Patent Application
20070116577
This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 094140585 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Nov. 18, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a fan system and a seriate starting module and a delayed starting unit thereof, and, in particular, to a fan system having a plurality of fan modules, and a seriate starting module and a delayed starting unit of the fan system.
2. Related Art
Generally speaking, a large electronic system is always equipped with a fan system to ensure that the electronic system can be kept at the normal working temperature such that the electronic system can operate normally.
As shown in
In view of the above-mentioned problems, the prior art adopts an analog starting control chip for starting the fan modules 12a to 12n in sequential, or a software module to control the starting sequence of the fan modules 12a to 12n. Thus, the prior art provides a protection mechanism for respectively starting the fan modules 12a to 12n at different time instants so as to avoid the malfunction caused when the fan modules 12a to 12n are simultaneously started. However, the analog starting control chip has a high price, and the software module has a complicated architecture. Thus, the overall manufacturing cost of the conventional fan system 1 is too high. In addition, the analog starting control chip only can delay the starting time of each of the fan modules 12a to 12n and cannot provide the function of soft-start.
Thus, it is an important subject of the invention to provide a fan system and a seriate starting module and a delayed starting unit thereof to overcome the above-mentioned problems.
In view of the foregoing, the invention is to provide a fan system and a seriate starting module and a delayed starting unit thereof for starting a plurality of fan modules at different time instants in a seriate manner so as to avoid the malfunction caused when the fan modules are started simultaneously.
In addition, the invention is also to provide a fan system and a seriate starting module and a delayed starting unit thereof having the resetting effect to discharge the residual charges in the fan system and thus avoid the malfunction.
To achieve the above, a fan system of the invention is for receiving an input voltage from exterior. The fan system includes a first fan module, a second fan module and a seriate starting module. The seriate starting module, which is electrically connected with the first fan module and the second fan module, receives the input voltage, starts the first fan module according to the input voltage, and starts the second fan module according to the input voltage after the first fan module is started for a predetermined time.
Furthermore, the invention also discloses a method of resetting a delaying circuit, which is coupled with an input voltage from exterior and has a capacitor and a switch element. The switch element receives the input voltage and is electrically connected with the capacitor and grounded. The method includes the steps of: separating the delaying circuit from the input voltage, turning on the switch element, and forming a discharge path from the capacitor to the switch element so as to perform a discharging operation.
As mentioned above, the fan system and the seriate starting module and the delayed starting unit thereof according to the invention can sequentially start a plurality of fan modules at different time instants so as to avoid the malfunction caused by the extremely large start-up current and inrush current, which are generated by instantaneously starting the fan modules. The fan modules are started in a time-sharing manner to ensure that the fan system can operate normally, prevent the electronic system and the fan system from being damaged, and replace the analog starting control chip to reduce the overall manufacturing cost. In addition, the invention further possesses the reset function of discharging the charges remained in the fan system so as to prevent the malfunction from occurring.
The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.
The seriate starting module 23 includes a starting unit 231 and a delayed starting unit 232. The starting unit 231 electrically connected with the first fan module 21 receives the input voltage 91 and starts the first fan module 21 according to the input voltage 91. The delayed starting unit 232 includes a starting circuit 233 and a delaying circuit 234. The starting circuit 233, which is electrically connected between the second fan module 22 and the delaying circuit 234, receives the input voltage 91. The delaying circuit 234 controls the starting circuit 233 to start the second fan module 22 according to the input voltage 91 after the first fan module 21 is started for a predetermined time.
Then, the fan system 2 of this embodiment starts the second fan module 22 after the first fan module 21 is started for the predetermined time, such that the first fan module 21 and the second fan module 22 can be started at different time instants. Thus, it is possible to avoid the malfunction caused by the extremely large start-up current and inrush current, which are generated when the first fan module 21 and the second fan module 22 are started simultaneously.
In addition,
Each of the first switch element Q1 and the second switch element Q2 may be a transistor or any other electronic element with the switch function. In this embodiment, the first switch element Q1 is a PMOS transistor, and the second switch element Q2 is an NMOS transistor. In addition, the diodes D1 and D2 are connected in parallel. Each of the diodes D1 and D2 has a first terminal for receiving the input voltage 91. In this embodiment, each of the diodes D1 and D2 may be a Schottky diode for avoiding the reverse current. One terminal of the resistor R1 is electrically connected with a second terminal of each of the diodes D1 and D2.
A source S of the first switch element Q1 is electrically connected with the second terminals of the diodes D1 and D2 to receive the input voltage 91. A drain D of the first switch element Q1 is electrically connected with the second fan module 22 and is used to start the second fan module 22. A drain D of the second switch element Q2 is electrically connected with the second terminals of the diodes D1 and D2 through the resistor R1. The drain D of the second switch element Q2 is further electrically connected with a gate G of the first switch element Q1 through the diode D3. A gate G of the second switch element Q2 is electrically connected with the delaying circuit 234 through the resistor R9.
A first terminal of the diode D3 is electrically connected with the drain D of the second switch element Q2. A second terminal of the diode D3 is electrically connected with the gate G of the first switch element Q1. A first terminal of the diode D4 is electrically connected with the source S of the first switch element Q1. A second terminal of the diode D4 is electrically connected with the second terminal of the diode D3. A first terminal of the capacitor C1 is electrically connected with the source S of the first switch element Q1, and a second terminal of the capacitor C1 is electrically connected with a first terminal of the resistor R2. A second terminal of the resistor R2 is grounded.
The delaying circuit 234 includes a third switch element Q3, a fourth switch element Q4, a fifth switch element Q5, a sixth switch element Q6, a comparator U1, a plurality of resistors R3 to R8 and R12 to R14, at least one capacitor C2 and at least one diode D5. Each of the third switch element Q3, the fourth switch element Q4, the fifth switch element Q5 and the sixth switch element Q6 may be a transistor or any other electronic element with the switch function. In this embodiment, each of the third switch element Q3, the fifth switch element Q5 and the sixth switch element Q6 is an NPN transistor, and the fourth switch element Q4 is a PNP transistor.
A base B of the third switch element Q3 electrically connected with a first terminal of the resistor R3 receives the input voltage 91. A collector C of the third switch element Q3 is electrically connected with the diodes D1 and D2 through a resistor R5. An emitter E of the third switch element Q3 and a resistor R4 are grounded.
A base B of the fourth switch element Q4 is electrically connected with the collector C of the third switch element Q3. An emitter E of the fourth switch element Q4 is connected with an external power VCC.
The resistor R6 has a first terminal, which is electrically connected with a collector C of the fourth switch element Q4, and a second terminal.
The capacitor C2 has a first terminal, which is electrically connected with the second terminal of the resistor R6 through the diode D5, and a second terminal grounded. In addition, the capacitor C2 starts to charge and generate a control signal V1 at the first terminal of the capacitor C2 when the fourth switch element Q4 turns on.
The comparator U1 has a first input terminal input1, a second input terminal input2 and an output terminal output. In this embodiment, the first input terminal input1 is a noninverting input terminal and the second input terminal input2 is an inverting input terminal. The first input terminal input1 is electrically connected with the second terminal of the resistor R6. The second input terminal input2 is electrically connected with the resistors R7 and R8, and the resistors R7 and R8 form a voltage-dividing circuit and provide a reference signal Vref to the second input terminal input2. The output terminal output, which is electrically connected with the gate of the second switch element Q2 through the resistor R9, controls the second switch element Q2.
A collector C of the fifth switch element Q5 is electrically connected with the first terminal of the capacitor C2. An emitter E of the fifth switch element Q5 is grounded. A collector C of the sixth switch element Q6 is electrically connected with a base B of the fifth switch element Q5. A base B of the sixth switch element Q6 is electrically connected with the input voltage 91 through the resistor R12, and an emitter E of the sixth switch element Q6 is grounded.
A first terminal of the resistor R12 receives the input voltage 91. A second terminal of the resistor R12 is electrically connected with a first terminal of the resistor R13. A second terminal of the resistor R13 is grounded. Both of the resistors R12 and R13 form a voltage-dividing circuit. The base B of the sixth switch element Q6, which is electrically connected with the second terminal of the resistor R12, receives the divided input voltage. A first terminal of the resistor R14 is electrically connected with the collector C of the sixth switch element Q6. A second terminal of the resistor R14 is electrically connected with the starting unit 231.
