Air cooling device and air cooling system

Abstract

The utility model provides an air cooling device and an air cooling system. The air cooling device comprises: a fan (110); and a bracket assembly (120), the bracket assembly (120) comprising: a distal bracket (120a), the fan (110) being mounted on the distal bracket (120a); a proximal stent (120c), the proximal stent (120c) comprising a fastener interface (120d) for mating with a fastener; the far-end support (120a) and the near-end support (120c) are hinged together through a plurality of hinges, the middle supports (120b) are arranged between the far-end support (120a) and the near-end support (120c), and the far-end support (120a), the near-end support (120c) and each middle support (120b) are hinged together through a plurality of hinges. The air cooling system comprises a supporting frame and one or more air cooling devices installed on the supporting frame.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of heat dissipation of electronic components, and more particularly, to an air cooling device and an air cooling system. BACKGROUND

[0002] Heat dissipation is a problem that needs to be properly addressed for electronic components, both during operation and during testing. For example, power delivery verification of electronic components is usually performed under the most adverse conditions, so when performing voltage regulation tests under heavy current load, external and auxiliary air cooling is required even if heat sinks are installed. However, in most existing test scenarios, the fan is simply placed next to the main board of the test bench, and cannot directly blow air onto the heat-generating components (such as MOSFET, inductor, etc.) or heat sinks, which will make the effect of external and auxiliary air cooling very low. In addition, since the fan can only be placed next to the main board and is limited by physical interference, the fan cannot be close to the heat-generating components located in the middle of the main board, so the air flow has to pass through other components to reach the heat-generating components, which not only causes the heat-generating components to be unable to be cooled efficiently, but also may interfere with the operation of other components, for example, may cause voltage drift when sensing the control board of the voltage regulation test tool.

[0003] Therefore, in the field, there is an urgent need for a heat dissipation solution that can efficiently cool the heat-generating components without affecting the operation of other components. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to solve the above problems in the prior art, the present disclosure proposes an improved air cooling device, which comprises: a fan; and a bracket assembly, the bracket assembly comprising: a distal bracket, the fan being mounted on the distal bracket; a proximal bracket, the proximal bracket comprising a fastener interface for cooperating with a fastener; and one or more intermediate brackets provided between the distal bracket and the proximal bracket, wherein the distal bracket, the proximal bracket and each intermediate bracket are hinged together by a plurality of hinges.

[0005] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotation axes of each hinge are parallel to each other, and each intermediate bracket is connected to a hinge at two ends separated in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axes.

[0006] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, each hinge provides a rotation freedom of 360°.

[0007] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, each hinge is composed of a positioning hinge adapted to maintain the angle presented.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the bracket assembly comprises an intermediate bracket, which is hingedly connected to the distal bracket by a first hinge and to the proximal bracket by a second hinge.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the distal bracket comprises a base plate and a wing plate connected to the base plate, the fan being mounted on the base plate and the wing plate being hingedly connected to the intermediate bracket.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the fan is located on one side of the base plate and the wing plate is arranged obliquely relative to the base plate such that the wing plate extends from the base plate towards a side away from the fan.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the fan is positioned such that an air outlet of the fan defines an air outlet direction perpendicular to the base plate.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the fan is constituted by a centrifugal fan and is positioned such that an air inlet of the fan defines an air inlet direction parallel to the base plate.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the fastener interface is constituted by one or more grooves parallel to each other, each groove extending through the distal bracket.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotation axes of each hinge are parallel to each other and each groove is oriented in a direction parallel to the rotation axes.

[0015] Also in order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, the present disclosure further proposes an improved air cooling system, comprising: a support frame; and one or more air cooling devices as described in the present disclosure, wherein the proximal bracket of each air cooling device is mounted on the support frame by means of fasteners cooperating with the fastener interface of the proximal bracket.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the air cooling system further comprises a control panel mounted on the support frame, the control panel being configured to independently control each air cooling device.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the support frame comprises a support plate and two legs protruding downward from the support plate, each air cooling device and the control panel being mounted on the support plate.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the support frame further comprises two auxiliary legs attached to the two legs, each leg and / or each auxiliary leg being provided with a plurality of docking positions distributed along a height direction, each auxiliary leg being adapted to be attached to a respective leg at any one of the plurality of attachment positions.

