Cooling configuration for communication boards

Abstract

A cooling configuration is provided for chassis-mounted electronics boards. In one embodiment, the chassis comprises a housing and at least two electronics boards. The electronics boards may comprise communication boards having a plurality of ports. Cooling air spaces are defined above and below each board, permitting cooling air to be drawn over both sides of each board. Baffles may be provided at both sides of the boards for controlling the flow of air through the various air spaces, such as baffles extending down from a top of the housing or up from a bottom of the housing, or baffles located between the boards.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to configurations for circuit boards, housings, and in particular for configurations for cooling and efficient space utilization for circuit boards and housings.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Various electronic equipment is utilized to provide data connections between components and to process data. This equipment may comprise a communication board having a substrate bearing a number of connectors, data processing components (filters, converters, processors and the like) and associated connecting circuitry. The connectors may be of a variety of types and permit cable connection to the board.[0003]These communication boards may be mounted in a housing or chassis for protection and support. Unfortunately, this same mounting increases the likelihood of overheating of the board and makes the various components of the board, including the connectors, less accessible. In addition, in many situations, these chassis are mounted in ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]One or more baffles may be utilized to control the rate of air flow through the various air spaces. One or more baffles may be utilized to control the air flow between the boards, thus increasing the rate of air flow above and below the boards. One or more baffles may also be located above and below the boards, such as to direct air towards the boards or towards particular components on the boards, such as those components requiring greater airflow to cool, and / or otherwise route air through those spaces.

[0008]In one embodiment, two boards are located in the housing in reverse orientations. Baffles are utilized to reduce the flow between the back sides of the boards which face one another, increasing the rate of air flow over the components at the opposing sides of the two boards.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, this same mounting increases the likelihood of overheating of the board and makes the various components of the board, including the connectors, less accessible.

However, the close proximity of the equipment makes even more difficult the task of cooling the boards.

These solutions are not sufficiently effective, however, in situations such as those described above.

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