APPARATUS, SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR ADJUSTABLE VENTING IN AN ELECTRONIC CHASSIS

Abstract

An apparatus, system, method, and computer program are provided for adjusting venting of an enclosure. According to an example aspect of the invention the method adjusts venting in an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment. The enclosure has at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein. The method includes attaching at least one part of at least one cover to the enclosure, and positioning the cover in a selected orientation facing the ventilation surface of the enclosure. The cover may be placed substantially flush with the ventilation surface or may be positioned so that it forms an acute angle relative to the ventilation surface. In addition, the method may also include detecting at least one predetermined condition and varying the orientation of the cover with respect to the ventilation surface in response to detecting the condition. For example, a temperature and/or a position of the cover may be detected, and the orientation of the cover can be varied based on the detection.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Example aspects of the present invention relate generally to thermal management of a component enclosure, and more particularly to an apparatus, system, method, and computer program for adjusting venting in a heat generating enclosure.

2. Description of the Related Art

Operating components in an enclosure often generate heat. That heat is also often undesirable and is sought to be removed.

Many conventional enclosures utilize forced convection for heat removal. Typically, cooling fans or other air handling devices are incorporated in electronic enclosures to remove the heated air from the enclosure. However, fans and other mechanisms for forced convection often wear and fail and require maintenance, such as cleaning and/or replacing fans and/or filters. Fans also create noise and vibration, consume energy, and have a high failure rate.

Telecommunication service providers typically place a large amount of electronic enclosures in close proximity to one another at central office network facilities. Often enclosures may be installed adjacent to one another such as, for example, in vertical racks, cabinets, and frames. With equipment in such close proximity, there is some risk that a fire starting within an enclosure could spread to nearby objects, including other enclosures. The spread of fire from one equipment enclosure to another equipment enclosure can result in large scale communication service disruptions.

To partly address the risk of fire spread from enclosures, the telecommunications industry adopted the Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) standards. Industry specifications such as Telcordia GR-63-CORE—Generic Requirements for the Physical Design and Manufacture of Telecommunications Products and Equipment, and ANSI T1.319-2002 Fire Propagation Hazard Testing Procedures for Equipment incorporate the NEBS fire containment and protection standards. GR-63-CORE identifies the minimum spatial and environmental criteria for all new telecommunications equipment systems used in a telecommunications network. The fire propagation testing procedures defined in ANSI T1.319-2002 are applicable to frame and cabinet-mounted equipment installed in environmentally controlled telecommunications network facilities.

SUMMARY

An apparatus, system, method, and computer program are provided for adjusting venting of an enclosure.

According to an example aspect of the invention the method adjusts venting in an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment. The enclosure has at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein. The method includes attaching at least one part of at least one cover to the enclosure, and positioning the cover in a selected orientation facing the ventilation surface of the enclosure. The cover may be placed substantially flush with the ventilation surface or may be positioned so that it forms an acute angle relative to the ventilation surface. In addition, the method may also include detecting at least one predetermined condition and varying the orientation of the cover with respect to the ventilation surface in response to detecting the condition. For example, a temperature and/or a position of the cover may be detected, and the orientation of the cover can be varied based on the detection.

Other features and advantages of the various example embodiments will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows an example of an enclosure cover in conjunction with a component enclosure in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B shows an example of a component enclosure used in conjunction with the enclosure cover shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C shows an example of the cover of FIG. 1A in conjunction with the component enclosure of FIG. 1B in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1D shows an example of a plurality of component enclosures and covers of FIG. 1C mounted vertically adjacent to one another in accordance with another example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1E shows an example of the cover of FIG. 1A in conjunction with the component enclosure of FIG. 1B in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention, wherein the cover is shown disposed at an angle (i.e., in an open position) relative to an upper surface of the component enclosure.

FIG. 2A shows an example of an enclosure cover in a closed position in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B shows an example of an enclosure cover in an open position in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a system in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of another method in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of another system in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 shows an example of another system in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows an example of an enclosure cover and a component enclosure in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fire containment, as that term is used herein, includes containing the fire and the ignition source to an area within and around a component enclosure and directing any fire and ignition source in a direction that will not spread the fire to another object, such as, for example, another enclosure.

Fire containment and thermal management solutions may work against one another. For example, attempts to increase the area through which heat can escape from a component enclosure may promote heat removal, buy may also provide more access to air to promote combustion in the event of a fire in the enclosure. Thus, an enclosure that is suitable for heat removal may not necessarily be totally suitable for fire containment. Moreover, heat removal and fire containment may be also be affected by the mounting orientation of a component enclosure, such as, for example, when the ventilation surface(s) through which heat exhausts change due to a change in the mounting orientation.

