CN215376211U - Computing device with reconfigurable front and back access - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides an arithmetic device with reconfigurable front and back accesses. The computing device comprises a case with a first end and a second end, a mainboard coupled to the case, a power supply unit which comprises one or more fans and is coupled to the second end of the case, and a fan set coupled to the case. The power supply unit is mounted to be movable to the first end of the case. The fan set is rotatably mounted so that an air flow direction of the fan set matches an air flow direction of the power supply unit.

Description

Computing device with reconfigurable front and back access

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for reconfiguring a server for front access or back access.

Background

Servers are used in a wide variety of applications ranging from high performance computing to data storage. The server makes possible many arithmetic application solutions that have been relied upon. For example, the server may support mobile application solutions such as mobile mapping applications (mobile mapping applications), mobile payment systems (mobile payment systems), text messaging (text messaging), computation offloading (computation offloading), web browsing (web browsing), and the like. Mobile clients are typically unaware that the server provides extensive support when using their mobile devices on a daily basis. While the mobile client may not be aware of the server-side support of everyday use of mobile devices, server operators and technicians are still tasked with maintaining the physical and operational status of the server. Thus, in order to perform upgrades and/or get root-level access to change the primary operating system, sometimes the server needs to be physically accessed.

In a data center, servers are typically held in a rack structure. When installed in a rack structure, the servers have an orientation that should be maintained. The direction to install is typically fixed, limiting the flexibility of accessing the external physical port of the server. In addition, airflow within the server is also irreversible, preventing the server from being customized for reconfiguration to meet personal needs or to meet the orientation of the server in physical space. Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to solving the problems associated with reconfiguring a server for front access or back access to an external physical port for multiple purposes.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for converting a computing device (computing device) from a first configuration to a second configuration. A power supply unit (power supply unit) of an arithmetic device is moved from a first position at a second end of the arithmetic device to a second position at the first end of the arithmetic device. The power supply unit is rotated to make a power interface (power interface) of the power supply unit visible from the first end of the computing device. And rotating the fan set of the arithmetic device to enable the airflow direction of the fan set to be matched with the airflow direction of the power supply unit at the second position.

In one embodiment, a storage box (storage cage) is installed at the second end of the computing device and is located at a position before the power supply unit moves. In one embodiment, the direction of airflow within the computing device changes between the first configuration and the second configuration. In one embodiment, in the first configuration, a plurality of communication ports (communications ports) are provided at the second end of the computing device. In a second configuration, a plurality of communication ports are provided at a first end of the computing device.

In one embodiment, a plurality of bracket assemblies (racks) of the computing device are removed from the first end and attached to the second end. The plurality of rack assemblies may include a plurality of peripheral communication ports (peripheral communication ports). In one embodiment, the direction of airflow through a motherboard (motherboard) of the computing device is changed between the first configuration and the second configuration. In one embodiment, the power connecting board (power connecting board) is installed near the second position, and the power supply unit is moved to the second position. The power connection board facilitates the power (power) to be transmitted from the power supply unit to the motherboard of the computing device. In one embodiment, mirrored (mirror image) locking elements are interchanged, which secure the fan assembly to the chassis (chassis) of the computing device. In one embodiment, the plurality of mirror-image locking elements comprise tabs (tab) that fit into loops (loop) of an individual component of the fan stack. In one embodiment, the tab includes a tortuous surface having a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion urges the tab into the loop and the upper portion prevents the loop from disengaging from the tab.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an arithmetic device including a case, a motherboard, and a power supply unit. The case has a first end and a second end. The mainboard is coupled to the case. The power supply unit includes one or more fans. The power supply unit is coupled to the second end of the case and is assembled to be movable to the first end of the case. The computing device further comprises a fan set, wherein the fan set is coupled to the case and is rotatably assembled so that the airflow direction of the fan set is matched with the airflow direction of the power supply unit. In one embodiment, the computing device further includes a plurality of rack assemblies coupled to the first end of the chassis, the rack assemblies being configured to mount the computing device to a rack structure (rack structure). The carriage assembly is movable from a first end of the chassis to a second end of the chassis. The rack assembly may include a plurality of peripheral communication ports. In one embodiment, when the power supply unit is located at the second end of the chassis, the plurality of communication ports of the chassis are located at a rear end (rear end) of the computing device. When the power supply unit is located at the first end of the chassis, the plurality of communication ports of the chassis are located at the front end (front end) of the computing device. A plurality of communication ports can be provided on the mainboard. In one embodiment, a riser card (riser card) is mounted on a motherboard such that at least one of a plurality of communication ports is provided on the riser card. In one embodiment, the computing device further includes a power connection board for facilitating power transmission from the power supply unit when the power supply unit moves to the first end of the housing. In one embodiment, the computing device further comprises a plurality of mirror-image locking elements configured to secure the fan assembly to the chassis. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of locking elements includes a tab that fits to engage a ring of an individual component of the fan stack.

