Patent Publication Number: US-2015070829-A1

Title: Server with supporting bracket

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to servers, and particularly to a server having a supporting bracket. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Servers may have a rack containing a large number of hard disk drives. A number of exhaust fans are positioned at a rear end of the rack to blow heat generated by the hard disk drives out of the rack. However, heat generated by the hard disk drives located at a front end of the rack is drawn to the hard disk drives located at the rear end of the rack. Thus, the hard disk drives located at the rear end are heated up by the heat from the hard disk drives located at a front end, which will diminish the efficiency of heat dissipation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references 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 assembled, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a plurality of supporting brackets. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of one of the supporting brackets of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 1 , taken along line IV-IV. 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing the electronic device in a state of use. 
     
    
    
     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  shows an exemplary embodiment of an electronic device  100 . The electronic device  100  includes a rack  20 , a plurality of storage modules  30  stacked on top of each other in the rack  20 , and a plurality of exhaust fans  60  positioned at a rear end of the rack  20 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show that a storage module  30  includes a supporting bracket  32  and a plurality of hard disk drives  35  installed in the supporting bracket  32 . 
     The supporting bracket  32  includes two opposite sidewalls  322 , a first end wall  323  connected substantially perpendicularly between front ends of the sidewalls  322 , a second end wall  324  connected substantially perpendicularly between rear ends of the sidewalls  322 , a plurality of supporting walls  325  connected substantially perpendicularly between the sidewalls  322 , and an air guiding plate  327 . The supporting walls  325  are substantially parallel to the first and second end walls  323  and  324 . The supporting bracket  32  is divided into a plurality of receiving spaces  326  by the supporting walls  325 . A plurality of pairs of oppositely facing positioning bars  3251  is formed on the supporting walls  325 , the first end wall  323 , and the second end wall  324 . The pairs of positioning bars  3251  protrude toward the receiving spaces  326 . Each of the supporting walls  325 , the first end wall  323 , and the second end wall  324  define a plurality of latching holes  3252  above the positioning bars  3251 . The air guiding plate  327  is slantingly connected between lower parts of the sidewalls  322  and is located below the first and second end walls  323  and  324 . The air guiding plate  327  extends up from the first end wall  323  toward the second end wall  324 . A top of the air guiding plate  327 , the sidewalls  322 , and bottoms of the supporting walls  325  cooperatively define a trapezoidal cooling area  350  communicating with the receiving spaces  326  of the supporting bracket  30 . An air inlet  351  is defined between the first end wall  323  and the air guiding plate  327 . A height of the cooling area  350  gradually decreases from the first end wall  323  to the second end wall  324 . 
     Each hard disk drive  35  includes a main body  352  and two latching members  353  mounted on opposite ends of the main body  352 , respectively. An outer surface of each latching member  353  longitudinally defines a positioning slot  355 . A resilient operation piece  356  extends up from a top end of the latching member  353 . A latching block  357  protrudes out from the operation piece  356 . 
       FIG. 4  shows two overlapping storage modules  30 . The air guiding plate  327  of the upper storage module  30  and a top of the lower storage module  30  cooperatively define a trapezoidal airflow channel  37  communicating with the receiving spaces  326  of the lower storage module  30 . An air outlet  372  is defined between the second end wall  324  of the lower storage module  30  and the air guiding plate  327  of the upper storage module  30 . A height of the airflow channel  37  gradually increases from the first end wall  323  to the second end wall  324 . 
     The exhaust fans  60  are mounted to the rack  20  to align with the air outlets  372  of the storage modules  30 . 
     In assembly of each storage module  30 , a plurality of hard disk drives  35  is received in a corresponding receiving space  326 , such that the positioning slots  355  align with the corresponding positioning bars  3251 . The hard disk drive  35  is pressed down, the latching blocks  357  slidably abut against the supporting walls  325 , and the operation pieces  356  are deformed until the latching blocks  357  align with the corresponding latching holes  3252 . The operation pieces  356  are restored to bias the latching blocks  357  to latch in the latching holes  3252 , and the positioning bars  3251  latch in the positioning slots  355 . 
       FIG. 5  shows that in use, the exhaust fans  60  generate an airflow flowing into the cooling areas  350  from the air inlets  351 . The airflow flows up through the hard disk drives  35  from the cooling area  350 . The airflow absorbs heat generated by the hard disk drives  35 , and the exhaust fans  60  blow the heat out of the supporting brackets  32  from the airflow channels  37  and the air outlets  372 . 
     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 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.