TWI468099B - A cooling fan system with redundancy - Google Patents

Description

Cooling fan system with backup function

The present invention relates to a cooling fan system, and more particularly to a cooling fan system that is coupled to a motherboard to dissipate heat generated by electronic components and electronic devices on the motherboard.

For example, a motherboard such as a main board or a Mother Board is provided with a plurality of electronic components such as a central processing unit or a graphics card, and electrical circuits for electrically connecting the electronic components (Conductive Circuits). The electronic components generate heat when they are applied. If the generated heat is not removed from the electronic product mounted on the circuit board, the electronic components may fail due to overheating, and in severe cases, the circuit board or the electronic device may be caused. Product damage; this kind of problem is more important in electronic products with increasing functional requirements and faster processing speed. The increase in function and processing speed means that the electronic components or electronic devices integrated on the circuit board must be more or higher, more The higher the amount of heat generated by higher-order electronic components or electronic devices. Therefore, the heat generated by the circuit board is effectively dissipated into a necessary design.

One of the general methods of heat dissipation used in the industry is to add a heat dissipating fan on the motherboard or the motherboard to dissipate heat generated by electronic components and/or electronic devices. Such a cooling fan has been found in, for example, 6,799,282, 7,215,548. U.S. Patent Nos. 7,286,357 and 7,568,517.

For example, the conventional cooling fan shown in FIG. 4 is mounted on a predetermined position of the circuit board, and is mainly composed of a housing 41, a fan wheel 42, and a printed circuit board 43. The housing 41 has a base 410, a shaft sleeve 411, and a stator assembly 412 disposed on the shaft sleeve 411. The fan wheel 42 has a hub 421 and a plurality of blades 422 disposed outside the hub 421. To the hub 421, a shaft 423 disposed in the shaft sleeve 411 and a magnet 424 disposed on the inner side of the hub 421; and the printed circuit board 43 is provided with at least one control wafer 430 and a plurality of passive components 432 The printed circuit board 43 is disposed on the base 410 of the housing 41 to control the rotation of the fan wheel 42 by the control wafer 430 to drive the airflow by the rotation of the fan wheel 42.

The control wafer 430 used in the conventional heat-dissipating fan shown in FIG. 4 is a heat source, and if the generated heat cannot be dissipated, it will cause its own overheating to fail. Once the control wafer 430 fails, the fan cannot be activated. The wheel 42; in this way, the heat generated by the electronic components on the motherboard of the electronic product is not effectively dissipated, thereby causing the electronic product to crash and even be damaged. The control wafer 430 is located in the gap between the base 410 of the housing 41 and the hub 421 of the fan wheel 42. The narrowness of the gap often prevents the heat generated by the control wafer 430 from being effectively removed, resulting in overheating. The damage of the wafer 430 is controlled. A cooling fan is one of the relatively inexpensive components of an electronic product. If it is not operational, it will damage the motherboard of the core component of the electronic product, so its importance is not measurable from its price.

At the same time, since the control chip 430 and other electronic components are located in the cooling fan, which are damaged or damaged, it is often difficult to disassemble, and the repair or replacement method is not used, and the entire cooling fan or the printed circuit board is discarded, resulting in resources. waste.

In addition, the arrangement of the control wafer 430 affects the gap between the hub 421 of the fan wheel 42 and the base 410 of the housing 41. The height of the gap must be increased by controlling the thickness of the wafer 430. The overall height is reduced. Moreover, the setting of the control chip 430 increases the area required for the printed circuit board 43. The increase of the area of the printed circuit board 43 does not increase the cross-sectional area of the conventional cooling fan, and the area of the blade 422 needs to be reduced. However, the reduction of the area of the blade 422 will affect the output of the air volume, and if the output of the air volume is insufficient, it will affect the desired heat dissipation effect.

