Airflow guide member and electronic device having the same

An electronic device includes a bottom plate, a circuit board having an electronic component, a fan, and an airflow guide member. The circuit board is fixed to the bottom plate. The fan is arranged at the front of the circuit board. The airflow guide member is arranged between the fan and the circuit board. The airflow guide member includes an airflow guide wall defining a number of spaced slots, and a number of stop plates selectively inserted into the corresponding slots of the airflow guide wall, to leave some of the slots directly in front of the bottom of the electronic component open.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Relevant subject matter is disclosed in a co-pending U.S. patent application (U.S. application Ser. No. 13/111,978) filed on the same date and having a same title with the present application, which is assigned to the same assignee as named herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an airflow guide member and an electronic device having the airflow guide member.

2. Description of Related Art

Typically, a fan is mounted in an electronic device to direct air from outside into the electronic device, for forming airflow in a direction to cool a plurality of electronic components on a motherboard mounted in the electronic device. However, some of the air is blown underneath the motherboard where it is not effective in heat dissipation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of an electronic device includes a bottom plate10, a circuit board20, a plurality of fans30, and an airflow guide member40.

A plurality of posts12is formed on the bottom plate10. A threaded hole121is defined in each post12.

A plurality of fixing holes23is defined in the circuit board20corresponding to the threaded holes121of the bottom plate10. An electronic component25is installed on the circuit board20.

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the airflow guide member40includes a hollow main body41, and a plurality of stop plates47.

The main body41includes an elongated bottom wall42, an elongated airflow guide wall43slantingly extending up from a front long side of the bottom wall42, and two resilient arms45extending rearwards from a slanted face-down surface of the airflow guide wall43adjacent to opposite ends of the airflow guide wall43. A plurality of lengthwise spaced slots431is defined in the airflow guide wall43through the main body41. The number of the slots431is greater than the number of the stop plates47. A number of grooves44are respectively defined in the bottom wall42right below the slots431and the slanted face-down surface of the airflow guide wall43right behind the slots431. Rear ends of the grooves44extend through rear sides of the corresponding bottom wall42and the airflow guide wall43, respectively. A concavity442is defined in a bottom of each groove44. Middle sections of the resilient arms45are bent towards each other, and respectively form an arc-shaped hook451. Distal ends of the resilient arms45are bent towards each other, and respectively form a slanted surface453. A plurality of skid-resistant protrusions455is formed on an outer surface of each resilient arm45between the corresponding hook451and slanted surface453.

Each stop plate47is substantially trapezoid-shaped, and an inclined surface471extending up and back is formed on a front side of the stop plate47. The incline angle of the inclined surface471is equal to the incline angle of the airflow guide wall43of the main body41. Two arc-shaped protrusions473are respectively formed on top and bottom portions of each stop plate47. Two operable notches475are respectively defined in opposite sides of each stop plate47away from the corresponding inclined surface471.

The stop plates47can be selectively inserted into the main body41, with the top and bottom portions of each stop plate47received in the corresponding grooves44of the airflow guide wall43and the bottom wall42, and the protrusions473of each stop plate47engaging in the concavities442of the corresponding grooves44. The front side of each stop plate47is inserted into the corresponding slot431of the airflow guide wall43, with the inclined surface471on the same plane with a slanted face-up surface of the airflow guide wall43. Thereby, the slots431are selectively blocked by the stop plates47.

In assembly, the circuit board20is placed on the posts12of the bottom plate10. A number of screws (not shown) are respectively extended through the fixing holes23and engaged in the corresponding threaded holes121, to fix the circuit board20to the bottom plate10. The fans30are arranged on the bottom plate10at the front of the circuit board20. The airflow guide member40is arranged between the circuit board20and the fans30, with the airflow guide wall43facing the fans30, and the slanted surface453aligning with two corresponding posts12adjacent to the fans30. According to the position of the electronic component25, the stop plates47are selectively inserted into the main body41, to allow some of the slots431directly in front of the bottom of the electronic component25not to be blocked by the stop plates47, and the other slots431to be blocked by the inserted stop plates47. The airflow guide member40is pushed towards the circuit board20, to allow the resilient arms45to be inserted into a space between the circuit board20and bottom plate10. The slanted surfaces453abut against the corresponding posts12and deform the resilient arms45towards each other, until the hooks451align with the corresponding posts12, respectively. The resilient arms45restore, and the corresponding posts12respectively engage in the hooks451, fixing the airflow guide member40to the bottom plate10. A rear side of the airflow guide wall43abuts against a front side of the circuit board20.

When the electronic device works, the fans30blow air to the circuit board20. Some of the airflow directly flows over the circuit board20, and some of the airflow passes over the airflow guide wall43and the inclined surface471of the stop plates47and then flows over the circuit board20. The airflow above the circuit board20can provide efficient heat dissipation for the electronic component25and other heat generating elements installed on the circuit board20. A little of the airflow goes through the slots431unblocked by the stop plates47, and flows underneath the circuit board20, to dissipate heat for the electronic component25from a bottom surface of the circuit board20. In this embodiment, the airflow guide member40can guide most of the airflow upwards to the top of the circuit board20, and allow just a minimum portion of the airflow to flow underneath the circuit board20, which improves effectiveness of the airflow and enhances heat dissipation efficiency of the electronic device.

To detach the airflow guide member40from the bottom plate10, the sections of the resilient arms45having the skid-resistant protrusions455are pressed toward each other, to allow the hooks451of the resilient arms45to be disengaged from the corresponding posts12. Thereby, the airflow guide member40can be detached.

In other embodiments, to save money on materials, the resilient arms45of the airflow guide member40can be omitted, and the airflow guide member40can be fixed to the bottom plate10through use of other fixing device, such as screws or latches.