The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an example of some of the novel aspects and features described herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of various representative embodiments and methods of practicing the utility model, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

Drawings

The disclosure may be better understood from the following description of various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a computing system in a first configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is a front view of the computing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a rear view of the computing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of the computing system of FIG. 1 in a first configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of the computing system of FIG. 1 in a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4A illustrates steps for converting the computing system of FIG. 1 from a first configuration to a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 4B depicts an airflow direction in a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the computing system of FIG. 3B in a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a front view of the computing system of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6B is a rear view of the computing system of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7A illustrates a portion of the computing system of FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B depicts a perspective view of the first member engaging the first locking element, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7C depicts a perspective view of a second member engaging a second locking element, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates installing a fan set in the computing system of FIG. 1, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9A illustrates a process for reconfiguring a fan board and locking elements when the computing system of FIG. 1 is converted from a first configuration to a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 9B illustrates the position of the fan plate and locking element in a second configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure is to be understood as being capable of numerous different variations and alternative forms. Some representative embodiments have been presented by way of example in the several figures and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the utility model is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the spirit and scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, which should cover all changes, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

100 arithmetic system

101: cover plate

102 case

102a,102b inner surface

104 main board

106 radiator

108 memory slot

110 fan set

110-1,112-1 direction

112 power supply unit

116 adaptor card

118,304 storage box

118-1,118-2,118-3,118-4 storage drive

120,122 support assembly

150 the second end

152 first end

202 power supply button

204 fastening mechanism

206 peripheral port

208 cover plate

212 power supply interface

214 fan

216 communication port

302 index

306 power supply connection board

410,410-1,412-1 direction

412,420,422 position

701a,701b structural member

702a,702b locking element

704a,704b top

706a,706b screw hole

708a,708b rings

710a,710b ear

710-1a,710-1b lower part

710-2a,710-2b upper part

802a first guide member group

804a second guide set

804b fourth guide set

806,808 grooves

810 fan board

811 axial center

812 connector

910 direction of

Detailed Description

The utility model may be embodied in many different forms. Representative embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. The present disclosure is an exemplification or illustration of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. In this case, elements and disclosed limitations such as those described in abstract, summary and embodiments, but not explicitly in the claims, are not to be considered as individually or collectively incorporated into the claims by implication, inference or otherwise. With respect to this embodiment, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural forms and vice versa, unless expressly excluded; and the words "include" represent "including but not limited to". Also, words representing rough estimates, such as "about", "almost", "approximately", "about", etc., may be used herein, for example, to mean "on the value", "close to the value", or "nearly on the value", or "between 3-5% different from the value", or "within tolerable manufacturing tolerances", or any logical combination thereof.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide configurable enclosures for computing systems that are reconfigurable for front access or rear access. The benefit of the chassis is that the airflow direction can be maintained without the need to redesign the chassis or redesign the electronic components provided within the chassis. Thus, the configurable chassis provided according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may achieve a cost-effective solution for front-access or back-access to a computing system.

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a computing system 100 in a first configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing system 100 may be a server, a desktop computer, or the like. The computing system 100 includes a chassis 102 that houses one or more components. In this example, the computing system 100 has an orientation that defines a first end 152 and an opposite second end 150. The computing system 100 may include a left side support assembly 120 and a right side support assembly 122 located on opposite sides of the first end 152. The left side bracket assembly 120 and the right side bracket assembly 122 mount the computing system 100 to a rack structure. The computing system 100 may include one or more electronic components. For example, the components may include the motherboard 104, the fan assembly 110 forming a fan wall, the power supply unit 112, one or more adapter cards 116, and the storage box 118. The motherboard 104 may include a set of memory slots 108 and a plurality of processors mounted below the plurality of heat sinks 106. In this example, the plurality of memory slots 108 hold a plurality of dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). The motherboard 104 may include a plurality of sockets (not shown) for connecting the plurality of adapter cards 116 to the adapter board via the adapter bracket. The adapter cards 116 may provide expansion buses (e.g., peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), etc.) to connect other components on the computing system 100.

