Refrigeration – With means preventing or handling atmospheric condensate... – Retainer or flow director for atmospheric condensate
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-18
2002-04-23
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With means preventing or handling atmospheric condensate...
Retainer or flow director for atmospheric condensate
C062S291000, C062S426000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06374628
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cooling device for a switch or equipment cabinet with an air conduit for cooling air, which flows horizontally through a heat exchanger, e.g. an evaporator, with vertical fins, and provided with an air deflector positioned below the evaporator and receiving evaporator condensation water.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of switch cabinet cooling devices operating according to the principle of a compression refrigerating machine, condensation water can form in the area of the evaporator. The condensation water drips from the evaporator and is entrained by air flowing through the evaporator. In order to prevent any entry of condensation water into the switch cabinet, condensation water separating devices are known (DE 196 41 552 C1, DE 197 12 474 C1, DE 197 22 619 C2).
In addition, cooling devices for switch cabinets are known, in which the cooling air flows horizontally through the evaporator (ACU cooling device of KNÜRR-Mechanik for Elektronik AG). The condensation water flows along the vertical evaporator fins in the downwards direction and is collected on an air deflector. The air deflector and evaporator are precisely horizontally positioned. The air deflector is constructed as a trough open at the rear, so that the condensation water flows to the rear edge of the air deflector, where it drips in random manner and is entrained by the flowing cooling air.
It is consequently necessary to position between the evaporator and an air outlet one of the known condensation water separating devices, which increases costs and can lead to a disadvantageous influencing of the cooling capacity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a cooling device, which ensures a troublefree cooling air flow and a controlled carrying off of condensation water and requiring no additional condensation water separating devices.
According to the invention this object is achieved in that a cooling device provided in particular for a switch cabinet, an equipment rack, distribution rack or server rack, which has a heat exchanger, in particular an evaporator with vertical fins, an air deflector below the evaporator for receiving the evaporator condensation water and an air conduit or an air guiding channel for the cooling air, is provided with an evaporator which is placed on the air deflector, the evaporator fins extending to the air deflector and the air deflector and the evaporator have an inclination directed towards a rear, free edge of the air deflector.
The invention is based on the principle of draining the condensation water in such a way that from the formation point on the surfaces of the evaporator pipes and the vertically positioned fins up to a condensation water trough or drain it is in contact with components or solids and that the cohesive forces which occur are strong enough with respect to the cooling air flow rate to ensure that the cooling air flowing past does not entrain condensation water droplets.
According to the invention an evaporator having vertically oriented cooling fins is so positioned on the air deflector that the evaporator fins extend up to the air deflector and are in contact therewith. Under the action of gravity, the condensation water deposited on the cooling fins slides to the lower edges of the fins and from there to the air deflector. According to the invention the air deflector and the evaporator are inclined, the inclination falling away to a free rear edge of the air deflector directed into the air conduit of the cooling device.
As a result of the air deflector and evaporator being rearwardly inclined, the condensation water can flow to the rear edge of the air deflector.
According to an advantageous development the rear edge of the air deflector is provided with a discharge channel, where the condensation water can flow under constant contact with the air deflector.
In a first construction the air deflector and the evaporator are rearwardly inclined, i.e. towards the rear edge of the air deflector and the discharge channel, which is e.g. shaped on an almost vertical leg, is inclined downwards towards a casing side wall. This prevents a damming up of condensation water.
If the discharge channel is extended up to at least one casing side wall, with the aid of a correspondingly dimensioned opening it is possible to ensure an outflow of condensation water along the casing side wall.
Appropriately in a lower area of the cooling device particularly below a fan, which is advantageously located in the area of an outlet for the cooling air flow, a condensation water channel is located in the vicinity of the casing side wall or a condensation water trough, e.g. in the vicinity of a rear wall.
At its free, lower end, the discharge channel can also be connected to a condensation water collecting device, e.g. a connecting piece or a funnel or can extend up to the same and is connected to a condensation water drain by means of the condensation water collecting device.
In an alternative construction a dripping edge is located in the area of the rear edge and is provided with at least one dripping point.
It is advantageous from the manufacturing standpoint for the dripping edge to be constructed as an almost vertical chamfer of the air deflector in the area of the rear edge. One or even two dripping points, which are preferably located on or close to the casing side walls, can be formed by a widening chamfer. The rearwardly inclined air deflector is then horizontal in the vicinity of the rear edge, but in the area of the dripping edge it is constructed with at least one slope to one of the casing side walls, so that the condensation water can slide along the dripping edge to the at least one dripping point.
If the dripping edge extends up to a casing side wall, the condensation water can flow thereon into a condensation water channel, which is in particular located below the fan in the vicinity of the casing side wall.
Alternatively the dripping point of the dripping edge can be connected by means of a condensation water drain with a rear wall of the cooler. Appropriately the condensation water drain is downwardly inclined, so that the condensation water can flow to the rear wall without any accumulation and passes along said rear wall into a condensation water trough.
It is also possible to position below the dripping point a collecting device and to connect the latter to a condensation water drain.
In a further alternative construction the air deflector and evaporator are not only rearwardly inclined to the rear wall, but are also inclined to one of the casing side walls, so that the condensation water flows to a rear, lower lying corner region of the air deflector.
It is appropriate for draining off the condensation water to lead the rear, lower corner region up to the adjacent casing side wall.
If the condensation water is not intended to flow on the casing wall downwards into a condensation water channel or trough, a collecting device can be provided and is connected to a condensation water drain. It can e.g. be inclined to the rear wall, so that the condensation water can flow downwards along the rear wall and be removed.
As a result of the constructional arrangement and the construction of the fin heat exchanger and air deflector, the cooling device according to the invention ensures the utilization of cohesive forces for a clearly defined, troublefree draining off of the condensation water. Condensation water separating devices are rendered superfluous, particularly if the air flow rate is set in such a way that a tearing off of condensation water droplets is prevented and the condensation water is in constant contact with the correspondingly constructed components. The cooled air returned into a cabinet or rack, e.g. switch cabinet with the aid of a fan contains no condensation water droplets entrained in uncontrolled manner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3524328 (1970-08-01), Schuster
patent: 4000779 (1977-01-01), Irwin
patent: 4950316 (1990-08-01), Harris
Ali Mohammad M
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Knuerr-Mechanik fuer die Elektronik Aktiengesellschaft
Tapolcai William E.
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