JP2003316475A - Fan for electronic device and computer device, fan housing part, and electronic device and computer device using them - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fan suitable for miniaturizing a housing and recognizing deterioration and aging of the fan easily in a non-contact state, and its housing structure. <P>SOLUTION: The fan for a computer device is provided to be visible from the outside of the housing of the electronic device and is colored to discriminate the number of revolutions on the basis of color. Blades have a plurality of colored parts and the number of revolutions can be judged by synchronization with the colored part. The fan housing part for the computer device is provided at the outside of the housing main body fixedly in order that the fan becomes visible from the outside of the fan housing part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fan for an electronic device / computer, a fan housing, and an electronic device / computer using the fan.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional personal computer, heat of a CPU, which is a heat generating component, is radiated from a keyboard via a heat conductor, and heat generated by the CPU is radiated from a housing via the heat conductor. Alternatively, a cooling fan is attached to the upper surface of the CPU to radiate heat. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-250660 "Computer Cooling Device" proposes a computer cooling device that reduces the mounting space and noise. The heat of a heat-generating component such as a central processing unit is transferred to a heat sink provided downstream of the power supply fan by a heat pipe to be released, and then released by the wind from the power supply fan to the outside of the computer. Conventionally, there are roughly three types of fans used inside a computer. They are a fan used inside the power supply, a fan that cools the CPU, and a fan that is additionally installed in the housing.

[0003]

In recent years, there have been remarkable advances in the performance and miniaturization of notebook personal computers.
Along with the higher performance, the speed of the CPU and the capacity of the auxiliary storage device are increasing, and the heat generation is increasing. Under these circumstances, it can be said that the fan failure rate determines the computer failure rate. However, there is no way to easily know the deterioration and aging of the fan in a non-contact manner. If you do not notice deterioration, aging, or failure of the fan, it may cause the computer to stop or malfunction due to high heat, which not only causes hardware failure,
It may cause a serious accident such as loss of data. In order to know the aging and deterioration of the fan, if you can know the rotation speed, you should know that the rotation speed has dropped and it is better to inspect and replace it. However, it is not possible for the user to easily know such a rotation speed, and it is not possible for the user of the computer manufacturer or system administrator to easily know it without checking and repairing it. How to do so far was unknown.

Further, conventionally, in a computer, the heat generated inside is forcibly exhausted to the outside of the housing by a fan or the like, or the entire housing is wasted. As a result, the housing tends to be large. If this point could be improved, the computer could be made smaller. A conventional technique for solving this problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-14.
8308 "Computer Cooling Device" proposes a technique for realizing a cooling structure without mounting a cooling fan inside a portable, small and thin computer while maintaining the appearance of a conventional computer. The cooling device that was conventionally mounted inside the computer housing is mounted inside the detachable storage battery housing, and the cooling air from the cooling fan is supplied to the inside and outside of the computer housing for efficient cooling. It is something to do. However, in this technology, by providing a fan inside the storage battery, the wind is only sent into the computer casing, and the CPU is required to be cooled, because the wind is supplied, that is, the air is stirred. The conventional advantage of providing a fan adjacent to the above is lost, and the problem cannot be solved by making the housing small. Of course, it is impossible to know the deterioration and aging of the fan with this technology, because no specific proposal has been made.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to solve the various problems described above and to provide a fan and a housing structure for the fan that allows the deterioration and aging of the fan to be easily detected without contact. In order to know the aging and deterioration of the fan, it is possible to know the number of rotations from the outside, so that it is possible to know the timing of inspection, repair, replacement, etc. early and appropriately, and the computer stops due to high heat. It may cause a malfunction or malfunction, which is intended to prevent a serious accident such as hardware failure or data loss. Further, in the present invention, while attaining the above-mentioned object, further, when the heat is wasted by a fan and is cooled, the size of the housing is prevented from becoming large,
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fan housing that can make the computer smaller.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the invention described in claim 1, the electronic equipment is provided, the wings are colored, and it is visible from the outside of the housing of the electronic equipment. It is a fan for electronic equipment, which is characterized in that it is provided as described above.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a second aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 1, in the invention according to claim 1, the fan is a fan for electronic equipment, characterized in that the color attached to the wing includes a color emitted by an LED lamp or other light rays. I am trying.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a third aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention described in claim 1, in the invention according to claim 1 or 2, the electronic device is a computer device including an input unit, a control unit, a display unit, an output unit, a storage unit, and the like, and a housing of the electronic device. It is a fan for a computer device, which is provided so as to be visible from the outside.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a fourth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 3, in the invention according to claim 3, the fan is any one of a power supply air cooling fan provided inside the power supply, a CPU air cooling fan, and an additional fan additionally provided inside the housing. Is characterized by
It is characterized by being a fan for computer devices.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, a fifth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention described in claim 1, in the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, it is a fan for a computer device, characterized in that the number of revolutions is colored so as to be distinguishable by color. There is.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a sixth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention according to claim 5, in the invention according to claim 5, the color discrimination based on the number of rotations can be performed by synchronizing the number of rotations and a colored portion of the attached color. It is characterized by being a fan of.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a seventh aspect is provided.
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 6, the wing is provided with a colored portion of a plurality of colors, and can be discriminated by synchronization between the number of revolutions and the colored portion of the attached color. It is a fan for a computer device.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is characterized in that
In the invention according to claim 1, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a fan housing portion for mounting a fan is provided outside the housing main body and fixed to the housing. It is characterized by being a fan of.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a ninth aspect is provided.
In the invention described in (1), a fan housing portion for installing a fan is provided outside the housing body, and is fixed to the housing, and the fan is cooled by air cooling, water cooling, gas, or liquid. It is characterized by being a fan storage unit for a computer device.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the invention described in 0, the fan housing portion is provided with a fan, and is provided outside the housing body so as to be fixed to the housing so that the fan is visible from the outside of the fan housing portion. And a fan storage unit for a computer device.

