FAN MODULE WITH TOOLLESS FASTENER

Abstract

An exemplary fan mount for mounting a fan which has a connecting hole includes a frame and a fastener. The frame comprising a sidewall defining a chamber for receiving the fan and a connecting wall extending inwards from the sidewall towards the chamber. A hollow elastic pole extends out from the connecting wall into the chamber, for inserting in the connecting hole of the fan. A through hole extends through the elastic hole and a corresponding part of the connecting wall. The fastener includes a shaft for engaging in the through hole. When the fastener is inserted in the through hole, the fixing pole deforms to make an outer end thereof away from the connecting wall enlarge, thereby fixing the fastener on the frame.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to device cooling, and particularly to a fan module with enhanced assembling convenience.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the continuing development of electronics technology, electronic packages such as CPUs (central processing units) are generating more and more heat that requires immediate dissipation. Heat dissipation fans are commonly used for cooling the CPUs.

A conventional fan includes a housing, and a rotor and a stator received in the housing. In general, before the fan is mounted to a system, the fan is firstly mounted to a fan cover via a plurality of screws. Detailedly, the housing defines a plurality of through holes in one side thereof. When the fan and the fan cover are assembled, fasteners extend through the through holes of the housing and threadedly engage in the fan cover, thereby attaching the fan to the fan cover. However, assembly and detachment of the fan require a tool, such as a screwdriver, rendering the processes cumbersome and time-consuming.

What is desired, therefore, is a fan module which can overcome the above-described shortcomings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic, isometric, assembled view of a fan module in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the fan module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the exploded fan module inverted.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a circled portion IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a circled portion V of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a fastener of the fan module of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present fan module in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, a fan module in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes a fan 20, a fan mount 10 to which the fan 20 is mounted, and a plurality of fasteners 30 for securing the fan 20 in the fan mount 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the fan mount 10 is a fan cover for attaching the fan 20 to a casing of an electronic device.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the fan 20 includes a housing 22, a stator (not shown) received in the housing 22, and an impeller received in the housing 22 and rotatably supported by the stator. The impeller includes a plurality of fan blades 24. The housing 22 is hollow and generally rectangular, and includes a top plate 221, a bottom plate 222 parallel to and spaced from the top plate 221, and an annular side plate 223 connected between the top plate 221 and the bottom plate 222. The top plate 221 defines an air inlet 225 in a central portion thereof. The bottom plate 222 defines an air outlet 226 in a central portion thereof, the air outlet 226 aligned with the air inlet 225. A plurality of connecting holes 224 is defined in corners of the top and the bottom plates 221, 222, respectively. In this exemplary embodiment, four connecting holes 224 are respectively defined in four corners of the top plate 221, and four connecting holes 224 are respectively defined in four corners of the bottom plate 222.

The fan mount 10 includes a board 11, and a fixing frame 13 connected to the board 11. In this embodiment, the fixing frame 13 includes four sidewalls 12 extending upwardly from the board 11, and four connecting walls 134 extending inwardly from joints of the four sidewalls 12. A rectangular receiving chamber 138 is cooperatively defined by the four sidewalls 12 for receiving the fan 20 therein. The four sidewalls 12 include two first sidewalls 121 located at two neighboring peripheral sides of the receiving chamber 138, and two second sidewalls 122 higher than the first sidewalls 121 and located at the other two neighboring peripheral sides of the receiving chamber 138. The connecting walls 134 are located at four corners of the receiving chamber 138, respectively. The connecting walls 134 are level with each other, and extend inwardly from top ends of the first sidewalls 121 and inner surfaces of the second sidewalls 122. The connecting walls 134 cooperatively form a shape similar to that of the top plate 221 of the housing 22. Thus, the connecting walls 134 cooperatively define an approximately circular hole 130 therebetween, the circular hole 130 corresponding to the air inlet 225 of the housing 22.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together, each of the connecting walls 134 defines a circular recess 18 at a central portion of a bottom surface thereof, corresponding to one of the connecting holes 224 of the top plate 211 of the housing 22. A portion of the connecting wall 134 over the circular recess 18 forms a fixing plate 136. The fixing plate 136 has a thickness less than that of other portions of the connecting wall 134. The fixing plate 136 defines a fixing hole 15 in a center thereof, and two locating slots 16 located at two opposite sides of the fixing hole 15, respectively. The fixing hole 16 and the locating slots 16 extend through the fixing plate 136, and communicate with the recess 19.

