Removable fan tray assembly with latching features

• US 6,388,880 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Network Communications Incorporated (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fijitsu Network Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Regenwetter, Jana, El-Ghobashy, Noha, Pedoeem, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US09/692,537
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/683, 361/689-695, 174/15.1, 174/16.1, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/185, 454/184
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20581 Cabinets including a drawer for fans

Abstract

A fan tray assembly is adapted to be attached to an electronics enclosure. It draws in air from below and pushes the air upward toward the enclosure. The fan tray cools electronics in a card cage portion of the electronics enclosure that includes a backplane, the card cage, a plenum beneath the card cage and a card cage door. The fan tray has two sides, a front and a back, and a rectangular shape. The fan tray mounts under the plenum of the electronics enclosure by sliding into place. The fan tray bottom has apertures to allow entry of air and a plurality of fans disposed in an array, each fan positioned over an aperture. A filter is disposed beneath the tray and sized to filter air into all apertures. Power connector and signal connectors connect to cables transporting signals between the back plane and the fan tray and bring power to the fans. The fan tray cannot be slid from a home position when the power connector is engaged with a power connection. The front panel of the fan tray closes with slam locks.

Claims

1. An apparatus for obstructing the removal of a fan tray from an electronic assembly, comprising:

a chassis including a generally planar side member having a passage therethrough, the passage being at least partially bounded by a portion of the side member;

a fan tray removably mounted to the chassis, the fan tray including a generally planar fan support member and at least one fan mounted to the fan support member, said at least one fan having power leads;

a connector having a first portion and a second portion, said power leads electrically coupled to said first portion of said connector, said first portion of said connector mounted to said fan tray and said second portion being electrically coupleable to a power service;

whereby, said second portion being connectable to said first portion in a position in which said second portion is disposed through said passage and the fan tray is obstructed from movement due to the portion of said side member in a predetermined direction preventing passage of said second portion of said connector from the chassis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connector is positioned so that said power connection is made through aligned passages in a side of said fan tray and said side of said chassis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second passage through said generally planar side member of said chassis the second passage being at least partially bounded by a portion of the side member;

a signal connector having a first portion and a second portion, signal leads electrically coupled to said first portion of said connector, said first portion of said connector mounted to said fan tray and said second portion being electrically coupled to a signal cable;

whereby, said second portion of said signal connector being connectable to said first portion of said signal connector in a position in which said second portion of said signal connector is disposed through said second passage and the fan tray is obstructed from movement due to the portion of said side member in a predetermined direction preventing passage of said second portion of said signal connector from the chassis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said signal connector is positioned so that connection is made through aligned passages in a side of said fan tray and said side of said chassis.

5. A fan tray mountable to a chassis, comprising:

a generally planar fan support member having at least one aperture for allowing passage of air therethrough;

at least one fan mounted to the fan support member such that the respective at least one fan is in registration with the at least one aperture, the at least one fan having power leads electrically connectable to a power connector;

a generally planar side member coupled to the fan support member;

a filter for filtering air passing through the at least one aperture, the filter being supported by a frame removably mounted to the fan support member; and

a locking member pivotally mounted to the side member and pivotable between a first position and a second position, wherein the locking member obstructs removal of the filter frame from the frame support member when in the first position and the locking member does not obstruct the filter frame when in the second position,

whereby, when the locking member is in the first position and the power connector is connected to the power leads of the at least one fan, the power connector obstructs the movement of the locking member so as to prevent movement of the locking member from the first position to the second position.

6. The fan tray of claim 5 further comprising flanges incorporated in a bottom of said chassis to support said filter.

7. The fan tray of claim 6 further comprising stops extending downward from said bottom, said stops limiting the depth of insertion of said filter frame.

8. A fan tray air baffle system for use with a chassis, comprising:

a skirt extending downward from said chassis partially enclosing a plenum;

a generally planar fan support member having a plurality of apertures for allowing passage of air therethrough and a set of four sidewalls surrounding said fan support member forming a fan tray;

at least two fans mounted to the fan support member, each fan being in registration with a respective one of the plurality of apertures;

at least one elongated barrier extending from said planar fan support member to a height parallel with a top of said sidewalls and being disposed in a mounting position between the at least two fans; and

at least one baffle disposed across said plenum, said at least one baffle aligned with and abutting said at least one elongated barrier when said fan tray is in a home position, to divide said plenum into a pair of plenums;

wherein said pair of plenums are adapted to reduce the portion of a current of air produced by at least one fan on a first side of the barrier passing through at least one aperture in registration with at least one corresponding fan on a second side of the barrier when the at least one corresponding fan is not operative.

9. The fan tray air baffle system of claim 8 wherein said fans are shallower than said sidewalls of said fan tray and said at least one elongated barrier, and said sidewalls and at least one elongated barrier extend said pair of plenums.

10. An electronics enclosure and fan tray assembly adapted to have said fan tray cool electronics in a card cage portion of said electronics enclosure, said card cage enclosed by a backplane, sidewalls, and a card cage door, and said fan tray having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, said assembly comprising:

a set of flanges attached to a bottom of said sidewalls of said electronics enclosure;

at least one slam lock disposed on a front panel of said fan tray, a tongue of said at least one slam lock extending toward at least one side of said fan tray;

at least one opening in at least one sidewall aligned to receive said tongue, wherein said fan tray locks in a home position relative to said electronics enclosure;

a bottom of said fan tray with at least one aperture to allow entry of air; and

at least one fan, each fan positioned over an aperture;

wherein said fan tray is adapted to slidably engage said set of flanges of said electronics enclosure.

11. The assembly of claim 10 further comprising:

a set of flanges attached to a bottom of sidewalls of said fan tray; and

a filter slidably disposed on said flanges and sized to filter air into all apertures;

whereby slidably engaging said fan tray with said electronic enclosure flanges engages said filter with said enclosure.