United States Patent 1
`4,860,163
`[11] Patent Number:
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`[45] Date of Patent:
`Aug. 22, 1989
`Sarath
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`4,261,519
`4,500,944
`4,672,509
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`ssesenseseseeeeees 239/548
`4/1981 Ester oo...
`[54] COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT CABINET
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`........sssseeeeee 361/384
`2/1985 Roberts et al.
`COOLING ARRANGEMENT
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`6/1987 Speraw ....cessscsseseceeeees 361/384
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`Inventor: Alan Sarath, Teaneck, N.J.
`[75]
`Primary Examiner—A. D. Pellinen
`Assistant Examiner—Gregory D. Thompson
`[73] Assignees: American Telephone and Telegraph
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Frederick B. Luludis
`Company, New York, N.Y.; AT&T
`Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, N.J.
`(57]
`ABSTRACT
`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
`Mounted in a compact cabinet, in which the backplane
`[51]
`Tmt. C14 ccecsceseenesesssntnseneesssnsin HOSK 7/20
`Would normally prevent a stream ofcooling gas enter-
`[52] US. Ch. essssssessenteseneeneunen 361/384; 361/391;
`ing the front of the cabinet from flowing evenly over
`361/415
`[58] Field of Search ....cscsesesvereee 174/15 R, 16R;_the heat generating components, a flow control baffle is
`placed on each side of the backplane to direct cooling
`361/381, 383, 384, 390, 391; 165/104.33
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`gas entering the cabinet to the rear of the circuit packs
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`ee’
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`and then around the backplane to a plenum formed by
`References Cited
`the backplane and a rear surface of the cabinet where
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`the gas is exhausted by a fan. The exhaust of the cooling
`SIR3/964 BeiteronTID gu bythe an ne he evel of he cooling ee pe
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`sure in the plenum to decrease, thereby urging addi-
`9/1970 Meyers etal...
`3,526,458
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`tional cooling gas to enter the cabinet through louvers
`6/1975 FrankfUrt cosssecccccccccccccccccsseesee 62/99
`3889.487
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`formedin the frontsurfaceofthe cabinet.
`6/1976 Calabro ....
`... 361/384
`3,967,874
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`2/1977 Bartholomew
`-. 317/100
`4,006,388
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`8/1978 Miller et al.
`.....essessssesseees 361/394
`4,106,076
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`[56]
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`15 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
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`SONY- Ex.-1007
`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`1
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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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`Sheet 2 of3
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`| US. Patent
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`Aug. 22, 1989
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`4,860,163
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`US. Patent—Aug. 22, 1989 Sheet 3 of 3 4,860,163
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`FIG.3
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`4,860, 163
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`COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT CABINET
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`COOLING ARRANGEMENT
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`TECHNICAL FIELD
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`Theinvention relates to an arrangement for cooling
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`an electronic assembly of heat generating components
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`mounted in an equipment cabinet.
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`In conventional cooling arrangements, in which cir-
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`cuit packs are edge mountedin 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 gasis aug-
`mented by a forced convection system, such as a blower
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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 arestill faulty in some notable re-
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`spects. For exmaple, when a blowerfan is placed in
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`proximity to the circuit packs, the flow of the cooling
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`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 ofdifferent lengths, pockets of cooling
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`gas formed by face plates attached to one end of the
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`longer circuit packs prevent the cooling gas from flow-
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`ing evenly over components mountedat the front of the
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`circuit packs.
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`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 oneside 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 beineffective in the instance
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`whereit 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
`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
`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.
`SUMMARYOF 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
`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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`controlbaffle is placed on eachside of the circuit pack
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`cage to direct cooling gas entering the front of the
`cabinet
`to the rear of the circuit packs and thence
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`around the backplane to a plenum formed bythe back-
`plane and a rear surface of the cabinet wherethe 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
`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
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`detailed description, when readin 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;
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`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 ofcircuit pack cage 20. Specifically,
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`the end portionsofbaffles 30 and 31 are bent perpendic-
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`ular away from the main body thereof to form top and
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`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
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`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. Oncebaffles 30
`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 thereofin 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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`shownbelow.
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`Circuit pack cage 20, which maybe, for example, the
`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.
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`The height and width of circuit pack cage 20are 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
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`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
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`rear surface of circuit pack cage 20. The backplane
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`wiring board could be, for example, the J1 VME bus
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`backplane also available from BICC-VERO Electron-
`ics Inc.
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`Communication equipment cabinet, or housing, 10
`includes a front door 11 (not shown in FIG. 1) and a
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`rear door 16 each having a numberof louvers 12 formed
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`therein. Rear door 16 provides access to the back-plane
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`wiring board whencircuit pack cage 20 is mounted in
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`cabinet 10. The height and width of cabinet 10 areillus-
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`tratively 27.3 inches as measured from point “‘f”’ to point
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`“ge” and 12.8 inches as measured from point“e” to point
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`“P?, respectively, thereby making the height and width
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`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 shownslightly exaggerated in the
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`FIGs., is illustratively 21.5 inches as measured from
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`point “th” to point “g”.
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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 20inserted therein. The depth
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`of cabinet 10 is shownslightly exaggerated in the FIG.
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`to clearly depict the mannerin 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
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`circuit pack guides 22 formedin theinterior of circuit
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`pack cage 10. Each ofthe circuit packs 21 are shown
`having a number of heat generating components 26
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`affixed thereto. It is seen from the FIG. that circuit
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`packs 21 are not mounted on edge as would bethe case
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`in conventional arrangements, but are mounted hori-
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`zontally commensurate with the orientation of circuit
`pack cage 20 within cabinet 10. Access to circuit pack
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`cage 20 whenit is mounted in cabinet 10 is provided by
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`front door 11 having a plurality of louvers 12 formed
`therein.
