Abstract:
A cooler for use in a computer or server is disclosed to include a holder frame, which has a plurality of wind holes and a rail extended along one long side of the flat elongated frame base thereof, and a fan module, which includes a rack with a sliding groove coupled to the holder frame and movable along the rail to one of a series of positions corresponding to the wind holes, a fan, and a locating frame holding the fan and insertable into the rack.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus for use in a personal computer, server, or industrial host computer and more particularly, to such a cooler that allows the user to adjust the position of the fan module conveniently after installation in the mainframe of a personal computer, server, or industrial host computer. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Following fast development of high technology, lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller are becoming the key words for electronic instruments, including personal computers. Electronic instruments of new generation use sophisticated semiconductor chips or devices that release heat during operation. For example, an advanced personal computer uses a sophisticated CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for processing any of a variety of data. These electronic devices release much heat during operation. The amount of heat energy released by these electronic devices during operation may be relatively increased subject to their operation speed. The working temperature of a CPU is normally at about 60˜95° C. In order to keep normal working of the CPU, GPU and other heat-releasing electronic devices in a computer or electronic apparatus, heat must be quickly carried away. Various coolers have been disclosed for use in computers and electronic apparatus to dissipate heat.  FIG. 8  shows a prior art cooler used in a server&#39;s mainframe A. According to this design, the cooler comprises a frame bar A 1  transversely mounted in side of the mainframe A, and a plurality of centrifugal type turbofans B installed in the frame bar A 1 . Each centrifugal type turbofan B has an exhaust hole B 1  for output of a turbulent flow of air toward a specific electronic component part inside the mainframe A. This design of cooler is still not satisfactory in function. Because the centrifugal type turbofans B are affixed to the frame bar A 1  at predetermined locations and because different models of electronic devices (CPU, chip, interface card or hard disk drive) have different arrangement and specifications, the exhaust hole B 1  may be not accurately aimed at the respective heat source, thereby lowering the heat dissipation efficiency. Further, during operation of the centrifugal type turbofans B, produced currents of air may carry heat energy away from one electronic component part to other area inside the mainframe and heat energy may be accumulated in one corner inside the mainframe around other electronic component parts, causing the electronic apparatus unable to function normally. Further, because there are many component parts inside the mainframe A around the frame bar A 1 , it is difficult to mount/dismount the centrifugal type turbofans B with a hand tool, complicating the cleaning or repair work of the centrifugal type turbofans B. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooler is comprised of a holder frame and at least one fan module detachably adjustably mounted on the holder frame. The holder frame has two end flanges for quick installation in the mainframe of a personal computer, server, industrial host computer, or the like, a plurality of wind holes, and a rail extending along one long side thereof. Each fan module comprises a rack coupled to the holder frame and movable along the rail to aim the fan(s) therein at one wind hole. According to another aspect of the present invention, the rack of each fan module is modularized for mass production to hold at least one fan of any of a variety of sizes, and each fan is provided with a locating plate for easy installation in the rack and quickly removable from the rack. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a cooler according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational assembly view in an enlarged scale of the cooler shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view in an enlarged scale of the fan module shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing showing fan modules mounted on the holder frame and moved along the rail of the holder frame according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic front view of the present invention, showing the flowing of currents of air from three fan modules at the holder frame. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of an alternate form of the cooler according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an applied view of the present invention, showing the cooler installed in the mainframe of a server. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a prior art cooler installed in the mainframe of a server. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1˜3 , a cooler is shown comprising a fan module  1  and a holder frame  2 . 
     The fan module  1  is comprised of a rack  111  and a fan  12 . The rack  111  is a hollow case member having a holding chamber  110  for accommodating the fan  12 , a plurality of guiding grooves  111  symmetrically transversely provided at two sides inside the holding chamber  110 , a sliding portion  112  transversely disposed at the front bottom side in flush with the front wall, a sliding groove  113  transversely formed on the back wall near the bottom side, a plurality of elongated slots  121  cut through the sliding portion  112  and horizontally aligned in a line, top and bottom openings  114  respectively formed in the top and bottom sides in air communication with the holding chamber  110 , and at least one locating plate  115  detachably mounted in the holding chamber  110 . The locating plate  115  comprises a center opening  1151  corresponding to the openings  114  of the rack  11 , two side guiding portions  1152  symmetrically disposed at two sides and insertable into two guiding grooves  111  at same elevation in the holding chamber  110  of the rack  11 , and a plurality of bottom locating rods  1153  downwardly extending from the bottom side around the border area. The fan  12  is fastened to one locating plate  115  and inserted with the locating plate  115  into the inside of the holding chamber  110  of the rack  11 , having a plurality of mounting through holes  121  vertically extended through the top and bottom sides around the border area for receiving the bottom locating rods  1153  of the locating plate  115 . 
