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:
Apr. 20, 2004
Filed:
Jan. 16, 2002
Gerald Ronald Gough, Houghton Regis, GB;
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A fan carrier defines one or more enclosures with each enclosure receiving a fan unit. A first wall of the carrier includes at least one air vent that can be covered by a fire mesh. A second wall is substantially perpendicular to the first wall. The first and second walls form two walls of an enclosure for a fan unit. The second wall extends outwardly from the enclosure to define ears with locating lugs for locating the fan unit in a housing of the computer system. A fan subassembly includes the fan carrier and at least one fan secured therein, whereby the fan assembly can be installed in the computer system much more easily that a fan without the carrier. The fan subassembly can be located adjacent a vented portion of a housing wall of the computer system in a gap in a flange of that housing wall. The ear of the fan carrier is configured to overly a portion of that flange adjacent the gap and with the lug being received in a hole in said portion of the flange. The fan subassembly can then be clamped in place by securing the cover to the housing, the cover clamping the ears over the flange with the lugs in the receiving holes in the flange. This arrangement allows for the fans to be mounted in the computer housing without any tools other than those that may be needed to secure the cover of the housing. This can greatly increase the speed of replacement of a faulty fan unit, as well as facilitating initial assembly of the computer system.