U.S. patent application number 10/350761 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-20 for heat dissipation device for server.
Invention is credited to Hsu, Cheng-Chung.
Application Number | 20040095724 10/350761 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32173911 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040095724 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hsu, Cheng-Chung |
May 20, 2004 |
HEAT DISSIPATION DEVICE FOR SERVER
Abstract
A heat dissipation device for a server is provided, composed of
a fan body and a guide cover for concentrating airflows. The guide
cover concentrates heat flows from a server computer and directs
the heat flows to the fan body connected with the guide cover. The
fan body includes a housing and at least a fan set, wherein the fan
set is inserted into a passage formed by the housing, and a fan of
the fan set operates to dissipate heat flows directed by the guide
cover to outside of the server computer so as to enhance heat
dissipation performances. Moreover, the fan set can be easily
assembled or disassembled, and optionally replaced or altered in
number thereof provided for the fan body, thereby attaining to
flexibly in the use of the heat dissipation device.
Inventors: |
Hsu, Cheng-Chung; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FULBRIGHT AND JAWORSKI L L P
PATENT DOCKETING 29TH FLOOR
865 SOUTH FIGUEROA STREET
LOS ANGELES
CA
900172576
|
Family ID: |
32173911 |
Appl. No.: |
10/350761 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/695 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20727 20130101;
H05K 7/20172 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/695 |
International
Class: |
H05K 007/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 14, 2002 |
TW |
091218272 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A heat dissipation device for a server, comprising: a fan body
comprising a housing and at least a fan set, wherein the housing
encompasses to form a first passage and a side of the housing is
formed with a plurality of openings by which the fan set is
inserted into the first passage, allowing an airflow direction in
the first passage to be parallel to an axial direction of the fan
set, and the housing is formed with at least a coupling member for
fixing the fan set to the housing; and a guide cover having a
second passage and connected to the fan body, for concentrating
heat flows and directing heat produced from a heat source of the
server via the second passage of the guide cover into the first
passage of the fan body, so as to allow the heat to be dissipated
to outside by the fan set.
2. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein a
hook integrally formed on the guide cover is engaged with an
aperture formed through the housing for connecting the guide cover
to the fan body.
3. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein the
coupling member formed on the housing includes at least a set of
elastic pressing member and positioning hole for securing the fan
set in position.
4. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein the
openings of the housing not inserted with the fan set are covered
by a lid.
5. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein the
guide cover is formed with an opening at a side thereof connected
to the heat source, the opening of the guide cover acting as a
primary inlet for concentrating the heat flows.
6. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 5, wherein at
least an auxiliary inlet is formed on a side other of the guide
cover than the side formed with the primary inlet, so as to
increase the heat flows directed into the guide cover by means of
the auxiliary inlet.
7. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein the
heat source is an electronic component of the server.
8. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 7, wherein the
electronic component is a central processing unit (CPU).
9. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein the
housing of the fan body is made of a metal material.
10. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein
the guide cover is made of a material with poor thermal
conductivity.
11. The heat dissipation device for a server of claim 1, wherein
the heat dissipation device is applicable to a desktop computer,
notebook computer or domestic appliance.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to heat dissipation devices,
and more particularly, to a heat dissipation device used in a
network server for enhancing heat dissipating performances.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In respect of a commonly used computer system, a main
electronic component such as central processing unit (CPU) mounted
in the computer is provided with increased operating speed and
enhanced ability of data processing, such that a significant amount
of heat is produced during operation of the electronic component.
For example, when the electronic component operates in full load, a
surface temperature thereof may reach up to or above 100.degree.
C., thereby resulting in an overheating problem. A general solution
is to install a heat dissipation device (such as heat dissipation
fans) in the computer, whereby heat produced from operation of the
electronic component can be dissipation via the heat dissipation
device so as to eliminate operational burden applied to the
electronic component by overheat that may damage or impair the
electronic component or computer system.
[0003] With improvement in operating speed of electronic
components, current heat dissipation devices fail to provide
satisfactory heat dissipating efficiency. Especially for a CPU used
in a network server that normally renders longer term or more
complicated operation than a personal computer (PC) in terms of
usage time, the number of distant end users, data processing and
data accessing times, for solving the heat dissipation problem
thereof, it thus requires an advance heat dissipation device or
additional heat dissipation devices to improve heat dissipating
performances. However, such an arrangement may undesirably increase
fabrication costs and makes structural assembly or disassembly
relatively inconvenient to implement. In another aspect, if an
electronic component in the network server is upgraded with
increased operating speed but not for the heat dissipation device,
such an old heat dissipation device can not effectively dissipate
heat produced from the upgraded electronic component that thereby
may be impaired or whose lifetime may be shortened by overheat. As
such, it is desired to develop a novel heat dissipation device,
which can flexibly arrange internal components thereof to
facilitate heat dissipating performances, for example to
concentrate heat flows in the computer system or to increase the
number of heat dissipation fans, such that the heat dissipation
problem in response to upgrading of the electronic component may be
solved desirably.
