Computer component cooling fan closure device and method thereof

• US 6,011,689 A
• Filed: 04/27/1998
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Wrycraft, Sean C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TOLIN, GERALD P
• Application Number:
  US09/067,474
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 454/184, 454/353, 174/15.1, 174/16.1, 165/80.3, 165/121-126, 364/708.1, 361/687, 361/690-695, 361/697, 361/717-719
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2019 Fan safe systems, e.g. mechanical devices for non stop cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20727 within server blades for removing heat from heat source

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for assisting in preventing over heating of the internal electrical components of a computer in the event of a failure of one of the adjacent fans of an array of fans employed to circulate cooling air over the components. The fans include openings through which air is forced from their inlet sides to their outlet sides. The system includes a vent for each fan arranged adjacent to and aligned with the fan opening at its outlet side. The vents are open and closed by vanes, having hinged slats construction to allow them to fall downwardly by their own weight or additional assistance. The vanes are kept open by the airflow created by the fans. Upon the failure of a fan, the absence of airflow through the opening thereof allows the slats of the vane to drop to close off the fan opening and prevent airflow into the fan opening from its outlet side.

Claims

1. In a computer comprising a number of heat generating electrical components that require cooling,

at least two cooling fans arranged adjacent to each other,

a facility constructed to support said fans,

said fans each comprising an inlet side and an outlet side,

each said fan comprising a fan opening,

a vent facility for each said fan,

a facility for each said vent facility for supporting and locating said vent facility adjacent to an associated fan,

each said vent facility comprising an opening aligned with and at least substantially as large in area as the area of an associated fan opening,

a vane facility for each said vent facility,

each said vane facility comprising a series of elongated substantially equal length slats having relatively narrow planar uniform widths,

said slats having fan air flow open and fan airflow closed positions,

said slats of each vane facility having a side by side parallel adjacent relationship to each other and arranged to at least substantially cover the entire area of an associated opening when in said closed position, and

each said vent facility comprising a facility constructed to pivotally support its associated slats from common opposed sides of said vent facility in a manner that airflow created by said associated fan causes movement of said associated slats in a direction relative to said associated fan to allow airflow by said associated fan through said opening of said associated fan relative to said components and in the absence of airflow from said associated fan to allow said associated slats to close off said associated fan opening preventing airflow through said associated fan opening.

2. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein said components are located at said outlet sides of said fans and each said vane facility is located at said outlet side of an associated fan,

wherein said airflow created by said fans causes airflow in the direction of said components to provide cooling for said components, and

wherein said vane facility is constructed and arranged, when in the position to close off said associated fan opening, to prevent air from said outlet side from passing to said inlet side of said associated fan and being recirculated by said other fan to said components.

3. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein said components are arranged at said outlet sides of said fans and wherein said components are arranged to create a relatively high density air impedance condition and a relatively high static air pressure condition at said outlet sides of said fans.

4. In a computer according to claim 1, each said facility for supporting said vane facilities includes a hinge facility constructed and arranged to allow said slats to pivot to a fan airflow open position and to a fan airflow closed position.

5. In a computer according to claim 4, wherein each said slat includes a positioning facility constructed to be operatively connected to an associated said slat in a manner to cause said associated said slat to rotate about said associated hinge facility from said open position to said closed position.

6. In a computer according to claim 5, wherein said hinge facilities comprise mechanical springs.

7. In a computer according to claim 1 wherein the computer includes an enclosure for receiving said electrical components, said fans, said vent and vane facilities and in addition at least one of the following components:

a power unit, memory units, a disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, DRAM and a processor module.

8. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein said each vent facility is rectangular in shape and each said slat extends from one side to an opposite side of an associated vent facility.

9. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein said computer includes for each said fan a plenum arranged between the said outlet sides of said fans and the most adjacent components in a manner to influence in equalizing the air pressure in the vicinity of said fans.

10. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein a said cooling fan, its associated vent and its associated vane facility comprise a fan assembly, and

wherein said computer comprises an array of said fan assemblies, and

a fan tray comprising a facility constructed to support said array.

11. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein each series of said slats comprise two sets of oppositely arranged slats,

each said vent means having at least substantially parallel opposite sides,

said sets of slats arranged to extend between said two opposite sides of an associated vent means, and

each said set of slats comprising at least two slats and arranged to rotate in opposite clockwise directions relative to said slats of said other set when assuming a position to allow fan airflow and in a position to prevent fan airflow through an associated failed fan.

12. In a computer according to claim 11, wherein said slats of each set are dimensioned and arranged to form parallel elongated openings when in the position to allow fan airflow through an associated fan.

13. In a computer according to claim 11, wherein said slats of each set are dimensioned and arranged to form a relatively flat continuous closed surface when in the position to present fan airflow through an associated failed fan.

14. In a computer according to claim 1, wherein said common opposed sides of each said vent facility are formed of a generally rectangularly shaped frame.

15. In a computer according to claim 1, a cooling airflow area for said fans located to allow air to be brought to said inlet sides of said fans and discharged from said outlet sides of said fans in a manner to provide air cooling to said components.

16. In a computer comprising a number of heat generating electrical components that require cooling,

at least two cooling fan means arranged adjacent to each other,

means for supporting said fan means,

said fan means each comprising an inlet side and an outlet side,

each said fan means comprising a fan means opening,

a vent means for each said fan means,

a support means for each said vent means for supporting and locating each said vent means adjacent an associated said fan means,

each said vent means comprising an open area aligned with and large enough to allow said airflow through an associated said fan means opening,

a vane means for each said vent means,

each said vane means comprising a series of elongated substantially equal length slats having relatively narrow planar uniform widths,

said slats of each vane means having a side by side parallel adjacent relationship to each other and arranged to a least substantially cover the entire area of an associated opening when in a closed position, and

each said vent means comprising means for pivotally supporting its associated slats from common opposed sides of said vent means in a manner that airflow created by said associated fan means causes movement of said associated slats in a direction relative to said associated fan means to allow airflow by said associated fan means through said opening of said associated fan means relative to said components and in the absence of airflow from said associated fan means to allow said associated slats to close off said associated fan means opening preventing airflow through said associated fan means opening.

17. In a computer according to claim 16, said computer comprising an airflow area for said fan means located to allow airflow to be brought to said inlet sides of said fan means and discharged to said components from said outlet sides of said fan means,

wherein said slats are constructed and arranged, when in the position to close off said associated fan means opening, to prevent air from said outlet side from passing to said inlet side of said associated fan means and being recirculated by said other fan means to said components,

said vent means located at said outlet side of an associated fan means, and

said fan means comprising an array of cooling fan means.

18. In a computer according to claim 16, wherein said components are arranged at said outlet sides of said fan means and wherein said components are arranged to create a relatively high density air impedance condition and a relatively high static air pressure condition at said outlet sides of said fan means.

19. In a computer according to claim 17, wherein each said vane means includes at least one slat means,

said vane means comprising means for supporting each said slat,

said means for supporting said slats includes a hinge means constructed and arranged to allow said slats to pivot to a fan means airflow open position and to a fan means airflow closed position, and

wherein each said vane means includes a mechanical spring means operatively connected to said associated slats for causing said associated slats to rotate about said associated hinge means from said open position to said closed position.

20. In a computer according to claim 16, wherein each series of said slats comprise two sets of oppositely arranged slats,

each said vent means having at least substantially parallel opposite sides,

said sets of slats arranged to extend between said two opposite sides of an associated vent means, and

each said set of slats comprising at least two slats and arranged to rotate in opposite clockwise directions relative to said slats of said other set when assuming a position to allow fan airflow and in a position to prevent fan airflow through an associated failed fan.

21. In a computer according to claim 16, wherein said slats of each set are dimensioned and arranged to form parallel elongated openings when in the position to allow fan airflow through an associated fan.

22. In a computer according to claim 16, wherein said slats of each set are dimensioned and arranged to form a relatively flat continuous closed surface when in the position to present fan airflow through an associated failed fan.

23. In a computer according to claim 16, wherein each said means for supporting said slats includes a hinge means constructed and arranged to allow said slats to pivot to a fan means airflow open position and to a fan means airflow closed position,

each said slats includes a positioning means constructed to be operatively connected to an associate slat in a manner to cause said associated slat to rotate about said associated hinge means from said open position to said closed position, and

said positioning means comprising mechanical springs.