Server with airflow guiding structure

A server with an airflow guiding structure includes a chassis having a storage area, a computing area and a fan module installed between the storage area and the computing area. The storage area includes multiple storage modules, and the computing area includes a fan module and a motherboard electrically coupled to each storage module. The fan module has an air inlet configured to be corresponding to the storage area, an air outlet configured to be corresponsive to the computing area and an airflow guiding component with multiple airflow guiding ducts. The airflow guiding component is configured to be corresponsive to the air inlet. Therefore, the vibration of the fan module is reduced and the operation efficiency of the storage medium and the service life of the server are improved.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates to a server and more particularly to the server with an airflow guiding structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the transmission efficiency and speed of network technologies increase constantly, computer servers are installed with storage modules such as floppy disk drive, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), and burner to execute related operations to process huge data. However, the operation of the computer servers may generate heat to affect the performance of the storage modules or other adjacent electronic components, or even cause breakdowns of these storage modules, so that it is necessary to dissipate the heat to reduce the failure rate of the computer server.

To overcome the aforementioned heat dissipation issue, a high-performance cooling fan is installed in the chassis of the present existing storage modules to produce airflow to actively discharge the waste heat generated by the electronic devices to the outside. Although the high-performance cooling fan can accelerate the dissipation of the waste heat generated by the electronic devices, yet vibration and noise are generated by the high-frequency rotating vanes of the cooling fan and transmitted to the storage modules and other components through structure-borne or air-borne transmission paths along the chassis, so as to reduce the efficiency of the storage devices or other operating components, or even affect the service life of these components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of this disclosure to provide a server with an airflow guiding structure capable of reducing the vibration of a fan module and improving the operation efficiency of a storage medium and the service life of the server.

Another objective of this disclosure is to provide a server with an airflow guiding structure and having an excellent structural strength to reduce the vibration of the structure and the transmission of the acoustic wave.

A further objective of this disclosure is to provide a server with an airflow guiding structure with simple structure, convenient installation, and low manufacturing cost.

To achieve the aforementioned and other objectives, this disclosure provides a server with an airflow guiding structure, comprising a chassis, including a storage area, a computing area, and a fan module installed between the storage area and the computing area, and the storage area having a plurality of storage modules installed therein, and the computing area including the fan module and a motherboard electrically coupled to each storage module, wherein the fan module has an air inlet configured to be corresponsive to the storage area and an air outlet configured to be corresponsive to the computing area, and the fan module has an airflow guiding component with a plurality of airflow guiding ducts, and the airflow guiding component is configured to be corresponsive to the air inlet.

In a specific embodiment, the fan module further comprises a fan frame, at least a fan installed in the fan frame, a bracket installed on a side of the fan frame, and a plurality of elastic members for positioning the fan frame on the chassis.

In a specific embodiment, the bracket has a plurality of hooks disposed on a side of the bracket, and the fan frame corresponding to each hook has a plurality of latch holes provided for fixing each hook onto the fan frame.

In a specific embodiment, the airflow guiding component is mounted onto the fan frame by the bracket, and the area of the fan frame is configured to be corresponsive to the area of the airflow guiding component.

In a specific embodiment, the fan frame has a plurality of first openings, and the bracket has a plurality of second openings formed thereon and configured to be corresponsive to the first openings respectively.

In a specific embodiment, each airflow guiding duct is configured to be corresponsive to each respective second opening, so that airflow passes from the air inlet through each second opening, each airflow guiding duct, each first opening, and then discharges from the air outlet to the outside.

In a specific embodiment, the cross section of each airflow guiding duct is in a honeycomb shape.

In a specific embodiment, the airflow guiding component has a channel length (thickness) from 5 mm to 10 mm.

In a specific embodiment, the cross section of each airflow guiding duct has a channel width (diameter) from 3 mm to 6 mm.

In a specific embodiment, the chassis further comprises a cover plate for covering the computing area and the fan module, and the cover plate has a plurality of first heat dissipating holes configured to be corresponsive to the fan module and a plurality of second heat dissipating holes configured to be corresponsive to the computing area.

