Patent Application
20070264921
The present invention relates to ventilated housings and ventilated housing assemblies.
Existing convection cooled units for rack-mounted communication equipment typically leave a horizontal space between shelves for an air cushion and/or baffle units and/or cable management units. Typically, convection cooled units have a box-shaped cool air intake on the bottom and a box-shaped hot air exhaust on the top. If two such units are stacked without a space between them, the hot air radiating from the bottom unit heats up the air in the cool air intake of the upper unit possibly resulting in the upper unit overheating.
Cable management in systems, such as telecommunication systems, is normally single-function and requires additional vertical space to ensure that the cables do not hinder the air intake and outlets of convection cooled units within the systems. For example, it is desirable to avoid passing the cables in front of the cool air intake or the hot air exhaust, which would hinder airflow.
Additionally, the cable management systems available do not always accommodate both front and rear dressing of cables within industry standards.
One solution is to leave one rack unit of space between units to overcome this preheating and allow for proper fiber management, but this arrangement takes up valuable space and therefore possibly results in loss of potential revenue. Another solution is a baffled kit that guides the airflow. This solution also takes up additional vertical rack space with associated revenue loss.
Units cooled using forced air solutions cost more, take up more rack space and require more maintenance than convection cooling solutions. The fans in such forced air systems are bulky and require regular maintenance. Furthermore, if the fan is not working, the unit can not be operated. Forced air solutions are necessary for devices that generate too much heat to be dissipated by way of a convection cooling system but where possible convection cooled systems are preferable.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ventilated housing for accommodating one or more components, the housing comprising: opposed first and second spaced-apart end portions; an upper air barrier extending at least partially between the first and second end portions for limiting upward movement of air inside the housing and having an upper surface; a first part of the upper air barrier proximate the first end portion being positioned at a level below the level of a second part of the upper air barrier proximate the second end portion; an inlet defined in the first end portion for admitting air into the housing, the inlet being positioned at a level below the first part; and an outlet for discharging air from the housing.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the ventilated housing further comprises a lower air barrier disposed below the upper air barrier, extending at least partially between the first and second end portions, at least a portion of the inlet being positioned above the lower air barrier, a first part of the lower air barrier proximate one end portion being positioned at a level below the level of a second part of the lower barrier proximate the other end portion.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the ventilated housing, further comprises an element positioned in front of the first end portion at a level between the first and second parts of the upper air barrier, the element being spaced from the first end portion to provide a gap between the element and the first end portion for permitting the passage of air above the upper air barrier. In some embodiments, the element comprises a support for supporting a cable or wire.
Embodiments of the invention that include the element have the advantage of being able to integrate both an air baffle and cable management all within the height of the shelf, thus saving valuable rack space. As well, in rack mounted systems according to this embodiment, cables may be dressed to the front or to the rear of the housings. For example, in designs where the cables are connected at the front of a device, the cables may dress up and over the cable management devices. They can then be routed to the right or left or both for front dressing. For rear dressing, the cables dress up and route to one side and then to the rear through a channel on the side of the element or cable management assembly.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ventilated housing assembly, comprising a first and second ventilated housing, the second housing being positioned below the first housing; the housing assembly having first and second opposed, spaced-apart end portions; the first housing having a lower air barrier extending at least partially between the first and second end portions, a first part of the lower air barrier proximate the first end portion being disposed at a level below the level of a second part of the lower air barrier proximate the second end portion; the second housing having an upper air barrier extending at least partially between the first and second end portions, a first part of the upper air barrier proximate the first end portion being disposed at a level below the level of a second part of the upper air barrier of the second housing proximate the second end portion; and the upper air barrier of the second housing being spaced from the lower air barrier of the first housing to provide a space therebetween.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ventilated housing for accommodating one or more components, comprising: first and second opposed, spaced apart end portions; a lower air barrier extending at least partially between the first and second end portions for limiting downward movement of air inside the housing and having a lower surface; a first part of the lower air barrier proximate the first end portion being positioned at a level below the level of a second apart of the air barrier proximate the second end portion; an inlet defined in the first end portion for admitting air into the housing and being positioned opposite the second part of the lower air barrier; and an outlet for discharging air from the housing.
Advantageously, the slope of the upper and lower air barriers in aspects of the present invention allows for saving of vertical space over the prior art convection cooled systems when ventilated housings are stacked. The second part of the upper air barrier of one stacked housing may be at a level at or above the level of the first part of the lower air barrier of the housing above the one stacked housing. Thus, there may be an vertical overlap of the air space between the upper and lower units and the air barriers of the units. Alternatively, the same amount of total space may be used as with traditional stacked systems while achieving a greater air space between each housing. An improved convection cooled product reduces the requirements for forced air systems, which require fan and filter maintenance.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of the specific embodiments of the invention.
