Equipment Rack and Associated Ventilation System

Abstract

A cable management rack is provided within which or upon which a heat-generating device is mountable, and which encompasses a vertical rectangular frame open in a front and a rear of the frame. The rack includes a first upright and a second upright attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member, and respective side-facing panels. Each of the panels defines a plurality of vent holes arranged in an array and permit the rack to receive a sideways flow of cooling air into a first side of the rack through one of the vent hole arrays for cooling a heat-generating device mounted between the panels, and permit the rack to discharge a sideways flow of exhaust air through the other vent hole array. Each of the array of vent holes may manifest a honeycomb pattern of vent holes, and each of the vent holes may manifest an hexagonal shape. A cable management system includes a cable management rack for accommodating a heat generating device, a first baffle mounted with respect to a first upright of the rack and for redirecting a rearward flow of cool air sideways from a space adjacent a front side of the rack, and a second baffle mounted with respect to a second upright of the rack and for redirecting a sideways flow of exhaust air from the rack and through the second upright into a space adjacent a rear side of the rack. A method of cooling a heat-generating device mounted in or on a cable management rack includes providing a sideways flow of cooling air into the rack and into the device.

1 . A cable management rack within or upon which a heat-generating device is mountable and encompassing a vertical rectangular frame open in a front and a rear of the frame and including a first upright and a second upright attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member and including respective side-facing panels, the improvement comprising wherein each of the respective side-facing panels defines a respective corresponding plurality of vent holes arranged in an array and effective to permit the rack to receive a straight lateral sideways flow of cooling air into a first side of the rack through one of the vent hole arrays for cooling a heat-generating device mounted between the side-facing panels, and to permit the rack to discharge a corresponding straight lateral sideways flow of exhaust air through the other of the vent hole arrays. 
   
   
       2 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each respective side-facing panel, the respective corresponding plurality of vent holes extends across a predominant portion of a side-facing surface area of the side-facing panel. 
   
   
       3 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each respective side-facing panel, the respective corresponding plurality of vent holes extends across substantially an entire height of the rack. 
   
   
       4 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each respective side-facing facing panel, the respective corresponding plurality of vent holes extends across substantially an entire depth of the rack. 
   
   
       5 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each respective plurality of vent holes, the array thereof manifests a honeycomb pattern. 
   
   
       6 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof manifest an hexagonal shape. 
   
   
       7 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to each respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof manifests a punched hole perforating the respective side-facing panel. 
   
   
       8 . A cable management system operable to deliver a supply of cooling air to a heat generating device mounted therewithin, the system comprising:
 a cable management rack for accommodating a heat-generating device, the rack encompassing a vertical rectangular frame open in a front and a rear of the frame and including first and second uprights attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member;   a first baffle mounted with respect to the first upright and configured and dimensioned to redirect a rearward flow of cool air from a space adjacent a front side of the rack sideways through the first upright; and   a second baffle mounted with respect to the second upright and configured and dimensioned to redirect a sideways flow of exhaust air from the rack and through the second upright rearward into a space adjacent a rear side of the rack.   
   
   
       9 . A cable management system according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a third baffle mounted with respect to the first upright in vertical arrangement with the first baffle and configured and dimensioned to redirect a second, separate rearward flow of cool air from the space adjacent the front side of the rack sideways through the first upright; and   a fourth baffle mounted with respect to the second upright in vertical arrangement with the third baffle and configured and dimensioned to redirect a second, separate sideways flow of exhaust air from the rack and through the second upright rearward into a space adjacent a rear side of the rack.   
   
   
       10 . A cable management system according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a second cable management rack for accommodating a heat-generating device, the rack encompassing a vertical rectangular frame open in a front and a rear of the frame and including first and second uprights attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member; and   a third cable management rack for accommodating a heat-generating device, the rack encompassing a vertical rectangular frame open in a front and a rear of the frame and including first and second uprights attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member;   wherein the first baffle is further mounted with respect to the second upright of the second rack and is configured and dimensioned to redirect a second sideways flow of exhaust air from the second rack and through the second upright thereof rearward into the space adjacent the rear side of the rack; and   the second baffle is mounted with respect to the first upright of the third rack and is configured and dimensioned to redirect a second rearward flow of cool air from the space adjacent the front side of the rack sideways through the first upright thereof.   
   
   
       11 . A method of cooling a heat-generating device mounted in a cable management rack encompassing a vertical rectangular frame open in a front and a rear of the frame and including respective first and second uprights attached to opposite respective lateral sides of a base and a top member, the method comprising:
 receiving a rearward flow of cool air from a space adjacent a front side of the rack and redirecting the flow of cool air sideways through the first upright and into the heat-generating device; and   redirecting a sideways flow of exhaust air passing out of the heat-generating device, and through the second upright, rearward to a space adjacent a rear side of the rack.   
   
   
       12 . A method of cooling a heat-generating device according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving another rearward flow of cool air from the space adjacent the front side of the rack and redirecting the another rearward flow of cool air sideways through the first upright and into a second heat-generating device mounted in the rack; and   redirecting another sideways flow of exhaust air passing out of another heat-generating device, and through the second upright, rearward to the space adjacent the rear side of the rack.   
   
   
       13 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is oriented at an angle to the normal. 
   
   
       14 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is formed via machining. 
   
   
       15 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is provided with at least one slanted fin to influence the flow of air though the upright. 
   
   
       16 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is provided with at least one slanted vane to influence the flow of air though the upright 
   
   
       17 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is provided with at least one slanted louver to influence the flow of air though the upright. 
   
   
       18 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is provided with at least one fixed fin to influence the flow of air though the upright 
   
   
       19 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is provided with at least one fixed vane to influence the flow of air through the upright. 
   
   
       20 . The cable management rack of  claim 1 , wherein with respect to the respective plurality of vent holes, each of the vent holes thereof is provided with at least one fixed louver to influence the flow of air though the upright.