Dust reduction system for electronic enclosures
AssigneeToshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
InventorStephen D. Herald
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dust reduction system for electronic enclosures which utilizes several techniques to eliminate, or minimize, the dust in the air stream that ventilates an electronic enclosure. More specifically, the system includes (1) multiple small holes in panels of the enclosure, (2) placement of the multiple holes in the lower portion of side panels, (3) expansion chambers downstream of the multiple holes that act as potential dust collectors or traps, and (4) routing the air flow to effect changes of direction so as to create pockets of low velocity.
Claims4
A dust reduction system for an electronic device, comprising:
- an enclosure, said enclosure including a plurality of panels;
- a first array of holes, said first array of holes located in a first panel;
- a second array of holes, said second array of holes located in a second panel;
- a first expansion chamber, said first expansion chamber, being located within said enclosure adjacent to said first array of holes, having one wall formed from said first panel and encompassing said first array of holes, and having a first end portion;
- a second expansion chamber, said second expansion chamber, located within said enclosure adjacent to said second array of holes, having one wall formed from said second panel and encompassing said second array of holes, and having a first end portion;
- a plenum chamber, said plenum chamber, having a first side opening, said first side opening in fluid communication with said first expansion chamber via said first end opening of said first expansion chamber, having a second side opening, said second side opening opposed to said first side opening and in fluid communication with said second expansion chamber via said first end opening of said second expansion chamber, having a third opening, said third opening in fluid communication with the region of said enclosure wherein the electronic components are housed;
- said first array of holes, said first expansion chamber and said plenum chamber disposed in a travel path of a first ventilating air stream;
- and
- said second array of holes, said second expansion chamber and said plenum chamber disposed in a travel path of a second ventilating air stream.
The dust reduction system as claimed in 1, wherein said enclosure includes a first side panel, a second opposing side panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel and a back panel, said first array of holes is located in a lower section of said first side panel, and said second array of holes is located in a lower section of said second side panel.
The dust reduction system as claimed in 1, wherein said first expansion chamber forms a single volume, said second expansion chamber forms a single volume and said plenum chamber forms a single volume.
The dust reduction system as claimed in 2, wherein the electronic device is a personal computer having an enclosure that stands on the floor, said enclosure having a first relatively short horizontal dimension, a second horizontal dimension longer than said first horizontal dimension, and a vertical dimension longer than said first horizontal dimension, said array of holes extending from a first vertical edge to a second vertical edge and parallel to said second horizontal dimension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.