Each of the locating slots 16 includes a first locating hole 161, a second locating hole 162, and a guiding groove 163 between and intercommunicating the first locating hole 161 and the second locating hole 162. The first locating hole 161 has a diameter larger than that of the second locating hole 162. The guiding groove 163 has a width gradually decreasing from the first locating hole 161 to the second locating hole 162. The locating slots 16 are located on a same imaginary circle which is concentric with the fixing hole 15. In alternative embodiments, the number of locating slots 16 can vary according to particular requirements.

An elastic pole 17 extends perpendicularly downwardly from the fixing plate 136 at a periphery of the fixing hole 15 into an interior of the receiving chamber 138. An outer diameter of the elastic pole 17 is substantially equal to a diameter of the connecting hole 224 of the top plate 221. The elastic pole 17 of each connecting wall 134 includes an annular connecting end 171 connected to the fixing plate 136, and a plurality of elastic arms 172 extending downwardly from the connecting end 171. The elastic arms 172 are equally spaced from each other along a circumference direction of the connecting end 171. The elastic pole 17 defines an axial hole 173 in a central portion thereof, the axial hole 173 communicated with the fixing hole 15 of the fixing plate 136. Each of the elastic arms 172 has an enlarged bottom end 170 that is far away from the connecting end 171. Compared to a main portion of the elastic arm 172, the enlargement of the bottom end 170 is radially inwardly toward a central axis of the axial hole 173. Thereby, the axial hole 173 has a diameter at the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 17 less than other portions. The diameter of the axial hole 173 at the connecting end 171 is substantially equal to that of the fixing hole 15, while the diameter of the axial hole 173 at the bottom end 170 is less than that of the fixing hole 15.

Referring also to FIG. 6, each of the fasteners 30 includes a cylindrical base body 31, an elongated, flattened handle 32 extending from a top side of the base body 31, a shaft 33 extending from a bottom side of the base body 31, and two limiting posts 34 formed on the bottom side and at two opposite sides of the shaft 33, respectively. The shaft 33 is located at a center of the bottom side of the base body 31. A diameter of the shaft 33 is slightly less than the diameter of a corresponding fixing hole 15, but larger than the diameter of the axial hole 173 at the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 of the corresponding elastic pole 17.

When the fastener 30 is oriented vertically with the shaft 33 coaxial with the fixing hole 15, the shaft 33 can pass through the fixing hole 15 easily to extend into the axial hole 173. When the shaft 33 reaches the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 and is further pushed downward, the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 are extruded outwardly by an outer surface of the shaft 33 and elastically deform. Thereby, the elastic arms 172 can tightly abut against the outer surface of the shaft 33 when the shaft 33 is wholly received in the axial hole 173 due to elastic urging of the elastic arms 172. Thus, the shaft 33 of the fastener 30 is engagingly received in the axial hole 173 of the elastic pole 17.

The limiting posts 34 are arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of the shaft 33. A distance between each of the limiting posts 34 and the shaft 33 is substantially equal to a radius of the imaginary circle on which the locating slots 16 are located. Each of the limiting posts 34 forms a head 341 at a distal end that is far away from the bottom side of the base body 31. The head 341 is generally ellipsoidal, and has a size smaller than the first locating hole 161, but larger than the second locating hole 162. When the fastener 30 is oriented vertically with the limiting posts 34 coaxial with the first locating holes 161 of the locating slots 16, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 can pass through the first locating holes 161 easily. However, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 cannot pass through the second locating holes 162.

A thickness of the head 341 of each limiting post 34 is less than a depth of the corresponding circular recess 18, such that the head 341 can be received in the circular recess 18. Alternatively, the number of limiting posts 34 can vary according to the number of locating slots 16. Furthermore, the limiting posts 34 can be of any other suitable size and/or shape, as long as the limiting posts 34 can pass through the first locating holes 161 and cannot pass through the second locating holes 162.

When assembling the fan 20 to the fan mount 10, the fan 20 is firstly put into the receiving chamber 138 of the fan mount 10, with the elastic poles 17 of the connecting walls 134 extended downwardly through the connecting holes 224 of the top plate 221 of housing 22, respectively. Then the shafts 33 and the limiting posts 34 of the fasteners 30 are inserted into the axial holes 173 and the locating slots 16, respectively, of the connecting walls 134 for connecting the fan mount 10 and the fan 20 together. To insert each fastener 30 into the corresponding connecting wall 134, the following steps are performed.

