The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 05, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 18, 1995
R Steven Mills, Austin, TX (US);
Dell USA, L.P., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A cooling subsystem and method for a chassis of a computer system. The cooling subsystem comprises: (1) first and second cooling fans having first and second motors associated therewith for driving the first and second cooling fans, respectively and (2) a common plenum substantially shrouding and providing a pathway for air communication between the first and second cooling fans, the first and second fans cooperating to provide an optimum rate of air flow from without the chassis to within the chassis to provide air exchange within the chassis, the air flow within the chassis being in a predetermined direction to provide directed cooling of a specified device within the chassis, the common plenum allowing the first and second fans to continue to cooperate to provide a minimum air flow to provide a minimum air exchange within the chassis, the air flow remaining in the predetermined direction to continue the directed cooling of the specified device when a selected one of the first and second motors fails. The plenum comprises a bypass aperture therein for allowing the air to alternatively enter and exit the plenum, the bypass aperture increasing a rate of air flow across the subsystem when a selected one of the first and second motors fails.