[0019] The present disclosure can be embodied as the illustrative embodiments in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative, and any variations envisaged under the teachings of the present disclosure should be considered to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings should not necessarily be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic front perspective view of an air cooling device according to the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic front perspective view of an air cooling device according to the present disclosure; Figure 1 is a schematic rear perspective view of the air cooling device shown;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an air cooling system according to the present disclosure; and

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a support frame of the air cooling system shown. Figure 3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description, made with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the respective drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as necessarily being limited to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure shown here. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are merely provided for the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure and conveying the spirit and substance of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0026] ​The present disclosure aims to propose an improved air cooling device with a novel design that allows the outlet of the fan to be positioned near and oriented to align with a heat generating element (e.g., MOSFET, inductor, heat sink, etc.) by simple and convenient operation, so that the airflow blown by the outlet can be directly blown to the heat generating element without being hindered and disturbed by other elements (e.g., test bench control board), and the airflow can be avoided to blow to other elements. Therefore, the air cooling device according to the present disclosure can achieve direct and complete cooling of the heat generating element, while avoiding the operation of other elements being disturbed by the airflow. In addition, the air cooling device according to the present disclosure has a small size, and is therefore particularly suitable for cooling heat generating elements in a compact arrangement. The above-mentioned and other advantages of the air cooling device according to the present disclosure make it particularly suitable for cooling heat generating elements on a test bench (e.g., a test bench for voltage regulators) of electronic components, because the air cooling device according to the present disclosure can be installed in the compact layout of the test bench, and provides direct and complete cooling for each heat generating element on the main board of the test bench, without blowing the airflow to other elements (e.g., the test bench control board, which may

[0027] Various alternative but non-limiting embodiments of the air cooling device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the various drawings.

[0028] Reference is made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 wherein, Figure 1 shows a schematic front perspective view of an air cooling device according to the present disclosure, and Figure 2 shows Figure 1 shows a schematic rear perspective view of the air cooling device. As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the air cooling device 100 includes a fan 110 and a bracket assembly 120 for supporting and positioning the fan 110, which includes a distal bracket 120a, an intermediate bracket 120b, and a proximal bracket 120c, wherein the fan 110 is mounted on the distal bracket 120a, the intermediate bracket 120b is disposed between the distal bracket 120a and the proximal bracket 120c, and the proximal bracket 120c is provided with fastener interfaces 120d (e.g., through holes, grooves, etc.) for cooperating with fasteners such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc. so that the proximal bracket 120c can be fixed in place by the fasteners. In addition, the bracket assembly 120 also includes a first hinge 121 and a second hinge 122, wherein the first hinge 121 hinges the distal bracket 120a and the intermediate bracket 120b together so that the distal bracket 120a and the intermediate bracket 120b can rotate relative to each other, and the second hinge 122 hinges the intermediate bracket 120b and the proximal bracket 120c together so that the intermediate bracket 120b and the proximal bracket 120c can rotate relative to each other. That is, in this embodiment, the bracket assembly 120 is generally in the form of a three-segment bracket, and two adjacent segments of the bracket are rotatably connected together, thereby making it possible to adjust the position and direction of the fan 110, and thus the position and direction of the air outlet of the fan 110, by rotating each segment of the bracket relative to the adjacent bracket, so that the air outlet of the fan 110 can be positioned near the heat generating element and oriented to align with the heat generating element. Of course, in an embodiment not shown, the bracket assembly 120 can also be in the form of a four-segment bracket, a five-segment bracket, etc., so that two or more intermediate brackets 120b are provided between the distal bracket 120a and the proximal bracket 120c.

[0029] In the above configuration, in the three-sectioned support assembly 120, the distal support 120a is used to hold the fan 110, the proximal support 120c is used to position the air cooling device 100, and the intermediate support 120b is used to expand the range of motion of the distal support 120a so that the distal support 120a can position the outlet of the fan 110 close to the heat-generating component, and due to the two degrees of rotational freedom between the intermediate support 120b and the distal support 120a and the proximal support 120c, the distal support 120a can also adjust the direction of the outlet of the fan 110 so that the outlet of the fan 110 can be oriented to align with the heat-generating component. Taking the example of using the air cooling device 100 to cool a heat-generating component on a test bench motherboard, the proximal support 120c can be fixed in place by fasteners so as to position the air cooling device 100 on the motherboard, and then the distal support 120a and the intermediate support 120b can be rotated relative to each other, and / or the intermediate support 120b and the proximal support 120c can be rotated relative to each other, so as to position and orient the fan 110 so that its outlet is close to and aligned with the heat-generating component on the motherboard. In this way, the airflow generated by the fan 110 positioned and oriented in this way will only blow towards the heat-generating component and not towards other components, which allows the heat-generating component to be cooled directly and completely without triggering an over-temperature protection that affects the test process due to excessive temperature rise, and other components will not generate an undesirable voltage drift due to the airflow, thereby ensuring the correctness of the test results.

[0030] In particular, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the first hinge 121 defines a first rotation axis XX' such that the distal bracket 120a and the intermediate bracket 120b are rotatable relative to each other about the first rotation axis XX', and the second hinge 122 defines a second rotation axis YY' such that the intermediate bracket 120b and the proximal bracket 120c are rotatable relative to each other about the second rotation axis YY', wherein the first rotation axis XX' and the second rotation axis YY' are parallel to each other, which allows the distal bracket 120a, the intermediate bracket 120b and the proximal bracket 120c to be folded together in a zigzag configuration to assume a minimum length of the bracket assembly 120, and to be unfolded in a straight configuration to assume a maximum length of the bracket assembly 120, when viewed in the direction along the first rotation axis XX' and the second rotation axis YY'. In this configuration, the intermediate bracket 120b can increase the range of motion of the distal bracket 120a with its own length, and the greater range of motion of the distal bracket 120a means that the air cooling device 100 can adapt to more motherboard configurations, that is, the possibility of positioning the outlet of the fan 110 near the heat generating element is improved, for example, in the case of a motherboard configuration in which the mounting position of the proximal bracket 120c is far from the heat generating element, the distal bracket 120a can also position the fan 110 such that its outlet is close to the heat generating element, thereby achieving direct cooling of the heat generating element. More particularly, the intermediate bracket 120b has a distal end and a proximal end separated along a direction transverse (also referred to as perpendicular) to the first rotation axis XX' and the second rotation axis YY', wherein the intermediate bracket 120b is hinged to the distal bracket 120a at its distal end by the first hinge 121, and is hinged to the proximal bracket 120c at its proximal end by the second hinge 122. In this configuration, almost the entire length of the intermediate bracket 120b is used to increase the range of motion of the distal bracket 120a, thereby allowing the air cooling device 100 to adapt to more motherboard configurations.

[0031] In particular, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the first hinge 121 can provide a 360° rotational freedom about the first rotation axis XX' to enable the distal bracket 120a and the intermediate bracket 120b to rotate 360° relative to each other about the first rotation axis XX', and the second hinge 122 can provide a 360° rotational freedom about the second rotation axis YY' to enable the intermediate bracket 120b and the proximal bracket 120c to rotate 360° relative to each other about the second rotation axis YY'. In this configuration, due to the two 360° rotational freedom between the intermediate bracket 120b and the distal bracket 120a and the proximal bracket 120c, the range of motion of the distal bracket 120a is further enlarged, thus improving the possibility of positioning the outlet of the fan 100 in the vicinity of the heat-generating element, and the distal bracket 120a can be oriented in any direction, thus improving the possibility of orienting the outlet of the fan 100 to align with the heat-generating element. More particularly, the first hinge 121 is a positioning hinge capable of maintaining the angle between the distal bracket 120a and the intermediate bracket 120b (i.e., the angle assumed by the first hinge 121), and the second hinge 122 is a positioning hinge capable of maintaining the angle between the intermediate bracket 120b and the proximal bracket 120c (i.e., the angle assumed by the second hinge 122). In this configuration, after positioning the fan 110 so that its outlet is close to and aligned with the heat-generating element, the fan 110 can be automatically maintained in the current position by the first hinge 121 and the second hinge 122, thus implementing a reliable cooling of the heat-generating element.

[0032] In particular, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the distal support 120a can be generally plate-shaped or sheet-shaped and includes a flat base plate 123 and a flat wing plate 124 connected to the base plate 123. The base plate 123 is connected to the fan 110 so that the fan 110 is mounted on the base plate 123, and the wing plate 124 is connected to a first hinge 121 so that the first hinge 121 hinges the wing plate 124 to the intermediate support 120b. In this configuration, the wing plate 124 can space the fan 110 from the first hinge 121 to avoid interference between them. More specifically, the wing plate 124 is arranged obliquely relative to the base plate 123 so that the wing plate 124 extends from the base plate 123 in a direction away from the fan 110. That is, the fan 110 is mounted on one side of the base plate 123, and the wing plate 124 extends in a direction away from the fan 110. This helps to avoid interference between the fan 110 and the intermediate support 120b, thereby allowing the fan 110 to have more directional orientation. More specifically, the fan 110 is positioned such that its air outlet is defined in an airflow direction that is almost perpendicular to the substrate 123. Of course, when the fan 110 is an axial fan, the air inlet of the fan 110 is defined in an airflow direction that is also almost perpendicular to the substrate 123. In this case, since the substrate 123 covers the air inlet of the fan 110, a through hole is required in the substrate 123 to open the air inlet of the fan 110. However, when the fan 110 is a centrifugal fan, the air inlet of the fan 110 is defined in an airflow direction that is almost parallel to the substrate 123. In this case, the substrate 123 does not cover the air inlet of the fan 110.

