Computer system airflow-guiding device

Abstract

An airflow-guiding device for being mounted into a computer system to periodically change airflow passing therethrough, comprises a motor, a gearing driven by the motor and a plurality of airflow-guiding plates pivoted to a frame and linked to the gearing and driven thereby to turn back and forth periodically. The gearing comprises a cam driven by the motor and a sliding board slideably mounted on a supporting member. The sliding board has a lateral side always in contact with the cam so that when the cam rotates, the sliding plate slides on the supporting member. The airflow-guiding plates each have a linking rod linked to the sliding board. The airflow-guiding plates periodically turn within a given angle following the rotation of the cam so as to change direction of airflow passing through the airflow-guiding plates.

1 . An air flow guiding device for a computer system comprising: 
 a motor;    a gearing comprising a plate cam driven by the motor;    a soleplate oriented perpendicularly to the airflow-guiding plates;    a sliding board parallelly mounted on a top surface of the soleplate and constantly contacting with an outer profile of the cam, wherein the sliding board is driven by the cam to slide on the top surface of the soleplate; and    a plurality of airflow-guiding plates linked to and driven by the gearing sliding board to turn back and forth periodically.    
   
   
       2 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the airflow-guiding plates are spaced and parallel to each other.  
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the sliding board is pushed to contact with the cam by a spring.  
   
   
       5 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 4 , wherein an extension rod extends from the sliding board and is pushed by the spring.  
   
   
       6 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the soleplate comprises two ribs for supporting the sliding board to slide thereon.  
   
   
       7 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 6 , wherein the sliding board is provided with a plurality of roller at opposite sides thereof, and the rollers are supported on the ribs of the soleplate and adopted to slide relative to the soleplate along the ribs.  
   
   
       8 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 7 , wherein the gearing further comprises a cover board on the soleplate, and the cam and the sliding plate are accommodated between the cover board and the soleplate.  
   
   
       9 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 1 , further comprising a frame mounted to the gearing, each of the airflow-guiding plates forms a pair of studs pivoted to the frame.  
   
   
       10 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 9 , wherein the sliding plate defines a plurality of elongated slots having a number corresponding to a number of the airflow-guiding plates, each air guiding plate forms a linking rod which is received in a corresponding slot and sliding therein when the each airflow-guiding plate rotates,  
   
   
       11 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 3 , wherein the cam rotates around a same axis as the motor.  
   
   
       12 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 10 , wherein the cover board defines an opening for the linking rods to extend therethrough into the slots of the sliding board.  
   
   
       13 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 7 , wherein the rollers each form an enlarged head at an outer end thereof, the enlarged heads of the rollers engaging with opposite sides of the soleplate to prevent the sliding board from disengagement with the soleplate.  
   
   
       14 . A ventilating device for a computer system comprising: 
 a motor;    a gearing comprising a cam driven by the motor to rotate around an axis, a sliding board engaged with the cam and sliding to and fro;    a plurality of airflow-guiding plates pivoted to a frame, each airflow-guiding plate having a portion extending into the sliding board; and    a fan positioned adjacent to the airflow-guiding plates for providing a forced airflow passing through the airflow-guiding plates;    wherein a rotation of the cam by the driving of the motor causes the sliding board to slide to and fro and the airflow-guiding plates to rotate so as to change direction of the airflow after passing the airflow-guiding plates;    wherein a linking rod is formed from each of the airflow-guiding plates and extends into the sliding board, and wherein when the sliding board slides between a first position where the sliding board is close to the axis of the cam and a second position where the sliding board is distant from the axis, the linking rod moves relative to the sliding plate in the sliding  1 late along a direction which is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the sliding plate.    
   
   
       15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . The ventilating device as described in  claim 14 , wherein a plurality of slots is defined in the sliding board in which the linking rods slide.  
   
   
       17 . The ventilating device as described in  claim 14 , wherein the airflow-guiding plates are parallel to each other during the sliding of the sliding board.  
   
   
       18 . The ventilating device as described in  claim 14 , wherein the airflow is guided to a first direction while the sliding board reaches the first position and the airflow is guided to a second direction different from the first direction while the sliding board reaches the second position.  
   
   
       19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . An air flow guiding device for changing flow direction of an airflow in a computer, said airflow being generated by a fan of the computer, the air flow guiding device comprising: 
 a soleplate;    a sliding plate mounted on the soleplate and being slideable relative to the soleplate between first and second positions;    a cover board mounted on the soleplate above the sliding board;    a frame having a plurality of airflow-guiding plates pivotably mounted thereon, each of the guiding plates having a linking rod extending through the cover board and in the sliding plate; wherein when the sliding plate slides to the first position, the airflow-guiding plates are oriented to a first direction and when the sliding plates slides to the second position, the airflow-guiding plates are oriented to a second direction different from the first direction so that the airflow can change direction when the airflow flows through the airflow-guiding plates.    
   
   
       21 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 1 , wherein the sliding board moves relative to the soleplate along a line parallel to the top surface of the soleplate.  
   
   
       22 . The airflow-guiding device as described in  claim 1 , wherein each of the airflow-guiding plates has a sharpened front edge from a top to a bottom side of the each of the airflow-guiding plates.  
   
   
       23 . The air flow guiding device as described in  claim 20 , further comprising a motor mounted on the cover board, the motor enabling the sliding board to slide relative to the soleplate between the first position and the second position.