GB2454239A

GB2454239A - A pivotally mounted ceiling panel

Info

Publication number: GB2454239A
Application number: GB0721514A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ted Redicliffe
Original assignee: Cannon Technologies Ltd
Current assignee: Cannon Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2007-11-01
Filing date: 2007-11-01
Publication date: 2009-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2027-11-01
Also published as: GB2454239B; GB0721514D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a ceiling system 1 for isolating an area e.g. the ceiling above an aisle 2 formed between two rows of cabinets 3 housing computer and IT related equipment. The system comprises at least one panel 4, a support means 7 for pivotally supporting the panel, a holding means 10 for holding the panel in a closed position, and a releasing means 6 for releasing the panel from the holding means, such that when the panel is released from the holding means it pivots about the support means into an open position. The support means 7 is preferably a bracket mounted to the top front of each cabinet, wherein the panels are mounted to the brackets by a pin 9. The holding means may also be a pin which prevents the panel from rotating and may be actuated by an electronic actuator 6 to allow the panel to open.

Description

S 2454239 A ceiling system having rotatable panels The present invention relates to a system of rotatable panels which are arranged to provide a ceiling above an aisle formed between rows of cabinets housing computer and related (IT) equipment in an installation having many such cabinets. In particular, panels arranged to provide a ceiling for "cocooning" an aisle formed between two rows of cabinets.

In an installation having a lot of IT equipment, for example a Data Centre, hundreds and sometimes thousands of cabinets housing IT equipment may be situated adjacent to one another in cabinet bays provided for them. Generally, each cabinet contains cooling means for the IT equipment housed inside it, the cooling means generally involving air entering the cabinet through an inlet and exiting out of an exhaust, cooling the IT equipment as it passes through. The air inlet and exhaust are usually located in the front door and the rear of a cabinet, respectively.

It is common practice for cabinets to be arranged in rows, usually in cabinet bays, and orientated such that, in a pair of rows, the front doors of each row of cabinets face each other, thereby forming an aisle between them. One reason for this arrangement is to provide a "cold" aisle between the fronts of the cabinets, and a "hot" aisle", which is generally the area behind the cabinets where the cooling air exhausts. By providing a cold aisle, chilled air can be used to cool the IT equipment in the cabinets, the air being blown through the aisle created between the opposing cabinets, usually through floor vents, and entering the cabinets through the air inlets provided in the front doors.

As equipment density in computer rooms has increased, the capacity of the room air conditioning units is often being used to a maximum. Problems arise when the chilled air and heated exhaust air is allowed to unavoidably mix, which happens increasingly when cold air supply is overstretched and results in the mixed air not being able to cool the IT equipment sufficiently. This can lead to malfunctioning of IT equipment and ultimately breakdown as it becomes overheated.

Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to isolate or "cocoon" the cold aisle by providing it with a ceiling, which prevents the hot air being exhausted at the rear of the cabinets in the hot aisle from entering the cold aisle and mixing with the chilled air provided for cooling the IT equipment in the cabinets.

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Previously, false ceilings have been provided for this purpose, comprising a criss-cross matrix of thin beams which form rectangles into which various ceiling tiles are positioned. The matrix of beams are hung from under the roof of the building on hangers, independent of the cabinets. However, this type of false ceiling is actually a part of the building and therefore does not provide adequate cold aisle cocooning for a number of reasons.

For example, if the distance apart, height or location of cabinets changes then the hanging false ceiling would have to be adjusted accordingly. The cost and time taken to fit and adjust such a ceiling would be considerable. Also, the space between the hanging false ceiling and the actual ceiling may be quite large and may be obstructed by, for example, utility services such as gas, electricity, water and lighting, etc., and the associated piping/wiring, which would have the undesirable effect of preventing certain arrangements of cabinets.

Additionally, a false ceiling hanging from the roof at cabinet height would require additional sprinkler plumbing and nozzles for fire fighting purposes.

Installation of this equipment would be extremely expensive, time consuming, add considerable additional structure and be constraining in positioning and placement.

