COMPUTER CASE WITH DEHUMIDIFICATION

• US 20120020015A1
• Filed: 12/19/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TIAN, FANG, LIANG, ZHI-CHUN, HE, XIANG-WEI
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management

Abstract

An exemplary computer case includes an external shell, a circuit board received in the external shell, and a dehumidification device. The circuit board includes a PCI socket providing an auxiliary power supply when the computer shuts down but the computer case retains electrical connection with an external AC power source. The dehumidification device includes a dehumidification card received in the PCI socket for obtaining the auxiliary power supply therefrom and a remote device. The dehumidification card includes a fan for generating airflow to remove moisture from the computer case and a sensor detecting a humidity inside the computer case. The remote device includes a display unit for displaying the result. When the humidity exceeds a predetermined value, the computer is not powered up until the fan evacuates the excess moisture from the computer case and the humidity falls below the predetermined value.

Claims

1. A computer case comprising:

an external shell;

a circuit board received in the external shell, the circuit board comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) socket for providing an auxiliary power supply when the computer is shut down while the computer still maintains electrical connection with an external alternating current (AC) power source; and

a dehumidification device comprising;

a dehumidification card received in the PCI socket for obtaining the auxiliary power supply therefrom, the dehumidification card comprising;

a fan for generating airflow to remove at least moisture from the computer case; and

a transmission circuit comprising a sensor for detecting a humidity inside the computer case and a wireless transceiver unit for sending a result of the detection to the remote device; and

a remote device comprising;

a wireless transceiver unit for receiving the detection result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit; and

a display unit for displaying the detection result;

wherein when the humidity exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the computer is not powered up until the fan evacuates the excess moisture from the computer case and the humidity falls below the predetermined threshold value.

2. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the transmission circuit further comprises an A/D conversion unit and a detection unit, wherein the humidity detected by the sensor is read as an analog signal, and the A/D conversion unit converts the analog signal to a digital result and outputs the digital result to the detection unit, the detection unit processing the digital result and then outputting the digital result to the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit.

3. The computer case of claim 2, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

4. The computer case of claim 2, wherein the detection unit is a programmable logic controller which has a program set therein, the detection unit comparing the digital result received from the A/D conversion unit with a preset value to determine whether the digital result is acceptable or not according to the set program, and wherein if the digital result is not acceptable, the detection unit outputs a feedback signal to direct the A/D conversion unit convert the analog signal from the sensor to the digital result again and output the newer digital result to the detection unit;

if the digital detection result is acceptable, the detection unit records the digital result and then outputs the digital result to the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit.

5. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the dehumidification card further comprises a fan duct located at one side of the fan, the fan duct comprising a first opening connecting an air outlet of the fan and a second opening, and a cutout aligned with the second opening is defined in the computer case.

6. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the remote device further comprises a detection unit connected between the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device and the display unit, the detection unit receiving the digital result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit, processing the digital result and then outputting the digital result to the display unit.

7. The computer case of claim 6, wherein the detection unit is a programmable logic controller which has a program set therein, the detection unit comparing the digital result received from the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device with a preset value to determine whether the digital result is acceptable or not according to the set program, and wherein if the digital result is not acceptable, the detection unit outputs a feedback signal to direct the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device to receive the digital result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit again;

if the digital result is acceptable, the detection unit records the digital result and outputs the digital result to the display unit.

8. The computer case of claim 6, wherein the remote device comprises an enclosure with a plurality of digital tubes located at one side surface thereof.

9. A computer case comprising:

an external shell;

a circuit board received in the external shell, the circuit board comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) socket for providing an auxiliary power supply when the computer shuts down but with the computer case still retaining electrical connection with an external alternating current (AC) power source; and

a dehumidification device comprising a dehumidification card received in the PCI socket for obtaining the auxiliary power supply therefrom and a remote device, the dehumidification card comprising a fan for generating airflow to remove at least moisture from the computer case and a sensor for detecting a humidity inside the computer case, the remote device comprising a display unit for displaying a result of the detection;

wherein when the humidity exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the computer is not powered up until the fan evacuates the excess moisture from the computer case and the humidity falls below the predetermined threshold value.

