Air valve for electronics enclosures

摘要

A method includes rotating a first elongated, inlet-side member of an air valve toward an open configuration when a fan blade is rotating and rotating the first inlet-side member to toward a closed configuration when the fan blade is not rotating. The air valve includes a frame and a sheet of thin material. The frame may have an outlet-side member configured to be mounted on a fan housing and the inlet-side member rotatably coupled to the outlet-side member. The material may have top and bottom edges, and a plurality of folds perpendicular to the top and bottom side edges that divide the sheet into a plurality of sections. The material may be attached to the outlet-side member and the inlet-side member, and configurable between folded and expanded positions.

主权项

1. A method for preventing air from flowing through a fan comprising:
rotating a first elongated inlet-side member of an air valve toward an open configuration when a fan blade is rotating; and rotating the first elongated inlet-side member to toward a closed configuration when the fan blade is not rotating; wherein the air valve includes:
a frame having:
a first elongated outlet-side member having a first centrally located pivot point for attachment of a pin and a spring, and configured to be mounted in a fixed position, andthe first elongated inlet-side member having a second centrally located pivot point for receiving the pin, and a first end having a first magnetic component attached thereto, the first elongated inlet-side member being rotatably coupled to the first elongated outlet-side member by the pin,a first sheet of thin material having top, bottom, first, and second side edges, and a plurality of folds perpendicular to the top and bottom side edges that divide the first sheet of thin material into a plurality of sections, wherein the first sheet of thin material is configurable between a folded position in which the sections are folded together and an expanded position in which the sections are unfolded, the first side edge of the first sheet of thin material being attached to the first elongated outlet-side member and the second side edge of the sheet of thin material being attached to the first elongated inlet-side member; andwherein the air valve is in the open configuration when the first sheet of thin material is in a folded position and in the closed configuration when the material is in an expanded position wherein an attraction between the first magnetic component and a second magnetic component in the fan blade translates rotational energy of the fan blade to the first elongated inlet-side member when the fan blade is rotating, causing the first elongated inlet-side member to rotate toward the open configuration.