초록 ▼

An enclosure is provided for housing electronic equipment that accommodates the different cooling and ventilating requirements of different types of equipment. The enclosure is constructed and arranged to support cooling airflow in a front-to-back configuration through the enclosure and in a side-to

An enclosure is provided for housing electronic equipment that accommodates the different cooling and ventilating requirements of different types of equipment. The enclosure is constructed and arranged to support cooling airflow in a front-to-back configuration through the enclosure and in a side-to-side configuration from one side to an opposite side of the enclosure. The enclosure can thereby provide within a single enclosure means cooling air for components using front-to-back airflow for cooling, such as information technology (IT) equipment, and for components using side-to-side airflow, such as certain types of telecommunications equipment. The enclosure can thereby support a mix of IT and telecommunications equipment, providing flexibility and adaptability in network room and data center configuration. The enclosure is further configured to separate intake air used by equipment for cooling from exhaust air vented by equipment into its interior during operation. As a result, the enclosure promotes sufficient equipment cooling and prevents/minimizes equipment overheating.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An enclosure for containing equipment including at least one side-to-side equipment component using side-to-side airflow for cooling and at least one front-to-back equipment component using front-to-back airflow for cooling, the enclosure comprising: a housing including

The invention claimed is: 1. An enclosure for containing equipment including at least one side-to-side equipment component using side-to-side airflow for cooling and at least one front-to-back equipment component using front-to-back airflow for cooling, the enclosure comprising: a housing including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a front side, and a rear side, at least one of the bottom side and the front side having formed therein at least one opening to receive cooling air into a front intake portion of an interior of the housing, and at least one of the rear side and the top side having formed therein at least one opening to allow exhaust air to vent from within a back exhaust portion of the interior of the housing to an area external to the housing, the front side being opposite to the rear side of the housing and the front intake portion being opposite and parallel to the back exhaust portion of the housing interior; an internal frame disposed in the interior of the housing and spaced from the first side and the second side arid secured therein to allow mounting of one or more equipment components in an equipment area formed by the internal frame; and a first air plenum defined along one side of the internal frame between the internal frame and one of the first side and the second side of the housing, the first air plenum being in fluid communication with the front intake portion of the interior of the housing to receive cooling air from the at least one first opening, the first air plenum being configured to contain cooling air such that cooling air can flow from the first air plenum into the at least one side-to-side equipment component and being further configured to prevent mixing of cooling air with exhaust air vented to the back portion of the housing interior, wherein the front intake portion being configured to contain cooling air such that a portion of cooling air can flow into the at least one front-to-back equipment component. 2. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a second air plenum defined along an opposite side of the internal frame between the internal frame and one of the first side and the second side of the housing, the second air plenum being in fluid communication with the back exhaust portion of the interior of the housing and adapted to receive exhaust air from equipment in the internal frame. 3. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first air plenum includes a back section that provides an airflow blocking barrier between the first air plenum and the back exhaust portion of the interior of the housing. 4. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the second air plenum includes a front section that provides an airflow blocking barrier between the second air plenum and the front intake portion of the interior of the housing. 5. An enclosure for containing equipment comprising: a housing including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, a front side, and a rear side, at least one of the bottom side and the front side having formed therein at least one first opening to receive cooling air into a front portion of an interior of the housing, and at least one of the rear side and the top side having formed therein at least one second opening to allow exhaust air to vent from within a back portion of the interior of the housing to an area external to the housing; an internal frame disposed in the interior of the housing and spaced from the first side and the second side and secured therein to allow mounting of one or more equipment components in an equipment area formed by the internal frame; a first air plenum defined along a first side of the internal frame between the internal frame and the first side of the housing, the first air plenum being in fluid communication with the front portion of the interior of the housing to receive cooling air from the at least one first opening, the first air plenum being configured to contain air along one side of the internal frame such that air can flow from the first air plenum into at least one side-to-side component in the internal frame, the at least one side-to-side component being configured to draw air from its intake side and to vent exhaust air from its exhaust side to achieve side-to-side airflow; a second air plenum defined along an opposite second side of the internal frame between the internal frame and the second side of the housing, the second air plenum being in fluid communication with the back portion of the interior of the housing and adapted to receive exhaust air vented from the at least one side-to-side component; the first air plenum having a back section that provides an airflow blocking barrier between the first air plenum and the back portion of the interior of the housing; the second air plenum having a front section that provides an airflow blocking barrier between the second air plenum and the front portion of the interior of the housing; and further comprising a first partition removably mounted between the first air plenum and the first side of the internal frame to selectively block air flow from the first air plenum into at least a portion of the equipment area of the internal frame. 6. The enclosure of claim 5, further comprising a second partition removably mounted between the second air plenum and the second side of the internal frame to block air flow from a portion of the equipment area of the internal frame into the second air plenum. 7. The enclosure of claim 1 further comprising an exhaust unit coupled to at least one of the rear side and the top side, the exhaust unit having at least one fan contained within the exhaust unit to draw air from within the interior of the enclosure. 