AIR GUIDING DEVICE

Abstract

An air guiding device includes a side plate defining an opening. Two shielding plates are slidably attached to the side plate and respectively located beside opposite ends of the opening to adjustably cover the opening.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an air guiding device.

2. Description of Related Art

Some electronic devices, such as expansion cards mounted in a computer or a server, are generally cooled by system fans mainly because it is costly to specially configure a heat dissipating device for the expansion cards, which may result in poorly cooled cards leading to poor performance and shortened life spans of the cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an exploded and isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an air guiding device, wherein the air guiding device includes two shielding plates.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a circled portion II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the shielding plates of FIG. 1, but viewed from another perspective.

FIG. 4 is an assembled and isometric view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are similar to FIG. 4, but showing the air guiding device in different states.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, an exemplary embodiment of an air guiding device 10 is installed in a computer or a server and a number of electronic devices 30 with different sizes mounted beside the air guiding device 10. The electronic device 30 may be one of a number of expansion cards 30 with different lengths. The air guiding device 10 includes a long top plate 13, two side plates 11 perpendicularly extending down from opposite sides of the top plate 13, and two shielding plates 20. Air flows from one end of the air guiding device 10 to the other end of the air guiding device 10.

A recess 12 is longitudinally defined in the lower portion of the side plate 11 beside the expansion cards and extends through an end of the side plate 11. The recess 12 is bounded by a bottom wall 121 and two opposite sidewalls 122 perpendicular to the bottom wall 121. A pair of L-shaped slide rails 14 opposite to each other extends respectively from the sidewalls 122. A rectangular opening 15 is defined in the middle of the bottom wall 121, along the airflow path of the air guiding device 10. Two rows of latching slots 162 are defined in the bottom wall 121, located beside opposite ends of the opening 15 respectively. Each latching slot 162 is V-shaped in cross-section.

Referring to FIG. 3, each shielding plate 20 is rectangular. A hole 21 is defined in a first end of the shielding plate 20. A resilient hook 22 extends from an end of the hole 21 and is received in the hole 21. The hook 22 includes a V-shaped latching portion 222 formed at a distal end thereof. An operation bar 23 protrudes from the outer side of the shielding plate 20 and is located at a second end of the shielding plate 20.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in assembly, the shielding plates 20 are slidably attached to the side plate 11 to adjustably cover the opening 15, with the hooks 22 engaging in the latching slots 162 and side edges of the shielding plates 20 slidably blocked by the slide rails 14.

In use, when an expansion card 30 is mounted in the computer or server, the two shielding plates 20 are slid until the opening 15 is about the same length as the mounted expansion card 30, by operating the operation bars 23.

Referring to FIG. 6, when there is no expansion card 30 to be cooled, the two shielding plates 20 are slid towards each other to completely cover the opening 15.

When the shielding plates 20 are slid to predetermined positions for allowing heat generated by the expansion card 30 to enter the opening 15, the latching portions 222 engage in the corresponding latching slots 162 to keep the shielding plates 20 in a desired position.

In other embodiments, the side plate 11 may define an opening perpendicular to the airflow of the air guiding device 10 to cool electronic devices 30 with different height.

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

Claims

1. An air guiding device comprising:

a side plate defining an opening; and

two shielding plates slidably attached to the side plate and respectively located beside opposite ends of the opening to adjustably cover the opening.

2. The air guiding device of claim 1, wherein the opening is rectangular, two opposite L-shaped slide rails are formed on the slide plate beside opposite sides of the opening respectively, the shielding plates are slidably sandwiched between the slide rails.

3. The air guiding device of claim 2, wherein two rows of latching slots are defined in the side plate beside two opposite ends of the opening corresponding to the two shielding plates, each shielding plate comprises a hook extending therefrom to selectively engage in one of the latching slots.

4. The air guiding device of claim 3, wherein each latching slot V-shaped in cross-section, each hook comprises a V-shaped latching portion formed at a distal end thereof to engage in the latching slot.

5. The air guiding device of claim 1, wherein an operation bar is formed on an outer side of each shielding plate.

6. The air guiding device of claim 1, wherein an electronic device is mounted beside the air guiding device, heat generated by the electronic device enters the opening.

7. An air guiding device comprising:

a side plate defining an opening; and

a shielding plate slidably attached to the side plate to adjustably cover the opening.

8. The air guiding device of claim 7, wherein the opening is rectangular, two opposite L-shaped slide rails are formed on the slide plate beside opposite sides of the opening respectively, the shielding plate is slidably sandwiched between the slide rails and located beside one end of the opening.

9. The air guiding device of claim 8, wherein a row of latching slots is defined in the side plate beside the opening, the shielding plate comprises a hook extending therefrom to selectively engage in one of the latching slots.

10. The air guiding device of claim 9, wherein each latching slot is V-shaped in cross-section, the hook comprises a V-shaped latching portion formed at a distal end thereof to engage in the latching slot.

11. The air guiding device of claim 7, wherein an operation bar is formed on an outer side of the shielding plate.

12. The air guiding device of claim 7, wherein an electronic device is mounted beside the air guiding device, heat generated by the electronic device enters the opening.