Housing having configurable airflow exhaust

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076064-B2
Application number	US-201213687517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Nov 28, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A configurable housing includes a top surface having a closed configuration and an opened configuration in which a first plurality of perforations provide a first air flow path. The housing further includes a plurality of sidewalls connected to the top surface. The plurality of sidewalls including a first sidewall having a closed configuration and an opened configuration in which a second plurality of perforations provide a second air flow path. The housing also includes a bottom surface connected to the plurality of sidewalls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet configured to house electrical equipment that requires cooling, the cabinet comprising:
a frame; and
a plurality of panels connected to the frame and defining an air inlet, wherein the plurality of panels includes a top panel and a rear wall;
wherein the top panel is one of a pair of top panels that are removably connectable to the frame as replacements for one another, including a first top panel that is free of a top air outlet and a second top panel that has a top air outlet;
wherein the rear wall is one of a pair of rear walls that are removably connectable to the frame as replacements for one another, including a first rear wall that is free of a rear air outlet and a second rear wall that has a rear air outlet;
whereby the cabinet can be configured with a first air flow path from the air inlet to the rear air outlet by connecting the first top panel and the second rear wall to the frame, and can be converted to an alternative configuration having a second air flow path from the air inlet to the top air outlet by connecting the second top panel and the first rear wall to the frame as replacements for the first top panel and the second rear wall.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 , and further comprising an exhaust fan.

3. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is a front air inlet located opposite the rear wall.

4. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is a bottom air inlet located opposite the top panel.

5. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the top air outlet includes a plurality of perforations in the second top panel.

6. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the rear air outlet includes a plurality of perforations in the second rear wall.

7. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels further includes a bottom panel.

8. A cabinet configured to house electrical equipment that requires cooling, the cabinet comprising:
a plurality of interconnected panels, wherein the plurality of interconnected panels includes a top panel, a rear wall, and an inlet panel defining an air inlet;
wherein the top panel is one of a pair of top panels that are removably connectable in the plurality of interconnected panels as replacements for one another, including a first top panel that is free of a top air outlet and a second top panel that has a top air outlet;
wherein the rear wall is one of a pair of rear walls that are removably connectable in the plurality of interconnected panels as replacements for one another, including a first rear wall that is free of a rear air outlet and a second rear wall that has a rear air outlet;
whereby the cabinet can be configured with a first air flow path from the air inlet to the rear air outlet by connecting the first top panel and the second rear wall in the plurality of interconnected panels, and can be converted to an alternative configuration having a second air flow path from the air inlet to the top air outlet by connecting the second top panel and the first rear wall in the plurality of interconnected panels as replacements for the first top panel and the second rear wall.

9. The cabinet of claim 8 , and further comprising an exhaust fan.

10. The cabinet of claim 8 , wherein the air inlet is a front air inlet located opposite the rear wall.

11. The cabinet of claim 8 , wherein the air inlet is a bottom air inlet located opposite the top panel.

12. The cabinet of claim 8 , wherein the top air outlet includes a plurality of perforations in the second top panel.

13. The cabinet of claim 8 , wherein the rear air outlet includes a plurality of perforations in the second rear wall.

14. The cabinet of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of panels further includes a bottom panel.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Hoglund Justin Raymond

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• H05K7/20554 Primary

  Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant (in closed loop H05K7/206 or H05K7/20609 or H05K7/20618) · CPC title

• H05K7/20572 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks, e.g. plenum · CPC title

• B23P11/00

  Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for  (connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00) · CPC title