U.S. patent application number 11/163474 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-26 for heat dissipation device including dust mask.
Invention is credited to Jin-Song Feng, Cui-Jun Lu.
Application Number | 20070089862 11/163474 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37984265 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070089862 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lu; Cui-Jun ; et
al. |
April 26, 2007 |
HEAT DISSIPATION DEVICE INCLUDING DUST MASK
Abstract
A heat dissipation device includes a computer enclosure having a
panel, a heat sink installed in the computer enclosure, a fan
mounted on the heat sink, a duct and a dust mask. The panel defines
an air intake therein. The duct includes a first end portion
mounted onto the fan and a second end portion connected to the air
intake of the panel so that a sealed access is provided for air
straightly flowing from the air intake to the heat sink. The dust
mask is removably mounted on the panel and covers the air intake
for hindering dust particles from entering the computer
enclosure.
Inventors: |
Lu; Cui-Jun; (Shenzhen,
CN) ; Feng; Jin-Song; (Shenzhen, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NORTH AMERICA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
P.O. BOX 506
MERRIFIELD
VA
22116
US
|
Family ID: |
37984265 |
Appl. No.: |
11/163474 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20181
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.26 |
International
Class: |
F28D 15/00 20060101
F28D015/00 |
Claims
1. A heat dissipation device, comprising: a panel of a computer
enclosure defining an air intake; a heat sink installed in the
computer enclosure; a fan mounted on the heat sink; a duct
comprising a first end portion mounted onto the fan and a second
end portion connected to the air intake of the panel; a dust mask
mounted on the panel and covering the air intake.
2. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a
concave flange is formed at the panel at a periphery of the air
intake, and wherein the dust mask is slidable on the concave
flange.
3. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a
pair of locking ears is further formed from the flange and extended
toward each other.
4. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each
of the locking ears defines a locking hole therein.
5. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
dust mask forms inward spring hooks corresponding to the locking
holes and being capable of sliding in and out of the locking
holes.
6. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dust mask forms at least one outward rib for facilitating to
install the dust mask to the panel or remove the dust mask from the
panel.
7. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dust mask comprises a mesh portion for filtering dust
particles.
8. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
dust mask is detachable from the panel.
9. A heat dissipation device comprising: a computer enclosure
defining an air intake; a heat dissipation portion mounted within
the computer enclosure; an air driving portion mounted on the heat
dissipation portion for driving air to the heat dissipation
portion; an airflow guiding portion between the air driving portion
and the air intake to guide air flow from the air intake to the air
driving portion; and a dust particle filtering portion detachably
mounted at an exterior of the computer enclosure and covering the
air intake, to filter dust particles contained in air before the
air enters the computer enclosure.
10. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 9, wherein at
least one rib is formed at the filtering portion for facilitating
to install the filtering portion to the computer enclosure or
remove the filtering portion from the computer enclosure.
11. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 9, wherein a
concave flange is formed at the computer enclosure at a periphery
of the air intake, and wherein the filtering portion is slidable on
the concave flange.
12. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 9, wherein an
interlocking portion is formed between the computer enclosure and
the filtering portion to lock the filtering portion to the computer
enclosure.
13. The heat dissipation device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the
interlocking portion comprises a spring hook formed on the
filtering portion and a locking ear formed on the computer
enclosure and defining a locking hole therein, and wherein spring
hook is capable of sliding in the locking hole to lock the
filtering portion to the computer enclosure and sliding out of the
locking hole to detach the filtering portion from the computer
enclosure.
14. A computer system comprising: a computer enclosure having a
panel defining an air intake; a heat sink received in the computer
enclosure and adapted for thermally contacting with a
heat-generating electronic component; a fan mounted on the heat
sink; a duct having a first end located proximate to the fan and a
second end opposite the first end, the second end being attached to
the panel and surrounding the air intake; and a dust mask removably
mounted on the panel and having a dust filtering portion covering
the air intake.
