Fan protection device

• US 6,551,065 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitac Technology Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lee, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyler, Cheryl J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Han L.
• Application Number:
  US09/875,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 417/32, 417/22, 417/44.1, 361/78, 361/79, 361/103, 361/23, 318/471, 318/472, 318/474, 318/798, 318/461, 318/811
• US Class Current: 417/32
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/008 Stop safety or alarm devices, e.g. stop-and-go control; Disposition of check-valves

Abstract

A device to protect fans from overheating and overloading with driving current. The fan protection device of the present invention monitors the temperature and current change of the operating fan. When the temperature or the current float surpasses a predetermined value, the protection device cuts off the fan'"'"'s power supply and avoids damage to the unit.

Claims

1. A fan protection device, to protect a fan, comprising:

a temperature detector, for detecting overheating of the fan, having a temperature-voltage transformer, located at the thermo-generating source of the fan to transform the thermo-energy thereof into a corresponding voltage signal, and an overheating-judgment device to determine whether the temperature of the fan exceeds a predetermined temperature according to the voltage signal output from the temperature-voltage transformer and, further, detect whether the fan is overheated;

a current detector coupled to the temperature detector to detect driving-current overload of the fan, wherein the current detector has a current-voltage transformer located on the path of the current flow of the fan to transform the current of the fan into a corresponding voltage signal, and an overloading-judgment device to determine whether the current of the fan surpasses a predetermined current value according to the voltage signal output from the current-voltage transformer and, further, detecting whether the fan is overloaded; and

an alarm unit, for stopping the fan when an event is detected.

2. The protection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alarm unit is a lockup device;

when the fan is in normal condition, the lockup device outputs a signal of a first state to allow the fan to continue normal operations;

if an overheating and/or overloading event is detected, the lockup device outputs a signal of a second state to cut off the power supply to the fan and stop the fan from operating until the lockup device is reset.

3. A fan protection device, to protect a fan, comprising:

a thermistor, located at the thermo-generating source of the fan, for transforming thermo-energy generated hereof into voltage difference across the thermistor;

a current-voltage transformer, located on the path of the current flow of the fan and coupled to the thermistor, the current-voltage transformer transforms the current of the fan into voltage difference across the current-voltage transformer;

an event detector coupled to the thermistor and the current-voltage transformer, the event detector detects unusual events such as overheating and current overload affecting the fan, wherein the event detector comprises;

at least one first comparator coupled to current-voltage transformer to compare the voltage difference across the transformer with a first predetermined voltage, wherein, if the voltage difference across the transformer is greater than the first predetermined voltage, the current of the fan exceeding a predetermined current is detected; and

at least one second comparator coupled to the thermistor to compare the voltage difference across the thermistor with a predetermined second voltage, wherein, if the voltage difference across the thermistor is greater than the second predetermined voltage, the temperature of the fan exceeding a predetermined temperature is detected; and

an alarm unit coupled to the event detector to stop the fan when the event detector detects he unusual events hereof.

4. The protection device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the alarm unit is a lockup device;

when the fan is in normal condition, the lockup device outputs a signal of a first state to allow the fan operating normally;

if an overheating and/or overloading event affecting the fan is detected, the lockup device outputs a signal with a second state to cut off the power supply to the fan so that the operation of the fan is stopped, until the lockup device is reset.

5. The protection device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the alarm unit is comprised of a SCR circuit.