DUST PROOF SYSTEM WITH FILTER MODULE

Abstract

A dust-proof telecommunication system is disclosed. The dust-proof telecommunication system includes a chassis, critical components located within the chassis, and a filter module located within the chassis near at least some of the critical components that need to be cooled. For example, the critical components include a central processing unit (CPU), a system on chip (SoC), a memory module, a PCIe card, and/or a chipset. The filter module has a filter cover that surrounds at least in part the critical components, a first air filter located at an inlet of an airflow, and a second air filter located at an outlet. The critical components located at a protective space within the chassis receive and are cooled by the airflow passing through the air filter.

Claims

1. A dust-proof telecommunication system comprising: a chassis; a central processing unit (CPU) or system on chip (SoC) located within the chassis, the CPU or SoC being receiving and being cooled by an airflow; and a filter module located within the chassis near the CPU or SoC, the filter module having a filter cover that surrounds at least in part the CPU or SoC, the filter module further having a first air filter located at an inlet of the airflow.

2. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 1, further comprising: a cooling plate extending between two side walls, the cooling plate and the side walls being arranged to form a protective space for computing components.

3. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 2, wherein a fin structure is formed on the cooling plate and extend away from the protective space.

4. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 3, wherein an opening is formed on the cooling plate to receive the filter module, and a top surface of the filter cover is aligned with a top surface of the fin structure when the filter module is placed in the opening.

5. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 4, wherein the first air filter is located between the top surface and a bottom surface of the filter cover.

6. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 5, wherein the filter module further has a second air filter located at an outlet of the airflow and between the top surface and the bottom surface of the filter cover.

7. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 6, wherein the first air filter is at a first side of the filter cover and the second air filter is at a second side of the filter cover opposite the first side.

8. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 2, wherein an opening is formed on the cooling plate for providing access to the protective space.

9. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 8, wherein the opening is formed near and/or above at least a portion of the CPU or SoC.

10. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 8, further comprising a memory module located within the chassis near the CPU or SoC, wherein the opening is formed near and/or above at least a portion of the CPU or SoC and at least a portion of the memory module.

11. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 8, wherein the filter module is placed in the opening.

12. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 11, wherein the filter module placed in the opening is replaceably fixed to the cooling plate.

13. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 12, wherein the filter module is fixed by a tightening mechanism or removable screws passing through the filter module and received at receiving portions of the cooling plate.

14. The dust-proof telecommunication system of claim 11, wherein the filter module is configured to prevent airborne particles from entering the protective space.

15. A telecommunications frame for mounting computing components, the telecommunications frame comprising: an airflow cooling device; an airflow opening through which cooling air flows; a protective space configured to enclose the computing components; and a replaceable filter module having an air filter, the air filter being positioned near the airflow opening to prevent airborne particles from entering the protective space.

16. The telecommunications frame of claim 15, wherein the airflow opening is formed on a top side of the airflow cooling device such that at least a central processing unit (CPU) or system on chip (SoC) and a memory module are visible or accessible via the airflow opening when the filter module is removed from the airflow opening.

17. The telecommunications frame of claim 15, further comprising a fan array having a plurality of fans, wherein the cooling air generated by the fans and filtered by the air filter causes heat generated in the protective space to dissipate.

18. A computing device comprising: a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) on which a plurality of computing components are mounted; a central processing unit (CPU) mounted on the PCBA; a memory module mounted on the PCBA; and a cooling plate covering the PCBA, the cooling plate having a replaceable filter module with an air filter, at least one of the CPU or the memory module being accessible when the filter assembly is removed from the cooling plate.

19. The computing device of claim 18, further comprising a fan array having a plurality of fans, wherein cooling air generated by the fans and filtered by the air filter cools the CPU and the memory module such that heat generated by the CPU and the memory module is dissipated out of the computing device through the fan array or airflow exhaust.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein an overall dimension of the computing device is same regardless of whether the filter module is placed on or removed from an opening configured to receive the filter module.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The disclosure, and its advantages and drawings, will be better understood from the following description of representative embodiments together with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only representative embodiments, and are therefore not to be considered as limitations on the scope of the various embodiments or claims.

[0027] FIG. 1A is a front view of a prior art server without bezel.

[0028] FIG. 1B is a front view of the prior art server with bezel.

[0029] FIG. 2A is a generally perspective view of a telecommunications frame without a protective cover, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 2B is a generally perspective view of a telecommunications frame with a protective cover having a filter module mounted thereon, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 2C is a generally perspective view of the telecommunications frame shown in FIG. 2B, the filter module removed from the protective cover, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 3 is generally perspective views of a computing device illustrating the assembly of the computing device, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 4A shows temperature distribution within a telecommunication system, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 4B shows airflow vector plot within a telecommunication system, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0035] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in further detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present disclosure relates to a dust-proof telecommunication system or telecommunications frame with a removable filter module. The filter module should be easily replaceable periodically or based on its condition. Further, even if the filter module is mounted to the telecommunication system or telecommunications frame, the depth should not be affected so that the telecommunication system or telecommunications frame can fit where they need to be installed.

[0037] Various embodiments are described with reference to the attached figures, where like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and are provided merely to illustrate aspects and features of the present disclosure. Numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of certain aspects and features of the present disclosure, although one having ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that these aspects and features can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, with other relationships, or with other methods. In some instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail for illustrative purposes. The various embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are necessarily required to implement certain aspects and features of the present disclosure.

[0038] For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed, and where appropriate, the singular includes the plural and vice versa. The word “including” means “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and the like, can be used herein to mean “at,” “near,” “nearly at,” “within 3-5% of,” “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances of,” or any logical combination thereof. Similarly, terms “vertical” or “horizontal” are intended to additionally include “within 3-5% of” a vertical or horizontal orientation, respectively. Additionally, words of direction, such as “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “above,” and “below” are intended to relate to the equivalent direction as depicted in a reference illustration; as understood contextually from the object(s) or element(s) being referenced, such as from a commonly used position for the object(s) or element(s); or as otherwise described herein.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 2A, a dust-proof telecommunication system 200, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, has a chassis 210 and various components located within the chassis. For example, the various components include critical components such as a central processing unit (CPU) 220 or system on chip (SoC). In some embodiments, critical components also include a memory module, a PCIe card, and/or a chipset. In general, such critical components cannot be cooled by a cooling plate placed on top of the chassis 210. Further referring to FIG. 2A, the dust-proof telecommunication system 200 also has a DIMM 230 and a fan array 240. The CPU220 and/or DIMM 230 is cooled by an airflow. FIG. 2A shows the airflow direction. The airflow direction may be different from the direction exemplified in FIG. 2A depending on the system design. For example, the airflow direction is set by the fan array 240.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 2B, the dust-proof telecommunication system 200 also has a protective cover 250 to protect the components (including the CPU 220 and DIMM 230) located at a protective space of the chassis 210. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the protective cover 250 is configured as a cooling plate. In some embodiments, a fin structure is formed on the cooling plate and extend away from the protective space. For example, the fin structure includes a plurality of fins. For example, the cooling plate is a die-cast heat sink (HS). For example, the die-cast HS is typically made from aluminum, zinc, or magnesium. As shown in FIG. 2C, an opening 260 is formed on the cooling plate/die-cast HS 250 to receive a filter module 270. Some components, such as the CPU 220 and DIMM 230 are at least partially exposed via the opening 260. Thus, the CPU 220 and DIMM 230 may be accessed via the opening 260 for replacement or expansion. The opening 260 is sized to receive the filter module 270 and the filter module may fit the opening tightly when placed at the opening.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the filter module 270 is located near the critical components that need to be cooled when the filter module is mounted at the opening 260. For example, the critical components include the CPU 220 and DIMM 230, and in general, these components are not cooled sufficiently by the cooling plate. As exemplified in FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 3, the filter module 270 has a filter cover 270-1 that surrounds at least in part the CPU and/or other critical components that need to be cooled. That is, the filter cover 270-1 is placed around critical components that need to be cooled. For example, the filter cover 270-1 also surrounds components such as a system on chip (SoC), a memory module, a PCIe card, and/or a chipset that cannot be cooled by the cooling plate. As shown in FIG. 2B, the top surface of the filter cover 270-1 is aligned with a top surface of the fin structure of the protective cover 250 or cooling plate when the filter module 270 is mounted at the opening 260. Although a plurality of die cast fins are shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, a different type of fin structure may be implemented for the protective cover 250. It is noted that the overall dimension of the chassis 210 is not changed even when the filter module 270 is placed at the opening 260, contrary to the conventional air filter that increases the overall length or depth of the chassis when attached to the chassis.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, the filter module 270 also has a first air filter 270-2 located at an inlet of the airflow. In some embodiments, the filter module 270 has an additional air filter, a second air filter 270-3 located at an outlet of the airflow. Both the first air filter 270-2 and the second air filter 270-3 are located between the top side and the bottom side of the filter cover 270-1. For example, the first air filter 270-2 is at a first side of the filter cover 270-1 and the second air filter 270-3 is at a second side of the filter cover opposite the first side. The two air filters are exemplified in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the number of filter(s) is 1, 2, 3, or 4.

[0043] In some embodiments, the filter module 270 is pre-assembled and available as a single piece replaceable module such that the entire filter module can be replaced periodically or when the used filter module is dirty or in a bad condition, as exemplified in FIG. 2C. In some embodiments, the filter cover 270-1 is re-usable, and only the first air filter 270-2 and the second air filter 270-3 are replaced. That is, the filter module 270 is removed from the opening 260, the first air filter 270-2 and the second air filter 270-3 are replaced with new ones, and then, the filter cover 270-1 with the new first and second air filters are inserted into the opening. In some embodiments, the filter module 270 placed at the opening 260 is fixed to the protective cover 250 by a tightening mechanism. For example, the filter module is 270 fixed to the protective cover 250 by screws 270-4. In this case, the screws 270-4 passing through the filter module 270 is received at receiving portions of the protective cover/cooling plate 250. However, the tightening mechanism is not limited thereto, and other means may be used.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 3 showing the direction of airflow, the cooling air entering the airflow inlet of the chassis 210 passes through at least one of the first air filter 270-2 or the second air filter 270-3 such that airborne particles are prevented from entering the protective space. It is noted that the airflow direction may be different from that shown in FIG. 3 depending on the design of the dust-proof telecommunication system 200. The filtered cooling air passes through the CPU 220 HS and DIMM 230, thus cooling them. Further, heat generated by the components is eventually dissipated via the airflow exhaust or fan array 240 composed of a plurality of cooling fan units.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3, placement of the filter module 270 does not affect the dimension of the dust-proof telecommunication system 200. Therefore, the dust-proof telecommunication system 200 with the filter module 270 can fit a chassis 300 without any problems to be assembled into a rack or cabinet. Thus, the dust-proof telecommunication system 200, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, provides a very easy way of filtering cooling air introduced into the chassis. That is, used filter modules 270 can be discarded when they need to be replaced, and it is easy to replace them. Therefore, it is very cost-effective, requiring only the filter module 270, rather than a bezel with a filter required in the prior art server.

[0046] FIGS. 4A and 4B show results of thermal simulation placement. According to the results shown in FIG. 4A, heat dissipation of on-board components is effectively conducted to the top HS, the CPU 220 and DIMM 230 being cooled by air. For example, the CPU 220 inlet temperature is 57° C., and the CPU outlet temperature is 73.5° C., indicating that the cooling air takes away heat generated by the CPU. Further, according to the results shown in FIG. 4B, a high-speed airflow passes through the CPU 220 HS and DIMM 230, thus effectively cooling them. These results clearly indicate that airflow is not disrupted by the first air filter 270-2 and/or the second air filter 270-3 of the filter module 270 preventing dust particles from entering the protective space where the CPU 220 and DIMM 230 are located.

[0047] The following is the exemplary specification of the filter used in the filter module 270. The thickness of the filter is 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, or 20 mm. The rated airflow of the filter is 1.5 m/s. The average arrestance of the filter is 65%, 70%, 80%, or 90%. The initial pressure drop (pa) of the filter is 15, 18, 20, or 25. The final pressure drop (pa) of the filter is 150, 180, 200, or 250. The dust hold capacity (g/m.sup.2) of the filter is 380, 400, 500, or 600. The specification of the filter is not limited to the above-identified values, and may be changed depending on needs.

[0048] While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Numerous changes to the disclosed examples can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above described examples. Rather, the scope of the disclosure should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

[0049] One or more elements or aspects or steps, or any portion(s) thereof, from one or more of any of claims below can be combined with one or more elements or aspects or steps, or any portion(s) thereof, from one or more of any of the other claims or combinations thereof, to form one or more additional implementations and/or claims of the present disclosure.

[0050] Although the disclosed embodiments have been illustrated and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur or be known to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

[0051] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” “with,” or variants thereof, are used in either the detailed description and/or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

[0052] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Furthermore, terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.