Storage device, and storage part and dummy unit for storage device

• US 20060120192A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Kenichi, Okabe, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/221
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/12 Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

The present invention provides a dummy canister which can cool canisters with good efficiency. Canisters 2A and dummy canisters 2B are attached in a mixed configuration to the storage part 1C of a storage device 1. Each dummy canister 2B is constructed so that this dummy canister can expand and contract in two stages in the attachment direction (which is also the direction in which the cooling air draft flows through). Among these dummy canisters 2B, the dummy canister 2B (1) that is adjacent to a canister 2A is set in a first shape, and has a shorter length. The other dummy canisters 2B (2) through 2B (5) are respectively set in a second shape, so that the length dimension of these dummy canisters is lengthened. As a result, the amount of the cooling air draft that flows around the dummy canister 2B (1) that is adjacent to the canister 2A (3) is relatively large, so that a large cooling air draft can be supplied to the canister 2A (3).

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a storage part that is used to store data;

a control part that respectively controls the exchange of data between said storage part and a higher device; and

a cooling part that supplies a cooling air draft to at least said storage part;

wherein said storage part comprises;

a housing;

one or a plurality of storage units that are respectively detachably attached to said housing, and that respectively provide storage regions; and

one or a plurality of dummy units that are detachably attached to empty locations in said housing;

said dummy units are constructed so that these dummy units are deformable in at least two stages, i.e., a first shape and a second shape; and

in cases where said dummy units are attached adjacent to said storage units, said dummy units are set in said first shape, while in cases where said dummy units are attached without being adjacent to said storage units, said dummy units are set in said second shape.

2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein said first shape is set so as to have a smaller volume than said second shape.

3. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein said first shape is set so that there is a relative increase in the amount of the cooling air draft that flows around said dummy units, and said second shape is set so that there is a relative decrease in the amount of the cooling air draft that flows around said dummy units.

4. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a tubular chassis, and a board which is disposed so as to cover one open surface of this chassis, and which has exhaust ports that are formed respectively corresponding to each of said storage units, and said first shape and said second shape are respectively set so that the distance between said dummy units and said board is longer than the distance between said storage units and said board.

5. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein said dummy units are constructed so that these units can expand and contract in the direction of attachment to said housing, and said first shape is set so that the length dimension in said direction of attachment is shorter than that of said second shape.

6. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein said dummy units are constructed so that these units can expand and contract in the direction of disposition inside said housing, and said first shape is set so that the width dimension in said direction of disposition is shorter than that of said second shape.

7. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein at least two surfaces among the respective surfaces of said dummy units are covered by said housing.

8. The storage device according to claim 1, which further comprises a display part used to check the shape in which said dummy units are set (of the two shapes described above, i.e, said first shape or said second shape) from the outside according to the state in which said dummy units are attached to said housing.

9. The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring part which monitors whether or not the number of said storage units has been increased or decreased in said storage parts; and

a display part which displays a specified message according to the monitoring results of this monitoring part;

wherein said display part is devised so that in cases where the addition of said storage units is detected by said monitoring part, this display part displays a specified addition message relating to said dummy units that are adjacent to these added storage units, and so that in cases where a decrease in said storage units is detected by said monitoring part, this display part displays a specified reduction message relating to said dummy units that are attached instead of these decreased storage units.

10. The storage device according to claim 1, which further comprises a cooling control part that controls the operating state of said cooling part in accordance with the number of said dummy units that are attached to said storage part.

11. The storage device according to claim 3, wherein

said housing comprises a tubular chassis, and a board which is disposed so as to cover one open surface of this chassis, and which has exhaust ports signal connectors that are formed respectively corresponding to each of said storage units;

said dummy units have duct parts used to allow said cooling air draft to flow through, the outlet ports of these duct parts are connected to said exhaust ports, and the inlet ports of said duct parts open at the open surface of said housing; and

said inlet ports are covered when the shape is set as said first shape, and said inlet ports are opened when the shape is set as said second shape.

12. A storage device storage part that is used to attach a storage unit, comprising:

a housing;

one or a plurality of storage units which are respectively detachably attached to said housing, and which respectively provide storage regions; and

one or a plurality of dummy units which are detachably attached in empty locations of said housing;

wherein said dummy units are deformable in at least two stages, i.e., a first shape and a second shape; and

said dummy units are set in said first shape in cases where said dummy units are attached adjacent to said storage units, and said dummy units are set in said second shape in cases where said dummy units are attached without being adjacent to said storage units.

13. The storage device storage part according to claim 12, wherein said first shape is set so that there is a relative increase in the amount of the cooling air draft that flows around said dummy units, and said second shape is set so that there is a relative decrease in the amount of the cooling air draft that flows around said dummy units.

14. The storage device storage part according to claim 12, wherein said housing comprises a tubular chassis, and a board which is disposed so as to cover one open surface of this chassis, and which has exhaust ports that are formed respectively corresponding to each of said storage units, and said first shape and said second shape are respectively set so that the distance between said dummy units and said board is longer than the distance between said storage units and said board.

15. The storage device storage part according to claim 12, wherein said dummy units are constructed so that these units can expand and contract in the direction of attachment to said housing, and said first shape is set so that the length dimension in said direction of attachment is shorter than that of said second shape.

16. The storage device storage part according to claim 12, wherein said dummy units are constructed so that these units can expand and contract in the direction of disposition inside said housing, and said first shape is set so that the width dimension in said direction of disposition is shorter than that of said second shape.

17. The storage device storage part according to claim 12, wherein

said housing comprises a tubular chassis, and a board which is disposed so as to cover one open surface of this chassis, and which has exhaust ports and signal connectors that are formed respectively corresponding to each of said storage units;

said dummy units have duct parts used to allow said cooling air draft to flow through, the outlet ports of these duct parts are connected to said exhaust ports, and the inlet ports of said duct parts open at the open surface of said housing; and

said inlet ports are covered when the shape is set as said first shape, and said inlet ports are opened when the shape is set as said second shape.

18. A dummy unit which is disposed adjacent to storage units that provide storage regions, wherein said dummy unit is deformable in at least two stages, i.e., a first shape and a second shape, and said dummy unit is set in said first shape in cases where said dummy unit is disposed adjacent to said storage unit, and is set in said second shape in cases where said dummy unit is disposed without being adjacent to said storage unit.

19. The dummy unit according to claim 18, wherein said dummy unit is constructed from a first split body and a second split body that can be split in the attachment direction perpendicular to said disposition direction, so that said dummy unit can expand and contract in said attachment direction, and said first shape is set so that the length dimension of said first shape in said attachment direction is shorter than that of said second shape.

20. The dummy unit according to claim 18, which is constructed from a third split body and a fourth split body that can be split in said disposition direction, so that said dummy unit can expand and contract in said disposition direction, and said first shape is set so that the width dimension of said first shape in said disposition direction is shorter than that of said second shape.