Furthermore, the need for testing and certification of modified sprinkler systems may prevent same tenants from achieving authorisation to proceed from the owners of buildings.

The present invention seeks to overcome these problems. According to the present invention there is provided a ceiling system for isolating an area, the system comprising: at least one panel; a support means for pivotally supporting the at least one panel; a holding means for holding the at least one panel in a closed position; and a releasing means for releasing the at least one panel from the holding means; wherein when the at least one panel is released from the holding means it pivots about the support means into an open position.

The present invention therefore provides a cocooned aisle having a ceiling comprised of rotating ceiling panels, which can be controHably rotated such that they can be opened and closed remotely. The panels are arranged so that they are able to rotate open in situ', for example in the event of fire to allow water from a sprinkler system to enter the aisle or to allow access to the void created above them. One or more doors may also be provided at the end of the cocooned aisle.

Advantages of the present invention include its modular design, self-supporting structure, the fact that it can be integrated with the cabinet structure, the quick mounting or de-mounting of modules, its compactness, its quick release using control electronics and local remote alarms, and the reduction in energy consumption / wastage that it can provide.

An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 shows a ceiling system comprising a plurality of rotatable panels with one of the ceiling panels being shown in an open' position; Figure 2 shows a panel of Figure 1 with its fulcrum on its centre line; Figure 3 shows a panel of Figure 1 with its fulcrum offset from the centre line; Figure 4 shows different examples of retractable pins; Figure 5 shows an example of a set of doors provided at the end of a cocooned aisle; and Figure 6 is an illustration of a door shown in Figure 5.

The ceiling system 1 comprises a plurality of ceiling panels 4 arranged to cover an aisle 2 that is created between two rows of cabinets 3 containing computer and related (IT) equipment (not shown), which may be used in an installation having a large number of such cabinets 3.

The ceiling panels 4 can be controlled to rotate, generally from a closed position, which in this example is substantially horizontal, to an open position, which in this example is substantially vertical. In certain examples, the panels may also be controlled to close again, after opening.

Generally, a cabinet 3 containing IT equipment has internal cooling means (not shown), such as an arrangement of one or more fans, which uses the flow of air to cool internal components. Usually, such cabinets 3 are cooled by air flowing from an air inlet, located in the front end of each cabinet 3, which may comprise a door, to an exhaust located at the rear of the cabinet 3, cooling the IT equipment as it passes. Of course, it will be appreciated that a number of different cooling configurations are possible in a cabinet 3, however, in this example the air inlet is provided in the front door of each cabinet 3 and the exhaust at the rear.

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The ceiling panels 4 are lightweight, ideally being made of a light but rigid metal frame having a plastic or metal insert panel. Other materials such as wood or glass could also be used and, therefore, the panels may be transparent or opaque. The metal frame comprises two light, but rigid side beams and two joining end rails. The panels require no additional framing or beams as they are self-supporting modules and stiff enough to span aisles, being selected to be approximately the same in length as the aisle width that they are protecting. This can vary as required, depending an the installation and room, but is typically between 1200mm and 1800mm.

The ceiling panels 4 are modular and will usually be of the same width as the cabinets supporting them, but not always. If cabinets 3 in opposing bays are of the same width, then each cabinet 3 may be provided with a ceiling panel 4 of the same width so that cabinets 3 may be easily added to bays or relocated at any time together with its ceiling panel 4, which can be removed and transported without disassembly and which will then readily fit into any similar ceiling system it is placed into. If cabinets 3 in opposing bays are not of similar width then the ceiling panels 4 may be of different widths also.

Each ceiling panel 4 is pivotally mounted to two opposing cabinets 3 preferably such that its fulcrum is offset from its centre line, causing the ceiling panel to tend to rotate about its own axis, although this rotation is controllably restricted, as will be explained later. In the present example, each cabinet 3 has a bracket 7 fixed to it, onto which the ceiling panels 4 are mounted. The brackets 7 are located at the front and on the roof of each cabinet 3 and each ceiling panel 4 has a mounting means, for example a support pin 9 retained in each side face of the ceiling panel 4, which is used to pivotally mount the ceiling panel 4 to the bracket 7.