In order to solve the above problems, U.S. Patent No. 7,345,884 proposes an improved cooling fan. As shown in Fig. 5, the structure of the heat dissipating fan of U.S. Patent No. 7,345,884 is substantially the same as that of the prior art, except that the printed circuit board 53 is formed with an outwardly extending extension 533 for the control wafer 530. The gap is formed outside or partially outside the gap between the base 510 of the housing 51 and the hub 521 of the fan wheel 52, so that the airflow driven by the fan wheel 52 can be generated by the control wafer 530. The heat is removed.

However, the formation of the outwardly extending extension portion 533 of the printed circuit board 53 causes the airflow driven by the fan wheel 52 to be disturbed during the rotation, and the airflow is disturbed to generate noise, thereby affecting the installation of a cooling fan. The quality of use of electronic products. At the same time, since the extending portion 533 extends outwardly, a predetermined interval between the blade 522 and the control wafer 530 is required, which is not conducive to the reduction of the overall height of the conventional cooling fan, and cannot satisfy the thinning of the electronic product. demand. Moreover, the control chip 530 and other electronic components are still located in the cooling fan. When damaged or damaged, it is often difficult to repair due to disassembly, and the entire fan is usually discarded, resulting in waste of resources.

Moreover, the conventionally disclosed cooling fan still needs to place the printed circuit board between the hub of the fan wheel and the base of the housing, so that the thickness of the printed circuit board still affects the overall height of the cooling fan, and cannot be further thinned. Cooling fan.

On the other hand, the conventional cooling fan has the disadvantages of being thinner in composition and difficult to maintain, and lacks a mechanism for backup operation. In other words, the probability of failure or failure of the control chip and the plurality of passive components disposed on the printed circuit board is relatively high compared to the fan body composed of the housing and the fan wheel. Once the wafers and components fail or fail, and the failure or failure cannot be detected in time and the repair is effectively eliminated, resulting in the failure of the cooling fan to operate, the motherboard of the core component of the electronic product is damaged. It even damages the entire electronic product, causing irreparable damage.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a cooling fan system with a backup function, a plurality of fan control modules to provide a backup mechanism for the fan control module, and can conveniently repair or replace electronic components without being in the electronic When the component is damaged or damaged, the fan unit in the entire cooling fan system is replaced, so that the heat generated by the electronic component can be effectively dissipated without damage from overheating, and the overall thickness of the fan unit can be effectively reduced, so that the fan unit can be The blade area is not limited and does not disturb the airflow to create noise.

The cooling fan system with the backup function provided by the present invention includes a fan unit for being coupled to the motherboard and electrically connected to the motherboard; at least two fan control modules are integrated on the motherboard Electrically connected to the fan unit for controlling the operation of the fan unit; and a monitoring module electrically connected to the fan control modules for monitoring the operation of the fan control modules and for monitoring one of the fans When the fan control module fails, another fan control module is enabled to enable the other fan control module to control the normal operation of the fan unit.

The fan unit of the cooling fan system of the present invention can be combined with the motherboard in any conventional manner, for example, embedded, screwed, welded or clamped, and the combination of the fan unit and the motherboard is a stackable combination. Or a non-removable combination, when the fan unit is broken or damaged, it can be replaced.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the motherboard includes at least one basic input/output system, and the monitoring module is built in the basic input/output system.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the motherboard includes at least one basic input/output system, and the monitoring module is independent of and electrically connected to the basic input/output system.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the at least two fan control modules are integrated in an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit has the same number of channels as the fan control module, and each fan control module is respectively Corresponding to the different channels, and electrically connected to the monitoring module through the corresponding channel.

The fan unit includes a hub having a hub, a magnet disposed on an inner surface of the hub, and a plurality of blades disposed outside the hub, a housing having a base for the fan shaft, and a base disposed on the housing There is no printed circuit board of the fan control module, and a stator set such as a coil is disposed on the printed circuit board. The fan unit also has other types of fan modules, and is not limited to the above structure. The difference is that the printed circuit board is not provided with a fan control module, and the required fan control module is integrated into the combination. The fan unit is on the motherboard. At the same time, the printed circuit board has an outwardly extending conductive connecting component for electrically connecting to the motherboard and the fan control module disposed on the motherboard, and the control chip in the fan control module passes through the The electrically conductive connection element transmits a control signal to the set of stators to control operation of the fan unit.