8. An enclosure for containing equipment comprising: a housing including a top side, a bottom side, a first side, a second side, and a front side, at least one of the bottom side and the front side having formed therein at least one opening to receive cooling air into a front portion of an interior of the housing, and at least one of the rear side and the top side having formed therein at least one opening to allow exhaust air to vent from within a back portion of the interior of the housing to an area external to the housing; an internal frame disposed in the interior of the housing and spaced from the first side and the second side and secured therein to allow mounting of one or more equipment components in an equipment area formed by the internal frame; and a first air plenum disposed along a first side of the internal frame between the internal frame and the first side of the housing, the first air plenum being in fluid communication with the front portion of the interior of the housing to receive cooling air from the openings and being configured to contain air along the first side of the internal frame such that air can flow from the first air plenum into equipment in the internal frame; further comprising a second air plenum disposed along a second side of the internal frame between the internal frame and the second side of the housing, the second air plenum being in fluid communication with the back portion of the interior of the housing and adapted to receive exhaust air from equipment in the internal frame; and further comprising a first partition removably mounted between the first air plenum and the first side of the internal frame to selectively block air flow from the first air plenum into at least a portion of the equipment area of the internal frame. 9. A method of cooling at least a first device and at least a second device, each of which is mounted in an equipment enclosure, wherein the first device is configured for front to back cooling, and the second device is configured for side to side cooling, the method comprising: receiving cooling air into an internal front portion of the equipment enclosure; drawing a portion of cooling air from the internal front portion through an interior of the first device and venting exhaust air from the interior of the first device into an internal rear portion of the enclosure disposed opposite and parallel to the front portion to achieve front to back cooling; drawing air from the internal front portion into a first internal side portion of the enclosure, the first internal side portion being substantially perpendicular to the internal front portion; drawing air from the first internal side portion through an interior of the second device and venting exhaust air from the interior of the second device into a second internal side portion disposed opposite and parallel to the first internal side portion to achieve side to side cooling; exhausting air from the second internal side portion and from the internal rear portion out of at least one of: (i) a top of the enclosure and (ii) a back of the enclosure; and separating air exhausted from the first and the second devices from air in the internal front portion and the first internal side portion to be drawn into the first and the second devices for cooling. 10. A method of cooling a first device and a second device, each of which is mounted in an equipment enclosure, wherein the first device is configured for front to back cooling, and the second device is configured for side to side cooling, the method comprising: receiving cooling air into an internal front portion of the equipment enclosure; drawing air from the internal front portion through the first device into a rear internal portion of the enclosure; drawing air from the internal front portion to a side internal portion of the enclosure; drawing air from the side internal portion through the second device and into a second side internal portion; exhausting air from the second side internal portion and from the rear internal portion out of at least one of a top of the enclosure and a back of the enclosure; and separating air exhausted from devices from air to be drawn into devices, wherein the enclosure includes an equipment frame having an internal area that contains the first device and the second device, and wherein the method further includes removably mounting a first partition between the side internal portion and the internal area of the equipment frame to selectively block air flow between the side internal portion and at least a selected portion of the internal area. 11. An equipment enclosure for containing equipment comprising: an external housing; an internal frame disposed in the interior of the housing and secured within the housing to allow mounting of equipment components in an equipment area formed by the internal frame, the equipment components including a first type of equipment having front to back cooling and a second type of equipment having side to side cooling; and means for facilitating air flow from a front portion of the housing interior to a back portion of the housing interior, the back portion being opposite and parallel to the front portion; and means for facilitating air flow from the front portion to a first side portion of the housing interior, the first side portion being substantially perpendicular to the front portion, wherein when equipment of the first type is mounted in the internal frame, side to side cooling is achieved and when equipment of the second type is mounted in the internal frame front to back cooling is achieved. 12. An equipment enclosure comprising: a 23-inch enclosure housing having a front side, a first side, a second side, a back side, a top side and a bottom side; a 19-inch wide equipment frame disposed within the internal area of the enclosure housing, such that a first side area is formed between the first side of the enclosure housing and a first side of the equipment frame, a second side area is formed between a second side of the equipment frame and the second side of the enclosure housing, a front area is formed between the front side of the enclosure housing and a front side of the equipment frame, and a back area is formed between the back side of the enclosure housing and a back side of the equipment frame; a first internal panel disposed between the first side of the equipment frame and the first side of the enclosure housing to provide a substantially air tight seal between the first side area and the back area and to define the first side area as an enclosed intake air plenum extending from the top side to the bottom side of the enclosure housing; and a second internal panel disposed between the second side of the equipment frame and the second side of the enclosure housing to provide a substantially air tight seal between the second side area and the front area and to define the second side area as an enclosed exhaust air exhaust plenum extending from the top side and the bottom side of the enclosure housing, the exhaust air plenum being opposite to the intake air plenum. 13. The enclosure of claim 12, wherein at least one of the front side and the bottom side include openings to allow air flow into the enclosure, and at least one of the top side and the back side include openings to allow air flow out of the enclosure. 14. The enclosure of claim 13, further comprising at least one exhaust fan mounted to one of the top side of the enclosure and the back side of the enclosure to draw air from the back area. 15. An equipment enclosure comprising: a 23-inch enclosure housing having a front side, a first side, a second side and a back side; a 19-inch wide equipment frame disposed within the internal area of the enclosure housing, such that a first side area is formed between the first side of the enclosure housing and a first side of the equipment frame, a second side area is formed between a second side of the equipment frame and the second side of the enclosure housing, a front area is formed between the front side of the enclosure housing and a front side of the equipment frame, and a back area is formed between the back side of the enclosure housing and a back side of the equipment frame; a first internal panel disposed between the first side of the equipment frame and the first side of the enclosure housing to provide a substantially air tight seal between the first side area and the back area; and a second internal panel disposed between the second side of the equipment frame and the second side of the enclosure housing to provide a substantially air tight seal between the second side area and the front area; and further comprising at least one panel removably mounted between the first side area and an internal area of the equipment frame to selectively block air flow between the first side area and at least a portion of the internal area of the equipment frame.