Thin-profile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones are becoming ever lighter and smaller. Such devices ordinarily include cooling systems that dissipate heat generated by their internal components. The cooling systems may include heat pipes, radiators, and cooling fans. In general, the thinner the profile of a device, the less room there is in the device's enclosure for those cooling systems to fit in. Thus, cooling systems that are used in thin-profile devices need to possess at least two characteristics that are somewhat at odds with one another, namely they should fit into tight spaces, and they should have sufficient cooling capacity in order to prevent the devices from overheating. Striking an appropriate balance between size and cooling capacity of a cooling system is one of the challenges designers of thin-profile devices face.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds