US20070243817A1

US20070243817A1 - Air ducting cover

Info

Publication number: US20070243817A1
Application number: US11/395,292
Authority: US
Inventors: Tsung-Bin Tsai
Original assignee: Inventec Corp
Current assignee: Inventec Corp
Priority date: 2006-03-31
Filing date: 2006-03-31
Publication date: 2007-10-18

Abstract

An air ducting cover for guiding a directed flow of air output by rotation of a fan is proposed. The air ducting cover includes a frame for covering outside of the fan and a flexible cover member having a channel formed therethrough for connecting with the frame. By such arrangement, the directed flow of air output by the rotation of the fan can be guided flexibly by the means of the channel. The ducting cover is able to provide flexibility in common use without the need of being re-designed to meet different applications. Further, the flexible cover member can be replaced easily, so as to solve prior-art problems.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a technique for guiding the flow of air, and more particularly, to an air ducting cover for guiding the flow of air output by the rotation of a fan.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic devices, especially computers, are broadly used and have almost become commodities. As such, it is desirable to make improvements to the design, manufacture, or the assembly of computer hardware. Such improvements will typically have industrial utilization value if they are able to increase structural simplicity, ease of assembly, production efficiency or cost savings. Such improvements conform to the scope of the patent law that encourages and protects such improvements. In this spirit, the present invention focuses on ways to improve an air conducting cover.
Due to the trend to reduce space requirements and materials usage, as well as increase performance, elements in a computer are highly condensed. As such, it is imperative to provide adequate heat dissipation.
In exemplification of a server (such as a blade server), a plurality of components including: a motherboard, a hard disk drive, a fan stand, a CD drive, a floppy disk drive, a controller and various elements for communicating or connecting are all housed in the server cabinet. Mechanical air convection can be provided by one or more fans, so as to provide convectional heat exchange. However, due to the highly condensed placement of the elements, it is difficult to pass air past all of the elements, or the amount of the air passing each element can be non-optimal, such that inefficient heat dissipation for some of the elements may result. Referring to an element such as a central processing unit (CPU), which generates a large amount of heat, damage or system instability may occur due to excessive heat if sufficient and continuous convectional cold air isn't provided for heat exchange when the server comes up to normal operating temperature.
In order to overcome the forgoing problem of inefficient heat dissipation for certain elements such as the central processing unit (CPU) that produce a large amount of heat, an air ducting cover has been proposed that serves to force the cooling air coming along from a fan onto such elements, so that heat exchange can be performed with sufficient and continuous convectional cold air. For example, Taiwan Patent No. 309180 and Certificate No. I242706 have already disclosed the relative design and application of such an air ducting cover.
The foregoing Taiwan Certificate No. I242706 has disclosed a convectional heat dissipating air ducting cover, which mainly comprises a hollow cover and a closed module. A piece of sound insulating cotton is installed inside the hollow cover, and the two ends of the hollow cover respectively comprise an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening. Also, the hollow cover is formed with a clamping portion and a pushing portion. On one bottom side of an outer case, an opening portion having an appropriate length is formed at a position corresponding to the element to be cooled on a motherboard, and a clamping groove is formed on the left side and the right side of the opening portion. Furthermore, a clamping groove is formed on the left side and the right side of the closed module, by which such clamping groove can be clamped into the closed clamping groove formed on the opening portion of the foregoing hollow cover. By the design of the hollow cover and the closed module, the clamping grooves on the left side and the right side of the hollow cover are matched into the space inside a host case, such that the element being cooled, peripheral electronic elements thereof, and a part of the motherboard can be entirely covered in the closed space of the hollow cover. Accordingly, the central processing unit is provided with the heat dissipating device, and the hollow cover is provided with a convectional effect of the inlet of cold air and the outlet of warm air. Additionally, as the two sides of the hollow cover are designed to have an antiskid effect in which the pushing portion is able to push against the host case, the convectional heat dissipating air ducting cover can be fixed firmly in the host case. Thus, a heat dissipation effect as well as a muting effect can be achieved as a result.
