U.S. patent application number 12/206098 was filed with the patent office on 2010-03-11 for floor tile and air handling system using tile.
This patent application is currently assigned to INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Sebastien Bousseton, Arnaud Lund.
Application Number | 20100058685 12/206098 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41798018 |
Filed Date | 2010-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100058685 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bousseton; Sebastien ; et
al. |
March 11, 2010 |
FLOOR TILE AND AIR HANDLING SYSTEM USING TILE
Abstract
A floor tile has a top surface, a lower surface substantially
parallel to the top surface, and at least one base mount extending
along the lower surface of the floor tile at at least one
respective mounting angle. A panel can be selectively mounted in a
base mount of the floor tile and configured such that a mounted
panel projects from the lower surface at a projection angle. An air
handling system employing a plurality of the tiles enables
formation of baffles in a plenum below mounted tiles by arranging
the mounted panel edges.
Inventors: |
Bousseton; Sebastien;
(Saint-Jeannet, FR) ; Lund; Arnaud;
(Cagnes-sur-mer, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Cantor Colburn LLP-IBM Europe
20 Church Street, 22nd Floor
Hartford
CT
06103
US
|
Assignee: |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES
CORPORATION
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
41798018 |
Appl. No.: |
12/206098 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/220.1 ;
454/185 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 11/0001 20130101;
E04F 15/024 20130101; F24F 2221/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/220.1 ;
454/185 |
International
Class: |
E04F 15/024 20060101
E04F015/024; F24F 7/02 20060101 F24F007/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 5, 2008 |
FR |
EP08305531.9 |
Claims
1. A floor tile comprising: a top surface; a lower surface
substantially parallel to the top surface; a base mount extending
along the lower surface of the floor tile at a mounting angle; and
a panel selectively mountable in the base mount and configured such
that a mounted panel projects from the lower surface at a
projection angle.
2. The floor tile of claim 1 wherein the panel comprises at least
one panel section, each panel section having an upper end
configured to be retained by the base mount and a lower end
including a section mount substantially identical to the base
mount.
3. The floor tile of claim 2 further comprising a resilient edge
configured to be mounted in one of the base mount and a section
mount of a panel section.
4. The floor tile of claim 3 wherein the panel comprises a panel
section in the base mount and the resilient edge in the section
mount of the panel section.
5. The floor tile of claim 2 wherein the panel comprises at least
two panel sections, a first of the at least two panel sections
being mounted in the base mount, subsequent panel sections of the
at least two panel sections being mounted in the section mount of
respective preceding panel sections.
6. The floor tile of claim 5 further comprising a resilient edge
configured to be mounted in one of the base mount and a section
mount of a panel section, and the resilient edge is mounted in the
section mount of a lowermost of the at least two panel
sections.
7. The floor tile of claim 1 wherein the mounting angle is selected
so that adjacent tiles form at least one substantially continuous
baffle with their panels.
8. The floor tile of claim 1 wherein the mounting angle is
forty-five degrees.
9. The floor tile of claim 1 wherein the mounting angle is sixty
degrees.
10. The floor tile of claim 1 wherein at least two base mounts are
provided at respective mounting angles.
11. The floor tile of claim 1 wherein a first end of the panel is
in a first corner of the floor tile.
12. The floor tile of claim 11 wherein a second end of the panel is
in a second corner of the floor tile.
13. The floor tile of claim 12 wherein the second corner is
diagonally opposite the first corner.
14. The floor tile of claim 12 wherein the second corner is
adjacent the first corner.
15. An air handling system comprising: a frame configured to be
assembled to be supported by a subfloor of a room and configured to
support a raised floor; and a plurality of floor tiles mounted in
the frame, each floor tile including: a top surface; a lower
surface substantially parallel to the top surface; a base mount
extending along the lower surface of the floor tile at a mounting
angle; and a panel selectively mountable in the base mount and
projecting from the lower surface at a projection angle; and the
plurality of floor tiles and the panels being configured to
selectively form at least one selectively configurable baffle below
the raised floor.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the plurality of tiles include a
plurality of mounting angles.
17. The system of claim 15 wherein the mounting angle is forty-five
degrees.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein the mounting angle is sixty
degrees.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the mounting angle is ninety
degrees
20. The system of claim 15 wherein the projection angle is ninety
degrees.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to cooling of machine rooms,
such as those used to house computer machinery in data centers and
the like, and, more specifically, to air handling in machine rooms
with raised floors employing floor tiles.
[0002] A data center can occupy one or more rooms of a building or
even entire buildings and usually includes various types of
equipment. Most of the equipment in a data center is computer
servers, typically mounted in rack cabinets placed in single rows
forming corridors between them. This arrangement allows people
access to the front and rear of each cabinet. Each piece of
equipment covers floor tiles and can vary in size from those that
occupy few tiles to larger units that occupy many tiles. The
equipment generates significant amounts of heat as a result of
operation and requires significant cooling and other climate
control. For example, the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends a
temperature range of 20-25.degree. C. (68-75.degree. F.) and
humidity range of 40-60% as optimal for data center conditions.
