Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-25
2001-04-24
Thompson, Gregory (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C454S184000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222730
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a cooling arrangement for cooling an apparatus cabinet, comprising means for conveying heated air out as an exhaust air flow for cooling the apparatus cabinet.
The invention also relates to a method for cooling an apparatus cabinet, in which method air is drawn into a cooling arrangement provided in connection with the apparatus cabinet and heated air is conveyed out from the cooling arrangement as an exhaust air flow.
The present solution relates to the cooling of apparatus cabinets, particularly base station cabinets, and to reducing the noise created by the exhaust air flow in the cooling.
The electronic components of the base station naturally produce heat that must be evacuated from the apparatus cabinet by means of an exhaust air flow. A heat exchanger or an air conditioning unit comprising a fan can be used to remove the heat. The exhaust air flow made up by warm air produces a sound, i.e. noise problems. Previously the base stations of cellular radio networks were large in size, and they were located in spots or spaces where there was no people present or passing by. With advances in the state of the art of cellular radio networks and apparatus technology, new very small base stations have entered the market, and such base stations may be located for instance on a street or in office rooms, for example, and therefore noise reduction of the exhaust air flow is a factor assuming an ever increasing importance.
To reduce the noise of the exhaust air flow, a ‘noise trap’ is known which is a tubular part outside the apparatus cabinet at the side of the cabinet, through which the exhaust air flow is brought out. Such solutions do not have a sufficient noise abating effect, and furthermore have the special disadvantage that they add to the outer dimensions of the base station, and hence the mounting of the base station requires more space and the outer appearance of base stations is impaired. With the prior solutions, it has not been possible to reduce the noise to be low enough.
The publications U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,651 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,250 disclose a conventional cooling arrangement for an apparatus cabinet, provided with an internal circulation and an external circulation. Reference publication GB 227-7767 discloses a conventional cooling arrangement for an apparatus cabinet for a base station.
The publication JP 5-226864 discloses a normal noise trap construction comprising an absorbent material in an exhaust duct in an apparatus cabinet.
The publication U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,443 discloses a normal cooling arrangement in electronics, wherein the exhaust air is discharged from the lower portion of the cabinet. The exhaust air flow is not separately conveyed in any given direction, and no actual noise trap construction is utilized, except as an absorption mat installed on the floor of the cabinet. A specific problem in said solution is that in the solution the lower portion of the apparatus cabinet forms a single unit with the actual apparatus cabinet. Thus, the apparatus cabinet and its lower portion are always dependent on one another.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel cooling arrangement avoiding the problems related with the prior art solutions.
This object is achieved with a cooling arrangement in accordance with the invention, which is characterized in that to reduce the noise of the exhaust air flow, the means for conveying heated air out are in communication with a separate mounting base disposed beneath the apparatus cabinet, and forming par of the cooling arrangement, for conveying heated air out through an exhaust duct in said separate mounting base beneath the apparatus cabinet.
This object is achieved with a method in accordance with the invention, which is characterized in that the exhaust air flow is conveyed out through a separate mounting base beneath the apparatus cabinet.
The cooling arrangement and method in accordance with the invention are based on the idea that a separate mounting base beneath the apparatus cabinet is utilized in reducing the noise of the exhaust air flow.
The solution in accordance with the invention affords several advantages. By means of the mounting base, the length of the blow duct of the outer circulation of the cooling apparatus can be increased by up to one meter without the outer dimensions of the base station and the cooling apparatus being changed. This increase in the length of the duct achieves a considerable reduction of the noise level, as much as 3-5 dB. When the exhaust air is conveyed out for example from the front edge of the mounting base, the further advantage is achieved that the outlet for exhaust air and the inlet for cooling air are on different sides of the cabinet, and hence the hot exhaust air flow, i.e. blowing air, cannot circulate to the inlet for cold air, i.e. to the suction side. Since the exhaust air duct is in a separate mounting base, i.e. not in the same unit as the actual apparatus cabinet, this allows many different combinations of different mounting bases and different apparatus cabinets to be made. For example, several kinds of bases can be manufactured, and a base suitable for the particular application can be selected when the base station apparatus entity is assembled. Correspondingly, an apparatus cabinet suitable for each particular application can be selected for the base, since the apparatus cabinet and mounting base do not form a single unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4386651 (1983-06-01), Reinhard
patent: 4644443 (1987-02-01), Swensen et al.
patent: 5027254 (1991-06-01), Corfits et al.
patent: 5410448 (1995-04-01), Barker, III et al.
patent: 5467250 (1995-11-01), Howard et al.
patent: 5681219 (1997-10-01), LeFevre et al.
patent: 2 277 767 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 0439081 (1975-01-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 17,No. 676,E-1475,abstract of JP,A,5-226864, Sep. 3, 1993.
Korvenheimo Petteri
Riekki Eero
Nokia Telecommunications Oy
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Thompson Gregory
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