A holding means is provided to controllably prevent the ceiling panel 4 from rotating, as mentioned above. The holding means acts to maintain the ceiling panel 4 in its closed position, where it forms a ceiling system 1. One way of maintaining a ceiling panel 4 in its closed position is to restrain at least one of its corners. This is achieved in the present example by a holding pin 10 provided on the ceiling panel 4 being secured to the bracket 7.

An example of a holding pin 10 can be seen in Figure 4(a) and examples of support pins 9 can be seen in Figures 4(b) and 4(c), including end views showing how the pins 9, 10 might fit into a driving means and actuator, respectively.

Furthermore, both types of pin 9, 10 may be spring-loaded 14, 15 to allow quick installation and removal of a ceiling panels 4 from cabinets 3 and hence the ceiling system 1.

The holding pin 10 is preferably secured by an electronic actuator 6, which may be mounted onto the bracket 7 that is fixed to the cabinet 3. In this way, all active components are wired and fixed to the cabinet bracket 7 leaving the ceiling panel 4 to be totally passive. For release of the panel, the actuator 6 will release its support of the holding pin 10, which will allow the ceiling panel 4 to rotate open.

The holding pin 10 may be fixed, i.e. non-retractable, although in a preferred example the holding pins 10 are both retractable and spring-loaded, as shown in figure 4(a). In this manner, the ceiling panel 4 can be totally removed from the ceiling system in an instant by withdrawing the holding pins 10 manually, even when actuators 6 are fitted to the cabinet brackets 8. Similarly, the ceiling panel 4 can be quickly and easily fitted to the ceiling system in the same way.

Generally, for a passive ceiling system, wherein the ceiling panels 4 cannot be controllably rotated, four holding pins 10 are used, one positioned in each corner or the ceiling panel 4, or thereabouts. For a rotatable ceiling panel 4, depending on how rigid the ceiling panel 4 is, at least one more holding pin 10 is required to secure the ceiling panel 4 in a closed position, although in practice holding pins 10 are usually provided at each corner on one side of the ceiling panel 4, unless the panel was particularly rigid. If more than one holding pin 10 were provided then, ideally, a release actuator 6 will be provided for each.

Another example of a mounting arrangement of the ceiling panel4 would be for the ceiling panel 4 to be mounted to the cabinets 3 such that the support pins 9 are positioned at an end of the ceiling panel, thereby enabling the entire ceiling panel 4 to rotate open. This would require in only a single holding pin 10 being required to be provided on the ceiling panel 4 along a side a distance away from the support pins 9, preferably on one of the opposite corners of the ceiling panel 4, although ideally there would be a holding pin 10 each side of the ceiling panel 4.

Of course, it will be appreciated that there are a number of alternate arrangement of holding pins 10, brackets 7 and actuators 6, for example, an arrangement wherebythe holding pins 10 are mounted on the cabinet 3 and secure into a bracket 7 on the ceiling panel 4, may also be possible.

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Rotation of the ceiling panel 4 to an open position can be effected simply by controlling the electronic actuatorS, which holds the holding pin 10 maintaining the ceiling panel 4 in a closed orientation, to release the holding pin 10. Gravity will then cause the ceiling panel 4 to rotate about the fulcrum provided by the support pins 9, the tendency of the ceiling panel 4 to rotate generally increasing as the distance between the fulcrum and the ceiling panel's 4 centre line increases. A stop may be positioned to restrict the movement of the ceiling panel 4 should a particular open angle be desired.

Alternatively, it may be desirable to provide drive means (not shown) to controllably drive the rotation of the ceiling panel 4, such that any angle of rotation that may be desired can be achieved. This could, for example, be achieved by a small fractional horse power motor and combined gear box.

If rotation is to be controllably driven, the support pins 9 may be utilised as both a fulcrum and a means to rotate the ceiling panel 4 by providing them with a means for engaging the drive means, such as having square ends 12 as shown in figure 4(b), or a tommy bar 13 at the end, as shown in figure 4(c).

