Patent ID: 7492591

Claim:
An arrangement of electronic devices comprising at least two electronic devices, wherein each electronic device in the arrangement includes: a fan tray slot; and a reversible fan tray mounted in the fan tray slot providing either an airflow inlet or an airflow outlet, wherein an orientation of the reversible fan tray in the fan tray slot is reversible, wherein reversing the orientation of the reversible fan tray in the fan tray slot reverses a direction of the airflow to provide either the airflow inlet or the airflow outlet at the fan tray slot, and wherein the reversible fan tray includes, a frame sized to fit within the frame tray slot, at least two fans, a symmetric arrangement of mounting features fixed relative to the frame, wherein the symmetric arrangement of mounting features allows the fan tray to be mounted in the electronic device in more than one orientation at the same location within the electronic device such that the at least two fans can be oriented to either direct air into the electronic device or to pull air from the electronic device, and a symmetric arrangement of connectors fixed relative to the frame that coincide with the symmetric arrangement of mounting features, wherein the connectors provide an electrical connection path between the electronic device and the at least two fans in each of the more than one orientation, wherein the orientation of the reversible fan tray in each electronic device is selected such that if the reversible fan tray is adjacent to an airflow inlet in an adjacent electronic device, the reversible fan tray provides the airflow inlet and if the reversible fan tray is adjacent to an airflow outlet in the adjacent electronic device, the reversible fan tray provides the airflow outlet.