# US 10,375,866 B2 · Fan tray perforation pattern

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- Number: US 10,375,866 B2
- Document ID: US10375866B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/092,091
- Filed: 2016-04-06
- Published: 2016-07-28
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-04
- Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Frank S. Jun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375866B2

## CPC

- H05K 9/0041: {Ventilation panels having provisions for screening}
- B21D 28/26: in sheets or flat parts
- B21D 53/00: Making other particular articles (making wire fabrics B21F; making chains or chain parts B21L)
- F04D 17/16: for displacing without appreciable compression
- F04D 25/0613: {the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator}
- F04D 29/023: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F04D 29/281: {for fans or blowers}
- F04D 29/4226: {Fan casings}
- F04D 29/441: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F04D 29/703: {specially for fans, e.g. fan guards}
- G06F 1/182: {with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]}
- Y10T 83/0524: Plural cutting steps
- Y10T 428/24298: Noncircular aperture [e.g., slit, diamond, rectangular, etc.]
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F)
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An apparatus is provided in one example embodiment and includes a plate having a plurality of perforations configured in a pattern. The pattern includes the plurality of perforations arranged in concentric circles centered at a point. Each of the perforations is a closed shape comprising four edges, with rounded corners between adjacent edges, with two opposite edges of each of the perforations including non-parallel straight lines and two other opposite edges comprise concentric, offset curved lines. The non-parallel straight lines may form an angle with a vertex at the point, and the concentric curved lines may be centered at the point. The perforations in each concentric circle may be angularly spaced around the point. The apparatus may further include a substantially circular fan.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
guiding air through a plurality of perforations on a plate proximate to a rotating fan, wherein the perforations are arranged in concentric circles centered at a point, wherein each of the perforations is a closed shape comprising four edges that are tangential to a hypothetical circle located inside the perforation, wherein two opposite edges of each perforation comprise non-parallel straight lines, and two other opposite edges comprise curved lines.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fan is substantially circular with an inner radius corresponding to an inner perimeter of the pattern and an outer radius corresponding to an outer perimeter of the pattern.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each perforation comprises at least a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, wherein the first edge and the second edge comprise the non-parallel straight lines, wherein the third edge and the fourth edge comprise concentric circles of a first radius and a second radius respectively.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each perforation has rounded corners.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each perforation is separated by uniform angle increments in an azimuthal direction from adjacent perforations located on a common concentric circle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the perforations are spaced apart equally in both azimuthal and radial directions.

### Claim 7

An apparatus, comprising:
a plate comprising a plurality of perforations arranged in concentric circles centered at a point, wherein each of the perforations is a closed shape comprising four edges that are tangential to a hypothetical circle located inside the perforation, wherein two opposite edges of each perforation comprise non-parallel straight lines, and two other opposite edges comprise curved lines.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each perforation comprises at least a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, wherein the first edge and the second edge comprise the non-parallel straight lines, wherein the third edge and the fourth edge comprise concentric circles of a first radius and a second radius respectively.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a diameter of the hypothetical circle is equal to a difference between the first radius and the second radius.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each perforation is separated by uniform angle increments in an azimuthal direction from adjacent perforations located on a common concentric circle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the perforations are spaced apart equally in both azimuthal and radial directions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein any two perforations are uniformly spaced from each other.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pattern is bounded within an inner circle having an inner radius and an outer circle having an outer radius, wherein the apparatus further comprises a circular fan having the inner radius and the outer radius, wherein the plate is aligned parallel to the fan.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein rotation of the fan causes air to be pushed out through the plurality of perforations.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plate is made of a material providing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is attached to electronic equipment.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic equipment comprises a switch in a network.

### Claim 18

A method, comprising:
generating a pattern on a planar surface, the pattern comprising a plurality of perforations arranged in concentric circles centered at a point, wherein each of the perforations is a closed shape comprising four edges that are tangential to a hypothetical circle located inside the perforation, wherein two opposite edges of each perforation comprise non-parallel straight lines, and two other opposite edges comprise curved lines; and
cutting out the plurality of perforations.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the concentric circles have mutually different number of perforations.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein each perforation has rounded corners.