Computer cooling apparatus

Abstract

A chiller for cooling an electronic device using circulating fluids to cool electronic components which comprises a thermoelectric cooler having a cool face and a warm face when connected to a power source; a heat spreader plate; and a heat exchanging surface, said thermoelectric cooler, said heat spreader plate and said heat exchanging surface all thermally coupled to dissipate heat energy from a heat input surface to said heat exchanging surface.

1 . A chiller for cooling an electronic device, comprising: 
 a thermoelectric cooler having a cool face and a warm face when connected to a power source;    a heat spreader plate; and    a heat exchanging surface,    said thermoelectric cooler, said heat spreader plate and said heat exchanging surface all thermally coupled to dissipate heat energy from a heat input surface to said heat exchanging surface.    
   
   
       2 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cool face of the thermoelectric cooler is thermally coupled to the heat input surface.  
   
   
       3 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1  wherein the heat spreader plate includes a first face and the first face is thermally coupled to said warm face of the thermoelectric cooler.  
   
   
       4 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1  wherein the heat spreader plate is thermally coupled between the heat input surface and the thermoelectric cooler.  
   
   
       5 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanging surface is thermally coupled to the heat spreader plate and the heat exchanging surface includes a plurality of spaced-apart heat conductive fins, each of which extends away from the heat spreader plate opposite to said heat spreader plate.  
   
   
       6 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanging surface is a portion of a fluid heat exchanger.  
   
   
       7 . The chiller as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the fluid heat exchanger is capable of containing a flow of liquid coolant.  
   
   
       8 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a system for passing cooling fluid past the heat exchanging surface.  
   
   
       9 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the system for passing cooling fluid includes a pump.  
   
   
       10 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat input surface is part of a fluid heat exchanger through which a fluid may be circulated.  
   
   
       11 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat input surface is a portion of a heat pipe.  
   
   
       12 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat input surface is a portion of the electronic device.  
   
   
       13 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said electronic device is a microprocessor comprising a die mounted in a package and the said hot portion is an exposed surface of the die.  
   
   
       14 . The chiller as defined in  claim 13 , wherein a first face of the heat spreader plate defines a primary plane and the plurality of spaced-apart heat-conductive fins are positioned such that air can move through the plurality of spaced-apart heat-conductive fins and in a direction substantially parallel to said primary plane.  
   
   
       15 . The chiller as defined in  claim 14  wherein the fluid heat exchanger is formed as a thick plate and is positioned in a plane parallel to the primary plane.  
   
   
       16 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric cooler is positioned in the chiller such that air can pass thereover when the air moves through the chiller.  
   
   
       17 . The chiller as defined in  claim 5 , further comprising a fan oriented to move air between said fins.  
   
   
       18 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1  positioned in a case for the electronic device, the case including an opening therethrough for access between its inner and outer surfaces and the chiller is positioned within the case open to the opening.  
   
   
       19 . The chiller as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of spaced-apart fins are together formed as a unitary structure.  
   
   
       20 . The chiller as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the heat spreader plate and the plurality of spaced-apart fins are joined together as a unitary structure.  
   
   
       21 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a second thermoelectric cooler having a cool face and a warm face when connected to a power source, the second thermoelectric cooler also sandwiched between the heat input surface and the heat spreader plate so that the cool face of the second thermoelectric cooler is thermally coupled to the heat input surface and its warm face is thermally coupled to the heat spreader plate.  
   
   
       22 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1  positioned in a case for the electronic device, the case including an opening therethrough for access between its inner and outer surface and the chiller is positioned adjacent the opening within the case.  
   
   
       23 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1  mounted on a printed circuit board.  
   
   
       24 . The chiller as defined in  claim 23  wherein the heat exchanging surface includes a portion of a liquid heat exchanger.  
   
   
       25 . The chiller as defined in  claim 1  mounted on a laptop cooling device.  
   
   
       26 . A printed circuit board comprising: 
 a board;    a heat generating component on the board;    a heat spreader plate, a first face of which is thermally coupled to the heat generating component;    a thermoelectric cooler having a cool face and a warm face when connected to a power source, the thermoelectric cooler mounted with its cool face thermally coupled to the heat spreader plate; and    a liquid heat exchanger thermally coupled to the warm face of the thermoelectric cooler.    
   
   
       27 . The printed circuit board of  claim 26  further comprising at least one additional thermoelectric cooler mounted with its cool face thermally coupled to the heat spreader plate and its warm face thermally coupled to the liquid heat exchanger.  
   
   
       28 . The printed circuit board of  claim 26  further comprising a second heat spreader plate mounted on the board to dissipate heat from a second heat generated component on the board.  
   
   
       29 . The printed circuit board of  claim 26  wherein the thermoelectric cooler has a power rating of between 25 and 125 watts.  
   
   
       30 . The printed circuit board of  claim 26  including pins for mounting in an expansion slot of a computer.  
   
   
       31 . The printed circuit board of  claim 26  wherein the heat generating device is the CPU of a video card.  
   
   
       32 . A laptop cooling device comprising: 
 a support plate including a top surface formed to support a laptop thereon, a lower surface, and at least a portion formed to act as a heat sink in a position exposed on top surface and extending to the lower surface;    a thermoelectric cooler having a cool face and a warm face when connected to a power source, the thermoelectric cooler mounted with its cool face thermally coupled to the at least a portion formed to act as a heat sink; and    a heat exchanging surface thermally coupled to the warm face of the thermoelectric cooler.    
   
   
       33 . The laptop cooling device of  claim 32  wherein the at least a portion formed to act as a heat sink includes a heat conductive material.  
   
   
       34 . The laptop cooling device of  claim 32  wherein the top surface includes a plurality of surface undulations.  
   
   
       35 . The laptop cooling device of  claim 32  wherein the support plate acts is formed of a heat conductive material.  
   
   
       36 . The laptop cooling device of  claim 32  wherein heat exchanging surface includes a finned structure.  
   
   
       37 . The laptop cooling device of  claim 32  wherein the heat exchanging surface includes an open finned structure through which air may flow.  
   
   
       38 . The laptop cooling device of  claim 32  further comprising a fan to move air past the heat exchanging surface.