US20090272144A1

US20090272144A1 - Computer cooling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20090272144A1
Application number: US12/113,985
Authority: US
Inventors: Pei-Hsi Lin
Original assignee: Thermaltake Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Thermaltake Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-05-02
Filing date: 2008-05-02
Publication date: 2009-11-05

Abstract

An improved computer cooling apparatus includes: a heat absorbing unit, having at least one water cooling block, a pump connected to the water cooling block, and a heat exchanger connected to the pump, and a first working fluid flows through the water cooling block, the pump and the heat exchanger; and a cooling unit, having an evaporator attached onto the heat exchanger, a compressor connected to the evaporator, a condenser connected to the compressor, and an expansion valve connected to the condenser, and a second working fluid flows through the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve. The heat absorbing unit absorbs a related heat source in a computer, and a cooling unit dissipates the heat to provide a quick way of dispersing the heat source and a better heat dissipating effect.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved computer cooling apparatus, and more particularly to a computer cooling apparatus having a heat absorbing unit for absorbing a related heat source in a computer and a cooling unit for exchanging heat to provide a quick way of dispersing the heat source and a better heat dissipating effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, a conventional water cooling assembly of a heat dissipating apparatus includes a base, an upper casing having a containing space and covered onto the base, and input and output pipes installed on one side of the upper casing and interconnected with the containing space, such that the base can be attached onto a central processing unit (CPU) on a motherboard, and a working fluid is allowed to flow from the input pipe into the containing space for absorbing a heat source absorbed in the base. After the heat is absorbed, the heat source in the containing space absorbed by the working fluid is discharged from the output pipe, and a heat exchanger and a heat dissipating fan are provided for cooling to achieve the effect of dispersing the heat source.
Although the conventional water cooling block structure allows the working fluid to flow into the containing space from the input pipe to absorb heat and discharges the working fluid from the output pipe for cooling and dispersing the heat source, yet the heat dissipation is conducted by the heat exchanger and the heat dissipating fan. Thus, the heat dissipation efficiency is low and the heat dissipation effect is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the invention based on years of experience in the related field to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a computer cooling apparatus in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.
Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a computer cooling apparatus having a heat absorbing unit for absorbing a related heat source in a computer and a cooling unit for exchanging heat to provide a quick way of dispersing the heat source and a better heat dissipating effect.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides an improved computer cooling apparatus, comprising: a heat absorbing unit having at least one water cooling block, a pump connected to the water cooling block, a heat exchanger connected to the pump, and a first working fluid flowing through the water cooling block, the pump and the heat exchanger; and a cooling unit, having an evaporator attached to the heat exchanger, a compressor connected to the evaporator, a condenser connected to the compressor, an expansion valve connected to the condenser, and a second working fluid flowing through the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an application of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another application of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an application of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawing.
Referring to FIG. 1 for a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, an improved computer cooling apparatus of the invention comprises a heat absorbing unit 1 and a cooling unit 2.
The heat absorbing unit 1 includes at least one water cooling block 11, a pump 12 connected to the water cooling block 11, and a heat exchanger 13 connected to the pump 12, and a first working fluid 14 flows through the water cooling block 11, the pump 12 and the heat exchanger 13, wherein the first working fluid 14 is water.
The cooling unit 2 includes an evaporator 21 attached to the heat exchanger 13, a compressor 22 connected to the evaporator 21, a condenser 23 connected to the compressor 22, and an expansion valve 24 connected to the condenser 23, and a second working fluid 25 flows through the evaporator 21, the compressor 22, condenser 23 and the expansion valve 24, wherein the second working fluid 25 is a coolant. The foregoing structure constitutes an improved computer cooling apparatus.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4 for a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment and schematic views of applications of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, when the computer cooling apparatus of the invention is used, the pump 12, the heat exchanger 13, the evaporator 21, the compressor 22, the condenser 23 and the expansion valve 24 of the heat absorbing unit 1 and the cooling unit 2 are installed in a casing 3, and the water cooling block 11 is disposed outside the casing 3.
For the installation, the water cooling block 11 is attached to a central processing unit 41 and related electronic components of a computer system 4, and the casing 3 containing the pump 12, the heat exchanger 13, the evaporator 21, the compressor 22, the condenser 23 and the expansion valve 24 can be installed inside or outside the computer system 4 as needed to complete the installation of the heat absorbing unit 1 and the cooling unit 2.
When the computer system 4 is operated, the central processing unit 41 of the computer produces a heat source, and the water cooling block 11 (as shown in FIG. 1) absorbs the heat source of the central processing unit 41, so that the first working fluid 14 that absorbs the heat source from the water cooling block 11 is transmitted to the heat exchanger 13 by the pump 12 and circulated back to the water cooling block 11. In the meantime, the evaporator 21 absorbs the heat source on the heat exchanger 13, and the compressor 22 pushes the second working fluid 25 and operates with the evaporator 21 to carry the heat source away, so that after the heat in the second working fluid 25 is released by the condenser 23 to lower the temperature, the expansion valve 24 is stepped down to return the second working fluid 25 to the evaporator 21, and the evaporator 21 can absorb a heat source on the heat exchanger 13 for dissipating the heat again. Therefore, the computer cooling apparatus can exchange heat by the heat absorbing unit 1 and the cooling unit 2 to provide a quick way of dispersing the heat source and a better heat dissipating effect.
Referring to FIG. 5 for a schematic view of an application in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, this embodiment has a structure similar to those of the first and second embodiment, except this embodiment further installs a plurality of water cooling blocks 11, 11 a connected with each other in series, so that each water cooling block 11, 11 a is attached onto the central processing unit 41 and the related electronic components 42 of the computer system 4. With the aforementioned heat dissipation method, a better heat dissipating effect of the computer system 4 is achieved.
In summation of the description above, the improved computer cooling apparatus of the invention can overcome the shortcomings of the prior art effectively, and the heat absorbing unit absorbs a related heat source in a computer and a cooling unit exchanges the heat to achieve a quick way of dispersing the heat source and provide a better heat dissipating effect. The invention complies with the requirements of patent application, and thus is duly filed for patent application.
While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. An improved computer cooling apparatus, comprising:

a heat absorbing unit, including at least one water cooling block, a pump connected to the water cooling block, and a heat exchanger connected to the pump, and a first working fluid flowing the water cooling block, the pump and the heat exchanger; and

a cooling unit, including an evaporator attached onto the heat exchanger, a compressor connected to the evaporator, a condenser connected to the compressor, and an expansion valve connected to the condenser, and a second working fluid flowing through the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve.

2. The improved computer cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first working fluid is water.

3. The improved computer cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second working fluid is a coolant.

4. The improved computer cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pump, the heat exchanger, the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve are installed in a casing, and the water cooling block is disposed outside the casing.