Electrical cabinet

• US 6,135,875 A
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: French, F. William
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mattera, Michelle A
• Application Number:
  US09/343,000
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 454/184, 454/187, 361/687, 361/695
• US Class Current: 454/184
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/14 and having shutters, e.g. automatically closed when not in use
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/166 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/565 for cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2019 Fan safe systems, e.g. mechanical devices for non stop cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20572 within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks, e.g. plenum

Abstract

A cabinet having an aperture passing through a surface thereof. A fan is mounted over the aperture in the cabinet. The fan is adapted to produce a flow of air through the interior of the cabinet when operating properly to exhaust such flow of air externally of the cabinet. A resilient membrane is mounted to said surface of said cabinet. The resilient membrane has formed therein: a plurality of slits extending radially from a center of a region of the membrane. The slits are spaced about the periphery of the aperture to form a plurality of flaps in the membrane. The flaps are configured to pivot from a nominal position outwardly from the surface of the cabinet from the flow of air produced by the fan when the fan is operating properly and to return to the nominal position when the fan is operating improperly to inhibit air externally of the cabinet from entering into the interior. The fans have a hub and a grate. The membrane has an aperture formed therein. The aperture is at the center of the region. The aperture in the membrane is disposed over the hub and the flaps are disposed over the grate when the fan is operating improperly. With such an arrangement, the mass momentum of the air causes the flap (i.e., a check valve) material to deflect outward and open a path for the air to escape. The air can continue to exhaust from the fan while the fan is operating; but, if the fan fails and stops operating, the flap will collapse and seal over the aperture thereby inhibiting air leakage into the cabinet. Further, the flap also serves as a visual indicator, by its "closed" position, to indicate whether or not the fan is operating.

Claims

1. A cabinet, comprising:

a compartment disposed in an interior of the cabinet, such interior being configured to house electrical components, such cabinet having an aperture passing through a surface thereof;

a fan mounted to the surface of the cabinet over the aperture in the cabinet, such fan being adapted to produce a flow of air through the interior of the cabinet when operating properly to exhaust such flow of air externally of the cabinet;

a resilient membrane mounted to said surface of said cabinet over such fan, such resilient membrane having formed therein;

a plurality of slits extending radially from a center of a region of the membrane, such slits being spaced about the periphery of the aperture to form a plurality of flaps about the periphery of the region, such flaps being formed to pivot from a nominal position outwardly externally from the surface of the cabinet from the flow of air produced by the fan when the fan is operating properly and to return to the nominal position when the fan is operating improperly to inhibit air externally of the cabinet from entering into the interior.

2. The cabinet recited in claims 1 wherein the fan has a hub and a grate and wherein the membrane has an aperture formed therein, such aperture in the membrane being at the center of the region, the aperture in the membrane being disposed over the hub and the flaps being disposed over the grate when the fan is operating improperly.