COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A cooling fan assembly includes a fan with a frame, two fixing members arranged at two opposite lateral sides of the frame, and a plurality of fixing poles detachably interconnecting the frame with the base portions of the two fixing members. The two fixing members each include a base portion and a handling portion extending from a top of the base portion. The handling portions extend upwardly and inclined toward each other along a direction away from the base portions. One end of the fixing pole penetrates through and is fixed on the frame, and the other end of the fixing pole is gripped by the base portion.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to fan assemblies, and particularly to a fan assembly with a convenient mechanism for assembling and disassembling.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] During operation of electronic devices such as computer central processing units (CPUs), north bridges and south bridges, a large amount of heat is often produced. The heat must be quickly removed from the electronic devices to prevent them from over heating and being damaged. Typically, a heat sink is attached to an outer surface of the electronic device to absorb the heat from the CPU, and a cooling fan assembly is fixed on the heat sink by bolts for generating an airflow to bring the heat of the heat sink away. However, the employment of bolts undesirably makes the assembling and disassembling of the cooling fan complex and time-consuming.

[0005] Therefore, what is needed is to provide a cooling fan assembly to overcome above shortcomings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cooling fan assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cooling fan assembly of FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic, enlarged view of a fixing member of the cooling fan assembly of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the fixing member of FIG. 3, viewed from another aspect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Reference will now be made to the drawing to describe the present cooling fan assembly, in detail.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a cooling fan assembly 100 according to a first embodiment includes a fan 10, two fixing members 20 and a plurality of fixing poles 30.

[0013] The fan 10 includes a frame 11 and an impeller 12 arranged inside the frame 11. The frame 11 includes a first flange 111, a second flange 112 opposite to the first flange 111, and a tubular sidewall 113 interconnected between the first flange 111 and the second flange 112. In other words, the first flange 111 extends outwardly from one end of the tubular sidewall 113, and the second flange 112 extends outwardly from the other end of the tubular sidewall 113. The first flange 111 and the second flange 112 respectively extending in a radial plane of the tubular sidewall 113. The first flange 111 and the second flange 112 each has a rectangular peripheral contour. Each corner of the first flange 111 and the second flange 112 defines a through hole 114 therein. Further, four flat platforms 115 are defined on outer surface of the tubular sidewall 113. The flat platforms 115 are flushed with peripheral edges of the first and second flanges 111, 112.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the two fixing members 20 are arranged at two opposite lateral sides of the frame 11. The two fixing members 20 are opposite to each other, and each include a base portion 21 and a handling portion 22.

[0015] The base portion 21 includes an attaching plate 211 and two hems 212 extending from two opposite sides of the attaching plate 211. The attaching plate 211 is approximately flat, and attached to the flat platforms 115 and the peripheral edges of the first and second flanges 111, 112. The two hems 212 respectively extend along a direction perpendicular to the attaching plate 211. When the fan 10 is arranged between the two opposite attaching plates 211, the two hems 212 respectively being attached to the first and second flanges 111, 112. Accordingly, the two hems 212 sandwich the first and second flanges 111, 112 therebetween. Each hem 212 defines a plurality of receiving recesses 213 on an outer surface thereof. The locations of the receiving recesses 213 are corresponding to that of the through holes 114, when the fan 10 is arranged between the two opposite attaching plates 211. Each receiving recess 213 depresses towards the first and second flanges 111, 112 of the frame 11. Each receiving recess 213 further defining a cutout 214 at a bottom thereof for griping the fixing pole 30.

[0016] The two handling portions 22 each extend from a top of a corresponding base portion 21. The two handling portions 22 extend upwardly and inclined toward each other along a direction away from the base portions 21. Each handling portion 22 includes a curved part 221 adjoined to the base portion 21, and a vertical part 222 bending from an upper edge of the curved part 221. The curved part 221 is a curved plate with an opening 223 defined therein.

[0017] The plurality of fixing poles 30 detachably interconnect the frame 11 with the base portions 21 of the two fixing members 20. Each fixing pole 30 includes a head 31, a tail 33, and a shaft 32 interconnecting the head 31 with the tail 33.

[0018] The head 31 is approximately a round board with a thickness equal to or slightly smaller than a depth of the receiving recess 213.

[0019] The shaft 32 is a cylinder with a radius smaller than that of the head 31 and the through hole 114. Near to a joint of the head 31 and the shaft 32, a slot 321 is defined on the shaft 32. The slot 321 has a width equal to or slightly smaller than a thickness of the bottom of the receiving recess 213.

[0020] The tail 33 is approximately a cone with a big end adjoined with the shaft 32. The big end of the tail 33 has a size bigger than the shaft 32 and the through hole 114. In this embodiment, the tail 33 includes a conic body 331 with a big end connected to the shaft 32, and an end body 332 extending from a small end of the conic body 331. The big end of the conic body 331 has a size bigger than the shaft 32 and the through hole 114. The end body 332 has a size smaller than the through hole 114.

