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 rack system, comprising:
 a. a vertical rectangular frame for accommodating at least one heat-generating device in a horizontal orientation, the vertical rectangular frame including a front, a rear, a first side, a second side, and an interior region; and   b. a vertically oriented first baffle fixedly mounted relative to the first side of the vertical rectangular frame and extending laterally from the first side at an angle that is less than 90 degrees relative to the first side.   
     
     
         2 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first side of the vertical rectangular frame defines a height and wherein the first baffle extends substantially the entire height of the first side of the vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         3 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first side of the vertical rectangular frame defines a height and wherein the first baffle extends a portion of the height of the first side of the vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         4 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a bottom and wherein the bottom of the first baffle is substantially vertically aligned with the bottom of the vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         5 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a top and wherein the top of the first baffle is substantially vertically aligned with the top of the vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         6 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a bottom and a top, wherein the bottom of the first baffle is not substantially vertically aligned with the bottom of the vertical rectangular frame, and wherein the top of the first baffle is not substantially vertically aligned with the top of the vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         7 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines a mounting flange along a first edge thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A rack system according to  claim 7 , wherein the first baffle further defines a second mounting flange along a second edge thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle defines an upper end that is structurally bounded so as to prevent flow of air redirected by the first baffle from extending beyond the upper end of the first baffle. 
     
     
         10 . A rack system according to  claim 9 , further comprising a cover that structurally bounds the first baffle at its upper end. 
     
     
         11 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle is configured and dimensioned to redirect a rearward flow of cool air that passes from a front space adjacent to the front of the vertical rectangular frame sideways through the first side and into the interior region. 
     
     
         12 . A rack system according to  claim 11 , wherein cool air enters the interior region only by passing from a front space adjacent to the front of the vertical rectangular frame sideways through the first side based on redirection by the first baffle. 
     
     
         13 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle is configured and dimensioned to redirect a sideways flow of exhaust air from the interior region through the first side rearward into a rear space adjacent to the rear of the vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         14 . A rack system according to  claim 13 , wherein exhaust air exits from the interior region only through the first side rearward into a rear space adjacent to the rear of the vertical rectangular frame based on redirection by the first baffle. 
     
     
         15 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second baffle that is fixedly mounted to the first side of the vertical rectangular frame above the first baffle. 
     
     
         16 . A rack system according to  claim 15 , wherein the second baffle defines an upper end that is structurally bounded so as to prevent flow of air redirected by the second baffle from extending beyond the upper end of the second baffle. 
     
     
         17 . A rack system according to  claim 16 , wherein the first baffle and the second baffle extending laterally from the first side at substantially the same angle relative to the first side. 
     
     
         18 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle extends laterally from the first side at an angle that ranges from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to the first side. 
     
     
         19 . A rack system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first baffle includes a first mounting flange on a first end thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A rack system according to  claim 19 , wherein the first mounting flange is vertically oriented when the first baffle is mounted with respect to vertical rectangular frame. 
     
     
         21 . A rack system according to  claim 19 , wherein the first baffle includes a second mounting flange on a second end thereof. 
     
     
         22 . A rack system according to  claim 21 , wherein the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange are substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         23 . A system, comprising:
 a. a first assembly that includes a frame defining a front, a rear, a first lateral side and a second lateral side;   b. a second assembly that includes a frame defining a front, a rear, a first lateral side and a second lateral side; and   c. a first baffle mounted with respect to the first lateral side of the first assembly, wherein the first baffle is positioned between the first assembly and the second assembly and is angularly oriented with respect to the first lateral side of the first assembly and with respect to the first lateral side of the second assembly.   
     
     
         24 . A system according to  claim 23 , wherein the first baffle has a first mounting flange on a first end thereof and a second mounting flange that is substantially parallel to the first mounting flange on a second end thereof, and wherein the first baffle is mounted to the first lateral side of the first assembly via the first mounting flange and is mounted to the first lateral side of the second assembly via the second mounting flange. 
     
     
         25 . A system according to  claim 23 , further comprising a cable management cage mounted with respect to at least one of the first assembly and the second assembly, wherein the cable management cage is positioned in the space between the first assembly and the second assembly and in front of the first baffle.