Cooling system for cooling electronic apparatus

• US 5,544,012 A
• Filed: 12/28/1994
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US08/364,987
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 312/236, 454/184, 174/16.1, 165/122, 165/124, 165/126, 165/80.3, 361/695, 361/697, 361/687, 361/694, 361/690
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20572 within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks, e.g. plenum

Abstract

A cover is provided on at least one of the faces of a box body. A plurality of elements to be cooled are arranged in tiers within the box body so as to be opposed to one face of the box body. A horizontal duct is provided at a lower part within the box body. A vertical duct is provided between the elements and the cover. Guide members are situated within the vertical duct and the box body. The guide members guide the air stream, sucked into the elements, and the air stream exhausted from the elements along predetermined passages.

Claims

1. A cooling system applied to an electronic apparatus including a box body with a front side, a rear side, a bottom side and a top side, a first electronic device unit housed within the box body on said front side, a second electronic device unit housed within the box body on said rear side, a front cover situated on said front side of the box body, and a rear cover situated on the rear side of the box body, said cooling system cooling said first and second electronic device units, said cooling system comprising:

a suction port, formed in said front cover, for introducing an air stream from the outside of said box body and guiding the air stream to at least said first electronic device unit;

a horizontal duct for introducing an air stream from said suction port and guiding the air stream towards said rear side of the box body, said horizontal duct being provided on said bottom side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said suction port, and having the other end portion extending to said rear side of the box body;

a vertical duct for introducing the air stream from said horizontal duct and guiding the air stream to said second electronic device unit, said vertical duct being provided on said rear side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said horizontal duct, and having the other end portion extending to said top side of the box body;

a partition member, provided between said first electronic device unit and said second electronic device unit, for separating the air stream coming out from said first electronic device unit and the air stream coming out from said second electronic device unit; and

an exhaust port, formed in said rear cover, for taking in the air streams from said first and second electronic device units and exhausting the air streams to the outside of the box body.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising an orientation member provided at at least one of said suction port, said horizontal duct, said vertical duct and said exhaust port, for orientating said air stream to at least one of said first and second electronic device units.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second electronic device units comprises a plurality of electronic elements.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of electronic elements are arranged in stages within said box body.

5. The cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a fan device provided in at least one of said suction port, said horizontal duct, said vertical duct and said exhaust port.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein said fan device comprises a first fan and a second fan, said second fan situated at a predetermined distance from said first fan.

7. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein said fan device comprises a casing with first and second openings, a first fan provided in said first opening of the casing and a second fan provided in said second opening of the casing, wherein said first fan and said second fan are separated from each other at a distance equal to or greater than the diameter of said fans.

8. A cooling system applied to an electronic apparatus including a box body with a front side, a rear side, a bottom side and a top side, a first electronic device unit housed within the box body on said front side, a second electronic device unit housed within the box body on said rear side, a front cover situated on said front side of the box body, and a rear cover situated on the rear side of the box body, said cooling system cooling said first and second electronic device units, said cooling system comprising:

a suction port, formed in said front cover, for introducing an air stream from the outside of said box body;

a front-side vertical duct for introducing the air stream from said suction port and guiding the air stream to said first electronic device unit, said front-side vertical duct being provided on said front side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said suction port, and having the other end portion extending to said top side of the box body;

a horizontal duct for introducing an air stream from said suction port and guiding the air stream towards said rear side of the box body, said horizontal duct being provided on said bottom side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said suction port, and having the other end portion extending to said rear side of the box body;

a rear-side vertical duct for introducing the air stream from said horizontal duct and guiding the air stream to said second electronic device unit, said rear-side vertical duct being provided on said rear side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said horizontal duct, and having the other end portion extending to said top side of the box body;

a partition member, provided between said first electronic device unit and said second electronic device unit, for separating the air stream coming out from said first electronic device unit and the air stream coming out from said second electronic device unit; and

an exhaust port, formed in said rear cover, for taking in the air streams from said first and second electronic device units and exhausting the air streams to the outside of the box body.

9. The cooling system according to claim 8, further comprising an orientation member provided at at least one of said suction port, said horizontal duct, said front-side vertical duct, said rear-side vertical duct and said exhaust port, for orientating said air stream to at least one of said first and second electronic device units.

10. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said first and second electronic device units comprises a plurality of electronic elements.

11. The cooling system according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of electronic elements are arranged in stages within said box body.