The chassis 102 may be a metal housing comprising a plurality of plates. The plurality of plates includes a vertical plate and a horizontal plate. Some of the one or more components are fastened to a horizontal plate of the chassis 102. Computing system 100 may include a lid 101, lid 101 partially covering the top of chassis 102. The cover 101 is a flat plate and is fastened to the housing 102. The cover 101 facilitates airflow through the housing 102 by creating air channels such that air passes under the cover 101 in a direction determined by the fan assembly 110. In fig. 1, the fan pack 110 spans the width of the chassis 102, but in some embodiments a single fan unit may be provided throughout the chassis 102. In some embodiments, the fan assembly 110 may be located below the cover plate 101.

FIG. 2A is a front view of the computing system 100 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the first end 152 when the computing system 100 is in the first configuration. FIG. 2B is a rear view of the computing system 100 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the second end 150 when the computing system 100 is in the first configuration. In the first configuration, when the computing system 100 (fig. 1) is viewed from the first end 152, the computing system 100 does not provide other communication ports than the set of peripheral ports 206 (fig. 2A) provided on the rack assembly 122. Examples of communication ports include Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel port (parallel ports), Serial port (Serial ports), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port, Video Graphics Array (VGA) port, video audio port (optical audio ports), Firewire port (Firewire ports), Ethernet port (Ethernet ports), external Serial advanced technology attachment (external ATA; e-SATA) port, video port (display ports), micro video port (mini display ports), and the like. As shown in the front view of fig. 2A, the computing system 100 includes one or more cover plates 208. The cover plate 208 may include a plurality of holes to facilitate gas flow. The computing system 100 includes one or more fastening mechanisms 204 to fasten the computing system 100 to a rack structure. The computing system 100 may include a power button 202 on the stand assembly 120 for manually turning the computing system 100 on or off. Placing the peripheral ports 206 and/or the power button 202 on the rack assemblies 122 and 120, respectively, allows manual power control and access to at least a minimal set of communication ports to be performed from the first end 152 (fig. 1).

In fig. 2B, the computing system 100 provides access to the power interface 212 of the power supply unit 112 to provide power to the computing system 100. One or more fans 214 of the power supply unit 112 are provided to dissipate heat generated within the power supply unit 112 and to support airflow through the computing system 100. The computing system 100 may include one or more communication ports 216. One or more of the communication ports 216 may be a communication port of the motherboard 104 (fig. 1). In some embodiments, one or more of the communication ports 216 are communication ports from the riser card 116. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, one or more storage drives 118-1,118-2,118-3,118-4, etc. may be accessed from the second end 150 (FIG. 1). The storage drives 118-1,118-2, etc. may be removed and installed from the second end 150 shown in the rear view of FIG. 2B.

Since in the first configuration, the communication port 216 and the storage drives 118-1,118-2, etc. are accessed from the second side 150 (FIG. 1), the computing system 100 is said to have a back access. That is, when mounted to a rack structure (e.g., a slide-in and slide-out tray structure), the first end 152 (fig. 1) faces toward the server technician while the second end 150 (fig. 1) faces away from the server technician. Thus, in the first configuration, the first end 152 may be considered a "front" end and the second end 150 may be considered a "rear" end. Thus, fig. 2A is a front view of the computing system 100, and fig. 2B is a rear view of the computing system 100. In order to perform cable management (cable management), a power input terminal of the computing system is generally provided at the back end. Thus, the location of the power interface (e.g., power interface 212) generally represents a proposed orientation of the computing system in which the end having the power input is located at the rear of the rack.

FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of the computing system 100 of FIG. 1 in a first configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Like parts have been labeled with like reference numerals in accordance with the description associated with fig. 1. The fan set 110 includes a pointer 302 that visually represents the airflow direction determined by the fan set 110. To achieve the optimal airflow through the computing system 100, the airflow direction determined by the fan 214 (fig. 2B) of the power supply unit 112 should be consistent with the fan set 110.