     The holder frame  2  comprises a flat elongated frame base  21 , a plurality of wind holes  211  cut through the top and bottom sides of the flat elongated frame base  21  and aligned in a line along the length of the flat elongated frame base  21 , a rail  22  extended along one side, namely, the rear side of he flat elongated frame base  21  corresponding to the sliding groove  113  of the rack  11 , a plurality of mounting holes  23  arranged in a line at the other side, namely, the front side of the flat elongated frame base  21 , and two end flanges  24  perpendicularly downwardly suspended at the two distal ends of the flat elongated frame base  21 . 
     During installation, the fan  12  is fastened to one locating plate  115  and then inserted with the locating plate  115  into two guiding grooves  111  at same elevation in the holding chamber  110  of the rack  11  by the guiding portions  1152  at two sides of the locating plate  115 , and then the fan module  1  is placed on the flat elongated frame base  21  of the holder frame  2  to have the sliding groove  113  of the rack  11  be coupled to the rail  22  of the holder frame  2  and to have the sliding portion  112  of the rack  11  be stopped at the front side of the holder frame  2 , and then the fan module  1  is moved on the flat elongated frame base  21  along the rail  22  to the desired position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the fan module  1  can be moved on the flat elongated frame base  21  along the rail  22  to the desired position to have the bottom opening  114  of the rack  11  be aimed at one wind hole  211  of the holder frame  2 , and then fastening members, for example, screws (not shown) are fastened to the elongated slots  1121  of the rack  11  and the respective mounting holes  23  of the holder frame  2  to affix the fan module  1  to the holder frame  2  in the desired position. During operation, currents of air from the fan  12  pass through the bottom opening  114  of the rack  11  and the respective wind hole  211  of the holder frame  2  toward the heat source to dissipate heat from the heat source. Further, a number of fan modules  1  may be installed in the holder frame  2  to enhance the heat dissipation power, preventing accumulation of heat energy at the area of other electronic parts. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the rack  11  may accommodate a different size of fan  12 ; two fans  12  may be mounted together in the holding chamber  110  of the rack  1 ; or a number of fan modules  1  may be installed in the holder frame  2 . Because the fan  12  is fastened to one locating plate  115  and then the locating plate  115  is inserted into the inside of the rack  11  to hold the fan  12  in the holding chamber  110  of the rack  11 , the user can remove the locating plate  115  and the attached fan  12  from the rack  11  for cleaning or replacement. Further, when two fans  12  are mounted together in the rack  11 , the fans  12  are set to cause currents of air in one direction so as to provide a fabulous amount of wind, increasing the heat dissipation power. 
       FIG. 6  shows an alternate form of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the fan module  1  is comprised or a rack  11  and a fan  12 . The rack  11  comprises an opening  114  through at the center, a sliding portion  112  transversely disposed at the front bottom side in flush with the front wall, a sliding groove  113  transversely formed on the back wall near the bottom side, and a plurality of elongated slots  1121  cut through the sliding portion  112  and horizontally aligned in a line. The fan  12  has a plurality of vertically extended mounting through holes  121 . Fastening members, for example, screws  13  are respectively mounted in the mounting through holes  121  and threaded into the rack  11  to affix the fan  12  to the rack  11 . Same as the aforesaid first embodiment, the fan module  1  can be coupled to the holder frame  2  and moved along the rail  22  to the desired position by means of the sliding portion  112  and the sliding groove  113 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the cooler is mounted inside the mainframe  3  (of a personal computer, server, or industrial host computer). The size of the holder frame  2  is determined subject to the installation space in the mainframe  3 . During installation, the end flanges  24  of the holder frame  2  are respectively affixed to the two opposite upright sidewalls of the mainframe  3  with fastening members, and then one or a plurality of fan modules  1  are mounted on the holder frame  2  and affixed thereto at the desired position(s). Each fan module  1  may be provided with one or two fans  12 . During operation of the machine (personal computer, server, or industrial host computer), the fans  12  of the fan module(s)  1  are operated to cause currents of air toward heat-releasing computer parts inside the mainframe  3 , thereby cooling the temperature of the computer parts efficiently. 
     As indicated above, the invention uses a holder frame  2  to hold one or a number of fan modules  1 . Each fan module  1  has a rack  11  with a sliding portion  112  and a sliding groove  113  for connection to the holder frame  2  allowing the fan module  1  to be moved along the rail  22  of the holder frame  2  to the desired position in vertical alignment with one wind hole  211 . When wishing to detach the fan  12  from the rack  111  for a replacement or repair work, the user can directly remove the respective locating plate  115  from the rack  111  with less effort, and then detach the fan  12  from the locating plate  115 . After replacement or repair work, the new or well-repaired fan  12  is fastened to the locating plate  115  and then inserted with the locating plate  115  into the rack  11  again. 
     A prototype of cooler has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of  FIGS. 1˜7 . The cooler functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.