# US 8,654,523 B2 · Ruggedized computer capable of operating in high temperature environments

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- Number: US 8,654,523 B2
- Document ID: US8654523B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/216,946
- Filed: 2011-08-24
- Published: 2011-12-15
- Granted: 2014-02-18
- Earliest claimed: 2008-09-08
- Assignees: Intergraph Technologies Company
- Applicants: Casey R. Adkins; Charles Allen Abare; Andrew John Ornatowski
- Inventors: Casey R. Adkins; Charles Allen Abare; Andrew John Ornatowski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8654523B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/182: {with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]}
- G06F 1/20: Cooling means
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to a computer that has a housing with walls that form a substantially sealed interior cavity from an exterior environment. The computer includes a plurality of computer components within the interior cavity. The computer also includes at least one heat sink for dissipating thermal energy into the exterior environment. A cooling element is thermally coupled to the heat sink and at least one of the computer components to transfer thermal energy from the computer component into the heat sink and the exterior environment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer comprising:
a housing including a plurality of walls that form a substantially sealed interior cavity from an exterior environment, the plurality of walls including a first wall and a second wall;
a plurality of computer components within the interior cavity;
at least one block thermally coupled to at least one computer component and physically coupled to the first wall of the housing to transfer thermal energy from the at least one computer component and the at least one block into the first wall and the exterior environment, wherein the at least one computer component is physically coupled to the first wall at least in part by the at least one block;
at least one heat sink for dissipating thermal energy into the exterior environment, the at least one heat sink located on the second wall of the housing; and
at least one pipe thermally coupled to the at least one block and the at least one heat sink to transfer thermal energy from the at least one block and the at least one computer component into the at least one heat sink and the exterior environment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the first wall is a top wall of the housing and the second wall is a side wall of the housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one block is thermally coupled to the first wall of the housing via a thermal pad.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat sink is integral to the second wall of the housing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer includes a solid-state hard drive.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer contains only solid-state components.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the housing includes a conductive material to protect the plurality of computer components from electromagnetic interference.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to operate in an exterior environment with a temperature of 60° Celsius.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to operate in an exterior environment with humidity ranging between 10% to 90%.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer consumes at least 10 W.

### Claim 11

A computer comprising:
a housing, configured to be mountable in a rack, that includes a plurality of walls that form a substantially sealed interior cavity from an exterior environment, the plurality of walls including a first wall and a second wall;
a plurality of computer components within the interior cavity;
at least one block thermally coupled to at least one computer component and the first wall of the housing to transfer thermal energy from the at least one computer component and the at least one block into the first wall and the exterior environment;
at least one heat sink located on the second wall of the housing for dissipating thermal energy into the exterior environment; and
at least one pipe thermally coupled to the at least one block and the at least one heat sink to transfer thermal energy from the at least one block and the at least one computer component into the at least one heat sink and the exterior environment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A computer according to claim 11, wherein the first wall is a top wall of the housing and the second wall is at least one of a front wall, a back wall, and a side wall.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

A computer according to claim 11, wherein the at least one block is thermally coupled to the first wall of the housing via a thermal pad.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

A computer according to claim 11, wherein the computer consumes at least 10 W.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

A computer according to claim 11, wherein the computer is configured to operate in an exterior environment with a temperature of 60° Celsius.