Firstly, each fastener 30 is located above the corresponding connecting wall 134, with the shaft 33 aligned with the fixing hole 15 of the connecting wall 134 and the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 aligned with the first locating holes 161 of the locating slots 16, respectively. Due to the diameter of the shaft 33 being smaller than the diameter of the fixing hole 15 and the diameter of the heads 341 being smaller than the diameters of the first locating holes 161, the shaft 33 of the fastener 30 can pass through the fixing hole 15 easily to extend into the axial hole 173 of the elastic pole 17, and the limiting posts 34 can pass through the first locating holes 161 easily to protrude into the circular recess 18. The fastener 30 is further pushed downward until the shaft 33 is wholly received in the axial hole 173 of the elastic pole 17. In this state, the fastener 30 is maintained in position via the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 tightly abutting against the outer surface of the shaft 33. At the same time, the bottom ends 170 of the elastic arms 172 are splayed away from each other, thereby enlarging the outer diameter of the elastic pole 17 at the bottom ends 170. In such a state, the outer diameter of the elastic pole 17 at the bottom ends 170 exceeds the diameter corresponding of the connecting hole 224 of the top plate 221 of the fan 20, and thus the splayed elastic arms 172 of the four fasteners 30 hold the top plate 221 of the fan 20 in position, such that the fan 20 is prevented from sliding down. In this way, the fan 20 and the fan mount 10 are stably held together.

Then the fasteners 30 are rotated by operating the handles 32, to force the limiting posts 34 to move from the first locating holes 161 along the guiding grooves 163 to the second locating holes 162. Due to the diameter of the heads 341 being larger than the diameter of the second locating holes 162, when the limiting posts 34 are moved into the second located holes 162, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 prevent the limiting posts 34 from disengaging from the locating slots 16. In particular, the heads 341 of the limiting posts 34 abut against a bottom of the fixing plate 136 around the second locating holes 162, respectively. The fastener 30 is thereby securely held in position, and does not easily work loose, even during transportation. Accordingly, the fan 20 and the fan mount 10 are fixedly connected together.

When the fan 20 needs to be detached from the fan mount 10, the fasteners 30 are firstly rotated reversely to force the limiting posts 34 to moved from the second locating holes 162 along the guiding grooves 162 to the first locating holes 161. Then the fasteners 30 can be pulled out of the axial holes 173 of the elastic poles 17 and the locating slots 16 directly. Without the fasteners 30, the elastic poles 17 resume to natural state, and thus can be easily drawn out from the connecting hole 224 of the top plate 221 of the fan 20.

Thus, assembly and detachment of the fan 20 is easily achieved without a tool.

In alternative embodiments, the fan mount 10 can instead be any other kind of piece or equipment on which the fan 20 is to be mounted. Such other kind of piece or equipment can, for example, be a casing of an electronic device, a fixing frame for interconnecting the fan 20 and an electronic device, and so on. The other kind of piece or equipment includes the connecting walls 134 each defining the fixing hole 15 and the locating slots 16 therein, and comprising the elastic pole 17 thereof.

It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A fan module, comprising:

a fan defining a connecting hole therein;

a fan mount to which the fan is mounted, the fan mount defining a fixing hole coaxial with the connecting hole, an elastic pole extending outwardly from the fan mount at a periphery of the fixing hole of the fan mount, the elastic pole comprising a plurality of elastic arms, the elastic arms cooperatively defining an axial hole coaxial with the fixing hole, each of the elastic arms comprising a free end away from the fan mount, an outer diameter of the elastic pole at the free ends of the elastic arms being substantially equal to a diameter of the connecting hole of the fan when the elastic arms are unloaded; and

a fastener comprising a base body and a shaft extending outwardly from the base body, the shaft having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the elastic pole at the free ends of the elastic arms when the elastic arms are unloaded;

wherein the fixing pole of the fan mount extends through the connecting hole of the fan, the shaft of the fastener extends through the fixing hole of the fan mount into the fixing pole and causes deformation of the elastic arms, thereby enlarging the outer diameter of the fixing pole at the free ends of the elastic arm and thus fixing the fan on the fan mount.

2. The fan module of claim 1, wherein when the elastic arms are unloaded, the inner diameter of the fixing pole at the free ends of the elastic arms is less than that at other portions of the fixing pole, and the inner diameter of the fixing pole at the other portions is not less than the diameter of the shaft.

3. The fan module of claim 2, wherein the outer diameter of the fixing pole is substantially constant, and each of the elastic arms has a thickness at the free end larger than that at other portions of the elastic arm.

4. The fan module of claim 2, wherein the elastic arms are equally spaced from each other along a circumference direction of the fixing hole.

5. The fan module of claim 1, wherein the fan mount further defines a plurality of arc-shaped locating slots surrounding and located adjacent to the fixing hole, the fastener further comprises a plurality of limiting posts surrounding and located adjacent to the shaft, and the limiting posts are respectively engaged in the locating slots.

