Vent control apparatus and method

A fan tray ventilation closure device for a telecommunication equipment enclosure, comprising:

• a pair of opposed planar panels defining a closure void;
• a plurality of aligned openings through each of the opposed panels for passage of air therethrough, each aligned opening corresponding to an aligned opening in the opposed planar panel;
• counterbalanced closures disposed in a coplanar manner in the closure void between the opposed panels and adapted to be drawn in a parallel direction across the openings for preventing passage of air, each closure of the plurality of closures corresponding to a respective aligned opening in each opposed panel and each counterbalanced closure attached to a respective end of an elongated pivotal attachment;
• the pivotal attachment counterbalancing one of the closures with at least one other closure for mitigating force to pivot the closures and adapted to dispose each closure into alignment with a corresponding aligned opening and pivotally attached to a pivot point on at least one of the opposed panels;
• an actuator attached to the pivotal attachment for pivoting the closures between an open position for allowing air passage through the opening and a closed position for impeding airflow.