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`[19]
`Ulllted States Patent
`4,860,163
`[11] Patent Number:
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`[45] Date of Patent:
`Aug. 22, 1989
`Sarath
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`[54] COWUNICATION EQUIPMENT CABINET
`COOLING ARRANGEMENT
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`[75]
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`Inventor: Alan Sarath, Teaneck, NJ.
`'
`[731 Assignees: American Telephone and Telegraph
`Company, New York, N-Y-; AT&T
`Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ.
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`4,261,519
`4/1981 Ester ................ 239/548
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`4,500,944 2/ 1985 Roberts et a1.
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`..... 361/384
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`6/1987 Speraw ................................ 361/384
`4,672,509
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`.
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`Primary Examiner—A. D. Pellinen
`Assistant Examiner—Gregory D. Thompson
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Frederick B. Luludis
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`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`In order to cool heat generating components mounted
`[21] Appl. No" 229’076
`on circuit packs plugged into a backplane wiring board
`[22] Filed:
`Aug. 5, 1988
`[Deemed in a compaet cabinet, 1“ Whieh the haekPlahe
`[51]
`Int. Cl.4 ............................................... HOSK 7/20
`[52] US. Cl. .................................... 361/384; 361/391- Weld normally Prevent. a Stream Of eeehhg gas ehter'
`361/415’
`mg the front of. the cabinet from flowmg evenly over
`[58] Field of Search ........................... 174/15 R, 16 R;
`the heat gene‘ehhg comments’ a “0‘” °°htr°1bafflels
`361/381 383 384 390 391, 165/104.33
`placed on each Side of the backplane to direct cooling
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`gas entering the cabinet to the rear of the circuit packs
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`and then around the backplane to a plenum formed by
`References Cited
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`the backplane and a rear surface of the cabinet where
`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`the gas is exhausted by a fan. The exhaust of the cooling
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`212211231321“) fanof
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`sure in the plenum to decrease, thereby urging add1-
`3:526:458
`9/1970 Meyers et a1.
`355/45
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`tional cooling gas to enter the cabinet through louvers
`3 889 487
`6/1975 Frankfurt ............ 62/99
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`formed In the from surface 0f the cabinet-
`3:967:874
`6/1976 Calabro .....
`361/384
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`2/1977 Bartholomew
`.. 317/100
`4,006,388
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`8/1978 Miller et a1.
`........................ 361/394
`4,106,076
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`[561
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`15 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
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`SONY - Ex.—1007
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`1
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`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`. 1007
`SON -
`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`1
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`SONY - Ex.-1007
`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`

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`4,860,163 ’
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`" US. Patent
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`Aug. 22, 1989
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`Sheet 2 of3
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`4,860,163
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`3
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`US. Patent
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`Aug. 22, 1989
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`Sheet 3 of3
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`4,860,163
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`FIG.3
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`1
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`4,860,163
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`2
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`COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT CABINET
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`COOLING ARRANGEMENT
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`TECHNICAL FIELD
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`The invention relates to an arrangement for cooling
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`an electronic assembly of heat generating components
`mounted in an equipment cabinet.
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`In conventional cooling arrangements, in which cir-
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`cuit packs are edge mounted in a circuit pack cage and
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`plugged into a so-called backplane wiring board at-
`tached to the cage, a cooling gas enters the bottom of
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`the cabinet, rises vertically and passes over the heat
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`generating components mounted on the circuit packs
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`and then exits via louvers formed in the top surface of
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`the cabinet. The vertical flow of the cooling gas is aug-
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`mented by a forced convection system, such as a blower 20
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`fan placed at the bottom of the cabinet or just beneath
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`the circuit packs. Although such cooling arrangements
`are adequate, they are still faulty in some notable re-
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`spects. For exmaple, when a blower fan is placed in
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`proximity to the circuit packs, the flow of the cooling 25
`gas forms a vortex, thereby causing uneven cooling of
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`‘the heat generating components. In addition, when the
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`circuit packs are of different lengths, pockets of cooling
`gas formed by face plates attached to one end of the
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`longer circuit packs prevent the cooling gas from flow-
`ing evenly over components mounted at the front of the
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`circuit packs.
`Alternatively, the circuit pack cage could be rotated
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`90 degrees so that it is mounted vertically in the cabinet.
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`The cooling gas could then enter one side of the cabinet,
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`flow over the heat generating components and exit via
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`the opposite side of the cabinet. However, such a cool-
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`ing arrangement would be ineffective in the instance
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`where it is contemplated that at least two such cabinets
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`will be placed side-by-side, since one cabinet would
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`exhaust heated cooling gas into the next adjacent cabi-
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`net. With the circuit pack cage so oriented, the cooling
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`gas could be arranged, on the other hand, so that it
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`enters the front surface of the cabinet, flows over the
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`heat generating components and then exits via the rear
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`surface of the cabinet. However, in this instance, the
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`backplane would impede the flow of the cooling gas
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`causing it to form a turbulence within the cabinet.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`to cool heat generating components
`In order
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`mounted on circuit packs plugged into a backplane
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`wiring board attached to the rear surface of a circuit
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`pack cage disposed in a compact cabinet, in which the
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`backplane would normally prevent a stream of cooling
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`gas entering the front of the cabinet from flowing
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`evenly over the heat generating components, a flow
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`control baffle is placed on each side of the circuit pack
`cage to direct cooling gas entering the front of the
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`cabinet
`to the rear of the circuit packs and thence
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`around the backplane to a plenum formed by the back-
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`plane and a rear surface of the cabinet where the gas is
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`exhausted by convection. The convection is obtained
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`using, for example, a blower fan. The exhaustion of the
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`cooling gas causes the level of the cooling gas pressure
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`in the plenum to decrease, thereby urging additional
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`cooling gas to enter the cabinet through louvers formed
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`in the front surface of the cabinet.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
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`The features and advantages of the instant invention
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`will be fully appreciated by reference to the following
`detailed description, when read in light of the accompa-
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`nying drawing in which:
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`FIG. 1 is an exploded, front perspective view of ap-
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`paratus which is the subject of the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is a cut-away, front perspective view of the
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`apparatus shown in FIG. 1 assembled in accordance
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`with the principles of the present invention; and
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`FIG. 3 is a cut-away top plan view of the apparatus
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`depicted in FIG. 2.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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`Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown flow control
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`baffles 30 and 31 about to be attached to respective side
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`surfaces 23 and 24 of circuit pack cage 20. Specifically,
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`the end portions of baffles 30 and 31 are bent perpendic-
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`ular away from the main body thereof to form top and
`bottom flange members 32 and 33. Baffles 30 and 31,
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`which are mirror images of each other, are attached to
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`circuit pack cage 20 by passing threaded bolts (not
`shown) through holes 34 formed in top and bottom
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`flange members 32 and 33, respectively, and thence into
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`corresponding holes (not shown) formed in the top and
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`bottom surfaces of circuit pack cage 20. Once baffles 30
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`and 31 are so attached they are secured to circuit pack
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`cage 20 by threading a nut having interior threads
`formed therein onto each bolt.
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`In addition, the front end of each baffle 30 and 31 is
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`bent perpendicular to the main body thereof in a direc-
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`tion opposite to that of flange members 32 and 33 to
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`form a front flange 35. Front flanges 35 attach to respec-
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`tive flanges 36 mounted in the interior of cabinet 10 to
`secure circuit pack cage 20 to the latter, as will be
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`shown below.
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`Circuit pack cage 20, which may be, for example, the
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`84 HP Sub-Rack available from BICC-VERO Elec-
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`tronics Inc. of Trumbull, CT., includes a plurality of
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`circuit pack guides collectively designated 22 for re-
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`ceiving respective circuit packs, such as circuit pack 21.
`The height and width of circuit pack cage 20 are illus-
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`tratively 17.0 inches as measured from point “b” to
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`point “c” and 10.5 inches as measured from point “a” to
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`point “b”, respectively. The depth of circuit pack cage
`20 is illustratively 7.0 inches as measured from point “c”
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`to point “d”.
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`Circuit pack cage 10 also includes a so-called back-
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`plane wiring board (not shown in FIG. 1) affixed to a
`rear surface of circuit pack cage 20. The backplane
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`wiring board could be, for example, the Jl VME bus
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`backplane also available from BICC-VERO Electron-
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`ics Inc.
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`Communication equipment cabinet, or housing, 10
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`includes a front door 11 (not shown in FIG. 1) and a
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`rear door 16 each having a number of louvers 12 formed
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`therein. Rear door 16 provides access to the back-plane
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`wiring board when circuit pack cage 20 is mounted in
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`cabinet 10. The height and width of cabinet 10 are illus-
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`tratively 27.3 inches as measured from point “t” to point
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`“g” and 12.8 inches as measured from point “e” to point
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`“t”, respectively, thereby making the height and width
`of cabinet 10 respectively 10.3 inches and 2.3 inches
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`greater than that of circuit pack cage 20. The depth of
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`cabinet 10, which is shown slightly exaggerated in the
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`FIGs.,
`is illustratively 21.5 inches as measured from
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`point “h” to point “g”.
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`4,860,163
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`5
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`10
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`Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a cut-
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`away view of communication equipment cabinet 10
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`having circuit pack cage 20 inserted therein. The depth
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`of cabinet 10 is shown slightly exaggeratedin the FIG.
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`to clearly depict the manner in which circuit pack cage
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`20 is disposed therein, and to clearly depict the manner
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`in which circuits packs 21 are mounted in respective
`circuit pack guides 22 formed in the interior of circuit
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`pack cage 10. Each of the circuit packs 21 are shown
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`having a number of heat generating components 26
`affixed thereto. It is seen from the FIG. that circuit
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`packs 21 are not mounted on edge as would be the case
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`in conventional arrangements, but are mounted hori-
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`zontally commensurate with the orientation of circuit
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`pack cage 20 within cabinet 10. Access to circuit pack
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`cage 20 when it is mounted in cabinet 10 is provided by
`front door 11 having a plurality of louvers 12 formed
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`therein.
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`As mentioned above, the width of cabinet 10 is ap-
`proximately 2.3 inches greater than the width of circuit
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`pack cage 20. Thus, when circuit pack cage 20 is dis-
`posed in cabinet 10, a duct 17 is established between the
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`right-hand side 23 of circuit pack cage 20 and right-
`hand interior surface 13 of cabinet 10. A similar duct 18
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`is also established between the left-hand side 24 of cir-
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`cuit pack cage 20 and left-hand interior surface 14 of
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`cabinet 10. Ducts 17 and 18 communicate with plenum
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`40 formed by conventional backplane wiring board 25
`attached to circuit pack cage 20 and rear door 16 of
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`cabinet 10. The depth of plenum 40 as measured from
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`point “j” to point “e” is illustratively 11 inches. The
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`height and width of plenum 40 are substantially com-
`mensurate with that of cabinet 10.
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`The plurality of louvers 12 formed in front door 11 of
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`cabinet 10 allow a stream of cooling gas, for example,
`air, to enter cabinet 10 and flow ovre and cool the heat
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`generating components 26. In accordance with the in-
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`vention, flow control baffles 30 and 31 attached to re-
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`spective sides 23 and 24 of circuit pack cage 20 direct
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`the flow of the cooling gas to heat generating compo-
`nents 26 affixed to the rear of circuit packs 21. The
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`stream of cooling gas then exits circuit pack cage 20 via
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`spaces 27 formed between adjacent circuit pack guides
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`22 and flows into ducts 17 and 18. The stream of cooling
`gas flowing into ducts 17 and 18 is then directed to
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`plenum 40 where it is exhausted by the forced convec-
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`tion provided by blower fan 19 mounted in proximity to
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`rear door 16. The cooling gas flows into plenum 40 by
`virtue of the negative pressure differential that exists
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`between plenum 40 and front door 11 of cabinet 40. This
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`negative pressure differential is created as a result of the
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`cooling gas being exhausted by blower fan 19. The
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`negative pressure differential thus urges the stream of
`gas to flow into plenum 40.
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`(It is noted that what is meant herein by the term “the
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`rear of a circuit pack 21” is that end of a circuit pack
`having a connector (not shown) affixed thereto which
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`plugs into a respective connector (not shown) affixed to
`back-plane wiring board 25. The term “the front of a
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`circuit pack 21” is, of course, understood to mean the
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`opposite end of the circuit pack).
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`The improvement occasioned by the arrangement of
`FIG. 2 can be appreciated by reference to FIG. 3. FIG.
