Methods and devices for forced air cooling of electronic flight bags

Abstract

An electronic flight bag computer (EFB) includes a housing defining first and second compartments that are fluidly isolated from and in thermal communication with one another. The first compartment contains electronic components connected to a user interface on an exterior portion of the housing for providing interactive flight related computation functions to a user. The second compartment contains a forced convection cooling component in thermal communication with the electronic components. The forced convection cooling component directs a flow of cooling fluid into the second compartment to convey heat produced by the electronic components out of the housing, such that the cooling fluid in the second compartment remains fluidly isolated from the electronic components in the first compartment of the housing.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A fan module for an electronic flight bag computer for providing flight data to aircraft pilots, the fan module comprising:
 a) a fan housing configured and adapted to be removably docked in an electronic flight bag computer housing;   b) a fan within the fan housing configured to rotate about an axis to drive a flow of cooling fluid to provide forced convection cooling for electronic components in the electronic flight bag computer housing;   c) an inlet defined in the fan housing, the inlet being configured to accommodate passage of cooling fluid outside the fan housing into the fan within the fan housing along a direction substantially in line with the axis of the fan;   d) an outlet defined in the fan housing opening in a direction substantially perpendicular to the inlet of the fan housing, the outlet being configured and adapted to channel a flow of cooling fluid from the fan to cool components within the electronic flight bag computer housing; and   e) an electrical connection configured and adapted to electrically couple the fan to a power source in the electronic flight bag computer housing to power the fan, wherein the fan housing and electrical connection are configured and adapted to be installed and removed from the electronic flight bag computer housing with the remainder of the electronic flight bag computer housing in tact.   
     
     
         20 . A fan module as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the fan module is configured to be mechanically connected to a housing of an electronic flight bag computer by at least one connection of a type selected from the group consisting of sliding, stuffing, clipping, strapping, sticking, and fastening.