Rite-hite Holding Corporation

Right-hite Holding Corporation

Kevin J Gebke

Nicholas L Kaufmann

Frank Heim

Cary W Pinkalla

William A Niehaus

Nicolas B Paschke

Cary Pinkalla

Jeff Logic

Michael A Jacobson

Blaine Schmidt

Jeffrey Klopfenstein

Micaela White

Philip Sloan

Jason Dondlinger

Charles J Digmann

Robert J Harter

Matthew C McNeill

Charles J Ashelin

Gary Borgerding

Tom Jansen

Thomas C Smith

Ryan Withrow

Jake Ramos

James Partain

Terry L Bauer

Robert Brown

Irene E Stephan

Michael Hermes

Brenda L Ritt

Matthew Lux

Nicholas L Kaufman

An under-floor HVAC system for a building includes a pliable air duct lying upon a subfloor. A matrix of pedestals resting upon and extending upward from the subfloor supports a set of floor panels, which thus creates a plenum between the subfloor and the set of floor panels. The air duct extends through the plenum to convey conditioned air from a supply air duct to a series of registers in the floor panels. The registers disperse the conditioned air to a room or area just above the panels. To help keep the air duct from repeatedly extending, retracting, and otherwise sliding freely along the subfloor in response to changes in air duct pressure, the air duct is held taut by anchoring a distal downstream end of the duct to one or more of the floor-supporting pedestals. Various air duct configurations can be assembled from a predefined assortment of duct components.

Under-floor pliable air duct/dispersion systems

Example air duct assemblies include an air duct including a tubular sidewall that is pliable, the tubular sidewall defining an interior of the air duct, the air duct elongate in a longitudinal direction. Example air duct assemblies include a hoop disposable within the interior of the air duct, the hoop providing the sidewall with support in a radial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Example air duct assemblies include a cable disposable within the interior of the air duct, the cable to extend along a longitudinal length of the air duct, the cable to engage the hoop to help support a weight of the hoop and the tubular sidewall.

Externally tensioned pliable air ducts

Fabric drop-down diffusers are disclosed. An example drop-down diffuser includes a hoop to be supported adjacent an end of an air duct, and a first fabric sheet to hang downward from the hoop. The first fabric sheet to define a first wall of an air chamber adjacent the hoop on a side of the hoop opposite the air duct. The first fabric sheet to completely surround the air chamber along a circumferential path corresponding to the hoop. The hoop to be transverse to the air duct and positioned so that air delivered by the air duct is to pass through the hoop and into the air chamber. The drop-down diffuser also includes a second fabric sheet to be coupled to the first fabric sheet. The second fabric sheet to define a second wall of the air chamber.

Fabric drop-down diffusers

An example air barrier system for a data center within a building is disclosed. The example air barrier system includes a pliable barrier material to partition an area above a top of row of computer cabinets in the data center and below an overhead surface of the building. The pliable barrier material is to reduce mixing of air between first and second aisles on opposites sides of the row of computer cabinets. The example air barrier system also includes a frame to support the pliable barrier material in position when in the area above the top of the row of computer cabinets. The frame is to be supported by the row of computer cabinets without support from the overhead surface.

Air barrier systems for data center zone containment

Apparatus for tensioning pliable airducts while supporting internal HVAC components are disclosed. An airduct system includes an airduct having an elongate tubular wall of a pliable material. The airduct system further includes a frame disposable inside the tubular wall of the airduct, the frame including a hoop to support the tubular wall in a radial direction, the hoop to define an opening to provide passage of a flow of air along a length of the airduct. The airduct system also includes an HVAC component disposable within the tubular wall of the airduct, the HVAC component to be attached to and supported by the frame inside the airduct, the HVAC component to adjust a characteristic of the air.

Apparatus for tensioning pliable airducts while supporting internal HVAC components

Example air duct assemblies include a pliable air duct supported such that the duct is maintained in a generally expanded shape even when the duct is deflated. In some examples, a series of hangers suspend the duct from one or more cables, tracks or other type of overhead support. The hangers are spaced apart and distributed over the length of the duct, and each one contributes in pulling the duct taut in the duct's longitudinal direction.

Fabric drop-down diffusers are disclosed. An example drop-down diffuser includes a first fabric sheet. The first fabric sheet is to extend away from a ceiling at a location adjacent a supply inlet. The supply inlet is to provide a flow of air toward the first fabric sheet. The example drop-down diffuser also includes a blanking sheet to restrict air flow through the first fabric sheet. The blanking sheet is to be disposed on an interior surface of the first fabric sheet. The blanking sheet has a lower permeability than the first fabric sheet.

Fabric drop-down diffusers are disclosed. An example drop-down diffuser includes an upper panel including an upper fabric sheet to be held in radial tension by an upper hoop. The upper panel defines a supply air inlet. The example drop-down diffuser further includes a lower panel to be underneath and spaced apart from the upper panel. The example drop-down diffuser also includes a circumferential fabric sheet to encircle the upper panel and the lower panel. The circumferential fabric sheet is to extend downward from the upper panel to the lower panel to define an air chamber bordered by the upper panel, the lower panel and the circumferential fabric sheet. The air chamber is connected in fluid communication with the supply air inlet.

Diffuser

Cooling systems for devices arranged in rows are disclosed. An example cooling system for a datacenter in a building includes a supply air duct to extend lengthwise along a first aisle within the building. The first aisle is defined between a first row of computers and a second row of computers. The first row of computers provides passage of a first current of air from the first aisle to a second aisle on an opposite side of the first row of computers. The supply air duct is to be positioned with an upper section that is higher than a top surface associated with the first and second rows of computers. The cooling system includes a first wing to extend from the supply air duct toward the first row of computers, and a second wing to extend from the supply air duct toward the second row of computers.

Cooling systems for devices arranged in rows

Pliable-wall air ducts with internal expanding structures are disclosed. An example air duct system includes an air duct including a pliable sidewall. The example air duct system further includes a shaft including a first end and a second end. The shaft extends in a longitudinal direction along a length of the air duct with the first end coupled to a first point of the air duct and the second end coupled to a second point of the air duct. The first point is downstream of the second point. The pliable sidewall is to be held in tension in the longitudinal direction between the first and second points in response to compression in the shaft between the first and second ends.

Pliable-wall air ducts with internal expanding structures

Growing community of inventors

Dubuque, IA, United States of America

Kevin J Gebke