[0004] Furthermore, internal components such as heat dissipating
fans of a current heat dissipation device are directly fixed to the
computer without providing spare installation space for the fans;
this not only makes component assembly or disassembly inconvenient
to implement but also reduces flexibility in uses of the heat
dissipation device. For example, if a heat dissipation fan breaks
down or an electronic component of the computer is to be renewed,
the entire heat dissipation device may need to be replaced, which
thereby undesirably leads to increase in costs.
[0005] Therefore, the problem to be solved herein is to provide a
heat dissipation device by which heat dissipating performances can
be enhanced, and heat dissipation components thereof can be easily
assembled/disassembled and altered in structural arrangement to
thereby reduce fabrication costs in the use of the heat dissipation
device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a
heat dissipation device, which can concentrate heat flows to
effectively enhance heat dissipating efficiency.
[0007] Another objective of the invention is to provide a heat
dissipation device, which can optionally change the number of heat
dissipation fans or replace the heat dissipation fans to achieve
desirable heat dissipating performances.
[0008] A further objective of the invention is to provide a heat
dissipation device having spare heat dissipation fans to prolong
lifetime of the heat dissipation device.
[0009] A further objective of the invention is to provide a heat
dissipation device in which heat dissipation fans are simple in
structure and easy to be assembled/disassembled, making structural
assembly or disassembly time-effective to implement.
[0010] In accordance of the foregoing and other objectives, the
present invention proposes a heat dissipation device for a server,
including: a fan body comprising a housing and at least a fan set,
wherein the housing encompasses to form a passage; and a guide
cover connected to the fan body. A top side of the housing is
formed with a plurality of openings by which the fan set can be
inserted into the passage of the housing, and two peripheral sides
of the housing are formed with a plurality of elastic members and
positioning holes for securing the fan set in position. Moreover,
the guide cover is made of a material with poor thermal
conductivity and formed with an opening at a side thereof connected
to a heat source of the server, the opening acting as a primary
inlet for directing heat produced from the heat source into the
passage of the housing and dissipating the heat to outside of the
server by means of the fan set.
[0011] The number of openings formed on the top side of the housing
can be optionally increased to accommodate additional fan sets that
are used to effectively dissipate concentrated heat flows from the
guide cover to outside of the server, thereby improving heat
dissipating efficiency and enhancing heat dissipating performances.
On the contrary, the fan sets can be optionally decreased in number
or replaced, making unused fan sets serve as spare fan sets that
may be in use when the primary fan sets break down to thereby
prolong lifetime of the fan body. Furthermore, the elastic members
and positioning holes formed on the housing facilitate assembly and
disassembly of the fan sets, thereby providing convenience and
flexibility in structural arrangement for a user using the heat
dissipation device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] 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:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat dissipation device
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a
schematic diagram of a housing used in the heat dissipation device
shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a fan body of the
heat dissipation device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a schematic
diagram of a guide cover used in the heat dissipation device shown
in FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of installation of the heat
dissipation device shown in FIG. 1 in a server computer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Preferred embodiments of a heat dissipation device for a
server proposed in the present invention are described in detail
with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the heat dissipation device 1 according
to a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a fan body 10
and a guide cover 30, wherein the fan boy 10 is composed of a
housing 11 and two fan sets 12 each having a fan 12' (shown in FIG.
3). Sides of the housing 11 encompass to form a passage 13 (shown
in FIG. 2), and a top side of the housing 11 is formed with two
openings 14 for allowing the two fan sets 12 to be inserted into
the passage 13 via the openings 14 respectively. The guide cover 30
is connected to the fan body 10 and formed with inlets 31 (31a,
31b, as shown in FIG. 4) used to concentrate airflows and to direct
heat produced from a system heat source into the passage 13 of the
fan body 10 by which heat can be dissipated by the fans 12 to
outside, wherein an airflow direction in the passage 13 is parallel
to an axial direction of the fan sets 12.
[0017] The housing 11 is made of a metal material, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3, sides of the housing 11 encompass to form a passage
13; in other words, the housing 11 is only formed by four sides
surrounding the passage 13 without having front and back sides to
thereby maximize area for airflows passing through the passage 13.
