FAN MODULE

Abstract

A fan module includes a blade, a motor, a circuit board and a housing having an accommodating space for receiving the blade and the motor. The circuit board has a set of electrical terminals exposed outside the housing. The set of exposed electrical terminals is used for electrically connecting to an electric connecting portion of a carrier without using a cable to receive a power source and/or control signals.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 98134646, filed on Oct. 13, 2009. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fan module, and more particularly, to a fan module that achieves electrical connection in a cable-less manner.

2. Description of Related Art

In order to meet the requirements of high speed, high performance, light-weight, small-size and low-profile of current electronic products, various portable electronic products have become the main stream in the market. As far as a notebook computer is concerned, because the notebook computer has only a limited space for receiving a heat dissipating system, how to enhance the heat dissipating efficiency in the limited space has become one of the research focuses in the electronics industry. In general, the notebook computer usually is equipped with a fan module adapted to dissipate the heat generated by heat-generating components within the notebook computer. As the fan module operates, hot air in the notebook computer is moved into a fan housing of the fan module via an inlet and discharged to an outside of the notebook computer via an outlet, thereby lowering the temperature within the notebook computer.

The conventional fan module is assembled on a motherboard and powered by a rated voltage provided by power terminals of the motherboard. However, the electrical connections, such as for power and control signal transmission, between the motherboard and the fan module are all achieved using insulated cables as external circuits connection. Although the insulated cables connect to the fan module, the insulated cables for connecting the motherboard are assembled separately to the fan module, i.e., the insulated cables are electrically connected to the motherboard after the fan module is mounted. However, in assembly, it is possible that the insulated cables are pulled which may cause plugs of the insulated cables to become disengaged from the power terminal of the motherboard, or cause the plugs of the insulated cables to become disengaged from the circuit board of the fan module. Besides, the insulated cables should not be unduly long and should not be positioned disorderly. The insulated cables generally need to be bound together to avoid damage due to interferences between the insulated cables and rotating blades. There is, accordingly, a need to provide a method and structure for assembling the fan module to the motherboard in a manner which minimizes or eliminates at least one of the aforementioned defects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a fan module which does not need any insulated cables for electrical connection and which therefore prevents disengagement of the insulated cables as well as interferences between the insulated cables and fan blades.

The present invention provides a fan module including a blade, a motor, a circuit board and a housing. The motor is used to rotate the blade. The circuit board is connected to the motor for controlling the motor and has a set of electrical terminals. The housing has an accommodating space for receiving the blade and the motor. The set of electrical terminals is exposed from the housing and is used to complete an electrical connection between the fan module and a carrier in a cable-less manner by being in direct contact with an electrical connecting portion of the carrier.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electrical connecting portion comprises a conductive resilient tab. In another embodiment, the electrical connecting portion comprises a slot and a conductive resilient tab disposed in the slot.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the housing includes a fan frame, and the circuit board is coupled to the fan frame and acts as a cover of the housing.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board has a hollow zone, a plate disposed in the hollow zone, and a plurality of arms connected to the plate and span across the hollow zone.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the set of electrical terminals is located on the plate.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board includes a protrusion at its periphery, the protrusion protruding beyond the periphery of the fan frame, and the set of electrical terminals is located on the protrusion.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the housing includes a cover and a fan frame, and the cover and the fan frame are coupled together at their peripheries and collectively form an outlet.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cover has a hollow zone, a plate disposed in the hollow zone, and a plurality of arms connected to the plate and span across the hollow zone.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board is coupled to the plate such that the circuit board is a part of the cover and the set of electrical terminals is exposed.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board and the cover are overlapped, and the cover has an opening via for exposing the set of electrical terminals.

In view of the foregoing, the fan module of the present invention exposes the electrical terminals from the housing so that it does not need to use any insulated cables, thereby preventing the plug from becoming disengaged when the insulated cables are pulled as well as any damage caused by interferences between the insulated cables and the rotating fan blades.

