TWI845311B - Chassis assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A chassis assembly includes a side wall, a top cover, and a fan case. The side wall has a plurality of first engagement structures. The top cover is removably attached to the side wall. The fan case includes a bottom panel, a side panel, and a plurality of second engagement structures. A side of the side panel is connected to the bottom panel. The side panel surrounds the bottom panel to accommodate a bare fan. The second engagement structures are connected to another side of the side panel. The second engagement structures are respectively engaged with the first engagement structures in a first direction. The second engagement structures and the first engagement structures have an engagement depth in the first direction. The top cover and the fan case facing each other in the first direction. The top cover and the fan case are separated by a distance. The engagement depth is greater than the distance.

Description

Case components

The present disclosure relates to a casing assembly, and more particularly to a casing assembly for a quick-detachable external fan.

Common external fans currently require multiple fixings, such as screws, to be locked. During assembly, the bare fan must first be screwed to the fan housing, and then the fan housing must be screwed to the housing.

However, the need for multiple screws for locking means that the assembly time is long. The bare fan is also a component that needs to be replaced regularly. When the bare fan is shipped, repaired, or needs to be replaced, the steps of disassembling and installing the fan housing and the screws on the bare fan are both cumbersome and time-consuming.

Therefore, how to propose an interface card fixing module and method that can solve the above problems is one of the problems that the industry is eager to invest research and development resources to solve.

In view of this, one purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a housing assembly that can solve the above-mentioned problem.

The present disclosure relates to a case assembly including a case side panel, a case top panel and a fan case. The case side panel has a plurality of first connecting structures. The case top panel is detachably attached to the case side panel. The fan case includes a bottom panel, a side panel and a plurality of second connecting structures. The bottom panel has a hole area. One side of the side panel is connected to the bottom panel. The side panel surrounds the bottom panel to accommodate a bare fan. The second connecting structure is connected to the other side of the side panel. The second connecting structure is connected to the first connecting structure respectively along a first direction. The second connecting structure and the first connecting structure have a connecting depth in the first direction. The case top panel and the fan case are opposite to each other in the first direction. The housing top plate is spaced a distance from the fan housing. The connection depth is greater than the distance.

In some implementations, the first connecting structure is a plurality of limiting holes, and the second connecting structure is a plurality of hooks.

In some embodiments, each hook member includes a guide arm and a fixed arm, wherein each guide arm is connected to a side plate of the fan housing, and each fixed arm is respectively connected to each guide arm.

In some embodiments, the fixed arm extends along a first direction.

In some embodiments, the guide arm extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

In some embodiments, the bottom plate of the fan housing has a plurality of positioning protrusions, and two of the positioning protrusions are located at opposite sides of the hole area on the bottom plate.

In some embodiments, the fan housing further includes a spring sheet, which includes an extension portion and a buckle portion, wherein the extension portion is connected to the bottom plate and extends away from the bottom plate, and the buckle portion is connected to the extension portion, and the bare fan is buckled onto the bottom plate by the spring sheet.

In some embodiments, the spring sheet is adjacent to the side plate, one portion of the buckle portion extends away from the side plate, and another portion of the buckle portion extends close to the side plate.

In some embodiments, the fan housing further includes two side baffles connected to the bottom plate and located at two opposite sides of the hole area to limit the position of the bare fan.

In summary, in the housing assembly disclosed herein, the hook member and the limiting hole can fix the fan housing to the housing side plate along the first direction, and further utilize the housing top plate to limit the fan housing in the first direction so that the fan housing will not fall off due to vibration or shaking. The fan housing disclosed herein can be locked to the housing side plate without the need for additional parts or tools, and can achieve the advantageous effect of rapid assembly and disassembly.

These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, but variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure.

The following disclosure will now be more fully described here through drawings and references, and some exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure can be implemented in different forms and should not be limited by the embodiments mentioned below. However, these embodiments are provided to help a more complete understanding of the content of the disclosure and fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals will refer to similar elements throughout the text.

An embodiment of assembling the bare fan 110 to the fan housing 400 will be described in detail below.

Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 at the same time. Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of the fan housing 400 disclosed in the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded diagram of the fan housing 400 and the bare fan 110 disclosed in the present invention. In the present embodiment, the fan housing 400 includes a base plate 450 and a side plate 460. The base plate 450 has a hole area 452. The hole area 452 is the area where air flows through the bare fan 110 when it rotates. The bare fan 110 is connected to the base plate 450. The side plate 460 surrounds the base plate 450 to form a storage space for accommodating the bare fan 110. One side of the side plate 460 is connected to the edge of the base plate 450. The other side of the side plate 460 is connected to the hook member 410.

