Patent Application
20070030630
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an entertainment device and, more particularly, to an entertainment programmable controller (PC) that includes a CPU mounted upside down within the PC chassis and ventilation openings in a bottom panel of the chassis.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An entertainment PC, such as the HP z557 Digital Entertainment Center, may be one device of a personal entertainment system. An entertainment PC may provide many functions, such as TV recording functions, computer functions, TV, DVD, movies, home video, music and radio access functions, etc. The entertainment PC may have the “look” of other entertainment system devices, such as DVD players, receivers, amplifiers, etc. Typically, a user will stack the entertainment PC with the other devices on top of each other, or in a suitable racking system. However, a potential problem could exist for the entertainment PC as a result of the positioning of the entertainment system devices because the PC consumes a lot of power and generates a lot of heat.
Known entertainment PC designs typically employ a PC motherboard mounted to a bottom panel within the PC chassis and a CPU mounted to the top surface of the motherboard. Ventilation slots are provided in a top panel of the chassis, and a fan draws fresh cooling air through the ventilation slots. In this configuration, the cooling fan and associated heat sink in the entertainment PC chassis will be facing up. However, because the ventilations slots are in the top panel, it is likely that the ventilation slots will at least at some time be covered with another device, disks, papers, manuals, etc., thus obstructing the air flow through the ventilation slots. Without a proper cooling air flow through the entertainment PC, it is likely that it will overheat and fail.
Further, when the entertainment PC is part of a stack of devices, the hot air being exhausted from the other devices could deflect off of devices or walls, and enter the entertainment PC as preheated air, thus raising the internal ambient temperature of the entertainment PC.
One known solution to address the ventilation concern of an entertainment PC discussed above is to add extra structure to the top panel of the chassis to make it uneven, and thus make it less likely that the slots will be obstructed. However, such a solution degrades the aesthetic appearance of the entertainment PC, and increases the complexity of the design. Also, it is known to put a warning label on the entertainment PC about the implications of covering the ventilation slots. However, sometimes consumers to not consider such warnings.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an entertainment PC, or other device, is disclosed that includes ventilation openings in a bottom panel of a chassis of the entertainment PC to reduce the chance that the ventilation openings will be covered and that the entertainment PC will overheat. The entertainment PC includes a motherboard that is mounted to a top panel of the chassis, where a CPU is mounted to the motherboard upside down within the chassis. In an alternate embodiment, a display device is mounted to a front panel of the entertainment device above an optical drive device.
Additional features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed to an entertainment PC including a CPU mounted upside down within the PC chassis and ventilation slots provided in a bottom panel of the PC chassis is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its applications or uses.
According to the invention, the motherboard 28 is mounted to an inside surface of the top panel 14 so that the CPU 30 is facing downward toward the bottom panel 18, where the CPU 30 is mounted upside down. Further, the bottom panel 18 includes a series of ventilation openings 32 that normally would be in the top panel of the known entertainment PCs. In one non-limiting embodiment, the ventilation openings 32 are a series of parallel slots. A cooling fan 34 positioned within the chassis 12 draws air through the openings 32 in the bottom panel 18 to provide cooling for the CPU 30. The cooling fan 18 can either draw air into the chassis 12 or force air out of the chassis 12. Thus, the spacing provided by the feet 20 and 22 allows ventilation air to be circulated from the bottom of the chassis 12. By mounting the CPU 30 in this manner facing down towards the bottom panel 18, the air exhausted out of the back of the chassis 12 will rise up and not be able to re-enter the chassis 12 through the ventilation openings 32.
In one embodiment, the already available entertainment PC chassis can merely be turned upside down, where the feet are mounted to what was formerly the top panel. In this design, a piece of metal may be mounted to the now top panel to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, modifications or variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
