Concentrically symmetric connector in blind mate round fan assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10267340-B2
Application number	US-201615052200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A fan assembly system includes two or more circular fans, each fan situated in a round fan assembly, where each fan can be situated in the round fan assembly in any orientation. The system also includes a concentrically symmetric connector for each circular fan, located in a center of each circular fan. The system also includes a latching mechanism for each circular fan, where the latching mechanism is wholly contained within a swept area of a fan blade of the circular fan. The circular fans are arranged in a staggered arrangement, and the staggered arrangement of circular fans increases a number of circular fans that can be placed in the fan assembly system compared to a non-staggered arrangement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan assembly system, comprising:
two or more circular fans, each fan situated in a round fan assembly;
a concentrically symmetric connector for each fan, wherein the concentrically symmetric connector is located in a center of each circular fan, wherein a plurality of contacting surfaces of the concentrically symmetric connector are circularly symmetric along a center axis of the connector; and
wherein the fans are arranged in a staggered arrangement.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the concentrically symmetric connector is an audio plug.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the concentrically symmetric connector is an audio jack.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the round fan assembly further comprises a grill configured to prevent finger intrusion to a fan blade.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the round fan assembly further comprises an electromagnetic interference (EMI) gasket on a circumference of each circular fan configured to create an EMI boundary.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each round fan assembly further comprises a latching mechanism wholly contained within a swept area of a fan blade.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein one or more latch pieces of the latching mechanism are perforated to reduce impedance to airflow of the fan blade.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the staggered arrangement of circular fans increases a swept area of a chassis area compared to a non-staggered arrangement.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the staggered arrangement of circular fans increases a number of circular fans that can be placed in the fan assembly system compared to a non-staggered arrangement.

10. A method of packaging a cooling fan assembly, comprising:
inserting a round fan assembly into one of one or more round openings of an enclosure, wherein the round openings are arranged in a staggered arrangement; and
applying insertion force to mate a concentrically symmetric connector at a center of the round fan assembly.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
mating the concentrically symmetric connector with an audio plug.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
mating the concentrically symmetric connector with an audio jack.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
latching the round fan assembly with a latching mechanism wholly contained within a swept area of a fan blade.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more latch pieces of the latching mechanism are perforated to reduce impedance to air flow of the fan blade.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the staggered arrangement of circular fans increases a swept area of a chassis area compared to a non-staggered arrangement.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein inserting the round fan assembly comprises inserting the round fan assembly in any orientation.

17. A fan assembly system, comprising:
two or more circular fans, each fan situated in a round fan assembly, wherein each fan can be situated in the round fan assembly in any orientation;
a concentrically symmetric connector for each circular fan, wherein the concentrically symmetric connector is located in a center of each circular fan, wherein a plurality of contacting surfaces of the concentrically symmetric connector are circularly symmetric along a center axis of the connector;
a latching mechanism for each circular fan, wherein the latching mechanism is wholly contained within a swept area of a fan blade of the circular fan; and
wherein the circular fans are arranged in a staggered arrangement, and the staggered arrangement of circular fans increases a number of circular fans that can be placed in the fan assembly system compared to a non-staggered arrangement.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the concentrically symmetric connector is an audio plug.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the concentrically symmetric connector is an audio jack.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein one or more latch pieces of the latching mechanism are perforated to reduce impedance to airflow of the fan blade.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barron David
• Freitas Rachael C
• Mahaney Jr Howard V
• Mashak Benjamin W
• Zacharakis-Jutz George

Classifications

• F04D29/601

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D29/703 Primary

  specially for fans, e.g. fan guards · CPC title

• F04D25/166

  using fans · CPC title

• F04D19/002

  Axial flow fans · CPC title