Patent Publication Number: US-2011076932-A1

Title: Fan mounting system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to fan mounting systems, and more particularly to a fan mounting system for conveniently mounting fans in a server. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Large server systems are generally systems including many servers, and demand for large servers systems has grown in recent years. One of the biggest issues in computer systems is heat dissipation. Because the server systems have to process a great number of tasks, their reliability is more critical than general computer systems. In order to maintain normal operation of the server systems, heat must be dissipated effectively. One of the approaches for dissipating heat is to increase the number of cooling fans. 
     Hot-plug fans are commonly used in server systems since it allows the fans to be replaced immediately after malfunctioning without having to shut down the server. Furthermore, hot-plug fans also have fastening structures for coupling with the servers. The most commonly adopted approach is fastening the hot-plug fan to the server with screws or bolts. However, the use of screws or bolts is comparatively inconvenient for making fast insertion or replacement of the hot-plug fan. Various screwless fastening structures are also adopted for facilitating easy mounting or removing of the fans. However, the fastening structure is usually disposed between adjacent fans in the server chassis and takes up much space, and this leaves less room for fans capable of being installed in the server system. Decreasing the number of fans installed in the server system will decrease a heat dissipation ability of the server system. 
     What is needed, therefore, is to provide a fan mounting system that allows fast and convenient installation or removal of the fans and does not take up much space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a disassembled view of a fan mounting system for mounting cooling fans in a server chassis in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of one of the cooling fans in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another direction. 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     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. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a fan mounting system includes a server chassis  10  and a plurality of cooling fans  20 . The server chassis  10  includes a bottom panel  12 . A supporting bracket  30  is secured on the bottom panel  12  of the server chassis  10 . The cooling fans  20  are configured to be mounted on the supporting bracket  30  in the server chassis  10 . 
     A supporting bracket  30  includes a supporting panel  32  spaced away from and parallel to the bottom panel  12  of the server chassis  10 , a pair of supporting flanges  34  extend downward from two opposite side edges of the supporting panel  32 . Also, a pair of securing flanges  36  respectively extends from the supporting flanges  34  and are secured on the bottom panel  12  of the server chassis  10 . Pairs of openings are defined in the supporting panel  32  for respectively mounting the cooling fans  20 . Each pair of openings is comprised of a first opening  321  and a second opening  323 . The first opening  321  includes a securing portion  3211  and an entrance portion  3212 , which is wider than the securing portion  3211 . The second opening  323  has a mounting portion  3231  and an extending portion  3233  connect with the mounting portion  3231 . The mounting portion  3231  have the same shape as the first opening  321  and also includes a wide entrance portion and a narrow engaging portion. The extending portion  3233  is the narrowest portion in the second opening  323 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each of the cooling fans  20  includes a main body  40 , a pair of side panels  50  configured to be attached to opposite sides of the main body  40 , and a base bracket  60  configured to be attached to a base of the main body  40 . The main body  40  has a plurality of securing holes  42  defined in the lower and upper corners. Each of the side panels  50  has a plurality of air flow openings  52 . A pair of resilient tabs  54  protrudes perpendicularly from an upper portion of each of the side panels  50 . Wedge-shaped engaging protrusions  541  are located at a distal end of each of the resilient tabs  54 . A pair of clasps  56  extend down from a bottom of each of the side panels  50 . Four engaging tabs  62  protrude up from an upper surface of base bracket  60 . A semi-circular protrusion  621  is located at an upper end of each of the engaging tabs  62  corresponding to the securing holes  42  of the main body  40 . Two pairs of cutouts  64  are respectively defined at opposite side edges of the base panel  61  corresponding to the clasps  56  of the side panels  50 . Two pairs of L-shaped latch members  66  extend downwardly from a bottom surface of the base bracket  60  and respectively adjacent to the two opposite side edges of the side panel  61 . A resilient lever  68  extends from a front side of the base panel  61  of the base bracket  60 . A handle portion  681  protrudes upwardly from a distal end of the lever  68 . The resilient lever  68  has a slight incline downward relative to a horizontal axis in its original natural state. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , in assembling the cooling fan  20 , the side panels  50  are attached to opposite sides of the main body  40  respectively. Each of the resilient tabs  54  is deformed upwardly until the engaging protrusion  541  is engaged with an inner surface of one of the upper corners of the main body  40 . The clasps  56  of the side panels  50  are engaged in the cutouts  64  of the base bracket  60 . The engaging tabs  62  are pushed against inner surfaces of the lower corners of the main body  40 , and the protrusions  621  of the engaging tabs  62  are engaged in the lower securing holes  42  of the main body  40 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the cooling fan  20  is installed in the server chassis  10 . The two pairs of L-shaped latch members  66  of the cooling fan  20  are inserted into the first opening  321  and the second opening  323  via the wide entrance. Then the cooling fan  20  is moved rearward until the L-shaped latch members  66  are engaged with the narrow engaging portions of the first opening  321  and the second opening  323 . The L-shaped latch members  66  are pushed against the rear edges of the first opening  321  and the second opening  323 . The free end of the lever  68  is slightly sunken and engages the extending portion  3233  of the second opening  323 . The cooling fan  20  is then securely attached on the supporting bracket  30  in the server chassis  10 . In above described manner, other cooling fans  20  are capable of being attached in the server chassis  10  for improving the heat dissipation ability of the system. 
     In disassembly, the handle  681  of the lever  68  of the cooling fan  20  is pulled upward until the free end of the lever  68  is disengaged from the extending portion  3233  of the second opening  323 . The cooling fan  20  is moved forward until the L-shaped latch members  66  are moved to the wide entrance portions of the first opening  321  and the second opening  323 . Then the cooling fan  20  can be pulled up and detached from the server chassis  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the fan mounting system allows fast and convenient installation or removal of the cooling fans  20 . The cooling fans  20  are closely adjacent to each other without any gaps. Thus, the fan mounting system is comparatively space saving and will not cause a reduction of the number of fans capable of being installed in the server chassis  10 . 
     While the present disclosure has been illustrated by the description of preferred embodiments thereof, and while the preferred embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described.