Combined outflow portal for acoustic and thermal energy
View Patent ↗An apparatus is provided that provides a common opening for air flow and speaker outflow. The apparatus includes a compartment with an opening. The compartment has a top surface and a bottom surface and includes a fan and a speaker. The fan is positioned to rotate one or blades around an axis. The one or more blades spin in a direction substantially towards an opening during at least one point during the spinning. The fan directs the air flow towards the opening. The speaker is positioned such that its movement is along the axis.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a compartment within a portable computing device, the compartment including a side surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface, wherein an opening is included on the side surface;
a fan found in the compartment positioned to rotate one or more blades around an axis substantially perpendicular to the top surface and the bottom surface of the compartment and substantially parallel opening on the side surface, wherein the one or more blades spin in a direction substantially towards the opening during at least one point during the spinning; and
a speaker included in the compartment configured to generate sound waves,
wherein the compartment has a shape that facilitates air flow out of the portable computing device away from the fan where both hot air and sound waves flow out of the opening of the compartment in the portable computing device.
2. The apparatus of claim I further comprising a heat dissipating element configured to direct heat towards the fan, wherein the fan dissipates the heat through the opening.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heat dissipating element, dissipating heat into the compartment, is located near the fan.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the compartment allows hot air to flow away from the heat dissipating element.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening is on a side surface of the compartment.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compartment is used as a resonance chamber for the speaker.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a resonance path is extended through the fan into the compartment for lower frequency response.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker is positioned between the fan and the opening.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more blades rotating around the axis perpendicular to the top surface and the bottom surface of the device such that a blade in the one or more blades rotates towards the opening and then away from the opening.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the rotation of the one or more blades directs air flow towards the opening of the compartment.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker moves up or down between the top surface and the bottom surface of the device.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker is positioned out of the air flow.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker is included as a part of the wall of the compartment.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portable device has substantially a length of 4 inches, a width of 3 inches, and a height of ¾ inches.
15. A portable device comprising:
a compartment including a side surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface, the compartment including an opening included on the side surface;
a fan found in the compartment positioned to rotate one or more blades around an axis substantially perpendicular to the top surface and the bottom surface of the compartment and substantially parallel to the opening on the side surface, wherein the one or more blades spin in a direction substantially towards the opening during at least one point during the spinning; and
a speaker included in the compartment configured to generate sound waves,
wherein the compartment has a shape that facilitates air flow out of the portable device away from the fan where both hot air and sound waves flow out of the opening of the compartment in the portable device.
16. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the portable device comprises a hand-held computer, laptop computer, personal computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular telephone, movie camera, movie player, mobile computer, and/or pocket PC.
17. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the portable device has substantially of length 4 inches, width 3 inches, and height ¾ inches.
18. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the axis of rotation of the fan is substantially perpendicular to a top and a bottom surface of the compartment such that a blade in the one or more blades rotates towards the opening and then away from the opening.
19. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the diaphragm of speaker vibrates in a direction perpendicular to the top and the bottom surface of the compartment.
20. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the air flows over the diaphragm of the speaker out through the opening.
21. The portable device of claim 15 , further comprising a heat dissipating element, the heat dissipating element for dissipating the heat from the portable device into the compartment.
22. The portable device of claim 15 , wherein the heat dissipating element dissipates heat from a processor.
23. The portable device of claim 20 , wherein the heat dissipating element in the compartment is at least one of heat pipe, heat sink, and radiator.