[0033] In particular, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the intermediate support 120b can also be generally plate-shaped or sheet-shaped, and has a first mating surface 125 and a second mating surface 126 that are opposite to each other and generally flat. The first mating surface 125 is used to engage with the first hinge 121, and the second mating surface 126 is used to engage with the second hinge 122. In this configuration, when the distal support 120a, intermediate support 120b, and proximal support 120c are folded together in a Z-shaped configuration, the first mating surface 125 of the intermediate support 120b faces the distal support 120a, while its second mating surface 126 faces the proximal support 120c.

[0034] In particular, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the proximal bracket 120c can also be generally plate- or sheet-shaped, and has a support surface 127 and an interface surface 128 opposite to each other and generally flat, wherein the support surface 127 is configured to abut against a support platform such as a main plate and a support frame described below, and the interface surface 128 is configured to engage with the second hinge 122. In particular, the fastener interface 120d is one or more grooves extending through the proximal bracket 120c (i.e., from the support surface 127 to the interface surface 128), wherein each groove is oriented along a direction parallel to the first and second rotation axes XX’ and YY’. In this configuration, after inserting each fastener into each groove and before fastening each fastener, the air cooling device 100 can still be translated along a direction parallel to the first and second rotation axes XX’ and YY’ in order to adjust the installation position of the air cooling device 100, thereby improving the possibility of positioning the air outlet of the fan 100 in the vicinity of the heat generating element.

[0035] The above describes, by means of Figure 3 and Figure 4 optional but non-limiting embodiments of the air cooling device according to the present disclosure. In addition to the air cooling device described above, the present disclosure also aims to propose an improved air cooling system. Below, reference is made to Figure 3 and Figure 4 describes optional but non-limiting embodiments of the air cooling system according to the present disclosure, wherein, Figure 3 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the air cooling system according to the present disclosure, Figure 3 shows Figure 3 a schematic exploded perspective view of the support frame of the air cooling system shown.

[0036] As Figure 3As shown, the air cooling system 10 includes a support frame 200 and one or more (two are shown in the figure) air cooling devices 100 mounted on the support frame 200, wherein the proximal support 120c of each air cooling device 100 is fixed on the support frame 200 by one or more fasteners extending through the proximal support 120c and connected to the support frame 200. In this configuration, the support frame 200 can be placed on the mainboard of the test bench so that the support frame 200 positions each air cooling device 100 above the mainboard, and then the support assembly 120 of each air cooling device 100 can be adjusted so as to position the air outlet of the fan 110 of each air cooling device 100 close to and aligned with a heat generating element, thereby enabling the single air cooling system 10 to simultaneously directly and completely cool multiple heat generating elements. In particular, as described above, the proximal support 120c of each air cooling device 100 is provided with one or more grooves as fastener interfaces 120d, wherein each groove is for a fastener to pass through and is oriented along a direction parallel to the first and second rotation axes XX’ and YY’. In this configuration, each air cooling device 100 can be translated relative to the respective fastener along the direction of the groove, thereby enabling each air cooling device 100 to be positioned at different positions along the direction of the groove, which further improves the possibility of positioning the air outlet of each fan 100 near the corresponding heat generating element.

[0037] In particular, as Figure 4 As shown, the air cooling system 10 further includes a control board 300 mounted on the support frame 200, which is configured to independently control each air cooling device 100, for example, independently control the start, stop, air supply speed, etc. of the fan 110 of each air cooling device 100. In this configuration, the single air cooling system 10 can provide suitable cooling to the heat generating elements according to the heat generating amount, mounting position, etc. of each heat generating element, thereby achieving direct and complete cooling of each heat generating element.

[0038] In particular, as Figure 4 and ​ As shown, the support frame 200 includes a support plate 210 and two support legs 220 protruding downward from the support plate 210, each air cooling device 100 and the control board 300 are mounted on the support plate 210, and the two support legs 220 are located at the two ends of the support plate 210, thereby being spaced apart from each other. In this configuration, the two support legs 220 can support the support plate 210 above the mainboard, thereby supporting each air cooling device 100 and the control board 300 above the mainboard, and the space between the two support legs 220 can accommodate other elements on the mainboard, so that the air cooling system 10 can be compatible with other elements on the mainboard.