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`3 illustrates a top cut-away view of the arrangement of
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`FIG. 2, in which like elements retain the same designa-
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`tions. As can be seen, a stream of cooling gas as repre-
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`°sented by the direction of the arrows depicted in FIG.
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`3 enters cabinet 10 via louvers 12 (not shown in FIG. 3)
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`formed in front door 11. Front flange members 35
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`shown attached to respective flange members 36 of
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`cabinet 10 then direct the flow of the cooling gas into
`circuit pack cage 20. Flow control baffles 30 and 31
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`then direct the flow of cooling gas over the heat gener-
`ating components and thence into ducts 17 and 18. Once
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`in ducts 17 and 18, the stream of cooling gas then flows
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`into plenum 40 where it is exhausted by blower fan 19,
`as discussed above.
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`It can thus be appreciated that in the absence of baf-
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`fles 30 and 31 the cooling gas flowing into circuit pack
`cage 10 would immediately flow into ducts 17 and 18
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`via spaces 27. As such, the stream of cooling gas would
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`cool only those heat generating components 26 affixed
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`generally at the front end of circuit packs 21 and would
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`not reach the heat generating components affixed gen-
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`erally at the opposite end. As seen from FIG. 3, the
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`aforementioned flow control problem is corrected by
`the presence of flow control baffles 30 and 31, ducts 17
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`and 18 and plenum 40.
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`It is also seen from FIG. 3, that front flange members
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`35 of baffles 30 and 31 when attached to respective
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`flanges 36 not only serve to secure circuit pack cage 20
`in cabinet 10, but also serve to direct the flow of the
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`cooling gas entering through louvers 12 of front door 11
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`into circuit pack cage 20. Thus, front flange members
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`prevent
`the cooling gas from immediately entering
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`ducts 17 and 18, respectively. In this respect, front
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`flange members 35 may be considered as being front
`flow-control baffles.
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`As mentioned above, the height of cabinet 10 is ap-
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`proximately 10.3 inches “greater” than that of circuit
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`pack cage 20. Accordingly, circuit pack cage 20 may be
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`disposed in cabinet 10 such that sufficient space is made
`available beneath circuit pack cage 20 for the location
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`of electronic devices. The electronic devices could be,
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`for example, disc drives and/or one or more power
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`supplies for providing power to circuit packs 21 via
`backplane wiring board 25. It is well-known and under-
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`stood that such electronic devices also need to be
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`cooled and, therefore, are typically equipped with their
`own blower fans. To prevent those blower fans from
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`interfering with the flow of the cooling gas over circuit
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`packs 21, a baffle (not shown) is disposed in door 11
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`such that it cover the louvers 12 that are directly in
`front of the electronic devices when door 11 is in a
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`closed position. In addition, a louver (not shown) is
`provided in a bottom surface of door 11 to allow a
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`cooling gas to enter thereat and cool the electronic
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`devices.
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`Various modifications and adaptations of the present
`invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art,
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`and, for that reason, it is intended that the invention be
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`limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
`I claim:
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`1. Apparatus comprising
`a cabinet,
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`a circuit pack cage disposed in said cabinet such that
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`a plenum is formed between a rear surface of said
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`circuit pack cage and an interior rear surface of
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`said cabinet and a pair of ducts each communicat-
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`ing with said plenum are formed between respec-
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`tive side surfaces of said circuit pack cage and
`respective interior surfaces of said cabinet,
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`means contained in said circuit pack cage for mount-
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`ing an array of circuit packs each bearing heat
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`generating components, said circuit packs being
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`mounted one above the other such that the compo-
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`20
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`25
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`45
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`55
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`60
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`6
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`

`

`4,860,163
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`6
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`8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein said
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`front flange of each of said flow-control baffles consti-
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`tutes a front baffle for directing the flow of said cooling
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`gas entering said cabinet into said means for receiving.
`9. The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein said
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`means for receiving is a circuit pack cage including a
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`backplane wiring board for receiving said at least one
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`assembly of heat generating components.
`10. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein said
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`cabinet includes front and rear doors each having a
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`plurality of louvers formed therein and wherein said
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`means for urging is a blower fan mounted in proximity
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`to said rear door for exhausting said cooling gas from
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`said plenum.