The forgoing patent can provide a heat dissipation effect and a muting effect. However, as it is a plastic product characterized with large dimensions and an excessive amount of elements that are complicated in structure, it can be time-consuming to perform the assembly process and the detachment process. Moreover, as the foregoing patent can only be applied to dissipate the heat generated by an electronic element having certain specifications and dimensions, the flexibility in common use with other specifications cannot be provided, and the replacement of electronic element with other specifications cannot be easily achieved. For example, when the motherboard is provided with dual central processing units, the use of such an air ducting cover occupies excessive space and adversely affects heat dissipation of other electronic elements.
Moreover, referring to manufacturers who provide customized products, various motherboards need to be produced depending on different product demands. Due to the circuit arrangement design of each of the various motherboards, the allocation of various electronic elements mounted on the surface of the motherboard (such as central processing units, connectors, memory modules, and passive elements) are unlikely to be identical. Therefore, when utilizing the design of the foregoing patent, an air ducting cover needs to be designed to conform to a fixed position according to the development of each of the motherboards, such that production costs cannot be minimized and industrial utilization cannot be improved.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide an air ducting cover with a simple structure to guide the air output by the rotation of a fan that is characterized with the advantages of flexibility in common use and reduced dimensions, such that industrial utilization value can be improved as a consequence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the above prior-art drawbacks, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide an air ducting cover that has flexibility in common use.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air ducting cover with a simplified structure.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide an air ducting cover with reduced dimensions.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide an air ducting cover that has an assembly process and a disassembly process that can be easily performed.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives, the present invention proposes an air ducting cover for guiding air output by the rotation of a fan. The air ducting cover comprises a frame for covering the outside of the fan, and formed with at least one first connecting portion on a surface thereof where air is output by the fan; and a flexible cover member having a channel formed therethrough, wherein at least one second connecting portion is formed at one end of the flexible cover member, for connecting with the first connecting portion. By such arrangement, the directed flow of the air output by the rotation of the fan can be selected flexibly by the means of the channel.
The foregoing frame can be a structure having a U-shaped cross section, typically inverted in installation. In a preferred embodiment, the frame is at least formed with a folded selvedge on a surface thereof from which air enters the fan, such that an outside edge of the fan can be covered by the folded selvedge. Also, the frame can be optionally formed with another folded selvedge on the surface thereof from which air is output by the fan, and the first connecting portion is formed on the folded selvedge. Furthermore, the frame can be formed with a plurality of first connecting portions on the surface thereof from which air is output by the fan, and the flexible cover member can be formed with a plurality of second connecting portions, wherein the first connecting portions and the second connecting portions can be optionally buttons and buttonholes, respectively. Moreover, the end of the flexible cover member can be formed with a leaning portion for leaning against the frame, and the second connecting portion is formed on the leaning portion. More preferably, the flexible cover member can be a structure having a U-shaped cross section. In another preferred embodiment, a bottom surface of the flexible cover member can be formed with a third connecting portion that can be a button or a buttonhole.
As the air ducting cover proposed in the present invention comprises a frame for covering the outside of a fan and a flexible cover member having a channel formed therethrough for connecting the frame, the directed flow of air output by the rotation of the fan can be selected flexibly by the means of the channel, such that the air conducting cover is able to provide flexibility in common use without the need of being re-designed due to different applications. Further, as the elements being used only comprise a frame and a flexible cover member, the amount of required elements has been significantly reduced, so that the assembly and disassembly processes can be readily performed and the flexible cover member can be replaced easily. Additionally, as the two elements are simplified in structure and occupy less space, the dimensions can be significantly reduced to improve the industrial applicability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing an air ducting cover for guiding the flow of air output by the rotation of a fan according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are perspective diagrams showing a frame of an air ducting cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are perspective diagrams showing a flexible cover member of an air ducting cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram showing an air ducting cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein another angle of FIG. 1 is