Electronics cabinet with an air-to-air heat exchanger mounted to the outside of the cabinet

Abstract

An air-to-air heat exchanger is simply and easily installed in an electronics cabinet in the field by using a template to form an air exit opening that corresponds with an air inlet opening of the heat exchanger, and an air inlet opening that corresponds with an air exit opening of the heat exchanger. Once the openings have been formed, the heat exchanger is mounted to the outside of the cabinet, such as on a side wall or a door of the cabinet.

1 . An electronics cabinet comprising: 
 a bottom surface;    a top surface;    a plurality of side wall surfaces connected to the bottom surface and the top surface;    a door connected to a side wall surface, when the door is closed, the bottom surface, top surface, side wall surfaces, and door form an air tight and water tight enclosure; and    a heat exchanger mounted to an exterior surface of the electronics cabinet.    
   
   
       2 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the exterior surface of the electronics cabinet includes: 
 a cabinet air exit opening that extends through the exterior surface into the enclosure; and    a cabinet air inlet opening that extends through the exterior surface into the enclosure, the cabinet air inlet opening being spaced apart and separated from the cabinet air exit opening.    
   
   
       3 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 2  wherein the cabinet air inlet opening lies above the cabinet air exit opening.  
   
   
       4 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 2  wherein the heat exchanger includes: 
 a first air inlet opening that pulls in a first stream of air, the first air inlet opening being substantially aligned with the cabinet air exit opening; and    a second air inlet opening that pulls in a second stream of air.    
   
   
       5 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 4  wherein the heat exchanger includes: 
 a first air exit opening that exhausts the first stream of air, the first air exit opening being substantially aligned with the cabinet air inlet opening; and    a second air exit opening that exhausts the second stream of air.    
   
   
       6 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 5  wherein the second air inlet opening lies above the second air exit opening.  
   
   
       7 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 6  wherein the first stream of air and the second stream of air are never mixed with each other.  
   
   
       8 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 6  wherein the first stream of air and the second stream of air contact opposite sides of a common wall.  
   
   
       9 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 2  wherein the exterior surface is a side wall surface.  
   
   
       10 . The electronics cabinet of  claim 2  wherein the exterior surface is a region of a door.  
   
   
       11 . A method of installing a heat exchanger in an electronics cabinet, the method comprising the steps of: 
 identifying a mounting region on the exterior surface of an electronics cabinet to mount the heat exchanger;    placing a template on the mounting region;    forming a first opening and a spaced apart second opening that extend through the exterior surface into an interior region of the electronics cabinet; and    mounting a heat exchanger to the electronics cabinet.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the heat exchanger includes a third opening that is substantially aligned with the first opening, and a fourth opening that is substantially aligned with the second opening, the third and fourth openings being spaced apart.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the forming step includes the step of drilling a plurality of pilot holes in the exterior surface of the electronics cabinet through the template.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the forming step further includes the steps of: 
 drilling the first opening using a first pilot hole; and    drilling the second opening using a second pilot hole.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the second hole is larger than the first hole.