A switch

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of air duct heat dissipation, especially relates to an exchange machine. The exchange machine provided by the utility model is provided with a fan at the both ends of the power module, the air inlet fan blows air to the enclosure, forms the positive pressure area, the air outlet fan extracts air outward, forms the negative pressure area, and the pressure gradient promotes the gas flow in the power module area, and further drives the gas flow in the whole exchange machine shell. The air pressure difference can accelerate the flow of air in the shell, and stagnation of airflow is avoided. The design takes away heat through forced convection, and compared with the existing design of unidirectional air supply or simple air extraction to the exchange machine shell, the heat dissipation efficiency of the utility model is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of airflow heat dissipation technology, and in particular to a switch. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication network technology, switches have more and more ports and higher power, resulting in increasingly higher operating temperatures. Excessive switch temperature can severely affect communication quality, damage internal components, and shorten the lifespan of the switch. Heat dissipation is crucial for switches; however, current traditional switches only have fans on the exhaust side for ventilation. This method is highly dependent on fan airflow and air pressure performance, requiring high-speed fans and resulting in high noise levels. Furthermore, this fan placement method leads to less than ideal heat dissipation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a switch with good heat dissipation.

[0004] This utility model discloses a switch, including a housing, a power module, and a heat dissipation component, characterized in that:

[0005] The heat dissipation assembly includes an intake fan and an exhaust fan. The intake fan is located on one side of the power module and is configured to blow airflow to the area where the power module is located. The exhaust fan is located on the opposite side of the intake fan and discharges the airflow flowing through the power module in a direction away from the power module.

[0006] Furthermore, the housing includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall; the exhaust fan is disposed on the first sidewall, the second sidewall is located on the opposite side of the first sidewall, the first sidewall is provided with a first air duct inlet at the end away from the exhaust fan, and the second sidewall is provided with a second air duct inlet.

[0007] Furthermore, a chip heat dissipation area is provided on the housing, and a flow guide baffle is provided between the power module and the chip heat dissipation area; the flow guide baffle guides the airflow entering the housing from the first air duct inlet and / or the second air duct inlet.

[0008] Furthermore, a baffle assembly is provided around the power module. The baffle assembly includes multiple baffles arranged around the circumference of the power module, so that the baffle assembly as a whole forms a closed ring structure, surrounding the power module in its internal space.

[0009] Furthermore, the housing includes a first sidewall and a third sidewall, and the baffle assembly includes a first baffle, a second baffle, at least a portion of the first sidewall, and at least a portion of the third sidewall; the first baffle, the second baffle, at least a portion of the first sidewall, and at least a portion of the third sidewall are together arranged around the power module, enclosing the power module in its internal space.

[0010] Furthermore, flow-blocking components are provided between the power module and the first baffle, and between the power module and the third sidewall.

[0011] Furthermore, an L-shaped air duct is formed on the housing, and the airflow path of the L-shaped air duct is sequentially through the second air duct inlet, the inlet fan, the power module, the outlet fan, and the outlet.

[0012] Furthermore, a U-shaped air duct is formed on the housing, and the airflow path of the U-shaped air duct is sequentially through the first air duct inlet, the inlet fan, the power module, the outlet fan, and the outlet.

[0013] Furthermore, the flow guide baffle includes a first inclined portion, a straight portion, and a second inclined portion.

[0014] Furthermore, the intake fan and / or the exhaust fan are low-volume fans.

[0015] The switch provided by this utility model features an intake fan and an exhaust fan at both ends of the power module. The intake fan blows air towards the power module, while the exhaust fan removes the airflow blown from the intake fan and flowing through the power module. This fan configuration utilizes front-to-back propulsion to effectively increase airflow and air pressure, thereby improving the heat dissipation within the switch. Attached Figure Description

[0016] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the heat dissipation structure of the switch in this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a comparison table of noise levels between the proposed solution and conventional air ducts during operation.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Housing; 2. Power module; 3. Inlet fan; 4. Exit fan; 5. First sidewall; 51. First air duct inlet; 6. Second sidewall; 61. Second air duct inlet; 7. Chip heat dissipation area; 71. Chip heat sink; 8. Airflow guide baffle; 81. First inclined section; 82. Second inclined section; 83. Straight section; 9. Third sidewall; 10. First baffle; 11. Second baffle; 12. Baffle assembly; 13. Airflow obstruction component; 14. CPU heat sink; 15. Exit vent; Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that when one component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component, or there may be an intervening component. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be noted that unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to the internal communication between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances. The terminology used in this specification of the present invention is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] It should also be noted that in the description of this utility model, the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and 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 this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or limiting the quantity.

[0022] Switches are a crucial component of communication network technology. As the demand for network communication continues to increase, the number of ports and related electronic components within switches is also growing. This leads to significant heat generation during operation, which can severely impact communication quality, damage internal components, and shorten the switch's lifespan. Therefore, effectively cooling switches is a key concern in this field. Traditional air-cooling methods use a straight-through airflow configuration, such as air entering from the left side of the casing, flowing through the heat-generating area, and exiting from the right side; or airflow entering from the front of the casing, flowing through the heat-generating area, and exiting from the rear. In these air-cooling methods, the fan is positioned at the exhaust port to draw air outwards. Because the fan is only located at the exhaust port, this method requires high fan speed and air pressure performance, resulting in higher fan noise and less effective cooling.

[0023] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides a switch, including a housing 1, on which a power module 2 is mounted. The power module 2 includes heat-generating electronic components, such as capacitors. An intake fan 3 is located on one side of the power module 2, blowing airflow into the area of ​​the power module 2. An exhaust fan 4 is located on the other side of the power module 2, opposite to the intake fan 3. After the intake fan 3 blows airflow into the area of ​​the power module 2, the airflow carries away the heat generated by the power module 2. Simultaneously, the exhaust fan 4 draws in air, expelling the heated airflow away from the power module 2, thereby achieving air cooling of the power module 2.

[0024] When the power module 2 has a dense array of electronic components, the dense components can obstruct airflow, typically requiring a high-speed fan, which increases hardware costs and generates significant noise. However, the arrangement of the intake fan 3 and exhaust fan 4 in this embodiment creates a front-to-back boosting configuration, increasing airflow and air pressure. Therefore, this embodiment is suitable for scenarios where the power module 2 has a dense array of electronic components. Furthermore, because the front-to-back boosting characteristic increases airflow and air pressure, the selection of intake fan 3 and exhaust fan 4 can be expanded to include smaller airflow fans. Since smaller airflow fans operate at lower speeds, the noise level is significantly reduced, achieving a relatively quiet operation. This not only achieves good air-cooling performance but also reduces the conflict between switch cooling and fan noise.

[0025] Furthermore, in order to allow the heat dissipation airflow to pass through the power module 2 better and improve the heat exchange effect, this embodiment sets up a baffle assembly 12 around the power module 2 to form a barrier, which surrounds the power module 2 and effectively reduces air leakage, allowing as much airflow as possible to flow over the surface of the power module 2.

[0026] Specifically, in this embodiment, the switch housing 1 is provided with a baffle assembly 12, which includes multiple baffles arranged circumferentially around the power module 2, so that the baffle assembly 12 forms a closed surround structure, enclosing the power module 2 within its internal space. The number of baffle assemblies 12 is not limited here, as long as they can better enclose the power module 2 within it.

[0027] Meanwhile, the baffles included in the baffle assembly 12 can all be independent partitions, and the independent baffles are fixed to the inner surface of the housing 1. Taking the power module 2 as a rectangle as an example, in this case, the baffle assembly 12 can be composed of 4 independent baffles. The 4 independent baffles are arranged along the circumference of the power module 2, forming a closed ring structure that surrounds the power module 2 in its internal space.

[0028] The baffle assembly 12 can also utilize existing housing sidewalls, allowing the independent baffles and housing sidewalls to surround the power module 2 together, forming a barrier. This arrangement utilizes existing housing sidewalls, reduces the number of independent baffles, facilitates installation, reduces materials, and lowers costs. Specifically, as follows... Figure 1 As shown, the switch housing 1 has a first sidewall 5 and a third sidewall 9. The baffle assembly 12 can utilize the existing first sidewall 5 and third sidewall 9, requiring only the addition of two independent baffles: a first baffle 10 and a second baffle 11. The first baffle 10, the second baffle 11, at least a portion of the first sidewall 5, and at least a portion of the third sidewall 9 together surround the power module 2, enclosing it within its internal space to form a frame structure that reduces air leakage and improves cooling performance. It should be noted that the description of the first baffle 10 and the second baffle 11 does not limit the number of independent baffles; it does not mean that there can only be two independent baffles. The actual number of independent baffles can be flexibly adjusted according to the shape of the power module 2, as long as it forms a protective enclosure for the power module 2 that reduces air leakage. In this configuration, the intake fan 3 is mounted on the second baffle 11, and the exhaust fan 4 is mounted on the first sidewall 5. Air outlets 15 are located on the first sidewall 5 corresponding to the positions of the exhaust fan 4. The intake fan 3 blows airflow toward the power module 2 area, and the exhaust fan 4 discharges the heat-exchanged airflow through the exhaust port 15 to the outside of the first side wall 5, so that the heated gas is discharged outside the housing 1 and the inside of the switch maintains a suitable temperature.

[0029] Because safety regulations require that power module 2 not be in close contact with the power module 2 partition, i.e., in this embodiment, power module 2 cannot be in close contact with the baffle assembly 12, therefore, there are installation gaps between power module 2 and the first baffle 10 and the third sidewall 9. These gaps cause some airflow to pass directly through the gap area when the intake fan 3 blows airflow into the power module 2 area, thereby reducing contact heat exchange with the heat-generating components on the power module 2 and reducing the air-cooling effect. Therefore, in this embodiment, flow-blocking components 13 are provided at the gaps between power module 2 and the first baffle 10, and at the gaps between power module 2 and the third sidewall 9. The flow-blocking element 13, positioned between the power module 2 and the first baffle 10, is attached or close to the power module 2 on one side and to the first baffle 10 on the other. This effectively prevents the heat exchange airflow from flowing directly through the gap between the power module 2 and the first baffle 10. Some of the heat exchange airflow, upon encountering the flow-blocking element 13, is redirected to the power module 2 area, improving heat dissipation. The same principle applies to the flow-blocking element 13 positioned between the power module 2 and the third sidewall 9. It should be noted that the number of flow-blocking elements 13 is not limited and can be added according to actual needs. Ideally, the flow-blocking element 13 should be tightly attached to the structures on both sides. However, gaps between the flow-blocking element 13 and the structures on both sides due to installation errors are also within the scope of protection of this utility model patent. As long as the obstruction effectively prevents the heat exchange airflow from flowing directly through the gap, the obstruction element 13 is protected by this utility model patent.

[0030] Furthermore, a first air duct inlet 51 is provided at the end of the first sidewall 5 away from the exhaust fan 4, through which airflow with a lower external temperature enters the switch housing 1. A second sidewall 6 is provided on the opposite side of the first sidewall, and a second air duct inlet 61 is provided on the second sidewall. Similarly, airflow with a lower external temperature can also enter the housing 1 through the second air duct inlet 61.

[0031] Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, a chip heat dissipation area 7 is also provided inside the switch housing 1. The chip heat dissipation area 7 is located outside the enclosure structure of the power module 2. Components such as a chip heat sink 71 are installed inside the chip heat dissipation area 7. Since the power module 2 in this embodiment has fans at both ends, the intake fan 3 blows air into the enclosure, forming a positive pressure area, while the exhaust fan 4 exhausts air outward, forming a negative pressure area. This pressure gradient promotes gas flow within the power module 2 area, thereby driving gas flow throughout the entire switch housing 1. The air pressure difference accelerates airflow within the housing 1, preventing airflow stagnation. This design removes heat through forced convection, resulting in higher heat dissipation efficiency compared to existing designs that rely on unidirectional airflow or simple exhaust to the switch housing 1.