exposed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is described in the following with specific embodiments, so that one skilled in the pertinent art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosure of the invention. The present invention may also be implemented and applied according to other embodiments, and the details may be modified based on different views and applications without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Note that these drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, and thus only structures relevant to the present invention are illustrated. Also, these structures are not drawn according to actual amounts, shapes and dimensions for the various components. The amounts, shapes and dimensions are subject to design considerations and the actual arrangement of the structures may be very complex in application.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an air ducting cover for guiding the flow of air output by rotation of a fan according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, an air ducting cover 1 serves to guide the flow of air output by the rotation of a fan 3. The air ducting cover 1 comprises a frame 11 and a flexible cover member 13. Note that, in that the air ducting cover 1 proposed in the present invention can be applied to any prior-art fan and the structure of the fan shown in the present embodiment only serves as an example to provide description, the fan shown in the present embodiment does not limit the scope of the invention. Also, the structure and principles of the fan are known by one skilled in the pertinent art and thus will not be further detailed.
The frame 11 can be a structure having a U-shaped cross section for covering the outside of the fan 3. Optionally, the frame 11 can be a structure having another shape, provided that the fan 3 is covered. Also, the structure of the frame 11 can be modified depending on the structure of the fan 3, and thus is not limited by the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the frame 11 is formed with a first connecting portion 111 at a position corresponding to a surface from which air exits the fan 3. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A, in the present embodiment the frame 11 is at least formed with a folded selvedge 113 at a position corresponding to a surface where air enters the fan 3, such that an outside edge of the fan 3 can be covered. Next, referring to FIG. 2B, the frame 11 can be optionally formed with another folded selvedge 115 at a position corresponding to a surface where air exits the fan 3, and the first connecting portion 111 is formed on the folded selvedge 115.
Referring to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the flexible cover member 13, which can be made of a resin material, is shaped as a channel 131 and has a second connecting portion 133 formed at one end of the flexible cover member 13 for connecting the foregoing first connecting portion 111. By such arrangement, the flow direction of the air output by the rotation of the fan 3 can be selected flexibly by the means of the channel 131. In the present embodiment, one end of the flexible cover member 13 can be preferably formed with a leaning portion 135 for leaning against the frame 11, and the second connecting portion 133 is formed on the leaning portion 135. Moreover, the flexible cover member 13 can be a structure having a U-shaped cross section but is not limited to a U-shaped design.
Further, a bottom surface of the flexible cover member 13 can be formed with a third connecting portion 137. In the present embodiment, the third connecting portion 137 can be a button. However, in other embodiments, the third connecting portion 137 can be a post, a buttonhole, an opening or another equivalent structure, provided that the air ducting cover 1 can be fixed to the case of an electronic device such as a server (for example, a plurality of complementary connectors previously formed on a motherboard). The air ducting cover 1 can be fixed in the electronic device using an attachment method or other appropriate techniques. Thus, the third connecting portion 137 can be readily understood or modified by one skilled in the pertinent art, and thus will not be further illustrated.
Note that the amounts, positions and structures of the first connecting portion 111 and the second connecting portion 133 are not limited by the present embodiment and can be modified or arranged by one skilled in the pertinent art depending on practical requirements. For example, in the present embodiment, the frame 11 is formed with four first connecting portions 111 at positions corresponding to a surface from which air exits the fan 3, and the flexible cover member 13 is formed with four second connecting portions 133. Also, the first connecting portion 111 and the second connecting portion 133 are respectively a button and a buttonhole. However, in other embodiments, a different amount of the first connecting portions 111 and second connecting portions 133 can be implemented, and the first connecting portion 111 and the second connecting portion 133 can be respectively a buttonhole and a button.
Moreover, the first connecting portion 111 and the second connecting portion 133 can be other structures that can mate with each other. Therefore, the first connecting portion 111 and the second connecting portion 133 can be easily modified by one skilled in the pertinent art and are not limited by the present embodiment.
