To enhance the heat dissipation efficiency of a heat dissipating element and reduce the size of the entire apparatus in the cooling apparatus which is constituted of a combination of the solid heat dissipating element and a heat accumulator to level the dissipation of heat generated by a heating element.

The cooling apparatus comprises: the heat dissipating element in contact with the heating element; the heat accumulator located in the proximity of the heat dissipating element; and a thermal conductivity switching means which senses the temperature of the heat dissipating element and thermal-conductively connects the heat accumulator to the heat dissipating element, when the temperature of the heat dissipating element becomes a prescribed one or above and thermal-conductively disconnects the heat accumulator from the heat dissipating element when the temperature of the heat dissipating element becomes a prescribed one or below. While the caloric value of the heat dissipating element is small, the heat accumulator is thermally conductively separated from the heat dissipating element. When the caloric value increases, the heat accumulator is thermal-conductively connected to the heat dissipating element.