[0016] Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect is provided.
The invention according to claim 1 is the fan for a computer device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the fan housing portion is detachably provided to the housing body. I am trying.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is provided.
The invention according to claim 2 is a computer device characterized in that the fan according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the fan storage part according to any one of claims 9 to 11 is provided. Is characterized by.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) A first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it is provided in an electronic device, its wings are colored, and it is provided so as to be visible from the outside of the housing of the electronic device. To do
It is a fan for electronic devices. The electronic equipment typically includes input means, control means, display means, output means,
The computer device includes a storage device and the like, and a server device. In addition, external storage devices, other peripheral devices,
It includes copiers, communication devices, various electronic control devices, and other electronic devices. In the present specification, a computer terminal such as a personal computer, a workstation, or a server device is mainly described, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be used for various devices.

The computer device is provided with a control means, a storage means, an input means, an output means, a display means, etc., and has a tower type casing, a desktop type, a notebook type computer, and various sizes. Some have a shaped housing. In addition, there are fans installed in computer devices having various sizes and shapes, and a plurality of fans may be installed in one device. A main electric circuit is housed in the housing, and a heating element, in particular, needs to be cooled by a fan, and a CPU of a personal computer or the like corresponds to this. The CPU is provided in the vicinity of the cooling fan, and a board and other electronic components are mounted in the housing.

Since the present invention is characterized by the structure of the fan and the structure of the fan housing portion for housing the fan,
It does not depend on factors such as the number of fans mounted on the computer device, the position in the housing to be housed, the direction of the mounted fans, and the like, and includes various forms. For example, a mode in which the heat generated in the CPU is transmitted to the heat conduction plate, cooled by the cooling fan, and discharged from the side slits to the outside of the housing,
An example is a mode in which unheated air flowing in the lower part of the housing is taken in by providing an opening for intake in the lower part of the cooling fan. As long as it is possible to provide openings for ventilation in the upper and lower sides, an axial flow type cooling fan is used, or a mode in which the fan is provided at a position facing the side surface is one example. It is possible to position the fan in any position and orientation, and the present invention does not depend on these elements and includes various forms.

