Abstract:
A fan holder ( 1 ) includes a base ( 12 ) for supporting a fan ( 3 ) thereon and a pair of locking members ( 14 ) pivotally connected to the base. Each of the locking members includes a pivot shaft ( 142 ) and a handle ( 144 ) extending perpendicularly from the pivot shaft. The pivot shaft includes a pivot section ( 1422 ) and a pressing section ( 1426 ) offsetting from the pivot section and spaced from the base, wherein the handle is capable of rotating about an axis of the pivot shaft to lock with the base and to cause the pressing section to exert a force against the fan toward the base to securely attach the fan to the base.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a fan holder attached to a heat sink, and more particularly to a fan holder conveniently securing a fan onto a heat sink.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Numerous modern electronic devices such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers generate large amounts of heat during operation. The heat must be efficiently removed from the CPU; otherwise, abnormal operation or damage may result. Typically, a heat sink is attached on the CPU to remove heat therefrom. A fan is mounted on top of the heat sink to enhance heat dissipation efficiency.  
         [0005]     The fan commonly defines four through holes in four corners of a frame thereof. Four screws are inserted through the through holes of the frame and engaged with fins of the heat sink, thereby securing the fan to the heat sink. However, the fins of the heat sink are normally relatively thin, and are prone to be deformed or damaged when the screws are engaged therewith. When this happens, the screws are easily loosened or even disengaged from the fins. When the fan is no longer securely mounted on the heat sink, the fan may operate less efficiently and cause noise.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     Accordingly, what is needed is a fan holder which safely and conveniently secures a fan to a heat sink.  
         [0007]     A fan holder in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base for supporting a fan thereon and a pair of locking members pivotally connected to the base. Each of the locking members comprises a pivot shaft and a handle extending perpendicularly from the pivot shaft. The pivot shaft comprises a pivot section and a pressing section offsetting from the pivot section and spaced from the base, wherein the handle is capable of rotating about an axis of the pivot shaft to lock with the base and to cause the pressing section to exert a force against the fan toward the base to securely attach the fan to the base.  
         [0008]     Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a fan holder in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with a fan, a heat sink mounted on a printed circuit board;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the fan holder of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a circled part III of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded, isometric view of a fan holder in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with a fan, a heat sink mounted on a printed circuit board;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the fan holder of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is an assembled view of  FIG. 5 , but with a part of the fan being cut away to more clearly show a relationship between the fan and the fan holder;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is an exploded, isometric view of a fan holder in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with a fan, a heat sink mounted on a printed circuit board;  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is an assembled view of  FIG. 8 , but the fan is in an unlocked position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9  with the fan in a locked position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a fan holder  1  for mounting a fan  3  to a heat sink  5  comprises a base  12  and two locking members  14  pivotally connected to the base  12 . The fan  3  comprises a frame having a rectangular configuration. The frame comprises a top plate  32  and a bottom plate  34 . The heat sink  5  comprises a pair of grooves  52  defined in a top of the heat sink  5 .  
         [0020]     The base  12  holds the heat sink  5  thereunder and supports the fan  3  thereon. An opening  122  is defined in a center of the base  12  for providing an air access from the fan  3  to the heat sink  5 . In detail, the base  12  comprises four beams  123 ,  124 ,  125 ,  126  at a periphery of the opening  122 . The beam  123  is parallel to the beam  125  and is perpendicular to the beams  124 ,  126  which are parallel to each other. Four flanges  1232 ,  1242 ,  1252 ,  1262  extend upwardly from outer edges of the beams  123 ,  124 ,  125 ,  126  respectively to form a substantially rectangular space to accommodate the fan  3  therein. A plurality of engaging members  1243  extends downwardly from inner edges of the opposite beams  124 ,  126  to engage within the grooves  52  defined in the top of the heat sink  5 , wherein only the engaging members  1243  located on the beam  124  are completely visible in  FIG. 1 . The fan holder  1  is securely mounted on the heat sink  5  via the engaging members  1243  in engagement with the grooves  52  or via welding. A pair of spaced blocking flakes  1244  extends upwardly and inwardly from the flange  124  to block the fan  3  from departing from the base  12 . Four spaced tabs  127  extend upwardly from the flange  1262  and then are bent inwardly to thereby define a receiving space (not labeled) between the tabs  127  and the base  12  to pivotally receive and position the locking members  14 . The tabs  127  are disposed at two opposite sides of the flange  1262 . A pair of cutouts  128  is defined in two adjacent corners of the base  12 , respectively, located between the flanges  1232 ,  1252  and the tabs  127  adjacent to the flanges  1232 ,  1252 , as clearly shown in  FIG. 3 . A C-shaped ear  129  is outwardly formed on each of the flanges  1232 ,  1252  of the base  12 .  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each locking member  14  is substantially L-shaped with a pivot shaft  142  and a handle  144  extending perpendicularly from one end of the pivot shaft  142 . The pivot shaft  142  comprises two pivot sections  1422  substantially in line with each other to define a pivoting axis, a pair of connecting sections  1424  extending perpendicularly from two ends of the pivot sections  1422 , respectively, and a U-shaped pressing section  1426  formed on a top of the connecting sections  1424  and connected to the pivot sections  1422  via the connecting sections  1424 . The pressing section  1426  offsets from the pivot sections  1422 . The pressing section  1426  is disposed in a plane parallel to the base  12  and perpendicular from the connecting sections  1424 . The handle  144  is angled to the base  12  and the connecting sections  1424  when the pivot sections  1422  of the locking member  14  is pivotally positioned between the tabs  127  and the base  12  (clearly seen in  FIG. 2 ). A free end of the handle  144  is folded back for facilitating an operation of the locking member  14 . The locking members  14  can be made of metal wire.  