In order to make the aforementioned and other features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an exploded view of a fan module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is an assembled view of a fan module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1C is an enlarged view showing the electrical connection between a portion A of a circuit board of FIG. 1B and an electrical connecting portion.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are exploded and assembled views of a fan module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2C is an enlarged view showing the electrical connection between a portion B of a circuit board of FIG. 2B and an electrical connecting portion.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are exploded and assembled views of a fan module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A is an exploded view of a fan module according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B is an assembled view of a fan module according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1C is an enlarged view showing the electrical connection between a portion A of a circuit board of FIG. 1B and an electrical connecting portion. Referring to FIG. 1C, in stead of using insulated cables, the fan module 100 is electrically connected with the electrical connecting portion E of a carrier 200 (e.g. a computer motherboard) using a set of electrical terminals S. The electrical terminals S are, for example, planar terminals (commonly referred to as “gold fingers”) for receiving power and control signals. The electrical connecting portions E are, for example, a plurality of conductive resilient tabs. The conductive resilient tabs have curved portions that can be in direct contact with the surface of the electrical terminals S to form an electrical connecting structure. Therefore, insulated cables are not needed for the transmitting or receiving of signals. The structure of the fan module 100 is described below in greater detail.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the fan module 100 includes a housing 110, a circuit board 110a, a motor (not shown) and a blade 120. The blade 120 and the motor are disposed in an accommodating space of the housing 110. The circuit board 110a connects to the motor for controlling the motor, and the motor in turn makes the blade 120 rotate. For example, the blade 120 is secured to a periphery of a hub 130 and is capable of rotating about an axle of the hub 130 to generate an air flow. The motor may drive the blade 120 to rotate at a predetermined speed. The air flow generated by the blade 120 moves toward an outlet 102, taking the heat away from a heat source to reduce the temperature within a system.

Although a controller or a processor is not illustrated in the present embodiment, it is to be understood that a controller can be electrically connected to the circuit board 110a or the carrier 200 and control the signals between the circuit board 110a and the carrier 200. Therefore, once the system temperature is lower than a preset temperature, the controller can turn off the power supply to the fan module 100 and the electrical terminals S of the circuit board 110a no longer receive the power so as to cease the rotation of the blade 120. Once the system temperature is higher than the preset temperature, the controller can then turn on the power supply to the fan module 100 and the electrical terminals S of the circuit board 110a receive the power again so as to drive the blade 120 to rotate.

It should be noted that, in order to expose the electrical terminals S from a surface (e.g. a bottom surface 112) of the circuit board 110a, the circuit board 110a is configured to be a cover of the housing 110 to facilitate the direct electrical connection between the electrical terminals S and the electrical connecting portion E of the carrier 200. As a result, it is no longer required to weld one end of the insulated cable to the electrical terminal and subsequently plug a plug at the other end of the insulated cable into a slot of the carrier. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the housing includes a fan frame 110b, and the circuit board 110a and the fan frame 110b are coupled together at their peripheries to form the complete housing 110. Therefore, the circuit board 110a is taken as a cover of the housing 110.

In addition, the circuit board 110a has a hollow zone H, for example, at a central area thereof, but not limited herein. The hollow zone H allows outside air to enter the housing 110 and an air flow is generated under the rotation of the blade 120. A plate 114 and a plurality of arms 116 connected to the plate 114 are disposed in the hollow zone H, for example. The plate 114 is supported by the arms 116 that span across the hollow zone H. The plate 114 may act as a support portion for supporting components such as the hub 130 and the electric motor. The configuration of the hub and the electronic motor is well known to those skilled in the art and thus is not further described herein. In the embodiment, the set of electrical terminals S is located on the bottom surface 112 near the periphery of the circuit board 110, but not limited herein.

Next, FIGS. 2A and 2B are exploded and assembled views of a fan module according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2C is a local view showing the electrical connection between a portion B of a circuit board of FIG. 2B and an electrical connecting portion. In this embodiment, the circuit board 110a and the fan frame 110b are configured in substantially the same manner as described in the previous embodiment, except that the circuit board 110a further includes a protrusion P protruding beyond the periphery of the fan frame 110b and the electrical terminals S are located on the protrusion P. The protrusion P is in a form of a plug such that, in the present embodiment, the electrical connection between the electrical terminals S and the conductive resilient tabs 204 disposed in a slot 204 can be achieved by inserting the laterally disposed protrusion P into the slot 202. As a result, for this embodiment, the electrical connecting portion E of the carrier 200 mainly consists of the slot 202 and the multiple conductive resilient tabs 204 in the slot 202, and is used to electrically connect to the electrical terminals S, likewise, without using any insulated cables.

