Power adapter having a thermal cooling assembly for a digital information appliance
AssigneeGateway, Inc.
InventorJerry L. Beckman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power adapter for a digital information appliance includes an integral thermal cooling assembly for providing supplemental cooling to electronic components within the digital information appliance. The power adapter is comprised of a power supply suitable for conditioning electrical power supplied to the digital information appliance from an external source, a thermal cooling assembly and a coupling assembly capable of operably coupling power adapter to the digital information appliance. The thermal cooling assembly is suitable for providing cooling to the digital information appliance while the power adapter is operably coupled thereto by the coupling assembly.
Claims41
An external power adapter for a digital information appliance, comprising:
- a power supply for conditioning electrical power supplied to the digital information appliance from an external source;
- a thermal cooling assembly for providing cooling to said digital information appliance by circulating a cooling medium through said digital information appliance;
- and
- a coupling assembly capable of operably coupling said power adapter to said digital information appliance;
- wherein said coupling assembly provides a conduit for circulating the cooling medium between said thermal cooling assembly and said digital information appliance while said power adapter is operably coupled to said digital information appliance by said coupling assembly.
A digital information appliance system, comprising:
- a digital information appliance having a housing and at least one electronic component disposed within said housing;
- an external power adapter suitable for being operably coupled to said digital information appliance, said power adapter further comprising:
- a power supply suitable for conditioning electrical power supplied to the digital information appliance from an external source for powering said electronic component;
- a thermal cooling assembly;
- and
- a coupling assembly capable of operably coupling said power adapter to said housing;
- wherein said thermal cooling assembly is suitable for providing cooling to said electronic component by circulating a cooling medium through said housing via said coupling assembly while said power adapter is operably coupled to said digital information appliance by said coupling assembly.
A power adapter for a digital information appliance, comprising:
- a housing external to said digital information appliance;
- a power supply disposed in said housing for conditioning electrical power supplied to the digital information appliance from an external source;
- a thermal cooling assembly disposed in said housing for providing cooling to the digital information appliance by circulating a cooling medium through the digital information appliance;
- and
- a coupling assembly for operably coupling said power adapter to the digital information appliance;
- wherein said coupling assembly provides a conduit for circulating the cooling medium between said thermal cooling assembly and the digital information appliance and for supplying electrical power to the digital information appliance from said power supply.
An external power adapter for a digital information appliance, comprising:
- means for conditioning electrical power supplied to the digital information appliance from an external source;
- means for cooling to said digital information appliance by circulating a cooling medium through said digital information appliance while said power adapter is operably coupled thereto by said coupling assembly;
- and
- means for operably coupling said external power adapter to said digital information appliance, said coupling means providing a conduit for circulation of the cooling medium between the cooling means and the digital information appliance.
A power adapter for a digital information appliance, comprising:
- a housing external to said digital information appliance;
- a power supply disposed in said housing for conditioning electrical power supplied to the digital information appliance from an external source;
- a thermal cooling assembly disposed in said housing for providing cooling to the digital information appliance by circulating a cooling medium through the digital information appliance;
- and
- a coupling assembly for operably coupling said power adapter to the digital information appliance, said coupling assembly providing a conduit for circulating the cooling medium between said thermal cooling assembly and the digital information appliance and for supplying electrical power to the digital information appliance from said power supply;
- and
- a monitor for monitoring power use by the digital information appliance;
- wherein the monitor activates the thermal cooling assembly during periods of high power use for providing supplemental cooling to the information appliance, and deactivates the thermal cooling assembly during periods of low power use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.