Equipment rack and associated ventilation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9345172-B2
Application number	US-201414582682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 19, 2007
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A cable management rack is provided within which a heat-generating device is mountable. The rack includes a first upright and a second upright attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member, and respective side-facing panels. Each of the panels defines a plurality of vent holes arranged in an array. A cable management system includes a cable management rack for accommodating a heat generating device, a first baffle mounted with respect to a first upright of the rack and for redirecting a rearward flow of cool air sideways from a space adjacent a front side of the rack, and a second baffle mounted with respect to a second upright of the rack and for redirecting a sideways flow of exhaust air from the rack and through the second upright into a space adjacent a rear side of the rack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a. a first assembly that includes a frame defining a front, a rear, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, wherein the front and the first side intersect along a vertical axis;
b. a second assembly that includes a frame defining a front, a rear, a first lateral side and a second lateral side; and
c. a first baffle that includes a first mounting flange and a second mounting flange, the first mounting flange is mounted to the first lateral side of the first assembly adjacent to the front of the first assembly and the second mounting flange is mounted to the second lateral side of the second assembly adjacent to the rear of the second assembly, wherein the first baffle is positioned between the first assembly and the second assembly so as to be external to the frame of the first assembly and external to the frame of the second assembly, wherein the first baffle is mounted along said vertical axis, and wherein the first baffle is angularly oriented with respect to the first lateral side of the first assembly and with respect to the second lateral side of the second assembly.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first lateral side of the first assembly and the second lateral side of the second assembly define a height and wherein the first baffle extends the entire height of the first lateral side of the first assembly and the second lateral side of the second assembly.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first lateral side of the first assembly and the second lateral side of the second assembly define a height and wherein the first baffle extends a portion of the height of the first lateral side of the first assembly and the second lateral side of the second assembly.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a bottom and wherein the bottom of the first baffle is vertically aligned with a bottom of the first assembly and the second assembly.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a top and wherein the top of the first baffle is vertically aligned with a top of the first assembly and the second assembly.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a bottom and a top, wherein the bottom of the first baffle is not vertically aligned with a bottom of the first assembly and the second assembly, and wherein the top of the first baffle is not vertically aligned with a top of the first assembly and the second assembly.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a first mounting flange along a first edge thereof.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the first baffle further defines a second mounting flange along a second edge thereof.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines an upper end that is structurally bounded so as to prevent flow of air redirected by the first baffle from extending beyond the upper end of the first baffle.

10. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising a cover that structurally bounds the first baffle at the upper end.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle is configured and dimensioned to redirect a rearward flow of cool air that passes from a front space adjacent to the front of the second assembly sideways through the second lateral side of the second assembly and into an interior region of the second assembly.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the cool air enters the interior region by passing from the front space adjacent to the front of the second assembly sideways through the second lateral side of the second assembly based on redirection by the first baffle.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle is configured and dimensioned to redirect a sideways flow of exhaust air from an interior region of the first assembly through the first lateral side of the first assembly rearward into a rear space adjacent to the rear of the first assembly.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein exhaust air exits from the interior region of the first assembly through the first lateral side of the first assembly rearward into the rear space adjacent to the rear of the first assembly based on redirection by the first baffle.

15. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second baffle fixedly mounted to the first lateral side of the first assembly above the first baffle.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the second baffle defines an upper end that is structurally bounded so as to prevent flow of air redirected by the second baffle from extending beyond the upper end of the second baffle.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the first baffle and the second baffle extending laterally from the first lateral side at a same angle relative to the first lateral side.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle extends laterally from the first lateral side at an angle that ranges from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to the first lateral side.

19. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first baffle includes a first mounting flange on a first end thereof.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the first mounting flange is vertically oriented when the first baffle is mounted with respect to the first assembly.

21. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the first baffle includes a second mounting flange on a second end thereof.

22. The system according to claim 21 , wherein the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange are parallel to each other.

23. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange are parallel to each other.

24. A rack system, comprising:
a. a vertical rectangular frame for accommodating at least one heat-generating device in a horizontal orientation, the vertical rectangular frame including a front, a rear opposing the front, a first side, a second side opposing the first side, and an interior region defined by the front, the rear, the first side and the second side of the vertical rectangular frame, wherein the front and the first side intersect along a vertical axis; and
b. a vertically oriented first baffle that includes a mounting flange, the mounting flange fixedly mounted to the first side of the vertical rectangular frame along said vertical axis adjacent to the front of the vertical rectangular frame;
wherein said first baffle extends laterally from the first side so as to be positioned outside of the interior region at an angle that is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the first side, and
wherein the first baffle extends laterally from a position adjacent to the front of the vertical rectangular frame a full length of the first side to a position aligned with and laterally spaced from the rear of the vertical rectangular frame.

25. A system, comprising:
a. a first assembly that includes a frame defining a front, a rear, a first lateral side and a second lateral side;
b. a second assembly that includes a frame defining a front, a rear, a first lateral side and a second lateral side;
c. a first baffle mounted with respect to the first lateral side of the first assembly adjacent to the front of the first assembly and mounted with respect to the second lateral side of the second assembly adjacent to the rear of the second assembly; and
d. a cable man

Assignees

• Ortronics Inc
• Levesque Charlene A

Inventors

• Larsen Lars R
• Levesque Stewart A

Classifications

• H05K7/20

  Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating · CPC title

• H05K7/20572 Primary

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

• F24F13/00

  Details common to, or for air-conditioning, air-humidification, ventilation or use of air currents for screening · CPC title

• H05K7/20709

  for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks · CPC title

• H04Q2201/02

  Details of frames · CPC title