1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus having drawer trays. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic apparatus in which drawer trays contain plural circuit units, and heat generated electrically can be dissipated effectively so as to ensure safe use of the circuit units.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
In the field of electronic apparatuses, a rack type container is used to contain such an apparatus as a server computer. The container is constituted by a cabinet type case having a cabinet shape of which a front surface is open, and plural drawer trays in which a circuit unit such as a server component is mounted. The drawer trays are movable to slide freely into or out of the front surface of the cabinet type case. As example of electronic apparatus, the server computer or server apparatus provides information of various services to terminal devices connected in a network. A file server which makes user share files in the network, a print server for administering a printer in the network, and an electronic mail server for sending and receiving the electronic mail are unitized in the server apparatus. Each of server components of such a server is assembled in the drawer tray as circuit units.
If the server apparatus is used long in a continuous manner, its temperature is likely to rise excessively, because various electronic parts are mounted at a high density, including a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device, a power source device, and an I/O port. JP-A 11-204974, 2000-196273 and 2003-163480 disclose cooling of an electronic apparatus. A fan is incorporated in an upper portion, a lower portion, or each of both of those of a cabinet type case. An inlet of air is formed in the lower portion of the cabinet type case. A vent is formed in its upper portion. The fan is driven to introduce external cooling air into the cabinet type case through the inlet. The cooling air is discharged through the vent, in order to dissipate heat from the inside of the electronic apparatus.
The electronic apparatus according to those documents has the fan which causes the cooling air to flow upwards from the lower portion of the cabinet type case. There occurs a problem in non-uniform distribution in a flow rate of the cooling air. Some of circuit units or server components cannot receive the cooling air sufficiently. To solve such a problem, there have been suggestions for the electronic apparatus. Specifically, a direction of flow or the cooling air is adjusted by adding an air flow control panel or a unit for adjusting air flow. Also, a power source device is contained in a dead space which is disposed in an upper portion of the cabinet type case, suitably to modify the disposition of the circuit units or server components. However, such suggestions cause a rise in the manufacturing cost. The total of the structure of the electronic apparatus has become complicated, to lower operability of the electronic apparatus in the course of maintenance.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus in which drawer trays contain plural circuit units, and heat generated electrically can be dissipated effectively so as to ensure safe use of the circuit units.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, an electronic apparatus having plural circuit units is provided, in which a cabinet type apparatus case has plural openings and plural outer cover panels, wherein the plural openings are formed in respectively at least a front face and first and second side faces thereof, and the outer cover panels close the plural openings. Plural sliding drawer trays are arranged in a multi tier form, contained in the cabinet type case, movable in and out through a front opening included in the openings, wherein each of the drawer trays has a lower panel and a peripheral panel, each of the circuit units is secured to the lower panel, and contained therein. A vent is formed in at least one of the outer cover panels, for air discharge. An inlet is formed in a cover panel of the outer cover panels different from the vent, for intake of external air for cooling. There are at least one first to fourth fans for flowing in of air through the inlet, for blowing the air to the circuit units, and for venting the air through the vent, to cool the circuit units. The first and second fans are disposed on respectively the first and second side faces, and the third and fourth fans are disposed higher than the first and second fans respectively at a predetermined distance. At least one recess is formed in the drawer trays, opposed to at least one of the first to fourth fans.
The vent is formed in each of the front face and a rear face of the cabinet type case. The inlet is formed in each of the first and second side faces. The at least first to fourth fans are disposed between the first or second side face and the drawer trays.
Each of the circuit units includes a heat generating part mounted in a concentrated manner, and located close to one of the first to fourth fans.
The recess is formed in the peripheral panel.
The recess is formed in a portion of the peripheral panel positioned on one of the first and second side faces and a rear face of the cabinet type case.
The outer cover panels include a front cover panel, disposed on the front face, for closing one of the openings. A rear cover panel is disposed on a rear face of the cabinet type case, for closing one of the openings. First and second side cover panels are disposed on respectively the first and second side faces, for closing openings among the openings.
The cabinet type case and the first to fourth fans satisfy a condition of
L/3≦φ<L
where φ is an outer diameter of the first to fourth fans;
The plural drawer trays are constituted by first and second drawer tray stacks, and the second drawer tray stack is disposed beside the first drawer tray stack. Furthermore, plural guide supports are disposed on an inside of the cabinet type case, for guiding plural drawer trays movable in and out.
The vent is constituted by a first group of vents disposed in a rear face of the cabinet type case. A second group of vents are disposed in the front face, and having a total area of openness larger than a total area of openness of the first group of the vents.
The circuit units are server components.
The at least first to fourth fans are at least first to sixth fans, and the fifth and sixth fans are disposed higher than the third and fourth fans respectively at a predetermined distance.
In a preferred embodiment, an electronic apparatus having plural circuit units includes a cabinet type apparatus case, having plural outer panels, wherein a front portion included in the outer panels is openable. Plural sliding drawer trays are arranged in a multi tier form, for containing respectively the circuit units, the drawer trays being contained in the cabinet type case movably in a forward direction. An inlet is formed in at least one of the outer panels, for air intake. A vent is formed in at least one of the outer panels different from the outer panel where the inlet is disposed, for air discharge. There is at least one fan for flowing in of air through the inlet, for blowing the air to the circuit units, and for venting the air through the vent, to cool the circuit units. A recess is formed in the drawer trays, opposed to the at least one fan, for passing the air.
The at least one fan is opposed to the inlet and positioned inside the outer panels.
