Radiator and cooling system

Abstract

A radiator includes an inlet line and an outlet line for a coolant to be cooled, and a plurality of flow passage units each being connected to the inlet and outlet lines respectively in parallel with adjacent flow passages with a space therebetween. Due to this configuration, it is possible to attain a high cooling capability with a small flow speed of the coolant, which is enabled by increasing the number of the flow passage units with respect to a certain flow rate passing through the inlet and outlet lines. This radiator can be employed for a cooling system together with a fan blowing air toward the flow passage units of the radiator, a coolant jacket for absorbing heat from a heat source such as a CPU, and a fluid pump for circulating the coolant between the coolant jacket and the radiator.

1 . A radiator comprising:
 an inlet line and an outlet line for a coolant to be cooled; and   a plurality of flow passage units each having a fluid flow passage for the coolant flowing in from the inlet line and returning to the outlet line, the fluid flow passage being connected between the inlet line and the outlet line in parallel with adjacent fluid flow passages with a space therebetween.   
   
   
       2 . The radiator according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of the flow passage units comprises a pair of flow passage plates joined together, the flow passage plates forms a fluid flow passage, which is bent into a U-shape at least once, and each being provided with an inlet port and an outlet port, which are respectively connected to the inlet line and the outlet line, and constitute a part of the inlet line and the outlet line, respectively.   
   
   
       3 . The radiator according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the pair of flow passage plates constituting each of the flow passage units are symmetric to each other with respect to the face where the flow passage plates are joined, and each have a recessed flow passage portion formed in a flat U-shape, and each have an inlet port and an outlet port formed in one end portion and the other end portion of the recessed flow passage portion, respectively.   
   
   
       4 . The radiator according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the pair of flow passage plates constituting each of the flow passage units each have spacer portions formed so as to project outwardly from the inlet and outlet portions respectively, the spacer portions allowing an airflow passage in a remaining space between flow passage units to be provided when in contact with the spacer portions of the adjacent flow passage unit.   
   
   
       5 . The radiator according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the inlet ports and the outlet ports of the plurality of stacked flow passage units are respectively connected each other, and further connected to the inlet line and the outlet line, respectively.   
   
   
       6 . The radiator according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the pair of flow passage plates constituting each of the flow passage units each have a spacer protrusion integrated with the flow passage plate for securing a space between flow passage units when in contact with the spacer protrusion of the adjacent flow passage unit.   
   
   
       7 . A cooling system comprising:
 a radiator comprising:   an inlet line and an outlet line for a coolant to be cooled; and   a plurality of flow passage units each having a fluid flow passage for the coolant flowing in from the inlet line and returning to the outlet line, the fluid flow passage being connected between the inlet line and the outlet line in parallel with adjacent fluid flow passages with a space therebetween;   a fan that blows air toward flow passage units of the radiator;   a coolant jacket that absorbs heat from a heat source in contact therewith; and   a fluid pump that circulates a coolant between the coolant jacket and the radiator,   wherein the radiator is disposed so that its inlet line is further away from the fan than its outlet line.   
   
   
       8 . A cooling system comprising:
 a radiator comprising:   an inlet line and an outlet line for a coolant to be cooled; and   a plurality of flow passage units each having a fluid flow passage for the coolant flowing in from the inlet line and returning to the outlet line, the fluid flow passage being connected between the inlet line and the outlet line in parallel with adjacent fluid flow passages with a space therebetween;   a fan that that blows air toward flow passage units of the radiator;   a coolant jacket that absorbs heat from a heat source in contact therewith; and   a fluid pump that circulates a coolant between the coolant jacket and the radiator,   wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan blowing air in a centrifugal direction, and is disposed so that, when the fan blows air toward the flow passage units, the volume of air delivered by the fan toward a second end side of the flow passage units, where coolant flow passages turn from the inlet line to the outlet line of the flow passage units, is larger than that delivered toward a first end side of the flow passage units, where the inlet and outlet lines are located.