Protective louver assembly for air-moving assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018098463-A1
Application number	US-201715820571-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided for blocking removal of an air-moving assembly from a housing when in operational state. The apparatus includes a protective louver assembly having a louver(s) and an interlock element(s). The louver(s) is disposed at an air inlet or an air outlet of the air-moving assembly, and pivots between an operational and a quiesced orientation, dependent on presence or absence, respectively, of airflow through the air-moving assembly. The interlock element(s) is associated with the louver(s) to pivot with the louver(s) between the operational orientation and the quiesced orientation. In the operational orientation, the interlock element(s) blocks, at least in part, access to at least one fastener securing the air-moving assembly within the housing, and thereby prevents removal of the air-moving assembly from the chassis when in the operational state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a protective louver assembly, the protective louver assembly comprising:
at least one louver disposed at one of an air inlet or an air outlet of an air-moving assembly, the air-moving assembly being removable when in a non-operational state from a housing within which the air-moving assembly resides when in an operational state, and the at least one louver pivoting between an operational orientation and a quiesced orientation, dependent on presence or absence, respectively, of airflow through the air-moving assembly; and
at least one interlock element associated with the at least one louver to pivot with the at least one louver between the operational orientation and the quiesced orientation, the at least one interlock element blocking, at least in part, access in the operational orientation to at least one fastener securing the air-moving assembly within the housing.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one interlock element of the at least one interlock element is integrated with and projecting at an angle from one louver of the at least one louver to block, at least in part, access to one fastener of the at least one fastener in the operational orientation.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one interlock element of the at least one interlock element projects at a substantially 90° angle from the one louver of the at least one louver.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one louver is substantially horizontal when in the operational orientation, and the one interlock element projecting therefrom is substantially vertical in the operational orientation.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air-moving assembly includes a protective shroud enclosing, at least in part, the at least one fastener, the protective shroud including at least one access opening allowing access to the at least one fastener, and the at least one interlock element extending into an at least partially enclosed region defined by the protective shroud when in the operational orientation.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one interlock element blocks access to the at least one fastener through the at least one access opening in the protective shroud in the operational orientation.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the protective louver assembly comprises multiple louvers disposed at the one of the air inlet or the air outlet of the air-moving assembly, the multiple louvers including the at least one louver, and each pivoting between the operational orientation and the quiesced orientation, dependent on presence or absence, respectively, of airflow through the air-moving assembly, and wherein one louver of the multiple louvers is sized smaller than another louver of the multiple louvers, the one louver including one interlock element of the at least one interlock element.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the one louver smaller than the another louver remains in the operational orientation longer than the another louver during a transition of the multiple louvers from the operational orientation to the quiesced orientation due to a decreasing airflow through the air-moving assembly.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one louver is half the size, or less, of the another louver of the multiple louvers.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air-moving assembly comprises a centrifugal fan, and the at least one louver is hingedly coupled to the air-moving assembly at the air outlet thereof.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
an air-moving assembly residing within a housing when in an operational state, the air-moving assembly being removable from the housing when in a non-operational state; and a protective louver assembly, the protective louver assembly comprising:
at least one louver disposed at one of an air inlet or an air outlet of the air-moving assembly, the at least one louver pivoting between an operational orientation and a quiesced orientation, dependent on presence or absence, respectively, of airflow through the air-moving assembly; and
at least one interlock element associated with the at least one louver to pivot with the at least one louver between the operational orientation and the quiesced orientation, the at least one interlock element blocking, at least in part, access in the operational state to at least one fastener securing the air-moving assembly within the housing.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the housing further comprises one or more electronic components to be cooled, at least in part, by the airflow through the air-moving assembly when in the operational state.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein one interlock element of the at least one interlock element is integrated with and projecting at an angle from one louver of the at least one louver to block, at least in part, access to the at least one fastener in the operational orientation.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one louver is substantially horizontal when in the operational orientation, and the one interlock element projecting therefrom is substantially vertical in the operational orientation.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the air-moving assembly further comprises a protective shroud enclosing, at least in part, the at least one fastener, the protective shroud including at least one access opening allowing access to the at least one fastener, and the at least one interlock element extending into an at least partially enclosed region defined by the shroud when in the operational orientation.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one interlock element blocks access to the at least one fastener through the at least one access opening in the protective shroud in the operational orientation.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the protective louver assembly comprises multiple louvers disposed at the one of the air inlet or the air outlet of the air-moving assembly, the multiple louvers including the at least one louver, and each pivoting between the operational orientation and the quiesced orientation, dependent on presence or absence, respectively, of airflow through the air-moving assembly, and wherein one louver of the multiple louvers is sized smaller than another louver of the multiple louvers, the one louver including one interlock element of the at least one interlock element.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the one louver smaller than the another louver remains in the operational orientation longer than the another louver during a transition of the multiple louvers from the operational orientation to the quiesced orientation due to a decreasing airflow through the air-moving assembly.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the one louver is half the size, or less, of the another louver of the multiple louvers.

20 . A method comprising:
associating a protective louver assembly with an air-moving assembly, the air-moving assembly residing within a housing when in operational state and being removable from the housing when in a non-operational state, the protective louver assembly comprising:
at least one louver disposed at one of an air-inlet or an air-outlet of the air-moving assembly, the at least one louver pivoting between an operational orientation and a quiesced orientation, dependent on presence or absence, respectively, of airflow through the air-moving assembly; and
at least one interlock element associated with the at least one louver to pivot with

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Campbell Levi A
• Ciraulo Christopher R
• David Milnes P
• Demetriou Dustin W
• Mullady Robert K
• Schmidt Roger R

Classifications

• H05K7/20727 Primary

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

• H05K7/20181

  Filters; Louvers · CPC title

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title