USPatent applicationPatented

Server enclosure

Granted 6 Aug 2013 · 1 office action

Life of the application

8 dated events
⤢ drag to zoom2012201420162018202020222024202620282030ProsecutionOwnershipTerm & fees
ProsecutionOwnershipTerm & feeshover for detail · click to open

Abstract

A server enclosure includes a housing, at least one cable, a partition board, and a sealing member. The partition board is securely received in the housing and defines a through hole through which the at least one cable passes. The sealing member plugs the through hole. The sealing member is made of elastic materials, and defines at least one elastic deformation portion through which the at least one cable passes and by which the at least one cable is clamped.

Description

3 parts
›BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a server enclosure.

2. Description of Related Art

Cloud computing is internet-based computing in which shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand. A server is needed to link other computers or electronic devices together, and store information for customers via the internet. High stability of the server is necessary.

A typical server enclosure includes a housing and a partition board received in the housing to reinforce the server enclosure. The partition board divides the housing into two portions. The partition board defines a through hole through which the cables pass to connect components disposed in different areas of the housing. The through hole is sufficiently large to protect the cables from abrasion.

However, the server enclosure has poor heat dissipation, because airflow in the two portions of the housing is affected by the through hole.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

›BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being positioned upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a first embodiment of a server enclosure, the server enclosure including a housing, a partition board, and a sealing member.

FIG. 2 is an isometric, assembled view of the housing and the partition board of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, isometric view of the sealing member of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is an isometric, assembled view of a second embodiment of a server enclosure.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion V of the server enclosure in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is an isometric, assembled view of a third embodiment of a server enclosure.

›DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a first embodiment of a server enclosure 100 includes a housing 10 , a partition board 30 , a plurality of cables 50 , and a sealing member 70 . The partition board 30 is securely received in the housing 10 .

The housing 10 includes a baseboard 12 and two sidewalls 14 extending from opposite edges of the baseboard 12 . The partition board 30 is substantially rectangular and fixed on the baseboard 12 . Two opposite ends of the partition board 30 are respectively connected to the two sidewalls 14 . The partition board 30 defines a through hole 32 through which the cables 50 pass.

The cables 50 may be configured to connect a motherboard (not shown), a hard disk (not shown), and other electronic components disposed at opposite sides of the partition 30 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the sealing member 70 is substantially cylindrical, and made of elastic materials such as rubber or foam. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing member 70 is made of foam. It should be pointed out that the sealing member 70 may be made of rubber. A diameter of the sealing member 70 exceeds that of the through hole 32 . The sealing member 70 includes a first end surface 72 , a second end surface 73 , and a side surface 74 connecting the first end surface 72 and the second end surface 73 . The sealing member 70 defines at least one elastic deformation portion 76 . In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic deformation portion 76 is a slit extending through the first end surface 72 and the second end surface 73 . The elastic deformation portion 76 is closed with no cable passing therethrough. In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing member 70 defines two elastic deformation portions 76 cutting across each other, enhancing capacity of deformation. The sealing member 70 further defines a mounting slot 78 . The mounting slot 78 is annular, and depressed from a middle part of the side surface 74 . The mounting slot 78 has a resisting surface 782 . The resisting surface 782 is annular and coaxial with the side surface 74 .

During assembly, the sealing member 70 is deformed and partly passes through the through hole 32 with the mounting slot 78 corresponding to the through hole 32 , and the partition board 30 is partly received in the mounting slot 78 . The resisting surface 782 of the mounting slot 78 resists a sidewall 322 (see FIG. 2 ) of the through hole 32 to fix the sealing member 70 to the partition member 70 , and plug the through hole 32 . The cables 50 pass through the elastic deformation portions 76 . The elastic deformation portions 76 deformed by the cables 50 , which, as a result, are clamped thereby.

The sealing member 70 can be made of plastic materials, such that the elastic deformation portions 76 are deformed to allow the cables 50 to pass therethrough, and the deformation portions 76 are restored to clamp the cables 50 , and the deformation portions 76 keep good contact with the cables 50 . As a result, the through hole 32 is well sealed by the sealing member 70 to improve the heat dissipating performance of the server enclosure 100 . The cables 50 are clamped by the elastic deformation portions 76 to prevent abrasion.

Alternatively, one or more elastic deformation portions 76 , rather than two, such as three elastic deformation portions, can be defined at the sealing member 70 . The elastic deformation portions 76 are not limited to intersect, and may alternatively be parallel. The mounting slot 78 may be omitted, wherein the side surface 74 of the sealing member 70 resists the sidewall 322 of the through hole 32 .

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , a second embodiment of a server enclosure 200 differs from the first embodiment of the server enclosure 100 only in that the sealing member 70 a is fixed to the partition board 30 a by a bonding film 90 a , and the sealing member 70 a covers the through hole (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 6 , a third embodiment of a server enclosure 300 differs from the first embodiment of the server enclosure 100 only in that the sealing member 70 b is fixed to the partition board 30 b by a plurality of fasteners 90 b , and the sealing member 70 b covers the through hole (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the fasteners 90 b are screws.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages.

Claims as granted

5 claims

Log in to read the claims of this application.

Log in to unlock

Classifications

2 codes
IPC · International Patent Classification
Section H — Electricity
  • H01R13/46
USPC · US Patent Classification
174/520

Claim changes

Soon
Coming soonHow the claims changed between publication and grant

See which claims were amended, added or cancelled during examination, with every added and removed word marked.

AmendedAddedCancelledUnchanged

The published claims of this application are not paired with the granted ones in what we hold.

File wrapper

⤢ drag to zoomJan 2011Apr 2011Jul 2011Oct 2011Jan 2012Apr 2012Jul 2012Oct 2012Jan 2013Apr 2013Jul 2013Oct 2013USPTOApplicantNon-final rejectionResponse after non-finalNotice of allowance
USPTOApplicanthover for detail · click to open
Pendency
2.6 y
964 days filing → grant
Office actions
1
non-final + final
Responses
1
no RCE
Examiner
Jeremy Norris
art unit 2835 · TC 2800
Citations: 7 back · 0 forward

See the full prosecution history — every USPTO and applicant action on this file, in order.

Log in to unlock

Documents

Log in to open the documents of this file: the application as filed, every office action and response, the notice of allowance.

Log in to unlock

Chain of title

⤢ drag to zoom2012201420162018202020222024202620282030Owner 1
Titlehover for detail · click to open

See the full assignment history — every owner this patent has passed through, with recordation dates and reel/frame numbers.

Log in to unlock