In a specific embodiment, the server further comprises two side panels vertically coupled to the chassis, and each side panel having at least a first rib installed between the fan module and the storage area.

In a specific embodiment, the chassis has a plurality of second ribs and a plurality of third ribs disposed at the bottom of the chassis.

In a specific embodiment, the second ribs are separated from one another and configured to be corresponsive to the fan module and the computing area.

In a specific embodiment, the third ribs are coupled to each other and configured to be corresponsive to the storage area.

In a specific embodiment, the chassis further comprises a back panel installed between the storage area and the fan module, and each storage module is electrically coupled to the motherboard through the back panel.

This embodiment further has the following advantages: By the fan module installed with the airflow guiding component, the elastic member of the fan module, and each rib installed onto the chassis, the vibration (including air-borne or structure-borne transmission) produced during the operation of the fan module can be reduced to improve the operation efficiency of each storage medium and the service life of the server.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical contents of this disclosure will become apparent with the detailed description of preferred embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2for a server with an airflow guiding structure in accordance with this disclosure, the server with an airflow guiding structure10comprises a chassis1and a frame (not shown in the figures) of the chassis1. The chassis1includes a storage area11, a computing area12, and a fan module13installed between the storage area11and the computing area12. The storage area11has a plurality of storage modules111, each including but not limited to a traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD) and a Solid State drive (SSD). Each storage module111is inserted and connected to the storage area11by a method such as stacking the storage modules111onto the bottom plate of the chassis1parallelly. The computing area12has a fan module13and a motherboard121electrically coupled to each storage module111.

In an embodiment as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the computing area12preferably includes two motherboards121separated by a power supply device122, and the quantity of fan modules13is preferably a group, and each fan module13is configured to be corresponsive to each respective motherboard121. In addition, the chassis1further comprises a back panel16installed between the storage area11and the fan module13. Each storage module111is electrically coupled to the corresponding motherboard121through the back panel16for performing short message, video/image and e-mail related computations or operations.

With reference toFIGS. 4 to 6, the fan module13further comprises an air inlet131configured to be corresponsive to the storage area11and an air outlet132configured to be corresponsive to the computing area12. The fan module13has an airflow guiding component15with a plurality of airflow guiding ducts151, and the airflow guiding component15is configured in a direction corresponding to the air inlet131for guiding disordered or unstable airflow into the fan module13and then discharging the airflow from the air outlet132to the outside.

The fan module13further comprises a fan frame133, at least a fan134installed into the fan frame133, a bracket135installed onto a side of the fan frame133, and a plurality of elastic members14for positioning the fan frame133onto the chassis1. In an embodiment as shown inFIG. 3, the bracket135further has a plurality of hooks136disposed on a side of the bracket135and separated from one another, and the fan frame133has a plurality of latch holes137configured to be corresponsive to the hooks136respectively, so that each hook136is latched and fixed to the fan frame133, so that the airflow guiding component15can be fixed onto the fan frame133by the bracket135. In an embodiment as shown inFIG. 4, a pair of axial fans is preferably accommodated in the rectangular fan frame133, wherein the quantity and type of the fans134may be changed as needed.

In an embodiment as shown inFIGS. 3 to 6, the airflow guiding component15is preferably in the shape of a rectangular plate clamped between the bracket135and the fan frame133. In an embodiment as shown inFIG. 7, a part of the airflow guiding component15may be in a circular shape in correspondence with the shape of each fan134, or the airflow guiding components15may be distributed all over the whole fan frame133to improve the guiding and unifying effects. In addition, the elastic member14as shown inFIGS. 3 to 7is preferably made of rubber, silicone, or any other appropriate buffer material, so that the vibration produced during the operation of the fan module13may be absorbed by each elastic member14to prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the outside through the chassis1by a structure-borne transmission.

