Safety compliant fan finger guard integrated with anti-recirculation structure and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018347592-A1
Application number	US-201715611883-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fan guard and method of use thereof. The fan guard includes a guard housing, the guard housing including a housing opening, one or more lattices, wherein the one or more lattices are pivotably connected to a portion of the guard housing, a linkage arm, wherein the one or more lattices are operably connected to the linkage arm, and a wedge portion operably connected to the linkage arm, wherein the wedge portion comprises a wedge portion face, and wherein the linkage arm is configured to move along a length of the guard housing and the linkage arm is configured to pivot the one or more lattices from a first position to a second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fan guard comprising:
a guard housing, the guard housing comprising:
a housing opening;
one or more lattices, wherein the one or more lattices are pivotably connected to a portion of the guard housing;
a linkage arm, wherein the one or more lattices are operably connected to the linkage arm; and
a wedge portion operably connected to the linkage arm, wherein the wedge portion comprises a wedge portion face for cooperative engagement with a portion of the linkage arm, and wherein the linkage arm is configured to move along a length of the guard housing and the linkage arm is configured to pivot the one or more lattices from a first position to a second position.

2 . The fan guard of claim 1 , further comprising a latch that is operably connected to a portion of the guard housing and pivotably connected to the wedge portion.

3 . The fan guard of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more lattices comprises crosspieces spanning at least a portion of each of the one or more lattices.

4 . The fan guard of claim 3 , wherein in the first position, openings between the crosspieces are smaller than or equal to the area proscribed in IEC 60950.

5 . The fan guard of claim 3 , wherein in the second position, openings between the crosspieces are larger than the area proscribed in IEC 60950.

6 . The fan guard of claim 1 , further comprising a bezel, wherein the bezel comprises a bezel protrusion and a bezel protrusion face.

7 . The fan guard of claim 6 , wherein the bezel protrusion is configured to extend through the housing opening and contact the latch and wedge portion of the guard housing.

8 . The fan guard of claim 7 , wherein the bezel protrusion face is configured to contact the wedge portion face at an angle.

9 . The fan guard of claim 8 , wherein the bezel protrusion is configured to move in a first direction and the bezel protrusion face is configured to move the linkage arm in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

10 . The fan guard of claim 1 , further comprising a recirculation flap structure that is configured to contact the fan assembly, wherein the recirculation flap structure comprises a plurality of flaps that are rotationally attached to the recirculation flap structure and are configured to rotate from a first flap position to a second flap position in response to a change in air pressure.

11 . The fan guard of claim 1 , further comprising a solenoid, wherein the solenoid is configured to move the linkage arm in a direction along a length of the guard housing.

12 . The fan guard of claim 11 , further comprising a switch, the switch electrically connected to the solenoid.

13 . The fan guard of claim 12 , further comprising one or more additional solenoids electrically connected to the switch.

14 . A method of operating a fan guard, the method comprising:
moving a bezel, wherein the bezel comprises a bezel protrusion and a bezel protrusion face in a first direction towards a guard housing, the guard housing comprising:
a housing opening;
one or more lattices, wherein the one or more lattices are pivotably connected to a portion of the guard housing;
a linkage arm, wherein the one or more lattices are operably connected to the linkage arm;
a wedge portion operably connected to the linkage arm, wherein the wedge portion comprises a wedge portion face, and wherein the linkage arm is configured to move along a length of the guard housing and the linkage arm is configured to pivot the one or more lattices from a first position to a second position, wherein the bezel protrusion extends through the housing opening;
contacting the latch to rotate the latch from a first latch position to a second latch position; contacting the wedge portion face with the bezel protrusion face, wherein the contact of the wedge portion face moves the linkage arm in a second direction, the second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and rotating the one or more lattices from a first position to a second position.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of
moving the bezel in a third direction that is substantially opposite the first direction, withdrawing the bezel protrusion from the housing opening; moving the linkage arm in a fourth direction, the fourth direction substantially opposite the third direction; rotating the one or more lattices from the second position to the first position; and rotating the latch from the second latch position to the first latch position.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Arenella Kenneth
• Campbell Levi A
• Ciraulo Christopher R
• Mullady Robert K
• Notohardjono Budy D
• Tsfasman Arkadiy O
• Werner John S

Classifications

• F04D29/703 Primary

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

• F04D29/563

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F04D25/166

  using fans · CPC title