Patent ID: 7646603

Claim:
A noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprising: a frame structure designed to physically attach, and comprising an attachment mechanism to physically attach, to an exterior of a heat exchanger door hingedly mounted to an electronics rack, the frame structure comprising a width that is less than a width of the heat exchanger door, and the heat exchanger door comprising an air opening and an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein air passing through the air opening also passes across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, the air opening in the heat exchanger door facilitating the ingress or egress of external air through the electronics rack, and wherein the frame structure defines in part at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and wherein the frame structure is sized to overlie the air opening in the heat exchanger door and air passing through the air opening passes through the at least one airflow channel when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively attached via the attachment mechanism to the heat exchanger door; and an acoustically absorptive material coupled to the frame structure and at least partially defining the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, the acoustically absorptive material being selected and positioned to attenuate noise emanating from the electronics rack through the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled to the heat exchanger door.