This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application Serial Number 97121725, filed Jun. 11, 2008, which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a control system and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method of controlling a heat dissipation gate.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional laptop usually has a gate, fence, or outlet thereon such that the air can flow through the gate, fence, or outlet into the laptop to dissipate heat when the laptop is over heated and the fans therein are driven
However, the heat dissipation gate on the conventional laptop is designed to be immovable; that is, the size of the heat dissipation gate is fixed. Thus, users cannot select a range of sizes for the heat dissipation gate being open according to the operation of the laptop. Since the range of the heat dissipation gate being open cannot be controlled, dust or particles may spread and accumulate in the internal circuit of the laptop through the heat dissipation gate even when the laptop is powered off.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a heat dissipation gate control system of an electronic device is provided. The heat dissipation gate control system comprises a magnetic element, an electromagnetic element and an elastic element. The magnetic element is coupled to a heat dissipation gate. The electromagnetic element is provided for generating a magnetic force to enable the magnetic element to drive the heat dissipation gate open. The elastic element has an end coupled to the heat dissipation gate and applies an elastic force to the heat dissipation gate to enable the heat dissipation gate closed when the electromagnetic element stops generating the magnetic force for the magnetic element.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of controlling a heat dissipation gate of an electronic device is provided. The method comprises the steps of: arranging a magnetic element coupled to the heat dissipation gate; generating a magnetic force by an electromagnetic element; enabling the magnetic element by the magnetic force generated by the electromagnetic element to drive the heat dissipation gate open; and applying an elastic force to the heat dissipation gate by an elastic element to enable the heat dissipation gate closed when the electromagnetic element stops generating the magnetic force for the magnetic element.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows:
In the following detailed description, the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive.
In addition, the spring 108 has an end coupled to the heat dissipation gate 102 and the other end capable of being fixed to a fixed block 112 connected with the base 110 or being fixed directly to the mechanism extended from the base 110. Moreover, the heat dissipation gate control system can further include two slides 114, one of which is independently arranged at one side of the heat dissipation gate 102, to fix moving direction of the heat dissipation gate 102 when the heat dissipation gate 102 is to be open.
The electromagnetic element 106 can generate an attractive force or a repulsive force for the magnetic element 104 according to different power-on conditions, to enable the magnetic element 104 to drive the heat dissipation gate 102 open. Different power-on conditions will be explained as follows.
On the other hand, the range of the heat dissipation gate 102 being open can be determined by the power received by the electromagnetic element 106 when the power is on.
The following Table I shows the comparisons of different voltages, rotation speeds of the fan and sound pressure levels under different states of the fan and the electromagnetic element according to one embodiment of he present invention.
First, when the laptop is not powered on yet, the fan turns off. At that moment, the rotation speed of the fan is 0, and the heat dissipation gate closes as well. Then, when the laptop is powered on, the fan is in the 1st state; that is, the fan receives the voltage to rotate. At the moment, however, the electromagnetic element still fails to receive the voltage to enable the heat dissipation gate open. Thus, the fan would exhaust the air inside the laptop to dissipate heat.
Moreover, when the inner temperature of the laptop gradually increases, the fan turns to the 2nd state; that is, the fan would receive the higher voltage such that the rotation speed increases. At the moment, the electromagnetic element also starts to receive the voltage to generate the magnetic force such that the heat dissipation gate is open. Afterward, the fan and the electromagnetic element would receive another higher voltage according to the temperature required to be regulated, so that the fan can rotate faster and the range of the heat dissipation gate being open can increase (i.e. 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th state). In addition, in another embodiment, the fan together with the electromagnetic element can be preconfigured to receive voltages at the same time, so that the heat dissipation gate also can be driven to open at the same time when the fan starts to rotate. In yet another embodiment, the voltage received by the fan is proportional to the voltage received by the electromagnetic element, or even as same as the voltage received by the electromagnetic element.
Afterward, whether the electromagnetic element stops generating the magnetic force or not is determined (Step 606). If the electromagnetic element does not stop generating the magnetic force, the heat dissipation gate will maintain open in accordance with the conditions of the magnetic element enabled by the magnetic force. On the other hand, if the electromagnetic element stops generating the magnetic force for the magnetic element, an elastic force can be applied to the heat dissipation gate by an elastic element to enable the heat dissipation gate to close (Step 608).
For the foregoing embodiment, the system and method of controlling the heat dissipation gate can be applied to keep dust or particles from entering the laptop when the laptop is not powered on, and to regulate the range of the heat dissipation gate being open according to the operations or temperatures of different elements (e.g. CPU, memory or laptop case) in the laptop when the laptop is powered on, so as to regulate the inner temperature of the laptop.
As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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97121725 | Jun 2008 | TW | national |