Please refer to FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the fan housing 400 further includes a spring 430 and a side baffle 440. The spring 430 is a U-shaped three-section structure configured to engage the bare fan 110 to the bottom plate 450. In more detail, the spring 430 has three bent parts, one of which is connected to the bottom plate 450, one extends away from the bottom plate 450, and one extends parallel to and opposite to the bottom plate 450 to engage the bare fan 110. The side baffle 440 is connected to the bottom plate 450, and is configured to limit and contact the surface of the bare fan 110 away from the bottom plate 450. In more detail, the side baffle 440 has two bent parts, one of which is connected to the bottom plate 450, and the other extends away from the bottom plate 450 to limit the side of the bare fan 110. The side baffle 440 can more accurately align the bare fan 110 on the bottom plate 450 when the bare fan 110 is installed.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the spring sheet 430 has a protrusion 432, and the side baffle 440 has a protrusion 442. The bottom plate 450 has a through hole 454a corresponding to the protrusion 432. The bottom plate 450 has a through hole 454b corresponding to the protrusion 442. In other words, the engagement protrusion 432 and the through hole 454a can fix the spring sheet 430 on the bottom plate 450. The engagement protrusion 442 and the through hole 454b can fix the side baffle 440 on the bottom plate 450.

The number of the bumps 442 can be increased or decreased arbitrarily according to the size of the bare fan 110 and the size of the side baffle 440 to provide a more stable position. The present disclosure is not intended to limit the number of the bumps 442.

In some embodiments, the fan housing 400 can be made of metal (such as iron, copper or stainless steel), plastic or the like. The various components of the fan housing 400 can be made of different materials. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the bottom plate 450, the side plate 460 and the hook member 410 are made of iron, the side baffle 440 is made of plastic, and the spring 430 is made of stainless steel. The spring 430 must be pushed to deform in order to engage the bare fan 110. In other words, since the spring 430 will be pushed by multiple forces, stainless steel, which is elastic and not prone to rust, is the most suitable material.

In other embodiments, the fan housing 400 may be a single body structure. Specifically, since the fan housing 400 is an integrally formed single body structure, the spring 430 does not have the protrusion 432, the side baffle 440 does not have the protrusion 442, and the bottom plate 450 does not have the corresponding through hole 454a and through hole 454b.

Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a side view of the fan housing 400 of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the hook member 410 of the fan housing 400 includes a guide arm 412 and a fixed arm 414. The guide arm 412 is connected to the side panel 460 and extends away from the side panel 460. The fixed arm 414 is connected to the guide arm 412. In some embodiments, the fixed arm 414 extends and is parallel to the side panel 460. The fixed arm 414 is perpendicular to the guide arm 412.

Please refer to Figures 4 to 6 at the same time. Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of the bare fan 110 disclosed in the present invention. Figure 5 is a three-dimensional diagram of the fan housing 400 disclosed in the present invention from another angle. Figure 6 is a three-dimensional diagram of the bare fan 110 disclosed in the present invention installed in the fan housing 400. In the present embodiment, the bare fan 110 has a positioning hole 112. The bottom plate 450 has positioning protrusions 420 corresponding to the positioning holes 112. In a preferred embodiment, the number of the positioning protrusions 420 is plural and is located on opposite sides of the hole area 452. The positioning protrusions 420 are engaged with the positioning holes 112. The side baffles 440 are also located on opposite sides of the hole area 452. Accordingly, the bare fan 110 can be fixed on the bottom plate 450. In some preferred embodiments, the number of the positioning protrusions 420 and the positioning holes 112 is four, which can stably fix the four corners of the bare fan 110.

Please continue to refer to Figures 4 to 6. In some embodiments, the spring 430 includes an extension portion 434 and a buckle portion 436. The extension portion 434 extends from the bottom plate 450 in a direction away from the bottom plate 450. The buckle portion 436 is connected to the extension portion 434. The buckle portion 436 includes two parts 436a and 436b. Part 436a extends in a direction away from the side plate 460. Part 436b extends in a direction close to the side plate 460. Part 436a is configured to buckle the surface of the bare fan 110 on a side away from the positioning hole 112. Part 436b is configured for the user to apply force to pull it. The feature that the portion 436b extends toward the side plate 460 can make the spring sheet 430 easier to pull, especially when pulling two spring sheets 430 at the same time, the portion 436b can be easily pulled using the index finger and thumb.

