Electronic equipment enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9549487-B2
Application number	US-201514726548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

An electronic equipment enclosure includes a frame structure and a customizable side air dam kit. The frame structure includes a front frame, a rear frame, front-to-back frame members connecting corners of the front and rear frames together, reinforced bracket structures located near ends of the cross members, and extruded horizontal mounting rails parallel to, but inward from, the front-to-back frame members. The ends of the horizontal mounting rails are connected to the reinforced bracket structures. Panels are installed in longitudinal slots in the front-to-back frame members and horizontal mounting rails, each of which is extruded. The customizable side air dam kit includes a framework of horizontal and vertical frame pieces, adapted to connect to the frame structure, and a customizable air dam panel supported by the framework. A plurality of the frame pieces are provided to an installer for use in constructing the framework to fit the specific frame structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic equipment installation with a customized side air dam, comprising:
(a) an electronic equipment enclosure, comprising:
(i) a four-post frame structure, including a front frame, a rear frame, and at least four front-to-back horizontal frame members, wherein the front frame and rear frame each include a pair of vertical frame members and two side-to-side cross members, and wherein the front-to-back horizontal frame members connect the front and rear frames together, and
(ii) a plurality of panels supported by the frame structure so as to define an interior, the panels including side panels, each side panel being disposed on a side of the electronic equipment enclosure;

(b) at least one unit of side-breathing electronic equipment installed in the electronic equipment enclosure and having a duct opening facing a side of the electronic equipment enclosure; and
(c) a customized side air dam that is created, with the side-breathing electronic equipment already installed, by:
(i) framing the duct opening with a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical frame pieces, forming a side air dam framework, that is supported by the frame structure, and
(ii) mounting one or more customizable air dam panels to the side air dam framework such that a top-to-bottom partition is created immediately adjacent the side-breathing electronic equipment except for the framed duct opening,
(iii) wherein the top-to-bottom partition is parallel to, but inwardly offset from, the adjacent side panel of the electronic equipment enclosure such that a side plenum is created between the top-to-bottom partition and the adjacent side panel, and wherein the top-to-bottom partition blocks air from flowing over or under the side-breathing electronic equipment and then into the side plenum or air from flowing out of the side plenum and then over or under the side-breathing electronic equipment.

2. The electronic equipment installation of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal and vertical frame pieces are partially cut or scored so as to be cut or broken by the installer to desired lengths.

3. The electronic equipment installation of claim 2 , wherein the horizontal and vertical frame pieces are cut or scored at uniform incremental locations along the horizontal and vertical frame pieces.

4. The electronic equipment installation of claim 3 , wherein the vertical frame pieces are cut or scored at 1 RMU increments.

5. The electronic equipment installation of claim 3 , wherein the horizontal frame pieces are cut or scored at 25 mm increments.

6. The electronic equipment installation of claim 1 , wherein each customizable air dam panel is partially cut or scored so as to be cut or broken by the installer to desired sizes.

7. The electronic equipment installation of claim 6 , wherein each customizable air dam panel is a single flat sheet of material.

8. The electronic equipment installation of claim 1 , wherein each customizable air dam panel includes pre-cut apertures that may be punched out at desired locations.

9. The electronic equipment installation of claim 8 , wherein the pre-cut apertures are provided at uniform spacings.

10. The electronic equipment installation of claim 8 , wherein each customizable air dam panel is a single flat sheet of material.

11. The electronic equipment installation of claim 1 , wherein the top-to-bottom partition has a rear edge that is disposed inwardly from a rear of the electronic equipment enclosure, and wherein the electronic equipment installation further comprises a rear panel assembly extending rearwardly from the rear edge of the top-to-bottom partition to block air from flowing into or out of a rear plenum from or to the side plenum.

12. The electronic equipment installation of claim 11 , wherein the rear panel assembly includes a fixed rear panel.

13. The electronic equipment installation of claim 12 , wherein the rear panel assembly further includes an adjustable rear panel that may be frontwardly or rearwardly repositioned relative to the fixed rear panel so as to provide adjustability in the front-to-back size of the rear panel assembly.

14. The electronic equipment installation of claim 13 , wherein the rear panel assembly further includes a filler panel.

15. The electronic equipment installation of claim 1 , wherein each of the horizontal and vertical frame pieces has a substantially uniform cross-section other than at locations where each is cut or scored.

16. The electronic equipment installation of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the cross-section of each of the horizontal and vertical frame pieces is U-shaped.

17. An electronic equipment installation with a customized side air dam, comprising:
(a) an electronic equipment enclosure, comprising:
(i) a four-post frame structure, including a front frame, a rear frame, and at least four front-to-back horizontal frame members, wherein the front frame and rear frame each include a pair of vertical frame members and two side-to-side cross members, and wherein the front-to-back horizontal frame members connect the front and rear frames together, and
(ii) a plurality of panels supported by the frame structure so as to define an interior, the panels including side panels, each side panel being disposed on a side of the electronic equipment enclosure;

(b) at least one unit of side-breathing electronic equipment installed in the electronic equipment enclosure and having a duct opening facing a side of the electronic equipment enclosure; and
(c) a customized side air dam, created with the side-breathing electronic equipment already installed, including:
(i) a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical frame pieces, forming a side air dam framework, that is supported by the frame structure, wherein at least a portion of the side air dam framework frames the duct opening, and wherein each of the frame pieces is partially cut or scored so as to be cut or broken by an installer to desired lengths, and
(ii) one or more customizable air dam panels mounted to the side air dam framework such that a top-to-bottom partition is created immediately adjacent the side-breathing electronic equipment except for the framed duct opening,
(iii) wherein the top-to-bottom partition is parallel to, but inwardly offset from, the adjacent side panel of the electronic equipment enclosure such that a side plenum is created between the top-to-bottom partition and the adjacent side panel.

18. An electronic equipment installation with a customized side air dam, comprising:
(a) an electronic equipment enclosure, comprising:
(i) a four-post frame structure, including a front frame, a rear frame, and at least four front-to-back horizontal frame members, wherein the front frame and rear frame each include a pair of vertical frame members and two side-to-side cross members, and wherein the front-to-back horizontal frame members connect the front and rear frames together, and
(ii) a plurality of panels supported by the frame structure so as to define an interior, the panels including side panels, each side panel being disposed on a side of the electronic equipment enclosure;

(b) at least one unit of side-breathing electronic equipment installed in the electronic equipment enclosure and having a duct opening facing a side of the electronic equipment enclosure; and
(c) a customized side air dam, created with the side-breathing electronic equipment already installed, including:
(i) a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical frame pieces, forming a side air dam frame

Assignees

• Chatsworth Prod Inc

Inventors

• Lewis Ii Richard Evans
• Krietzman William Drew

Classifications

• H05K7/20754 Primary

  Air circulating in closed loop within cabinets · CPC title

• H05K7/20736 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K5/0213

  Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• H05K7/20709 Primary

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

• H05K7/20836

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title