         [0022]     Referring particularly to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in assembly, the pivot sections  1422  of each locking member  14  are lodged in the receiving space between the tabs  127  and the base  12 . The pressing section  1426  of each locking member  14  is located between adjacent two tabs  127 . Each cutout  128  receives a corresponding locking member  14  at a conjunction of the locking member  14  between the handle  14  and the pivot section  1422 . Thus, the locking members  14  are pivotally assembled to the base  12 . On this point, the handles  144  are disposed beyond the flanges  1232 ,  1252  and can rotate around the axes determined by the pivot sections  1422  from an unlocked position at which the handles  144  are angled to the base  12  and the U-shaped pressing sections  1426  are away from the frame of the fan  3  to a locked position at which the handles  144  are parallel to the base  12  and are locked under the corresponding ears  129  and the pressing sections  1426  are firmly pressed on the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3 .  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in operation, the fan holder  1  is mounted on the top of the heat sink  5 . Initially, the handles  144  are located at the unlocked position at which the angle between the handles  144  and the base  12  is about 90 degrees so that the pressing sections  1426  allow the fan  3  to be placed on the base  12 . The fan  3  is placed on top of the base  12 . The blocking flakes  1244  contact a top of the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3  to prevent the fan  3  from departing from the base  12 . Then, the handles  144  are rotated with respect to the axes of the pivot shafts  142  to cause the pressing sections  1426  to move toward the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3 . When the angle between the handles  144  and the base  12  changes to about 45 degrees, the pressing sections  1426  contact the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3 . When the handles  144  are finally locked with corresponding ears  129 , the pressing sections  1426  engagingly press the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3  downward and generate downward force against the bottom plate  34 . Thus, the fan  3  is securely mounted onto the fan holder  1 .  
         [0024]     To detach the fan  3  from the fan holder  1 , the handles  144  are detached from the ears  129  and rotated with respect to the axes of the pivot shafts  142  to cause the pressing sections  1426  to move away from the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3 . Then the fan  3  can be removed away from the base  12 .  
         [0025]      FIGS. 5-7  illustrate a fan holder  1 ′ according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between the second preferred embodiment and the first embodiment is that the locking members  14 ′ are pivotally connected to a base  12 ′ at two diagonal corners of the base  12 ′, wherein tabs  127 ′, cutouts  128 ′ and ears  129 ′ are formed on the base  12 ′ and adjacent to corresponding locking members  14 ′. The blocking flakes  1244 ′ shown in the first embodiment are left out in this second embodiment. Other elements and operation of the second preferred embodiment can be referenced to the description of the first preferred embodiment and omitted herewith.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 8-10  illustrate a fan holder  1 ″ according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between the third preferred embodiment and the first embodiment is that each locking member  14 ″ further comprises a pushing section  1428  between a free end of the pivot shaft  142 ″ and the pressing section  1426 ″. The pushing section  1428  offsets from a pivot section (not labeled) of the pivot shaft  142 ″ and has a profile lower than that of the pressing section  1426 ″. The pushing section  1428  is disposed between the corresponding adjacent tabs  127 ″ when the locking member  14 ″ is assembled to the base  12 ″. Operation is similar to that of the first preferred embodiment. When the fan  3  is attached to the base  12 ″, the handles  144 ″ are rotated from their unlocked position to their locked position. First, the pushing sections  1428  push the fan  3  toward the blocking flakes  1244  to accurately locate the fan  3  on the base  12 ″ before the pressing sections  1426 ″ contacting the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3 . Then the pressing sections  1426 ″ contact the bottom plate  34  of the frame of the fan  3  and press the fan  3  downward. Thus, the fan  3  is securely mounted on the fan holder  1 ″.  
         [0027]     It is believed that the present invention and its 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.