US 6,351,380 B1Granted

Cooling fan mounting arrangement

AssigneeDell Products L.P.

InventorsJames Don Curlee, Robert Warren Johnson

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A fan mounting arrangement (10) includes at least one mounting member (14). Each mounting member (14) includes a resilient outer element (19) and an inner element (18) made from a substantially rigid material. The mounting members (14) are all arranged to extend generally parallel to each other. Each mounting member (14) is adapted to be received in a corresponding mounting receptacle (31) associated with a fan housing (11). Once the fan (11) is placed over the mounting members (14) with each mounting member received in its respective mounting receptacle (31), a retaining arrangement retains the fan in the installed position on the mounting members. In this installed position, the resilient elements (19) absorb vibrations from the fan (11) to mechanically isolate the fan from the remainder of the system.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A mounting arrangement for securing a fan to a second structure associated with electronic equipment, one of the fan and second structure having at least one mounting receptacle, the mounting arrangement comprising:

(a) a mounting member for each mounting receptacle, each mounting member having a substantially rigid inner element and a resilient outer element positioned over the respective inner element, each mounting member also being adapted to be connected to the other of said one of the fan and second structure having at least one mounting receptacle, and each mounting member having a size and shape so as to be insertable as a unit into the respective mounting receptacle to a received position in which the respective resilient outer element frictionally engages an inner surface of the respective mounting receptacle;
and
(b) a plurality of external ridges on each respective resilient outer element, the external dimension of each ridge being greater than the internal dimension of the respective mounting receptacle in which the respective mounting member is to be received, and the plurality of external ridges being located on the respective resilient outer element so as to be positioned within the respective mounting receptacle when the respective mounting member is in the received position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/439,582Filed 12 Nov 1999
Granted: 26 Feb 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H05K 7/20172
Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans: fan mounting or fan specifications
F16B 5/065
In parallel relationship: the plates being one on top of the other and distanced from each other, e.g. by using protrusions to keep contact and…
F16B 5/0657
In parallel relationship: at least one of the plates providing a raised structure, e.g. of the doghouse type, for connection with the clamps or…
F16B 5/0664
In parallel relationship: at least one of the sheets or plates having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features