The starting unit 231 mainly includes a plurality of diodes D6 to D9, a plurality of resistors R10 and R11, two switch elements Q7 and Q8 and a plurality of capacitors C3 and C4. The diodes D6 to D9, the resistors R10 and R11, the switch elements Q7 and Q8 and the capacitor C3 have the same constructions and functions as those of the diodes D1 to D4, the resistors R1 and R2, the switch elements Q1 and Q2 and the capacitor C1, so the detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In addition, the capacitor C4 is electrically connected with the base B of the fifth switch element Q5 and the collector C of the sixth switch element Q6 through the resistor R14.
The operation principle of the fan system 2 will be described in the following. First, after the seriate starting module 23 receives the input voltage 91 at a first time, the starting unit 231 and the delayed starting unit 232 simultaneously receive the input voltage 91 as the operation voltage.
The diodes D6 and D7 of the starting unit 231 receive the input voltage 91 such that the switch element Q8 turns on and the capacitor C3 starts to charge until the voltage value of the capacitor C3 reaches the turn-on voltage of the switch element Q7. When the switch element Q7 turns on, the first fan module 21 starts to work. In this embodiment, the charging circuit of the capacitor C3 and the resistor R11 enables the current flowing through the first fan module 21 to increase at a slow rate such that the effect of soft starting can be achieved.
The delaying circuit 234 receives the input voltage 91, the third switch element Q3 and the fourth switch element Q4 turn on, and the capacitor C2 starts to charge to generate the control signal V1. After the predetermined time, the voltage value of the control signal V1 is larger than the voltage value of the reference signal Vref, and the output terminal output outputs a positive voltage value to the gate of the second switch element Q2 to control the second switch element Q2 of the starting circuit 233 to turn on. To be noted, the predetermined time is determined according to the charging time of the capacitor C2 and the resistor R6. The user can select the different capacitor C2 and resistor R6 according to the to-be-delayed time so as to adjust the predetermined time. Alternatively, when the resistor R6 is a variable resistor, adjusting the resistance of the resistor R6 can adjust the predetermined time.
After the second switch element Q2 turns on, the capacitor C1 starts to charge. When the voltage value of the capacitor C1 reaches the turn-on voltage of the first switch element Q1, the first switch element Q1 turns on to start the second fan module 22 in a soft-starting manner.
In addition, the fan system 2 of this embodiment further has the reset function, and the reset method is described in the following. After the seriate starting module 23 receives the input voltage 91, the switch elements Q7 and Q8 turn on, the sixth switch element Q6 of the delaying circuit 234 turns on according to the voltage-dividing operation of the resistors R12 and R13, and the capacitor C4 starts to charge. At this time, the potential of the base B of the fifth switch element Q5 is about zero, which means that the fifth switch element Q5 is off. When the user removes the fan system 2 from the electronic system, that is, when the sending of the input voltage 91 is stopped, the capacitor C4 starts to discharge, and the voltage drop generated by the resistor R14 serves as a tum-on voltage to turn on the fifth switch element Q5. At this time, the capacitor C2 can form a discharge path through the fifth switch element Q5 so as to discharge the charges stored in the capacitor C2 and thus achieve the reset effect. Thus, the malfunction can be avoided when the user inserts the fan system 2 back to the electronic system at the next time. Consequently, the fan system 2 of this embodiment starts the first fan module 21 and the second fan module 22 at different time instants using the seriate starting module 23 so as to achieve the effect of seriate starting and resetting. In addition, although only two fan modules are illustrated in
In summary, the fan system and the seriate starting module and the delayed starting unit thereof according to the invention can sequentially start a plurality of fan modules at different time instants so as to avoid the malfunction caused by the extremely large start-up current and inrush current, which are generated by instantaneously starting the fan modules. The fan modules are started in a time-sharing manner to ensure that the fan system can operate normally, prevent the electronic system and the fan system from being damaged, and replace the analog starting control chip to reduce the overall manufacturing cost. In addition, the invention further possesses the reset function of discharging the charges remained in the fan system so as to prevent the malfunction from occurring.
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 094140585 | Nov 2005 | TW | national |