Since the plurality of fan control modules including the control chip and the passive component are disposed on the motherboard, if one of the fan control modules fails or fails, the fan control module can be used for backup operation to avoid the fan. When the unit fails to operate normally due to failure or failure of the single fan control module, the motherboard or the electronic components/devices thereon, or even the electronic products having the motherboard, are damaged. In addition, due to the structural characteristics of the fan unit and the fan control system of the present invention, it is not necessary to replace the entire group of cooling fans as well, and can be easily repaired or replaced on the motherboard, so that the repairability can be better. The maintenance cost is reduced; and when the fan unit is in normal operation, the heat generated by the electronic components of the control chip can be effectively dissipated without causing damage due to overheating. Moreover, the electronic component such as the control chip is disposed on the motherboard, and does not interfere with the blade area of the fan wheel, so that the blade area of the fan wheel has a larger extension margin in a certain space range, thereby increasing the air volume. Output. At the same time, if the electronic components of the control chip and the passive component are not required to be disposed between the base of the housing and the hub of the fan wheel, the height of the gap between the base and the hub can be reduced, and the overall thickness of the fan unit can be reduced. Can meet the needs of thinning electronic products. Moreover, the control chip is disposed at a predetermined position on the motherboard, and does not interfere with the airflow generated by the fan unit in the operating state, so there is no problem of noise or vibration.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fan unit in the cooling fan system is also free from the use of the printed circuit board, and the stator set is directly placed on the base of the housing, and the stator set is connected as a row. a conductive connecting component of the wire, such that the stator set is electrically connected to the electronic component integrated on the motherboard via the conductive connecting component, and the control signal sent by the control chip in the electronic component is transmitted to the stator set to be driven The rotation of the fan unit. In this way, the structure of the fan unit can be simplified, and the overall height of the fan unit can be further reduced, which meets the requirements for thinning of the electronic product, and can improve the repairability of the cooling fan system of the present invention and avoid waste of resources.

The technical contents and embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below by way of specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can readily understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosure of the present disclosure. The present invention may be embodied or applied in various other specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is to be understood that the structure, the proportions, the size, and the like of the present invention are intended to be used in conjunction with the disclosure of the specification, and are not intended to limit the invention. The conditions are limited, so it is not technically meaningful. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size should remain in this book without affecting the effects and the objectives that can be achieved by the present invention. The technical content disclosed in the invention can be covered. In the meantime, the terms "upper, lower", "inside, outside", "before, after" and "one" are used in this specification for convenience of description only, and are not intended to limit the invention. The scope of the invention, the change or adjustment of its relative relationship, is also considered to be within the scope of the invention.

First specific embodiment:

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the present invention is coupled to a perspective view of a motherboard. The cooling fan system having the backup function includes two fan control modules 11a, 11b integrated into a motherboard 10 and electrically connected to the motherboard 10, and combined with the motherboard 10 and the two The fan unit 12 and the monitoring module 13 electrically connected to the fan control modules 11a and 11b are electrically connected to the two fan control modules 11a and 11b for monitoring the two fan control modules 11a and 11b. Operational status.

The motherboard 10 has at least one basic input/output system (BIOS) 100, and the motherboard 10 can be any conventional circuit board, such as a printed circuit board or a mother board. In addition to the BIOS 100, it can be equipped with other electronic components or electronic devices, such as a central processing unit, a graphics chip, a south bridge chip, a north bridge chip, a passive component such as a resistor or a capacitor, etc., since it can be applied to a conventional person, This is not a separate statement.

The fan control module 11a can include a control chip 110a and a passive component 111a such as a resistor and a capacitor. The fan control module 11b can include a control chip 110b and a passive component 111b such as a resistor and a capacitor. The control wafers 110a, 110b are used to transmit control signals to the fan unit 12 to control the operation of the fan unit 12.