[0039] In particular, as ​As shown, the support frame 200 further comprises two auxiliary legs 230 attached to the two legs 220, wherein each leg 220 is provided with a plurality of attachment positions for the auxiliary legs 230 to be attached (e.g. by means of through holes in the leg 220 and the auxiliary leg 230 and fasteners passing through the through holes), or each auxiliary leg 230 is provided with a plurality of docking positions adapted to be attached to the leg 220, wherein the docking positions are distributed along the height direction so that each docking position corresponds to a height of the support frame 200. In this configuration, by selecting different docking positions on each leg 220 or each auxiliary leg 230, the height of the support frame 200 can be adjusted so that the support frame 200 can assume different heights, thereby further facilitating the compatibility of the air cooling system 10 with other elements on the main board. Of course, in a similar manner, the width of the support frame 200 can also be adjusted so that the support frame 200 can assume different widths.

[0040] The above describes in detail the optional but non-limiting embodiments of the air cooling device and the air cooling system according to the present disclosure with the aid of the drawings. For those ordinary skilled in the art, modifications and supplements to the technology and structure and recombination of features in the embodiments, without departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure, should be considered as included in the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and supplements that can be conceived under the teaching of the present disclosure should be considered as part of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure includes equivalent technologies known at the filing date of the present disclosure and equivalent technologies not yet foreseen.

Claims

1. A forced air cooling device, characterized by, Comprising: a fan (110); and a bracket assembly (120) comprising: a distal bracket (120a) on which the fan (110) is mounted; a proximal bracket (120c) comprising a fastener interface (120d) for cooperating with a fastener; and one or more intermediate brackets (120b) disposed between the distal bracket (120a) and the proximal bracket (120c), wherein the distal bracket (120a), the proximal bracket (120c), and each intermediate bracket (120b) are articulated together by a plurality of hinges.

2. The air cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that The rotational axes of each hinge are parallel to each other, and each intermediate bracket (120b) is connected to a hinge at two ends that are separated along a direction perpendicular to the rotational axes.

3. The air cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that Each hinge provides a rotational freedom of 360°.

4. The air cooling device according to claim 1, characterized by Each hinge is composed of a positioning hinge adapted to maintain the angle assumed.

5. The air cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The bracket assembly (120) comprises one intermediate bracket (120b) articulated to the distal bracket (120a) by a first hinge (121) and to the proximal bracket (120c) by a second hinge (122).

6. The air cooling device according to claim 5, characterized in that The distal bracket (120a) comprises a base plate (123) on which the fan (110) is mounted and a wing plate (124) connected to the base plate (123), the wing plate (124) being articulated to the intermediate bracket (120b).

7. The air cooling device according to claim 6, characterized in that The fan (110) is located on one side of the base plate (123) and the wing plate (124) is arranged obliquely with respect to the base plate (123) so that the wing plate (124) extends from the base plate (123) towards a side that is distal from the fan (110).

8. The air cooling device according to claim 6, characterized in that The fan (110) is positioned so that the outlet of the fan (110) defines an outlet direction that is perpendicular to the base plate (123).

9. The air cooling device according to claim 8, characterized in that The fan (110) is composed of a centrifugal fan and is positioned so that the inlet of the fan (110) defines an inlet direction that is parallel to the base plate (123).

10. The air cooling device according to claim 5, wherein The fastener interface (120d) is composed of one or more grooves parallel to each other, each groove extending through the distal bracket (120a).

11. The air cooling device according to claim 10, characterized in that The rotational axes of each hinge are parallel to each other, and each groove is oriented along a direction parallel to the rotational axes.

12. A forced air system characterized by, Comprising: a support frame (200); and one or more air cooling devices according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the proximal bracket (120c) of each air cooling device is mounted on the support frame (200) by a fastener cooperating with the fastener interface (120d) of the proximal bracket (120c).

13. The air cooling system of claim 12, wherein, The air cooling system (10) further comprises a control board (300) mounted on the support frame (200), the control board (300) being configured to independently control each air cooling device. The rotational axes of each hinge are parallel to each other, and each groove is oriented along a direction parallel to the rotational axes.

14. The air cooling system of claim 13, wherein, The support frame (200) comprises a support plate (210) and two legs (220) projecting downwardly from the support plate (210), each air cooling device and the control plate (300) being mounted on the support plate (210).

15. The air cooling system of claim 14, wherein, The support frame (200) further comprises two auxiliary legs (230) attached to the two legs (220), each leg (220) and / or each auxiliary leg (230) being provided with a plurality of docking positions distributed along a height direction, each auxiliary leg (230) being adapted to be attached to a respective leg (220) at any one of the plurality of docking positions.

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