The present invention is directed to a ventilating or cooling element for
airflow cooling in a digital data processing apparatus, and it is
particularly suited to such apparatus having a high circuit density, or
mounted within a restricted chassis or housing, such as the housing of a
web server, or of a storage array device for a network server or web
server. The cooling element includes a fan that is disposed at an angle to
integrate its cooling air with general circulation or air flow through the
chassis. The element may mount on a plate, such as the thermally
conductive plate of a heat sink, that is adapted for coupling to the
chassis and/or contacting a microprocessor chip, and a fan is disposed on
the mounting plate at an angle to cool the plate or chip without creating
obstructive cross wind. The mounting plate can be disposed within the
middle portion of the chassis. The fan or cooling element can be angled so
as to direct airflow towards at least a selected portion of the chassis,
e.g. along a flow path to a chassis vent or opening, which may be in the
rear portion. The mounting plate can also include one or more a thermally
conductive heat dissipation members, such as fins or posts, and the fan
may have a side-to-side tilt as well as an inclination with respect to the
plane of the plate.