Examples of embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
For ease of reference, the same reference numerals are used to refer to parts that perform the same function in each embodiment.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the upper air barrier 105 comprises a panel that slopes upwardly in a direction from the first end portion 102 towards the second end portion 103. In some embodiments, the upper air barrier 105 extends substantially continuously from the first end portion 102 to the second end portion 103.
At least a portion of the outlet 110, in some embodiments, is positioned at the second end portion 103 and at a level above the first part 106 of the upper air barrier 107.
One embodiment of the ventilated housing 100 according to the present invention, further comprises a support for supporting the one or more components. In some embodiments, the support is positioned below the upper air barrier 105. In some embodiments, the support is positioned below the level of the first part 106 of the upper air barrier. In some embodiments, the support is adapted for receiving a plurality of circuit cards. In embodiments comprising the support, the inlet 108 may be positioned below the support. In some embodiments the support is a main body of an electronic device.
Referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower air barrier 155 is parallel to the upper air barrier 145. In other embodiments, the upper air barrier slopes upwardly at an angle different than the lower air barrier slopes downward. Conceivably, the first part 156 of the lower air barrier 155 may be proximate the second end portion 143.
In some embodiments of the present invention the upper air barrier 105 or 145 and/or the lower air barrier 125 or 155 is (are) curved.
In some embodiments, the ventilated housing comprises a metallic perforated box, such as a Faraday cage.
The ventilated housing 100 or 140 in some embodiments further comprises a structure for supporting another housing above the ventilated housing to provide a space between the upper air barrier and a lower portion of the other housing. In some embodiments, the other housing has a lower air barrier such as that on the ventilated housings 120 and 140. In some embodiments, the space is open. In others, the space is filled with an insulating material.
In use, the ventilated housing 100, 120 or 140 is applied to an apparatus for holding components that require cooling, such as an electronic device for communication equipment. In an embodiment, the housing is adapted for mounting on a rack. When two or more ventilated housings according to embodiments of the present invention are mounted on a rack, an angled air space may exist between any two such housings. Air will naturally flow through the air space in a direction from the first end portion to the second end portion.
In some embodiments, the lower air barrier 125 or 155 defines a cool air intake and the upper air barrier 105 and 145 defines a hot air exhaust. In some embodiments of the invention, the exhaust and/or the intake comprise(s) baffles designed to direct the air flow through the exhaust below the upper air barrier or the intake above the lower air barrier.
In some embodiments, the ventilated housing 100 or 140 comprises an element positioned in front of the first end portion 102, 142 respectively, at a level between the first part 106, 146 and the second part 107, 147 of the upper air barrier 105, 145. The element is spaced from the first end portion 102, 142 to provide a gap between the element and the first end portion for permitting the passage of air above the upper air barrier 105/145. In some embodiments, the element comprises a support for supporting a cable or wire. In some embodiments, the element is supported by the housing such that the distance between the element and the housing can be varied. A non-limiting example of such an element will now be described in detail with reference to
A ventilated housing 300 shown in
In some embodiments of the invention, the element 340 has a lip 344 on a bottom edge of the base side 341, as illustrated in
In some embodiments of the invention, the element comprises means for redirecting cables from the front face of the housing 300 to a side of the housing perpendicular to a front face. One non-limiting example of a means for redirecting the cables is illustrated in
Alternatively, in other embodiments of the element, the cables are dressed along the base portion 341 and attached thereto, for example by lacing or tie-wrapping the cables to the element. In some embodiments, perforations are provided in the element for lacing or tying.
In some embodiments of the present invention the element 340 is movable in a direction between the end portions. The ability to move the element forward and backward, with respect to the housing 300, has the advantage of enabling the housing 300 to be positioned flush with the edges of a rack when mounted with the means for redirecting cables protruding beyond the edges of the rack or to have the housing extend beyond the edge of the rack. This feature can also be used to control the size of the intake to the air space when two apparatuses are stacked.
Referring to
In some embodiments of the ventilated housing assembly, the first housing 410 comprises an inlet in the first end portion 402 for admitting air into the first housing 410 and the inlet is disposed opposite to the second part 427 of the lower air barrier 420.
In some embodiments, the second housing 420 comprises an outlet in the second end portion 403 for discharging air from the second housing 420, with at least a portion of the outlet disposed at the same level of at least a portion of the space between the upper and lower air barriers 415 and 425. In some embodiments, the ventilated housing assembly 400 comprises an opening at the first end portion 402 for admitting air into the space between the upper and lower air barriers 415 and 425. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the outlet is at the same level as at least a portion of the opening.
In some embodiments, the upper air barrier 425 and the lower air barrier 415 are parallel to each other. In other embodiments, they are at different angles.
One embodiment of a system of stacked housings 140 is shown in
What has been described is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements and methods can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
