1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling device, and more particularly to a cooling device utilizing liquid for cooling a heat-generating device.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid cooling devices were commonly utilized to cool huge systems such as furnaces. Today, liquid cooling devices also are used to cool electronic or electrical components, such as chipsets, dies or computer central processing units (CPUs), by circulating the cooling liquid in a channel.
Generally, a liquid cooling device comprises a casing, forming a liquid container made of metal material. The casing comprises a base and a lid covering the base. The base is for contacting a cooled component and comprises an upper surface. The lid comprises a liquid outlet and a liquid inlet. Liquid pipes respectively connect the liquid outlet and the liquid inlet to a liquid tank. The liquid tank is further provided with a submersible motor therein. In operation to dissipate heat from the cooled component, the liquid in the liquid tank flows through the liquid inlet pipe into the casing, and is drawn by the motor to exit from the casing to the liquid tank for a subsequent circulation.
However, the upper surface of the base is generally flat. Heat exchange surface between the base and the liquid is limited As a result, the liquid is only to flow in a limited surface in the casing. It is difficult to get maximized heat exchange efficiency.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling device getting maximized heat exchange efficiency.
In order to achieve the object set out above, a liquid cooling device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a casing, a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port in communication with the container. The casing comprises a container for accommodating liquid therein and a base. The base comprises a heat-absorbing surface and a rough surface for exchanging heat with liquid. The rough surface is opposing to the heat-absorbing surface.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The casing 10 comprises a base 11 for intimately contacting a heat generating component or source (not shown) by a side surface thereof and a lid 12 cooperating with the base 11 to form a container 14 therebetween to accommodate liquid for circulation. The base 11 and the lid 12 are hermetizated by calk, packing, shim, or seal, for keeping the liquid from leaking out of the container 14. A pair of tubular connectors, for connecting the pipes 100, 200 to the casing 10, extends outwardly from the lid 12. The connectors are respectively named as liquid inlet port 18 and liquid outlet port 19, according to the directions along which the liquid flows in the connectors. The liquid inlet port 18 is disposed at a middle of the lid 12.
The container 14, the liquid outlet pipe 100, the actuator 50 and the liquid inlet pipe 200 cooperatively define a hermetical circulation route or loop for liquid. The actuator 50 can be a pump, an impeller, a promoter or the like, for actuating liquid to continuously circulate in the route along the arrow as shown in
For promoting the cooling efficiency of the device, a radiator is arranged on the liquid circulation route. A fin member 30 is an example of the radiator. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the liquid outlet pipe 100 enters into the fin member 30, so that heat, still contained in the liquid after naturally cooled in the casing 10, is removed to the fin member 30 and is dissipated to ambient air. Thus, the liquid is extremely cooled before entering the container 14 for a subsequent circulation. Understandably, a fan (now shown) can be mounted onto the fin member 30 for enhancing heat dissipation capability of the fin member 30.
Moreover, it is understood that other rough surfaces, such as a wave-like surface, can be competent to increase heat exchange surface between the base and the liquid.
For showing clearly, the casing 10, the fin member 30 and the actuator 50 are positioned separately, and connected by the 100, 200 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, it is also understood that the fin member 30 can be directly positioned on the casing 10, and the actuator 50 can be positioned within the fin member 30, without the liquid outlet pipe 100 and the liquid inlet pipe 200, to thereby save space occupied by the liquid cooling device.
It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present example and embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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200410027662.4 | Nov 2004 | CN | national |
This application is related to a U.S. patent application entitled “LIQUID COOLING DEVICE”, recently filed with the same assignee as the instant application. The disclosure of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference.