Electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising a mainboard, a fan and an electrical connection structure, the mainboard is provided with a fan mounting hole, the fan comprises a shell and a fan blade assembly, the electrical connection structure comprises a conductive contact piece and a conductive spring piece, the shell is installed into the fan mounting hole along the axial direction of the fan mounting hole, and when the shell is installed in place, the conductive spring piece is in contact with the conductive contact piece to realize the electrical connection between the mainboard and the fan blade assembly. Based on the electrical connection structure comprising the conductive contact piece and the conductive spring piece, when assembling the fan, the fan can be placed into the fan mounting hole on the mainboard by a mechanical hand to make the conductive contact piece and the conductive spring piece contact, so that automatic assembly can be realized, the assembly method is simple, the yield of automation is greatly improved, and the cost can be greatly saved.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111249763.6, filed on October 26, 2021, entitled "Electronic Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and more specifically, to an electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, electronic devices have developed rapidly. With the evolution of the times, the application of electronic devices can be seen everywhere, especially computers. Computers have a variety of execution and calculation functions to meet people's needs. For example, personal computers provide entertainment, word processing, and video playback functions in home life; industrial computers provide control, monitoring, and calculation services for factory operations; and automotive computers provide multimedia entertainment and real-time information reception functions for drivers and passengers. Overall, computers have become an indispensable electronic device in human society.

[0004] Furthermore, as computer specifications become increasingly demanding, heat dissipation inside the computer case is receiving more and more attention. Heat dissipation inside the computer case is mostly achieved through fans to expel the accumulated heat. Traditional fan connections are wire-to-board (WTB) type, and the assembly method is plug-and-play. This method is difficult to assemble, prone to damage if misaligned, and cannot achieve automated assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above, this disclosure provides an electronic device, the technical solution of which is as follows:

[0006] An electronic device includes a motherboard, a fan, and an electrical connection structure. The motherboard has a fan mounting hole. The fan includes a housing and a fan blade assembly. The electrical connection structure includes a conductive contact and a conductive spring. The housing is installed by inserting it into the fan mounting hole along the axial direction of the fan mounting hole, and when the housing is installed in place, the conductive spring contacts the conductive contact to achieve an electrical connection between the motherboard and the fan blade assembly.

[0007] Optionally, the conductive contact is disposed on the motherboard;

[0008] The conductive spring is mounted on the housing via a base;

[0009] The conductive spring is mounted on the base to form a spring-type connector, and the fan blade assembly is electrically connected to the conductive spring via a wire.

[0010] Optionally, the conductive contact is disposed on the housing, and the fan blade assembly is electrically connected to the conductive contact via a wire;

[0011] The conductive spring is mounted on the motherboard via a base, and the conductive spring is snapped onto the base to form a spring-type connector.

[0012] Optionally, the housing includes a side housing and a bottom housing, the side housing and the bottom housing enclose a receiving cavity, the fan blade assembly is disposed in the receiving cavity, the side housing extends outward from the receiving cavity with a mounting block, and the base is detachably connected to the mounting block.

[0013] Optionally, the mounting block includes a first block opposite to the motherboard, with second blocks connected to both sides of the first block, and the first block and the second block forming a mounting groove, with the base being engaged in the mounting groove by a snap-fit ​​structure.

[0014] Optionally, a third block extends outward from the second block toward the outside of the mounting groove, and the third block is fixedly connected to the motherboard by fasteners.

[0015] Optionally, the first block has a distal end face away from the motherboard, the wire has a connecting segment, and a receiving groove for accommodating the connecting segment is provided on the distal end face.

[0016] Optionally, the connecting segment has an overlapping portion extending out of the connecting groove, the base has a top surface away from the main board, the conductive spring has an overlapping portion overlapping the top surface, and the overlapping portion is welded to the overlapping portion.

[0017] Optionally, the base body also has a bottom end face, which is opposite to the motherboard when the housing is installed in place. A first slot is provided between the bottom end face and the top end face, and a second slot that communicates with the first slot extends from the bottom end face toward the top end face. The conductive spring also has a first spring body portion that is engaged in the first slot and a second spring body portion that is engaged in the second slot.

[0018] Optionally, the second elastic body portion has a bent portion protruding towards the motherboard, and when the housing is installed in place, the bent portion contacts the conductive contact.

[0019] Optionally, a third projectile portion extends from the first projectile portion toward the top surface, and the first projectile portion and the erection portion are connected through the third projectile portion.

[0020] Optionally, the housing includes a side housing and a bottom housing, the side housing and the bottom housing enclose a receiving cavity, and the side housing extends outward from the receiving cavity with a mounting block;

[0021] The fan blade assembly includes a fan blade and a circuit board. The fan blade is disposed within the accommodating cavity, and the circuit board is detachably connected to the mounting block. The conductive contact is disposed on the circuit board.

[0022] This disclosure has the following beneficial effects: Based on the electrical connection structure including conductive contacts and conductive springs, when assembling a fan, a robotic arm can grasp the fan and place it into the fan mounting hole on the motherboard so that the conductive contacts and conductive springs make contact, thereby achieving automated assembly. The assembly method is simple, the automation yield is greatly improved, and the cost can be greatly reduced.

[0023] The advantages and features of this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The following drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference as part of this disclosure, are provided for understanding the disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and their descriptions, serving to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings,

[0025] Figure 1 This is a partial schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial schematic diagram of the motherboard;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the fan structure (viewed from one direction);

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the fan structure (viewed from another direction);

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the side casing of the fan in the image;

[0030] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the fan wires and the connector;

[0031] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Structural diagram of the base;

[0032] Figure 8 for Figure 6 Structural diagram of the conductive spring in the middle;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a partial schematic diagram of an electronic device (with the fan assembled) according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 10 This is a partial schematic diagram of an electronic device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure (before fan assembly);

[0035] Figure 11 for Figure 9 A partial structural diagram of the fan in the image.

[0036] Explanation of the numbers in the diagram: 10, Mainboard; 11, Fan mounting hole; 13, Locking hole; 20, Fan; 21, Housing; 211, Side housing; 212, Bottom housing; 213, Receiving cavity; 214, Mounting block; 2141, First block; 21411, Far end face; 21412, Receiving groove; 2142, Second block; 21421, Protrusion; 2143, Mounting groove; 2144, Third block; 21441, Mounting hole; 215, Protruding mounting part; 216, Top housing; 22, Fan blade assembly; 221, Guide... Wire; 2211, connecting section; 22111, overlapping part; 222, fan blade; 223, circuit board; 30, electrical connection structure; 31, conductive contact; 32, connector; 321, conductive spring; 3211, overlapping part; 3212, first spring body part; 3213, second spring body part; 3214, bending part; 3215, third spring body part; 322, base; 3221, top surface; 3222, bottom surface; 3232, first slot; 3224, second slot; 3225, side surface; 3226, locking groove. Detailed Implementation

[0037] In the following description, numerous details are provided to enable a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the following description merely illustrates alternative embodiments of this disclosure by way of example, and that this disclosure can be implemented without one or more of these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion with this disclosure, some technical features well-known in the art have not been described in detail.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device disclosed herein includes a motherboard 10, a fan 20, and an electrical connection structure 30. The motherboard 10 and the fan 20 are electrically connected through the electrical connection structure 30. The electronic device may be a laptop, tablet computer, all-in-one computer, etc., which are not listed here, but it is understood that the electronic device in this disclosure is not limited to the specific electronic devices mentioned above.

[0039] like Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment of this disclosure, the motherboard 10 is provided with a fan mounting hole 11 and a conductive contact 31. The conductive contact 31 can be a structure similar to a gold finger. The motherboard 10 can also be provided with a locking hole 13 according to the installation needs. The locking hole 13 is used to fix the fan 20 to the motherboard 10.

[0040] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the fan 20 includes a housing 21 and a fan blade assembly 22. A connector 32 is provided on the housing 21. The connector 32 includes a conductive spring 321 to make the connector a spring-loaded connector. It should be understood that the conductive spring 321 is elastic and can undergo elastic deformation when subjected to external force. When the external force is removed, it can return to its natural state. Here, the connector 32 and the conductive spring 31 together form an electrical connection structure 30. The fan blade assembly 22 has a wire 221 for electrical connection with the conductive spring 321. The installation of the housing 21 is limited to inserting it into the fan mounting hole 11 along the axial direction of the fan mounting hole 11. When the housing 21 is installed in place, the conductive spring 321 contacts the conductive spring 31, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the fan 20 and the motherboard 10. By providing a spring-loaded connector 32 on the housing 21 of the fan 20 and a conductive contact 31 on the motherboard 10 for contact with the spring-loaded connector 32, when assembling the fan 20 onto the motherboard 10, a robotic arm can grip the fan 20 and insert it into the fan mounting hole 11 on the motherboard 10 so that the conductive contact 31 contacts the conductive spring 321, thereby achieving automated assembly. The assembly method is simple, the automation yield is greatly improved, and the cost can be greatly reduced.

[0041] In one specific embodiment of this disclosure, the housing 21 includes a side housing 211 and a bottom housing 212, which together form a receiving cavity 213. The fan blade assembly 22 is disposed within the receiving cavity 213. The receiving cavity 213 has an upper opening. A top housing 216 may also be connected to the side housing 211, partially covering the upper opening of the receiving cavity 213 to reduce dust entry into the receiving cavity 213. A mounting block 214 extends from the side housing 211 outwards from the receiving cavity 213, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the mounting block 214 can be integrated with the side housing 211. The connector 32 is mounted on the mounting block 214. Thus, the mounting of the connector 32 will not occupy the mounting space of the fan blade assembly 22. Furthermore, the connector 32 is directly mounted on the mounting block 214. During the process of the robotic arm grasping the fan 20 and placing it into the fan mounting hole 11 on the motherboard 10, the conductive contact 31 and the conductive spring 321 can more easily make contact so that the fan blade assembly 22 and the motherboard 10 can form an electrical connection.

[0042] See also Figures 5 to 8In addition to the conductive spring 321, the connector 32 also includes a seat 322 for securing the conductive spring 321, and the seat 322 is detachably connected to the mounting block 214. In this way, the connector 32, as an independent component, can be detachably assembled on the mounting block 214 of the fan 20, thus making it suitable for different fan modules and simple to operate.

[0043] Specifically, the mounting block 214 includes a first block 2141 opposite to the motherboard 10. Second blocks 2142 are connected to both sides of the first block 2141. The first block 2141 and the two second blocks 2142 together form a mounting groove 2143. The seat 322 is engaged within the mounting groove 2143 via a snap-fit ​​structure. The snap-fit ​​structure includes a protrusion 21421 and a snap-fit ​​groove 3226. The protrusion 21421 is located on the inner side of the second block 2142, and the snap-fit ​​groove 3226 is located on the seat 322. In one embodiment (not shown), the protrusion 21421 is located on the seat 322, and the snap-fit ​​groove 3226 is located on the inner side of the second block 2142. It should be noted that "inner side" here refers to the side of the second block 2142 facing the mounting groove 2143. Based on the snap-fit ​​structure, the connector 32 can be easily and detachably assembled onto the mounting block 214 of the fan 20.

[0044] To ensure reliable contact between the conductive contact 31 and the conductive spring 321, a third block 2144 extends outward from the second block 2142 toward the mounting groove 2143. The third block 2144 is fixedly connected to the motherboard 10 using fasteners such as screws and bolts. The third block 2144 has a mounting hole 21441, which corresponds to a locking hole 13 on the motherboard 10. Fasteners pass through the mounting hole 21441 and the locking hole 13 to secure the fan 20 to the motherboard 10. It should be noted that although... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the third block 2144 extends only from the second block 2142 on the left side. However, in embodiments not shown, the third block 2144 may also extend from the second block 2142 on the right side, thereby further ensuring the reliability of the contact between the conductive contact 31 and the conductive spring 321. Furthermore, to ensure the connection stability between the fan 20 and the motherboard 10, a protruding mounting portion 215 may be further provided on the side housing 211. The protruding mounting portion 215 can also be fixedly connected to the motherboard 10 by fasteners such as screws or bolts.

[0045] To facilitate the connection between the wire 221 and the conductive spring 321, the first block 2141 has a distal end face 21411 that is away from the main board 10. The wire 221 has a connecting segment 2211, and the distal end face 21411 is provided with a receiving groove 21412 for accommodating the connecting segment 2211.

[0046] like Figure 7 As shown, the base 322 has a top surface 3221, a bottom surface 3222, and a side surface 3225. The top surface 3221 is further away from the motherboard 10 than the bottom surface 3222. The bottom surface 3222 is opposite to the motherboard 10 when the housing 21 is installed in place. A first slot 3232 is provided between the bottom surface 3222 and the top surface 3221. A second slot 3224 that communicates with the first slot 3232 extends from the bottom surface 3222 toward the top surface 3221. A latching groove 3226 is provided on the side surface 3225.

[0047] like Figure 8 As shown, the conductive spring 321 has an erection portion 3211, a first spring body portion 3212, a second spring body portion 3213, a bending portion 3214, and a third spring body portion 3215. The third spring body portion 3215 extends from one end of the first spring body portion 3212 toward the top surface 3221, and the first spring body portion 3212 and the erection portion 3211 are connected through the third spring body portion 3215. The second spring body portion 3213 extends from the other end of the first spring body portion 3212 toward the bottom surface 3222, and the bending portion 3214 protrudes from the end of the second spring body portion 3213 away from the first spring body portion 3212 toward the main board 10 and then folds back.

[0048] See again Figure 6 The connecting section 2211 has an overlapping portion 22111 extending out of the connecting groove. The overlapping portion 3211 of the conductive spring 321 overlaps on the top surface 3221, and the overlapping portion 22111 is welded to the overlapping portion 3211. In this way, the connector 32 can be more suitable for different fan modules. The first spring body portion 3212 is engaged in the first slot 3232, and the second spring body portion 3213 is engaged in the second slot 3224, so as to facilitate the engagement of the conductive spring 321. Due to the setting of the bending portion 3214, when the housing 21 is installed in place, the bending portion 3214 contacts the conductive contact 31, thereby facilitating the contact connection with the conductive contact 31. Due to the setting of the third spring body portion 3215, it is more likely to ensure that the conductive spring 321 is stably mounted on the base 322.

[0049] In the embodiments given above, the electrical connection structure 30 is configured as follows: conductive contact 31 is disposed on the motherboard 10, conductive spring 321 is disposed on the housing 21 via a base 322, and the conductive spring 321 is snapped onto the base 322 to form a spring-type connector. The fan blade assembly 22 is electrically connected to the conductive spring 321 via a wire 221. In actual use, the configuration of the electrical connection structure 30 is not limited to this.

[0050] like Figures 9 to 11As shown, in another embodiment of this disclosure, the electrical connection structure 30 includes a conductive contact 31 and a connector 32. The connector 32 includes a conductive spring 321, which is snapped onto the base 322 to form a spring-loaded connector. The spring-loaded connector can be used with... Figures 1 to 8 The embodiments shown have largely the same structure, or employ structures commonly used in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here. Figures 1 to 8 The difference in the illustrated embodiment is that here, the conductive contact 31 is disposed on the housing 21, the fan blade assembly 22 is electrically connected to the conductive contact 31 through the wire 221, and the conductive spring 321 is disposed on the main board 10 through the base 322.

[0051] Here, the spring-loaded connector can be soldered to the motherboard 10 using surface mount technology (SMT).

[0052] See again Figure 11 and in conjunction with reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 To facilitate the placement of the conductive contact 31 on the housing 21, the housing 21 includes a side housing 211 and a bottom housing 212. The side housing 211 and the bottom housing 212 enclose a receiving cavity 213. A mounting block 214 extends from the side housing 211 outward from the receiving cavity 213. The fan blade assembly 22 includes a fan blade 222 and a circuit board 223. The fan blade 222 is disposed within the receiving cavity 213, and the circuit board 223 is detachably connected to the mounting block 214. The conductive contact 31 is disposed on the circuit board 223. Here, the circuit board 223 can be connected to the mounting block 214 using a common snap-fit ​​structure to facilitate the installation and removal of the circuit board 223. The conductive contact 31 can be a gold finger on the circuit board 223.

[0053] Since the rest of the electronic device in this embodiment is roughly the same as Figures 1 to 8 The structures of the embodiments shown are the same, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0054] In this embodiment, by providing conductive contact 31 on the housing 21 of the fan 20 and providing spring-type connector 32 on the motherboard 10 for contact with conductive contact 31, when assembling the fan 20 on the motherboard 10, the fan 20 can also be picked up by a robotic arm and placed into the fan mounting hole 11 on the motherboard 10 so that the conductive contact 31 contacts the conductive spring 321, thereby achieving automated assembly. The assembly method is simple, the automation yield is greatly improved, and the cost can be greatly reduced.

[0055] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the directional terms "left" and "right" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this disclosure; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0056] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "over," "on the upper surface of," and "above" are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship between one or more components or features shown in the figures and other components or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms include not only the orientation of the component as depicted in the figures but also different orientations during use or operation. For example, if the components in the figures are inverted as a whole, "above" or "above other components or features" will include cases where the component is "below" or "under" other components or features. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." Furthermore, these components or features may also be positioned at other different angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and this document intends to include all such cases.

[0057] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to limit the exemplary implementations according to this disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms “comprising” and / or “including” are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0058] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this disclosure described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0059] This disclosure has been described through the above embodiments; however, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this disclosure to the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications can be made based on the teachings of this disclosure, all of which fall within the scope of protection claimed by this disclosure. The scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising a motherboard (10), a fan (20), and an electrical connection structure (30), characterized in that: The motherboard (10) is provided with a fan mounting hole (11); The fan (20) includes a housing (21) and a fan blade assembly (22); The electrical connection structure (30) includes a conductive contact (31) and a conductive spring (321). The installation of the housing (21) is limited to inserting it into the fan mounting hole (11) along the axial direction of the fan mounting hole (11), and when the housing (21) is installed in place, the conductive spring (321) contacts the conductive contact (31) to realize the electrical connection between the motherboard (10) and the fan blade assembly (22). The conductive spring (321) is mounted on the base (322) to form a spring-type connector (32). The base (322) has a top surface (3221) and a bottom surface (3222). The top surface (3221) is further away from the motherboard (10) than the bottom surface (3222). A first slot (3232) is provided between the bottom surface (3222) and the top surface (3221). A second slot (3224) that communicates with the first slot (3232) extends from the bottom surface (3222) toward the top surface (3221). The conductive spring (321) has a mounting portion (3211), a first spring body portion (3212), a second spring body portion (3213), a bending portion (3214), and a third spring body portion (3215). The third spring body portion (3215) extends from one end of the first spring body portion (3212) toward the top surface (3221), and the first spring body portion (3212) and the mounting portion (3211) are connected by the third spring body portion (3215). The second spring body portion (3213) extends from the other end of the first spring body portion (3212) toward the bottom surface (3222), and the bending portion (3214) protrudes from the end of the second spring body portion (3213) away from the first spring body portion (3212) toward the main board (10) and then folds back. The mounting part (3211) is mounted on the top surface (3221), and the mounting part (3211) is connected to the wire (221) of the fan blade assembly (22); the first elastic part (3212) is locked in the first slot (3232); the second elastic part (3213) is locked in the second slot (3224); when the housing (21) is installed in place, the bent part (3214) contacts the conductive contact (31).

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive contact (31) is disposed on the main board (10); The conductive spring (321) is mounted on the housing (21) via the base (322); The fan blade assembly (22) is electrically connected to the conductive spring (321) via the wire (221).

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive contact (31) is disposed on the housing (21), and the fan blade assembly (22) is electrically connected to the conductive contact (31) through the wire (221); The conductive spring (321) is mounted on the main board (10) via the base (322).

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (21) includes a side housing (211) and a bottom housing (212). The side housing (211) and the bottom housing (212) enclose a cavity (213). The fan blade assembly (22) is disposed in the cavity (213). The side housing (211) extends outward from the cavity (213) to form a mounting block (214). The base (322) is detachably connected to the mounting block (214).

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mounting block (214) includes a first block (2141) opposite to the motherboard (10), and a second block (2142) connected to both sides of the first block (2141). The first block (2141) and the second block (2142) enclose and form a mounting groove (2143). The seat (322) is engaged in the mounting groove (2143) by a snap-fit ​​structure.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A third block (2144) extends outward from the second block (2142) toward the outside of the mounting groove (2143), and the third block (2144) is fixedly connected to the motherboard (10) by fasteners.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first block (2141) has a distal end face (21411) away from the motherboard (10), the wire (221) has a connecting segment (2211), and the distal end face (21411) is provided with a receiving groove (21412) for accommodating the connecting segment (2211).

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting section (2211) has an overlapping portion (22111) extending out of the receiving groove (21412), the overlapping portion (22111) being welded to the overlapping portion (3211).

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The bottom end face (3222) is opposite to the motherboard (10) when the housing (21) is installed in place.

10. The electronic device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The housing (21) includes a side housing (211) and a bottom housing (212). The side housing (211) and the bottom housing (212) enclose a cavity (213). A mounting block (214) extends from the side housing (211) outward from the cavity (213). The fan blade assembly (22) includes a fan blade (222) and a circuit board (223). The fan blade (222) is disposed in the accommodating cavity (213). The circuit board (223) is detachably connected to the mounting block (214). The conductive contact (31) is disposed on the circuit board (223).

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