The monitoring module 13 can be built into the BIOS 100 in a software or firmware configuration for monitoring the operational status of the two fan control modules 11a, 11b. In this embodiment, the fan control module 11a is preset to control the main fan control module of the fan unit 12, and the fan control module 11b is a backup fan control module for controlling the fan unit 12. That is, when the motherboard 10 of the cooling fan system having the backup function of the present invention is operated, the fan control module 11a is controlled to control the operation of the fan unit 12, and when the fan control module 11a is in a failure or malfunction, etc. When the fan unit 12 cannot be normally controlled due to disabling, the fan control module 11b is replaced by the fan control module 11a to control the operation of the fan unit 12.

Furthermore, when the motherboard 10 starts to operate, the monitoring module 13 monitors whether the fan control module 11a normally controls the operation of the fan unit 12. The monitoring method of the monitoring module 13 can be, for example, continuously receiving the power signal sent by the fan control module 11a. Once the power signal is interrupted, the monitoring module 13 can determine that the fan control module 11a is in a failure state such as failure or failure. Then, the monitoring module 13 transmits the driving signal to drive the fan control module 11b to enable it, thereby replacing the fan control module 11a to control the operation of the fan unit 12.

It should be noted that in other implementations, the monitoring module 13 may be integrated into the motherboard 10 and integrated with the motherboard 10 by means of an integrated circuit type independent of the BIOS 100. The line or cable is electrically connected to the BIOS 100 and the fan control modules 11a and 11b for monitoring, driving, and the like. The monitoring module 13 may not be coupled to the motherboard 10. For example, if the motherboard 10 is applied to a personal computer host or a server, the monitoring module 13 can also be disposed on the chassis of the personal computer or the server or in the power supply, and through the cable, etc. The method is electrically connected to the BIOS 100 and the fan control modules 11a and 11b for transmitting signals such as monitoring and driving.

Furthermore, in other implementations, the number of fan control modules may exceed two, for example three or four, but not limited thereto, thereby further ensuring that the fan unit can accept the fan control module normally. Control, not because the current fan control module fails or fails, causing the fan unit to fail to operate properly.

The fan unit 12 includes a housing 120, a printed circuit board 121, and a fan wheel 122. The housing 120 has a base 120a, a shaft sleeve 120b formed on the base 120a, and a stator assembly 120c annularly disposed outside the shaft sleeve 120b. The printed circuit board 121 is disposed on the base 120a for the stator set 120c to be disposed thereon. The printed circuit board 121 is connected to the conductive connecting component 121a, such as a wire, to extend outwardly to be electrically connected to the motherboard 10. The electrical circuit is electrically connected to the control chip 110a and the passive component respectively in a parallel configuration. a fan control module 11a of 111a and the like, and a fan control module 11b of the control chip 110b and the passive component 111b, wherein the control chip 110a, 110b transmits a control signal to the stator of the printed circuit board 121 via the conductive connection component 121a. Group 120c controls the operation of the fan unit 12.

The fan wheel 122 includes a hub 122a, a magnet 122b disposed on the inner side of the hub 122a, a plurality of blades 122c disposed on the outer side of the hub 122a, and a shaft post 122d axially coupled to the hub 122a; The 122d shaft is coupled to the shaft sleeve 120b, and the fan wheel 122 is freely rotatable relative to the housing 120 by the shaft 122d being the shaft. The magnet 122b is magnetically repulsive with the magnetic field generated by the stator assembly 120c to drive the rotation of the fan wheel 122. Since the driving principle of the fan wheel 122 is the same as that of the conventional one, it will not be further described herein.

It can be seen from the above that the cooling fan system with the backup function disclosed in the present invention mainly relates to a fan control module that combines and integrates a fan unit and a fan control module that controls the fan unit to a motherboard to control the operation of the fan unit. The group is integrated on the motherboard, not in the structure of the fan unit, and has at least one additional redundant fan control module to effectively solve the problems in the operation and design of the conventional fan module.

