Fan apparatus and fan gate thereof

Abstract

An exemplary fan apparatus includes a cooling fan and a fan gate attached to the cooling fan. The cooling fan defines an air inlet and an air outlet at two opposite sides thereof. The fan gate includes a mounting frame fixed on the cooling fan and surrounding the air outlet, and an airflow valve extending from the mounting frame. The airflow valve is bendable relative to the mounting frame. When the cooling fan works, an airflow produced by the cooling fan flows to the fan gate and pushes the airflow valve to bend with respect to the cooling fan to cause the air outlet to be exposed. When the cooling fan does not work, the airflow valve covers the air outlet.

1 . A fan apparatus, comprising:
 a cooling fan defining an air inlet and an air outlet at two opposite sides thereof; and   a fan gate attached to the cooling fan at the air outlet, the fan gate comprising:
 a mounting frame fixed on the cooling fan; and 
 an airflow valve extending from the mounting frame, the airflow valve being bendable relative to the mounting frame; wherein 
   when the cooling fan works, airflow produced by the cooling fan flows to the fan gate and pushes the airflow valve to bend with respect to the cooling fan to cause the air outlet to be exposed; and   when the cooling fan does not work, the airflow valve covers the air outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The fan apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein when the cooling fan works, the airflow valve of the fan gate forms a funnel-shaped arrangement, with an area of a cross section of a passage defined by the funnel-shaped airflow valve gradually decreasing along a flowing direction of the airflow. 
     
     
         3 . The fan apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the airflow valve of the fan gate comprises a plurality of flaps extending inward from a periphery of the mounting frame, each of the flaps of the fan gate comprises a connected end and a free end at opposite sides thereof, the connected end extends from the mounting frame, the free ends of the flaps cooperatively define a ventilating hole therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The fan apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein each two neighboring flaps are connected with each other at their connected ends, but unconnected with each other at their free ends. 
     
     
         5 . The fan apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each flap is approximately an isosceles trapezoid, and comprises a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges running between the bottom edge to the top edge, the bottom edge extends from the mounting frame, the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge, and side edges of each flap abut the side edges of two neighboring flaps when the airflow valve covers the air outlet of the cooling fan. 
     
     
         6 . The fan apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the top edge of each flap is concave, and the top edges of the flaps cooperatively define the ventilating hole. 
     
     
         7 . The fan apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein when the airflow valve of the fan gate covers the air outlet of the cooling fan, the ventilating hole aligned with a central area of the cooling fan. 
     
     
         8 . The fan apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fixing frame, the fixing frame fixed on the cooling fan, and the mounting frame of the fan gate sandwiched between the fixing frame and the cooling fan. 
     
     
         9 . The fan apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the fixing frame comprises a front plate and a side plate extending from an outer circumference of the front plate, the side plate corresponds to the mounting frame of the fan gate, the front plate corresponds to a circumferential portion of the airflow valve of the fan gate, and the front plate defines an opening corresponding to a central portion of the airflow valve of the fan gate, when the cooling fan works, the airflow of the cooling fan pushes the central portion of the airflow valve of the fan gate to extend through the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The fan apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow valve of the fan gate is made of material selected from the group consisting of cloth and polyester. 
     
     
         11 . The fan apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow valve is integrally formed with the mounting frame. 
     
     
         12 . A fan gate for attaching to an air outlet of a cooling fan, the fan gate comprising:
 an airflow valve facing the air outlet of the cooling fan; and   a mounting frame surrounding the airflow valve, the mounting frame being configured for fixing the fan gate to the air outlet of the cooling fan; wherein   the airflow valve is configured to bend with respect to the mounting frame to facilitate airflow through the fan gate when the cooling fan works and airflow produced by the cooling fan pushes the airflow valve; and   the airflow valve is configured to cover the air outlet when the cooling fan does not work.   
     
     
         13 . The fan gate of  claim 12 , wherein the airflow valve is configured to form a generally funnel-shaped arrangement with an area of a cross section of an air passage defined by the funnel-shaped airflow valve gradually decreasing along an airflow direction when the cooling fan works and airflow produced by the cooling fan pushes the airflow valve. 
     
     
         14 . The fan gate of  claim 13 , wherein the airflow valve comprises a plurality of flaps extending inward from a periphery of the mounting frame, each of the flaps comprises a connected end and a free end at opposite sides thereof, the connected end extends from the mounting frame, and the free ends of the flaps cooperatively define a ventilating hole therebetween. 
     
     
         15 . The fan gate of  claim 14 , wherein each two neighboring flaps are connected with each other at their connected ends, but unconnected with each other at their free ends. 
     
     
         16 . The fan gate of  claim 14 , wherein each flap is approximately an isosceles trapezoid, and comprises a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges running between the bottom edge to the top edge, the bottom edge extends from the mounting frame, the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge, and side edges of each flap abut side edges of two neighboring flaps when the airflow valve has a configuration that is able to cover the air outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The fan gate of  claim 16 , wherein the top edge of each flap is concave, and the top edges of the flaps cooperatively define the ventilating hole. 
     
     
         18 . The fan gate of  claim 12 , wherein the airflow valve is made of material selected from the group consisting of cloth and polyester. 
     
     
         19 . A fan apparatus, comprising:
 a cooling fan defining an air inlet and an air outlet at two opposite sides thereof, and comprising a base at a middle of the air outlet; and   a fan gate comprising:
 a mounting frame fixed on the cooling fan at the air outlet; and 
 an airflow valve extending from the mounting frame, the airflow valve comprising a plurality of bendable flaps each extending inward from the mounting frame toward a middle of the fan gate; wherein 
   when the cooling fan does not work and ambient air pressure is exerted on the flaps, the flaps are substantially aligned with each other and cover the air outlet as well as a peripheral portion of the base; and   when the cooling fan works, airflow produced by the cooling fan flows to the fan gate and pushes the flaps to bend in directions corresponding to a direction of the airflow.   
     
     
         20 . The fan apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein each of the flaps is approximately an isosceles trapezoid, and comprises a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges running between the bottom edge to the top edge, the bottom edge extends from the mounting frame, the top edge is shorter than the bottom edge, side edges of each flap abut side edges of two neighboring flaps when the airflow valve has a configuration that is able to cover the air outlet, top edge of each flap is concave, and the top edges of the flaps cooperatively define a ventilating hole when the airflow valve has a configuration that is able to cover the air outlet.