When the air ducting cover 1 is to be assembled, the frame 11 can firstly serve to cover the outside of the fan 3. Then, the second connecting portion 133 formed at one end of the flexible cover member 13 is attached to the first connecting portion 111, such that the air ducting cover 1 shown in FIG. 4 can be obtained. Thus, an appropriate path can be formed with the flexible cover member 13 to reach a heat-generating element such as a central processing unit. In other words, the flow direction of the air output by the rotation of the fan 3 can be guided flexibly by the means of the channel 131. In the present embodiment, the frame 11 firstly serves to cover the outside of the fan 3 before being connected to the flexible cover member 13. However, note that in other embodiments the frame 11 can be firstly connected to the flexible cover member 13 before covering the fan 3. Also, the folded selvedge 113 can be eliminated and the fan 3 can be covered by the frame 11 using other fixing methods. In other words, the assembly method disclosed in the present invention can be easily understood by one skilled in the pertinent art and is not limited by the present embodiment.
Furthermore, the flexible cover member 13 can be designed to have a single specification that can be commonly used according to whatever length is required in common usage. Thus, a user can carve the length or replace the flexible cover member 13 with one having an appropriate length depending on practical requirements. Thus, the air ducting cover is characterized with flexibility that allows it to be used in various motherboards without the need of being re-designed due to the design of a different motherboard. In other words, the air ducting cover proposed in the present invention capable of flexibly guiding air flow is characterized with flexibility in common use and with a reduced production cost. Additionally, with consideration of the flow speed of the air output by rotation of the fan, the air ducting cover 1 can be designed as a converging cone structure formed in the airflow direction to increase the speed of the exiting air. Therefore, the channel 131 gradually tapers along with the direction of airflow such that the flow speed of the air can be increased to increase the efficiency of heat exchange.
Accordingly, as the air ducting cover proposed in the present invention comprises a frame for covering outside of the fan and a flexible cover member formed as a channel and connecting with the frame, the flow direction of air output by the rotation of a fan can be guided flexibly by the means of the channel. Thus, in comparison to the prior-art technique, the air conducting cover proposed in the present invention is able to provide flexibility in common use without the need of being re-designed for different applications. Further, as the elements being used only comprise the frame and the flexible cover member, the amount of the required elements has been significantly reduced, so that the assembly and disassembly processes can be readily performed and the flexible cover member can be replaced easily. Additionally, the foregoing two elements are simplified in structure, thus saving space. Also, the air ducting cover only needs to be formed with an opening for mounting. In other words, the dimensions of the air ducting cover can be significantly reduced to provide compatibility for current products, so as to improve industrial applicability. Therefore, the air ducting cover proposed in the present invention is able to solve various prior-art drawbacks.
The invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. An air ducting cover for guiding a directed flow of air output by rotation of a fan, comprising:

a frame for covering outside of the fan, and formed with at least one first connecting portion on a surface thereof from which air is output by the fan; and

a flexible cover member shaped to form a channel, wherein at least one second connecting portion is formed at an end of the flexible cover member, for connecting with the first connecting portion, so as to allow the directed flow of the air output by the rotation of the fan to be guided flexibly by the means of the channel.

2. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the frame is a structure having a U-shaped cross section.

3. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the frame is further formed with a folded selvedge on a surface thereof where air enters the fan, allowing an outside edge of the fan to be covered by the folded selvedge.

4. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the frame is further formed with a folded selvedge on the surface thereof where air is output by the fan, and the first connecting portion is formed on the folded selvedge.

5. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the frame is formed with a plurality of first connecting portions on the surface thereof where air is output by the fan.

6. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are respectively a button and a buttonhole.

7. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the flexible cover member is formed with a plurality of second connecting portions.

8. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the end of the flexible cover member is further formed with a leaning portion for leaning against the frame, and the second connecting portion is formed on the leaning portion.

9. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein the flexible cover member is a structure having a U-shaped cross section.

10. The air ducting cover of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the flexible cover member is formed with a third connecting portion.