The fan frame133further has a plurality of first openings138, and the bracket135has a plurality of second openings139configured to be corresponsive to the first openings138respectively to facilitate the circulation of the cooling airflow. Each first opening138and each second opening139are designed with a size as large as possible while taking a specific structural strength into consideration. When the fan134of the fan module13is operated at a high speed, a cooling airflow sequentially passes from the air inlet131through each second opening139, each airflow guiding duct151and each first opening138, and then discharges from the air outlet132to the outside. Since each airflow guiding duct151of the airflow guiding component15can guide the airflow into the fan module13consistently and uniformly, therefore the fan134can be operated stably and smoothly to reduce the vibration and the noise. In other words, the installed airflow guiding component15can reduce the turbulence of the airflow and the generation of noises effectively, so as to minimize the vibration induced by air-borne transmission.

InFIGS. 8 to 10, the server10of this disclosure has a plurality of ribs181,19,20of different structures to increase the structural strength of the chassis1, and lower the vibration by the operation of the fan module13or transmitting the vibration through a structure-borne transmission. In an embodiment as shown inFIGS. 8 to 10, the server10further comprises two side panels18vertically coupled to the chassis1, and each side panel18has at least a first rib181disposed at a position corresponding to the position between the fan module13and the storage area11.

The chassis1further has a plurality of second ribs19and a plurality of third ribs20disposed at the bottom of the chassis1. The second ribs19are separated from one another and configured to be corresponsive to the fan module13and the computing area12, and the third ribs20are coupled with one another and configured to be corresponsive to the storage area11. The structure of each first rib181, each second rib19and each third rib20is preferably protruded from the outside towards the interior of the chassis1. In other words, the external structure of the chassis1is in a concave shape to increase the structural strength of the chassis1, so that the vibration generated by the operation of the fan module13will not produce a resonance easily.

InFIG. 8, the bottom plate of the chassis1configured to be corresponsive to the elastic member14of each fan module13further includes a positioning pin21protruded therefrom and provided for fixing each fan module13conveniently and directly to save the assembling time. InFIG. 9, the chassis1further comprises a cover plate17for covering the computing area12and the fan module13. The cover plate17has plurality of first heat dissipating holes171configured to be corresponsive to the fan module13and a plurality of second heat dissipating holes172configured to be corresponsive to the computing area12, so that the airflow enters into the air inlet131from each first heat dissipating hole171, and passes through the air outlet132of the fan module13and then discharges from each second heat dissipating hole172or a port (not shown in the figure) to the outside.

The cross section of the airflow guiding duct151of the airflow guiding component15is preferably honeycomb shaped (which is in the shape of a hexagonal structure) as shown in the figure. However, the cross section of the airflow guiding duct151is not limited to have a honeycomb shape. The airflow guiding component15preferably has a thickness duct channel length from 5 mm to 10 mm, and each airflow guiding duct151preferably has a channel width (diameter) from 3 mm to 6 mm, wherein the channel length of the airflow guiding component15is preferably greater than the duct width of each airflow guiding duct151, and these numerical values may be adjusted as needed, so that the cooling airflow can be guided into the fan module13successfully to reduce the occurrence of turbulence, so as to reduce the vibration induced by the fan module13through the structure-borne transmission and airborne transmission and improve the operation efficiency of each storage module111in the computing area11and the service life of the server effectively.

When the fan module13in the chassis1is operated at a high speed, the heat generated during the operation of each storage module111is dissipated to the outside actively. Since the fan134of the fan module13can guide airflow into the fan134through each airflow guiding duct151of the airflow guiding component15consistently and uniformly, such arrangement not just reduces the turbulence of airflow inside the chassis1only, but also facilitates the operation of the fan134to lower the tonal noise and reduce the vibration produced during the operation of the fan module13, so as to improve the operation efficiency of each storage medium111and the service life of the server. In addition, the chassis1has a reinforced structure to reduce the structure-borne transmission of vibration effectively.

This embodiment has the following advantages: The fan module13of the airflow guiding component15has the feature of a simple overall structure, a convenient installation, and a low manufacturing cost. The fan module13can be applied extensively in present existing servers10.

In summation of the description above, this disclosure is novel, useful, and inventive and complies with the patent application requirements, and is thus duly filed for patent application. While this disclosure has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure set forth in the claims.