Next, FIGS. 3A and 3B are exploded and assembled views of a fan module according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this another embodiment, the housing 110 includes a fan frame 110b and a cover 110c. The cover 110c is, for example, made of an insulative plastic material. The cover 110c and the fan frame 110b are coupled together at their peripheries. The cover 110c can protect the circuit board 110a or increase the overall structural strength of the fan module. Besides, the shape of the cover 110c can be the same as the shape of the circuit board of the previous embodiment. In the present embodiment, the circuit board 110a can be reduced in size as shown by the broken line. However, the description made herein is not intended to limit the cover 110c and the circuit board 110a to any combination of shapes disclosed herein but rather, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the cover 110c and the circuit board 110a could be of any different shapes. The cover 110c has a hollow zone H1, for example, at a central area thereof, which allows outside air to enter the housing 110. A plate 114a and a plurality of arms 116a are formed in the hollow zone H, for example. The plate 114a is supported by the arms 116a that span across the hollow zone H to act as a support portion.

The circuit board 110a can be integrated with the cover 110c so as to become a part of the cover 110c. In this connection, the circuit board 110a can be coupled to the plate 114a of the cover 110c. For example, the plate 114a can be processed to form an open slot (not shown) to receive the circuit board 110a such that the circuit board 110a and the electrical terminals S on the circuit board 110a are exposed from the open slot. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3A, if the circuit board 110a is not configured as a part of the cover 110c, such as the circuit board of the conventional fan, the circuit board 110a can overlap with the plate 114a of the cover 110c and the plate 114a can form an opening C for exposing the electrical terminals S. Therefore, even the housing 110 includes an additional cover 110c, the electrical connection between the electrical terminals S and the electrical connecting portion E of the carrier 200 can still be achieved without using any conventional insulated cables as long as the electrical terminals S of the circuit board 110a is exposed.

In summary, the fan module of the present invention does not need to use any insulated cables, thereby preventing the plug from becoming disengaged when the insulated cables are pulled as well as any damage caused by interferences between the insulated cables and the rotating fan blades. In the present invention, the conductive resilient tabs are electrically connected with the electrical terminals of the circuit board, thus overcoming the above shortcomings and facilitating the assembly of the fan module onto the carrier. Besides, by configuring the circuit board as a part of the plate of the housing or a part of the cover, not only can the cost be reduced, but the height of the fan module can also be reduced such that the fan module occupies less interior space in notebook computers to meet the low-profile requirement.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fan module comprising:

a blade;

a motor, used to rotate the blade;

a circuit board connected to the motor for controlling the motor, the circuit board having a set of electrical terminals; and

a housing having an accommodating space for receiving the blade and the motor,

wherein the set of electrical terminals is exposed from the housing, and the set of exposed electrical terminals is used to complete an electrical connection between the fan module and a carrier in a cable-less manner by being in direct contact with an electrical connecting portion of the carrier.

2. The fan module according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a fan frame, and the circuit board is coupled to the fan frame and acts as a cover of the housing.

3. The fan module according to claim 2, wherein the circuit board has a hollow zone, a plate disposed in the hollow zone, and a plurality of arms connected to the plate and span across the hollow zone.

4. The fan module according to claim 3, wherein the set of electrical terminals is located on the plate.

5. The fan module according to claim 2, wherein the circuit board includes a protrusion at its periphery, the protrusion protruding beyond the periphery of the fan frame, and the set of electrical terminals is located on the protrusion.

6. The fan module according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cover and a fan frame, and the cover and the fan frame are coupled together at their peripheries and collectively form an outlet.

7. The fan module according to claim 6, wherein the cover has a hollow zone, a plate disposed in the hollow zone, and a plurality of arms connected to the plate and span across the hollow zone.

8. The fan module according to claim 7, wherein the circuit board is coupled to the plate such that the circuit board is a part of the cover and the set of electrical terminals is exposed.

9. The fan module according to claim 7, wherein the circuit board and the cover are overlapped, and the cover has an opening via for exposing the set of electrical terminals.

10. The fan module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connecting portion comprises a conductive resilient tab.

11. The fan module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connecting portion comprises a slot and a conductive resilient tab disposed in the slot.

12. The fan module according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is a motherboard in a computer.