Moreover, a top side of the housing 11 is formed with two openings
14 spaced by an interposer 15, the openings 14 being sized
sufficiently for allowing the two fan sets 12 to be inserted via
the openings 14 respectively into the passage 13. In order to
secure the fan sets 12 in position after being inserted into the
openings 14 and to reduce vibration produced by operation of the
fans 12', two peripheral sides of the housing 11 are each formed
with a pair of elastic pressing members 16 and a pair of
positioning holes 17 corresponding in position to the two openings
14 on the top side of the housing 11. When the two fan sets 12 are
inserted into the openings 14 respectively, two sides of each of
the fan sets 12 are adapted to be engaged with the corresponding
elastic pressing members 16 and positioning holes 17, whereby the
elastic pressing members 16 are used to secure the fan sets 12 by
means of elasticity and reduce vibration of the fans 12' during
operation, and the positioning holes 17 are coupled to protrusions
18 (shown in FIG. 3) formed on the two sides of each of the fan
sets 12 to enhance positioning of the fan sets 12. Furthermore, on
an inner surface of each of the two peripheral sides of the housing
11 there are formed four stopping members 19 for clamping the side
of each of the fan sets 12 inserted into the passage 13 so as to
facilitate positioning of the fan sets 12 and reduction of
vibration during operation of the fans 12'. The above elastic
pressing members 16, positioning holes 17 and stopping members 19
formed on the housing 11 further function for simplifying assembly
and disassembly of the fan sets 12; in particular, a user can
optionally assemble or disassemble the fan sets 12 easily without
having to use extra tools. Besides, one or two fan sets 12 are
optionally utilized, or when any one of the fan sets 12 breaks
down, it can be easily removed without affecting operation of the
other fan set 12; as shown in FIG. 3, a lid 20 is attached to and
seals an opening 14 by means of a screw 25 if no fan set 12 is
provided for the opening 14 formed on the top side of the housing
11.
[0018] The guide cover 30 is made of a material with poor thermal
conductivity; as shown in FIG. 4, the guide cover 30 is shaped in
compliance with a structural arrangement of a server system where
the heat dissipation device 1 is installed. The guide cover 30 is
formed with a step-structured body 33 having differently-sized
square openings 31a, 32, wherein the larger opening 32 is connected
to the housing 11 of the fan body 10 and acts as a connection
opening, and the smaller opening 31a is connected to a system heat
source and acts as a primary inlet for the guide cover 30 When heat
flows from the system heat source enter into the guide cover 30 via
the primary inlet 31'a, they pass through the step-structured body
33 and go into the passage 13 of the housing 11 via the connection
opening 32 to thereby be dissipated by the fan sets 12 to outside
of the server system. Moreover, a top side of the step-structured
body 33 is formed with a plurality of auxiliary inlets 31b for
increasing heat flows flowing into the guide cover 30 to facilitate
improvement in heat dissipation performances the server system. A
turning portion of the step-structured body 33 is provided with a
triangular member 34 integrally formed with the body 33 and serving
as a handle for the guide cover 30.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, in the heat dissipation device 1
according to this embodiment, the fan body 10 is engaged with the
guide cover 30 in a manner that two hooks 35 integrally formed on
the top side of the step-structured body 33 in proximity to the
connection opening 32, are coupled to two apertures 21 (shown in
FIG. 2) formed on the top side of the housing 11, making the guide
cover 30 cover and abut against the top side and two peripheral
sides of the housing 11 free of any gap between the guide cover 30
and the housing 11. As a result, heat flows in the guide cover 30
can be entirely and completely directed into the passage 13 of the
housing 11 and dissipated to outside by means of the fan sets 12.
FIG. 1 further shows screws 25', 25" respectively provided on the
fan body 11 and the guide cover 30, which are used to fix the heat
dissipation device 1 to the server computer in a manner as shown in
FIG. 5.
[0020] Therefore, compared to the prior art, the heat dissipation
device 1 according to the invention is beneficial with provision of
the guide cover 3 for concentrating heat flows, the fan sets that
are replaceable and easy to be assembled/disassembled, and spare
openings 14 formed on the housing 11 for accommodating additional
fan sets 12, such that heat dissipation performances and
operational convenience for users both can be enhanced.
[0021] Furthermore, the number of fan sets 12 and corresponding
openings 14 are not limited to those shown in the drawings, but can
be flexibly increased according to different requirements and
designs to improve heat dissipating efficiency, or flexibly
adjusted in arrangement of the fan sets 12 in the use of the heat
dissipation device 1 according to the invention. The guide cover 30
is not limitedly shaped as the foregoing step-like structure but
can be flexibly shaped in compliance with a spatial arrangement of
the server computer. The location and number of auxiliary inlets
31b on the guide cover 30 can also be optionally altered in
accordance with the location of system heat source and an amount of
heat being produced.
[0022] In addition, besides the server computer, the heat
dissipation device 1 according to the invention can also be applied
to a desktop computer, notebook computer or domestic appliance that
produces heat during operation and needs to dissipate the heat to
outside, for the purposes of enhancing heat dissipation
performances and facilitating convenience in assembly/disassembly
of the heat dissipation device 1.
[0023] 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.
* * * * *