Firstly, the cooling fan system with the backup function of the present invention integrates the fan control modules 11a, 11b for controlling the fan unit 12 on the motherboard 10, such as the fan control module 11a for controlling the wafers 110a, 110b, 11b can be conveniently repaired or replaced on the motherboard 10, so that the cooling fan system of the present invention has good repairability and can effectively reduce maintenance costs. And through the monitoring module 13, when one of the fan control modules is monitored to be in a failure or failure, the other fan control module can be driven in time to replace the failed or failed fan control module. Normally control the operation of the fan unit. Moreover, the fan control modules 11a, 11b, such as the control chips 110a, 110b, are not located in the gap between the hub 122a and the base 120a, and the heat generated by the control is effectively dissipated without the prior art control chip. The problem that the heat generated by the control wafer cannot be effectively removed and is damaged by overheating between the hub and the base occurs.

Moreover, the fan control modules 11a, 11b of the control chips 110a, 110b are integrated on the motherboard 10, so that the gap between the hub 122a and the base 120a is not affected by the fan control module 11a of the control wafers 110a, 110b, The influence of 11b can be further reduced, which is advantageous for the reduction of the overall height of the fan unit 12, and can meet the demand for the thinning of electronic products.

Moreover, the fan control modules 11a, 11b such as the control chips 110a, 110b are located on the motherboard 10, so that the area of the blades 122c can be effectively increased without being affected by the fan control modules 11a, 11b, and the area of the blades 122c If it can be increased, it will contribute to the improvement of air volume and heat dissipation efficiency.

In addition, the fan control modules 11a, 11b, such as the control chips 110a, 110b, are located outside the operating area of the fan unit 12, so as not to interfere with the airflow driven by the fan unit 12, so that no noise is generated or the fan unit is affected. 12 rotation stability.

Second specific embodiment:

As shown in Fig. 3, the second embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same as the first embodiment, so that only the fan unit at the difference is shown. As shown, the fan unit 22 of the second embodiment of the present invention is composed of a housing 220, a fan wheel 222, and a stator assembly 223. The stator assembly 223 is disposed on the outer side of the shaft sleeve 220b of the housing 220 and is disposed on the base 220a of the housing 220. The stator assembly 223 is connected to a conductive connecting member 223a such as a wire, and the conductive connecting member is connected. One end of the 223a is electrically connected to a motherboard (not shown), so that an electronic component (not shown) integrated on the motherboard, such as a control chip, transmits a signal to the stator group 223 via the conductive connecting component 223a to The rotation of the fan wheel 222 is driven. That is, the fan unit 22 of the second embodiment does not use a printed circuit board, so that the overall height of the fan unit 22 can be reduced to meet the demand for thinning of electronic products; meanwhile, the use of a printed circuit board can simplify the fan. The structure of the unit 22 has the effect of reducing cost, saving assembly time and process, and improving the repairability of the cooling fan system of the present invention.

Third specific embodiment:

The third embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same as the first and second embodiments. The difference is mainly that the two fan control modules 11a and 11b are integrated in an integrated circuit (not shown). In the specific embodiment, the integrated circuit has two channels, and the fan control modules 11a and 11b respectively correspond to different channels, and the corresponding channels are transmitted through the corresponding channels. Electrically connected to the monitoring module 13.

For example, the dual-channel integrated circuit can be configured to enable the fan control module 11a to operate when receiving a high-potential signal such as the monitoring module 13 or the BIOS 100; in contrast, when receiving, for example, monitoring When the module 13 or the BIOS 100 emits a low potential signal relative to the high potential signal, the fan control module 11b is enabled to operate. In other implementations, the corresponding fan control module can be driven to operate by different power signals.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and its effects, and are not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be as set forth in the scope of the claims described below.

