U.S. patent application number 13/525490 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-02 for fan module.
This patent application is currently assigned to HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is CHAO GENG, BIAO ZENG, XIANG ZHANG. Invention is credited to CHAO GENG, BIAO ZENG, XIANG ZHANG.
Application Number | 20130108439 13/525490 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48172641 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130108439 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ZHANG; XIANG ; et
al. |
May 2, 2013 |
FAN MODULE
Abstract
A fan module includes a fan body and a cover. The fan body
defines a mounting hole. The cover is secured to the fan body and
includes a spoke and a hook extending from the spoke. The hook
includes a connecting portion and an elastically deformable
latching portion. The connecting portion is connected to the spoke.
The elastically deformable latching portion extends from the
connecting portion. The connecting portion is received in the
mounting hole. The elastically deformable latching portion is
engaged with the fan body.
Inventors: |
ZHANG; XIANG; (Wuhan City,
CN) ; GENG; CHAO; (Wuhan City, CN) ; ZENG;
BIAO; (Wuhan City, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ZHANG; XIANG
GENG; CHAO
ZENG; BIAO |
Wuhan City
Wuhan City
Wuhan City |
|
CN
CN
CN |
|
|
Assignee: |
HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO.,
LTD.
Tu-Cheng
TW
HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (WUHAN) CO., LTD.
Wuhan City
CN
|
Family ID: |
48172641 |
Appl. No.: |
13/525490 |
Filed: |
June 18, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/220 ;
415/182.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 29/703 20130101;
H05K 7/20181 20130101; G06F 1/20 20130101; F04D 29/646
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/220 ;
415/182.1 |
International
Class: |
F04D 29/52 20060101
F04D029/52; F04D 19/00 20060101 F04D019/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 31, 2011 |
CN |
201110337345.2 |
Claims
1. A fan module, comprising: a fan body defining a mounting hole;
and a cover secured to the fan body and comprising a spoke and a
hook extending from the spoke; the hook comprising a connecting
portion and an elastically deformable latching portion, the
connecting portion being connected to the spoke, and the
elastically deformable latching portion being extended from the
connecting portion; wherein the connecting portion is received in
the mounting hole, and the elastically deformable latching portion
is engaged with the fan body.
2. The fan module of claim 1, wherein the hook further comprises a
resisting portion, the resisting portion is connected to both the
connecting portion and the elastically deformable latching portion,
and the resisting portion abuts an inner surface of the mounting
hole.
3. The fan module of claim 2, wherein the resisting portion is
located between the spoke and the elastically deformable latching
portion.
4. The fan module of claim 2, wherein the resisting portion defines
an arc-shaped surface.
5. The fan module of claim 2, wherein the elastically deformable
latching portion comprises a sliding plane and a latching plane,
the sliding plane abuts the inner surface of the mounting hole when
the elastically deformable latching portion is slid in the mounting
hole, and the sliding plane is curved.
6. The fan module of claim 5, wherein the latching plane is
connected to the sliding plane and engaged with the fan body.
7. The fan module of claim 5, wherein the latching plane is
substantially parallel to the spoke and located between the spoke
and the sliding plane.
8. The fan module of claim 5, wherein the resisting portion is
located between the spoke and the latching plane.
9. The fan module of claim 1, wherein the hook is substantially
perpendicular to the spoke.
10. The fan module of claim 1, wherein a cross section of the
connecting portion is triangular.
11. A fan module, comprising: a fan body comprising a cage and a
plurality of fan blades; the cage comprising a top plate and a
bottom plate opposite to the top plate, the top plate defining an
opening for the plurality of fan blades passing through, and the
top plate further defining a mounting hole; and a cover secured to
the fan body and comprising a spoke and a hook extending from the
spoke; the hook comprising a connecting portion, a resisting
portion, and an elastically deformable latching portion, the
connecting portion being connected to the spoke, and each of the
elastically deformable latching portion and the resisting portion
being extended from the connecting portion; wherein the connecting
portion and the resisting portion are received in the mounting
hole, the resisting portion abuts an inner surface of the mounting
hole, and the latching portion extends out of the mounting hole and
engaged with the top plate.
12. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the resisting portion is
connected to a side of the connecting portion, and the elastically
deformable latching portion is located on a bottom end of the
connecting portion.
13. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the resisting portion is
located between the spoke and the elastically deformable latching
portion.
14. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the resisting portion
defines an arc-shaped surface.
15. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the elastically deformable
latching portion comprises a sliding plane and a latching plane,
the sliding plane abuts the inner surface of the mounting hole when
the elastically deformable latching portion is slid in the mounting
hole, and the sliding plane is curved.
16. The fan module of claim 15, wherein the latching plane is
connected to the sliding plane and engaged with the fan body.
17. The fan module of claim 15, wherein the latching plane is
substantially parallel to the spoke and located between the spoke
and the sliding plane.
18. The fan module of claim 15, wherein the resisting portion is
located between the spoke and the latching plane.
19. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the hook is substantially
perpendicular to the spoke.
20. The fan module of claim 11, wherein a cross section of the
connecting portion is triangular.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a fan module, and
particularly to a fan module of a server or a computer.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Fan modules may be used for cooling electronic devices, such
as computers. Many fan modules include a fan body and a cover or
grill guards to prevent users from accidentally touching rotating
fan blades and getting injured. However, the cover is secured to
the fan body by screws, which are laborious and inconvenient to
install. Therefore, an improved fan module is desired within the
art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood
with reference to the drawings. The components in the drawings are
not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed
upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments.
Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate
corresponding parts throughout the several views.
[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a fan module in
accordance with an embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from a different
aspect.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a circled portion III of FIG.
2.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an assembled, isometric view of the fan module of
FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 5 is an assembled, isometric view of the fan module of
FIG. 2.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the fan module of FIG.
5, taken along a line VI-VI of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by
way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in
which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted
that references to "an" or "one" embodiment in this disclosure are
not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at
least one.
[0013] FIGS. 1-3 show a fan module in accordance with an embodiment
including a fan body 10 and a cover 20.
[0014] The fan body 10 includes a cage 11 and a plurality of fan
blades 13. The cage 11 includes a top plate 113 and a bottom plate
115 opposite to the top plate 113. The top plate 113 defines a
receiving opening 112. The receiving opening 112 extends to the
bottom plate 115 for receiving the plurality of fan blades 13. The
top plate 113 defines four mounting holes 1131 in four corners of
the top plate 113. In one embodiment, the top plate 113 and the
bottom plate 115 are rectangular, and each of the four mounting
holes 1131 is round.
[0015] The cover 20 includes four spokes 21 and a plurality of
guards 23 connected to the four spokes 21. Each adjacent two of the
four spokes 21 are substantially perpendicular to each other. Each
of the four spokes 21 has an equal length. A hook 25
perpendicularly extends from an end of each of the four spokes 21.
Each hook 25 includes a connecting portion 251, a latching portion
253, and a resisting portion 255. In one embodiment, a cross
section of the connecting portion 251 is triangular. The latching
portion 253 includes a latching plane 2531 and a sliding plane 2533
connected to the latching portion 253. The latching plane 2531 is
connected to the sliding plane 2533 and located between a
corresponding one of the spokes 21 and the sliding plane 2533. The
resisting portion 255 is located between the corresponding spoke 21
and the latching plane 2531 and connected to the connecting portion
251. In one embodiment, the sliding planes 2533 are curved, and the
resisting portions 255 have an arc-shaped profile, and each of the
guards 23 is circular. The hooks 25 can be engaged in the mounting
holes 1131.
[0016] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the cover 20, in assembly, is moved
to align the hooks 25 with the mounting holes 1131. The cover 20 is
pressed to the top plate 113 so that the hooks 25 are elastically
deformed outwards by inner edges of the mounting holes 1131 so that
the hooks 25 may insert into the mounting holes 1131. Once the
sliding planes 2533 abut inner surfaces of the mounting holes 1131,
the latching portions 253 extend out of the mounting holes 1131,
and the hooks 25 rebound to engage with bottom edges of the
mounting holes 1131. In this position, each latching plane 2531
abuts a bottom surface of the top plate 113 and is located between
the top plate 113 and the bottom plate 115, and each resisting
portion 255 abuts the inner surface of the corresponding mounting
hole 1131. Thus, the cover 20 is mounted to the top plate 113.
[0017] In disassembly, the latching portion 253 is pulled outwards
to elastically deform the hooks 25 until the hooks 25 disengage
from the mounting holes 1131. Thus, the cover 20 is removed from
the corresponding mounting hole 1131.
[0018] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing
description of embodiments, together with details of the structures
and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative
only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters
of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of
the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general
meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *