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US 8,897,008 B2Granted
Information handling system low profile pluggable cooling fan and connector
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorKevin Terwilliger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connection arm couples to a cooling fan main body to enclose wires extending from the main body to an end of the connection arm that holds a plug of the wires in a position aligned with a circuit board cooling fan socket. Wires enclosed in the connection arm slip through a slot along the side of the connection arm and are protected from view by a cable cover disposed along the top surface of the cooling fan and connection arm.
Claims16
An information handling system comprising:
- a processor operable to process information;
- a memory operable to store the information;
- a circuit board coupled with the processor and the memory, the circuit board operable to communicate the information between the processor and memory;
- a management controller coupled to the circuit board;
- a cooling fan socket disposed in the circuit board and interfaced with the management controller, the management controller operable to control power to a cooling fan through the cooling fan socket;
- and
- a cooling fan proximate the circuit board and having a plug adapted to couple with the cooling fan socket, the cooling fan having a main body with a motor and a connection arm extending outward from the main body, the connection arm aligning the plug with the cooling fan socket and having a cable trough;
- wherein the connection arm comprises a removable portion that couples to the main body and decouples from the main body;
- and
- wherein the connection arm and main body comprise a coupling point that removeably interfaces wires enclosed in the cable trough to an electrical connector of the main body.
7 more elements
A method for installing a cooling fan into an information handling system, the method comprising:
- coupling the cooling fan to a mount, the mount proximate to but separate from a circuit board, the circuit board having a socket sized to accept a plug of the cooling fan;
- aligning a plug of the cooling fan with the circuit board socket with a connection arm extending outwards from the cooling fan;
- integrating wires in a cable trough of the connection arm, the wires interfaced with the plug at a first end;
- exposing a connector at the connection arm, the wires interfaced with the connector at a second end;
- aligning the connector of the connection arm with a connector of the cooling fan;
- and
- coupling the connection arm to the cooling fan to bring the connection arm connector and the cooling fan connector into electrical communication.
4 more elements
A cooling fan comprising:
- a main body operable to generate an airflow;
- one or more wires interfacing the main body with a plug, the plug accepting commands for controlling the airflow;
- and
- a connection arm extending outwards from the main body and having an end that aligns with a socket;
- wherein the main body and connection arm are removeably coupled with each other and the one or more wires are integrated in a cable trough of the connection arm, the cooling fan further comprising opposing connectors disposed on the main body and connection arm, the opposing connectors providing electrical communication between the main body and the one or more wires when the connection arm couples to the main body.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.