US20060049728A1

US20060049728A1 - Computer bezel with inlet airflow guiding device

Info

Publication number: US20060049728A1
Application number: US10/934,485
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Lung Yu; Ying-Chun Chou; Kuo-Chung Liao
Original assignee: Shuttle Inc
Current assignee: Shuttle Inc
Priority date: 2004-09-07
Filing date: 2004-09-07
Publication date: 2006-03-09

Abstract

A computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device, which is not only suitable for a computer chassis with the BTX specification, but also able to provide a desktop computer an attractive appearance. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device includes a computer chassis, a front bezel, an inlet airflow guiding member, an airflow guiding space, and a plurality of inlet airflow openings. The airflow guiding space and the inlet airflow openings provide a low airflow impedance inlet that facilitates the movement of the incoming inlet airflow. The front cooling fan is thereby capable of providing the high power components of the desktop computer with low temperature air at a high velocity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to computer front bezels, and more particularly, to a computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device, which is suitable to be installed onto a computer chassis that complies with the Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) Interface Specification suggested by the Intel Corporation.
Various electrical instruments nowadays, and especially the desktop computer, are crowded with different electrical components and peripheral devices, such as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the interface card, the hard disk, the disk burner, and the power supply. Those electrical components and peripheral devices each generate different levels of heat during their respective operations. The CPU because of its high processing speed, in particular, generates a large amount of heat. Nonetheless, the computer case of the average desktop computer is closed. Accordingly, the inner temperature of a desktop computer is very high. Therefore, one or more heat dissipation modules are installed inside the computer chassis to remove the heat generated by the electrical components and peripheral devices. The removal of this generated heat helps to ensure that the inside of the computer case maintains a moderate operating temperature.
The conventional heat dissipation system for desktop computers nowadays has a circular opening bored in its rear plate and a corresponding cooling fan installed in that circular opening. Further, some heat dissipating modules are comprised of modules that have a heat dissipating fin and cooling fan assembled onto a high temperature electrical component. This conventional heat dissipation system is barely able to complete its work. Heat dissipation is also hindered in the conventional arts because the exhaust airflow is hindered by internal electrical components. The inner airflows created by the conventional heat dissipating system interfere with each other. This happens when some of the heated air is re-circulated into the cooling fan which is assembled on an electrical component. Some heated air re-circulates into the cooling fan assembled on an electrical component, and therefore reduces the heat transfer capability of the heat dissipating module. Furthermore, the electrical components and peripheral devices will continue to evolve and new components will need to be integrated. The current heat dissipation system is unable to satisfy the future demand of a new generation of computer systems.
Accordingly, Intel Corporation developed the BTX system. The BTX system takes into account not only routing and electrical performance requirements, but also takes into account heat transfer and airflow management requirements. Heat transfer and airflow management requirements help to ensure that a computer has a proper operating environment. Among other things, the BTX system suggests a heat removing disposition with a front-to-back airflow. The BTX system suggests that the CPU be positioned in front of the motherboard, adjacent to the front panel; that a circular opening be bored in the front panel; and that a thermal module with a cooling fan be assembled onto the top of the CPU. The BTX system is thereby capable of providing the CPU with low temperature cooling air which is blown at a high velocity.
However, to comply with the BTX system specification, a 9 cm circular opening must be bored on the front panel. This opening will ruin the attractive appearance of a computer, and especially the appearance of cube computers. Because the competitive edge of a cube computer is its attractive appearance, the front panel opening would be a fatal blow to cube computer products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device, which is not only suitable for a computer chassis that complies with the BTX specification, but also able to provide a desktop computer an attractive appearance.
The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device provided by the present invention includes a computer chassis, a front bezel, an inlet airflow guiding member formed on the front bezel, an airflow guiding space defined between the front bezel and the computer chassis, and a plurality of inlet airflow openings formed on or around the inlet airflow guiding member. The computer chassis uses a front-to-back airflow disposition which has a front cooling fan installed at the front panel of the computer chassis. This front-to-back airflow disposition complies with the BTX specification suggested by the Intel Corporation. The airflow guiding space and the inlet airflow openings provide a low airflow impedance inlet that facilitates the movement of the incoming inlet airflow. The front cooling fan is thereby capable of providing the high power components of the desktop computer with low temperature air at a high velocity. Further, it is unnecessary for the present invention to bore a large diameter airflow opening on the front bezel, which would spoil the attractive appearance of a computer.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These as well as other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings therein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention before installation.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention after installation.
FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the first embodiment of the present invention after installation.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention before installation.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention after installation.
FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the second embodiment of the present invention after installation.
FIG. 7 is a partial top view of the third embodiment of the present invention after installation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
Referring to FIGS. 1 though 3, a computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of the first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device includes a computer chassis 1, a front bezel 2 which connects to the computer chassis 1, an inlet airflow guiding member 3 which is formed on the front bezel 2, an airflow guiding space 32 which is defined between the front bezel 2 and the computer chassis 1, and a plurality of inlet airflow openings 33. The computer chassis 1 uses a front-to-back airflow disposition by utilizing a front cooling fan 4 which is installed at the front panel 11 of the computer chassis 1. This front-to-back airflow disposition complies with the BTX specification suggested by the Intel Corporation.
The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of the present invention enables the low temperature exterior air to pass through the inlet airflow openings 33 and the airflow guiding space 32, and further be drawn by the cooling fan 4 into the computer chassis 1. The airflow guiding space 32 and the inlet airflow openings 33 provide a low airflow impedance inlet, which facilitates the movement of the entering airflow stream, and thereby able to supply the desktop computer with an affluent airflow stream. The front cooling fan 4 is thereby capable of providing the high power components of the computer motherboard with low temperature air at a high velocity. Further, it is unnecessary for the present invention to bore a large diameter airflow opening on the front bezel 2, which would spoil the attractive appearance of a computer.
The computer chassis 1 has a large diameter opening 36 bored on the front panel 11 thereof. The large diameter opening 36 corresponds with the front cooling fan 4, and enables the cooling fan 4 to acquire sufficient low temperature air from the airflow guiding space 32 which is defined between the inlet airflow guiding member 3 and the front panel of the computer chassis 1.
The inlet airflow guiding member 3 of the present embodiment protrudes from the front end surface 21 of the front bezel 2. The inlet airflow guiding member 3 includes a body plate 34, a top plate, a bottom plate, and two side plates 35, and a plurality of inlet airflow openings 33. The side plates 35 respectively extend from the body plate 34. The angle between the body plate 34 and the side plate 35 may be an obtuse angle, a right angle, or an acute angle. The said angle of the present embodiment is a right angle. The inlet airflow openings 33 are formed on the top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plates 35 of the inlet airflow guiding member 3. This disposition of the inlet airflow openings 33 provides the cooling fan 4 with multi directional input sources for a surrounding type of inlet airflow. The airflow guiding space 32 is formed between the inlet airflow member 3 and the computer chassis 1. The volume and the configuration of the airflow guiding space 32 depend on the shape of the inlet airflow guiding member 3 and the front bezel 2. The inlet airflow guiding member 3 and the front bezel 2 provide the computer with an attractive appearance. The airflow guiding space 32 and the inlet airflow openings 33 provide a low airflow impedance inlet that facilitates the movement of the entering airflow stream. The cooling fan 4 is thereby able to provide the high power components of the computer motherboard with low temperature air at a high velocity. Further, it is unnecessary when utilizing the present invention to bore a large diameter airflow opening on the front bezel 2, which would spoil the attractive appearance of a computer.
Referring to FIGS. 4 through 6, a computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of the second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The inlet airflow guiding member 3 protrudes from a portion of the front bezel 2. The inlet airflow guiding member 3 is a trapezoidal prism that is comprised of a body plate 34, a top plate, a bottom plate, and two side plates 35, and a plurality of inlet airflow openings 33 which are formed on the top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plates 35. The side plates 35 respectively extend from the body plate 34. The angle between the body plate 34 and the side plate 35 may be an obtuse angle, a right angle, or an acute angle. The said angle of the present invention is an obtuse angle. The airflow guiding space 32 is formed between the inlet airflow member 3 and the computer chassis 1. The volume and the configuration of the airflow guiding space 32 depend on the shape of the inlet airflow guiding member 3 and the front bezel 2. The airflow guiding space 32 and the inlet airflow openings 33 provide a low airflow impedance inlet that facilitates the movement of the incoming inlet airflow. The present invention is capable of providing the cooling fan 4 with abundant airflow for heat dissipation purposes.
Referring to FIG. 7, a computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of the third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Instead of protruding from the front bezel, the inlet airflow guiding member 3 concaves from the front bezel 2 or from a portion of the front bezel 2. The inlet airflow guiding member 3 includes a body plate 34, a top plate, a bottom plate, and two side plates 35, and a plurality of inlet airflow openings 33 which are formed on the top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plates 35. The side plates 35 respectively extend from the body plate 34. The angle between the body plate 34 and the side plate 35 may be an obtuse angle, a right angle, or an acute angle. The said angle of the present invention is a right angle. The airflow guiding space 32 is formed between the inlet airflow member 3 and the computer chassis 1. The airflow guiding space 32 and the inlet airflow openings 33 provide a low airflow impedance inlet that facilitates the movement of the incoming inlet airflow. The present invention is capable of providing the cooling fan 4 with abundant airflow for heat dissipation purposes.
Furthermore, the inlet airflow openings 33 of the present invention may be further formed around the circumference of the front bezel 2, or be formed on the front surface of the inlet airflow guiding member 3 or the front surface of the front bezel 2. This disposition will further reduce the airflow impedance and thereby facilitate the movement of the incoming inlet airflow.
In summary, the present invention provides the computer not only an attractive appearance but also with a low airflow impedance inlet which facilitates the movement of the inlet airflow. The present invention is capable of providing the cooling fan with and abundant airflow for heat dissipation purposes. The cooling fan is thereby able to provide the high power components of the computer motherboard with low temperature air at a high velocity.
While an illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.

Claims

1. A computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device, comprising:

a computer chassis;

a front bezel connecting to the computer chassis;

an inlet airflow guiding member formed on the front bezel;

an airflow guiding space defined between the front bezel and the computer chassis; and

a plurality of inlet airflow openings which allow exterior air to flow into the computer chassis through the airflow guiding space.

2. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 1, wherein the inlet airflow guiding member protrudes from the front bezel.

3. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 1, wherein the inlet airflow guiding member protrudes from the a portion of the front bezel.

4. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 1, wherein the inlet airflow guiding member is a trapezoidal prism that is comprised of a body plate and two side plates respectively extending from the body plate.

5. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 4, wherein the angle between the body plate and the side plate is an obtuse angle, a right angle, or an acute angle.

6. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 1, wherein the inlet airflow guiding member concaves from the front bezel.

7. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 1, wherein the inlet airflow openings are cut around the circumference of the inlet airflow guiding member.

8. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 7, wherein the inlet airflow openings are further cut around the circumference of the front bezel.

9. The computer bezel with an inlet airflow guiding device of claim 7, wherein the inlet airflow openings are further cut from the front surface of the inlet airflow guiding member or the front bezel.