Alarm circuit for fans

• US 8,514,092 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Cao, Xiang, Zhou, Hai-Qing
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/151,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 340/644, 340/584, 340/365, 340/635, 340/648, 340/664, 340/611, 361/695, 361/679.48, 361/781, 417/63, 417/22, 374/152, 374/E01.001
• US Class Current: 340/644
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display

Abstract

An alarm circuit is for a fan. The alarm circuit includes a direct current converting circuit, a first electronic switch, a second electronic switch, a clock chip, and a light emitting diode. When the fan does not operate, the light emitting diode blinks to warn the user that the fan may have a problem.

Claims

1. An alarm circuit for a fan, the alarm circuit comprising:

a direct current converting circuit comprising an input connected to a speed pin of the fan, wherein the direct current converting circuit converts pulse signals from the speed pin of the fan to a direct current voltage when the fan operates;

a first electronic switch comprising a first terminal connected to an output of the direct current converting circuit, a second terminal grounded, and a third terminal connected to a first power supply, wherein the first electronic switch is turned on when the first terminal of the first electronic switch receives the direct current voltage from the direct current converting circuit;

a second electronic switch comprising a first terminal connected to the third terminal of the first electronic switch, a second terminal grounded, and a third terminal connected to a second power supply, wherein the second electronic switch is turned off when the first electronic switch is turned on;

a clock chip comprising a power pin connected to the second terminal of the second electronic switch, a reset pin connected to the second terminal of the second electronic switch, a trigger terminal connected to the second terminal of the second electronic switch through a first resistor and a second resistor in series and grounded through a first capacitor, a threshold pin connected to the second terminal of the second electronic switch through the first and second resistors in series and grounded through the first capacitor, and a discharge pin connected to a node between the first and second resistors; and

a light emitting diode comprising an anode connected to an output pin of the clock chip, and a cathode grounded.

2. The alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein the first electronic switch is a transistor, a gate of the transistor is the first terminal of the first electronic switch, a source of the transistor is the second terminal of the first electronic switch, a drain of the transistor is the third terminal of the first electronic switch.

3. The alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein the second electronic switch is a transistor, a gate of the transistor is the first terminal of the second electronic switch, a source of the transistor is the second terminal of the second electronic switch, a drain of the transistor is the third terminal of the second electronic switch.

4. The alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein the direct current converting circuit comprises a third resistor and a second capacitor, a first terminal of the third resistor functions as the input of the direct current converting circuit, a second terminal of the third resistor functions as the output of the direct current converting circuit, the second terminal of the third resistor is further grounded through the second capacitor.

5. The alarm circuit of claim 1, further comprising a diode and a third resistor, wherein an anode of the diode is connected to the speed pin of the fan, a cathode of the diode is connected to the input of the direct current converting circuit through the third resistor.

6. The alarm circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a third electronic switch comprising a first terminal connected to the cathode of the light emitting diode, a second terminal grounded, and a third terminal, wherein the third electronic switch is turned on when the light emitting diode is turned on; and

a buzzer comprising a positive terminal connected to the second power supply, and a negative terminal connected to the third terminal of the third electronic switch.

7. The alarm circuit of claim 6, wherein the third electronic switch is a transistor, a base of the transistor is the first terminal of the third electronic switch, an emitter of the transistor is the second terminal of the third electronic switch, a collector of the transistor is the third terminal of the third electronic switch.