Telecommunication Equipment Rack Vertical Mounting Orientation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional telecommunication equipment designs face cooling inefficiencies due to the horizontal positioning of 'pizza-box' devices, which disrupt vertically directed airflow, hindering effective heat dissipation.

Innovation Solution

The design features a rack with vertically oriented first rails and additional parallel second and third rails, allowing telecommunication devices to be positioned with their largest surfaces upright, facilitating better airflow and cooling by orienting their thickness perpendicular and width parallel to the first rails.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If pizza-box telecommunication devices are installed in traditional horizontal orientation, then they can be easily mounted in the rack, but they significantly disturb the vertically directed cooling air flow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of mountingVSAvoidcooling air flow disturbance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional mounting orientation of pizza-box devices from horizontal to vertical. The device is mounted with its largest surface area vertical and its thickness dimension horizontal, which is the opposite of conventional mounting. This inversion allows the device to be positioned in the horizontal space between vertical rack rails while maintaining upright orientation, thus preserving vertical airflow paths for effective cooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Adaptability or versatility

If telecommunication devices are positioned with largest surfaces horizontal, then they fit traditional rack configurations, but cooling efficiency is reduced due to disrupted airflow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverack compatibilityVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the dimensional orientation of device mounting within the rack structure. Instead of mounting devices with their largest surfaces horizontal (traditional approach), the device is mounted vertically by utilizing the horizontal space between vertical rack rails. This dimensional repositioning allows the device to occupy horizontal spacing while maintaining vertical orientation, thus improving cooling efficiency without compromising rack compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of manufacture

If pizza-box devices are mounted horizontally in traditional racks, then installation is straightforward, but heat dissipation is hindered by blocked vertical airflow paths

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidheat dissipation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies inversion by mounting the pizza-box device vertically rather than horizontally. The device is positioned with its largest surface area vertical and thickness horizontal, installed between vertical rack rails. This inverted orientation maintains installation simplicity while restoring unobstructed vertical airflow paths, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Device complexity

If traditional rack designs are used with horizontal device mounting, then structural simplicity is maintained, but cooling air flow is significantly disturbed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverack structure simplicityVSAvoidair flow disturbance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes another dimension by positioning the device horizontally between vertical rails rather than mounting it on a horizontal surface. This dimensional adjustment allows the device to be installed in the vertical rack structure with minimal modification to the rack itself, maintaining structural simplicity while enabling vertical device orientation that preserves cooling airflow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2741519B1Telecommunication equipment
Publication Date: 2016.05.11 CORIANT
  • EP2741519B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2741519B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Telecommunication equipment comprises at least one telecommunication device (208, 209) and a rack (201). The thickness of the telecommunication device is smaller than the width and the length of the telecommunication device. The rack comprises mutually parallel first rails (202, 203) that are substantially vertical when the rack is in its operating position, and second and third rails (210, 211) attached to the first rails. The third rail is parallel to the second rail and a distance apart from the second rail. The second and third rails are arranged to mechanically support the telecommunication device so that the telecommunication device is attached to the second and third rails and the thickness of the telecommunication device is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first rails. Thus, the telecommunication device can be positioned so that its largest surfaces are in upright position. This facilitates the cooling of the telecommunication equipment.