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`11. Apparatus comprising
`a cabinet,
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`a circuit pack cage for receiving at least one circuit
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`pack bearing heat generating components, said
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`circuit pack cage being disposed in said cabinet
`such that a duct communicating with a common
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`plenum is formed on each side of said circuit pack
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`cage, said at least one circuit pack being disposed in
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`said circuit pack cage such that a plane defined by
`the surface of said at least one circuit pack is paral-
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`lel with a top surface of said cabinet,
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`means for urging a cooling gas to enter a front surface
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`of said cabinet and to flow over ones of said heat
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`generating components affixed at one end of said at
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`least one circuit pack, and
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`a pair of flow-control baffles attached to respective
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`side surfaces of said circuit pack cage for directing
`the flow of said cooling gas to other ones of said
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`heat generating components affixed at the other
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`end of said at least one circuit pack and thence into
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`each said duct so that said cooling gas may flow
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`into said plenum responsive to a convection flow
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`established by said means for urging.
`12. The apparatus set forth in claim 11 wherein each
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`of said flow-control baffles includes a front flange, said
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`front flange being attached to a corresponding flange
`mounted in the interior of said cabinet to position said
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`circuit pack cage in said cabinet.
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`13. The apparatus set forth in claim 12 wherein said
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`front flange of each of said flow-control baffles consti-
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`tutes a front baffle for directing the flow of said cooling
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`gas into said circuit pack cage.
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`14. The apparatus set forth in claim 11 wherein said
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`circuit pack cage includes a backplane wiring board for
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`receiving said at least one circuit pack.
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`15. The apparatus set forth in claim 11 wherein said
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`cabinet includes front and rear doors each having a
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`plurality of louvers formed therein and wherein said
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`means for urging is a blower fan mounted in said rear
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`door.
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`II
`t
`It
`II
`II
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`5
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`nent mounting surface of each of said circuit packs
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`is parallel with a top surface of said cabinet, and
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`a pair of flow control baffles attached to respective
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`side surfaces of said circuit pack cage,
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`whereby a cooling gas which enters a front surface of 5
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`said cabinet and flows over heat generating compo-
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`nents affixed at one end of each of said circuit packs
`is directed by said pair of baffles to flow over heat
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`generating components affixed at the other end of
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`each of said circuit packs and thence into said ducts 10
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`where said cooling gas then flows into said plenum
`and is exhausted therefrom.
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`2. The apparatus set forthin claim 1 wherein each of
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`said baffles includes a front flange which attaches to a
`corresponding flange mounted in the interior of said 15
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`cabinet so that said circuit pack cage may be positioned
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`in said cabinet.
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`3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said rear
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`surface of said circuit pack cage is a backplane wiring
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`board for receiving said circuit packs.
`4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said
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`cabinet includes front and rear doors each having a
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`plurality of louvers formed therein and a blower fan
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`mounted in said rear door for providing a source of
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`forced convection for the exhaustion of said cooling gas 25
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`from said plenum.
`5. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said
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`front flange of each of said baffles constitutes a front
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`baffle for directing the flow of said cooling gas entering
`said cabinet into said circuit pack cage.
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`6. Apparatus comprising
`a cabinet,
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`means for receiving at least one assembly of heat
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`bearing components,
`said means for
`receiving
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`being disposed in said cabinet such that each side 35
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`surface of said means for receiving and a respective
`interior surface of said cabinet form a duct commu-
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`nicating with a plenum formed by a rear surface of
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`said means for receiving and an interior rear sur-
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`40
`face of said cabinet,
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`means for urging a cooling gas to flow into said cabi-
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`net and thence over ones of said heat generating
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`components disposed at one end of said assembly,
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`and a pair of flow-control baffles attached to re-
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`spective side surfaces of said means for receiving
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`for directing the flow of said cooling gas over
`other ones of said heat bearing components dis-
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`posed at the other end of said assemlby and thence
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`into each said duct where said cooling gas flows
`into said plenum and is exhausted from said cabinet. 50
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`7. The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein each of
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`said flow-control baffles includes a front flange which is
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`attached to a corresponding flange mounted in the inte-
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`rior of said cabinet for positioning said means for receiv-
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`ing in said cabinet.
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`20
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`3O
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`45
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`65
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`7
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