Fan air filter with tool-less filter replacement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018020575-A1
Application number	US-201615212845-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Jul 18, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information handling system (IHS) includes a node having a node enclosure provisioned with at least one heat-generating component. A device that provides infrastructure support to the node contains an air mover is attached to the node enclosure. The air mover creates cooling air flow through the node to absorb and transfer thermal energy from the at least one heat-generating component. An air filter enclosure is attachable over an air intake of the device. The air filter enclosure has a top slot sized to receive a manually inserted air filter into an air filter receiving frame. Replacement of the air filter can be achieved without tools. The air filter filters the air prior to the air entering the node enclosure to remove impurities and possible particulates that can damage the internal components of the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information handling system (IHS) comprising:
a node comprising a node enclosure provisioned with at least one heat-generating component; a device that provides infrastructure support to the node and that contains an air mover attached to the node enclosure to create cooling air flow through the node to absorb and transfer thermal energy from the at least one heat-generating component; and an air filter enclosure attachable over an air intake of the device and comprising a slot sized to receive a manually inserted air filter into an air filter receiving frame.

2 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein:
the device comprises a visual indicator that is adjacent to the air intake and that conveys an operational status of one the device and the node; and the air filter enclosure comprises a selected one of a transparent material and a translucent material that allows viewing of the operational status.

3 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein:
the device comprises an exterior face having the air intake and having one or more device fastener holes proximate to the air intake; the air filter enclosure comprises a mounting surface that is peripheral to the air filter receiving frame and having at least one enclosure fastener hole aligned with a selected one of the one or more device fastener holes of the exterior face of the device; and a fastener passes through the at least one enclosure fastener hole and the selected one of the one or more device fastener holes to fasten together the air filter enclosure and the device.

4 . The IHS of claim 3 , wherein:
the device further comprises an extraction handle attached to the exterior face; and the air filter enclosure comprises at least one edge relief area enabling positioning of the air filter enclosure over the air intake.

5 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein:
the device comprises an exterior face having the air intake and an extraction handle projecting outwardly from the exterior face; and the air filter enclosure comprises a shroud portion, the shroud portion comprising:
side walls defining an internal cavity proximally contacting the exterior face around the air intake and encompassing the extraction handle; and
one or more engagement clips internally presented inside the shroud portion to engage the extraction handle.

6 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein:
the device comprises an exterior face having the air intake and an extraction handle attached to the exterior face; and the air filter enclosure comprises one or more openings that receive the extraction handle.

7 . An air filter enclosure for an information handling system (IHS), the air filter enclosure comprising:
a replaceable air filter; and an air filter enclosure attachable over an air intake of a device and comprising a top slot sized to receive the replaceable air filter into an air filter receiving frame, wherein: the device contains an air mover attached to a node enclosure of a node of the IHS to create cooling air flow through the node to absorb and transfer thermal energy from at least one heat-generating component.

8 . The air filter enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the air filter enclosure comprises a selected one of a transparent material and a translucent material allowing passage of light from a visual indicator that is adjacent to the air intake and that conveys an operational status of the device.

9 . The air filter enclosure of claim 7 , wherein:
the air filter enclosure comprises a mounting surface peripheral to the air filter receiving frame and having at least one enclosure fastener hole aligned with a selected one of one or more device fastener holes through the exterior face of the device; and a fastener passing through the at least one enclosure fastener hole and the selected one of the one or more device fastener holes to fasten together the air filter enclosure and the device.

10 . The air filter enclosure of claim 9 , wherein the air filter enclosure comprises at least one edge relief area enabling positioning of the air filter enclosure over the air intake of the device having an extraction handle attached to the exterior face.

11 . The air filter enclosure of claim 7 , further comprising a shroud portion comprising:
side walls defining an internal cavity proximally contacting the exterior face around the air intake and encompassing an extraction handle projecting outwardly from an exterior face of the device; and one or more engagement clips internally presented inside the shroud portion to engage the extraction handle.

12 . The air filter enclosure of claim 7 , comprising a molded component.

13 . The air filter enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the air filter enclosure comprises one or more openings that receive an extraction handle attached to an exterior face of the device.

14 . A method of installing an air filter enclosure and air filter in an information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:
making an air filter enclosure to create an air filter receiving frame that is sized to cover an air intake of an air mover device that attaches to a node enclosure of a node of the IHS; forming a top slot in the air filter enclosure to create an air filter receiving frame that is sized to receive a replaceable air filter into the air filter receiving frame; and attaching the air filter enclosure to the device air mover.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising molding the air filter enclosure from a selected one of a transparent material and a translucent material allowing passage of light from a visual indicator that is adjacent to the air intake and that conveys an operational status of the device.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:
making the air filter enclosure comprises:
forming a mounting surface peripheral to the air filter receiving frame that includes at least one enclosure fastener hole aligned with a selected one of one or more device fastener holes through the exterior face of the device; and
forming a selected one of an edge relief area and one or more openings enabling positioning of the air filter enclosure over the air intake of the device having an extraction handle attached to the exterior face; and
attaching the air filter to the device comprises attaching a fastener that passes through the at least one enclosure fastener hole and the selected one of the one or more device fastener holes to fasten together the air filter enclosure and the device.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein making the air filter enclosure comprises forming a shroud portion having (i) side walls defining an internal cavity proximally contacting the exterior face around the air intake and encompassing an extraction handle projecting outwardly from an exterior face of the device; and (ii) one or more engagement clips internally presented inside the shroud portion to engage the extraction handle.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Zhang Joanne C
• Vu Thuy Thanh
• Morihata Mike

Classifications

• B01D46/0086

  Filter condition indicators · CPC title

• B01D2279/45

  for electronic devices, e.g. computers, hard-discs, mobile phones · CPC title

• B01D2265/02

  Non-permanent measures for connecting different parts of the filter · CPC title

• B01D46/4254 Primary

  Allowing or improving visual supervision, e.g. lamps, transparent parts, windows · CPC title

• B01D46/0005

  Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames (B01D46/2422 takes precedence) · CPC title