[0021] When the fixing pole 30 is operated to penetrate through the through hole 114 for assembling the fan 10 to the fixing members 20, the head 31 is received in the receiving recess 213 and at one side of the through hole 114, the shaft 32 is received in the through hole 114 with the bottom of the receiving recess 213 embedded in the slot 321, and the conic body 331 will be stuck at another side of the through hole 114. Accordingly, one end of the fixing pole 30 penetrates through and is fixed on the frame 11, and the other end of the fixing pole 30 (i.e. the joint of the head 31 and the shaft 32) is gripped by the base portion 21 (i.e. by the cutout 214). In such cooperation, the fan 10 is assembled and fixed to the two fixing members 20, via the plurality of fixing poles 30.

[0022] When disassembling the fan 10 from the two fixing members 20, operators can grip the handling portions 22 with fingers penetrating through the opening 223, and pull the two base portions 21 laterally away from each other via the handling portions 22. Accordingly, the head 31 can be pulled out of receiving recess 213, with the bottom of the receiving recess 213 pulled out of the slot 321. In such way, the two fixing members 20 are operated disengaged from the fixing poles 30, and the frame 11 of the fan 10 is diverged from the two fixing members 20, together with the plurality of the fixing poles 30.

[0023] It is to be said that, the plurality of fixing poles 30 can be made of rubber, and a groove can be longitudinally defined on an outer side surface of the conic body 331. As such, when the fixing pole 30 is operated to penetrate through the through hole 114, the end body 332 and the conic body 331 are forced to successively penetrate through the through hole 114, with the groove 333 providing a space for deformation of the conic body 331 when the conic body 331 is extruded by an inner edge of the through hole 114. Finally, after passing through the through holes 114, the conic body 331 resumes back to its original shape and get stuck by the first flange 111 or the second flange 112.

[0024] Due to that the fixing poles 30 fixed in the flanges of the fan 10 can be gripped or released by the two fixing members 20 without bolts, the assembling and disassembling of the fan 10 is convenient and efficient. Further, when made of rubber, the fixing poles 30 is capable of absorbing vibrations generated by the impeller 12, thereby eliminating or decreasing noises of the fan 10.

[0025] It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the disclosure. Variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the disclosure as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A cooling fan assembly comprising: a fan with a frame; two fixing members arranged at two opposite lateral sides of the frame, the two fixing members each comprising a base portion and a handling portion extending from a top of the base portion, the handling portions extending upwardly and inclined toward each other along a direction away from the base portions; a plurality of fixing poles detachably interconnecting the frame with the base portions of the two fixing members, one end of the fixing pole penetrating through and fixed on the frame, the other end of the fixing pole being gripped by the base portion.

2. The cooling fan assembly of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a tubular sidewall, a first flange extending outwardly from one end of the tubular sidewall, and a second flange extending outwardly from the other end of the tubular sidewall, the first and second flanges respectively extending in a radial plane of the tubular sidewall, the first and second flanges each has a rectangular peripheral contour, and each corner of the first and second flanges defines a through hole for penetration of the plurality of fixing poles.

3. The cooling fan assembly of claim 2, wherein each of the base portions comprises an attaching plate and two hems extending from two opposite sides of the attaching plate, the attaching plate being attached to peripheral edges of the first and second flanges, the two hems respectively being attached to the first and second flanges, the two hems sandwiching the first and second flanges therebetween.

4. The cooling fan assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the hems defines a plurality of receiving recesses on an outer surface thereof, each of the receiving recesses depressing towards the first and second flanges of the frame, each of the receiving recess further defining a cutout at a bottom thereof for griping the fixing pole.

5. The cooling fan assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the handling portions comprises a curved part adjoined to the base portion, and a vertical part bending from an upper edge of the curved part, the curved part defining an opening therein.

6. The cooling fan assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the fixing poles comprises a head, a tail and a shaft interconnecting the head with the tail, the tail of the fixing pole penetrating through the through hole and getting stuck by the flange, the shaft being received in the through hole, a joint of the head and the shaft being gripped by the cutout, the head being received in the receiving recess.

7. The cooling fan assembly of claim 6, wherein the plurality of fixing poles are made of rubber.

8. The cooling fan assembly of claim 6, wherein the head is approximately a round board with a thickness equal to or slightly smaller than a depth of the receiving recess.

9. The cooling fan assembly of claim 8, wherein the shaft is a cylinder with a radius smaller than that of the head and the through hole.

10. The cooling fan assembly of claim 6, wherein the tail is approximately a cone with a big end adjoined with the shaft, the big end of the tail having a size bigger than the shaft and the through hole.

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