FIG. 3B illustrates a top view of the computing system 100 of FIG. 1 in a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some of the parts in the chassis 102 have been moved to place the computing system 100 in the second configuration. In some embodiments, multiple parts may be added to the chassis 102, removed from the chassis 102, or reconfigured within the chassis 102. For example, when compared to fig. 3A, a second bin 304 is added to the computing system 100 in fig. 3B. Also, when compared with fig. 3A, a power connection board 306 for connecting the power supply unit 112 is added to fig. 3B. The power connection board 306 is a printed circuit board (pcb). In fig. 3B, the chassis 102 is rotated (compared to fig. 3A) such that the second end 150 is positioned at the bottom of the page and the first end 152 is positioned at the top of the page. It should be noted that in the second configuration, the first end 152 corresponds to the back end and the second end 150 corresponds to the front end.

FIG. 4A illustrates steps for converting the computing system 100 of FIG. 1 from a first configuration (FIG. 3A) to a second configuration (FIG. 3B), according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Like parts have been labeled with like reference numerals in accordance with the description associated with fig. 1. First, the left leg assembly 120 is moved from the first end 152 of the computing system 100 to a position 420 at the second end 150 of the computing system 100. Similarly, the right side bracket assembly 122 is moved from the first end 152 to a position 422 at the second end 150 of the computing system 100. The left side bracket assembly 120 and the right side bracket assembly 122 are attached to a plurality of screw holes (screw holes) provided in the cabinet 102. The chassis 102 includes a plurality of screw holes at the first end 152 of the computing system 100 and the second end 150 of the computing system 100 for mounting the left bracket assembly 120 and the right bracket assembly 122. Then, the power supply unit 112 moves from the second end 150 to the first end 152. Then, as shown in direction 410, fan set 110 is rotated 180 degrees. Thus, the airflow generated by the fan set 110 becomes the reverse of the airflow in fig. 3A. The direction 410 is merely exemplary, and clockwise rotation is also possible.

In order to maintain cooling efficiency in the computing system 100, it is important to maintain the airflow uniformity between the power supply unit 112 and the fan set 110. In the first configuration, the fan 214 (FIG. 2B) of the power supply unit 112 causes the airflow to be in the direction 112-1 in FIG. 4A. Fan set 110 directs the airflow in direction 110-1. Thus, the fan 214 (FIG. 2B) generates airflow in the same direction as the fan set 110, and drives the airflow from the first end 152 to the second end 150 through the computing system 100.

The direction of airflow is important when reconfiguring the various components of the computing system 100 to achieve the second configuration. As a result, when the power supply unit 112 is moved to the position 412 in fig. 4A, the power supply unit 112 is rotated by 180 degrees, and thus the fan 214 (fig. 2B) of the power supply unit 112 makes the airflow in the direction 412-1. Similarly, the airflow direction is changed from direction 110-1 to direction 410-1 by rotating fan set 110 180 degrees in direction 410.

FIG. 4B illustrates the airflow direction in the computing system 100 when configured in the second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The storage tank 118 is moved to the previous position of the power supply unit 112. In some embodiments, an additional part or parts may be added to take advantage of any additional space gained by reconfiguring parts of the computing system 100. Storage bins 304 are added to computing system 100 to take advantage of any additional space at second end 150. Fig. 4B is a rotated version of the configuration shown in fig. 3B. It should be noted that reconfiguring the components in the chassis 102 to move from the first configuration (fig. 3A) to the second configuration (fig. 3B and 4B) causes the second end 150 to transition from the back end of the computing system 100 to the front end of the computing system 100. Similarly, the first end 152 transitions from the front end of the computing system 100 to the back end of the computing system 100. As described above in conjunction with fig. 2A and 2B, the power supply unit 112 is generally provided at the back end.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the computing system 100 in a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Like parts have been labeled with like reference numerals in accordance with the description associated with fig. 1. The second end 150 is depicted as a front end and the first end 152 is depicted as a back end. The riser card 116 and the storage bins 118 and 304 are accessed from the front end. Fig. 6A is a front view of the computing system 100 of fig. 5, and fig. 6B is a rear view of the computing system of fig. 5. Like parts have been labeled with like reference numerals in accordance with the description associated with fig. 1. In FIG. 6A, the peripheral port 206 and/or the power button 202 are accessible from the front end of the computing system 100. Other communication ports, such as communication port 216, may be accessible from the front end. The storage drives 118-1,118-2, etc. and any storage drives provided in the storage bins 304 are accessible from the front end. In FIG. 6B, the power interface 212 is accessible from the back end.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for converting a computing device from a back access to a front access or vice versa. A back access represents access of the plurality of communication ports and/or components from the back end of the computing system, while a front access represents access of the plurality of communication ports and/or components from the front end of the computing device. In the front view of FIG. 2A, only the peripheral ports are accessed from the front end. In the rear view of fig. 2B, other communication ports and devices are accessed from the back end. On the other hand, in the front view of FIG. 6A, the peripheral ports and other communication ports and devices are accessed from the front end. In the back view of FIG. 6B, only the power interface is accessed from the back end.

