FAN STRUCTURE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the Taiwanese Patent Application No. 113210495, filed September 27, 2024. The Taiwanese Patent Application No. 113210495 is hereby incorporated in its entirety into the present application by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a fan structure. In electronic equipment, air-cooling systems can be used to cool the heat sources in the electronic equipment.

However, certain conventional air-cooling systems only have the function of cooling. Without additional temperature detection components, it can be difficult to directly infer the current temperature of the electronic equipment through the air-cooling system. Therefore, efforts are ongoing in devising air-cooling systems that can effectively indicate the current temperature of electronic equipment.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a fan structure. In certain embodiments, a fan structure includes a thermochromic portion, i.e., one or more portions that change color according to temperature, thereby providing a visual indication of the temperature. In some embodiments, a fan structure includes multiple thermochromic portions, subsets of which change color at respectively different temperatures, thereby providing a visual indication of temperature or temperature range. In some embodiments, different colors generated by at least some of the subsets of thermochromic portions are mixed, for example, by the movements of the thermochromic portions such as by the rotation of one or more fan blades of the fan structure. The mixing of colors creates a perception of a combined color, the variation of which being indicative of the temperature or temperature range.

Various inventive aspects will be set forth in the examples that follow. The inventive aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the description, illustrate several aspects of the present disclosure. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective new of a fan structure according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 show a magnified portion of the fan structure shown in FIG. 1, indicating thermochromic portions within the magnified portion, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is made in detail to exemplary aspects of the present disclosure that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Certain examples disclosed herein provide a fan structure that provides air-cooling and heat dissipation, e.g., to an electronic apparatus, while providing real-time visual temperature indication.

The fan structure disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing, a fan, and at least one color-changing portion. The fan in this example is rotatably arranged in the housing. The at least one color-changing portion can be disposed on either the housing or the fan and is used visually indicate different colors according to the temperature.

With the fan structure disclosed in the above-mentioned example, because the at least one color-changing portion can present different colors according to the temperature, the housing or fan provided with the at least one color-changing portion can present at least two different colors before and after the at least one color-changing portion changes color, thereby providing a real-time visual temperature indication, so that the user can intuitively know the approximate temperature of the fan structure by observing it, thereby providing reassurance of the temperature to the user.

The above disclosure and the following description are aimed at providing example implementations demonstrate and explain the principles of certain aspects of the invention without limiting the scope of the invention.

An example fan structure according to certain aspects of the present disclosure is show in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, where FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a fan structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the AA region of the fan structure of FIG. 1.

In this embodiment, a fan structure 100 is provided, including a support, such as a frame or housing 110, a fan 120 and color-changing portions 130. The housing 110 in some embodiments are installed near one or more heat sources (not shown), such as a central processing unit. The fan 120 is rotatably disposed in the housing 110 to generate airflow toward the heat source to dissipate heat from the heat source. The shape and appearance of the fan structure 100 illustrated in the drawings are examples only, and the invention is not limited to the shape and appearance of the fan assembly 100, including housing 110 and the fan 120 shown in the drawings.

In some embodiments, the color-changing portions 130 are disposed on the fan 120, for example on the fan blades. In some embodiments, the color-changing portion 130 are embedded in the fan 120 by any suitable process, for example injection molding. Single (individual) color-changing portions 130 can be formed of one color masterbatch in the form of granular or cylindrical shaped particles. In some embodiments, a single color-changing portion 130 may be 310 μm±10% in diameter.

In some embodiments, in a manufacturing method, the color-changing portions 130 are mixed into the raw material of the fan 120. For example, in one embodiment, the color-changing portions 130 is mixed with the raw materials of the fan 129 at a weight percentage of 0.1-5% w/w. The fan 120 can be formed by injection molding to attain the shape of the fan 129 and be embedded with the color-changing portion 130.

The size of the color-changing portion 130 shown in the figure is only an example, and the present invention is not limited to such examples. Nor is the present invention limited to the injection molding manufacturing method; any suitable method can be used.

In some embodiments, the color-changing portion may also be disposed in the housing instead. In other embodiments, the color-changing portion can be disposed on both the housing 110 and the fan 120.

In some embodiments, the color-changing portions 130 are thermochromic portions 130, i.e., capable ofpresenting different colors according to the temperature. In some example embodiments, the color change range of the color-changing portion 130 can be -15°C to 70°C.

In some embodiments, the single color-changing portion 130 includes at least one leuco dye, one chromogenic agent such as a developer, and one temperature controller, such as a solvent (not shown separately).

The temperature-control agent in a single color-changing portion 130 sets the change of color in the single color-changing portion 130 upon the detection of temperature. The color of the leuco dye or chromogenic agent in the single color-changing portion 130 is thus absent or presented depending on temperature.

In some embodiments, the color-changing portions 130 are divided into multiple (e.g., four) groups, or kinds. The color-changing particles (or one or more components thereof, such as the leuco dyes or chromogenic agents) in the color-changing portions 130 of these groups respectively in some embodiments include a first temperature-sensitive powder, a second temperature-sensitive powder, a third temperature-sensitive powder and a fourth temperature-sensitive powder, and the first temperature-sensitive powder to the fourth temperature-sensitive powder respectively correspond to rose red, blue, yellow and violet, wherein the above-mentioned blue, rose red and yellow are respectively the three primary colors of pigments (or cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY)), and the hexadecimal color code of violet is, for example, #84329B.

In one example, the temperature-control agents in the four groups of color-changing portions 130 in some embodiments include a first temperature-control agent, a second temperature-control agent, a third temperature-control agent and a fourth temperature-control agent, respectively, and the effective (color-transition) temperatures of the first temperature-control agent to the fourth temperature-control agent correspond to 43°C, 38°C, 31°C, and 25°C, respectively.

In one example, the material of the fan 120 is light blue. In one example for such a fan 120, when the temperature around the fan 120 is greater than or equal to 43°C, the first to fourth temperature-control agents all make the color-changing portions 130 in which they are located appear colorless, resulting in the overall fan structure 100 appearing light blue at the fan 120.

When the temperature around the fan 120 is greater than or equal to 38°C and less than 43°C, the first temperature-control agent causes the color-changing portion 130 in which it is located to present rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder, and the second to fourth temperature-control agents all cause the leuco dye in the color-changing portion 130 in which they are located to be color less. Therefore, the overall fan structure 100 will present a light purple color at the fan 120, which is a mixture of the light blue color of the fan 120 material and the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder.

When the temperature around the fan 120 is greater than or equal to 31°C and less than 38°C, the first temperature-control agent causes the color-changing portion 130 in which it is located to present the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder, the second temperature-control agent causes the color-changing portion 130 in which it is located to present the blue color of the second temperature-sensitive powder, and the third to fourth temperature-control agents both cause the color-changing portion 130 in which they are located to be colorless, so that the overall fan structure 100 will present a royal blue color at the fan 120, which is a mixture of the light blue color of the fan 120 material, the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder, and the blue color of the second temperature-sensitive powder.

When the temperature around the fan 120 is greater than or equal to 25°C and less than 31°C, the first temperature-control agent causes the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located, the second temperature-control agent causes the blue color of the second temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located, the third temperature-control agent causes the yellow color of the third temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located, and the fourth temperature-control agent causes the the leuco dye in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located to appear colorless. Therefore, the overall fan structure 100 will present a blue-green color at the fan 120, which is a mixture of the light blue color of the fan 120 material, the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder, the blue color of the second temperature-sensitive powder and the yellow color of the third temperature-sensitive powder.

When the temperature around the fan 120 is greater than or equal to 20°C and less than 25°C, the first temperature-control agent causes the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located, the second temperature-control agent causes the blue color of the second temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located, the third temperature-control agent causes the yellow color of the third temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located, and the fourth temperature-control agent causes the violet blue color of the fourth temperature-sensitive powder to appear in the color-changing portion 130 where it is located. Therefore, the overall fan structure 100 will present a dark purple color at the fan 120, which is a mixture of the light blue color of the fan 120 material, the rose red color of the first temperature-sensitive powder, the blue color of the second temperature-sensitive powder, the yellow color of the third temperature-sensitive powder and the violet blue color of the fourth temperature-sensitive powder.

The above-mentioned division of the color-changing portion 130 into four groups and having the first to fourth temperature-sensitive powders and the first to fourth temperature-control agents are only examples, and the invention is not limited to the above-mentioned colors, the number of color types, the color presentation of any color mixture between the color-changing portion 130 and the fan 120 raw materials, and the working temperatures of the first to fourth temperature-control agents. Further, the terms used to describe colors in the above examples are only used to describe colors of different tones and are only used for illustrative purposes. The invention is not limited to any specific color schemes.

With the fan structure 100 described in the above example, because the color-changing portion 130 can present different colors according to the temperature, the fan 120 provided with the color-changing portion 130 can present the original color of the fan 120 and the colors mixed with the color corresponding to at least one temperature-sensitive powder in the color-changing portion 130, thereby providing a real-time visual temperature indication. The user is thus able to directly perceive the approximate temperature of the fan structure 100 by observing it. The use’s sense of ease may thus be enhanced.

In other examples, thermochromic portions 130 with different color-transition temperatures (e.g., 43°C, 38°C, 31°C, and 25°C, respectively) are grouped into respective visually distinctive areas (patches) on the fan 120. For example, different portions (e.g., fan blades) of the fan 120 can be made, or coated, with a material containing the thermochromic particles (e.g., microcapsules) of respective colors and color-transition temperatures. In one such example, the visually distinctive portions exhibit their respective colors (e.g., rose red, blue, yellow, and violet) when the temperature is below the lowest color-transition temperature (e.g., 25°C) among the thermochromic particles, and exhibit fewer colors in higher temperature ranges (e.g., rose red, blue, and yellow for temperatures ranging from 31°C down to 25°C; red and blue for temperatures ranging from 38°C down to 31°C; red for temperatures ranging from 43°C down to 38°C). In some examples, the visually distinctive portions are positioned relative to each other such that when the fan 120 is in operation (e.g., rotating), the areas swept by the respective portions overlap each other, resulting in a perceived color of the mixture of colors of the distinctive portions. For example, the distinctive portions in some examples are at the same distance from the center of rotation of the fan 120.

Having described the preferred aspects and implementations of the present disclosure, modifications and equivalents of the disclosed concepts may readily occur to one skilled in the art. However, it is intended that such modifications and equivalents be included within the scope of the claims which are appended hereto.