US20180119701A1

US20180119701A1 - Fan assembly

Info

Publication number: US20180119701A1
Application number: US15/413,297
Authority: US
Inventors: Zhi-Tao Yu; Chia-Hsin Liu; Wei Zhang; Wen-Chao FAN
Original assignee: Wistron Corp
Current assignee: Wistron Corp
Priority date: 2016-11-03
Filing date: 2017-01-23
Publication date: 2018-05-03
Also published as: TW201817981A; CN108021210A

Abstract

A fan assembly, configured to be mounted on a casing, includes a fan, two mounting frames, and two fixing elements. The mounting frames are disposed on two opposite sides of the fan, and the mounting frames are detachably disposed on the casing via the fixing elements. The structures and the sizes of the mounting frames are the same.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority of China Patent Application No. 201610958240.1, filed on Nov. 3, 2016, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a fan assembly, and in particular to a fan assembly mounted on a casing.

Description of the Related Art

In general, a server generates a lot of heat during operation. For dissipating the heat, a large number of heat-dissipation fans are utilized in the server. Such heat-dissipation fans are usually arranged linearly in the server.
However, when a large number of heat-dissipation fans are operating at the same time, they generate huge vibrations on the server, and the electronic parts of the server may become damaged by these vibrations. To solve this problem, a large number of damping elements are utilized on the heat-dissipation fans to decrease the vibrations. Moreover, for regularly and firmly arranging the heat-dissipation fans, there are a large number of parts that are utilized in the server.
Accordingly, the manufacturing cost and the assembly time of the server are increased by using a large number of damping elements and parts. Consequently, it is desirable that a solution for improving the heat-dissipation fans and the assembly thereof be provided.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fan assembly is provided. Fewer parts are utilized in the fan assembly, and the vibrations of the fan assembly are decreased. Moreover, the manufacturing cost and assembly time of the fan assembly are decreased.
A fan assembly is configured to be mounted on a casing and includes a fan, a first mounting frame, a first fixing element, a second mounting frame, and a second fixing element. The fan includes a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface.
The first mounting frame is mounted on the fan, and includes a first mounting body disposed on the front surface, and a first fixing portion disposed on the first mounting body and including a first fixing hole. The first fixing element is configured to be mounted in the casing and the first fixing hole.
The second mounting frame is mounted on the fan, and includes a second mounting body disposed on the rear surface, and a second fixing portion disposed on the second mounting body, and having a second fixing hole. The second fixing element is configured to be mounted in the casing and the second fixing hole.
The first mounting frame and the second mounting frame have the same structure and size, and the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are respectively located at two diagonal corners of the fan.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame further includes a positioning portion disposed on the first mounting body, and the positioning portion includes a positioning groove. A side of another mounting frame of another fan assembly is located in the positioning groove.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame further includes hooks disposed on the first mounting body, and the hooks are hooked on the fan.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame further includes a damping arm disposed the first mounting body or the hook, and abutting against the front surface. The damping arm is configured to provide an elastic force to the fan.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame includes an elastic arm disposed on the first mounting body and configured to abut against the casing. The elastic arm is configured to provide an elastic force to the casing.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame includes a U-shaped elastic arm disposed on the first mounting body, located under the first fixing portion, and surrounding the first fixing element. The U-shaped elastic arm is configured to provide an elastic force to the casing. The U-shaped elastic arm comprises a protrusion configured to abut against the casing.
In some embodiments, the first fixing portion further includes a fixing member located in the fixing hole. The first fixing element further includes a retaining groove. The fixing member is located in the retaining groove.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame further includes an abutting member disposed on the first mounting body, and abutting against the front surface. When the first mounting frame is mounted on the fan, the abutting member provides a reaction force to the fan.
In some embodiments, the first mounting frame and the second mounting frame are made of plastic, and formed as a single piece.
In conclusion, the fan assembly of the present disclosure is firmly disposed on the casing by the mounting frames and the fixing elements. Moreover, the fan is mounted on the casing by the mounting frames with the same structure and size, and the vibrations of the fan are decreased by the mounting frames. Since there are fewer parts and fewer kinds of parts utilized by the fan assembly, the manufacturing cost and the assembly time of the fan assembly are decreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fan assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the fan assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the part A in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the fan assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the line AA of FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a top view of the fan assembly in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the present disclosure. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure.
Spatially relative terms, such as upper and lower, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The shape, size, and thickness in the drawings may not be drawn to scale or simplified for clarity of discussion; rather, these drawings are merely intended for illustration.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device A1 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device A1 can be a computer or a server. The electronic device A1 includes fan assemblies A10 and a casing A20. The electronic device A1 further includes electronic elements (not shown in figures), such as a main board, a process chip, a memory, and/or a storage device, disposed in the casing A20. The fan assemblies A10 are detachably disposed on the casing A20. Each of the fan assemblies A10 can be individually mounted in the casing A20, or removed from the casing A20. Therefore, it is convenient for installing or maintaining the fan assemblies A10.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fan assembly A10 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the fan assembly A10 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the part A in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a top view of the fan assembly A10 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the line AA of FIG. 5, and the casing A20 is illustrated in FIG. 6. The fan assembly A10 includes a fan 10 and two mounting frames 20 (a first mounting frame and a second mounting frame). The fan 10 includes a front surface 11, a rear surface 12 opposite to the front surface 11, and holding holes 13.
In this embodiment, the front surface 11 may be an air-outlet surface, and the rear surface 12 may be an air-inlet surface. When the fan 10 is operating, the air flows into the fan 10 via the air-inlet surface, and flows out of the fan 10 via the air-outlet surface. The respective holding holes 13 are formed on the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding holes 13 are located at four corners of the front surfaces 11 and four corners of the rear surface 12.
