US-20260129806-A1 - RACK WITH VENTALATION ASSEMBLY

US20260129806A1US 20260129806 A1US20260129806 A1US 20260129806A1US-20260129806-A1

Abstract

A ventilation assembly for use with a storage rack having receiving bays for receiving computing system is configurable between a closed configuration blocking airflow to the receiving bays and an opened configuration permitting airflow to the receiving bays. The ventilation assembly includes a plurality of louvers pivotally swinging between orientations perpendicular to an installation direction of the computing system and parallel to the installation direction to provide louver gaps permitting airflow to the receiving bay. The ventilation assembly includes an actuation linkage converting movement of the computing system in the installation direction to pivot the plurality of louvers to the opened configuration.

Inventors

Ching-Wen Hsiao

Assignees

Aivres Systems Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251230

Claims (20)

1 . A storage rack comprising: a framework comprising a receiving bay for receiving a computing system inserted in an installation direction extending between a rack front face and a rack rear face; a ventilation assembly at the rear rack face, the ventilation assembly comprising: a louver frame extending in a lateral direction perpendicular to the installation direction; a louver subassembly comprising a plurality of louvers each pivotally joined to the louver frame, the louver subassembly configurable between a closed configuration with the plurality of louvers at least partially occluding the receiving bay and an opened configuration with the plurality of louvers pivoted to provide louver gaps accessing the receiving bay; and an actuation linkage operatively configured to convert motion in the installation direction to pivot each of the plurality of louvers between the closed configuration and the opened configuration.
2 . The storage rack of claim 1 , wherein the actuation linkage comprises a pushrod displaceable in the installation direction and a connecting rod connecting each of the plurality of louvers, the pushrod and the connecting rod being operatively connected to each other.
3 . The storage rack of claim 2 , wherein the actuation linkage comprises a first coupler link and a second coupler link connecting the pushrod and the connecting rod.
4 . The storage rack of claims claim 3 , wherein the pushrod comprises a distal end connected to the first coupler link and a proximal end connected to the second coupler link.
5 . The storage rack of claim 4 , wherein the actuation linkage comprises a roller journaled to the proximal end.
6 . The storage rack of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of louvers comprises a louver pane and a swing arm intersecting at a fixed angle.
7 . The storage rack of claim 6 , wherein pivoting of the plurality of louvers swings the louver panes respectively from being perpendicular to the installation direction in the closed configuration to being parallel to the installation direction in the opened configuration.
8 . The storage rack of claim 7 , wherein the louver panes of each of the plurality of louvers are aligned in the lateral direction in the closed configuration.
9 . The storage rack of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of louvers is connected by a connecting axle to a connecting rod operatively associated with the actuation linkage.
10 . The storage rack of claim 1 , wherein the actuation linkage further comprises a biasing spring biasing the louver subassembly to the closed configuration.
11 . A method of ventilating a storage rack defining at least one receiving bay comprising inserting a computing system into a receiving bay in an installation direction extending between a rack front face and a rack rear face; moving a pushrod of a ventilation system in the installation direction in response to abutting contact with the computing system; converting movement of the pushrod in the installation direction to movement of a connecting rod of the ventilation system in a lateral direction; and pivoting a plurality of louvers, each of the plurality of louvers operatively connected to the connecting rod, from a closed configuration substantially parallel with the lateral direction to an opened configuration substantially parallel with the installation direction.
12 . The method of claims claim 11 , further comprising compressing a biasing spring operatively connecting between the pushrod and a louver subassembly comprised of the plurality of louvers by movement of the pushrod.
13 . The method of claim 13 further comprising pivoting the plurality of louvers from the opened configuration to the closed configuration by releasing the biasing spring.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the installation direction and the lateral direction are perpendicular to each other.
15 . A ventilation assembly for a storage rack comprising: a louver frame extending in a lateral direction and mountable between two vertical posts of a rack frame; a louver subassembly comprising a plurality of louvers each pivotally joined to the louver frame, each of the plurality of louvers comprises a louver pane and a swing arm intersecting each other at a fixed angle, each of the plurality of louvers swingable to pivot the louver panes from being parallel in the lateral direction in a closed configuration to an opened configuration; and an actuation linkage comprising a pushrod displaceable in an installation direction and a connecting rod connecting the plurality of louvers, the pushrod and the connecting rod operatively connected so that displacement of the pushrod in the installation direction swings each louver pane of the plurality of louvers from the closed configuration to the opened configuration.