To meet fire containment and thermal management requirements, multiple versions of a same product could be created depending on the desired mounting orientation of the enclosure. For example, a product comprised of an enclosure and internal components, intended to be mounted substantially horizontally in a cabinet with adjacent products, could also be constructed to be mounted substantially vertically by repackaging the internal components to fit in an enclosure that is suitable to facilitate vertical mounting. As a result of these differences a manufacturer would likely have to produce and distribute two functionally similar, but separate, products merely to comply with ventilation and fire containment requirements in order to provide for use of the product in specific mounting orientations.

To address these limitations a method, apparatus, system, and computer program according to example aspects of the invention are provided that enable a single enclosure to be mounted in a selected one of a plurality of orientations while meeting thermal management and fire containment requirements.

According to an example embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes a cover provided for an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment. The enclosure has at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein to provide ventilation. The cover includes at least one cover surface adapted to be disposed over the enclosure in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface. The cover surface can be pivotally attached to the enclosure and can include at least one solid surface. The cover can also include at least one flange extending from the solid surface. The cover surface can be positionable so as to be placed in a selected inclined orientation relative to the at least one ventilation surface.

According to another example aspect of the invention, the system includes an enclosure that encloses heat generating equipment and a solid cover adapted to engage the enclosure, and to be disposed in a selected orientation. The enclosure has at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein for ventilation. The cover surface can be pivotally attached to the enclosure. The cover surface can also be adapted to be disposed over the enclosure in a selected orientation relative to the at least one ventilation surface. Also, the system may include at least one sensor configured to detect at least one predetermined condition, and a positioner arranged to orientate the cover in a selected orientation relative to the ventilation surface in response to the detection. Sensors that may be used include, for example, temperature sensors, smoke detection sensors, and cover position sensors or the like. The positioner can include an actuator and a controller, where the controller is responsive to a signal output by the at least one sensor to control the actuator so as to orientate the cover in the selected orientation.

According to another example aspect of the invention, a computer-readable medium is also provided having stored thereon sequences of instructions for adjusting venting in an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment, the enclosure having at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein. The sequences of instructions, when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to perform positioning at least one cover in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface of the enclosure.

According to still another example aspect of the invention, a method for adjusting venting in an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment is also provided, the enclosure having at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein. The method includes attaching at least one part of at least one cover to the enclosure; and positioning the at least one cover in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface of the enclosure.

The example aspects of the invention can minimize or remove a need for manufacturers to make and market several different models of products (and associated component enclosures) to accommodate different mounting orientations and fire containment requirements. Instead of the products being differentiated by manufacturers according to component enclosure packaging, they can be configured for the specific mounting orientation desired at the point of use.

FIG. 1A shows an example embodiment of a cover 104 for an equipment enclosure (i.e., component enclosure) 102, such as an enclosure for electrical equipment. A representation of the equipment enclosure 102 without the cover 104 is shown in FIG. 1B. In FIG. 1A, the cover 104 is placed over (facing) at least one ventilation surface 112 of enclosure 102, where the ventilation surface has at least one aperture, such as the apertures 113 shown in FIG. 1B, through which air and heat generated by heat generating components within the enclosure 102 can pass. While directing heated air away from the enclosure 102, the cover 104 also provides a fire barrier to any flames that may rise through the ventilation surface 112 in the event of a fire within the enclosure 102.

In FIG. 1B the representative enclosure 102 that is used in conjunction with the cover 104 of FIG. 1A is shown disposed in a representative orientation, which for the purposes of this description will be referred to as a horizontal orientation. This enclosure 102 includes a bottom surface (not shown) opposite to ventilation surface 112 of the enclosure 102, a first side surface 105 and a second side surface 107 (not shown). Also, not shown are the active heat generating components (e.g., electronics) located in the enclosure 102 and any associated cooling apparatuses, such as, for example, heat sinks. During operation of the components, heat generated inside the enclosure is removed. In the example shown in FIG. 1B the sides 105 and ventilation surface 112 of the enclosure 102 include ventilation apertures 115, 113 respectively, to facilitate removal of heat from the enclosure 102 to the outer area surrounding the enclosure 102. Side surface 107 may also include apertures, as can other surfaces of the enclosure 102.

Referring again to the example embodiment of the cover 104 shown in FIG. 1A, the cover 104 may be used in conjunction with an enclosure (such as, e.g., enclosure 102) that is configured to be cooled by natural or forced convection. However, the example embodiments described herein are suited to be used in conjunction with enclosures cooled substantially by natural convection.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A the cover 104 is disposed in an adjusted open position that is fixed relative to the enclosure 102. The cover 104 has a solid top surface 108 and has at least one side 106. Solid here means that the surface 108 has no appreciable apertures through which a fluid, such as air, could pass through from inside the enclosure 102 through the cover 104.

In FIG. 1A, the side 106 is formed as a flange along one edge of the top surface 108 and extends roughly perpendicularly from the surface 108 in a direction towards enclosure 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the side 106 of the cover 104 is substantially “L”-shaped, although, alternatively, other shapes can be employed and are within the scope of the invention.

