Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Curtis L Progl

Mark S Tracy

David Allen Moore

Minh H Nguyen

William C Hallowell

Patrick R Cooper

Allen P Zhang

A portable computer docking base has incorporated therein a plug-in cooling system used to provide auxiliary operating heat dissipation for a portable notebook computer moved through a docking path along the base into a docked relationship therewith. The docking base cooling system has a fan-cooled heat sink member disposed within its housing, with a thermal plug structure projecting outwardly from the heat sink into the docking path. As the computer reaches its docked orientation on the base, the thermal plug is received in a socket within a heat sink portion of the computer's internal cooling system. The mated plug and socket portions of the two cooling systems form a thermal link therebetween that permits computer operating heat to be transferred to the docking base heat sink for dissipation therefrom. In one embodiment thereof the thermal plug structure is partially defined by an outwardly projecting evaporating end portion of a thermosyphoning heat pipe. In another embodiment thereof, the outwardly projecting thermal plug structure is integrally formed with the internal docking base heat sink and comprises opposing metal plug sections separated by a resilient material. When the plug structure enters the computer heat sink socket, the plug sections are resiliently forced toward one another to provide a socket clamping force on the received plug structure and increase the socket-to-plug heat transfer efficiency.

Docking station with auxiliary heat dissipation system for a docked

Operational heat generated by an electronic component in the base housing of a notebook computer is transferred to the back wall of its display housing for dissipation to ambient by a heat pipe disposed in the base housing and having an evaporator portion in thermal contact with the heat-generating component, and a spreader plate structure formed from multiple thin metal layers. The spreader plate structure has a heat dissipation portion disposed within the display housing and held in thermal contact with its back wall, a pickup region disposed in the base housing and held in thermal contact with a condensing portion of the heat pipe, and a bendable dynamic portion positioned between the heat dissipation and pickup portions and extending through the lid hinge area of the computer. Each metal sheet in the dynamic region has a thin layer of a plastic material secured to its opposite sides and serving to reinforce the sheet and prevent abrasive rubbing between facing metal sheets during bending thereof as the display housing is pivotally opened and closed. Operating heat from the component is transferred to the lid housing back wall sequentially through the heat pipe and the pickup, dynamic and spreader portions of the plate structure.

Portable computer with flexible heat spreader plate structure therein

A thermal management controller to regulate the operating temperature of high speed, high circuit density semiconductor dice in an electronic product. The thermal management controller monitors the temperature of a heat sink in thermal contact with the high speed, high circuit density semiconductor dice and also monitors the operational status of one or more specified devices which may increase the heat load within the electronic product. As the temperature of the heat sink increases and/or as specified devices increase the heat load in the electronic product, the thermal management controller will start cooling fans and/or increases the speed of the cooling fans to increase heat removal from the electronic product by forced convection. As the temperature of the heat sink decreases and/or as specified devices cease contributing to the heat load in the electronic product, the thermal management controller will decrease the speed of the cooling fans and/or turn off the cooling fans to decrease heat removal from the electronic product. If the temperature of the heat sink rises above a predetermined temperature, the thermal management structure will reduce the clock speed of the semiconductor dice. If the temperature of the heat sink rises above a predetermined maximum temperature, the thermal management structure will turn of the semiconductor dice.

Apparatus, method and system for thermal management of an electronic

A thermal management structure to provide mechanical isolation and heat removal for an unpackaged semiconductor die mounted directly on a printed circuit board substrate. The thermal management structure sandwiches the unpackaged semiconductor die and substrate between two heat sink pieces which are rigidly mounted to the substrate, thereby mechanically isolating the unpackaged semiconductor die and preventing the die from being accidentally touched. The two heat sink pieces further compliantly thermally engage selected sites on the exposed face of the semiconductor die and the surface of the substrate to conductively remove heat away from the substrate. The thermal management structure may also provide electromagnetic shielding which isolates the electromagnetic fields generated by the substrate from electromagnetic fields external to the thermal management structure. The thermal management structure may also thermally engage selected thermally conductive components within an end product to spread the heat more uniformly throughout the system.

Apparatus, method and system for thermal management of a semiconductor

A computer includes a flexible member or tube fabricated from thermally conductive carbon fibers for transferring heat from a first portion, such as a base section of a portable computer, to a second portion, such as the display section of a portable computer, where the sections of the computer move between an open operating position and a closed position. The flexible member, fabricated from conductive fibers, is positioned so as to experience torsion upon opening the portable computer. A first heat pipe is thermally connected with a microprocessor in the base section at one end and at the other end is coaxially attached within the member or tube. A second heat pipe is similarly coaxially attached to the other end of the member or tube. The other end of the second heat pipe is positioned within the display section between the LCD screen and the back surface of the portable computer with an aluminum center tab attached to the second heat pipe for dissipating heat from the microprocessor to the back surface of the display section of the portable computer. Advantageously, a method for transferring heat between movable portions of a computer is disclosed.

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Montgomery, TX, United States of America

Curtis L Progl