Line memory module form factor cooling device
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsPascal C. Kam, Greg Imwalle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the invention include a method and apparatus for cooling a hard drive in a hard drive array. In one example, the cooling device has similar dimensions as a hard drive on a server. Within the cooling device is a fan. The positioning of the fan provides both impingement and indirect airflow on a hard drive. The cooling device may also have power and data connections identical to those of the hard drive. These connections allow the cooling device to be connected and controlled by a control unit. The control unit may operate to monitor and control the temperature of the hard drive by controlling the power and speed of the fan. In another example, the cooling device is operable to cool DIMMs on a circuit board.
Claims17
A method of cooling a first DIMM memory on a circuit board, the circuit board having a DIMM memory receptacle, the method comprising:
- removing a second DIMM memory from the DIMM memory receptacle, the second DIMM memory having a predetermined form factor for fitting into the DIMM memory receptacle;
- inserting a cooling apparatus having an angled duct and a fan mounted in the angled duct, wherein the cooling apparatus has a housing so dimensioned as to be received into the DIMM memory receptacle so that the cooling apparatus is positioned above or below the first DIMM memory, and when the cooling apparatus is inserted, the fan causes airflow through the angled duct in an s-shape pattern and the fan causes airflow on and away from a surface of the first DIMM memory.
A circuit board having one or more inline memory modules, the server having a first end and a second end, the server comprising:
- an inline memory module received into a first hard drive receptacle;
- a control unit including a processor for controlling the operation of the inline memory module;
- and
- a cooling device for cooling the inline memory module, the cooling device having a housing so dimensioned as to be received into a second hard drive receptacle, the cooling device further having a fan mounted in an angled duct to promote continuous airflow in an s-shape pattern from the first end of the circuit board towards the second end of the circuit board, the fan causing airflow on and away from a surface of the inline memory module.
An apparatus for cooling one or more inline memory module on a circuit board, the circuit board having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of receptacles, each inline memory module having a predetermined form factor for fitting into a respective receptacle on the circuit board, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing so dimensioned as to be received into a given one of the plurality of receptacles of the circuit board, the housing further having an angled duct to promote continuous airflow in an s-shape pattern from a first end of the circuit board towards the second end of the circuit board;
- and
- a fan affixed to the housing to cool a selected inline memory module on the circuit board, wherein the fan causes airflow on and away from a surface of the selected inline memory module and to direct airflow away from the first end of the circuit board and towards the second end of the circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.