IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,251,313
Granted Patent B2
US 10,251,313 · App. 15/465,481 · Granted Apr 2, 2019

Air-grate floor panel sub-plenum retrofit add on multi-directional plume

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,251,313
App. No.
15/465,481
Filed
Mar 21, 2017
Granted
Apr 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3762
USPC
454/184
Abstract

Disclosed is the redirection of air flow in a sub-plenum using a multi-directional plume that is attached to the bottom surface of an air-grate floor panel. The air-grate floor panel 102 has openings which allow redirected air to flow in an upward direction to cool computer equipment, including servers. The multi-directional plume has a series of vanes that are disposed in various different directions to deflect a flow of air conditioning air through a sub-plenum in a vertical direction to flow through openings in the air-grate floor panel. Since the multi-directional plume is capable of redirecting air from various different directions in the sub-plenum, the air-grate floor panels do not have to be repositioned to capture air flow from any particular direction.

Claims (19)

1. In a raised floor system, a method for redirection of an omnidirectional sub-plenum airflow from a sub-plenum to computer equipment disposed on said raised floor system, comprising the steps of:

providing an air-grate raised floor panel having an upper surface, a lower surface and a plurality of open air-flow ducts extending therethrough;

providing an air-flow plume attachment by cutting a sheet of metal in a pattern to form a plurality of flaps disposed in a plurality of directions;

bending said flaps to form downwardly projecting open end fins having an open end that creates an acute angle with said lower surface of said air-grate raised floor panel when said air-flow plume attachment is attached to said air-grate raised floor panel, said open end fins positioned to capture and deflect said omnidirectional sub-plenum airflow from a plurality of directions;

attaching said air-flow plume attachment to said lower surface of said air-grate raised floor panel using attachment connectors;

installing said air-grate floor panel on a raised floor pedestal support system so that said open end fins of said air-flow plume attachment extend from said lower surface of said air-grate raised floor panel into said sub-plenum which causes said oven end fins to capture and redirect said omnidirectional sub-plenum airflow from said plurality of directions towards said lower surface of said air-grate raised floor panel;

supplying said sub-plenum of said raised floor pedestal support system with said omnidirectional sub-plenum air-flow; and

directing said omnidirectional sub-plenum air-flow that has been redirected by said open end fins of said air-flow plume attachment towards said lower surface of said air-grate raised floor panel and through said plurality of open air-flow ducts in said air-grate raised floor panel without repositioning said installed air-grate floor panel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said process of attaching said air-flow plume attachment comprises attaching a multi-directional structure to a structural member of said air-grate floor panel using a clip.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said process of attaching said air-flow plume attachment comprises attaching a multi-directional structure to a structural member of said air-grate floor panel using a screw.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said process of attaching said air-flow plume attachment comprises attaching a multi-directional structure to a structural member of said air-grate floor panel using a magnet.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said process of attaching said air-flow plume attachment comprises attaching a multi-directional structure to a structural member of said air-grate floor panel using a bonding adhesive.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing said air-flow plume attachment comprises providing a multi-directional structure that has a plurality of open end fins that are directed in at least six different directions.

7. A system for redirecting sub-plenum air of a sub-plenum in a raised floor system comprising:

an air-grate floor panel having an open box load bearing frame and a top plate having openings that allow air to pass through said air-grate floor panel;

a multi-directional structure having a plurality of open end fins that are directed in a plurality of different directions and that form an acute angle with a lower surface of said air-grate floor panel so that said plurality of open end fins extend outwardly and downwardly in said plurality of different directions;

connectors disposed on said multi-directional structure that connect said multi-directional structure to said air-grate floor panel such that said plurality of vanes extend outwardly into said sub-plenum when said air-grate floor panel and said multi-directional structure are disposed in said raised floor system and redirect air flowing in said sub-plenum through said openings in said top plate of said air-grate floor panel.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said multi-directional structure is formed from a sheet of metal that is cut to form said vanes.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said multi-directional structure is formed from molded plastic.