In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the side 106 includes a first flange portion 114 connected to an edge of one part of the top surface 108, and extends perpendicular to surface 108. The side 106 also includes a second flange portion 116 connected to an edge of another part of the surface 108, and also extends perpendicular to the surface 108. The first flange 114 extends from the surface 108 by a first distance while the second flange 116 extends from the surface by a second distance. As shown in FIG. 1A the first and second flanges 114, 116 are coplanar, although in other embodiments they need not be so arranged.

In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the cover 104 attaches to the enclosure 102 using a suitable fastener, such as, for example, a threaded fastener or the like. It will also be appreciated in view of FIG. 1A that the cover 104 can be removable depending on whether a releasable fastener is employed. In other embodiments, no fastener(s) need be employed at all so that the cover can be removed from the enclosure 102 in that case as well. In the embodiment of the cover 104 shown in FIG. 1A, the side 106 of the cover 104 includes at least one pivotal attachment hole 118, at an end of the cover 104 opposite to the end where the flange 114 is disposed. The hole 118 is configured to align with a corresponding hole 119 in the enclosure (shown in FIG. 1B), through which a suitable fastener may be inserted to attach the cover 104 to the enclosure 102, for pivotally attaching the cover 104 to the enclosure 102. One of skill in the art will also appreciate in view of FIG. 1A that the cover 104 may be attached to the enclosure 102 in other ways, such as, for example by being hingedly attached to the enclosure 102, or the like.

The side 106 also includes one or more adjustment/attachment features 120, such as, for example, holes as shown in FIG. 1A near the end opposite to where hole 118 is disposed. In the illustrated example, there are two such holes 120. The adjustment/attachment holes 120 are configured to be alignable with corresponding adjustment/attachment feature(s) of the enclosure 120, such as a hole 123 (shown in FIG. 1B) in at least one side 105 of the enclosure 102. A suitable fastener, such as, e.g., a threaded fastener, may be inserted through one of the adjustment/attachment holes 120 in alignment with hole 123 in the side 105 of the enclosure so as to dispose the cover 104 in a selected, adjusted position. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, by virtue of the adjustment/attachment holes 120 and corresponding hole 123 in the side 105 of the enclosure 102, the cover 104 can be oriented in a selected one of two positions, depending on which hole 120 is aligned with hole 123. In one position the cover 104 is “open”, i.e., inclined at an angle relative to surface 112 of enclosure 102. In the other position the cover 104 is “closed”, i.e., the cover 104 rests on surface 112 to block airflow through apertures 113.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, cover 104 may be configured to have pivotal attachment features and adjustment/attachment features other than holes, and may include indentations and corresponding detents formed in the cover and/or enclosure in place of holes to provide for snap-fit attachment and detachment of the cover, as well as rotation for adjustment. For example, instead of the hole 118 and holes 120 in the side 106 of the cover 104, detents and/or tabs may be provided instead, which can snap into and articulate with corresponding holes 119 and 123 (or indentations formed in place of those holes) in the enclosure 102. In other embodiments the detents and indentations may be reversed so that detents are formed in the enclosure 102 for engagement and articulation with indentations in the cover 104.

A side view of the cover 104 and enclosure 102 of FIG. 1A is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. More particularly, FIGS. 2A and 2B show the cover 104 and enclosure 102 from a perspective looking towards sides 105 and 106 of the components 102 and 104, respectively, wherein in FIG. 2A the cover is shown in a closed position and in FIG. 2B the cover is shown in an open position. In FIG. 2A cover adjustment/attachment feature 120 (i.e., an upper one of the holes 120) aligns with an enclosure adjustment/attachment feature 123 (shown in FIG. 1B). These features are shown in FIGS. 1B, 2A, and 2B as holes which, when aligned, create a passage through which a fastener can be inserted to interlock the cover 104 to enclosure 102 in the closed position.

In FIG. 2B the cover 104 is shown adjusted in an open position. The cover is disposed at an angle 202 relative to the ventilation surface 112 of the enclosure 102 and is rotated about the pivotal attachment connection formed by the alignment of corresponding pivotal attachment features 118 and 119 (shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively). The pivotal attachment features 118 and 119 are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively, as through-holes. The cover 104 may be pivotally attached to the enclosure 102 by inserting a suitable fastening element, such as a pin or the like, through the holes 118, 119.

With the cover 104 attached and positioned at a suitable angle (e.g., 202) with respect to the ventilation surface 112 of the enclosure, hot air can rise through the ventilation apertures in the surface 112 of the enclosure and be directed away from the enclosure in a direction towards the end of the side 106 of the cover 104 where flange 114 is disposed, while the cover 104 also provides a fire containment barrier to any flames that may rise above the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 in the event of a fire in the enclosure 102.

The cover 104 is made from, for example, a material that is suitable for complying with the thermal management and fire containment requirements. For example, a material may be deemed suitable for use in conjunction with an enclosure, if the cover and the cover-enclosure combination are in compliance with applicable standards, such as, for example, GR-63-CORE section 4.2.3 (Use of Fire-Resistant Materials, Components, Wiring, and Cable) and section 4.2.2 (Equipment Assembly Fire Test). Materials that may be suitable are metals, including aluminum and steel, as well as certain plastics. It will also be appreciated that the cover may be formed by other materials that singularly may not be compliant with the thermal management and fire containment requirements, but which may be made compliant when used in concert with other materials or methods of manufacture that result in the compliance of the combination. Of course, in other embodiments, any other materials also can be employed.

In another embodiment a cover similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A, 1C, 2A, and 2B may include another side, opposite to the side 106 shown therein, which mirrors side 106. The other side may have the same configuration and features 120 as side 106 shown in FIGS. 1A, 1C, 2A, and 2B, but extends from the opposite side of cover 104 from that which shown side 106 extends. Also, in other embodiments, the cover 104 can have sides extending along other edges of the cover 104 as well as or instead of those shown in FIGS. 1A, 1C, 2A, and 2B.

In FIG. 1C the enclosure 102 is shown so that a side 107 thereof extends lengthwise in a representative vertical plane. The cover 104 is disposed in the closed position, so that a sufficient amount of the ventilation apertures 113 (shown in FIG. 1B) in the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 are substantially closed to air flow therethrough. The amount of ventilation apertures 113 covered is a number sufficient for meeting fire containment and thermal management requirements when the enclosure 102 is oriented in such a vertically disposed orientation. For example, the number of ventilation apertures 113 closed to airflow may be deemed sufficient if the combined cover-enclosure assembly satisfies the requirements of the aforementioned Equipment Assembly Fire Test (GR-63-CORE § 4.2.2).

In FIG. 1C cooler air can enter the enclosure 102 through apertures 115 formed in a lower-disposed side 105 of the enclosure 102. As heat is generated within the enclosure 102, hot air can rise and escape by natural convection through apertures (not shown) in an upper-disposed side 107 of the enclosure. In such a vertical orientation, fire containment is promoted by restricting airflow into the enclosure 102 by covering (and closing over) at least some of the ventilation apertures 113 in the surface 112 of the enclosure 102. With the cover 104 in the closed position, fire is prevented from spreading across cover 104 to another enclosure (not shown) or other object (if present) adjacent to the cover 104. In addition, closing the cover 104 allows for denser equipment mounting (more enclosures can be installed adjacent to one another in a finite volume) than is conventional, since the extra space between the cover 104 and the ventilation surface 112 that is used when the cover is open is not used when the cover is closed.

For example, in FIG. 1D an embodiment of an enclosure mounting system is shown comprised of a plurality of covered enclosures 102 covered with covers 104, such as those shown in FIG. 1C, mounted adjacent to one another in a rack 130. In FIG. 1D, the rack 130 is comprised of brackets 132 and 134, and at least one elongated member 136, the brackets being connected at one of their ends to the elongated member 136. The brackets 132, 134 have retaining features 140, 142, respectively, at their free ends which are not attached to the elongated member 136. The brackets 132, 134 are spaced apart from one another by a distance slightly larger than the length of the covered enclosures 102 between them. The covered enclosures 102 are placed adjacent to each other between the elongated member and the retaining features 140, 142. The brackets 132, 134 each have mounting holes formed therein for attaching mounting brackets 138 thereto using suitable fasteners. A mounting bracket 138 is attached to sides 105 and 107 (not shown) of the enclosure 102, which are also attached to the brackets 132, 134 respectively. The elongated member 136 can be attached to a support 144, a wall, or other structure. The support 144 is shown attached to a wall or structure in the example of FIG. 1D. In FIG. 1D, the covers 104 are closed to provide a dense arrangement of the enclosures 102 in the rack 130. In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 1E, the cover 104 is adjusted in an open position with respect to the enclosure 102.

Similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1C and 1E, in the example embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a cover 904 is shown and used in conjunction with an enclosure 902 which is configured to enable the cover 904 to be adjusted about edges of the enclosure 902. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9, the enclosure 902 includes holes 923, 924, 925, and 926 to facilitate a plurality of mounting orientations for cover 904. In the orientation of the cover 904 shown in FIG. 9, holes 923 and 924 are used to position and attach cover 904 to the enclosure 902. Hole 924 aligns with hole 918 of the cover 904, while hole 923 aligns with a selected one of the holes 920 in the cover 904 so that suitable fasteners may be inserted through the aligned holes to dispose the cover in a selected, adjusted position relative to the surface 912 of the enclosure 902. However, in another mounting orientation of the cover 904, one or more holes may be provided that are located so as to be able to align with hole 925 of the enclosure so that the cover may be adjusted along another edge of the enclosure 902. One or more holes may also be provided that are located so as to be able to align with hole 926 of the enclosure 902 to adjust the cover 904 in a similar manner. The configuration shown in FIG. 9 can be useful, for example, to provide additional cover mounting options while providing additional ventilation access from a ventilation surface 912 of the enclosure 902. In another example embodiment, the inner surface of the cover 904 that faces the side of enclosure 902 having holes 925 and 926, can have a mechanism (e.g., detents or the like) that can engage with holes 925 and 926.