6. The fan module of claim 5, wherein each of the locating slots comprises a first locating hole, and a second locating hole narrower than the first locating hole, and each of the limiting posts comprises a head smaller than the first locating hole and larger than the second locating hole.

7. The fan module of claim 6, wherein each of the locating slots further comprises a guiding groove intercommunicating the first locating hole and the second locating hole.

8. The fan module of claim 7, wherein the guiding groove has a width decreasing from the first locating hole to the second locating hole.

9. The fan module of claim 7, wherein each of the limiting posts is moveable in a corresponding locating slot between the first locating hole and the second locating hole along the guiding groove.

10. The fan module of claim 9, wherein the fastener further comprises a handle extending outwardly from one side of the base body which is opposite to the shaft, the fastener being rotatable by operating the handle.

11. The fan module of claim 6, wherein the fan mount further defines a recess around the fixing hole receiving the heads of the limiting posts, the locating slots are defined in the fan mount above the recess, and a thickness of the head of the fastener is not larger than a depth of the recess.

12. The fan module of claim 6, wherein the locating slots are arranged along an imaginary circle, which is concentric with the fixing hole.

13. The fan module of claim 1, wherein the fan mount is a fan cover comprising a board and a fixing frame connected to the board, the fixing frame defining a receiving chamber receiving the fan therein.

14. The fan module of claim 13, wherein the fan comprises a housing and an impeller with a plurality of blades received in the housing, the housing comprising a top plate defining an air inlet and a bottom plate defining an air outlet, the connecting hole defined in the top plate, the fixing frame comprising a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly from the board and a connecting wall extending inwardly from a corner of the fixing frame where two of the sidewalls meet, the plurality of sidewalls and the connecting wall cooperatively defining the receiving chamber, and the fixing hole being defined in the connecting wall.

15. A fan module, comprising:

a fan comprising a housing and an impeller rotatably received in the housing, the housing defining a connecting hole therein;

a fixing frame comprising a plurality of sidewalls defining a chamber receiving the housing therein and a connecting wall extending inwardly from the sidewalls, the connecting wall defining a fixing hole aligned with the connecting hole, a hollow elastic pole extending into the chamber from the connecting wall at a periphery of the fixing hole of the fan mount, an outer diameter of the fixing pole being not larger than a diameter of the connecting hole when the fixing hole is unloaded; and

a fastener comprising a shaft, wherein the fixing pole of the fan mount extends through the connecting hole of the fan, the shaft of the fastener extends through the fixing hole of the fan mount into the fixing pole and causes deformation of the fixing pole, thereby enlarging the outer diameter of a portion of the fixing pole beyond the connecting hole and thus fixing the fan on the fan mount.

16. The fan module of claim 15, wherein the elastic pole comprises a connecting end connected to the connecting wall and a plurality of elastic arms extending outwardly from the connecting end, an outer end of each elastic arm away from the connecting end having a thickness larger than that of other portion of the elastic arm.

17. The fan module of claim 15, wherein the connecting wall defines a plurality of locating slots surrounding and adjacent to the fixing pole, each of the locating slots comprising a first locating hole, a second locating hole and a guiding groove intercommunicating the first locating hole and the second locating hole, the second locating hole being narrower than the first locating hole, the fastener further comprising a plurality of limiting posts correspondingly engaged in the locating slots, respectively, each of the limiting posts comprising a head smaller than the first locating hole and larger than the second locating hole.

18. A fan mount for mounting a fan which has a connecting hole, the fan mount comprising:

a frame comprising a sidewall defining a chamber for receiving the fan and a connecting wall extending inwards from the sidewall towards the chamber, a hollow elastic pole extending out from the connecting wall into the chamber, the elastic pole being adapted for inserting in the connecting hole of the fan, a through hole extending through the elastic hole and a corresponding part of the connecting wall; and

a fastener comprising a shaft for engaging in the through hole;

wherein when the fastener is inserted in the through hole, the fixing pole deforms to make an outer end thereof away from the connecting wall enlarge, thereby fixing the fastener on the frame.

19. The fan mount of claim 18, wherein the elastic pole comprises a plurality of elastic arms arranged on an imaginary circle which is concentric with the through hole, each of the elastic arms has a thickness at the outer end of the fixing pole larger than that of other portions of the elastic arms.

20. The fan mount of claim 18, wherein the connecting wall further defines a locating slot adjacent to the elastic pole, the locating slot comprising a first locating hole and a second locating hole communicating with the first locating hole, the second locating hole being narrower than the first locating hole, the fastener further comprising a limiting post adjacent to the shaft, the limiting post comprising a head smaller than the first locating hole and larger than the second locating hole.