The number of the springs 430 can be one or more. More springs 430 can more stably fix the bare fan 110. In a preferred embodiment, the number of the springs 430 is two. When the number of the springs 430 is two, the user can use one hand to pull the parts 436b of the two springs 430, and the other hand can take the bare fan 110 for installation.

The following will describe in detail an embodiment of fixing the fan housing 400 to the housing side panel 200. It should be noted that in the following description, the direction x, direction y and direction z are substantially perpendicular to each other. The direction x, direction y and direction z are only used to illustrate the relative directions of the components in the present disclosure.

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 7 at the same time. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the casing side panel 200 of the present disclosure. The casing side panel 200 includes a limiting hole 202 and a hollow portion 204. The limiting hole 202 corresponds to the hook member 410 of the fan casing 400. The plurality of limiting holes 202 are located on opposite sides of the hollow portion 204. In other words, correspondingly, the plurality of hook members 410 are located on opposite sides of the bottom plate 450 (please refer to FIG. 5).

Please refer to Figures 3, 7 and 8 at the same time. Figure 8 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the middle stage of the fan housing 400 of the present disclosure being assembled to the casing side panel 200. In this embodiment, the hook member 410 passes through the limiting hole 202 along the direction x. Then, the fan housing 400 moves along the direction y so that the hook member 410 is connected to the limiting hole 202. The relative position of the fan housing 400 and the casing side panel 200 is fixed by the connected hook member 410 and the limiting hole 202. After the fan housing 400 moves along the direction y, the guide arm 412 of the hook member 410 can contact the lower edge of the limiting hole 202. The casing side panel 200 is located between the fixed arm 414 and the side panel 460. In more detail, the guide arm 412 extends along the direction x. The fixed arm 414 extends along the direction y. The extension of the fixed arm 414 along the direction y can make the docking depth deeper. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the docking depth can be defined as the shortest distance between the end point of the fixed arm 414 away from the guide arm 412 and the limit hole 202 in the direction y. In other words, the docking depth is a variable value. If the fan casing 400 is moved in the opposite direction of the direction y, the end point of the fixed arm 414 away from the guide arm 412 will gradually approach the limit hole 202, thereby reducing the docking depth. Please refer to the following paragraph for a specific description of the docking depth.

However, if the fan housing 400 and the housing side plate 200 are assembled and connected only by using the hook member 410 and the limiting hole 202, the fan housing 400 is easy to fall off in the opposite direction of the direction y during transportation or collision.

Please refer to FIG. 3, FIG. 7, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 simultaneously. FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional view of the case assembly 100 of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the case assembly 100 of FIG. 9 along the section line 9-9. In this embodiment, a case assembly 100 is provided, which includes a case side panel 200, a case top panel 300 and a fan housing 400. The case top panel 300 is detachably covered on the case side panel 200. The case top panel 300 is configured to limit the case side panel 200 and the fan housing 400 connected to each other. In more detail, the housing top plate is limitedly connected to the housing side plate 200 and the fan housing 400 in the direction y. In the direction y, the housing top plate 300 is directly opposite to the fan housing 400. In the direction y, there is a distance D2 between the housing top plate 300 and the fan housing 400. In the direction y, the hook member 410 and the limiting hole 202 have a connection depth D1. In FIG. 10, it can be clearly observed that the connection depth D1 is the distance from the farthest end of the hook member 410 from the limiting hole 202 to the limiting hole 202 in the direction y, that is, the distance from the end of the fixed arm 414 to the limiting hole 202 in the direction y. In order to prevent the fan housing 400 from falling off in the opposite direction of direction y, the connection depth D1 is greater than the distance D2. In more detail, even if the fan housing 400 moves in the opposite direction of direction y, the distance D2 and the connection depth D1 will decrease at the same rate. Since the connection depth D1 is greater than the distance D2, the distance D2 will reach 0 earlier than the connection depth D1. In other words, before the hook member 410 completely separates from the limiting hole 202, the fan housing 400 will hit the housing top plate 300. Accordingly, by using the casing top plate 300 to limit the fan casing 400 and the casing side plate 200, the effects of fast assembly and disassembly can be achieved without using additional parts and tools.

