Many modern electronic systems generate a large amount of heat, and a variety of different cooling mechanisms may be used to cool these electronic systems. For personal electronic systems, such as computers and other relatively transportable electronic systems, the cooling devices in use today are primarily mechanically-based devices, such as electric fans and heat sinks.
The US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that revealed their intent to reinvent an ionic wind generator cooling system. This type of cooling system doesn’t use a fan or heat sink. The problem with the current design however, is that it’s only able to cool limited areas within a computer or device. Apple’s reinvention of the ionic wind generator will allow the system to use specialty sensors and mechanisms to redirect cool air to various areas within a computer or device, as needed.
Apple’s patent pending invention and solution identifies various embodiments of methods and apparatus for deflecting or redirecting a flow of ionized air, such as that generated by an ionic wind generator.
Apple states that their method creates a deflection field that is generated proximate the path of the flow of ionized air, and is used to deflect at least some portion of the path of the flow of the ionized air to a different path. In some embodiments, the deflection field is established by a deflection field generator that is configured to generate an electric field and/or a magnetic field, sufficient to deflect at least a portion of the flow of ionized air to a different path. In some examples, the deflection field may be used essentially continuously to deflect at least a portion of the ionized airflow. However, many other contemplated examples of the invention include a deflection field generator which is selectively controllable to provide some deflection of the airflow to the alternate path.
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