Computers

[0002] The present invention relates.to personal computers or computers for servers to be used for configuration of computer networks.

[0003] Heretofore, a personal computer that radiates heat generated from electronic equipment and component parts built in a casing with a radiator made of an aluminum sheet was disclosed in an official gazette of Japanese patent laid-open publication No. H-11-145665 and the like. Furthermore, cooling of the heat of electronic equipment and component parts of the computer by a fan has been carried out in the past.

[0004] The servers to be used in networks are driven continuously for 24 hours, and how to deal with heat radiation is an essential condition. Although the conventional servers have built-in radiators or fans in the casing to radiate the heat of a hard disk or CPU, this radiation configuration leads to the problem of a bigger structure of the entire computer system, and moreover, it leads to the problem of increased cost.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the foregoing problems.

[0006] The present invention provides computers suitable for a small size at low cost. A CPU and hard disk are provided; in a casing, and the casing constitutes a radiator sheet made of aluminum. The CPU and the hard disk device are mounted on an inner wall surface of the casing. The heat generated at the CPU and the hard disk device is absorbed by the casing so that the casing inhibits temperature increases in the CPU and the, hard disk device.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention is so configured that the CPU, hard disk device, control IC and memory IC are provided in the casing, and a circuit substrate is fixed in the casing. The CPU, control IC and memory IC are disposed on the circuit substrate. The casing is made from the radiating sheet of aluminum, and the hard disk device is fixed to a support sheet made of aluminum that tightly adheres to the casing. The heat generated at the hard disk device is transmitted to the casing through the support sheet and is absorbed by the casing. The control IC and the memory IC adhere to a heat sink sheet made of aluminum that is fixed to the casing, and the heat generated at the control IC and the memory IC is transmitted to the casing through the heat sink sheet and is absorbed by the casing. The CPU tightly adheres to a heat sink block made of aluminum, one heat pipe made of a radiating metallic material adheres to this heat sink block, and an other heat pipe comes into contract with the casing. The heat generated at the CPU is transmitted to the casing through the heat sink block and the heat pipe, and is absorbed by the casing. The casing is integrally formed with heat radiating fins. The other heat pipe comes into contact with the vicinity of a portion of the heat radiating fins.

[0008] FIG. 1 denotes a cross section showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 perspective view of a personal computer to be used as a server.

[0010] FIG. 3 denotes a plan view of an inner structure of another embodiment of a personal computer, from which a top cover has been removed.

[0011] FIG. 4 denotes an A—A line cross section.

[0012] FIG. 5 denotes a A—A line cross section.

[0013] FIG. 6 denotes a C—C line cross section.

[0014] FIG. 7 denotes a D—D line cross section.

[0015] A mode of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail in the following by referring to attached drawings.

[0016] Reference numeral 2 denotes a server to be used for configuration of a computer network, and is operated continuously for 24 hours with a power source turned on. The server 2 is so constructed that a CPU- 6, hard disk device 8, and electronic equipment and component parts (illustration is omitted) such as a control IC, memory IC and the like which are required for the computer are provided in the casing 4.

[0017] The casing 4 comprises a top cover 10, bottom cover 12, transverse panel 14, and a rear panel 16, and all of them are made of aluminum that is a heat radiating material (i.e. heat radiating aluminum sheet). The top cover 10 and the bottom cover 12 are formed with side sheets 10b, 10band side sheets 12b, 12bforming a right angle to flat sheets 10a, 12aof the covers at both side portions respectively. The covers and panels thus constitute aluminum rational plates.

[0018] The top cover 10 and the bottom cover 12 are joined with the side sheets 10b, 10band side sheets 12b, 12bto form a frame body 18 whose front and rear portions are open. At the front open portion of the frame body 18, the transverse panel 14 is fitted. At both sides of the transverse panel 14, a mounting side sheet 14b(the other sheet is not illustrated) that is at a right angle to a flat sheet 14ais formed. The mounting side sheets 14bcome into contact with the side sheets 10b, 10band the side sheets 12b, 12bof the frame body 18, and are fixed to the side sheets 10b, 10band the side sheets 12b, 12bby means of screws 20.

[0019] At the rear open portion of the frame body 18, a rear panel 16 is fitted and fixed to a rear portion of the frame body 18 by means of screws 22. The rear panel 16 is integrally formed with heat radiating fins 16a. On an inner wall surface of the rear panel 16 is screwed an angle 24 made of aluminum, and the body proper of the hard disk device 8 is fixed to the angle 24.

[0020] On the inner wall surface of the flat sheet 12aof the bottom cover 12, the body proper of the CPU 6 is bonded by means of grease. Furthermore, all of the other electronic equipment and component parts for configuration of the server 2 are fixed to the casing 4. On the transverse panel 14, a connector 26 for connection of a variety of external equipment to the server 2 is mounted. On the wall surface of the flat sheet 12aof the bottom cover 12 are fixed four conically shaped rubber bases 28 are mounting the server 2 on a desk.

[0021] In the foregoing configuration, the heat generated from the CPU 6 and the hard disk device 8 at the time of driving the server is transmitted to the casing 4, and is radiated outside from the casing 4. Since the casing 4 is constituted by the aluminum, the heat is efficiently absorbed and radiated, and the tendency toward high temperatures of the CPU 6 and the hard disk device 8 is prevented.

