Alcatel USA Sourcing, L.p.

Turin Networks

Ciena Corporation

Dsc Telecom L.p.

Cyan, Inc.

Cyan Optics, Inc.

Stephen S Greer

Stephen John West

Scott Pradels

Thomas A Austin

Andrew G Low

Josef Thomas Hoog

Lawrence E Foltzer

Matthew K Meeker

Alan Wardlow

Rodney Marcantel

Van Odell

Dwayne C Green

Susan Evans

Heat dissipating electronic components and circuitry in a communication chassis are cooled by moving air at least through a midplane, between two groups of channels that are perpendicularly oriented relative to one another. In an illustrative embodiment, channels of one group are oriented vertically while channels of another group are oriented horizontally. Each channel, regardless of whether it is vertical or horizontal, is defined by space in the chassis between adjacent circuit boards. Circuit boards on one side of the midplane are electrically connected to circuit boards on the other side of the midplane by orthogonal connectors on the midplane. The midplane additionally has openings that enable movement of air between vertically-oriented channels and horizontally-oriented channels. Circuit boards of the two orientations are cooled by increasing air pressure in vertically-oriented channels or by decreasing air pressure in horizontally-oriented channels or both, depending on the embodiment.

Cooling a chassis by moving air through a midplane between two sets of channels oriented laterally relative to one another

Heat dissipating electronic components and circuitry in a communication chassis are cooled by moving air at least through a midplane, between two groups of channels that are laterally oriented relative to one another. In an illustrative embodiment, channels of one group are oriented vertically while channels of another group are oriented horizontally. Each channel, regardless of whether it is vertical or horizontal, is defined by space in the chassis between adjacent circuit boards. Circuit boards on one side of the midplane are electrically connected to circuit boards on the other side of the midplane by orthogonal connectors on the midplane. The midplane additionally has openings that enable movement of air between vertically-oriented channels and horizontally-oriented channels. Circuit boards of the two orientations are cooled by increasing air pressure in vertically-oriented channels or by decreasing air pressure in horizontally-oriented channels or both, depending on the embodiment.

An electronic system is described having electronic components and an air flow channel that directs cooled air across the electronic components and directs warmed air into a heat exchanger. The electronic components and air flow channel are within a thermal insulating barrier. The heat exchanger converts the warmed air into the cooled air. The heat exchanger has an interface that couples to a ground loop that accepts warmed fluid from the heat exchanger and provides cooled fluid to the heat exchanger when the ground loop is at least partially located within the earth.

Method and apparatus for thermally insulated and earth cooled electronic components within an electronic system

An apparatus comprising a first plate having a plurality of v-shaped grooves to hold a set of optical fibers and a second plate having a v-shaped groove to hold a secondary optical fiber is disclosed. In one embodiment, the second plate being movable relative to the first plate, so that the secondary optical fiber can be selectively coupled to one of the optical fibers of the first set of optical fibers.

V groove optic switch

An apparatus for extinguishing fires in enclosures having an air ramp with an automatic trap door. When the trap door is tripped, the air flow is reduced. Fires can be extinguished through the reduced air flow. The air ramp includes a center section having an upwardly ramped center area, a trap door which is moveably attached to the center area and a front section which is connected to the center section. The front section allows the air ramp to be mounted in an enclosure.

Air ramp

A passive cooling system for cooling an enclosure containing electronic components. A hollowed portion of the enclosure is formed as an integral heat pipe containing a working fluid. The hollowed portion has an evaporator section located at the top and a condenser section located at the bottom. The enclosure also has hollowed side walls which serve as passage ways for the working fluid to flow through in between the evaporator and condenser sections. Gravity and the pressure of evaporation force the working fluid down to the condenser section. A wick is provided for returning the working fluid to the evaporator section by capillary action. Additionally, an ultrasonic transducer driven by the heat rejected from the condenser section may be used to help return the working fluid to the evaporator section. Finally, a check valve may be employed before the evaporator section for the working fluid to flow through.

Integral heat pipe enclosure

An enclosure which acts as a heat sink for dissipating heat generated by electronic components within the housing. The outer surface of the enclosure includes numerous cooling fins, preferably on all six faces of the enclosure, to help dissipate heat. The fins are diagonally oriented, rather than vertical or horizontal, to permit them to be effective whether the unit is mounted horizontally or vertically. In addition to dissipating heat, the enclosure is rain tight, EMI-tight and ESD-tight. The inside major surfaces of the enclosure include a number of pins extending inwardly to help increase the surface area for heat transfer into the enclosure material. The pins extend deeply into the interior of the enclosure, and are made shorter only where necessary to avoid large components on the printed circuit card. The spaces between the pins allow convection of the heated air whether the enclosure is vertically or horizontally mounted. The fins and pins together maximize heat dissipation from the electronics within the enclosure regardless of whether the enclosure is vertically or horizontally mounted.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Rosa, CA, United States of America

Stephen S Greer