10. The computer case of claim 9, wherein the dehumidification card comprises a main body with a PCI interface at a periphery thereof and a transmission circuit layered in the main body, the transmission circuit comprising an A/D conversion unit, a detection unit and a wireless transceiver unit electrically connected to the sensor, the humidity detected by the sensor is read as an analog signal, the A/D conversion unit converts the analog signal to digital result and outputs the digital result to the detection unit, the detection unit processes the digital result and then outputs the digital result to the wireless transceiver unit, and the wireless transceiver unit transmits the digital result to the remote device.

11. The computer case of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

12. The computer case of claim 10, wherein the detection unit is a programmable logic controller which has a program set therein, the detection unit compares the digital result received from the A/D conversion unit with a preset value to determine whether the digital detection result is acceptable or not according to the set program, and wherein if the digital result is not acceptable, the detection unit outputs a feedback signal to direct the A/D conversion unit convert the analog signal from the sensor to the digital result again and output the newer digital result to the detection unit;

if the digital detection result is acceptable, the detection unit records the digital result and then outputs the digital result to the wireless transceiver unit.

13. The computer case of claim 10, wherein the remote device further comprises another wireless transceiver unit for receiving the digital result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit and a detection unit connected between the another wireless transceiver unit and the display unit, the detection unit receiving the digital result from the another wireless transceiver unit, processing the digital result and then outputting the digital result to the display unit.

14. The computer case of claim 13, wherein the detection unit is a programmable logic controller which has a program set therein, the detection unit comparing the digital result received from the another wireless transceiver unit of the receiving circuit with a preset value to determine whether the digital result is acceptable or not according to the set program, and wherein if the digital result is not acceptable, the detection unit outputs a feedback signal to direct the another wireless transceiver unit of the receiving circuit to receive the digital result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit again;

if the digital result is acceptable, the detection unit records the digital result and outputs the digital result to the display unit.

15. The computer case of claim 14, wherein the display unit comprises a plurality of digital tubes for showing the result of the detection.

16. A computer dehumidification arrangement comprising:

a circuit board comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) socket for providing an auxiliary power supply when a computer is shut down while the computer still maintains electrical connection with an external alternating current (AC) power source; and

a dehumidification device comprising a dehumidification card received in the PCI socket for obtaining the auxiliary power supply therefrom;

the dehumidification card comprising;

a fan for generating airflow to remove at least moisture from an inside of the computer; and

a transmission circuit comprising a sensor for detecting a humidity of the inside of the computer and a wireless transceiver unit for sending a result of the detection to a remote device;

the remote device comprising;

a wireless transceiver unit for receiving the detection result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit; and

a display unit for displaying the result of the detection;

wherein when the humidity exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the computer is not powered up until the fan evacuates the excess moisture from the computer and the humidity falls below the predetermined threshold value.

17. The computer dehumidification arrangement of claim 16, wherein the dehumidification card comprises a main body with a PCI interface at a periphery thereof, the transmission circuit being layered in the main body, the transmission circuit further comprising an A/D conversion unit electrically connected to the sensor and a detection unit electrically connected to the A/D conversion unit, and wherein the humidity detected by the sensor is read as an analog signal, the A/D conversion unit converts the analog signal to a digital result and outputs the digital result to the detection unit, the detection unit processes the digital result and then outputs the digital result to the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit.

18. The computer dehumidification arrangement of claim 17, wherein the detection unit is a programmable logic controller which has a program set therein, the detection unit compares the digital result received from the A/D conversion unit with a preset value to determine whether the digital detection result is acceptable or not according to the set program, and wherein if the digital result is not acceptable, the detection unit outputs a feedback signal to direct the A/D conversion unit convert the analog signal from the sensor to the digital result again and output the newer digital result to the detection unit;

if the digital detection result is acceptable, the detection unit records the digital result and then outputs the digital result to the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit.

19. The computer dehumidification arrangement of claim 17, wherein the remote device further comprises a detection unit connected between the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device and the display unit, the detection unit receiving the digital result from the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device, processing the digital result and then outputting the digital result to the display unit.

20. The computer dehumidification arrangement of claim 19, wherein the detection unit is a programmable logic controller which has a program set therein, the detection unit comparing the digital result received from the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device with a preset value to determine whether the digital result is acceptable or not according to the set program, and wherein if the digital result is not acceptable, the detection unit outputs a feedback signal to direct the wireless transceiver unit of the remote device receives the digital result from the wireless transceiver unit of the transmission circuit again;

if the digital result is acceptable, the detection unit records the digital result and outputs the digital result to the display unit, the display unit comprising a plurality of digital tubes for showing the result of the detection.