Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-10-02
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S688000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297950
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to cooling devices for hard disk drives and more particularly to removable filter assemblies for use with cooling fans.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,029 ('029 patent) discloses an Apparatus for Cooling a Memory Storage Device, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The apparatus includes fans mounted on a bezel for drawing air through a memory storage device bay of a computer or a memory storage device housing. Drawing air through the bay is intended to cool a hard disk drive mounted in the bay, and to cool the housing. Using air to cool hard drives reduces the risk of data loss due to heat related hard drive failure.
Air may contain particulate matter such as dust and the like. Over time, dust may build up on electronic components within the computer housing. Using a fan to continually draw into the housing may accelerate the dust buildup. It is common for dust may build up on a motherboard, hard drive controller, video card, power supply, or other electronic components. Excessive dust buildup on an electronic component may enable the dust to conduct current, causing the component to short. What is desired is a way to improved electronic component reliability by reducing the amount of dust that enters the computer housing.
To remedy the problems associated with dust and particulate matter, filters are typically integrated with hard drive cooling kits to filter incoming air. Unfortunately, filters may become plugged after extensive use. A plugged filter should be removed, cleaned and replaced to maximize airflow through the filter. The '029 patent describes a bezel for holding an air filter, and an oval shaped cover that snaps on to the bezel to hold the air filter. The filter is flexible. When the filter is full of dust, removal of the filter may flex the filter and cause dust to fall from the filter. The dust may be drawn into the memory storage device housing, or fall on a desktop or floor, for example. Accordingly, what is desired is an improved system of filter removal and replacement that can ease filter replacement and reduce undesired mess associated with filter removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An air filter assembly is useful with any housing for electronic components. The air filter assembly is particularly adapted for use with computer and memory storage device housings having connective cooling. The air filter assembly includes a frame, an air filter, and a retainer for slidably holding the air filter in the frame. The retainer inhibits spillage of dust and particulate matter from the filter during filter removal.
The frame has an inlet, an outlet and two lateral sides. One lateral side includes a hinge connectable with the memory storage device bay, the other lateral side defines an opening to enable insertion and removal of the air filter. The frame has an inner periphery with grooves for receiving the retainer the air filter. The opening of the frame aligns with the grooves to enable the retainer and air filter to slide into the grooves. It can be appreciated that while grooves are integrated with the frame, that grooves can also be formed on the retainer to enable the retainer to mate with the frame.
The retainer has two sides and flexible joint to move the sides between an open configuration to a closed configuration. In the closed configuration, the sides of the retainer sandwich the air filter to hold the air filter. Each side has edges that rack in the grooves of the frame to insert the retainer in the frame when the retainer is in the closed configuration.
According to one aspect of the invention, the flexible joint of the retainer spring biases the retainer in the open configuration to press the retainer edges against the grooves of the frame when the retainer inserts into the frame.
The sides of the air filter have an inner face and an outer face that coincide with the inlet and outlet of the frame, respectively, when the filter inserts into the frame. The sides of the retainer surround the inner face and the outer face of the air filter. Preferably, the sides of the retainer form a grate to provide rigidity to the faces of the air filter without significantly inhibiting air flow through the filter.
According to an aspect of the invention where the invention is used to filter air flowing through a memory storage device bay, the frame and the air filter are rectangular shaped to fully cover the memory storage device bay. Preferably the retainer is fabricated from a spring material such as steel or other metal to firmly hold the filter while air turbulently flows through the air filter.
Removal of the air filter is periodically useful to facilitate cleaning of the air filter. The present invention enables removal and replacement of the air filter without making a dusty mess. The present invention also protects the air filter during and after air filter removal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5168171 (1992-12-01), Tracewell
patent: 5514036 (1996-05-01), Lin
patent: 5673029 (1997-09-01), Behl et al.
patent: 5766285 (1998-06-01), Killman
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Chang Yean-Hsi
Fortin Kevin H.
Inclose Design, Inc.
Picard Leo P.
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