When the parts of the computing system 100 are reconfigured to obtain the second configuration (FIG. 3B) from the first configuration (FIG. 3A), the removable parts may be selected for ease of installation and removal. For example, when switching from the first configuration (fig. 3A) to the second configuration (fig. 3B), the motherboard 104 maintains the same orientation and the other components around the motherboard 104 are repositioned as shown in fig. 4A and 4B. The motherboard 104, like most motherboards, may be blocked by other components and it is difficult to access the motherboard 104. For example, referring to fig. 3A, the motherboard 104 is partially covered by the adapter card 116 and the power supply unit 112. Thus, in order to move or rotate the motherboard 104, the riser card 116 must first be moved. One reason for rotating the motherboard 104 is to provide a connection to the power supply unit 114 in the second configuration of FIG. 3B. Conversely, a simpler solution is to provide a power connection board 306 to connect the power supply unit 112 to the motherboard 104 when in the second configuration.

The rotated and/or moved parts should have access to the motherboard 104 for power and/or communication. A power connection board 306 is added to connect the power supply unit 112 and the motherboard 104. In some embodiments, internal circuitry may be used to connect the rack assemblies 120,122 (FIG. 4A) to internal ports of the host board 104. In some embodiments, internal circuitry may be used to connect fan pack 110 to internal ports on motherboard 104.

In some embodiments, similar to the power connection board 306 (fig. 3B), a printed wiring board may be used to connect the rotated and/or moved parts to the motherboard 104. For example, FIG. 7A illustrates a portion of the computing system 100 of FIG. 1 having a fan set 110 in a first configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Like parts have been labeled with like reference numerals in accordance with the description associated with fig. 1. The fan pack 110 is secured to the chassis 102 using locking elements 702a,702 b. The locking elements 702a,702b engage the members 701a,701b of the fan set 110. The members 701a,701b have concave flat tops 704a,704 b.

Fig. 7B illustrates a perspective view of a member 701a engaging a locking element 702a, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The locking element 702a is attached to the inner surface 102a of the chassis 102, for example, the locking element 702a is attached to the inner surface 102a of the chassis 102 using one or more screw holes 706 a. The concave flat top 704a of the member 701a is surrounded by an edge, so that it is simple to grasp the member 701a to disengage from the locking element 702 a. Member 701a includes a vertical loop 708a for receiving tab 710a of locking element 702 a. The vertical ring 708a is orthogonal to the concave flat top 704 a. When the vertical ring 708a receives the tab 710a, the fan pack 110 is secured to the locking member 702 a. The tab 710a includes a meandering surface, a lower portion 710-1a of the meandering surface transitioning to an upper portion 710-2a of the meandering surface. The height of the upper portion 710-2a relative to the thickness of the vertical ring 708a may prevent the member 701a from slipping when the vertical ring 708a receives the tab 710 a.

Similar to fig. 7B, fig. 7C depicts a perspective view of a member 701B engaging a locking element 702B, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Locking element 702B is a mirror image of locking element 702a (FIG. 7B). Locking element 702B includes tab 710B, similar to tab 710a (fig. 7B), tab 710B having a tortuous surface with a lower portion 710-1B and an upper portion 710-2B. Tab 710B engages vertical loop 708B of member 701B in a manner similar to the engagement of tab 710a (fig. 7B) and vertical loop 708a (fig. 7B) described above. Locking element 702b is attached to inner surface 102b of chassis 102 using screw holes 706 b. The inner surface 102B is opposite the inner surface 102a (fig. 7B).