In other embodiments, the housing top plate 300 and the housing side plate 200 are detachably connected to each other by sliding. More precisely, the housing top plate 300 can slide along the direction x and connect to the housing side plate 200.

In some embodiments, the limiting hole 202 and the hook member 410 can be referred to as a joint structure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the disclosed housing assembly can be used in a server, and the server can be used for artificial intelligence (AI) computing, edge computing, and can also be used as a 5G server, a cloud server, or a car networking server.

In summary, since the housing assembly disclosed herein includes hooks and limit holes that are configured to be connected to each other, and the housing top plate is used for limit, the advantageous effect of convenient and quick disassembly and assembly can be achieved. In addition, since the housing assembly disclosed herein includes springs, side baffles, and positioning bumps, the bare fan can be fixed to the fan housing without the use of additional tools or components, achieving the advantageous effect of convenient installation.

The foregoing description is only provided to illustrate and describe the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the precise form of the invention disclosed by the present disclosure. The above teachings may be modified or varied.

The embodiments selected and described are used to explain the content of the present disclosure and their practical applications to inspire other technical personnel in the field to utilize the present disclosure and various embodiments, and to make various modifications to meet the expected specific use. Alternative embodiments will be obvious to technical personnel in the field to which the present disclosure belongs without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is determined according to the scope of the attached invention application, rather than being limited by the above specification and the exemplary embodiments described therein.

100: Casing assembly 200: Casing side panel 202: Limiting hole 204: Hollow part 300: Casing top panel 110: Bare fan 112: Positioning hole 400: Fan housing 410: Hook 412: Guide arm 414: Fixed arm 420: Positioning bump 430: Spring 434: Extension part 436: Buckle part 436a, 436b: Location 440: Side baffle 432, 442: Bump 450: Bottom plate 452: Hole area 454a, 454b: Perforation 460: Side panel x, y, z: Direction D1: Joint depth D2: Distance 9-9: Section line

The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the written description to explain the principles of the present disclosure. In all drawings, the same drawing marks are used to refer to similar or identical elements of the embodiments as much as possible, wherein: FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of a fan housing and a bare fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a side view of a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of a bare fan according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional diagram of a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle. FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional diagram of a bare fan installed in a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a side panel of a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an intermediate step of assembling a fan housing to a side panel of a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a housing assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the housing assembly of FIG. 9.

100:Case assembly

200: Chassis side panel

202: Limiting hole

300: Chassis top plate

400: Fan housing

410: Hook piece

D1: Joint depth

D2: Distance

x,y,z:direction

Claims (9)

A case assembly comprises: a case side panel having a plurality of first connecting structures; a case top panel detachably covering the case side panel; and a fan housing comprising a bottom panel, a side panel and a plurality of second connecting structures, the bottom panel having a hole area, one side of the side panel connected to the bottom panel and the side panel surrounding the bottom panel to accommodate a bare fan, the second connecting structures connected to the other side of the side panel and connected to the first connecting structures respectively along a first direction; The second connecting structures and the first connecting structures have a connecting depth in the first direction, the housing top plate and the fan housing are opposite to each other and separated by a distance in the first direction, and the connecting depth is greater than the distance. A casing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the first connecting structures are a plurality of limiting holes, and the second connecting structures are a plurality of hooks. A casing assembly as described in claim 2, wherein each of the hook members comprises a guide arm and a fixed arm, wherein each of the guide arms is connected to the side panel of the fan casing, and each of the fixed arms is respectively connected to each of the guide arms. A casing assembly as described in claim 3, wherein each of the fixing arms extends along the first direction. A casing assembly as described in claim 3, wherein each guide arm extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A casing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the bottom plate of the fan casing has a plurality of positioning protrusions, two of the positioning protrusions are located on opposite sides of the hole area on the bottom plate. A casing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the fan casing further includes a spring sheet, the spring sheet includes an extension portion and a snap portion, the extension portion is connected to the base plate and extends away from the base plate, the snap portion is connected to the extension portion, and the bare fan is snapped onto the base plate by means of the spring sheet. A casing assembly as described in claim 7, wherein the spring sheet is adjacent to the side panel, and a portion of the buckle portion extends away from the side panel, and another portion of the buckle portion extends close to the side panel. A casing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the fan casing further includes two side baffles, which are connected to the base plate and are respectively located on opposite sides of the hole area to limit the bare fan.