Storage apparatus, fan device, and controller unit device
View Patent ↗The invention proposes a cooling structure of a storage apparatus in which cooling air in a chassis is stirred or evened out without affecting the layout in the chassis. The storage apparatus includes fan devices that introduce outside air to heat areas generated from heat generating members arranged on a logical substrate which constitutes a controller unit section for inputting and outputting a data to and from a hard disk drive in response to a data I/O request from a host system, cool the heat areas by stirring the cooling air therein or by causing the cooling air to blow evenly thereon, and discharge the outside air passed through the heat areas to the outside.
1. A storage apparatus comprising:
a disk box unit that stores a plurality of hard disk drives;
a controller unit section that inputs and outputs data to and from the hard disk drives in response to data input and output requests from a host system, the controller unit comprising one or more logical substrates;
a power supply unit that supplies power to the disk box unit and the controller unit section;
a chassis that stores the disk box unit, the controller unit section, and the power supply unit therein;
a backboard mounted on a bottom surface of the chassis to extend vertically within the chassis at a center region of the chassis, the backboard having a first side facing a front side of the chassis and a second side facing a back side of the chassis, the backboard connecting to each of the disk box unit, the controller unit section, and the power supply unit via both the first and second sides so as to allow insertion and removal of the disk box unit, the controller unit section, and the power supply unit from each of the front side and the back side of the chassis; and
a fan device that introduces air from outside of the chassis to a heat area generated from one or more heat generating members arranged on the one or more logical substrates, cools the heat area by stirring the air introduced to the heat area therein or by causing the air introduced to the heat area to blow evenly thereon, and discharges the air introduced to the heat area from the chassis upon the air introduced to the heat area passing through the heat area, the fan device including a first portion and a second portion that are respectively mounted from the front and rear sides of the chassis with the backboard therebetween.
2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the fan device includes:
a first set of cooling fans mounted from the front side of the chassis so as to introduce the air from outside of the chassis to the heat area; and
a first set of additional fans mounted from the front side of the chassis and proximate to the first side the backboard
wherein the second portion of the fan device includes:
a second set of cooling fans mounted from the back side of the chassis so as to discharge the air passed through the heat area for cooling the same to the outside; and
a second set of additional fans mounted from the back side of the chassis and proximate to the second side the backboard, the first and second sets of additional fans allowing the air introduced to the heat area to be stirred in the heat area or to blow evenly thereon, and
wherein the first and second sets of cooling fans and the first and second sets of additional fans are mounted on the controller unit section so as to allow insertion and removal of the first set of cooling fans and the first set of additional fans to and from the front side of the of the chassis and the second set of cooling fans and the second set of additional fans to and from the back side of the of the chassis.
3. The storage apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each fan of the first and second sets of additional fans is mounted at a respective location and at a respective angle for allowing the air introduced to the heat area to be stirred in the heat area or to blow evenly thereon according to an arrangement of the one or more heat generating members on the one or more logical substrates.
4. The storage apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first set of additional fans are mounted so as to allow adjustment of the respective angle for each fan of the first set of additional fans from 0 degrees to 90 degrees with respect to a direction of insertion and removal of the one or more logical substrates.
5. The storage apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second set of additional fans are mounted so as to be parallel to a direction of insertion and removal of the one or more logical substrates.
6. The storage apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the each fan of first and second sets of additional fans is mounted with a respective seat for placing the fan thereon at a location so as to blow the air introduced to the heat area onto the heat area by rotating a ball screw inserted through the respective seat of the fan.
7. The storage apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the each fan of the first and second sets of additional fans is mounted with a respective hinge member for adjusting the respective angle of the fan so as to blow the air introduced to the heat area onto the heat area by rotating a ball screw inserted through the respective hinge member of the fan.
