Air directing device
An air directing device for thermal management in side breathing equipment includes at least three vertical panels disposed in generally parallel relationship and horizontally spaced a fixed distance from one another. Each panel defines a fin arranged orthogonally relative to an airflow path for deflection of cooling air into side breathing equipment. At least one of the panels is an inner panel that is wider than two outer panels. The air directing device further includes at least one connection member connecting the outer panels to one another.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an electronic equipment enclosure formed from front, rear, and side panels mounted on a frame, an air directing device, and side breathing electronic equipment, the air directing device comprising:
(a) a first vertically-oriented fin;
(b) a second vertically-oriented fin;
(c) a third vertically-oriented fin; and
(d) a connection member, wherein the first, second, and third fins are held in a generally parallel and non-coplanar relationship with one another by the connection member;
(e) wherein the air directing device, including the connection member, is mounted within the electronic equipment enclosure along a side thereof and adjacent one of the side panels such that the first, second, and third fins are all:
(i) spaced apart from both the front panel of the electronic equipment enclosure and the rear panel of the electronic equipment enclosure,
(ii) disposed adjacent the one of the side panels, and
(iii) disposed adjacent one another;
(f) wherein the second fin is located between the first and third fins and is wider than the first and third fins;
(g) wherein at least the first and second fins are arranged orthogonally relative to a horizontal airflow path, traveling front-to-back or back-to-front through the electronic equipment enclosure and along a side of the side breathing electronic equipment, such that:
(i) the first fin deflects a first portion of the front-to-back or back-to-front airflow toward and into the side of the side breathing electronic equipment but permits a second portion of the airflow to pass by, and
(ii) the second fin directs at least a part of the second portion of the front-to-back or back-to-front airflow toward and into the side of the side breathing electronic equipment.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connection member is a first connection member and is positioned at an upper end of the fins, and wherein the air directing device further comprises a second connection member that is positioned at a lower end of the fins.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each connection member is a connection plate.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each connection plate has a T shape.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a length of a cross portion of each T shaped connection plate is measured as a first distance between the first and third fins, and a length of a trunk portion of each T shaped connection plate is the width of the inner panel.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air directing device further comprises a fourth vertically-oriented fin.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the fins are arranged as two front fins and two rear fins.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the two front fins mirror the two rear fins.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fourth fin is located between the first and third fins and is wider than the first and third fins.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the two inner fins are the same width as each other and the two outer fins are the same width as each other.