Information handling system with increased air velocity to cool internal components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10334753-B2
Application number	US-201715782357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2017
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

An information handling system includes a component portion and a cooling portion. The component portion includes one or more components of the information handling system. The cooling portion includes a cooling fan and a baffle. The cooling fan provides air flow to the components. The baffle being movable between a first position and a second position to change an area available for the air flow to the components. The baffle is in the first position in response to only a first one of the components being located within the component portion, and the baffle is in the second position in response to both the first component and a second one of the components being located within the component portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising:
a component portion that includes a first component and a second component, wherein the first component is disposed on top of the second component; and
a cooling portion that includes:
an air duct;
a cooling fan disposed at one end of the air duct to provide an air flow toward the first and second components that are disposed at another end of the air duct; and
a baffle disposed within the air duct and in physical communication with the first and second components, the baffle including:
a first portion;
a second portion that is coupled by a hinge to the first portion, wherein the first and second portions form a first position to guide the air flow to the first component and form a second position to guide the air flow to the first and second components, wherein the first position includes the second portion in plane parallel with a bottom of the air duct and aligned with a bottom of the first component and the first portion extending in an inclined position from the bottom of the air duct to the hinge, wherein the second position includes the first portion and the second portion in physical communication with the bottom of the air duct; and
a spring in physical communication with a bottom surface of the second portion and the bottom of the air duct, wherein a weight of the first and second components causes the spring to compress and form the second position.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the air duct includes multiple guiding slots to direct movement of the baffle from the first position to the second position and vice-versa.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the multiple guiding slots include:
a first guide pin inserted through a horizontal first guiding slot on the bottom of the air duct, wherein the first guiding slot facilitates horizontal movement of the first guide pin that attaches one end of the first portion to the bottom of the air duct;
a second guide pin inserted through a vertical second guiding slot; and
a third guiding pin inserted through a vertical third guiding slot, wherein the second and third guiding slots facilitate upward and downward movements of the second and third guiding pins from the first position to the second position and vice-versa.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 , wherein the first guiding slot is positioned to enable the first guide pin to move in a first direction, and the second guiding slot is positioned to enable the second guide pin to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The information handling system of claim 3 , wherein the first position forms a first channel height between a planar surface of the second portion and a top of the air duct.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein the second position forms a second channel height between the planar surface of the second portion and the top of the air duct, wherein the second channel height is higher than the first channel height.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein one or more components are graphic processing units.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein one or more components are peripheral component interconnect express devices.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 , the baffle to form a first area available for the air flow when the baffle is in the first position, and to form a second area available for the air flow when the baffle is in the second position.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the first area is less than the second area.

11. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein a velocity of the air flow at the first component when the baffle is in the first position is the same as a velocity of the air flow at both the first and second components when the baffle is in the second position.

12. An information handling system comprising:
a component portion that includes a first component and a second component; and
a cooling portion that includes:
an air duct;
a cooling fan disposed at one end of the air duct to provide an air flow to the first and second components that are disposed at another end of the air duct;
a baffle in physical communication with the first and second components, wherein the baffle includes:
a first portion;
a second portion that is coupled by a hinge to the first portion, wherein the first and second portions form a first position to guide the air flow toward the first component and form a second position to guide the air flow toward the first and second components, wherein the first position includes the second portion in plane parallel with a bottom of the air duct and aligned with a bottom of the first component and the first portion extending in an included position from the bottom of the air duct to the hinge, wherein the second position includes the first portion and the second portion in physical communication with the bottom of the air duct; and
a spring in physical communication with a bottom surface of the second portion and the bottom of the air duct wherein a weight of the first and second components causes the spring to compress and form the second position; and
a fan controller in communication with the cooling fan, wherein the fan controller is configured to set the cooling fan to a first speed in response to the first and second portions forming the first position and to set the cooling fan to a second speed in response to the first and second portions forming the second position.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 , wherein the air duct includes:
a first guide pin inserted through a horizontal first guiding slot on the bottom of the air duct, wherein the first guiding slot facilitates horizontal movement of the first guide pin that attaches one end of the first portion to the bottom of the air duct;
a second guide pin inserted through a vertical second guiding slot, wherein the second guide pin is connected to the first and second portions; and
a third guiding pin inserted to a vertical third guiding slot, wherein the second and third guiding slots facilitate upward and downward movements of the second and third guiding pins from the first position to the second position and vice-versa.

14. The information handling system of claim 12 , wherein the weight of the first and second components causes a second channel height between a planar surface of the second portion and a top of the air duct, wherein the second channel height is higher than a first channel height during the first position.

15. The information handling system of claim 12 , the baffle to form a first area available for the air flow when the baffle is in the first position, and to form a second area available for the air flow when the baffle is in the second position.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 , wherein a velocity of the air flow at the first component when the baffle is in the first position is the same as a velocity of the air flow at both the first and second components when the baffle is in the second position.

17. An information handling system comprising:
a component portion that includes a first component and a second component, wherein the first component is disposed on top of the second component; and
a cooling portion that includes:
an air duct that facilitates an air flow toward the first and second components;
a cooling fan disposed at one end of the air duct to provide the air flow toward the first and second components that are disposed at anoth

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Chu Yi-Pai
• Ma Liang-Chun
• Cho Shih-Huai
• Chien Hung-Pin

Classifications

• H05K7/20145 Primary

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/20154

  Heat dissipaters coupled to components · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• H05K7/20727 Primary

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title