A further example aspect of the invention, shown as a flow diagram in FIG. 3, is a method of adjusting ventilation in an enclosure, such as, for example, that shown in FIGS. 1A-1E and 9. At block 302 an enclosure (e.g., 102, 902) is disposed into an operational orientation, such as, for example, a horizontal or vertical orientation as mentioned above. At block 304, a cover (e.g., 104, 904) is positioned over (facing) at least one ventilation surface (e.g., 112) of the enclosure, such as, by positioning the cover at a desired angle over a ventilation surface of the enclosure, or flush with the ventilation surface (e.g., 112) of the enclosure. At block 306, the cover is affixed to the enclosure at a selected orientation. For example, the cover (e.g., 104) can be affixed by inserting a mechanical fastener through adjustment holes (e.g., 120, 123) in both the cover and the enclosure (e.g., 102) that are aligned as a result of the positioning of the cover. Such affixing can be either in a detachably affixed manner or a non-detachably affixed manner.

Enclosure ventilation and fire containment may be affected by changes to the orientation of the enclosure. For example when an enclosure, such as enclosure 102 shown in FIG. 1B, is oriented horizontally as shown, hot air can rise through the apertures 113 in the surface 112 of the enclosure 102. However, when the same enclosure 102 is oriented vertically, such as shown in FIG. 1C, hot air moves vertically upward from a lower disposed side 105 of the enclosure 102 to an upper disposed side 107 of the enclosure 102 at least by natural convection through apertures (not shown) provided in the upper disposed side 107 of the enclosure. Therefore, the enclosure 102 and cover 104 each can be sized and adjusted positionally relative to each other so as to be able to both reject and/or deflect heat and provide fire containment in various orientations of the enclosure 102.

By virtue of the adjustability of the cover 104 (i.e., the capability to select the orientation of the cover 104 relative to enclosure 102), a plurality of adjusted orientations are available and can be selected depending upon the ventilation and fire containment requirements for the specific orientation of the enclosure 102 and heat load to be managed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, for example, the angle 202 between the cover 104 and the enclosure 102 is an acute angle, and when the enclosure 102 is mounted substantially horizontally, the angle may be, for example, 45 degrees. In another example embodiment shown in FIG. 1C, the angle between the cover 104 and the surface 112 may be substantially zero degrees or minimal when the enclosure 102 is oriented substantially vertically, thereby covering (closing air flow) and closing any apertures 113 on the surface 112 of the enclosure 102. An angle larger than zero degrees provides clearance between the underside of the cover 104 and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 for heat to rise through the surface 112 and be directed away from the enclosure 102. The acute angle 202 between the cover 104 and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 should also be sufficient to contain the spread of a fire from the enclosure 102 in the event of a fire in the enclosure 102.

The selected angle 202 between the cover 104 and the enclosure 102 also can depend at least in part on the cooling requirements for the active heat generating component(s) (not shown) in the enclosure 102. The angle 202 between the cover 104 and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 can be selected to facilitate removal of different heat loads.

An example of a dynamically adjustable venting system is shown in FIG. 4 as including a cover 401, and at least one sensor 402, controller 403, and actuator 404. The sensor 402, controller 403, and actuator 404 are communicatively coupled as shown schematically in FIG. 5. The angular orientation of the cover 401 is controlled by the controller 403 that takes control action based on conditions in the enclosure 102 sensed by sensor 402, such as, for example, the air temperature at one or more predetermined locations in the enclosure 102. Conditions in the enclosure 102 are sensed by the at least one sensor 402, which transmits a signal representing the detection(s) to the controller 403. Such a sensor 402 may be, for example, a temperature, humidity, precipitation, fire, and/or angular position sensor, or any other suitable type of sensor, depending on applicable operating criteria. A temperature sensor could, for example, be configured to sense the surface temperature of one or more components or the air temperature at one or more locations within the enclosure 102, and an angular position sensor could be used to sense the angular position of the cover 401 relative to the surface 112 of the enclosure 102. In one example embodiment, a plurality of sensors are configured to send their signals to controller 403 configured to receive these signals.

In the example embodiment of the system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the controller 403 includes a processor 502 and a computer readable storage medium 501 that stores a computer program including sequences of instructions that can be executed by the processor 502. The processor 502 executes the sequences of instructions to process the signals from one or more sensors 402 to generate at least one output signal, based on the sequences of instructions, to be provided to the actuator 404.

In the embodiment of the system 500 shown in FIG. 5, the controller 403 sends at least one output signal to the actuator 404 which can respond by adjusting the orientation of the cover 401, such as by increasing or decreasing the angle 405 between the cover 401 and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102, or by not varying the cover's orientation, depending on the at least one signal. For example, the control system 500 can be configured to adjust the orientation of the cover 401 in response to a temperature within the enclosure 102 sensed by sensor 402. For example, if it is determined by the controller 403 that the temperature has exceeded a predetermined temperature, or that an average sensed temperature over one or more predetermined time periods exceed one or more predetermined values, the controller 403 can control actuator 404 to cause the actuator 404 to increase the angle 405 at which the cover 401 is orientated relative to surface 112. The orientation of the cover 401 also can be controlled based on other predetermined criteria and/or detected conditions, depending on applicable operating criteria.

In FIG. 4, actuator 404 is shown in communication with the cover 401 via a telescopic element 406, which is in contact with at least one portion of cover 401. Telescopic element 406 can be extended or retracted by the actuator to increase or decrease, respectively, the angle 405 at which the cover 401 is oriented relative to surface 112. Telescopic element may be integral with actuator 404, and, in other embodiments, actuator 404 may be configured to increase and decrease the angle 405 using an element other than the telescopic element 406.

One example embodiment a flow diagram according to which the sequences of instructions stored in the computer readable medium 501 of the controller 403 operate is shown in FIG. 6. At block 602 an input signal is provided to a controller, such as controller 403 of FIGS. 4 and 5, from at least one sensor, such as the sensor 402 of FIGS. 4 and 5. An output signal is then generated by the controller based at least in part upon the input signal and predetermined criteria (e.g., threshold value) specified by the sequences of instructions stored in the storage medium 501. The output signal is transmitted to an actuator, such as the actuator 404 of FIGS. 4 and 5, where upon receipt of the output signal the orientation of the cover 401 is adjusted relative to the facing at least one surface (e.g., 112) of the enclosure 102, by the actuator 404.

In one example embodiment of the sequences of instructions, and as described above, the output signal provided from the controller (e.g., 403) is determined by the controller comparing an input signal from a temperature sensor to a predetermined temperature, such as a maximum component operating temperature. In a first example case, if the temperature sensed is greater than the predetermined temperature, the controller sends an output signal to the actuator 404 to increase the angle 405 between the cover and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 to an increased angle which is predetermined to reduce the temperature being sensed back to below the predetermined temperature. In a second example case, if the temperature sensed is lesser than the predetermined temperature, the controller (e.g., 403) sends an output signal to the actuator 404 to decrease the angle 405 between the cover 401 and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 to a decreased angle which is predetermined to increase the temperature back to above the predetermined temperature. In one example embodiment the foregoing criteria can be employed together so that the temperature in the enclosure is maintained to within a certain temperature range. In another example embodiment of the invention, the controller (e.g., 403) also generates its output signal based on a signal output from a cover position sensor (not shown), which can be configured to sense the angular position (e.g., angle 405) of the cover 401 relative to surface 112 and output the signal representing the detection to the controller (e.g., 403). For example, if the position of the cover 401 relative to surface 112 is sensed as being completely closed (e.g., angle 405 is zero degrees), and the controller determines that the angle 405 should be decreased further based upon a signal provided from a temperature sensor, then the controller (e.g., 403) does not send an output signal to the actuator (e.g., 404) to adjust the cover's position because no further position change is possible. As another example, the controller controls the actuator to position the orientation of the cover based on the orientation detected by the position sensor and information obtained from the temperature (or other type of) sensor (e.g., 402). For example, if the position sensor output indicates that the cover is positioned at a first angle relative to the adjacent surface of the enclosure, and the temperature (or other type of) sensor outputs information which causes the controller to determine that the cover should be positioned at a second angle relative to the adjacent surface, then the controller controls the actuator to orient the cover at the second angle (i.e., the cover orientation is varied from the first angle to the second angle).

In another example embodiment, the controller's output signal is determined by comparing a sensor output signal value (e.g., a temperature sensor output signal value) to a list of pre-stored values in a look-up table and identifying a cover position value (e.g., angle) stored in the list corresponding to a listed signal value that is most similar to the sensor output signal value (e.g., numerically closest). The determined cover position value is then converted to an output signal that is transmitted from the controller to the actuator. For example, a table of temperatures and corresponding cover position values can be stored in a storage medium (e.g., 501) to be used by a processor (e.g., 502) to compare against a signal from a temperature sensor (e.g., 402) signal value. The processor (e.g., 502) can process the received temperature sensor signal and compare the signal's indicated temperature value with the list of temperature values stored in the storage medium (e.g., 501) to determine the most similar (e.g., numerically closest) temperature. The listed cover position value corresponding to the temperature value correlated to in the list is identified and an output signal corresponding to that cover position is transmitted to the actuator (e.g., 404) to adjust the cover 401 to the identified cover position with respect to a respective ventilation surface of an enclosure that the cover faces.