10. . . motherboard

11a, 11b. . . Fan control module

12, 22. . . Fan unit

13. . . Monitoring module

41, 51. . . case

42. . . Fan wheel

43. . . A printed circuit board

52. . . Fan wheel

53. . . A printed circuit board

100. . . Basic input and output system (BIOS)

110a, 110b. . . Control chip

111a, 111b. . . Passive component

120, 220. . . case

120a, 220a. . . Base

120b, 220b. . . Shaft bushing

120c, 223. . . Stator group

121. . . A printed circuit board

121a, 223a. . . Conductive connecting element

122a. . . Wheel hub

122b. . . magnet

122c. . . blade

122d. . . Axis column

122, 222. . . Fan wheel

410. . . Base

411. . . Shaft bushing

412. . . Stator group

421. . . Wheel hub

422, 522. . . blade

423. . . Rotating shaft

424. . . magnet

430. . . Control chip

432. . . Passive component

510. . . Base

521. . . Wheel hub

530. . . Control chip

533. . . Extension

1 is a perspective view showing the heat dissipation fan system of the present invention coupled to a motherboard;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the fan unit of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a fan unit of a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional cooling fan;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a heat dissipating fan of U.S. Patent No. 7,345,884.

10. . . motherboard

11a, 11b. . . Fan control module

12. . . Fan unit

13. . . Monitoring module

100. . . Basic input and output system (BIOS)

110a, 110b. . . Control chip

111a, 111b. . . Passive component

Claims (16)

A cooling fan system having a backup function includes: a fan unit coupled to the motherboard and electrically connected to the motherboard; at least two fan control modules are integrated on the motherboard and coupled thereto The fan unit is electrically connected to control the operation of the fan unit; and the monitoring module is electrically connected to the fan control modules for monitoring the operation of the fan control modules and for monitoring one of the fan controls When the module fails, another fan control module is enabled to enable the other fan control module to control the normal operation of the fan unit. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the fan control module comprises at least a control chip and a passive component. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 2, wherein the control chip is configured to transmit a control signal to the fan unit to control operation of the fan unit. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the fan unit is coupled to the motherboard in a detachable manner. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the fan unit is coupled to the motherboard in a non-removable manner. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the fan unit comprises a housing, a printed circuit board disposed in the housing and having no electronic components thereon, and rotatably coupled to the housing The fan wheel in the body. A cooling fan system according to claim 6 of the patent scope, wherein the housing a shaft sleeve formed on the base, and a stator set disposed on the outer side of the shaft sleeve and disposed on the printed circuit board; the fan wheel has a hub, and a magnet disposed on the inner side of the hub a plurality of blades on the outer side of the hub, and a shaft column pivotally connected to the hub; and wherein the shaft column is rotatably coupled to the shaft sleeve so that the fan wheel can be oriented according to the shaft column Rotating relative to the housing. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 7, wherein the printed circuit board is multiplexed with a conductive connecting component for electrically connecting to the motherboard, and the fan control module is transmitted through the conductive connecting component. Signals to the stator set to control the rotation of the fan wheel. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the fan unit comprises a housing, a fan wheel rotatably disposed in the housing, and a stator assembly disposed in the body. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 9, wherein the housing has a base and a shaft sleeve formed on the base; the wheel has a hub, and a magnet disposed on the inner side of the hub is disposed outside the hub a plurality of blades, and a shaft column pivotally coupled to the hub; the stator assembly ring is disposed outside the shaft sleeve and disposed on the base; and wherein the shaft column is rotatably coupled to the shaft In the sleeve, the fan wheel can be freely rotated relative to the housing according to the shaft. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 10, wherein the stator assembly is multiplexed with a conductive connection component for electrically connecting to the motherboard, and the fan control module transmits a signal to the fan control module via the conductive connection component. The stator set controls the rotation of the fan wheel. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is coupled to the motherboard. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 12, wherein the monitoring module is a soft body or a firmware. The cooling fan system of claim 13, wherein the motherboard comprises at least a basic input/output system, and the monitoring module is built in the basic input/output system. The cooling fan system of claim 13 , wherein the motherboard comprises at least a basic input/output system, and the monitoring module is electrically connected to the basic input/output system and electrically connected to the basic input/output system. The heat dissipation fan system of claim 1, wherein the at least two fan control modules are integrated in an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit has the same number of channels as the fan control module, and each fan control The modules respectively correspond to different channels, and are electrically connected to the monitoring module through corresponding channels.