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`As mentioned above, the width of cabinet 10 is ap-
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`proximately 2.3 inches greater than the width ofcircuit
`pack cage 20. Thus, when circuit pack cage 20 is dis-
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`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-
`handinterior surface 13 of cabinet 10. A similar duct 18
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`is also established between the left-hand side 24 ofcir-
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`cuit pack cage 20 andleft-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
`height and width of plenum 40 are substantially com-
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`mensurate with that of cabinet 10.
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`Theplurality of louvers 12 formed in front door 11 of
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`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 ofcircuit pack cage 20 direct
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`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
`22 and flowsinto ducts 17 and 18. The stream of cooling
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`gas flowing into ducts 17 and 18 is then directed to
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`plenum 40 whereit is exhausted by the forced convec-
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`tion provided by blower fan 19 mountedin proximity to
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`rear door 16. The cooling gas flows into plenum 40 by
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`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 pressuredifferential 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
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`gas to flow into plenum 490.
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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 ofa circuit pack
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`having a connector (not shown) affixed thereto which
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`plugs into a respective connector (not shown) affixed to
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`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 ofthe circuit pack).
`The improvement occasioned by the arrangement of
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`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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`65
`FIG.2, in which like elements retain the same designa-
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`tions. As can beseen, a stream of cooling gasas 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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`50
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`45
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`60
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`4
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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
`cabinet 10 then direct the flow of the cooling gas into
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`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-
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`ating componentsandthenceinto 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 whereit is exhausted by blower fan 19,
`as discussed above.
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`It can thus be appreciated that in the absence ofbaf-
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`fles 30 and 31 the cooling gas flowing into circuit pack
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`cage 10 would immediately flow into ducts 17 and 18
`via spaces 27. As such,the stream of cooling gas would
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`cool only those heat generating components 26 affixed
`generally at the front end of circuit packs 21 and would
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`not reach the heat generating componentsaffixed 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
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`the presence of flow controlbaffles 30 and 31, ducts 17
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`and 18 and plenum 40.
`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
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`in cabinet 10, but also serve to direct the flow of the
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`cooling gas entering through louvers 12 offront door 11
`into circuit pack cage 20. Thus, front flange members
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`prevent
`the cooling gas from immediately entering
`ducts 17 and 18, respectively. In this respect, front
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`flange members 35 may be considered as being front
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`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
`disposedin cabinet 10 suchthat sufficient space is made
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`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
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`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
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`own blower fans. To prevent those blower fans from
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`interfering with the flow of the cooling gas overcircuit
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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
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`front of the electronic devices when door 11 is in a
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`closed position. In addition, a louver (not shown) is
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`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
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`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.
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`1 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 ofsaid
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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
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`respective interior surfaces of said cabinet,
`means containedin 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
`mounted one above the other such that the compo-
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`6
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`

`

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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 meansfor receiving.
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`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.
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`10. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 wherein said
`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 eachsideofsaid 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
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`the surface ofsaid at least one circuit pack is paral-
`lel with a top surface of said cabinet,
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`meansfor urging a cooling gas to enter a front surface
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`of said cabinet and to flow over ones ofsaid heat
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`generating componentsaffixed at one end ofsaid 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 ofsaid
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`heat generating components affixed at the other
`end ofsaid 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 meansfor 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
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`mounted in the interior of said cabinet to position said
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`circuit pack cage in said cabinet.
`13. The apparatus set forth in claim 12 wherein said
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`front flange of each of said flow-control baffles consti-
`tutes a frontbaffle for directing the flow ofsaid cooling
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`gas into said circuit pack cage.
`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.
`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
`means for urging is a blower fan mounted in said rear
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`door.
`
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
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`4,860,163
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`5
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`nent mounting surface of each ofsaid 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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`wherebya cooling gas which enters a front surface of
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`said cabinet and flows over heat generating compo-
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`nents affixed at one end of each ofsaid circuit packs
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`is directed by said pair ofbaffles to flow over heat
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`generating components affixed at the other end of
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`each ofsaid circuit packs and thenceinto said ducts
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`wheresaid cooling gas then flowsinto said plenum
`and is exhausted therefrom.
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`2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein each of
`said baffles includes a front flange which attaches to a
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`corresponding flange mounted in the interior of said
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`cabinet so that said circuit pack cage maybepositioned
`in said cabinet.
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`3. The apparatusset 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.
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`4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said
`cabinet includes front and rear doors each having a
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`plurality of louvers formed therein and a blower fan
`mounted in said rear door for providing a source of
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`25
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`forced convection for the exhaustion of said cooling gas
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`from said plenum.
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`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 ofsaid cooling gas entering
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`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
`surface of said means for receiving and a respective
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`interior surface of said cabinet form a duct commu-
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`nicating with a plenum formedby a rear surface of
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`said means for receiving and an interior rear sur-
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`face ofsaid cabinet,
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`meansfor 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,
`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
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`other ones of said heat bearing components dis-
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`posed at the other end ofsaid assemlby and thence
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`into each said duct where said cooling gas flows
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`into said plenum andis exhausted from said cabinet.
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`7, The apparatus set forth in claim 6 wherein each of
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`said flow-control baffles includesa front flange whichis
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`attached to a corresponding flange mountedin the inte-
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`rior of said cabinet for positioning said meansforreceiv-
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`ing in said cabinet.
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`5
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`10
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`15
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`20
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`30
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`35
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`45
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`55
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`65
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`7
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`