US20140205430A1

US20140205430A1 - Heat-dissipation system for preventing inrush current

Info

Publication number: US20140205430A1
Application number: US14/147,566
Authority: US
Inventors: Li-Wen Chang; Chih-Chung Shih; Meng-Lin Tsai
Original assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2013-01-24
Filing date: 2014-01-05
Publication date: 2014-07-24
Also published as: TW201431476A

Abstract

A heat-dissipation system includes a shell, a fan, a latch, and a micro-switch. The fan includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a number of signal pins, a zero line pin, and a live line pin. The signal pins are used to transmit signals between a motherboard and the fan. The zero line pin and the live line pin are connected to a power supply. The zero line pin of the first connector is connected to a zero line pin of the second connector. When the latch is engaged with the shell, the micro-switch is turned on and the power supply supplies power to the second connector through the micro-switch and the zero and live line pins of the first connector. When the latch is not engaged with the shell, the micro-switch is turned off and the power supply is disconnected from the second connector.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to heat-dissipation systems, and particularly relates to a heat-dissipation system for preventing inrush current of a fan.
2. Description of Related Art
To replace a damaged fan from a server, users should first shut down the server. If the server is not shut down, inrush current may cause damage to the fan.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawing(s). The components in the drawing(s) are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawing(s), like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of an embodiment of a heat-dissipation system.

FIG. 2 is an inverted, exploded view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the heat-dissipation system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” The reference “a plurality of” means “at least two.”
FIGS. 1-3 show an embodiment of a heat-dissipation system of the present disclosure.
The heat-dissipation system comprises a shell 10, a fan 12, a latch 16, and a micro-switch 18.
The shell 10 includes a rectangular backplane 100, two side plates 106 extending down from opposite sides of the backplane 100, and two substantially parallel mounting plates 102 extending down from the backplane 100. The mounting plates 102 are connected between the side plates 106. Each of the side plates 106 defines a vent 108. The vents 108 of the side plates 106 are in alignment with each other. The backplane 100, the mounting plates 102, and the side plates 106 cooperatively bound a receiving space 109 for receiving the fan 12. The vents 108 communicate with the receiving space 109. A lower portion of one of the mounting plates 102 defines an engaging hole 104. A first end of the latch 16 forms two pivots 162 is rotatably engaged in two pivot holes 126 defined in lower portions of opposite end boards 124 of the fan 12. A second end of the latch 16 forms a U-shaped elastic tab 164, and a protrusion 166 is formed on an outer surface of a distal end of the tab 164. When the fan 12 is received in the receiving space 109, the latch 16 is rotated to allow the protrusion 166 to engage in the engaging hole 104. Therefore, the latch 16 can block the fan 12 to prevent the fan 12 disengaging from the shell 10.
The fan 12 includes a first connector 120 and a second connector 122. The first connector 120 is exposed through the backplane 100. The micro-switch 18 is set on an inner surface of the latch 16. When the latch 16 is not engaged with the mounting plate 102, the micro-switch 18 is turned off. When the latch 16 is engaged with the mounting plate 102, the micro-switch 18 contacts the fan 12, and the micro-switch 18 is turned on.
The first connector 120 includes a number of signal pins, a zero line pin, and a live line pin. The signal pins are used to transmit signals between a motherboard 30 and the fan 12. The zero line pin and the live line pin are connected to a power supply 20. The zero line pin of the first connector 120 is connected to a zero line pin of the second connector 122.
The micro-switch 18 is connected between the live line pin of the first connector 120 and a live line pin of the second connector 122. The zero line pin and the live line pin of the second connector 122 are connected to a power module 126 of the fan 12. When the latch 16 is not engaged with the mounting plate 102, voltages from the power supply 20 are not output to the second connector 122 of the fan 12. When the latch 16 is engaged with the mounting plate 102, voltages from the power supply 20 are output to the power module 126 of the fan 12 through the second connector 122.
When the heat-dissipation system is in use, the fan 12 is received in the receiving space 109 firstly, the signal pins of the first connector 120 are connected to pins on the motherboard 30, and the zero line pin and the live line pin of the first connector 120 are connected to the power supply 20. During the mounting process of the fan 12, because the latch 16 is not engaged with the mounting plate 102, the micro-switch 18 is turned off, and the power supply 20 is disconnected from the second connector 122. Therefore, the power supply cannot output voltage to the fan 12. When the latch 16 is engaged with the mounting plate 102, the micro-switch 18 is turned on, and the power supply 20 supplies power to the second connector 122 through the micro-switch 187 and the zero and live line pins of the first connector 120. In the process of connecting the zero and live line pins of the first connector 120 to the power supply 20, the micro-switch 18 is turned off, thus, there is no inrush current generated to affect the fan 12. When the micro-switch 18 is turned on, because the zero and live line pins of the first connector 120 are already connected to the power supply 20, inrush current will not be generated.
When replacing the fan 12, the latch 16 is released from the mounting plate 102, and the micro-switch 18 is turned off The zero and live line pins of the first connector 120 are disconnected from the power supply 20. The fan 12 cannot receive voltage from the power supply 20.
While the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the range of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A heat-dissipation system, comprising:

a shell defining a receiving space;

a fan detachably received in the receiving space;

a latch detachably engaged with the shell to block the fan and prevent the fan disengaging from the receiving space;

a first connector comprising a zero line pin and a live line pin, wherein the zero line pin and the live line pin are connected to a power supply;

a second connector comprising a live line pin and a zero line pin, wherein the zero line pin of the second connector is connected to the zero line pin of the first connector;

a power module connected to the zero line pin and the live line pin of the second connector; and

a micro-switch set on the latch, wherein the micro-switch is connected between the live line pin of the first connector and the live line pin of the second connector; when the latch is not engaged with the shell, the micro-switch is turned off; when the latch is engaged with the shell, the micro-switch is turned on.

2. The heat-dissipation system of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises a backplane, two side plates extending from two opposite sides of the backplane, and two mounting plates extending from the backplane and connected between the side plates; the backplane, two mounting plates, and side plates cooperatively bound the receiving space, and the side plates define two vents aligning with each other and communicating with the receiving space.

3. The heat-dissipation system of claim 2, wherein the first connector is exposed through the backplane.

4. The heat-dissipation system of claim 1, wherein the first connector further comprises a plurality of signal pins used to transmit signals between a motherboard and the fan.