8. A fan device, comprising:
a first portion and a second portion that are mounted on a controller unit section stored within a chassis from a front side and a rear side of the chassis respectively and with a backboard therebetween, the backboard having a first side facing the front side of the chassis and a second side facing the back side of the chassis, the backboard being mounted on a bottom surface of the chassis to extend vertically within the chassis at a center region of the chassis, the backboard connecting to the controller unit section via both the first and second sides so as to allow insertion and removal of the controller unit section from each of the front side and the back side of the chassis, the controller unit section inputting and outputting data to and from a plurality of hard disk drives in response to data input and output requests from a host system, the controller unit section comprising one or more logical substrates;
wherein the fan device introduces air from outside of the chassis to a heat area generated from one or more heat generating members arranged on the one or more logical substrates, cools the heat area by stirring the air introduced to the heat area therein or by causing the air introduced to the heat area to blow evenly thereon, and discharges the air introduced to the heat area from the chassis upon the air passing through the heat area,
wherein the first portion of the fan device includes:
a first set of cooling fans mounted from the front side of the chassis so as to introduce the air from outside of the chassis to the heat area; and
a first set of additional fans mounted from the front side of the chassis and proximate to the first side the backboard,
wherein the second portion of the fan device includes:
a second set of cooling fans mounted from the back side of the chassis so as to discharge the air passed through the heat area for cooling the same to the outside; and
a second set of additional fans mounted from the back side of the chassis and proximate to the second side the backboard, the first and second sets of additional fans allowing the air introduced to the heat area to be stirred in the heat area or to blow evenly thereon, and
wherein the first and second sets of cooling fans and the first and second sets of additional fans are mounted on the controller unit section so as to allow insertion and removal of the first set of cooling fans and the first set of additional fans to and from the front side of the of the chassis and the second set of cooling fans and the second set of additional fans to and from the back side of the of the chassis.
9. The fan device according to claim 8 , wherein each fan of the first and second sets of additional fans is mounted at a respective location and at a respective angle for allowing the air introduced to the heat area to be stirred in the heat area or to blow evenly thereon according to an arrangement of the one or more heat generating members on the one or more logical substrates.
10. The fan device according to claim 8 , wherein the first set of additional fans are mounted so as to allow adjustment of the respective angle for each fan of the first set of additional fans from 0 degrees to 90 degrees with respect to a direction of insertion and removal of the one or more logical substrates.
11. The fan device according to claim 8 , wherein the second set of additional fans are mounted so as to be parallel to a direction of insertion and removal of the one or more logical substrates.
12. The fan device according to claim 8 , wherein the each fan of first and second sets of additional fans is mounted with a respective seat for placing the fan thereon at a location so as to blow the air introduced to the heat area onto the heat area by rotating a ball screw inserted through the respective seat of the fan.
13. The fan device according to claim 8 , wherein the each fan of the first and second sets of additional fans is mounted with a respective hinge member for adjusting the respective angle of the fan so as to blow the air introduced to the heat area onto the heat area by rotating a ball screw inserted through the respective hinge member of the fan.
14. A controller unit device that inputs and outputs data to and from hard disk drives in response to data input and output requests from a host system, the controller unit device comprising:
a set of logical substrates connected to both a front side and a back side of a backboard mounted on a bottom surface of a chassis to extend vertically within the chassis at a center region of the chassis, the first and second sides of the backboard respectively facing a front side a second side of the chassis to thereby allow insertion and removal of the set of logical substrates from each of the front side and the back side of the chassis; and
a fan unit that introduces air from outside of the chassis to a heat area generated by heat generating member arranged on the one or more logical substrates, cools the heat area by stirring the air introduced to the heat area therein or by causing the air introduced to the heat area to blow evenly thereon, and discharges the air introduced to the heat area from the chassis upon the air introduced to the heat area passing through the heat area,
wherein the fan unit includes a first portion and a second portion that are respectively mounted from the front and rear sides of the chassis with the backboard therebetween,
wherein the first portion of the fan device includes:
a first set of cooling fans mounted from the front side of the chassis so as to introduce the air from outside of the chassis to the heat area; and
a first set of additional fans mounted from the front side of the chassis and proximate to the first side the backboard
wherein the second portion of the fan device includes:
a second set of cooling fans mounted from the back side of the chassis so as to discharge the air passed through the heat area for cooling the same to the outside; and
a second set of additional fans mounted from the back side of the chassis and proximate to the second side the backboard, the first and second sets of additional fans allowing the air introduced to the heat area to be stirred in the heat area or to blow evenly thereon, and
wherein the first and second sets of cooling fans and the first and second sets of additional fans are mounted in the controller unit device so as to allow insertion and removal of the first set of cooling fans and the first set of additional fans to and from the front side of the of the chassis and the second set of cooling fans and the second set of additional fans to and from the back side of the of the chassis.