15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the air intake extends
through an edge of the panel.
16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the panel forms a
concave flange at a periphery of the air intake, and the dust mask
is slidably mounted on the concave flange.
17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the panel includes a
pair of ears extending from opposite sides of the flange, the dust
mask includes two spring hooks engaging with the ears,
respectively.
18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the dust mask has a
mesh portion surrounded by the second end of the duct.
19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the dust mask forms a
hem located adjacent to the through edge of the air intake, and a
plurality of ribs formed on an outside of the dust mask and located
near the hem.
20. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the dust mask has a
plurality of spring hooks engaging in the panel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a heat
dissipation device, and more particularly to a heat dissipation
device having a dust mask combined to an air intake of an enclosure
of a computer for preventing dust from entering the enclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] Over the past few years, CPU speeds have been increasing at
a dramatic rate. In order to more speedily processing information,
CPUs have more transistors which consume more power and have higher
clock rates. This leads to greater heat produced by the CPU in the
computer. The heat can accumulate and generate unacceptable high
temperature and thermal stress on the CPU, resulting in reliability
performance degradation and system malfunction. Heat sinks have
been added to all modern PC CPUs to help to dissipate the heat from
the processors into the surrounding environment. A Fan is generally
mounted onto the heat sink to accelerate air to enter and exit an
enclosure in which a CPU is placed, in order to enhance air
convection in the enclosure.
[0003] However, air outside of the enclosure always contains dust
particles. When the air enters the enclosure, the dust particles
are taken into the enclosure by the air. The dust particles are
driven by the fan to the heat sink and finally stack onto the
printed circuit board on which the CPU is installed. The dust
particles can deteriorate the reliability performance of electronic
elements on the printed circuit board and even destroy the
electronic elements.
[0004] In order to remove the dust particles on the printed circuit
board and protect the electronic elements on the printed circuit
board from being adversely affected and destroyed, the enclosure is
needed to be frequently opened so that a cleaning can be made to
the electronic elements. After the dust particles on the printed
circuit board are swept out, the enclosure is reassembled. This is
labor consuming and troublesome for computer users. Additionally,
frequent opening and reassembling of the enclosure make the
electronic elements in the enclosure at the risk of spoilage.
[0005] What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation device
including a dust mask, which is convenient to block dust particles
from entering an enclosure of a computer.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0006] A heat dissipation device in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the present invention comprises a computer enclosure
having a panel, a heat sink installed in the computer enclosure, a
fan mounted on the heat sink, a duct and a dust mask. The panel
defines an air intake therein. The duct comprises a first end
portion mounted onto the fan and a second end portion connected to
the air intake of the panel so that a sealed access is provided for
air straightly flowing from the air intake to the heat sink via the
fan. The dust mask is movably mounted on the panel and covers the
air intake for hindering dust particles from entering the computer
enclosure. The dust mask has two spring hooks engaging in two holes
defined in the panel and located adjacent to the air intake.
[0007] Other advantages and novel features will become more
apparent from the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a heat dissipation device in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1; and
[0010] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a panel of a computer
enclosure and a dust mask of the heat dissipation device of FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a heat dissipation device of a
preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a heat sink 10
functioning as a heat dissipation portion, a fan 20 mounted onto
the heat sink 10 and functioning as an air driving portion, a duct
30 functioning as an airflow guiding portion, a computer enclosure
wherein only a panel 40 is shown in FIGS. 1-3, and a dust mask 50
functioning as a dust particle filtering portion.
[0012] The panel 40 defines an air intake 42 for providing cooling
air exterior of the computer enclosure with an access to enter the
enclosure. The air intake 42 is extended through an edge of the
panel 40. A concave flange 44 is formed at the panel 40, at a
periphery of the air intake 42. A pair of locking ears 46 is
further formed from opposite sides of the flange 44, respectively,
extending toward each other. Each locking ear 46 defines a locking
hole 48 therein.
