Patent ID: 8238094

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first plurality of line cards, each line card from the first plurality of line cards defining an opening and having a surface, the first plurality of line cards configured to be disposed within a chassis such that the opening of the each line card from the first plurality of line cards collectively defines at least a part of first portion of a flow pathway; and a second plurality of line cards, each line card from the second plurality of line cards defining an opening and having a surface, the second plurality of line cards configured to be disposed within the chassis such that the opening of the each line card from the second plurality of line cards collectively defines at least a part of a second portion of the flow pathway, the first plurality of line cards being configured to be disposed within the chassis such that a first portion of a gas can flow across the surface of the each line card from the first plurality of line cards in a first direction, the second plurality of line cards configured to be disposed within the chassis such that a second portion of the gas can flow across the surface of the each line card from the second plurality of line cards in the first direction, the first plurality of line cards and the second plurality of line cards configured to be disposed within the chassis with the opening of at least one line card from the first plurality of line cards substantially aligned with the opening of at least one line card from the second plurality of line cards such that the first portion of the gas can flow in the first direction and then within the first portion of the flow pathway, the first portion of the gas flowing within the first portion of the flow pathway in a second direction, the second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, and such that the second portion of the gas can flow in the first direction and then within the second portion of the flow pathway, the second portion of the gas flowing with the second portion of the flow pathway in a third direction, the third direction opposite the second direction.