16 . The ventilation assembly of claim 15 , wherein each louver pane of the plurality of louvers is parallel to the installation direction in the opened configuration.
17 . The ventilation assembly of claim 16 , wherein the lateral direction and the installation direction are perpendicular.
18 . The ventilation assembly of claim 15 , wherein the connecting rod moves in the lateral direction upon displacement of the pushrod in the installation direction.
19 . The ventilation assembly of claim 15 , wherein each swing arm is connected to the connecting rod by a connecting axle.
20 . The ventilation assembly of claim 15 , further comprising a biasing spring operatively connected between the louver subassembly and the actuation linkage to bias the plurality of louvers to the closed configuration.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a storage rack for accommodating a plurality of computing systems and more particularly to a ventilation system for the circulation of airflow within the storage rack. BACKGROUND Data centers are locations that accommodate a plurality of individual computing systems in an enclosed and secure room. The computing systems may be computer servers such as data servers for maintaining large quantities of data and information, for example, to support database applications, web servers for supporting the internet, and application servers on which computer applications can run in, for example, a cloud-based environment. The data centers provide resources such as electrical power and environmental controls for the plurality of individual computing systems. To arrange and organize the computing systems, storage racks comprising a plurality of receiving bays are located in the data centers. Storage racks, also referred to as server racks, are the structural framework defining the receiving bays in which the individual computing units can be mounted, typically in a stacked vertical arrangement although side-by-side arrangements are also possible. The receiving bays are accessible through a rack front face and the individual computing system can be inserted into the storage rack in an installation direction. To remove the substantial amount of heat generated by operating several computing systems simultaneously, the data centers are often configured to provide ventilation and cooling. For example, the storage racks may be arranged side-by-side in rows, and multiple rows may be separated by one or more aisles. A designated cold aisle can receive cold airflow, for example, from an air conditioning unit and a designated hot aisle can be associated with one or more vents to discharge the heated air from the data center. Airflow can pass from the cold aisle into the receiving bays through the rack front face and be discharged to the hot aisle from the rack rear face. The disclosure is directed at improving ventilation within storage racks. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure describes a storage rack including a rack frame with a plurality of receiving bays for each receiving a computing system inserted in an installation direction. To ventilate the receiving bays, the storage rack includes a ventilation assembly at the rear rack face. The ventilation assembly includes a louver frame extending in a lateral direction perpendicular to the installation direction and a louver subassembly having a plurality of louvers each pivotally joined to the louver frame. The louver subassembly is configurable between a closed configuration with the plurality of louvers occluding the receiving bay and an opened configuration with the plurality of louvers pivoted to provide louver gaps accessing the receiving bay. To swing the plurality of louvers between the closed and opened configurations, the ventilation system includes an actuation linkage operatively configured to convert motion in the installation direction to pivot each of the plurality of louvers. In a further aspect, the actuation linkage comprises a pushrod displaceable in the installation direction and a connecting rod connecting each of the plurality of louvers, the pushrod and the connecting rod being operatively connected to each other. In a further aspect, the actuation linkage includes a first coupler link and a second coupler link connecting the pushrod and the connecting rod. In a further aspect the pushrod includes a distal end connected to the first coupler link and a proximal end connected to the second coupler link. In a further aspect, the actuation linkage includes a roller journaled to the proximal end. In a further aspect, each of the plurality of louvers includes a louver pane and a swing arm intersecting at a fixed angle. In a further aspect, pivoting of the plurality of louvers swings the louver panes from being perpendicular to the installation direction in the closed configuration to being parallel to the installation direction in the opened configuration. In a further aspect, the louver panes of each of the plurality of louvers are aligned in the lateral direction in the closed configuration. In a further aspect, each of the plurality of louvers is connected by a connecting axle to a connecting rod operatively associated with the actuation linkage. In a further aspect, the actuation linkage further comprises a biasing spring biasing the louver subassembly to the closed configuration. The disclosure also provides a method of ventilating a storage rack that defines a plurality of receiving bays for receiving computing systems. The method includes inserting a computing system into a receiving bay in an installation direction extending between a rack front face and a rack rear face. Installation of the computing system moves a pushrod of a ventilation system in the installation direction in response to abutting