[0013] The dust mask 50 is plate-shaped. A mesh portion 52 is
formed at an end of the dust mask 50, for hindering dust particles
contained in the cooling air outside the computer enclosure from
entering the computer. A hem 54 is perpendicularly bent from an
opposite end of the dust mask 50, for abutting against a side panel
(not shown) of the computer enclosure near and perpendicular to the
panel 40. The hem 54 can function as a gripping portion for a user
to grasp to pull the dust mask 50 out of the panel 40 in order to
replace it with a new one when the dust mask 50 is dirty, or to
push the dust mask 50 into the panel in order to mount the dust
mask 50. The dust mask 50 forms two inward projecting spring hooks
58 corresponding to the locking ears 46 of the panel 40 (clearly
seen in FIG. 3). In order to install the dust mask 50 to the panel
40, the dust mask 50 is brought to slide on the flange 44 from the
opened edge of the air intake 42 toward a middle of the panel 40 to
reach a position at which the dust mask 50 entirely covers the air
intake 42 of the panel 40. At the finally installed position, the
spring hooks 58 resiliently lock in the holes 48 of the locking
ears 46, respectively, so that the dust mask 50 is secured on the
panel 40. The dust mask 50 can be removed from the panel 40 for
cleaning or being replaced with a new one. For doing this, the
spring hooks 58 are capable of being disengaged from the locking
holes 48 when a large force is applied to the hem 54 to pull the
dust mask 50 away from the air intake 42. Referring to FIG. 2, the
dust mask 50 further forms three outward ribs 56 for facilitating
to install the dust mask 50 to the panel 40 or remove the dust mask
50 from the panel 40. The ribs 56 are located near the hem 54.
Summarily, the spring hooks 58 are slidable in and out of the
locking holes 48 to conveniently install the dust mask 50 to the
panel 40 or remove the dust mask 50 from the panel 40. In the
preferred embodiment, the locking ears 46 and the spring hooks 58
cooperatively form an interlocking portion to lock the dust mask 50
to the panel 40.
[0014] The duct 30 comprises a first end portion (not labeled)
mounted onto the fan to cover the fan 20, and a second end portion
(not labeled) connected to the air intake 42 of the panel 40 and
hermetically surrounding the mesh portion 52 of the dust mask 50,
thereby forming a sealed access for air flowing from the air intake
42 of the panel 40 to the fan 30. Therefore, cooling air at
exterior of the enclosure will be straightly drawn from the air
intake 42 of the panel 40 into the duct 30 by the fan 20, and then
directly impinge on the heat sink 10 to dissipate heat thereof.
Before the cooling air enters the enclosure, the dust mask 50
firstly filters dust particles contained in the cooling air, for
keeping the cooling air entering the enclosure clean and thus
protecting the electronic elements in the enclosure from being
adversely affected or destroyed by the dust particles.
[0015] The heat dissipation device in the preferred embodiment
provides a dust mask 50 which is conveniently installed to and
removed from the panel 40 of the computer enclosure. As a result,
dust particles are hindered from entering the enclosure. This
avoids adverse affection or destroy of the electronic elements in
the enclosure by the dust particles. The enclosure with a dust mask
detachably mounted thereon is therefore no longer needed to be
opened and reassembled again frequently in comparison with an
enclosure without a dust mask. The electronic elements in the
enclosure in accordance with present invention do not have the risk
of spoilage due to frequent opening and reassembling of the
enclosure.
[0016] The heat dissipation device of the preferred embodiment
further provides a sealed access for air entering the enclosure
from the air intake 42 of the panel 40 to the heat sink 10. This
access results in that the cooling air straightly enters the duct
30 from the air intake 42 of the panel 40 and fully blows toward
the heat sink 10, to enhance heat dissipation efficiency of the
heat dissipation device.
[0017] It is believed that the present embodiments and their
advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and
it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or
sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples
hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary
embodiments of the invention.
* * * * *