U.S. patent application number 11/037759 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-21 for cabinet cool - a high quality whisper quiet temperature controlled cabinet cooling system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Mr. Steve Utke. Invention is credited to Utke, Steve.
Application Number | 20050156492 11/037759 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34752564 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050156492 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Utke, Steve |
July 21, 2005 |
Cabinet cool - a high quality whisper quiet temperature controlled
cabinet cooling system
Abstract
An apparatus for providing cool air to electronic equipment in
closed cabinets wherein a plurality of electronic equipment (such
as stereo equipment) are stacked within a cabinet such that front
surfaces of the equipment face a front cabinet door or fill in the
front cabinet opening, the apparatus including a whisper quiet
energy efficient fan and automatic temperature controlling
thermostat being mounted with supplied hardware in an upper rear
area of the cabinet, causing the warmer air to be expelled and
pulling fresh cooler air through lower front inlets, thereby
forcing a rapid air exchange within the equipment cabinet.
Inventors: |
Utke, Steve; (Highlands
Ranch, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Steve Utke
8887 Cactus Flower Way
Highlands Ranch
CO
80126
US
|
Assignee: |
Mr. Steve Utke
Highlands Ranch
CO
|
Family ID: |
34752564 |
Appl. No.: |
11/037759 |
Filed: |
January 18, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60481926 |
Jan 20, 2004 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
312/236 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 77/08 20130101;
A47B 81/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/236 |
International
Class: |
A47F 003/04; A47B
077/08 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for use with a cabinet defining a top, back, sides,
bottom and normally a front consisting of hinged doors or door with
at least one piece of electronic equipment inside, the apparatus
for expelling heated air and comprising: At least one energy
efficient whisper quiet fan mounted to the upper rear of the
cabinet consisting of (back of the top, upper back of either side,
or upper area of the back) with supplied hardware including metal
finger guards.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air source is obtained
through instructional lower front air intake areas being opened
up.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the whisper quiet energy
efficient fan is controlled exclusively by an automatic adjustable
thermostat with RFI cancellation circuitry. Wherein the automatic
adjustable thermostat is activated by temperature and stabilized
with snubber circuitry.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the automatic adjustable
thermostat is capable of simultaneously controlling up to 190
energy efficient whisper quiet fans.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the automatic adjustable
thermostat has a delay shutoff range of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wherein the whisper quiet energy efficient fan or fans are
prevented from cycling too often.
6. A cooling apparatus designed to outlast the majority of
equipment it protects with a lowest common MTBF of 55,000 hours.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to cabinet air-cooling
systems for electronic equipment placed in cabinets with inadequate
ventilation.
[0002] Over the past several decades, people have started using
small computers and stereo equipment with many unsightly wires
connected to them. In an attempt to make their homes attractive and
still be high tech, many people have placed their expensive
electronic equipment into cabinets, often times with front door
assemblies constructed of clear or smoked Plexiglas or safety
glass. This practice is very commonplace since people do not want
their small office or home to appear lab like. Because of this
widespread method of upgrading the aesthetics, the disadvantages
have also become a very clear problem. Equipment failures are
extremely high when the electronic equipment cannot adequately cool
its internal components due to a lack of access to cooler air. In
effect, these failures represent a massive loss to individuals and
in some cases to honest companies attempting to honor warranties on
products that failed through no fault of their own.
[0003] To provide stimulating entertainment, many people purchase
very expensive stereo equipment along with plasma TV's and build
them into their homes in cabinetry. To provide the high tech
computing and Internet access for needed education and purchasing,
many people conceal the computer equipment and unsightly wires in
desk cabinets. Hereinafter, Stereo Equipment, TV's (HD, Plasma,
Projection), Computers and other heat generating electronic
equipment, will collectively be referred to as electronic equipment
in order to simplify this explanation.
[0004] A cabinet is typically constructed to include a top, and
bottom, opposing lateral walls, front doors and a back. The front
doors are often hinged and readily opened to facilitate access to
the electronic equipment inside the cabinet. In addition, the front
door or doors are often transparent but darkly smoked so as to
allow the operator to use infrared remote controls for the
operation of their electronic equipment and to facilitate use from
various visual displays that the electronic equipment may
provide.
[0005] Often times, the electronic equipment placed within a
cabinet will be replaced by other newer electronic equipment to
modify capabilities or change other important system operating
parameters. This newer equipment may have differing operating
temperature tolerances and consequently may not last when subjected
to the same environment as its predecessor.
[0006] One problem with virtually all electronic equipment is that,
during operation, electronic equipment generates heat. If equipment
generated heat is not dissipated quickly enough the heat can cause
the equipment to malfunction, or when extreme, can destroy the
equipment.
[0007] The industry has developed several different ways in which
to cool electronic equipment. For example, in the case of a plasma
TV in a small shallow cabinet, some professional installation
companies mount several small light duty fans positioned in the
back wall of the cabinet. The noisy fans run whenever the operator
does not forget to plug them in or turn them on.
[0008] In the case of most closed cabinet electronic equipment
installations, small light duty noisy fans alone cannot be relied
upon to maintain low temperatures.
[0009] Specifically, these types of fans alone cannot be relied
upon because, in a typical critical environment, there are so many
(heat generating) electronics pumping heat into the ambient, that
the ambient temperature in the critical environment would reach
dangerous levels relatively quickly. In effect, the ambient air
would not be cool enough to effectively cool the electronic
equipment.
[0010] One common way to cool critical environments has been to
install multiple small light duty noisy fans (similar to the fans
inside a computer). A reasonable environment temperature can
sometimes then be obtained possibly for a short period of time
before one or more of the fans quietly die or slow down. The
environment temperature is then compromised and the electronic
equipment is now subjected to temperatures exceeding specifications
causing the often times permanent failures to occur.
[0011] While identical and constant temperatures throughout the
critical environment are ideal, unfortunately there are several
sources of temperature irregularity in typical critical
environments. For instance, the ambient temperature in some
critical environments can be different than in others. Cabinets
(and electronic equipment therein) in warmer room areas tend to be
warmer than cabinets in the cooler areas.
[0012] One other source of temperature irregularity within the
critical environment is the disparate amount of heat generated by
the different electronic equipment and their uses within the
separate cabinets. For instance, assuming identical plasma TV's, a
first cabinet that operates near full brightness generates more
heat than a second cabinet in a darker lower level room operating
at half brightness. In this case, all other things being equal, the
air temperature near the first cabinet (and inside the first
cabinet for that matter) would be warmer than the air temperature
near the second cabinet (and inside the second cabinet).
[0013] Thus, despite efforts to maintain the same conditions
throughout critical environments, often the temperatures within
different critical environments will vary and this variance can
result in electronic equipment failure or premature degradation in
performance.
[0014] One solution to the critical environment temperature
disparity problem is to increase the volume of the cooling air
forced into the critical environment so that even the warmest
equipment is cooled enough to minimize or avoid equipment failure.
Unfortunately, the consumer will not tolerate consistent loud noise
or excessive white noise in their home or office and therefore this
solution is often unworkable.
[0015] Yet one other solution to the critical environment
temperature disparity problem is to provide cabinet monitoring
equipment including temperature sensors inside cabinet housings
that are linked to a processor. The processor can then monitor
temperature in the cabinets and generate an alarm when the
temperature inside any given cabinet exceeds some threshold
level.
[0016] While some of the above solutions are advantageous they have
some shortcomings. First, although cheap noisy fans provide a low
cost solution, they provide completely inadequate insurance.
[0017] Second, electronic equipment cooling with small low cost
noisy fans is relatively inefficient. Clearly reliable low noise
higher volume air exchange provides more efficient cooling.
[0018] Third, fans producing obnoxious levels of noise are apt to
be a relief when the noise subsides due to fans slowing down or
quietly dying. In addition, if left up to the consumer to always
remember to plug the fans in when operating the electronic
equipment, this becomes an area for mistakes to manifest themselves
in the form of damaged expensive electronic equipment.
[0019] Fourth, multiple temperature sensors with linked processor
control and monitoring, generating alarms upon exceeding
temperature threshold levels is neither a consumer friendly
installation or cost effective.
[0020] One attempt to address the problems with cooling electronic
equipment in cabinets is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,189 (the
'189 patent) that was issued on Feb. 13, 2001 and that is entitled
"fan Speed Control System" which teaches one system that
automatically alters cooling air volume as a function of cabinet
temperature. To this end, the '189 patent teaches that dedicated
temperature sensors can be positioned at various locations within a
cabinet. The sensors are monitored and fan speeds are altered as a
function of cabinet temperature.
[0021] While the '189 solution advantageously provides automated
control of cooling air volume, this solution to the temperature
control problem is relatively expensive requiring a plurality of
dedicated temperature sensors.
[0022] One other problem with a fan speed controlling system like
that taught in the '189 patent is that the fans continue to run at
a lower speed through frequency current modulation (also known as
pulse width modulation), or voltage clamping. Pulse width
modulation is very noisy and tends to cause premature fan failure
while voltage clamping is energy wasteful and can also cause
premature fan failure. Also, the space from which the fans attempt
to draw air could be blocked so that the fans, in fact, draw little
air and the cooling effect is minimal. For small cabinets with
stereo equipment, plasma TV's, and single computer systems, etc.,
(the '189 patent) system is not practical from a cost standpoint
and variable speed cooling is of no benefit without having fans and
airflow completely oversized.
[0023] One attempt to address the problems with ambient cooling
systems is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,579 (the '579 patent)
entitled "Rack Based Packaging System for Computers with Cable,
Cooling and Power Management Module" issued on Jun. 1, 1993. The
'579 patent teaches a system including a power plenum, a cooling
plenum and a cable plenum.
[0024] In the configuration of the '579 patent, it teaches that the
cooling plenum may be positioned on the side of the cabinet
adjacent the front cabinet wall. The '579 patent also teaches that
the cooling plenum, channels cooling air directly from a raised
floor up along the side of the cabinet. This configuration is not
practical or applicable to residential cabinets or small business
computer desks.
[0025] Other systems regulate cooling in other fashions (e.g., via
damper control or cooling air temperature).
[0026] Thus, there is a need for a more efficient cool air delivery
system for use in electronic equipment cabinet environments. In
addition, there is a need for an air delivery system that can
automatically provide increased ventilation to cabinets based on
cabinet and or equipment temperature. Moreover, there is a need for
a very low noise system that automatically becomes perfectly quiet
when equipment environment temperatures drop to acceptable levels
after equipment is turned off, thereby providing residents with a
noise free environment. Furthermore, there is a need for a cabinet
cooling system that is energy efficient with energy requirements
averaging as low as a night-light and will not produce unwanted RFI
during running or switch times. Finally, there is a need for a
cabinet cooling system that is aesthetically pleasing and is
designed in most cases to outlast the equipment it is
protecting.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0027] It has been recognized that a plenum or other form of air
delivery member can be constructed on the inside of an electronic
equipment cabinet door that can deliver cool air extremely
efficiently to electronics inside the cabinet to increase cooling
efficiency. In some embodiments the plenum includes the cabinet
door while in others the plenum is a retrofit assembly that can be
added to an existing door to provide the cooling air. In several
instances, cool air is pumped directly into the plenum via a
conduit member that extends from a cooling air source below the
cabinet.
[0028] In general terms, the present invention includes an
apparatus for use with a cabinet, housing electronic equipment and
generally having a front door that closes creating a confined
non-circulating air space. The apparatus is for purging the
confined heated air and drawing in fresh cooler air thereby
allowing the design of the electronic equipment (be it convection
or forced air cooling) to perform its job properly.
[0029] In some applications the air inlet is comprised of a
dispersed specified relative area due to constraints in the cabinet
locations or configuration.
[0030] In some embodiments the apparatus further includes multiple
energy efficient whisper quiet fans to facilitate effective cooling
for larger or more tightly confined electronic equipment, which
might otherwise create a static dead air space inside the
cabinet.
[0031] In these special embodiments the apparatus instructions
require the total air intake area to be a multiple of the original
required air intake area times the number of additional energy
efficient whisper quiet fans.
[0032] These and other objects, advantages and aspects of the
invention will become apparent from the following description. In
the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,
which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown a preferred
embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily
represent the full scope of the invention and reference is made
therefore, to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a critical environment in
which the present invention should be employed;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating positioning and
implementation of the present invention with additional detail;
[0035] FIG. 3 is an actual view of a common embodiment of the
present invention;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a critical environment with
some additional detail;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a picture view of a typical critical environment
depicting inadequate ventilation for the electronic equipment while
displaying the front view of the entertainment center;
[0038] FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 albeit with a glass door closed
in front of the additional electronic equipment;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a picture of a typical roll top computer
workstation desk with a critical computer environment even without
the door in front;
[0040] FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, albeit without a roll top and
depicting actual computer equipment;
[0041] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a wall critical environment
entertainment center;
[0042] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, albeit illustrating a
single high definition TV installation;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] Referring now to the figures where like reference numerals
correspond to similar elements throughout the several views and,
specifically, referring to FIG. 1, the present invention will be
described in the context of an exemplary critical environment
cabinet including front glass doors, back, top, bottom and sides
that define an environment space. Within this critical environment,
a plurality of electronic equipment would be arranged so as to
create critical ambient temperatures. For reference, a similar
cabinet in FIG. 6 is shown populated with examples of such
electronic equipment. The invention CABINET COOL is depicted in
FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 in a manner, which will be described in
more detail below.
[0044] Referring now to FIG. 2, as illustrated, this critical
environment embodiment typically requires a second whisper quiet
energy efficient fan, whereas the whisper quiet energy efficient
fans are installed in locations (E & F). Whereas the grille in
FIG. 2 as shown, is reversed and faces the outside back of the
cabinet leaving the whisper quiet energy efficient fans mounted on
the inside of the back of the cabinet. These whisper quiet energy
efficient fans accomplish the expulsion of heated air at a rate of
100 cubic feet per minute out the top back of the cabinet. The
cooling air source originates through the lower back of the
critical environment through a slot cut in location (A). The
cooling air source is routed through a series of equal area slots
in the removable shelves sequencing from (B) to (C) and then
through a final equal area slot in the upper side panel (D).
[0045] Specifically, according to the present invention, since warm
air rises, the expelled heated air does not descend to the level of
the cooling air intake (e.g., A), hence delivery of cool air
through slot (A) to locations there above in the critical
environment.
[0046] Referring still to FIG. 2, the automatic adjustable
temperature control unit is secured to position (G) as depicted.
Cooling controller in position (G) samples ambient air temperature
out of the air pathway and therefore will not disengage
prematurely. In the event that this critical environment contains
electronic equipment, (other than satellite receiver, VCR's, TV
surround sound amp), which could be used independent of the TV, the
automatic adjustable temperature control unit should be relocated
into the slot (D) opening between the adjacent cabinets to enable
air temperature sampling from either equipment cabinet. An
alternative to the common area location is to locate a second
temperature control unit in the rear top of the cabinet defined by
slot (C & D).
[0047] Referring to FIGS. 3 & 4, for the purposes of the
present invention it is assumed that the FIG. 4 cabinet houses
stereo equipment in the left side behind a glass door. This
embodiment would require a cool air intake slot to be opened up in
the lower rear of the cabinet below shelf 1. The cool air path
would then proceed up through slots in the rear of (Shelf 1 &
2). Expulsion of the heated air by the electronic equipment is
accomplished through the installation of one whisper quiet energy
efficient fan as represented in FIG. 3, mounted as depicted in FIG.
4 location (E) or in the back of same cabinet above (Shelf 2).
[0048] Controlled cool air is accomplished through the installation
of the automatic adjustable temperature control unit as represented
in FIG. 3, mounted in FIG. 4 within the rear top cabinet area above
(Shelf 2).
[0049] In addition to the components described above, the present
invention also includes a plurality of bolts which facilitate
mounting adaptation to a respectable range of cabinet wall
thicknesses along with nylon locking nuts to prevent vibration
loosening over time.
[0050] Referring still to FIG. 3 and now to FIGS. 5, 6, 9 & 10,
for the purposes of the present invention, these cabinets represent
examples of critical environments such that tremendous benefit is
obtained through the installation of the whisper quiet energy,
efficient fan and thermostat as depicted in FIG. 3.
[0051] Referring still to FIG. 3 and now to FIGS. 7 & 8
illustrating critical environments for personal computer systems.
Computer desks having the same critical over temperature problems
and even to a greater degree than home entertainment systems,
require a method of air exchange to prevent the computers from
sustaining damage.
[0052] Referring still to FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 a plurality
of desk and cabinet configurations enclose electronic equipment in
cabinets and lack sufficient ability to reduce ambient temperature
without the attainable help afforded through the installation of
automatic temperature controlled air cooling systems as depicted in
FIG. 3.
[0053] It should be appreciated from the above-described
configuration of components that the present invention delivers
cool air from a cool air source directly to the position relative
to heat generating electronic equipment that is most efficient for
use. When the Whisper quiet, energy efficient fans operate, cool
air is pulled past each stacked piece of electronic equipment
causing a torrent of air turbulence over heat generating components
therein, prior to being expelled into open room space. Controlling
the startup of the whisper quiet, energy efficient fans is an
adjustable threshold temperature at the high end of an acceptable
electronic equipment temperature range, whereas controlling the
shutoff of the whisper quiet energy efficient fans is accomplished
by an approximate 7 degrees Fahrenheit drop below the adjustable
high threshold temperature setting. This same adjustable threshold
temperature thermostat is equipped with RFI canceling snubber
circuitry to eliminate entertainment equipment interference and
stabilize temperature threshold settings. In conventional systems
that cool all of the space within a critical environment,
differences in equilibrium, although important, are relatively less
important as the air pulled into the environment generally mixes
prior to being expelled out of the cabinet.
[0054] While certain methods and apparatus are described above, the
present invention is not meant to be so limited and other
embodiments are contemplated.
[0055] For example, individual plenums could be easily added in a
multi cabinet entertainment center with common passageways opened
up between the cabinets and ambient air temperature being sampled
as a result of convection with stacked cabinets.
[0056] To apprise the public of the scope of this invention, the
following claims are made:
* * * * *