The outer panels include a front panel, a rear panel, and first and second side panels. The inlet is formed in each of the first and second side panels. The vent is formed in each of the front panel and the rear panel.
The at least one fan includes at least one first fan positioned on the first side panel, and at least one second fan positioned on the second side panel.
The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In
First to sixth fans 19 or blowers, which are at least four, are associated with the side faces 10c of the cabinet type case 10. On each of the side faces 10c are arranged three of the fans 19 in a vertical direction. The fans 19 introduce external gas or air through the inlets 18 of the side cover panels 15 into the cabinet type case 10. Server components 42 or cluster nodes as circuit units of
A lower face 10e is included in the cabinet type case 10. Four caster wheels 20 are disposed on the lower face 10e, and rotatable to facilitate manual transport of the server apparatus 2. Four lower supports or legs 21 protrude from the lower face 10e for fixedly setting the cabinet type case 10 in an installed state. The lower supports 21 are adjustable finely to change a height of the cabinet type case 10. A hub (not shown) is installed in the cabinet type case 10 for transmitting information to plurality of terminal devices to provide service of various kinds, the terminal devices being connected by use of network with one another.
In
In
Let φ be an outer diameter of a blade portion of the six fans 19. Let L be a length of a shorter side line of the side faces 10c of the cabinet type case 10 where the fans 19 are attached. The fans 19 are structured so as to satisfy a condition
L/3≦φ<L
A typical example of the fans 19 is a general-purpose ventilation fan UL-30A (trade name) manufactured by Hitachi Home & Life Solution Co., Ltd. In this model, φ=30 cm.
In
On the drawer trays 11, the server components 42 are connected by a hub with one another. Various examples are included in the server components 42, such as a file server, a printing server, an electronic mail server and the like. The file server causes plural users operating terminal devices to use files commonly on their network. The printing server manages printers connected with the network. The electronic mail server executes operation of transmission and reception of electronic mails. Note that combinations of the server components 42 may be determined in any suitable manner for various purposes. For example, plural server components 42 of the same purposes can be combined, and can operate under a controlled condition.
Each of the drawer trays 11 includes side panels 43, a rear panel 44 or rear edge, a lower panel 45 and a front panel 49. The lower panel 45 supports the server components 42 secured thereto. A light source 47 or lamp and an interface access opening 48 for insertion are disposed in the front panel 49 as well as the power source pushbutton 46. The light source 47 is an indicator for informing information. The interface access opening 48 is formed for access from the outside for connection. Recesses 50 are formed in the side panels 43 and the rear panel 44. The recesses 50 define a path of a flow of cooling air from the fans 19 directly toward the server components 42. The drawer trays 11 have portions of the side panels 43 and the lower panel 45 supported in the support rails 31, and are movable between a protrusion state position and a contained state position through the front face 10a of the cabinet type case 10.
Note that one purpose to slide out each of the drawer trays 11 is to repair the server components 42 in breakage, or to maintain the server components 42.
In operation, the server apparatus 2 is supplied with power, and the power source pushbutton 46 is depressed at each of the drawer trays 11. Then one of the server components 42 or cluster nodes as circuit units starts operation. The six fans 19 are supplied with power in a manner separate from powering of the server components 42, and starts blowing. External air is caused through the inlets 18 of the side cover panels 15 to flow into the cabinet type case 10, and is blown to the server components 42 inside the drawer trays 11. The cooling air is heat exchange medium, which dissipates heat generated by the server components 42. The heat generating parts 40a receive the cooling air in a concentrated manner, and cooled particularly by the fans 19 as portions of the circuit board 40 with circuit elements mounted with high density. After the cooling of the server components 42, the cooling air is vented to the outside of the cabinet type case 10 through the vents 16 and 17 in the front and rear cover panels 13 and 14.
As the recesses 50 are formed in the side panels 43 and the rear panel 44, air in the drawer trays 11 can be vented efficiently. Manual handling in the course of maintenance of the server apparatus 2 can be facilitated and quickened. Also, the use of the support rails 31 can keep small the clearance between the drawer trays 11. Only with the six fans 19, the 22 server components 42 can be cooled with high efficiency. Performance of the fans 19 can be fully utilized. Also, each one of the server components 42 is incorporated in the drawer trays 11, the server components 42 being operable for common operation. The fans 19 are disposed and oriented in a direction crosswise to the outward and inward movement of the drawer trays 11. Thus, the server apparatus 2 can be inspected or maintained with great ease.
Furthermore, the fans 19 have the large outer diameter effective in cooling quickly. It is possible to suppress noise of the fans 19 in operation down to a considerably low level, for example as small as 50 dB as measured at a distance of one (1) meter from the inlets 18 of the side cover panels 15. The electronic apparatus can be installed in a juxtaposed manner with a telefacsimile, copying machine and other electronic instruments in a room, without keeping a large space particular to installation of a widely used server.
The position of the recesses 50 in the drawer trays 11 is not particularly limited. The recesses 50 can be positioned in a portion of the drawer trays 11 opposed to the six fans 19, for example the side panels 43 on the side of the fans 19. In
Note that, regarding the rear face 10b and the rear opening 12b, the rear cover panel 14 may have a size fully extending without the rear opening 12b. Also, the rear cover panel 14 may be attached unremovably to the rear face 10b in the rear of the cabinet type case 10.
In the present embodiment, the electronic apparatus is the server. However, an electronic apparatus of the invention may be any suitable device, for example, storage device, router, amplifier, power source device, measuring device, communication interface and the like.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those having skill in this field. Therefore, unless otherwise these changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention, they should be construed as included therein.