Coolant circulating apparatus, and cooling apparatus including the same coolant circulating apparatus for electric and/or electronic device which generates heat

Abstract

A coolant circulating apparatus includes circulating pumps disposed in parallel to each other and each having inlet and discharge ports and discharging coolant flowing into the inlet port from the discharge port, a coolant selectively introducing unit connected to the inlet ports of the pumps and selectively introducing the coolant into the inlet ports of the pumps, check valves connected to the discharge ports of the pumps. Branched coolant supply pipes extend horizontally or downwardly from the check valves and have extending ends at which the branched pipes are integrated with each other. An integrated coolant supply pipe extends upward from the integrated extending ends of the branched pipes. And, a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve extends horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of the branched pipes.

1 . A coolant circulating apparatus comprising:
 circulating pumps which are disposed in parallel to each other, and each of which has an inlet port and a discharge port and discharges coolant flowing into the inlet port from the discharge port;   a coolant selectively introducing unit which is connected to the inlet ports of the circulating pumps and which selectively introduces the coolant into the inlet ports of the circulating pumps;   check valves which are connected to the discharge ports of the circulating pumps;   branched coolant supply pipes which extend horizontally or downwardly from the check valves and which have extending ends at which the branched coolant supply pipes are integrated with each other;   an integrated coolant supply pipe which extends upward from the integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes; and   a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve, which extends horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes.   
   
   
       2 . The coolant circulating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant selectively introducing unit includes on-off valves connected to the inlet ports of the circulating pumps. 
   
   
       3 . A cooling apparatus for an electric and/or electronic device having a heat generating element, comprising:
 a cooler which is disposed adjacent to the heat generating element and in which a coolant circulating passage having an inlet and an outlet is provided;   a radiator which is disposed apart from the heat generating element and in which a coolant circulating passage having an inlet and an outlet is provided, the inlet being connected to the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the cooler; and   a coolant circulating apparatus which is interposed between the cooler and the radiator and which supplies a heat-radiated coolant from the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator to the inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the cooler and moves the coolant passed through the coolant circulating passage of the cooler toward the inlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator,   wherein the coolant circulating apparatus comprises:   circulating pumps which are disposed in parallel to each other, and each of which has an inlet port and a discharge port and discharges coolant flowing into the inlet port from the discharge port;   a coolant selectively introducing unit which is connected to the inlet ports of the circulating pumps and which selectively introduces the coolant into the inlet ports of the circulating pumps;   check valves which are connected to the discharge ports of the circulating pumps;   branched coolant supply pipes which extend horizontally or downwardly from the check valves and which have extending ends at which the branched coolant supply pipes are integrated with each other;   an integrated coolant supply pipe which extends upward from the integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes; and   a coolant discharge pipe with an on-off valve, which extends horizontally or downwardly from the integrated extending ends of the branched coolant supply pipes.   
   
   
       4 . The cooling apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the coolant selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating apparatus includes on-off valves connected to the inlet ports of the circulating pumps. 
   
   
       5 . The cooling apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a coolant reservoir which is provided between the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator and the coolant selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating apparatus and which temporally reserves the heat-radiated coolant from the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator. 
   
   
       6 . The cooling apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a coolant temperature adjusting unit which is interposed between the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator and the coolant selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating apparatus, which mixes the heat-radiated coolant from the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the radiator with the heat-absorbed coolant from the outlet of the coolant circulating passage of the cooler at a desired ratio, and which supplies the mixture of the heat-radiated coolant and the heat-absorbed coolant at the desired ratio to the coolant selectively introducing unit of the coolant circulating apparatus.