US20130248144A1

US20130248144A1 - Fan module

Info

Publication number: US20130248144A1
Application number: US13/429,936
Authority: US
Inventors: Bor-Haw Chang; Liang-Ji Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Asia Vital Components Co Ltd
Priority date: 2012-03-26
Filing date: 2012-03-26
Publication date: 2013-09-26

Abstract

A fan module includes a heat transfer unit, a heat radiation unit, and at least one cross-flow fan. The heat radiation unit has an air-in side and an air-out side. The cross-flow fan is located against the heat radiation unit, and includes a frame and a centrifugal fan blade assembly. The frame has an air outlet, a plurality of air inlets, and a plurality of frame sections. The frame sections respectively have a receiving recess therein, and the receiving recesses are communicable with one another to together define a receiving space for receiving the centrifugal fan blade assembly therein. With the above arrangements, the cross-flow fan can create increased air flow volume, the space occupied by the fan module can be reduced, and upgraded heat dissipation performance can be achieved.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fan module, and more particularly to a fan module that allows at least one cross-flow fan to create largely increased air flow volume, has reduced overall volume, provides upgraded heat dissipation performance, and effectively overcomes the problems of vibration and noise caused by excessively long blades as found in the conventional fan module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Due to the constant progress in the electronic technological fields, the density of transistors on various kinds of chips, such as the central processing unit and other executing elements, also increases to enable faster data processing speed. However, more power is consumed and more heat is produced by these chips during high-speed operation thereof. For the central processing unit to work stably, it has become an important issue as how to develop a high-efficient heat dissipation means for dissipating the produced heat.
To maintain high-efficient heat dissipating function, it is inevitable to keep increasing the volume and accordingly the weight of the heat dissipation means. However, in the design of currently very popular notebook computers, tablet computers, smart mobile phones, smart hand-held electronic devices and the like, the limited internal space thereof is always a bottleneck to the heat dissipation means design.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional fan module 1, which includes a centrifugal fan 10, a heat pipe 11, and a heat radiation unit 12. The conventional fan module 1 uses the centrifugal fan 10 to produce flowing air, which carries away heat absorbed by the heat radiation unit 12 to thereby achieve the purpose of lowering temperature. The performance of the fan module 1 is determined by the air pressure and air flow volume produced by the centrifugal fan 10 as well as the area of the heat radiation unit 12 available for heat exchange. When the heat radiation unit 12 has larger heat exchange area by having longer radiation fins, better heat removal effect can be achieved. However, the long radiating fins tend to increase the overall volume of the fan module, and a big fan module just fails to meet the demands for compact, slim and light weight notebook computers and the like.
To meet the demands for compact, slim, and light weight electronic devices, all related elements of the electronic devices are minimized in dimensions. That is, the centrifugal fan in the fan module must also be miniaturized. However, the air flow volume that can be produced by the volume-reduced centrifugal fan is also reduced to largely adversely affect the heat removal effect thereof. Further, the miniaturized centrifugal fan usually has thin but large-area fan blades, which tend to produce more vibration and noise when the centrifugal fan operates.
As a result, it has become a target of many related manufacturers to effectively upgrade the performance of the heat radiation unit without increasing the volume thereof.
In brief, the conventional fan module has the following disadvantages: (1) having a relatively big volume; (2) providing low heat dissipation ability; and (3) tending to produce vibration and noise during operation thereof.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved fan module to overcome the drawbacks in the conventional fan module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to effectively solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a fan module having at least one cross-flow fan, so that the fan module can have reduced volume while the cross-flow fan can create largely increased air flow volume.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fan module that provides upgraded heat dissipation performance and effectively overcomes the problems of vibration and noise caused by swaying of excessively long blades.
To achieve the above and other objects, the fan module according to the present invention includes a heat transfer unit, a heat radiation unit, and at least one cross-flow fan. The heat transfer unit has an end attached to a heat source. The heat radiation unit is connected to another opposite end of the heat transfer unit and has an air-in side and an air-out side communicable with the air-in side. The cross-flow fan is located against the heat radiation unit, and includes a frame and a centrifugal fan blade assembly. The frame has an air outlet facing toward the air-in side of the heat radiation unit, a plurality of air inlets, and a plurality of frame sections. The air inlets are respectively arranged between two adjacent frame sections and communicate with the air outlet. The frame sections are respectively configured as a receiving recess, and the receiving recesses are communicable with one another to together define a receiving space. The receiving space communicates with the air outlet and the air inlets, and is used to receive the centrifugal fan blade assembly therein.
The fan module with the above design can be used in a limited space, and the cross-flow fan thereof not only creates largely increased air flow volume, but also enables effectively reduced volume of the fan module. Further, the problems of vibration and noise caused by the swaying long blades as found in the conventional fan module can also be effectively improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a conventional fan module;

