Modular Ventilated Rack Assembly With Adjustable Canopy Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ventilated laboratory rack systems are often pre-assembled, leading to high shipping costs and storage requirements, and are difficult to clean and manipulate.
Innovation Solution
A ventilated rack system that can be assembled by users using simple tools, featuring an adjustable canopy system for varying cage widths, a pressure-based air handling unit for consistent airflow, and a clean-out system with a lever-activated gasket for easy cleaning fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rack system is pre-assembled by the manufacturer, then the system is ready for immediate use, but shipping costs and storage space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rack system is divided into separate modular components including frames, plenums, canopies, and support structures that can be stored in compact, disassembled states and assembled by the user at the laboratory location, thereby reducing storage volume and shipping costs while maintaining operational readiness
2Ease of operation
If the rack system is pre-assembled by the manufacturer, then the system is ready for immediate use, but shipping costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into transportable modules that can be shipped in compact configurations and assembled on-site, reducing the volume and weight subject to shipping costs while delivering a fully functional system
3Stability of the object's composition
If the canopy sides are permanently attached, then the structure is stable, but the system cannot accommodate cages of varying widths
Solution Approach 1:
The canopy sides are designed to be selectively removable rather than permanently fixed, allowing the canopy configuration to dynamically adapt to different cage widths while maintaining structural integrity through proper attachment mechanisms when sides are installed
4Reliability
If the gaskets are sealed to maintain air pressure, then ventilation effectiveness is improved, but cleaning fluid cannot flow through the plenums
Solution Approach 1:
The gaskets are designed with dynamic sealing capability that maintains airtight seals during normal ventilation operation but can be opened upon user activation (e.g., pulling a cable or operating a mechanism) to allow cleaning fluid access to the plenums
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes self-contained cleaning access mechanisms such as cable-pull operated gasket openings that allow users to access and clean the plenums without requiring manufacturer intervention or complex disassembly procedures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces shipping and storage costs, allows for flexible assembly and cleaning, and ensures uniform airflow and easy maintenance, addressing the limitations of pre-assembled systems.
Implementation Method 1
An embodiment comprising an air handling unit provides a constant airflow pressure to the cages in the rack. The system preferably adjusts the air pressure according to the rack population to provide uniform airflow pressure.
Implementation Method 2
The system can include a control system having a leadless thermistor having air gaps to further control the air being provided to the rack and the cages.
Implementation Method 3
An embodiment of a canopy system is also provided wherein the canopies can be adjusted according to the width of the cage being received thereunder. More specifically, the canopy can include one or more removable sides, wherein adjacent canopies can be combined to shroud a wider cage beneath the canopies by removing the canopy sides between the adjacent canopies.
Implementation Method 4
An embodiment of a clean-out system includes a lever easily accessible from outside the rack, for example, from the side of the rack. Displacing the lever to an open position preferably opens the gaskets to drain or permit the flow of cleaning fluids through the air plenums which supply air to and remove air from the rack.
Data Source
AI summary
A ventilated cage and rack system for assembly by a user using simple tools and a method for assembly is provided. A plurality of frames and vertical plenums can be connected to a base, and a retaining assembly can be used to connect a plurality of vertical beams and horizontal support beams. A plurality of canopies is preferably used to connect the plenums and the support beams to shroud cages beneath the canopies. The canopies preferably include removable side walls to adapt to the width of the cage being shrouded. A plenum clean out system preferably provides a relatively simple method of draining a cleaning fluid from a plenum by moving a lever between an open and closed position. A pressure based plenum system is also provided wherein a constant air pressure is maintained in the ventilated rack system and air is provided into a cage at a constant air pressure.