[0032] Specifically, when the gas flow in the power module 2 area drives the gas flow within the entire switch housing 1, some airflow enters the housing 1 through the first air duct inlet 51, while some airflow enters the housing 1 through the second air duct inlet 61. The airflow entering from the first air duct inlet 51 first dissipates heat from the chip heat dissipation area 7. Since the first air duct inlet 51 is not necessarily directly opposite the chip heat dissipation area 7, a flow guide baffle 8 is provided between the power module 2 and the chip heat dissipation area 7 to allow the airflow entering from the first air duct inlet to better exchange heat with the chip heat dissipation area 7. In this embodiment, the flow guide baffle 8 also includes a first inclined portion 81, a second inclined portion 82, and a straight portion 83, such as... Figure 1 As shown, at least part of the airflow entering through the first air duct inlet 51 is blocked by the first inclined portion 81. Because the first inclined portion 81 has an inclination angle, this portion of the airflow can be smoothly guided to the chip heat dissipation area 7, making the airflow more concentrated and effectively flowing through the chip heat dissipation area 7. Simultaneously, the straight portion 83 of the guide baffle 8 can act as an isolation baffle, preventing the airflow guided to the chip heat dissipation area 7 by the first inclined portion 81 from diffusing to the side, and can also act as an airflow guide, directing the airflow along the length of the straight portion 83. Similarly, the gas entering the housing 1 through the second air duct inlet 61 is blocked by the second inclined portion 82 of the guide baffle 8 and flows towards the inlet fan 3. It should be noted that the angle of the inclined portion of the guide baffle 8 can be flexibly adjusted according to the layout of the components, the positional relationship between the heat dissipation area and the air duct inlet, and other actual installation conditions.

[0033] Under the above structural layout, an L-shaped air duct and a U-shaped air duct are formed inside the switch housing 1. Specifically, the airflow path of the L-shaped air duct is as follows: the airflow passes sequentially through the second air duct inlet 61, the inlet fan 3, the power module 2, the outlet fan 4, and the outlet 15, forming an approximate L-shape. It is important to note that the "sequential" here only specifies that the airflow must follow the listed order when passing through the second air duct inlet 61, the inlet fan 3, the power module 2, the outlet fan 4, and the outlet 15; it does not mean that the airflow must immediately pass through the inlet fan 3 after passing through the second air duct inlet 61. Figure 1 As shown, after the airflow enters through the second air duct inlet 61, a CPU cooler 14 and a baffle 8 can be installed between the second air duct inlet 61 and the intake fan 3, depending on the actual layout. The airflow passes through the CPU cooler 14 to cool it down, and then flows through the baffle 8 to the intake fan 3. Similarly, other components can be installed between the baffle 8 and the intake fan 3, between the intake fan 3 and the power module 2, between the power module 2 and the exhaust fan 4, and between the exhaust fan 4 and the exhaust vent 15, as needed.

[0034] The airflow path of the U-shaped air duct is as follows: the airflow passes sequentially through the first air duct inlet 51, the inlet fan 3, the power module 2, the outlet fan 4, and the outlet 15, forming a roughly U-shaped path. Similarly, the "sequential" here only specifies that the airflow must follow the listed order when passing through the first air duct inlet 51, the inlet fan 3, the power module 2, the outlet fan 4, and the outlet 15; it does not mean that the airflow must pass through the inlet fan 3 immediately after passing through the first air duct inlet 51. As shown in this embodiment, a chip heat dissipation area 7 can also be provided between the first air duct inlet 51 and the inlet fan. After the airflow enters the housing 1 through the first air duct inlet 51, it first passes through the chip heat dissipation area 7 for cooling before flowing to the inlet fan 3.