[0003] To aid in the distribution of cooling air, data centers
typically use raised flooring made up of removable square tiles,
usually 60 cm (2 ft) square. The height of the space under the
floor tiles depends on the nature of the use to which it will be
applied, but is generally at least six inches. Many such spaces are
between 80-100 cm (31.5-39.4 in), providing a plenum for air
circulation as well as providing space for cabling and other
conduits or equipment. The tiles are supported by a metal grid
frame with supports, also called pedestals or legs, that can be
height adjustable. The tiles are usually made of steel-clad
particleboard or a steel panel with a cementitious internal core
and can have a variety of flooring finishes to suit the application
such as carpets, high-pressure laminates, marble, stone, and
antistatic finishes, among others.
[0004] To allow cooling air to pass from the plenum to the
equipment area, the raised floor can include regularly spaced
diffuser tiles or ducts directed into specific equipment.
Additionally, floor tiles with perforations, including floor tiles
that can vary the size of the perforations depending on various
conditions, can be employed to simplify installation. Once
equipment is installed, flooring tiles are rarely removed, but the
tiles can be removed using tools including suction cups or
hooks.
[0005] Controlling air flow in the plenum can be achieved using
baffles. However, because the baffles typically attach to the frame
or are free standing, rearranging the baffles to redirect air in
the plenum can be tedious and time consuming.
SUMMARY
[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a
floor tile has a top surface, a lower surface substantially
parallel to the top surface, and at least one base mount extending
along the lower surface of the floor tile at at least one
respective mounting angle. A panel can be selectively mounted in a
base mount of the floor tile and configured such that a mounted
panel projects from the lower surface at a projection angle. An air
handling system employing a plurality of the tiles enables
formation of baffles in a plenum below mounted tiles by arranging
the mounted panel edges.
[0007] Additional features and advantages are realized through the
techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects
of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered
a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the
invention with the advantages and the features, refer to the
description and to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The forgoing and other
features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 shows a machine room employing a raised floor system
with which embodiments can be employed.
[0010] FIGS. 2-4 show some example situations in which air flow can
be reconfigured with embodiments.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a floor tile according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0012] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a floor tile according to an embodiment
of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 8 shows mounting arrangements for panel sections
according to embodiments of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 9 shows floor tiles with various mounting angles
according to embodiments of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 10 shows a floor tile according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0016] FIG. 11 shows a floor tile according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0017] FIG. 12 shows a floor tile according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 13 shows a floor tile with multiple mounts according to
an embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIGS. 14-16 show the situations of FIGS. 2-4 resolved using
floor tiles according to embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] With reference now to FIG. 1, a machine room includes a
climate control unit 20 and at least one device to be cooled 31,
32, such as a rack of computer equipment. A raised flooring system
40 includes a frame 41 resting on supports 42. Floor tiles 43 are
supported by the frame 41 and form a plenum 44 between lower
surfaces of the floor tiles 43 and the subfloor 45 upon which the
supports 42 rest. In an example condition seen in FIG. 2, air flow
from the climate control unit 20 is undesirably diverted to a work
area 33 in which the floor tiles 43 have been removed, resulting in
a low air flow to the equipment 31. Another example condition is
seen in FIG. 3, in which two climate control units 20, 21 provide
cooling air to equipment 31, 32 in normal operation (left), but if
one of the units 20 fails (right), one piece of equipment receives
less cooling air than required, which can result in overheating and
damage. A third example condition is seen in FIG. 4 in which the
same amount of cooling air is delivered from the climate control
unit 20 to both pieces of equipment 31, 32, but if one of the
pieces of equipment 31 runs hotter than the other 32, it will
require more cooling air.
[0021] A floor tile 50 according to an embodiment of the invention
is seen in FIG. 5 and allows for easy control of air flow in the
plenum 44 of a raised floor system 40. A top surface 51 of the
floor tile 50 will either be the surface upon which people will
walk and/or equipment will rest, or will support a material, such
as carpeting or other flooring material, upon which people will
walk and/or equipment will rest. A bottom surface 52 of the floor
tile 50 carries a base mount 53 that extends along the bottom
surface 52 of the floor tile 50 at a mounting angle .PHI.. The base
mount 53 can be formed integrally with the bottom of the tile 50 or
can be attached with adhesive, screws, or other suitable attachment
devices and/or methods.
[0022] The base mount 53 is configured to receive and retain a
panel 54. The panel 54 is configured to project at a projection
angle .theta. which in the example embodiments of the FIGS. is
ninety degrees. Other projection angles .theta. can be employed as
desired or required for a particular application of embodiments of
the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the panel
54 is a single piece with its upper end configured to be received
and retained by the base mount 53 and with its lower end carrying a
soft edge 55 that deforms when encountering cables, conduits, or
unevenness of the subfloor 45.
