Fan assembly and associated systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926935-B2
Application number	US-201514683260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A fan assembly ( 100 ) includes a chassis portion ( 101 ) and a fan receiver ( 102 ) coupled to the chassis portion at a first end ( 105 ) of the fan receiver. A fan receiver sidewall defines an inner surface ( 401 ), an outer surface ( 402 ), a receiving opening ( 403 ), and a central axis ( 405 ). The inner surface can include at least one insertion guiderail key ( 514,614 ) oriented substantially parallel with the central axis. The outer surface can include a threaded male member ( 407 ) at a second end ( 106 ) of the fan receiver. A fan module ( 103 ) can nest within the fan receiver sidewall, retained therein by a vented endcap ( 104 ) that couples to the threaded male member with a threaded connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan assembly, comprising:
a chassis portion;
a fan receiver coupled to the chassis portion at a first end of the fan receiver and comprising a fan receiver sidewall defining:
an inner surface;
an outer surface;
a receiving opening;
a central axis; and
a fan module to insert into the receiving opening along the central axis, the fan module comprising an exterior fan module sidewall defining at least one insertion guiderail keyseat to engage an insertion guiderail key when the fan module inserts into the receiving opening;

the inner surface comprising at least one insertion guiderail key oriented substantially parallel with the central axis; and
the outer surface comprising a threaded male member at a second end of the fan receiver.

2. The fan assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a vented endcap to cover the receiving opening, the vented endcap comprising a threaded female member to engage the threaded male member.

3. The fan assembly of claim 1 , the fan receiver sidewall having a circular cross section.

4. The fan assembly of claim 1 , the at least one insertion guiderail keyseat to translate along the at least one insertion guiderail key when the fan module inserts into the receiving opening.

5. The fan assembly of claim 4 , the at least one insertion guiderail key comprising a plurality of insertion guiderail keys, the at least one insertion guiderail keyseat comprising a plurality of insertion guiderail keyseats.

6. The fan assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a vented endcap to retain the fan module within the fan receiver.

7. The fan assembly of claim 6 , the vented endcap comprising a threaded female member to attach to the threaded male member.

8. A fan assembly, comprising
a chassis portion;
a fan receiver coupled to the chassis portion at a first end of the fan receiver and comprising a fan receiver sidewall defining:
an inner surface;
an outer surface;
a receiving opening; and
a central axis;
the fan receiver comprising one or more cantilevered snaps disposed at the first end of the fan receiver to attach to the chassis portion;

the chassis portion defining an aperture having one or more alignment gaps disposed along a perimeter of the aperture, the fan receiver further comprising one or more alignment protuberances to engage the one or more alignment gaps;
the inner surface comprising at least one insertion guiderail key oriented substantially parallel with the central axis; and
the outer surface comprising a threaded male member at a second end of the fan receiver.

9. The fan assembly of claim 8 , the fan receiver further comprising one or more mechanical stops to limit an amount of mechanical engagement between the chassis portion and the fan receiver.

10. The fan assembly of claim 8 , the one or more cantilevered snaps to deflect about the perimeter of the aperture toward the central axis when the fan receiver attaches to the chassis portion.

11. The fan assembly of claim 8 , the chassis portion comprising an annulus suspended within the aperture by one or more mechanical struts, the annulus comprising a coupler to attach to attach to an electrical connector.

12. The fan assembly of claim 11 , further comprising the electrical connector coupled to the coupler.

13. The fan assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a fan module comprising a complementary electrical connector disposed at an end of the fan module, the complementary electrical connector to couple to the electrical connector when the fan module is disposed within the fan receiver.

14. The fan assembly of claim 8 , the fan receiver sidewall having a circular cross section.

15. The fan assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a fan module nested within the fan receiver sidewall; and
an endcap coupled to the fan receiver sidewall at a second end of the fan receiver to retain the fan module nested within the fan receiver sidewall between the chassis portion and the endcap.

16. The fan assembly of claim 15 , an inner surface of the fan receiver sidewall comprising a key, an outer surface of the fan module comprising a key seat, the key seat to engage the key when the fan module is nested within the fan receiver sidewall.

17. The fan assembly of claim 15 , the endcap coupled to the fan receiver sidewall by a threaded connection.

18. The fan assembly of claim 15 , the chassis portion disposed along a side of a chassis, the fan receiver disposed exterior to the chassis.

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Inc
• Arris Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Inda Carlos Gonzalez
• Vera Julio Cesar Ayala
• Riva Oswaldo Enrique Linares
• Canseco Sergio Antonio Delon
• Moreno Luis Lopez

Classifications

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title

• F04D25/0613 Primary

  the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator · CPC title

• F04D29/601

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title