjacent ones of the fourth oblique sections 2022
and a fourth angle 206 is contained between the straight radiating
fin 20 and the fourth oblique section 2022 extended therefrom. In
the illustrated embodiment, the fourth angle 206 is larger than
90.degree. and smaller than 180.degree..
[0035] In the air flow guiding structure 2 according to the fourth
embodiment of the present invention, different combinations of the
straight radiating fins 20, the first oblique sections 2011, the
second oblique sections 2021, the third oblique sections 2012 and
the fourth oblique sections 2022 can be arranged on the air flow
guiding structure 2; meanwhile, the first, the second, the third
and the fourth angles 203, 204, 205, 206 contained between the
straight radiating fins 20 and the first, the second, the third and
the fourth oblique sections 2011, 2021, 2012, 2022, respectively,
can be changed according to user's actual need. FIG. 9 shows the
use of the air flow guiding structure 2 of FIG. 8 to guide air
flows. Please refer to FIGS. 8 and 9 at the same time. A fan 4 can
be, for example, arranged adjacent to the second oblique sections
2021 and the fourth oblique sections 2022. When the fan 4 operates,
air flows are guided by the second air flow guiding passages 32 to
flow through the air flow passages 3 and then out of the first air
flow guiding passages 31 between the first oblique sections 2011.
Thereafter, the air flows reversely into the third air flow guiding
passages 33 between the third oblique sections 2012 to flow through
the air flow passages 3 between the straight radiating fins 20 and
then out of the fourth air flow guiding passages 34 between the
fourth oblique sections 2022, which are extended from the second
ends 202. With these arrangements, the air flow guiding structure 2
according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention also
provides highly smooth air flow guiding passages to easily change
the air flow field without causing air stagnation. Further, air
flow collision can be minimized, and heat-carrying air flows can be
evenly carried to other areas to achieve good heat dissipation.
[0036] FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing that the air flow
guiding structure 2 according to the first embodiment of the
present invention as shown in FIG. 2 is mounted in a chassis 5. The
chassis 5 has a plurality of air outlets 51, and the air flow
guiding structure 2 is mounted in the chassis 5 with the first air
flow guiding passages 31 facing toward and located adjacent to the
air outlets 51. A fan 4 is also mounted in the chassis 5 to locate
at one side of the air flow guiding structure 2 opposite to the air
outlets 51. When the fan 4 operates, air flows are forced into the
air flow passages 3 between the straight radiating fins 20 and then
flow out of the first air flow guiding passages 31 between the
first oblique sections 2011. In this manner, hot air can be highly
efficiently removed from the chassis 5 via the air outlets 51.
Compared to the conventional heat dissipating device that includes
only straight radiating fins, the air flow guiding structure 2
according to the first embodiment of the present invention provides
suitable air flow guiding passages, through which hot air in the
chassis 5 can smoothly flow without stagnating in the air flow
passages 3. That is, an increased convection rate of air flowing
through the straight radiating fins 20 can be ensured.
[0037] FIGS. 10B, 10C and 10D are perspective views showing that
the air flow guiding structures 2 according to the second, the
third and the fourth embodiment of the present invention as shown
in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8, respectively, are mounted in the chassis 5 in
a manner similar to the first embodiment to provide more air flow
guiding passages 31, 32, 33, 34. As can be seen from FIGS. 10A to
10D, when the air flow guiding structure 2 provides more air flow
guiding passages, the hot air in the chassis 5 can more smoothly
flow through the air flow guiding structure 2 with reduced air flow
collision rate, enabling upgraded system cooling efficiency and
prolonged service life of the chassis 5.
[0038] In brief, the air flow guiding structure according to the
present invention has the following advantages: (1) enabling easy
dissipation of heat energy; (2) suppressing reverse flow of heat;
and (3) ensuring smooth air flow therethrough.
[0039] The present invention has been described with some preferred
embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *