Fan structure

Abstract

A fan structure includes a casing, a fan, and two elastic members. The casing has an accommodation space. The fan is located in the accommodation space. The fan has a first side and a second side opposite to each other. One of the two elastic members is sandwiched between the casing and the first side of the fan. The other one of the two elastic members is sandwiched between the casing and the second side of the fan. The two elastic members normally keep the fan away from the casing, so as to make the fan contact the casing through the two elastic members, thereby achieving a damping effect.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fan structure, comprising:
 a casing, having an accommodation space;   a fan, located in the accommodation space, and having a first side and a second side opposite to each other; and   two elastic members, one of the two elastic members being sandwiched between the casing and the first side of the fan, the other one of the two elastic members being sandwiched between the casing and the second side of the fan, wherein the two elastic members bias the fan away from direct contact with the casing, so as to suspend the fan within the casing through the two elastic members.   
     
     
         2 . The fan structure according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the two elastic members has one end mounted on the first side of the fan, and the other end urged against the casing;
 and the other one of the two elastic members has one end mounted on the second side of the fan, and the other end urged against the casing.   
     
     
         3 . The fan structure according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the elastic members is a compression spring. 
     
     
         4 . The fan structure according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the elastic members comprises an elastic piece and two assembling pieces, the two assembling pieces are connected to two opposite ends of the elastic piece respectively, the first side and the second side of the fan each comprise two mounting portions spaced apart from each other by a distance, the two assembling pieces of one of the two elastic members are mounted on the two mounting portions on the first side of the fan, the two assembling pieces of the other one of the two elastic members are mounted on the two mounting portions on the second side of the fan, the two elastic pieces protrude outwards from the first side and the second side of the fan respectively, and a middle segment of each of the two elastic pieces is urged against the casing. 
     
     
         5 . The fan structure according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the elastic pieces comprises a bent segment and connecting segments extending from two opposite ends of the bent segment, the bent segment contacts the casing, and the two connecting segments are engaged with the two assembling pieces respectively. 
     
     
         6 . A fan structure, comprising:
 a casing, having a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to each other;   a fan, located between the first side wall and the second side wall, and having a mounting portion; and   an elastic member, having a middle segment surrounding the fan, and two ends assembled to the mounting portion respectively, so as to make the fan be located in the elastic member, the elastic member being urged against the first side wall and the second side wall respectively, so as to suspend the fan within the casing through the elastic member.   
     
     
         7 . The fan structure according to  claim 6 , wherein the elastic member comprises an elastic piece and two assembling pieces, the two assembling pieces are connected to two opposite ends of the elastic piece respectively, the elastic piece is disposed along the periphery of the fan, and the two assembling pieces are mounted on the mounting portion of the fan respectively, so as to make the elastic piece surround the fan, and make the fan be urged against the first side wall and the second side wall respectively through the elastic piece. 
     
     
         8 . A fan structure comprising:
 a fan mounted for rotational movement within a fan shroud;   a fan case having opposite first and second mounting regions; and   at least one elastic member suspending the fan and fan shroud between the first and second mounting regions of the fan case and damping the transmission of vibrations from the fan to the fan case.   
     
     
         9 . The fan structure according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one elastic member comprises an elongated elastic member that encircles the fan shroud. 
     
     
         10 . The fan structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the fan shroud comprises a mounting post, and the ends of the elongated elastic member are mounted to the mounting post. 
     
     
         11 . The fan structure according to  claim 10 , wherein the elongated elastic member comes into compression contact with the first and second mounting regions. 
     
     
         12 . The fan structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the fan case is four-sided, the first and second mounting regions forming two of the four sides, wherein the elongated elastic member comes into compression contact with each of the four sides. 
     
     
         13 . The fan structure according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one elastic member comprises a pair of springs. 
     
     
         14 . The fan structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the pair of springs are compression springs. 
     
     
         15 . The fan structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the pair of springs are coil springs. 
     
     
         16 . The fan structure according to  claim 13 , wherein the pair of springs are leaf springs. 
     
     
         17 . The fan structure according to  claim 8 , wherein each elastic member comprises two assembly ends and an intermediate segment, wherein the two assembly ends are mounted for a compression fit within corresponding mounting portions of the fan shroud. 
     
     
         18 . The fan structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the intermediate segment is bent. 
     
     
         19 . The fan structure according to  claim 18 , wherein the intermediate segment includes a flat portion that is biased into compression contact with the opposite first and second mounting regions of the fan case. 
     
     
         20 . The fan structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the intermediate segment is curved.