[0023] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the panel includes
two panel sections 56, 57 to allow adjustment of the height of the
panel 53. The panel sections 56, 57 have substantially identical
upper ends and substantially identical lower ends. The upper ends
of the panel sections are configured, as is the panel of FIG. 5, to
be received in the base mount 53. However, the lower ends of the
panel sections carry section mounts 58, particularly seen in FIG.
8, of substantially identical configuration to the base mount 53 so
that the upper end of one panel section 57 can be mounted in a
section mount 58 borne by the lower end of a preceding panel
section 56. Thus, while two panel sections are shown in FIGS. 6 and
7, more panel sections could be used to allow greater flexibility
of adjustment of the height of the assembled panel. As with the
base mount 53, the section mounts 58 can be formed as one piece
with the panel sections 56, 57 or can be attached with adhesive,
screws, or other attachment devices or methods.
[0024] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a resilient edge
section 55 is mounted in the section mount 58 on the lower end of
the lower most panel section 57, though the resilient edge section
55 could be omitted depending upon the desires of the user and/or
the requirements of a particular application within the scope of
the invention. When the edges of the panels 54 of multiple floor
tiles 50 are aligned, they form substantially continuous baffles
that can direct air flowing through the plenum.
[0025] In an embodiment, a plurality of tiles will include more
than one mounting angle as shown, for example, in FIG. 9. In the
example, tiles with mounting angles of forty-five degrees 50a,
ninety degrees extending across the middle of a tile 50b, ninety
degrees along an edge of a tile 50c, sixty degrees 50d, and sixty
degrees with opposite orientation 50e are shown from the top. Use
of multiple mounting angles such as those shown in FIG. 9 allows
formation of baffles of various orientations to provide greater
flexibility in air control in the plenum 44. More detailed views of
the example tiles 50b-50e of FIG. 9 are shown in FIGS. 10-12.
[0026] As seen in FIG. 13, multiple mounts 53a-e are provided on a
single floor tile 50 in an embodiment. Employing multiple mounts
53a-e in such a manner allows users to adjust the angle of a panel
54 and allows manufacture of one type of floor tile base while
allowing multiple mounting angles to be employed. While five mounts
have been shown in the FIG., more or fewer mounts could be employed
within the scope of the invention. Additionally, while particular
angles are shown in the FIG., other angles can be used as
appropriate for particular applications within the scope of the
invention.
[0027] In an embodiment, the upper ends of the panel, panel
sections, and resilient edge section are inserted into and retained
in their respective mounts by sliding an upper end into its mount
from an end of the mount. A detent or locking mechanism can be
included to keep the upper end from sliding back out. In another
embodiment, the mounts can be formed so that their walls can
deflect, allowing "popping" of the upper ends of the panel, panel
sections, and/or resilient edge section into their mounts, friction
from the resulting interference fits retaining the upper ends
against sliding out of their mounts or popping back out. Such fits
are known and can be achieved with various materials, including
plastics and metals. Other interactions between the ends of the
panel/panel sections/resilient edge section and the mounts can also
be used within the scope of the invention. The particular shapes
shown in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and other
shapes can be employed for the mounts and upper ends within the
scope of the invention.
[0028] In addition to allowing baffles to be arranged for a
particular layout of equipment, floor tiles 50 according to
embodiments can be rearranged when a situation arises in which air
flow needs to be changed. For example, the situation of FIG. 2 can
be solved with embodiments as seen in FIG. 13 by placing a
plurality of tiles 50c edge to edge around the work area 33.
Placing the tiles 50c in such a fashion forms baffles 131-134
around the work area 33, blocking air flow to the work area 33 and
forcing a larger volume of air to flow toward the piece of
equipment 31. Similarly, as seen in FIG. 14, the situation of FIG.
3, in which one of two climate control units 20, 21 fails, can be
solved by rearranging floor tiles 50a-e to form baffles 141-144 to
divert equal amounts of air from the functioning climate control
unit 21 to both pieces of equipment 31, 32. Once the failed unit 20
is repaired or replaced, the floor tiles 50 can easily rearranged
to provide more desirable air flow through the plenum 44. And, as
seen in FIG. 15, the situation of FIG. 4 can be resolved by
arranging embodiments of the floor tiles 50a-e to form baffles
151-154 to divert more air to the hotter-running piece of equipment
31 than to the cooler-running piece of equipment 32.
[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and
"the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood
that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one ore more other features, integers,
steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.
[0030] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and
equivalents of all elements in the claims below are intended to
include any structure, material, or act for performing the function
in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.
The description of the present invention has been presented for
purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be
exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many
modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best
explain the principles of the invention and the practical
application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to
understand the invention for various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated
[0031] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art,
both now and in the future, may make various improvements and
enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which
follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper
protection for the invention first described.
* * * * *