Mechanically-adjustable supplemental cooling systems and methods for portable information handling systems
Systems and methods that may be implemented to provide supplemental cooling air for a portable information handling system from one or more mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply outlets that may be positioned and/or repositioned at multiple different locations relative to a portable information handling system, such as notebook computer or laptop computer. In one example, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to have one or more mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply outlets that may be positioned and/or repositioned to align with differing geometries of cooling air inlet opening locations that correspond to different portable information handling system sizes and/or designs.
1. A supplemental cooling system, comprising:
a chassis;
at least one supplemental cooling air supply source within the chassis, the at least one supplemental cooling air supply source being coupled in a fixed position relative to the chassis;
at least one movable cooling air supply outlet aperture that is separate from the supplemental cooling air supply source and coupled by a mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply conduit to receive and provide the supplemental cooling air from the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source;
wherein the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is adjustable between multiple different positions relative to the chassis and relative to the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source so as to align the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture to provide a supplemental cooling air to different cooling air inlet locations of different sizes and/or types of mated notebook computers or laptop computers;
wherein the chassis further comprises at least one segment that is slidably received at or beneath the level of a lid of the chassis, the at least one segment being movable within a complementary dimensioned recess within the chassis lid; and
wherein the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is fixedly coupled to the at least one segment such that sliding movement of the segment within the complementary dimensioned recess of the chassis lid repositions the coupled movable cooling air supply outlet aperture to align with the different cooling air inlet locations of the different sizes and/or types of mated notebook computers or laptop computers.
2. The system of claim 1 , where the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source comprises a chilling system that is configured to cool the supplemental cooling air to a temperature that is less than the available external ambient temperature air that surrounds the supplemental cooling system.
3. The system of claim 1 , where the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source comprises at least one cooling fan; and where the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is coupled to the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source by a flexible and repositionable cooling air supply conduit.
4. The system of claim 1 , where the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source comprises at least one cooling fan; and where the moveable cooling air supply outlet aperture is coupled to the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source by at least one rigid telescoping inner conduit that is slidably received and positioned within a rigid outer support conduit.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator mechanically coupled to move the moveable cooling air supply outlet aperture between the multiple different positions relative to the chassis so as to align the moveable cooling air supply outlet aperture to provide supplemental cooling air to the different cooling air inlet locations of the different sizes and/or types of mated notebook computers or laptop computers.
6. The system of claim 1 , where the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is configured to be continuously adjustable throughout a range of distance between multiple different positions relative to the chassis.
7. The system of claim 1 , where the at least one segment comprises at least one plate.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one segment comprises at least one plate; wherein the chassis comprises two movable cooling air supply outlet apertures that are each separate from the supplemental cooling air supply source, and are each coupled by a respective separate mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply conduit to receive and provide the supplemental cooling air from the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source; and wherein the chassis further comprises a second plate;
the at least one plate and the second plate being slidably received at or beneath the level of a lid of the chassis, each of the plates being movable within a complementary dimensioned recess within the chassis lid; and
wherein each of the movable cooling air supply outlet apertures is fixedly coupled to a respective one of the plates such that sliding movement of each plate within the complementary dimensioned recess of the chassis lid repositions a respective one of the movable cooling air supply outlet apertures to align with the different cooling air inlet locations of the different sizes and/or types of mated notebook computers or laptop computers.
9. A method of cooling a notebook computer or laptop computer, comprising:
mating a chassis enclosure of a notebook computer or laptop computer having at least one cooling air inlet defined in the chassis enclosure of the notebook computer or laptop computer with a supplemental cooling system having at least one movable cooling air supply outlet aperture coupled to a chassis of the supplemental cooling system, the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture being coupled by a mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply conduit to a separate cooling air supply source within the chassis of the supplemental cooling system, the cooling air supply source being coupled as a fixed supplemental cooling air supply source in fixed position relative to the chassis of the supplemental cooling system;
adjusting a position of the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system relative to the chassis and relative to the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source so that the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is aligned with a location of the cooling air inlet of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer; and
then receiving supplemental cooling air from the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source through the mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply conduit and providing a supplemental cooling air from the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system to the cooling air inlet of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer while operating an internal cooling fan of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer to draw in the supplemental cooling air;
where the chassis of the supplemental cooling system comprises at least one segment that is slidably received at or beneath the level of a lid of the chassis, the at least one segment being movable within a complementary dimensioned recess within the chassis lid; and
where the method further comprises adjusting a position of the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system by sliding the at least one segment within the complementary dimensioned recess of the chassis lid to reposition the coupled movable cooling air supply outlet aperture to align with the location of the cooling air inlet of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer.
10. The method of claim 9 , where the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source comprises a chilling system; and where the method further comprises using the chilling system to cool the supplemental cooling air to a temperature that is less than the available external ambient temperature air that surrounds the supplemental cooling system prior to providing the supplemental cooling air from the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system to the cooling air inlet of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer.
11. The method of claim 9 , where the method further comprises adjusting the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture between multiple different positions relative to the chassis so as to align the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture to provide the supplemental cooling air to different cooling air inlet locations of different sizes and/or types of mated notebook computers or laptop computers.
12. The method of claim 9 , where the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source comprises at least one cooling fan; where the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is coupled to the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source by a flexible and repositionable cooling air supply conduit; and where the method further comprises:
adjusting the position of the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system relative to the chassis by moving the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture together with the coupled flexible and repositionable cooling air supply conduit; and
then using the cooling fan to provide the supplemental cooling air from the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system to the cooling air inlet of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer.
13. The method of claim 9 , where the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source comprises at least one cooling fan; where the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture is coupled to the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source by at least one rigid telescoping inner conduit that is slidably received and positioned within a rigid outer support conduit; and where the method further comprises:
adjusting the position of the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system relative to the chassis by sliding the inner conduit relative to the outer support conduit to move the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture; and
then using the cooling fan to provide the supplemental cooling air from the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture of the supplemental cooling system to the cooling air inlet of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising an actuator mechanically coupled to move the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture between the multiple different positions relative to the chassis; and where the method further comprises using the actuator to move the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture between multiple different positions relative to the chassis so as to align the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture to provide supplemental cooling air to different cooling air inlet locations of different sizes and/or types of mated notebook computers or laptop computers.
15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting the movable cooling air supply outlet aperture throughout a continuous range of distance between multiple different positions relative to the chassis.
16. The method of claim 9 , where the at least one segment comprises at least one plate.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one segment comprises at least one plate; wherein the mated notebook computer or laptop computer has at least two cooling air inlets; and wherein the chassis of the supplemental cooling system comprises:
two movable cooling air supply outlet apertures that are separate from the supplemental cooling air supply source and each coupled by a respective separate mechanically- adjustable cooling air supply conduit to receive and provide the supplemental cooling air from the fixed supplemental cooling air supply source; and
a second plate, the at least one plate and the second plate being slidably received at or beneath the level of a lid of the chassis of the supplemental cooling system, each of the plates being movable within a complementary dimensioned recess within the chassis lid; and
wherein the method further comprises:
adjusting a position of each given one of the two movable cooling air supply outlet apertures of the supplemental cooling system by sliding a respective one of the plates within the complementary dimensioned recess of the chassis lid to reposition the given one of the coupled movable cooling air supply outlet apertures to align with the location of a respective one of the cooling air inlets of the mated notebook computer or laptop computer.