Radiator with integrated pump for actively cooling electronic devices

Abstract

An integrated cooling apparatus for actively cooling one or more electronic components in an electronic device such as a computer is provided. The cooling apparatus includes a radiator and a pump integrally attached to the radiator. The pump can include a pump housing having an first pump housing member attached to the radiator and a second pump housing member detachably securable to the upper pump housing member. The cooling system includes a flow inlet and a flow outlet for attaching hoses or conduits to the radiator for actively moving a liquid coolant to and from an external cooling block or cooling plate. The external cooling block or cooling plate can be attached to the electronic component to be cooled, such as a computer graphics card, microprocessor, or other circuit component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooling apparatus, comprising:
 a radiator defining a radiator plane and having a first longitudinal tube with a first flow direction and a second longitudinal tube with a second flow direction opposite the first flow direction;   a flow inlet port in fluid communication with the first longitudinal tube;   a pump having a first pump housing member detachably coupled to a second pump housing member; and   a pump rotor defining a rotor axis of rotation and disposed in the pump between the first pump housing member and the second pump housing member,   wherein the rotor axis of rotation is perpendicular to the radiator plane.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow inlet port is disposed about a flow inlet axis and the flow inlet axis is substantially parallel to the rotor axis of rotation. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a flow outlet port, wherein the flow outlet port and the flow inlet port are both positioned proximate a first end of the radiator. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first pump housing member further comprises:
 a reservoir wall defining an internal exit port; and   a second exit port defined in the first pump housing member, wherein the second exit port and the internal exit port are in fluid communication across the reservoir wall.   
     
     
         5 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a pump reservoir in fluid communication with the first longitudinal tube; and   an inlet chamber positioned proximate the reservoir wall, wherein the inlet chamber and the pump reservoir are in fluid communication via the internal exit port and the second exit port.   
     
     
         6 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the inlet chamber is substantially circular and shaped to receive at least a portion of the pump rotor. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second exit port is aligned substantially tangential to the inlet chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first pump housing member further comprises a lateral plate extending from the reservoir wall and operable to receive the second pump housing member. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second pump housing member defines a recess configured to receive at least a second portion of the pump rotor such that the pump rotor is disposed between the second pump housing member and the first pump housing member when the second pump housing member is coupled to the first pump housing member. 
     
     
         10 . A cooling apparatus using liquid coolant, comprising:
 a radiator having a first longitudinal tube with a first flow direction and a second longitudinal tube with a second flow direction opposite the first flow direction;   a pump having a first pump housing member detachably coupled to a second pump housing member;   a flow inlet port positioned on the pump and in fluid communication with the first longitudinal tube; and   a pump rotor disposed in the pump between the first pump housing member and the second pump housing member,   wherein, when the pump is activated, the liquid coolant enters through the flow inlet port into the pump and the pump pushes the liquid coolant into the first longitudinal tube in the first flow direction.   
     
     
         11 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the radiator defines a radiator plane and the pump rotor defines a rotor axis of rotation perpendicular to the radiator plane. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the flow inlet port is disposed about a flow inlet axis and the flow inlet axis is substantially along to the rotor axis of rotation such that, when the pump is activated, the liquid coolant enters the flow inlet port along the flow inlet axis and substantially parallel to the rotor axis of rotation. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a flow outlet port, wherein the flow outlet port and the flow inlet port are both positioned proximate a first end of the radiator. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first pump housing member further comprises:
 a reservoir wall defining an internal exit port; and   a second exit port defined in the first pump housing member, wherein the second exit port and the internal exit port are in fluid communication across the reservoir wall, wherein the liquid coolant, when the pump is activated, is pushed through the second exit port and out the internal exit port.   
     
     
         15 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a pump reservoir in fluid communication with the first longitudinal tube; and   an inlet chamber positioned proximate the reservoir wall, wherein the inlet chamber and the pump reservoir are in fluid communication via the internal exit port and the second exit port such that, when the pump is activated, the liquid coolant exits the internal exit port into the pump reservoir and through the first longitudinal tube.   
     
     
         16 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the inlet chamber is substantially circular. 
     
     
         17 . A cooling apparatus comprising:
 a radiator defining a radiator depth and having a first longitudinal tube with a first flow direction and a second longitudinal tube with a second flow direction opposite the first flow direction;   a flow inlet port in fluid communication with the first longitudinal tube;   a pump defining a pump depth and having a first pump housing member detachably coupled to a second pump housing member; and   a pump rotor defining a rotor axis of rotation and disposed in the pump between the first pump housing member and the second pump housing member,   wherein the pump depth is at most  30  percent greater than the radiator depth.   
     
     
         18 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the radiator defines a radiator plane and the rotor axis of rotation is perpendicular to the radiator plane. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein, when the pump is activated, liquid coolant enters through the flow inlet port into the pump and the pump pushes the liquid coolant into the first longitudinal tube in the first flow direction. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the flow inlet port is disposed about a flow inlet axis and the flow inlet axis is substantially along the rotor axis of rotation such that, when the pump is activated, the liquid coolant enters the flow inlet port along the flow inlet axis and substantially parallel to the rotor axis of rotation.