FIG. 8 illustrates installing a fan set 110 in a computing system 100, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The fan pack 110 may include one or more guides (guides) that engage the locking elements 702a,702 b. On the first side, the one or more guides include a first set of guides 802a and a second set of guides 804 a. Fig. 8 illustrates two guides in the first guide set 802a and one guide in the second guide set 804 a. Similarly, on the second side (not shown), the one or more guides include a third guide set (not shown) similar to the first guide set 802a and a fourth guide set 804b similar to the second guide set 804 a. As shown in fig. 8, one or more guides align with a plurality of grooves (grooves) on the locking elements 702a,702 b. For example, the grooves 806,808 of the locking element 702b fit to receive the fourth conductor set 804b and a third conductor set (not shown).

To move fan set 110 from computing system 100, members 701a,701b are rotated to the positions shown in FIG. 8. Member 701a rotates about axis 811. Removing fan pack 110 exposes fan board 810 with connector 812 to engage fan pack 110. Fan board 810 may be connected to motherboard 104 (fig. 3A) to facilitate signal and power communication between fan set 110 and motherboard 104 (fig. 3A). Mounting fan pack 110 to fan plate 810 includes positioning fan pack 110 such that one or more guides of fan pack 110 align with one or more slots. Next, the members 701a,701B are rotated so that the members 701a,701B receive the tabs 710a,710B, as shown in fig. 7B and 7C.

FIG. 9A illustrates steps for reconfiguring the fan plate 810 and locking elements 702a,702b when the computing system of FIG. 1 is transitioned from a first configuration to a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Locking element 702a and locking element 702b are interchanged. Fan plate 810 is rotated 180 degrees in a counterclockwise direction 910. Fig. 9B illustrates positioning of fan plate 810, power connection plate 306, and locking elements 702a,702B in a second configuration, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the second configuration, the power connection board 306 facilitates connection of the power supply unit 112 to the motherboard 104.

As used in this application, the terms "part," "module," "system" or the like are generally intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware (e.g., circuitry), a combination of hardware and software, or software in connection with an operating machine that has one or more specific functions. For example, a part may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor (e.g., a digital signal processor), a processor, an object, an executable, a thread, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both the application software executing on the controller and the controller can be parts. One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. Furthermore, a "device" may be of the form: a specially designed hardware form; general hardware specialized by software executed thereon to cause the hardware to perform a specific function; software stored on a computer readable medium; or a combination thereof.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the utility model. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, the words "include," including, "" have, "" having, "or variations thereof used in the embodiments and/or the claims are to be understood as being somewhat similar to the words" comprise.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Moreover, words such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Although the utility model has been illustrated and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In addition, while a particular feature of the utility model may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the utility model should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (10)

1. A computing device having reconfigurable front-to-back access, comprising:

a case having a first end and a second end;

a main board coupled to the case;

a power supply unit including one or more fans and coupled to the second end of the chassis, the power supply unit being mounted to be movable to the first end of the chassis; and

and the fan set is coupled to the chassis and is assembled to be rotatable so that the airflow direction of the fan set is matched with the airflow direction of the power supply unit.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of bracket assemblies coupled to the first end of the case, the bracket assemblies configured to mount the computing device to a rack structure, the bracket assemblies movable from the first end of the case to the second end of the case.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of rack assemblies comprise a plurality of peripheral communication ports.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication ports of the chassis are located at a rear end of the computing device when the power supply unit is located at the second end of the chassis, and the plurality of communication ports of the chassis are located at a front end of the computing device when the power supply unit is located at the first end of the chassis.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the communication ports are provided on the motherboard.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein an adapter card is mounted on the motherboard such that at least one of the communication ports is provided on the adapter card.

7. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power connection board, when the power supply unit moves to the first end of the case, the power connection board facilitates the power transmission from the power supply unit.

8. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of mirror image locking elements assembled to secure the fan pack to the chassis.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein each of the locking elements comprises a tab configured to engage a ring of a respective component of the fan set.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the tab comprises a tortuous surface having a lower portion and an upper portion, the lower portion positioning the tab in the loop and the upper portion preventing the loop from disengaging from the tab.

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