Cooling device for electronic instrument and electronic instrument

Abstract

A cooling device contained in a casing unit of a computer includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a capillary tube functioning as expanding means, and a blower fan. These components constituting the cooling device are connected to one another by tubular pipes. Moreover, in the present invention, the compressor, the condenser, and the blower fan are placed at two-dimensionally different positions, and longitudinal directions of the condenser and the compressor are placed in an L shape in a vicinity of the blower fan. With this configuration, a two-dimensional size of the cooling device can be made compact, so that the cooling device would not limit a layout of other components contained in the casing unit.

1 . A cooling device for an electronic instrument, the cooling device comprising: 
 compressing means which compresses a refrigerant;    condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside;    expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means;    evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element; and    blowing means which blows air,    wherein the compressing means and the condensing means are placed at two-dimensionally different positions, and    longitudinal directions of the condensing means and the compressing means are placed in an L shape.    
   
   
       2 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the blowing means blows air on the condensing means and the compressing means.  
   
   
       3 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the compressing means is a rotary compressor.  
   
   
       4 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the compressing means comprises an inlet section through which the refrigerant is introduced from the evaporating means, and an outlet section through which the refrigerant is discharged to the condensing means, and    the outlet section is placed at a position closer to the condensing means than the inlet section.    
   
   
       5 . A cooling device for an electronic instrument, the cooling device comprising: 
 compressing means which compresses a refrigerant;    condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside;    expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means;    evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element; and    blowing means which blows air,    wherein the compressing means, the condensing means, and the blowing means are placed at two-dimensionally different positions, and    the compressing means and the condensing means are placed in a vicinity of the blowing means.    
   
   
       6 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 5 , wherein the blowing means blows air on the condensing means and the compressing means.  
   
   
       7 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 5 , wherein the compressing means is a rotary compressor.  
   
   
       8 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the compressing means comprises an inlet section through which the refrigerant is introduced from the evaporating means, and an outlet section through which the refrigerant is discharged to the condensing means, and    the outlet section is placed at a position closer to the condensing means than the inlet section.    
   
   
       9 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 5 , wherein longitudinal directions of the condensing means and the compressing means are placed in an L shape.  
   
   
       10 . A cooling device for an electronic instrument, the cooling device comprising: 
 compressing means which compresses a refrigerant;    condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside;    expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means; and    evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element,    wherein at least a portion of a pipe connected to the evaporating means is positioned above the evaporating means.    
   
   
       11 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 10 , wherein the pipe is a pipe connecting the compressing means to the evaporating means or/and a pipe connecting the evaporating means to the expanding means.  
   
   
       12 . The cooling device for the electronic instrument according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 when the compressing means stops, a liquid refrigerant remains in the evaporating means and/or the pipe, and    the evaporating means receives heat from the semiconductor element by using the remaining liquid refrigerant.    
   
   
       13 . A cooling device for an electronic instrument, the cooling device comprising: 
 compressing means which compresses a refrigerant;    condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the    compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside;    expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means; and    evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element,    wherein the compressing means, the condensing means, and the evaporating means are placed at different positions on one plane,    the compressing means comprises a rotary compressor placed horizontally on the one plane,    the rotary compressor comprises an inlet section through which the refrigerant is introduced, and an outlet section through which the refrigerant is discharged, and    the outlet section is provided above a rotation axis of the rotary compressor.    
   
   
       14 . A cooling device for an electronic instrument, the cooling device comprising: 
 compressing means which compresses a refrigerant;    condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside;    expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means; and    evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element,    wherein the compressing means, the condensing means, and the evaporating means are placed at different positions on one plane,    the compressing means comprises a rotary compressor placed horizontally on the one plane,    the rotary compressor comprises an inlet section through which the refrigerant is introduced, and an outlet section through which the refrigerant is discharged, and    the inlet section is provided below a rotation axis of the rotary compressor.    
   
   
       15 . An electronic instrument having a casing unit containing a functional element which operates while generating heat, the electronic instrument comprising: 
 a cooling device contained in the casing unit, the cooling device cooling the functional element by using a refrigeration cycle.    
   
   
       16 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 15 , wherein 
 the cooling device takes in outside air through a bottom face of the casing unit, and    the air absorbs heat generated in the functional element, and thereafter is expelled from a rear side portion or/and a side portion of the casing unit.    
   
   
       17 . An electronic instrument having a casing unit containing a functional element which operates while generating heat, the electronic instrument comprising: 
 a cooling device contained in the casing unit, the cooling device comprising compressing means which compresses a refrigerant, condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside, expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means, evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element, and blowing means which blows air,    wherein longitudinal directions of the condensing means and the compressing means are placed approximately parallel respectively to side faces of the casing unit.    
   
   
       18 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 the condensing means is placed in a vicinity of a rear portion of the casing unit, and the longitudinal direction of the condensing means is placed approximately parallel to a rear side face of the casing unit, and    the compressing means is placed in a vicinity of any of a right side portion and a left side portion of the casing unit, and a longitudinal direction of the compressing means is placed approximately parallel to any of right and left side faces of the casing unit.    
   
   
       19 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 the condensing means is placed in a vicinity of any one of a right side portion and a left side portion of the casing unit, and the longitudinal direction of the condensing means is placed approximately parallel to any of right and left side faces of the casing unit, and    the compressing means is placed in a vicinity of a rear portion of the casing unit, and the longitudinal direction of the compressing means is placed approximately parallel to a rear side face of the casing unit.    
   
   
       20 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 the blowing means takes in outside air through a bottom face of the casing unit, and    the air passes through the condensing means, and thereafter is expelled to an outside from a rear side of the casing unit.    
   
   
       21 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 the blowing means takes in outside air through a bottom face of the casing unit, and    the air passes through the compressing means, and thereafter is expelled to an outside from any one of a left side and a right side of the casing unit.    
   
   
       22 . An electronic instrument having a casing unit containing a functional element which operates while generating heat, the electronic instrument comprising: 
 a cooling device contained in the casing unit, the cooling device comprising compressing means which compresses a refrigerant, condensing means which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressing means into a liquid by releasing heat from the refrigerant to an outside, expanding means which expands the refrigerant condensed into the liquid by the condensing means, evaporating means which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expanding means by receiving heat from a semiconductor element, and blowing means which blows air;    monitoring means which monitors a temperature of the functional element; and    controlling means which controls a cooling power of the cooling device based on an output from the monitoring means.    
   
   
       23 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 22 , wherein, based on the output from the monitoring means, the controlling means changes the number of rotations of a motor provided in the compressing means or/and the number of rotations of the blowing means.  
   
   
       24 . The electronic instrument according to  claim 23 , wherein 
 the controlling means increases the number of rotations of the motor or/and the number of rotations of the blowing means based on the output from the monitoring means, the output indicating that the temperature of the functional element is higher than a first temperature, and    the controlling means maintains constant the number of rotations of the motor or/and the number of rotations of the blowing means based on the output from the monitoring means, the output indicating that the temperature of the functional element is higher than a second temperature.