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a fan module according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is an assembled view of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view of a fan module according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is an assembled view of FIG. 3A; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a fan module according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.
Please refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B, which are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a fan module 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the fan module 2 in the first embodiment includes a heat transfer unit 20, a heat radiation unit 21, and at least one cross-flow fan 22.
The heat transfer unit 20 includes a heat-absorbing section 201 and a heat-dissipating section 202. The heat-absorbing section 201 is attached to a heat source 24, such as a central processing unit, south bridge and north bridge chipsets, a graphics chip, or an executing unit. The heat-absorbing section 201 absorbs heat produced by the heat source 24 and the absorbed heat is transferred to the heat-dissipating section 202. The heat transfer unit 20 can be a heat pipe, a heat spreader, or any element capable of transferring heat. In the illustrated first embodiment, the heat transfer unit 20 is configured as a heat pipe but is not necessarily limited thereto.
The heat radiation unit 21 is connected to the heat-dissipating section 202 of the heat transfer unit 20, and has an air-in side 213 and an air-out side 214 communicating with the air-in side 213. The heat radiation unit 21 can be a radiating fin assembly, a heat sink, or any element capable of radiating heat. In the illustrated first embodiment, the heat radiation unit 21 is configured as a radiating fin assembly but is not necessarily limited thereto. In the first embodiment, the heat radiation unit 21 includes a plurality of radiating fins 211, and any two adjacent radiating fins 211 together define an air-guiding passage 212 between them. All the air-guiding passages 212 communicate with both of the air-in side 213 and the air-out side 214.
The cross-flow fan 22 is located against the heat radiation unit 21, and includes a frame 221 and a centrifugal fan blade assembly 222. The frame 221 has an air outlet 2212 facing toward the air-in side 213 of the heat radiation unit 21, a plurality of air inlets 2211, and a plurality of frame sections 2213. The air inlets 2211 are respectively arranged between two adjacent frame sections 2213 and communicate with the air outlet 2212. The frame sections 2213 are respectively configured as a receiving recess 2213 a, and the receiving recesses 2213 a are communicable with one another to together define a receiving space 2214. The receiving space 2214 communicates with the air outlet 2212 and the air inlets 2211, and is used to receive the centrifugal fan blade assembly 222 therein.
The centrifugal fan blade assembly 222 includes a shaft 2221 and a plurality of impellers 2223. The impellers respectively include a plurality of blades 2223 a circumferentially spaced on the shaft 2221, and are separately received in the receiving recesses 2213 a of the frame sections 2213. The frame 221 further includes a first end plate 2215 and a second end plate 2216 that are separately located at two opposite ends of the frame 221. The first and the second end plate 2215, 2216 respectively have a shaft hole 2217 provided thereon. The shaft 2221 is sequentially extended through the impellers 2223 with two opposite ends of the shaft 2221 extending into the two shaft holes 2217.
The cross-flow fan 22 further includes a motor 23, which is arranged to one side of the first end plate 2215 or the second end plate 2216 and is connected to the centrifugal fan blade assembly 222 for driving the latter to rotate. When the motor 23 of the cross-flow fan 22 drives the centrifugal fan blade assembly 222 to rotate, air outside the frame 221 is guided into the receiving recesses 2213 a via the air inlets 2211 to flow through the fan impellers 2223 before being blown out of the frame 221 via the air outlet 2212 and forced into the heat radiation unit 21 via the air-in side 213 thereof. The air forced into the heat radiation unit 21 flows through the air-guiding passages 212 between the radiating fins 211 toward the air-out side 214. The heat transferred from the heat-dissipating section 202 to the radiating fins 211 will be carried away by the air to dissipate into external environment via the air-out side 214, so as to provide enhanced heat dissipation performance and achieve good heat dissipation effect.
With the design of the present invention, the centrifugal fan blade assembly 222 and the shaft 2221 can still extend transversely in a limited mounting space, so that the cross-flow fan 22 not only creates largely increased air flow volume and accordingly upgraded heat dissipation performance, but also effectively enables reduced volume of the fan module 2. Further, the present invention also overcomes the problems of vibration and noise caused by the swaying long blades in the conventional fan module designed for increasing heat dissipation performance.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a fan module according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the fan module in the second embodiment is generally structurally similar to the first embodiment, except that, in the second embodiment, the cross-flow fan 22 further includes at least one side plate 2218, which is arranged at the air outlet 2212 of the frame 221 against the air-in side 213 of the heat radiation unit 21. When the motor 23 of the cross-flow fan 22 drives the centrifugal fan blade assembly 222 to rotate, air outside the frame 221 is guided into the receiving recesses 2213 a via the air inlets 2211 to flow through the fan impellers 2223 before being blown out of the frame 221 and forced into the heat radiation unit 21 via the air-in side 213 thereof. The air forced into the heat radiation unit 21 flows through the air-guiding passages 212 between the radiating fins 211 toward the air-out side 214. Meanwhile, heat will be carried away from the radiating fins 211 by the air to the air-out side 214 and be dissipated into external environment, so as to provide enhanced heat dissipation performance and achieve good heat dissipation effect.
Please refer to FIG. 4 that is an assembled perspective view of a fan module according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the fan module in the third embodiment is generally structurally similar to the previous embodiments, except that, in the third embodiment, two or more cross-flow fans 22 are parallelly arranged side by side. With this arrangement, the heat can also be carried away from the radiating fins 211 by air flows to the air-out side 214 of the heat radiation unit 21 and be dissipated into external environment to achieve the purpose of heat dissipation. In the illustrated third embodiment, two cross-flow fans 22 are shown. However, it is understood the number of the cross-flow fans 22 is not necessarily limited to two.
According to the above description, the fan module of the present invention is superior to the conventional one because it has largely reduced overall volume, eliminates the occurrence of vibration and noise during operation, and provides enhanced heat dissipation performance.
The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fan module, comprising:

a heat transfer unit having an end attached to a heat source;

a heat radiation unit being connected to another opposite end of the heat transfer unit and having an air-in side and an air-out side communicable with the air-in side; and

at least one cross-flow fan being located against the heat radiation unit, and including a frame and a centrifugal fan blade assembly; the frame having an air outlet facing toward the air-in side of the heat radiation unit, a plurality of air inlets, and a plurality of frame sections; the air inlets being respectively arranged between two adjacent frame sections and communicating with the air outlet; the frame sections respectively having a receiving recess therein, and the receiving recesses being communicable with one another to together define a receiving space; and the receiving space communicating with the air outlet and the air inlets and being used to receive the centrifugal fan blade assembly therein.

2. The fan module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame further includes a first end plate and a second end plate that are separately located at two opposite ends

3. The fan module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the centrifugal fan blade assembly includes a shaft and a plurality of impellers; and the shaft being sequentially extended through the impellers with two opposite ends of the shaft extending into the two shaft holes.

4. The fan module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the impellers respectively include a plurality of blades, and the blades on each of the impellers being circumferentially spaced on the shaft and received in a corresponding one of receiving recesses of the frame sections.

5. The fan module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat transfer unit further includes a heat-absorbing section and a heat-dissipating section; the heat-absorbing section being attached to the heat source; and the heat radiation unit being connected to the heat-dissipating section.

6. The fan module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-flow fan further includes at least one side plate, which is arranged at the air outlet of the frame.

7. The fan module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat radiation unit is selected from the group consisting of a radiating fin assembly, a heat sink, and any element capable of radiating heat.

8. The fan module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat transfer unit is selected from the group consisting of a heat pipe, a heat spreader, and any element capable of transferring heat.

9. The fan module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat radiation unit includes a plurality of radiating fins; any two adjacent ones of the radiating fins together defining an air-guiding passage between them; and the air-guiding passages communicating with both of the air-in side and the air-out side.

10. The fan module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cross-flow fan further includes a motor, which can be arranged to one side of the first end plate or the second end plate.