12. The cooling system according to claim 8, further comprising a fan device provided in at least one of said suction port, said horizontal duct, said front-side vertical duct, said rear-side vertical duct and said exhaust port.

13. The cooling system according to claim 12, wherein said fan device comprises a first fan and a second fan, said second fan situated at a predetermined distance from said first fan.

14. The cooling system according to claim 12, wherein said fan device comprises a casing with first and second openings, a first fan provided in said first opening of the casing and a second fan provided in said second opening of the casing, wherein said first fan and said second fan are separated from each other at a distance equal to or greater than the diameter of said fans.

15. A cooling system applied to an electronic apparatus including a box body with a front side, a rear side, a bottom side, a top side, a lower part and an upper part, an electronic device unit housed within at least said lower part of the box body of said lower and upper parts of the box body, a front cover situated on said front side of the box body, and a rear cover situated on the rear side of the box body, said cooling system cooling said electronic device units, said cooling system comprising:

a front-side suction port, formed in said front cover, for introducing an air stream from the outside of said box body and guiding the air stream to at least said electronic device unit;

an exhaust port, formed in said rear cover, for taking in the air stream from said box body and exhausting the air stream to the outside of the box body; and

a sealing mechanism in said box body sealing and separating said lower part from said upper part, and including a fan device for sucking the air stream from said lower part of the box body and exhausting the air stream to the upper part of the box body.

16. The cooling system according to claim 15, wherein said sealing mechanism includes a circuit board module comprising a circuit board section having a plurality of wiring boards and a fan unit provided adjacent to the circuit board section.

17. The cooling system according to claim 16, wherein said circuit board module comprises:

a frame with mesh-like air suction port, a mother board provided at right angles with said frame, a plurality of connectors provided on said mother board, and a plurality of wiring boards detachably attached to said connectors; and

a plurality of fans provided on said frame.

18. The cooling system according to claim 15, further comprising a rear-side suction port, formed in said rear cover, for introducing an air stream from the outside of the box body and guiding the air stream to at least said electronic device unit.

19. The cooling system according to claim 18, wherein said electronic device unit comprises:

a first electronic element housed in said lower part on the front side of the box body;

a second electronic element housed in said lower part on the rear side of the box body; and

a partition member, provided between said first electronic element and said second electronic element, for separating the air stream coming out from said first electronic element and the air stream coming out from said second electronic element.

20. The cooling system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a horizontal duct for introducing an air stream from said suction port and guiding the air stream towards said rear side of the box body, said horizontal duct being provided in said lower part of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said suction port, and having the other end portion extending to said rear side of the box body; and

a vertical duct for introducing the air stream from said horizontal duct and guiding the air stream to said electronic device unit, said vertical duct being provided on said rear side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said horizontal duct, and having the other end portion extending to said top side of the box body.

23. The cooling system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a horizontal duct for introducing an air stream from said suction port and guiding the air stream towards said rear side of the box body, said horizontal duct being provided in said lower part of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said suction port, and having the other and portion extending to said rear side of the box body;

a front-side vertical duct for introducing the air stream from said suction port and guiding the air stream to said electronic device unit, said front-side vertical duct being provided on said front side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said suction port, and having the other end portion extending to said top side of the box body; and

a rear-side vertical duct for introducing the air stream from said horizontal duct and guiding the air stream to said electronic device unit, said rear-side vertical duct being provided on said rear side of the box body, having one end portion communicating with said horizontal duct, and having the other end portion extending to said top side of the box body.

24. The cooling system according to claim 23, wherein said electronic device unit comprises:

a first electronic element housed in said lower part on the front side of the box body;

a second electronic element housed in said lower part on the rear side of the box body; and

a partition member, provided between said first electronic element and said second electronic element, for separating the air stream coming out from said first electronic element and the air stream coming out from said second electronic element.

25. The cooling system according to claim 24, further comprising an orientation member provided at at least one of said suction port, said horizontal duct, said front-side vertical duct, said rear-side vertical duct and said exhaust port, for orientating said air stream to said first and second electronic device units.

21. The cooling system according to claim 21, wherein said electronic device unit comprises:

a first electronic element housed in said lower part on the front side of the box body;

a second electronic element housed in said lower part an the rear side of the box body; and

a partition member, provided between said first electronic element and said second electronic element, for separating the air stream coming out from said first electronic element and the air stream coming out from said second electronic element.

22. The cooling system according to claim 21, further comprising an orientation member provided at at least one of said suction port, said horizontal duct, said vertical duct and said exhaust port, for orientating said air stream to said first and second electronic device units.