Air baffle system in a cooling system for electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247673-B2
Application number	US-201213628166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2012
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A cooling apparatus of an array of fan cradles holding fans where a movable baffle assembly directs airflow and blocks removal of more than one fan at a time. A plurality of fans held in a fan cradle assembly in which the fan cradle for a fan to be replaced mechanically moves and is engaged with the movable baffle assembly to prevent removal of the other fans. A method is provided by which an operator may remove and replace an existing fan in an array of fans.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for directing airflow, comprising:
a first fan cradle and a second fan cradle to hold a first fan and a second fan, respectively, the first and second fan cradles being disposed beside one another; and
a baffle assembly moveable between a home position and a swap position, the baffle assembly comprising an airflow diverter plate having a fan stop plate at a first end, the airflow diverter plate and the fan stop plate being substantially perpendicular to one another, wherein:
in the home position, the fan stop plate is opposite the first and second cradles, and the airflow diverter plate is lying in a first plane that is substantially perpendicular to the fan stop plate and between the first and second cradles, the airflow diverter plate thereby segregating first and second airflows respectively generated by the first and second fans when the first and second fans are present and operating in the first and second cradles, and
in the swap position, the fan stop plate is opposite one of the first and second cradles and not opposite the other cradle to thereby block removal of a fan present in the one cradle and allow removal of a fan present in the other cradle, and the first end of the airflow diverter plate is opposite the one cradle to thereby divide an airflow generated by a fan present and operating in the one cradle into third and fourth airflows.

2. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the airflow diverter plate is substantially planar.

3. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fan stop plate is substantially planar.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the swap position, the airflow diverter plate is lying in a second plane that is substantially perpendicular to the fan stop plate and intersects the first plane at a non-zero angle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the swap position, the first end of the airflow diverter plate is opposite the one cradle and at a midpoint between a first and a second side of the one cradle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the baffle assembly further comprises a baffle biasing mechanism at a second end of the airflow diverter plate opposite the first end, the baffle biasing mechanism pivotable between a first position and a second position to thereby orient the baffle assembly between the home and swap positions.

7. The cooling apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the baffle biasing mechanism includes a compressible element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the fan cradles further comprise a cradle biasing mechanism to allow a fan cradle to tilt, and wherein the cradle biasing mechanisms each include a compressible element.

9. An apparatus for diverting airflow, comprising:
a first fan cradle to hold a first fan, the first fan cradle having first and second ends, and a first cradle biasing mechanism at the first end of the first fan cradle;
a second fan cradle to hold a second fan, the second fan cradle having first and second ends, and a second cradle biasing mechanism at the first end of the second fan cradle, wherein the second fan cradle is positioned beside the first fan cradle with the second cradle biasing mechanism adjacent to the first cradle biasing mechanism and the respective first ends of the first and second fan cradles adjacent one another;
a baffle assembly moveable between a home position and a swap position, the baffle assembly including an airflow diverter plate having a first end and a second end, and a fan stop plate at the first end of the airflow diverter plate, wherein the airflow diverter plate and the fan stop plate are substantially perpendicular to one another;
a baffle biasing mechanism at the second end of the airflow diverter plate, the baffle biasing mechanism pivotable between a first position and a second position to thereby orient the baffle assembly between the home and swap positions; and
a locking mechanism to hold the baffle assembly in the home position or the swap position,
wherein the first end of the airflow diverter plate is in a location proximate to the second end of one of the first and second fan cradles in the swap position to thereby position the fan stop plate to block removal of a fan in the one fan cradle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first end of the airflow diverter plate is in a location proximate to the second ends the first and second fan cradles in the home position to thereby position the fan stop plate to block removal of a fan in the first fan cradle and a fan in the second fan cradle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the baffle biasing mechanism is spring loaded.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first and second cradle biasing mechanisms are spring loaded.

13. A method to remove and replace an existing fan in an array of fans, comprising:
manipulating an airflow diverter plate from a home position to a swap position, wherein a baffle assembly comprises the airflow diverter plate and a fan stop plate, the airflow diverter plate having the fan stop plate at a first end, the airflow diverter plate and the fan stop plate being substantially perpendicular to one another, and the baffle assembly is positioned in front of a first fan cradle and a second fan cradle to hold a first fan and a second fan, respectively, the first and second fan cradles being disposed beside one another, wherein:
in the home position, the fan stop plate is opposite the first and second cradles, and the airflow diverter plate is lying in a first plane that is substantially perpendicular to the fan stop plate and between the first and second cradles, the airflow diverter plate thereby segregating first and second airflows respectively generated by the first and second fans when the first and second fans are present and operating in the first and second cradles, and
in the swap position, the fan stop plate is opposite one of the first and second cradles and not opposite the other cradle to thereby block removal of a fan present in the one cradle and allow removal of a fan present in the other cradle, and the first end of the airflow diverter plate is opposite the one cradle to thereby divide an airflow generated by a fan present and operating in the one cradle into third and fourth airflows;

substituting a replacement fan for the fan in the other cradle;
manipulating the airflow diverter plate from the swap position to the home position.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising increasing the speed of a fan present and operating in the one cradle when the baffle assembly is in the swap position.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kelaher Daniel P
• Megarity William M
• Scavuzzo John P

Classifications

• H05K7/20145

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

• Y10T29/49238

  Repairing, converting, servicing or salvaging · CPC title

• H05K7/20172 Primary

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title

• F04D29/646

  Mounting or removal of fans · CPC title