In yet another example embodiment, the controller output signal is determined based upon a known functional relationship between a sensed temperature (or other condition) in the enclosure 102 (as detected by sensor 402) and angle (e.g., 405) of the cover (e.g., 401) (as sensed by at least one cover position sensor).

Another example embodiment of a control system is shown schematically in FIG. 7. The system can be used in conjunction with a method of ventilating an enclosure to limit the spread of fire (if any) from an enclosure, such as, e.g., the enclosure 102 of FIG. 1B. In FIG. 7 a signal from an auxiliary input device 702 such as, for example, an auxiliary input/fire sensor 702, is communicatively coupled to both a controller 703 and a fire protection device 708. By virtue of this redundancy, the signal from the auxiliary input 702 is sent to both the controller 703 and the fire protection device 708, which can send a control output to the actuator 709. The fire protection device 708 is configured to react to the output signal from the auxiliary input sensor 702 by determining if one or more values represented by the signal equal or exceed at least one predetermined threshold value. For example, the auxiliary input sensor 702 may be a smoke detector that is configured to generate an output signal representing a value when the detector senses smoke (i.e., arising from combustion within the enclosure). When the output signal is received by the fire protection device 708, the fire protection device 708 acts by determining if the value represented by the signal equals or exceeds the predetermined threshold, and, if it does, the device 708 sends an output signal to the actuator 709, overriding the output signal from the controller 703. The signal output by device 708 remains latched (i.e., it cannot be reset by the fire protection device 708 or the controller 703 without a command from sensor 702). For example, if the auxiliary input sensor 702 outputs a signal indicating that a fire condition is present in enclosure 102, 402, the fire protection device 708 can react by outputting a signal to the actuator 709 to close the cover (i.e., changes the angular position 405 of the cover with respect to the surface 112 of the enclosure 102 to zero degrees). Such an output signal can provide a dedicated safety control sub-system for the system 700 to prevent the cover 401 from remaining open in the event that the controller 703 is damaged prior to detecting a fire or otherwise malfunctions and cannot perform its control functions according to the sequences of instructions stored in the memory 706.

Another example embodiment of an adjustable venting system is shown in FIG. 8. The system 800 includes a cover 801 in contact with a mechanical linkage 802 in communication with a temperature actuatable element 803, including, for example, a thermostat located in or on the enclosure, such that a temperature change sensed by the thermostat causes a change in the position of the linkage 802 to thereby adjust the angle 804 between the cover 801 and the surface 112 of the enclosure 102. The temperature actuatable element 803 is configured to sense temperature in the enclosure and to control the position of the linkage 802. In one example embodiment, the temperature actuatable element 803 can be a purely mechanical element (i.e., does not require an electrical power source), such as, for example, a bi-metallic coil. However, in another example embodiment, the temperature actuatable element 803 is electro-mechanical and is powered by a suitable electrical power source (not shown). The element 803 and linkage 802 can be configured to close the cover 801 with respect to the enclosure 102 if the temperature sensed by the element 803 is at or above a predetermined temperature, such as, for example, a flame temperature (a combustion temperature). In one example embodiment, this reaction can be effectuated instantaneously, and, in another example embodiment the reaction can be effectuated after one or more predetermined time delays. For example, at least a portion 805 of the linkage 802 may be made of a frangible or fusible material configured to break only when the temperature near that portion 805 is at or above a certain threshold temperature, such as, for example, a predetermined fraction of the adiabatic combustion temperature of the components in the enclosure 102. When the temperature near the frangible portion 805 of the linkage 802 is at or above the threshold temperature the linkage 802 breaks and the cover 801 closes as a result. The portion 805 of the linkage 802 that is made of a frangible or fusible material is suitably located at a position in the linkage 802 so that the linkage will sever completely through the linkage and the unbroken portions of the linkage 802 surrounding the at least one portion 805 will not prevent the cover 801 from closing completely (e.g., any unbroken portion of the linkage 802 will not prop the cover 801 open). Moreover, the cover 801 is configured to have a weight sufficient to exert a force against the linkage 802 to close the cover 801 in the event that the frangible portion 805 breaks. In other embodiments however, a spring or other elastic element may also be employed to apply a closing force (i.e., a compressive force on the linkage 802) between the cover 801 and the enclosure 102 so the cover will tend to close when the frangible portion 805 breaks. With the cover 801 in the closed position less air will be able to reach the area of any fire in the enclosure 102, and thus the fire (if any) in the enclosure 102 can be contained or eliminated.

While the above example embodiments are especially well suited for enclosures cooled by natural convection, they are also useful in conjunction with adjusting venting in enclosures that are ventilated in other ways, including, for example, through forced convection.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to example embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The example embodiments of the invention (i.e., systems 400, 500, 700, procedures in FIGS. 3 and 6, or any part(s) or function(s) thereof) may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. To the extent that manipulations in these example embodiments were described in the context of being performed by a human operator, if at all, use of a human operator is not necessary. Rather, the operations may be completely implemented automatically. Useful machines for performing the operation of the example embodiments presented herein include general purpose digital computers, mechanical devices, or other devices.

