Power supplies

• US 9,883,606 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Humphrey, Daniel, Kazi, Rameez Kadar, Miller, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cruz, Dimary Lopez
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feng, Zhengfu
• Application Number:
  US15/336,027
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/88 adapted for simultaneous co-operation with two or more identical counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20727 within server blades for removing heat from heat source
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

In various examples, a system comprises a first plurality of power supplies comprising a first plurality of external electrical connectors, and a second plurality of power supplies comprising a second plurality of external electrical connectors. The first plurality of power supplies may be symmetric with the second plurality of power supply about an axis of symmetry. The system further comprises a common fan module. The common fan module comprises a fan to cool the first plurality of power supplies and the second plurality of power supplies, a power inlet, a third plurality of electrical connectors, a fourth plurality of electrical connectors. The third plurality of electrical connectors are capable of being electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrical connectors, and the fourth plurality of electrical connectors are capable of being electrically coupled to the second plurality of electrical connectors.

Claims

1. A device comprising a power supply enclosure for a rack-mountable computing device, the power supply enclosure comprising:

a first power supply comprising a first electrical connector;

a second power supply comprising an electrical second connector,

wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are symmetric about an axis of symmetry; and

a common fan module, the common fan module comprising;

a fan to cool the first power supply and the second power supply;

a third electrical connector that electrically couples with the first electrical connector and is aligned with the first electrical connector;

a fourth electrical connector that electrically couples with the second electrical connector and is aligned with the second electrical connector;

a power inlet coupled to at least one of the third electrical connector or the fourth electrical connector,

wherein the common fan module is mounted to a set of hinges to allow the fan to articulate and to allow at least one of the first power supply or the second power supply to be removed while maintaining an electrical connection with an other one of the first power supply or the second power supply.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the fan comprises a 40 mm×

40 mm fan.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of symmetry is located at a midpoint between the first power supply and the second power supply,

wherein the common fan module is symmetric about the axis of symmetry, and

wherein the first electrical connector and the third electrical connector are disposed at a midpoint between the axis of symmetry and a leftmost edge of the common fan module, and

wherein the second electrical connector and the fourth electrical connector are disposed at a midpoint between the axis of symmetry and a rightmost edge of the common fan module.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a third power supply and a fourth power supply,

wherein the third power supply is mounted in parallel with the first power supply, and the fourth power supply is mounted in parallel with the second power supply,

wherein the first and third power supplies are symmetric with the second and fourth power supplies, and

wherein the common fan module is common among the first, second, third, and fourth power supplies, and

wherein the fan to cool the first, second, third, and fourth power supplies.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the common fan module comprises an automatic transfer switch.

6. The device of claim 1, the common fan module comprising electromagnetic interference (EMI) filtering components.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the common fan module comprises at least one of:

A C13 inlet, a C14 inlet, a 3-phase connection, or a DC inlet.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the fan comprises at least one of:

a dual rotor fan or a fan to operate in a reverse flow configuration.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second power supply is a redundant power supply.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the power supply to fit in a 1U server chassis.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein a width of the device is in the range of 8.5 centimeters (cm) to 10 cm, inclusive.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply have different power ratings.

13. A system comprising:

a first plurality of power supplies comprising a first plurality of electrical connectors;

a second plurality of power supplies comprising a second plurality of electrical connectors,

wherein the first plurality of electrical connectors and the second plurality of external electrical connectors are symmetric with the second plurality of power supply about an axis of symmetry, the axis of symmetry located at a midpoint between the first plurality of power supplies and the second plurality of power supplies; and

a common fan module comprising;

a fan to cool the first plurality of power supplies and the second plurality of power supplies;

a power inlet;

a third plurality of electrical connectors; and

a fourth plurality of electrical connectors,

wherein the third plurality of electrical connectors are capable of being electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrical connectors, and

wherein the fourth plurality of electrical connectors are capable of being electrically coupled to the second plurality of electrical connectors,

wherein the common fan module is mounted to a set of hinges to allow the fan to articulate and to allow at least one of the first power supply or the second power supply to be removed while maintaining an electrical connection with an other one of the first power supply or the second power supply.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the fan comprises a 60 mm×

60 mm fan.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the power inlet comprises at least one of:

a C13 inlet, a C14 inlet, a 3-phase connection, or a DC inlet.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the power supply fits in a 2U server chassis.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein at least one power supply of first plurality of power supplies or the second plurality of power supplies is a redundant power supply.

18. A device comprising:

a common fan module capable of being connected to a first power supply and a second power supply, the common fan module comprising;

a first electrical connector capable of being electrically coupled to the first power supply;

a second electrical connector capable of being electrically coupled to the second power supply; and

a fan centrally disposed in the common fan module, the fan to cool the first power supply and the second power supply,

wherein the common fan module is mounted to a set of hinges to allow the fan to articulate and to allow at least one of the first power supply or the second power supply to be removed while maintaining an electrical connection with an other one of the first power supply or the second power supply.

19. The device of claim 18,

wherein the first electrical connector is positioned symmetrically with the second electrical connector.