US 12,435,736 B1
Fan guard for fan
George Edward Curtis, San Jose, CA (US); Vic Hong Chia, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Chejung Liu, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 3, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/625,947.
Int. Cl. F04D 29/54 (2006.01); E04C 2/32 (2006.01); F04D 19/00 (2006.01); F04D 29/32 (2006.01); F04D 29/70 (2006.01); F24F 1/38 (2011.01); F24F 13/08 (2006.01); F24F 13/20 (2006.01); H05K 7/20 (2006.01)
CPC F04D 29/703 (2013.01) [F04D 19/002 (2013.01); H05K 7/20736 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fan guard comprising:
a plurality of segments, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments comprises a face extending along a plane and a thickness extending transverse to the plane; and
a plurality of flanges, wherein each flange of the plurality of flanges is connected to a respective segment of the plurality of segments to cooperatively form an array of openings, wherein openings of the array of openings are adjacent to one another along the plane to enable flow of air directed transverse to the plane, and each flange of the plurality of flanges has a depth extending transverse to the plane, the depth extending transverse to the plane being greater than the thickness extending transverse to the plane of each segment of the plurality of segments, and wherein at least a first flange of the plurality of flanges is arranged to define at least a first opening of the plurality of openings, and wherein the first flange is arranged to further define a second opening of the plurality of openings.
 
9. A fan guard comprising:
a plurality of segments, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments comprises a face extending along a plane and a thickness extending transverse to the plane; and
a plurality of flanges, wherein each flange of the plurality of flanges is connected to a respective segment of the plurality of segments to cooperatively form an array of openings, each flange of the plurality of flanges having an additional thickness, the additional thickness being substantially equal to the thickness of each segment of the plurality of segments, wherein openings of the array of openings are adjacent to one another along the plane to enable flow of air directed transverse to the plane, and each flange of the plurality of flanges has a depth extending transverse to the plane, the depth being greater than the thickness of each segment of the plurality of segments, wherein the plurality of flanges is oriented relative to the plurality of segments such that the additional thickness of each flange of the plurality of flanges extends perpendicular to the thickness of each segment of the plurality of segments.
 
10. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of fan blades configured to move to direct an airflow along an axis; and
a fan guard comprising:
a plurality of segments, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments comprises a thickness extending along the axis along which the plurality of fan blades is configured to direct the airflow; and
a plurality of flanges, wherein each flange of the plurality of flanges has a depth and is coupled to a respective segment of the plurality of segments to cooperatively form an array of openings configured to receive the airflow directed by the plurality of fan blades along the axis, and each flange of the plurality of flanges extends along the axis beyond the thickness of each segment of the plurality of segments, and wherein the depth is greater than the thickness, and wherein at least a first flange of the plurality of flanges is arranged to define at least a first opening of the plurality of openings, and wherein the first flange is arranged to further define a second opening of the plurality of openings.
 
16. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of segments of a fan guard, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments comprises a face extending along a plane and a thickness extending along an axis transverse to the plane; and
a plurality of flanges of the fan guard, wherein the plurality of flanges is connected to the plurality of segments to cooperatively form a plurality of openings positioned adjacent to one another along the plane, and each flange of the plurality of flanges extends along the axis beyond the thickness of each segment of the plurality of segments, and wherein at least a first flange of the plurality of flanges is arranged to cooperate to form a first opening of the plurality of openings, and wherein the first flange is further arranged to cooperate to form a second opening of the plurality of openings.