US20130259722A1

US20130259722A1 - Fan

Info

Publication number: US20130259722A1
Application number: US13/449,359
Authority: US
Inventors: Yao-Ting Chang
Original assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2012-03-29
Filing date: 2012-04-18
Publication date: 2013-10-03
Also published as: TW201339427A

Abstract

A fan includes an interface connected to a motherboard, a fan motor, a battery, a switch connected to the battery, and a controller connected to the interface, the fan motor, the switch, and the battery. The controller includes a storage unit to store a preset timing value, a timer to count a working time of the fan motor after the motherboard is powered off, and a control unit. When the motherboard is powered on, the control unit receives a voltage from the motherboard and outputs the voltage to the fan motor. When the motherboard is powered off, the control unit controls the switch to be turned on. The battery provides a voltage to the fan motor. The control unit controls the switch to be turned off when a working time of the fan motor reaches the preset timing value.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a fan.
2. Description of Related Art
Various electronic devices, such as personal computers and media players, generate heat during operation. Accordingly, the electronic devices must be cooled to prevent overheating. Fans are often incorporated as heat dissipating methods. Many fans are powered by the electronic devices, when the electronic devices are turned off, the fans will stop operating. Thus, remaining heat will not be readily dissipated. Accordingly, components in the electronic devices may become overheated after the electronic devices are powered off, which shortens the life of the components. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments.

The figure is a block diagram of a fan in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure, including the drawing, is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. References to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
The figure, is a fan 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment including a controller 10, a switch 20, a rechargeable battery 30, a fan motor 40, and an interface 50 connected to a motherboard 200. The controller 10 includes a storage unit 11, a timer 12, a control unit 13, and a charging unit 14. The storage unit 11 stores a saturation voltage value of the rechargeable battery 30 when the rechargeable battery 30 is charged fully and a preset timing value. The charging unit 14 charges the rechargeable battery 30 when a voltage of the rechargeable battery 30 is less than the saturation voltage value of the rechargeable battery 30, after the motherboard 200 is powered on. The timer 12 is used for counting a working time of the fan motor 40 after the motherboard 200 is powered off. The control unit 13 controls the fan motor 40 to stop working when the working time of the fan motor 40 reaches the preset timing value stored in the storage unit 11.
The controller 10 is connected to the interface 50, the switch 20, the rechargeable battery 30, and the fan motor 40. The switch 20 is connected to the rechargeable battery 30.
In use, the interface 50 is connected to the motherboard 200. When the motherboard 200 is powered on, the control unit 13 receives a voltage from the motherboard 200 through the interface 50, and outputs the received voltage to the fan motor 40, to control the fan motor 40 to operate and further control the fan 100 to operate. At the same time, the controller 10 measures a voltage of the rechargeable battery 30 and compares the measured voltage with the saturation voltage value stored in the storage unit 11. If the measured voltage is less than the saturation voltage value, the control unit 13 controls the switch 20 to be turned on, to control the charging unit 14 to charge the rechargeable battery 30. If the measured voltage of the rechargeable battery 30 is equal to the saturation voltage value, the control unit 13 controls the switch 20 to be turned off, to prevent the charging unit 12 from charging the rechargeable battery 30.
When the motherboard 200 is powered off, the controller 10 does not receive a voltage from the motherboard 200. The control unit 13 controls the switch 20 to turn on. The rechargeable battery 30 provides a voltage to the fan motor 40 through the switch 20 and the controller 10, to control the fan motor 40 to operate and further controls the fan 100 to operate. At the same time, the timer 12 times a working time of the fan motor 40. The control unit 13 controls the switch 20 to turn off when the working time of the fan motor 40 reaches the preset timing value, to prevent the rechargeable battery 30 from providing the voltage to the fan motor 40.
The fan 100 can operate for a preset time after the motherboard 200 is powered off, so the fan 100 can dissipate remaining heat. Therefore, overheating of the components on the motherboard 200 in the electronic device is avoided, and life of the components and the electronic device is prolonged.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fan comprising:

an interface connected to a motherboard;

a fan motor;

a battery;

a switch connected to the battery; and

a controller connected to the interface, the fan motor, the switch, and the battery, the controller comprising:

a storage unit to store a preset timing value;

a timer to count timing of the fan motor after the motherboard being powered off; and

a control unit;

wherein when the motherboard is powered on, the control unit receives a voltage from the motherboard through the interface, and outputs the received voltage to the fan motor, to control the fan motor to operate; when the motherboard is powered off, the control unit controls the switch to be turned on, the battery provides a voltage to the fan motor through the switch and the controller, to control the fan motor to operate, the timer counts a working time of the fan motor, the control unit controls the switch to be turned off when the working time of the fan motor reaches the preset timing value, to prevent the battery from providing the voltage to the fan motor.

2. The fan of claim 1, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.

3. The fan of claim 2, wherein the controller further comprises a charging unit, the storage unit further stores a saturation voltage of the rechargeable battery, the control unit measures a voltage of the rechargeable battery and compares the measured voltage with the saturation voltage value stored in the storage unit, the control unit controls the switch to be turned on in response to the measured voltage of the rechargeable battery being less than the saturation voltage value, the charging unit charges the rechargeable battery; the control unit controls the switch to be turned off in response to the measured voltage of the rechargeable battery being equal to the saturation voltage value, to prevent the charging unit from charging the rechargeable battery.