[0035] Since the U-shaped air duct and the L-shaped air duct overlap in at least part of their paths, the heat dissipation effect is effectively improved.

[0036] Therefore, the embodiments of this application effectively resolve the conflict between heat dissipation and fan noise in an 800W switch. By providing a heat dissipation design that utilizes a small-volume fan and / or a low-speed fan, along with a baffle assembly for airflow boosting, combined with L-shaped and U-shaped airflow channels, the heat dissipation requirements are met while effectively reducing fan noise. Specifically, the small-volume fan and / or low-speed fan used in this application is a 40mm diameter fan with a 10mm thickness. This replaces traditional 40mm diameter fans with a 20mm thickness, or fans with a 40mm diameter and 28mm thickness. These traditional fans are thicker and have a relatively larger airflow, resulting in relatively higher noise levels. Therefore, this application uses the aforementioned small-volume, low-speed fan to reduce overall noise while achieving effective heat dissipation. It should be noted that both the intake and exhaust fans in this application use this type of low-airflow, low-speed fan. If the fan configuration is simply changed, such as by setting only one of the intake or exhaust fans to a low-airflow, low-speed fan while the other fan remains a traditional fan, this constitutes a simple substitution of the technical solution and still falls within the scope of protection of this application. Similarly, if only the fan dimensions listed in this application are simply changed, such as changing the fan diameter to 35mm or the thickness to 8mm, this constitutes a simple modification based on this patent, requiring no inventive effort, and still falls within the scope of protection of this utility model patent.

[0037] The applicant has conducted laboratory verification of the design scheme of the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 As can be seen from the comparison table, compared with the conventional air duct design, the air duct and fan design of this embodiment effectively reduces the noise level by nearly 10dB, demonstrating a significant noise reduction effect.

[0038] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification. For those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A switch, comprising a housing, a power module, and a heat dissipation assembly, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly includes an intake fan and an exhaust fan. The intake fan is located on one side of the power module and is configured to blow airflow to the area where the power module is located. The exhaust fan is located on the opposite side of the intake fan and discharges the airflow flowing through the power module in a direction away from the power module.

2. The switch as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall; the exhaust fan is disposed on the first sidewall, and an air outlet is provided on the first sidewall corresponding to the exhaust fan; the second sidewall is located on the opposite side of the first sidewall, and a first air duct inlet is provided on the end of the first sidewall away from the exhaust fan, and a second air duct inlet is provided on the second sidewall.

3. The switch as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The housing is provided with a chip heat dissipation area, and a flow guide baffle is provided between the power module and the chip heat dissipation area; the flow guide baffle guides the airflow entering the housing from the first air duct inlet and / or the second air duct inlet.

4. The switch as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A baffle assembly is provided around the power module. The baffle assembly includes multiple baffles arranged around the circumference of the power module, so that the baffle assembly as a whole forms a closed ring structure, surrounding the power module in its internal space.

5. The switch as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The housing includes a first sidewall and a third sidewall, and the baffle assembly includes a first baffle, a second baffle, at least a portion of the first sidewall, and at least a portion of the third sidewall; the first baffle, the second baffle, at least a portion of the first sidewall, and at least a portion of the third sidewall are arranged around the power module, enclosing the power module in its internal space.

6. The switch as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A flow-blocking element is provided between the power module and the first baffle, and between the power module and the third sidewall.

7. The switch as described in claim 6, characterized in that, An L-shaped air duct is formed on the housing, and the airflow path of the L-shaped air duct is sequentially through the second air duct inlet, the inlet fan, the power module, the outlet fan, and the outlet.

8. The switch as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The housing also has a U-shaped air duct, and the airflow path of the U-shaped air duct is sequentially through the first air duct inlet, the inlet fan, the power module, the outlet fan, and the outlet.

9. The switch as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The flow guide baffle includes a first inclined portion, a straight portion, and a second inclined portion.

10. The switch as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The intake fan and / or the exhaust fan are low-volume fans.

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