Wagering game terminal with internal cooling
View Patent ↗Method and system are disclosed for cooling microprocessors and other data processing circuits in wagering game terminals. The method and system of the invention allow a wagering game terminal to be retrofitted with a cooling system for a different microprocessor-based application while making few or no changes to the wagering game terminal. The retrofitted microprocessor cooling system provides greater thermal dissipation, ensuring that the microprocessor will operate within the specified temperature range. The cooling system also takes up less space and has fewer components, resulting in a lower cost overall. And since few or no changes are made to the wagering game terminal, existing inventory of equipment and components may be used.
1. A microprocessor cooling system for a wagering game terminal, said wagering game terminal having a main board and a processor board, comprising:
support members for maintaining appropriate spacing between said main board and said processor board, said main board controlling operation of said wagering game terminal and said processor board processing data for said wagering game terminal;
a first heat sink having a plurality of fins and mounted to said processor board, said first heat sink in thermal contact with a microprocessor on said processor board and supported by said support members for spacing said heat sink apart from said processor board;
a second heat sink spaced away from said first heat sink with no heat conductive pathway therebetween, said second heat sink having a plurality of fins and mounted in thermal contact with a chipset controller, said chipset controller mounted on said processor board proximate to said microprocessor; and
a fan attached directly to said first heat sink, said fan directing air flow over said first and second heat sinks and drawing heat therefrom.
2. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said support members are disposed on said main board and said processor board at locations originally designed to support a different microprocessor cooling system.
3. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said heat sink is supported only by a subset of said support members.
4. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said thermal contact is achieved via a thermally conductive layer sandwiched between said microprocessor and said first heat sink.
5. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 4 , wherein said thermally conductive layer includes one or more of a thermally conductive paste, a thermally conductive foil, a thermally conductive plate, and a thermally conductive pad.
6. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said first heat sink is in direct thermal contact with said microprocessor.
7. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein each support member comprises a screw, a spacer disposed on said screw, and a standoff attached to said screw.
8. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor has a microprocessor footprint that is substantially equal to a first heat sink footprint for said first heat sink, and said chipset controller has a chipset controller footprint that is substantially equal to a second heat sink footprint for said second heat sink.
9. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said fan further directs air to impinge on said first heat sink.
10. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein said second heat sink is mounted directly onto said chipset controller.
11. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising a secondary fan spaced from said first and second heat sinks, said secondary fan directing air toward said main board and said processor board.
12. The microprocessor cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat sink and the second heat sink have different sizes.
13. A wagering game terminal, comprising:
a wager input device for accepting a wager from a player at said wagering game terminal;
a display unit for displaying a wagering game of said wagering game terminal, said wagering game having an outcome that is randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes;
a first microprocessor and a second microprocessor for controlling said wager input device;
a microprocessor cooling system for cooling said first microprocessor and said second microprocessor, said microprocessor cooling system including a first heat sink that is in thermal contact with said first microprocessor, a second heat sink that is in thermal contact with said second processor, and a fan that is attached directly to said first heat sink and directs air flow over said first and second heat sinks and draws heat therefrom.
14. The wagering game terminal according to claim 13 , wherein said microprocessor cooling system is originally designed for use in a personal computer.
15. The wagering game terminal according to claim 13 , wherein said microprocessor cooling system is originally designed to be clipped on to said microprocessor or a socket of said microprocessor.
16. The wagering game terminal according to claim 13 , wherein said microprocessor cooling system is mounted in said wagering game terminal without substantially changing a design of said wagering game terminal.
17. The wagering game terminal according to claim 13 , said microprocessor performs said random selection of said outcome from a plurality of outcomes.