1 and 2, the fan is shown in the upper (lower,
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of the external view such as a side surface). In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indicates a colored portion. Further, reference numeral 4 indicates a portion which emits a color by a light ray such as an LED described later.
3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing a simplified example of the cross-section of the housing provided with the fan. Reference numeral 2 indicates a housing body.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, any portion of the fan may be colored in any portion, and the colored portion may be the entire wing or a portion thereof. Good. The method of coloring may be coloring by coating the surface, but a method of attaching a colored sheet-shaped member,
Other coloring methods may be used. Further, the color given to the wing may be a color emitted by a light beam such as an LED lamp, and in FIG. 1 and FIG.
It shows with. In the figure, as shown by reference numerals 1 and 4, here is shown an example of a mode in which coloring by coating or another method and coloring by light from an LED lamp or the like are used in combination, but this is only an example. However, either of them may be independent.

As described above, the fan of the present invention can be applied to various electronic devices. In a typical embodiment, the fan is particularly required to be cooled, and the fan is damaged due to wear due to heat generation. This is an example of an application mode in which it is desirable that the electronic device or the computer apparatus is easily received. The fan is often found to be either a power supply air cooling fan provided inside the power supply, a CPU air cooling fan, or an additional fan additionally provided inside the housing.

In a device such as a computer device, the fan of the present invention is provided so as to be visible from the outside of the housing of the electronic device. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the upper surface of the housing in which the fan 1 is provided is made of a transparent material and is visible from the outside of the housing. FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which a slit-shaped or small-hole-shaped opening is provided on the upper surface of the housing in which the fan 1 is provided, and the housing 1 is visible from the outside of the housing. In addition, various methods and structures for making the state visible can be adopted.

Although the wings of the fan are colored, the color may be one color or a method of separately painting two or more colors. By coloring the wings, it looks beautiful. In addition, since it is visible from the outside of the housing, the color can be seen as dull, so that the contamination of the fan can be known.

A particularly advantageous and characteristic feature of the present invention is that the number of revolutions is colored so that it can be discriminated by color. As an example of a desirable mode, the color discrimination based on the number of rotations is made possible by synchronizing the number of rotations with the colored portion of the attached color, and the appearance of the color changes by rotating. . Further, as shown in an example in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is preferable that the wing is provided with colored portions of a plurality of colors, and the number of revolutions and the colored portions of the attached colors can be distinguished from each other. In FIG. 2, a plurality of colors a, b, c, d are colored, and the colored portions are colored so that the widths and areas thereof are different. For example, a is red, b is green, c is blue, and d is yellow. Red is 3200 rpm, green is 2000 rpm, blue is 1200 rpm, and yellow is around 800 rpm. If the colors are made clear and clear, the rotation speed and the color are synchronized, and the rough rotation speed can be determined by the color clearly visible at that time. The number of rotations to be synchronized is determined by the width and area of the color to be colored. Moreover, the shape of the colored portion is also an example, and can be variously changed. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, even when using a color generated by light from an LED or the like, the appearance of the color to be issued differs depending on the speed at which the rotating body such as the fan blades rotates. It is also possible to determine the number of rotations of the. The color allows the speed of the rotating body to be easily determined without using a special device.
The deterioration and aging of the rotating body can be visually determined without contact. As a result, it is possible to prevent a failure and replace it at an early stage. Abnormality of the fan can be known from the outside by the rotation color of the fan.

(Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a fan accommodating portion for providing a fan is provided outside the main body of the housing and fixed to the housing. It is a fan for the device. FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a fan housing portion provided with a fan and a housing in which the fan housing portion is mounted. Reference numeral 3 indicates a fan storage portion. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a simplified overview of a fan housing portion provided with a fan and a housing in which the fan housing portion is mounted, as viewed from an obliquely upper direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fan housing portion includes a motherboard of the computer device, a CPU,
It is provided separately from the housing body that houses the hard disk and other components, and is provided as a housing portion that is mounted on the housing body. It is fixedly provided on the outside of the case body,
The fan can be a fan compartment for a computer device that cools with air, water, gas, or liquid.
The fan storage part can be detachably provided to the housing body, and if the fan storage part is configured as a detachable unit type fan storage part in this way, fan replacement, inspection, and upgrade can be easily performed.