The respective mounting frames 20 are mounted on the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12 of the fan 10. In some embodiments, the material of the mounting frame 20 is plastic, and formed as a single piece. Since the mounting frame 20 is formed as a single piece, the number of the parts utilized by the fan assembly A10 is decreased, and the assembly time of the fan assembly A10 is decreased.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the mounting frames 20 have the same structure and size. Therefore, the mounting frames 20 can be made using the same mold, and thus the manufacturing cost of the mounting frame 20 can be decreased.
Each of the mounting frames 20 includes a mounting body 21, hooks 22, damping arms 23, abutting members 24, a fixing portion 25, a U-shaped elastic arm 26, an elastic arm 27, a positioning portion 28, and an auxiliary plate 29.
The mounting bodies 21 are plate structures, and parallel to or substantially parallel to the front surface 11 or the rear surface 12. The respective mounting bodies 21 are disposed on the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12. Each of the mounting bodies 21 has an air vent 211. The fan 10 can draw or exhaust air via the air vent 211.
The hooks 22 are hook-liked structures, and are disposed on the mounting body 21. In this embodiment, the hooks 22 are disposed on four corners of the mounting body 21. The hooks 22 extend substantially perpendicular to the mounting body 21, and extend to the fan 10. The hooks 22 are configured to penetrate through the holding holes 13, and to be hooked on the fan 10. By hooking the hooks 22 on the fan 10, the mounting frame 20 can be fixed to the fan 10.
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the damping arm 23 is disposed on the mounting body 21 or the hook 22. In this embodiment, the damping arm 23 is disposed on the hook 22. The damping arm 23 extends perpendicular to the hook 22, and is substantially parallel to the mounting body 21. In this embodiment, the damping arm 23 is separated from the mounting body 21, and abuts against the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12 of the fan 10. Depending on the structure of the damping arm 23, the damping arm 23 provides an elastic force to the fan 10 to decrease the vibrations of the fan 10 during operation.
The abutting members 24 are disposed on the mounting body 21, and located at the upper edge and the lower edge of the mounting body 21. The abutting members 24 extend perpendicular to the mounting body 21, and extend toward the fan 10. The abutting members 24 respectively abut against the front surface 11 and the rear surface 12 of the fan 10. When the mounting frame 20 is mounted on the fan 10, the abutting members 24 provide reaction forces to the fan 10. Therefore, the mounting frame 20 can be firmly fixed to the fan 10.
The fixing portion 25 is disposed on the mounting body 21. In this embodiment, the fixing portion 25 is located at the edge of the mounting body 21. When the fan assembly A10 is mounted on the bottom plate A21 of the casing A20, the fixing portion 25 is adjacent to the bottom plate A21. The fixing portion 25 extends along a mounting direction D1, and extends parallel to the mounting body 21. The mounting direction D1 is perpendicular to the bottom plate A21 of the casing A20.
The fixing portion 25 includes a fixing hole 251 and a fixing member 252. The fixing hole 251 extends along the mounting direction D1, and is parallel to the mounting body 21. The fixing member 252 is located in the fixing hole 251.
The fixing elements 30 are configured to be mounted on the casing A20 and the fixing holes 251. In this embodiment, the fixing elements 30 have the same structure and size. Therefore, the fixing elements 30 can be made using the same mold, and the manufacturing cost of the fixing element 30 can be decreased.
As shown in FIG. 6, the fixing element 30 passes through the bottom plate A21 of the casing A20, and is clamped in the fixing hole 251 of the fixing portion 25. The fixing element 30 includes a fixing rod 31, a fixing nut 32 and a retaining groove 311. The fixing rod 31 extends along the mounting direction D1. The fixing nut 32 is connected to an end of the fixing rod 31, and the retaining groove 311 is formed on the sidewall of the fixing rod 31.
When the fixing element 30 is disposed on the casing A20, the fixing nut 32 is located in a recess A22 of the bottom plate A21. In this embodiment, the fixing nut 32 does not protrude over the surface of the bottom plate A21. When the fixing element 30 is retained in the fixing hole 251, the fixing member 252 is located in the retaining groove 311. Therefore, the mounting frame 20 can be fixed to the bottom plate A21 of the casing A20.
Depending on the structure of the fixing element 30 and the fixing portion 25 of this embodiment, the fan assembly A10 can easily be mounted on the casing A20 or detached from the casing A20.
The U-shaped elastic arm 26 is disposed on the mounting body 21, and the two ends of the U-shaped elastic arm 26 are connected to the mounting body 21. The U-shaped elastic arm 26 is located under the fixing portion 25, and surrounding the fixing element 30. In this embodiment, the U-shaped elastic arm 26 is separated from the fixing portion 25, and extends along the mounting direction D1.
In this embodiment, the U-shaped elastic arm 26 provides an elastic force to the casing A20 to dampen the vibrations of the fan 10 during operation. In this embodiment, the U-shaped elastic arm 26 includes protrusions 261 configured to abut against the casing A20. Therefore, the vibrations of the fan 10 during operation can be decreased.
The elastic arm 27 is disposed on the mounting body 21, and configured to abut against the casing A20. The elastic arm 27 extends parallel to the mounting body 21, and is located at the bottom of the mounting body 21. In this embodiment, the elastic arm 27 is configured to provide an elastic force to the casing A20. Therefore, the vibrations of the fan 10 during operation can be decreased.
The positioning portion 28 is disposed on the mounting body 21, and located at the top of the edge of the mounting body 21. The positioning portion 28 extends along the mounting direction D1. In the cross section perpendicular to the mounting body 21 or the mounting direction D1, the positioning portion 28 is a U-shaped structure. The positioning portion 28 and the fixing portion 25 are located at two opposite sides of the mounting body 21. Therefore, the fan assembly A10 can be firmly fixed to the casing A20. The positioning portion 28 includes a positioning groove 281 extending along the mounting direction D1. In this embodiment, the mounting body 21 does not include another positioning portion 28 disposed on another side of the mounting body 21.
FIG. 7 is a top view of the fan assembly A10 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. When the fan assemblies A10 are mounted on the casing A20, a side of a rear mounting frame 20 a of a fan assembly A10 a is located in the positioning groove 281 of the fan assembly A10. Moreover, a side of a front mounting frame 20 of the fan assembly A10 is located in a positioning groove 281 a of a positioning portion 28 a of the fan assembly A10 a. Therefore, the positioning portion 28 and/or 28 a can limit the relative rotation between two adjacent fan assemblies A10 and A10 a, and the arrangement of the fan assemblies A10 are improved. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 7, two respective fixing portions 25 are located at the diagonal corners of the fan 10, and the rotation of the fan 10 can be greatly limited.
The auxiliary plates 29 are disposed on the mounting body 21. The auxiliary plates 29 are perpendicular to the mounting body 21, and extend far from the fan 10. The auxiliary plates 29 can be clamped by one user's hand, and thus the fan assembly A10 can be conveniently mounted on or detached from the casing A20.
In conclusion, the fan assembly of the present disclosure is firmly disposed on the casing by the mounting frames and the fixing elements. Moreover, the fan is mounted on the casing by the mounting frames with the same structure and size, and the vibrations of the fan are decreased by the mounting frames. Since there are fewer parts and fewer kinds of parts utilized by the fan assembly, the manufacturing cost and the assembly time of the fan assembly are decreased.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fan assembly, configured to be mounted on a casing, comprising:

a fan comprising a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface;

a first mounting frame, mounted on the fan, comprising:

a first mounting body disposed on the front surface; and

a first fixing portion, disposed on the first mounting body, comprising

a first fixing hole;

a first fixing element configured to be mounted in the casing and the first fixing hole;

a second mounting frame, mounted on the fan, comprising:

a second mounting body disposed on the rear surface; and

a second fixing portion, disposed on the second mounting body, comprising a second fixing hole; and

a second fixing element configured to be mounted in the casing and the second fixing hole;

wherein the first mounting frame and the second mounting frame have the same structure and size, and the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are respectively located at two diagonal corners of the fan.

2. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting frame further comprises a positioning portion disposed on the first mounting body, and the positioning portion comprises a positioning groove, wherein a side of another mounting frame of another fan assembly is located in the positioning groove.

3. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting frame further comprises a plurality of hooks disposed on the first mounting body, and the hooks are hooked on the fan.

4. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first mounting frame further comprises a damping arm disposed the first mounting body or the hook, and abutting against the front surface.

5. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting frame comprises an elastic arm disposed on the first mounting body and configured to abut against the casing, wherein the elastic arm is configured to provide an elastic force to the casing.

6. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting frame comprises a U-shaped elastic arm disposed on the first mounting body, located under the first fixing portion, and surrounding the first fixing element, wherein the U-shaped elastic arm is configured to provide an elastic force to the casing.

7. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the U-shaped elastic arm comprises a protrusion configured to abut against the casing.

8. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fixing portion further comprises a fixing member located in the fixing hole, and the first fixing element further comprises a retaining groove, wherein the fixing member is located in the retaining groove.

9. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting frame further comprises an abutting member disposed on the first mounting body, and abutting against the front surface, wherein when the first mounting frame is mounted on the fan, the abutting member provides a reaction force to the fan.

10. The fan assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting frame and the second mounting frame are made of plastic, and formed as a single piece.