A benefit provided by a driven ceiling panel 4 is that it is possible to control angle it opens to so that overhead obstacles such as cable tray and pipe work can be avoided, or physical resistance overridden. Another benefit is that re-closing of the ceiling panels 4 can be achieved without manual effort. In addition, the ceiling panels 4 can be operated remotely, or perhaps even automatically, for example in the case of a fire.

For a driven ceiling panel 4, the fulcrum provided by the support pins 9 will ideally be aligned to coincide with the centre line of the ceiling panel 4. Depending on the rigidity of the ceiling panel 4, holding pins 10 may or may not be required to maintain the ceiling panel 4 in a closed position in such a system.

Of course, it will be appreciated that other similar systems are possible, for example a simplified version of this system may be possible wherein at least one ceiling panel 4 is driven and the remaining ceiling panels 4 are linked to it, for example by wires, such that when the one ceiling panel 4 is rotatably driven, all of the ceiling panels 4 are caused to rotate with it. Another example would be for the holding pins 10 to be removed by control of a single releasing means.

Doors 5 may also be provided to close off the aisle 2, as shown in figure 5, to aid sealing and help allow a temperature controllable supply of air to be provided to the cocooned aisle 2 and cabinets 3 contained therein. The doors 5 may be hinged 16, sliding 17, ora combination of both. An example ofadoor5which could be used with the present invention is shown in figure 6.

Doors 5 may also be modular and have a very similar construction to the ceiling panels 4. They may be attached by a pair of corner pins 16, which may be spring loaded, similar to the support pins 9 and holding pins 10, to form simple quick release hinges for rapid hanging or rehanging. Doors 5 may also be telescopically mounted in slides 17 so that they can slide open and shut, either manually or preferably controlled by an actuator (not shown).

The slides 17 may be slightly angled to allow gravity to close the doors 5 automatically. Furthermore, the telescopic slide 17 system may itself be hinged to the end cabinet 3 of the aisle 2 and restrained in the functioning position by a latch 18, such as a powerful magnet or spring loaded catch. Ideally the latch 18 is powerful enough to prevent the telescopic slide 17 from swinging open in normal use but would release the slide 17 and door 5 assembly under stronger pushing pressure to allow rapid egress of personnel in case of fire.

Claims

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Claims 1. A ceiling system for isolating an area, the system comprising: at least one panel; a support means for pivotally supporting the panel; a holding means for holding the panel in a closed position; and a releasing means for releasing the panel from the holding means, wherein when the panel is released from the holding means it pivots about the support means into an open position.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the holding means comprises at least one holding pin attached to the panel.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the holding pin is spring-loaded.
4. The system of claims 2 to 3, wherein the release means is a controllable electronic actuator.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic actuator secures the holding pin to maintain the panel in a closed position and releases the holding pin for the panel to open.
6. The system of daim 1, wherein the support means is provided along opposite sides of the panel.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the support means is arranged to be positioned such that the fulcrum of the panel is along its centre line.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein the support means is arranged to be positioned such that the fulcrum of the panel is along a line offset from its centre line.

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9. The system of claim 6, wherein the support means is arranged to be positioned such that the fulcrum of the panel is at an end of the panel.
10. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the support means comprises support pins and support brackets for the support pins to secure into, wherein one of the support brackets or support pins are fixed, in use, to the structure forming the walls of the area being isolated, with the other being provided on the panel.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the support pins are spring-loaded.
12. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the support means further comprises a driving means to controllably drive the rotation of the panel.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the support pins have a square end.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the support pins have a tommy bar at the end.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the panel is modular and can be arranged with other panels according to the present invention to form a ceiling.
16. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising doors to seal the isolated area.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the doors can be either hinged, slidable or both.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the slidable doors are mounted in slides that are angled to aid the door opening or closing.
19. The system of claim 16 or 17, wherein the doors are controlled by an actuator.
20. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the components of the system can be controlled remotely.
21. An installation having an aisle between opposing rows of cabinets cocooned by a system according to the present invention.
22. An installation according to claim 21, the cabinets contain computer related equipment.