Also in this case, the fan housing portion fixedly provided to the housing on the outside of the housing body is arranged so that the fan can be seen from the outside as described in the first embodiment. It is desirable to be provided. The deterioration and aging of the rotating body can be visually determined without contact. As a result, it is possible to prevent a failure and replace it at an early stage.
Moreover, if the fan compartment is a detachable unit, it will be convenient for replacement, inspection, and repair, and a replacement fan can be installed and used during the repair period.

(Third Embodiment) Next, in a third embodiment of the present invention, the fan according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the fan storage portion according to any one of claims 9 to 11 is provided. Is a computer device.
The computer device can include various types such as a notebook type, various portable types, desktop type, space-saving desktop type, tower type, etc., and a plurality of fans or fan storage units can be installed. .
It may be a detachable unit type. Further, the computer device includes a workstation, a server device, various large-sized computers, various electronic devices that operate under computer control, electronic information devices, communication devices, computer-controlled factory machines, computer-controlled medical devices, and computer-controlled mobile devices.・ Transportation equipment, computer-controlled household equipment, peripheral equipment for these computer devices, large-scale systems to which multiple computer devices are connected, such as data centers and various system control / management centers, telecommunications companies and Internet service providers Etc. Including a communication network base system and various other systems. The size of the fan or the fan storage unit also includes a large size when provided in these large-scale systems.

[0031]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fan and a housing structure for the fan, which allows deterioration and aging of the fan to be easily detected in a non-contact manner. In order to know the aging and deterioration of the fan, it is possible to check the rotation speed of the fan from the outside.
It enables you to know the timing of repairs and replacements as soon as possible, and it may cause the computer to stop or malfunction due to high heat, which may cause hardware failure or data loss. To prevent serious accidents.
Further, according to the present invention, while achieving the above object, a fan housing portion that can prevent the housing from becoming large and further reduce the size of the computer when the heat is wasted by the fan and cooled is provided. Can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a fan viewed from the outside such as a top visible.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a fan viewed from the outside such as a top visible.

FIG. 3 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of a housing provided with a fan.

FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing an example of a cross section of a housing provided with a fan.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a simplified cross section of a fan housing portion provided with a fan and a housing in which the fan housing portion is mounted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a simplified overview of a fan housing portion provided with a fan and a housing in which the fan housing portion is mounted, as viewed from an obliquely upper direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 colored part 2 Case body 3 fan storage 4 Coloring part such as LED

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. The electronic device is provided with colored wings,
A fan for an electronic device, which is provided so as to be visible from the outside of a housing of the electronic device. 2. The fan for electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the color applied to the wing includes a color emitted by an LED lamp or other light rays. 3. The invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic device is a computer device including input means, control means, display means, output means, storage means, and the like.
A fan for a computer device, which is provided so as to be visible from the outside of a housing of an electronic device. 4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein the fan is a power supply air cooling fan provided inside the power supply, and C.
A fan for a computer device, which is either a PU air cooling fan or an additional fan additionally provided in a housing. 5. A fan for a computer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of revolutions is colored so that the number of revolutions can be discriminated by color. 6. The fan for a computer device according to claim 5, wherein the color can be discriminated by the number of revolutions in synchronization with the number of revolutions and a colored portion of the attached color. . 7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein the wing is provided with colored portions of a plurality of colors, which can be discriminated by synchronizing the number of revolutions with the colored portions of the attached colors.
A fan for computer equipment. 8. The fan for a computer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a fan housing portion for mounting the fan is provided outside the housing body and fixed to the housing. . 9. A fan storage part for providing a fan, comprising:
A fan accommodating portion for a computer device, which is fixed to the housing outside the housing body and is cooled by air, water, gas, or liquid. 10. A fan accommodating portion for providing a fan, the fan accommodating portion being fixed to the casing outside the casing main body so that the fan can be seen from the outside of the fan accommodating portion. A fan compartment for computer equipment. 11. The fan for a computer device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the fan housing portion is provided so as to be detachable from the housing body. 12. A computer device comprising the fan according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the fan storage unit according to any one of claims 9 to 11.