Patent Publication Number: US-2013231041-A1

Title: Air guiding apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an air guiding apparatus. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     An air guiding apparatus with a plurality of louvers may be provided in in a chassis of a computer system. Each of the plurality of louvers is rotatable relative to a horizontal shaft. When the chassis is turned on its side, the shafts of the plurality of louvers are then vertical instead of horizontal, and the performance of the air guiding apparatus will be reduced. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following 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. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an air guiding apparatus in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the air guiding apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a first rotating member of the air guiding apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of an assembly of a first frame, the first rotating member, a block, and a plurality of rolling members of the air guiding apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of an assembly of the air guiding apparatus of  FIG. 1  and a plate of a chassis. 
         FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6 , but the plate has been rotated through 90 degrees. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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.” 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an air guiding apparatus of an embodiment. The air guiding apparatus comprises a frame  100 , a rotating structure  300 , and a plurality of louvers  40 . The frame  100  defines a receiving opening  101 . The rotating structure  300  is received in the receiving opening  101  and is rotatable relative to the frame  100  about an axis  400 , which may be, for example, substantially horizontal. The plurality of louvers  40  are attached to the rotating structure  300  and rotatable relative to the rotating structure  300  about a first direction  500 , which may be, for example, substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the axis  400 . 
       FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  5 , show that the rotating structure  300  comprises a first rotating member  30  and a second rotating member  50  secured to the first rotating member  30 . The plurality of louvers  40  are located between the first rotating member  30  and the second rotating member  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-5 , the first rotating member  30  defines a plurality of first receiving slots  321 . The second rotating member  50  defines a plurality of second receiving slots  531 . A plurality of rolling members  60  are located between the rotating structure  300  and the frame  100  and received in the plurality of first receiving slots  321  and the plurality of second receiving slots  531 . 
     The first rotating member  30  defines a plurality of securing slots  3521 , and the plurality of louvers  40  are received in the plurality of securing slots  3521 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , each of the plurality of louvers  40  comprises a body  41  and a shaft  43  located on the body  41 . The shafts  43  of the plurality of louvers  40  are received in the plurality of securing slots  3521  (shown in  FIG. 5 ), the body  41  of each of the plurality of louvers  40  is rotatable about the shaft  43 , and the shafts  43  may be substantially parallel to the first direction  500 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the first rotating member  30  comprises a first base panel  31  and a first installing portion  32 , extending from the first base panel  31  along a second direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the first base panel  31 . The plurality of first receiving slots  321  are defined in the first base panel  31 . The first rotating member  30  further comprises a retaining portion  35  extending the first base panel  31  along a third direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the first base panel  31 . The retaining portion  35  is surrounded by the first installing portion  32 , and the plurality of securing slots  3521  is defined in the retaining portion  35 . 
     The retaining portion  35  comprises two positioning walls  351 , which are substantially parallel to each other and parallel to the axis  400  and the direction  500 . A block  70  is secured to the positioning wall  351 . Four mounting posts  315  are located on the first base panel  31  and substantially parallel to the two positioning walls  351 . Two of the four mounting posts  315  are adjacent one of the two positioning walls  351 , and another two of the four mounting posts  315  are adjacent another positioning wall  351 . The block  70  defines two positioning slots  72  at two opposite sides of the block  70 . Two of the four mounting posts  315  are received in the two positioning slots  72 , adjacent to one of the two positioning walls  351 . Therefore, the block  70  is mounted between two of the four mounting posts  315  (shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
     The second rotating member  50  comprises a second base panel  51  and a second installing portion  53  extending from the second base panel  51  along a fourth direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the second base panel  51 . The second base panel  51  abuts the retaining portion  35 , to prevent the shafts  43  of the plurality of louvers  40  from moving out of the plurality of securing slots  3521  of the first rotating member  30 . The second installing portion  53  defines a plurality of second receiving slots  531 , corresponding to the plurality of first receiving slots  321 . The rolling members  60  are also received in the plurality of second receiving slots  531 . 
     Each of the four mounting posts  315  of the first rotating member  30  defines a fixing hole  3151  (shown in  FIG. 4 ). The second base panel  51  of the second rotating member  50  defines four through holes  515  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). Four first fasteners  90 , such as screws, are fixed into the four through holes  515  and the fixing holes  3151  of the four mounting posts  315 , to secure the first rotating member  30  to the second rotating member  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the first rotating member  30  defines a first holding opening  311 . The second rotating member  50  defines a second holding opening  511 . The first holding opening  311  and the second holding opening  511  cooperatively define a holding opening  600 , which receives the plurality of louvers  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the frame  100  comprises a first bracket  10  and a second bracket  20 , secured to the first bracket  10 . The first bracket  10  comprises a first receiving portion  15 , and the first receiving portion  15  defines a first receiving opening  151 . The second bracket  20  comprises a second receiving portion  25 , and the second receiving portion  25  defines a second receiving opening  251 . The first receiving opening  151  and the second receiving opening  251  cooperatively define the receiving opening  101  of the frame  100 . The plurality of rolling members  60  abuts at least one of the first receiving portion  15  and the second receiving portion  25 . 
     The first bracket  10  comprises a plurality of hooks  131 . The second bracket  20  defines a plurality of installing slots  231 . The plurality of hooks  131  are engaged in the plurality of installing slots  231 , to secure the first bracket  10  to the second bracket  20 . The first bracket  10  further comprises a plurality of first flanges  13 . The second bracket  20  further comprises a plurality of second flanges  23 . The plurality of first flanges  13  abuts the plurality of second flanges  23 , when the first bracket  10  is secured to the second bracket  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first bracket  10  further comprises a first main body  11 , and the first receiving portion  15  extends from the main body  11 . A plurality of securing posts  113  is located on the first main body  11  around the first receiving opening  151 . Each of the plurality of securing posts  113  defines a locking hole  1131 . The second bracket  20  further comprises a second main body  21 , and the second receiving portion  25  extends from the second main body  21 . A plurality of fastening hole  213  is defined in the second main body  21 . A plurality of second fasteners  80 , such as screws, is locked in the plurality of fastening holes  213  and the locking holes  1131  of the plurality of securing posts  113 , to secure the first bracket  10  to the second bracket  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  6 , and  7 , the frame  100  is secured to a plate  800  of a chassis in a location, where the plate  800  defines a plurality of ventilation holes (not shown). The first main body  11  and the second main body  21  are substantially parallel to the plate  800 . When airflow flows through the frame  100 , the plurality of louvers  40  is rotated to open the receiving opening  101 . Therefore, airflow can flow through the frame  100 . When the plurality of louvers  40  are rotated to cover the receiving opening  101 , the airflow is blocked from flowing through the frame  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the frame  100  is located in a first position, where the shaft  43  or the direction  500  is horizontal. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the frame  100  is turned 90 degrees from the first position to a second position along a fifth direction A or B. Because the block  70  is secured to first rotating member  30 , a weight of the low part of the rotating structure  300  is always greater and the block  70  will always seek the lowest point. Therefore, the rotating structure  300  will rotate to always position the shaft  43  or the direction  500  in a horizontal orientation. 
     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.