Reversible louver for fabric card fan solution
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsRobert Wilcox, Richard Hibbs, Leonel de los Reyes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system may include a fan module and a louver. The fan module includes a first housing, adapted to include a fan in a first orientation. The fan is adapted to cause air to flow into the rear side of the first housing and out of the front side of the first housing. The fan module also includes a key receptacle that is adapted to mate with a first key. The louver includes a second housing that includes a set of slats adapted as a one way valve. The second housing also includes the first key which is adapted to only mate with the key receptacle. The second housing also includes the second key which is adapted to not mate with the key receptacle.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a fan module comprising:
- a first housing adapted to include a fan in a first orientation, wherein the first housing has a front side and a rear side on opposite sides of the first housing;
- the fan, disposed within the first housing, is adapted to:
- cause air to flow into the rear side of the first housing, through the first housing, and out of the front side of the first housing when in the first orientation;
- a key receptacle, disposed on the front side of the first housing, adapted to:
- mate with a first key, when the fan is in the first orientation;
- a louver comprising:
- a second housing comprising a set of slats, wherein the second housing has a front side and a rear side on opposite sides of the second housing;
- the set of slats, disposed within the second housing, wherein the set of slats is adapted as:
- a one way valve that allows air to flow into the rear side of the second housing, through the second housing, and out of the front side of the second housing;
- the first key, disposed on the rear side of the second housing, is adapted to only mate with the key receptacle;
- the second key, disposed on the front side of the second housing, is adapted to not mate with the key receptacle;
- wherein when the first key is mated with the key receptacle, a first contact is formed between the front side of the first housing and rear side of the second housing and the first contact causes, when the fan is active, an air flow into the rear side of the first housing, through the first housing, out of the front side of the first housing, into the rear side of the second housing, through the second housing, and out of the front side of the second housing;
A louver comprising:
- a housing including a set of slats, disposed within the housing;
- the set of slats is adapted as a one way valve that only allows air to flow from an upstream side of the housing to a downstream side of the housing;
- wherein the upstream side comprises a first key adapted to mate with a first air flow component comprising a first key receptacle and the downstream side further comprises a second key adapted to mate with a second air flow component comprising a second key receptacle.
A method of changing an air flow direction in a chassis, comprising:
- removing, from the chassis, an existing fan module, comprising a first fan in a first orientation and a first key receptacle, wherein the first key receptacle was mated to a first key, before removing the existing fan module, disposed on an exposed first side of a louver;
- obtaining a new fan module comprising a second fan in a second orientation and a second key receptacle;
- removing, from the chassis, the louver;
- reversing the orientation of the louver to expose a second side of the louver comprising a second key;
- placing the louver in the chassis;
- and
- placing the new fan module in the chassis and mating the second key with the second key receptacle;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.