[0022] Another mode of embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following by referring to FIG. 3 through FIG. 7.

[0023] Reference number 30 denotes a server to be used for configuration of a computer network. A circuit substrate 24, CPU 6, hard disk device 38, control ICs (integrated circuit) 40, 42, memory IC 44 and electronic equipment and component parts (illustration is omitted) which are required as a computer are provided in the casing 32.

[0024] The casing 32 comprises a top cover 32a, bottom cover 32b, traverse panel 32c, and a rear panel 32dthat is integrally formed with heat radiation fins 32e. All of these elements are made from aluminum sheets that are heat radiation metallic material. The casing 32 is of almost identical construction with the casing 4 of the first embodiment.

[0025] The circuit substrate 34, in which a variety of electronic equipment and electronic circuit component parts are incorporated, is horizontally disposed at a proper interval from the bottom cover 32b, and is fixed to a mounting shaft (illustration is omitted) made of brass, which is fixed to the bottom cover 32bby means of a screw. Reference numeral 46 denotes a support sheet made of aluminum, and is disposed above the circuit substrate 34 at a proper interval, and one angle portion 46ais made to tightly adhere to a perpendicular inner wall of the rear panel 32d.

[0026] The support sheet 46 is fixed to an upper end of a mounting shaft 48 made of brass, which is fixed to the bottom cover 32bby means of a screw 52.

[0027] A mounting structure of the control IC 40 and the memory IC 44 is described in the following by referring to FIG. 5.

[0028] Reference numeral 54 denotes a lower level heat sink sheet made of aluminum, and is horizontally fixed to the bottom cover 32bby means of a screw 56. The memory IC 44 disposed on the lower surface of the circuit substrate 34 is sandwiched by the lower level heat sink sheet 54 and the circuit substrate 34. In the upper part of the circuit substrate 34, an upper level heat sink sheet 58 made of aluminum is disposed, and the control IC 40 and 42 are sandwiched by the upper level heat sink sheet 58 an the circuit substrate 34.

[0029] The upper level heat sink sheet 58 is fixed to the lower level heat sink sheet 54 by means of screws 60 and 62. The control ICs 40 and 42 disposed on the upper surface of the circuit substrate 34 adhere tightly to the heat sink surface of the upper level heat sink sheet 58. The heat of the heat sink sheet 58 is arranged to be transmitted to the heat sink sheet 54 through the screws 60 and 62, which are thermal conductors.

[0030] A mounting structure of the CPU 36 will be described in the following by referring to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0031] The CPU 36 is fixed integrally to a metallic part of the circuit substrate 34 by means of soldering. Reference number 64 denotes a heat sink block made of aluminum, and heat radiating fins are integrally formed with the heat sink block. The heat sink block 64 is disposed in tight contact with the upper surface of the CPU 36, and mounting shafts 66 fixed to the circuit substrate 34 are inserted into holes of mounting members 64aand 64bof the heat sink block 64.

[0032] Coil springs 68 are mounted on the mounting shafts 66, and the lower surface of the heat sink block 64 adheres tightly to the upper surface of the CPU 36 by a resilient force of these coil springs 68, with a head portion of the mounting shafts 66 being a fulcrum. A lateral hole 70 is bored in the heat sink block 64, and one part 72aof a heat pipe 72 is fitted into the lateral hole 70. The heat pipe 72 is made from copper, which is a heat radiating metallic material, and silicone grease is filled in its inside.

[0033] Another part 72bof the heat pipe 72 is curved in an almost right angular direction relative to the one part 72a, and also, as shown in FIG. 7, is inclined upward about 20 degrees toward the other end 72c. The other part 72bthat is inclined upward is fitted into a heat pipe inserting groove 74 formed with an inclination upward about 20 degrees toward the other side from the one side on the inner wall surface of the rear panel 32d. An upward inclination structure along the groove 72 of the other part 72bof the heat pipe 72 improves thermal conductivity efficiency along the heat pipe 72 and elevates the heat radiating effect.

[0034] In the foregoing configuration, the heat generated at the hard disk device 38 is transmitted to the casing 32 through the support sheet 46 and is absorbed by the casing 32, and thus the temperature rise of the hard disk device 38 is inhibited. Furthermore, the heat generated at the control IC 40 and 42 is transmitted to the casing 32 through the heat sink sheet 58, screws 60 and 62 and the heat sink sheet 54 and is absorbed by the casing 32.

[0035] Furthermore, the heat generated at the memory IC 44 is transmitted to the casing 32 and is absorbed by the casing 32 so that the temperature rise of the control ICs 40 and 42 and the memory IC 44 is inhibited. Furthermore, the heat generated at the CPU 36 is transmitted to the casing 32 through the heat sink block 64, heat pipe 72, and is absorbed by the casing 32 so that the temperature rise of the CPU 36 is inhibited.

[0036] The present invention is constructed as described in the foregoing by making the casing itself as a heat radiating sheet and mounting the CPU and the hard disk device on the casing, thereby reducing the size of the computer to a small size-and manufacturing it at a lower cost.