Although for convenience processors 502, 707 are shown as being a single processor, in other example embodiments processors 502, 707 may include plural separate processors, wherein each is dedicated to one or more specific functions.

Software embodiments of the example embodiments presented herein may be provided as a computer program product, or software, that may include an article of manufacture on a machine accessible or machine readable medium having instructions. The instructions on the machine accessible or machine readable medium may be used to program a computer system or other electronic device. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions. The techniques described herein are not limited to any particular software configuration. They may find applicability in any computing or processing environment. The terms “machine accessible medium” or “machine readable medium” or the like used herein (if at all) shall include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or transmitting a sequence of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one of the methods described herein. Furthermore, it is common in the art to speak of software, in one form or another (e.g., program, procedure, process, application, module, unit, logic, and so on) as taking an action or causing a result. Such expressions are merely a shorthand way of stating that the execution of the software by a processing system causes the processor to perform an action to produce a result.

While various example embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described example embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

In addition, it should be understood that the FIGS. 1A-9 are presented for example purposes only. The configurations of the example embodiments presented herein are sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that they may be utilized (and navigated) in ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the example embodiments presented herein in any way. It is also to be understood that the procedures recited in the claims need not be performed in the order presented.

Claims

1. A cover for an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment, the enclosure having at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein to provide ventilation, the cover comprising:

at least one cover surface adapted to be disposed over the enclosure in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface.

2. The cover of claim 1, wherein the at least one cover surface is pivotally attached to the enclosure.

3. The cover of claim 2, wherein the at least one cover surface includes at least one solid surface.

4. The cover of claim 3, wherein the cover also comprises at least one flange extending from the at least one solid surface.

5. The cover of claim 4, wherein the at least one flange includes a first flange substantially perpendicular with the at least one solid surface, and wherein the first flange is adapted for engagement with the enclosure.

6. The cover of claim 5, wherein the at least one flange further includes a second flange substantially perpendicular with the at least one solid surface, and wherein the second flange is adapted for engagement with the enclosure.

7. The cover of claim 2, wherein the at least one cover surface is positionable so as to be placed in a selected inclined orientation relative to the at least one ventilation surface.

8. A method for adjusting venting in an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment, the enclosure having at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein, the method comprising:

attaching at least one part of at least one cover to the enclosure; and

positioning the at least one cover in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface of the enclosure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one cover includes at least one solid surface and at least one side extending from the at least one solid surface, wherein at least one of the solid surface and the side is adapted for engagement with the enclosure.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one cover is disposed substantially flush with the at least one ventilation surface.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one cover is positioned so that it forms an acute angle relative to the at least one ventilation surface.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the enclosure is adapted to reject heat from within the enclosure substantially by natural convection.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting at least one predetermined condition; and

varying the orientation of the at least one cover with respect to the at least one ventilation surface, in response to the detecting.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting includes detecting at least one of a temperature and a position of the at least one cover.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting includes providing a signal representing a value in response to detecting the at least one predetermined condition, and wherein the varying is performed if the value equals or exceeds a predetermined value.

16. An enclosure ventilation system comprising:

at least one enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment, the enclosure having at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein for ventilation; and

at least one solid cover adapted to engage the at least one enclosure, and to be disposed in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one enclosure includes a plurality of enclosures, each enclosing heating generating equipment, and the at least one solid cover includes a plurality of solid covers, and wherein each cover is adapted to engage a respective one of the enclosures to form a respective equipment enclosure system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the equipment enclosure systems are disposed adjacent to each other.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising at least one bracket to which the equipment enclosure systems are mountable.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the equipment enclosure systems are disposed in a selected orientation.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one solid cover is pivotally attached to the at least one enclosure.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one solid cover is adapted to be disposed over the at least one enclosure in a selected orientation relative to the at least one ventilation surface.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one solid cover comprises at least one cover surface portion and at least one flange extending from the at least one cover surface portion.

24. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect at least one predetermined condition and output a signal; and

a positioner arranged to orientate the at least one solid cover in a selected orientation relative to the at least one ventilation surface in response to the signal output by the at least one sensor.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the positioner includes an actuator and a controller, and wherein the controller is responsive to the signal output by the at least one sensor to control the actuator so as to orientate the at least one solid cover in the selected orientation.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a smoke detection sensor, and a cover position sensor.

27. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for adjusting venting in an enclosure enclosing heat generating equipment, the enclosure having at least one ventilation surface having at least one aperture formed therein, the sequences of instructions including instructions which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform:

positioning at least one cover in a selected orientation facing the at least one ventilation surface of the enclosure.