BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sub-rack with a housing and two inserted plug-in modules in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a sub-rack with a liquid distributor for connecting six liquid cooled plug-in modules;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a sub-rack with a liquid distributor, and which is completely equipped with liquid cooled plug-in modules;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plug-in module with two heat sinks;
FIG. 5 is a detail front elevation of the top corner area of the sub-rack shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 6 is a detail side elevation of the top corner area shown in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the description which follows like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawing figures may not be to scale and certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic or generalized form in the interest or clarity and conciseness.
FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 each show a sub-rack 1 with a housing 2, into which plug-in modules 3 are pushed. In the front region 4 of the sub-rack 1, a front cover plate 5 is provided above a push in area 6, which area is for inserting and removing the plug-in modules 3. Underneath the push in area 6 there is an air inlet plate 7, which has a screen-like construction, so that several small air inlet openings are provided for air-cooling the sub-rack 1.
In FIG. 1, the two plug-in modules 3 each have two through-holes 9 on their front plates 8. Cooling fluid feed lines 10 and return lines 11 of a cooling device for liquid cooling are guided through the through-holes 9, see FIG. 4 also.
The front cover plate 5 arranged above the push in area 6 for the plug-in modules 3 has a liquid distributor 12, which is a component of the cooling device. The liquid distributor 12 is fixed on the front cover plate 5 of the sub-rack 1. The front cover plate 5, however, is connected detachably to the housing 2 of the sub-rack 1 at opposed angular profiles of the housing, so that the front cover plate 5 can be exchanged together with the liquid distributor 12. Fixing the liquid distributor 12 on a separate front cover plate 5, which is fixed detachably to the sub-rack 1, is especially preferred because liquid cooling for a sub-rack can be retrofitted through simple replacement of the front cover plate 5.
FIG. 2 likewise shows a sub-rack 1 according to the invention, whose push in area 6 is filled completely with plug-in modules 3. Five of the plug-in modules 3 are provided with liquid cooling.
The liquid distributor 12 arranged above the push in area 6 preferably has a distributor housing 13 with a cover side 14, which is aligned parallel to the front cover plate 5. At least two line connections 15 for connecting a coupling 22 are provided on the cover side 14, FIG. 5.
The liquid distributor 12 has several line connections 15, which are arranged in two rows one above the other. Line connections 15a of the top row are provided for connecting respective feed lines 10. Lower line connections 15b, FIGS. 2 and 6, are provided for connecting to respective return lines 11. Thus, two line connections 15 are used for connecting the cooling device of each plug-in module 3.
A main feed line 17a and a main return line 17b, which are connected to a not shown heat exchanger, are arranged on one side wall 16 of the distributor housing 13 of the liquid distributor 12. Usually, the heat exchanger is arranged in the same switchgear cabinet as the sub-rack.
FIG. 3 shows a sub-rack 1 with a liquid distributor, which extends over the entire width of the sub-rack 1 and which provides possible connections for each insertable plug-in module 3. For example, such a liquid distributor 12 includes possible connections for a total of fourteen plug-in modules 3 in the use of nineteen inch sub-racks.
The sub-racks 1 shown explicitly in FIGS. 2 and 3 each have a liquid distributor 12, which extends over the entire width of the sub-rack 1. In an alternate construction of the liquid distributor 12, it may have only connections for a few plug-in modules 3, especially for three plug-in modules 3, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The liquid distributor 12 then extends only over the width of three modules. It is constructed as a small block. Such a liquid distributor 12, shown in FIG. 5, shows the arrangement at the upper left corner of a sub-rack 1. The liquid distributor 12 has line connections 15 for a total of three modules. In addition to the liquid distributor 12, in the front cover plate 5 there is a receptacle 18, on which another liquid distributor 12 can be attached, if additional plug-in modules 3 are to be later provided with liquid cooling. In the receptacle 18, which has a square construction, a cooperating clip, not shown, of a liquid distributor 12 may be disposed. In this way, the liquid distributor 12 is easy to install.
FIG. 4 shows in detail a plug-in module 3 with cooling bodies or heat sinks 19 and two through-holes 9 on a front plate 8 for feeding through the feed line 10 and the return line 11. This plug-in module 3 is likewise suitable for holding in a sub-rack 1. The spacing between the feed line 10 and return line 11 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is greater than for the embodiments of the plug-in modules shown in the other drawing figures, but otherwise the embodiments are all constructed in the same way. Moreover, in the embodiments shown the feed line 10 may be disposed above or below the return line 11 in the various drawing figures. The arrangement of the feed and return lines in this respect may not be important.
As is to be taken from FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, a flexible line section 20 and 21, on each of which a coupling 22 is arranged, is provided at the free end of the feed line 10 and the return line 11, respectively. Preferably, the couplings 22 have an arc shaped or angled construction. The angle here is advantageously between 60° and 125°. Especially preferred is an angle of 90°, like that of the couplings 22 shown in the drawing figures. Such couplings 22 are especially well suited for connecting to a liquid distributor 12, whose line connections 15a and 15b are arranged on the cover side 14. Bending and resulting damage to the line sections 20, 21 is reliably prevented.
As shown in FIG. 6, in particular, the liquid distributor 12 projects only slightly past the front region 4 of the sub-rack 1, so that the sub-rack 1 with coupling 22 attached to the cooling device is deeper than an air cooled sub-rack. The couplings 22 extend only slightly past a cable collection plate 23, which is arranged above the liquid distributor 12 and which can be provided in sub-racks such as the sub-rack 1.
The sub-rack 1 according to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 includes a combined air and liquid cooling system, because the plug-in modules 3 arranged in the sub-rack 1 can be cooled first via air cooling, and second via liquid cooling. The cold air for air cooling flows through the air inlet plate 7 in the sub-rack 1. In addition, there is the possibility, by setting up or retrofitting the sub-rack 1 with liquid distributors 12, to install some or all of the plug-in modules 3 with liquid cooling, in order also to cool individual plug-in modules 3.
The construction and operation of the sub-rack housing for receiving plug-in modules according to the present invention is believed to be within the purview of one skilled in the art based on the foregoing description. Conventional engineering materials and practices may be used to construct the sub-rack with housing for receiving plug-in modules as shown and described.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20070256957
