Disk array device

• US 7,876,557 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagaiwa, Yoshinori, Muraoka, Kenji, Sato, Masahiko, Ishikawa, Takamasa, Yokoyama, Nobuhiro, Kimura, Koichi, Iwasaki, Hidehiko, Tateyama, Kenichi, Takahashi, Kiyotaka, Suzuki, Katsuyoshi, Takamoto, Kenichi, Matsunami, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman; Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US12/481,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.46, 361/679.48, 361/679.49, 361/679.5, 361/679, 361683-686, 361/695
• US Class Current: 361/679.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/125 the apparatus comprising a plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. modular arrangements, arrays of disc drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

A disk array device comprises: a hard disk drive module including a disk for recording information thereon and having one side that has a length substantially equal to the diameter of the disk; a battery nodule; an operation module; a fan module having at least one cooling fan; a controller module having a controller; a power supply module provided for supplying power to the modules; a circuit board to which the above-mentioned modules are connected via electrical connectors; and a substantially box-shaped chassis in which the modules and the circuit board are housed. A front surface and a rear surface of the chassis are opened in a rectangular shape. A length of one side of the opened front surface of the chassis is substantially the same length as the one side of the hard disk drive module.

Claims

1. A disk array device comprising:

a plurality of hard disk drive modules each having a disk drive for recording data;

a controller module having a controller that controls writing/reading data into/from the disk drives;

a power supply module that supplies power to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and the controller module;

an operation module;

a plurality of fan modules having respective fans that cool the plurality of hard disk drive modules, the controller module, and the power supply module; and

a chassis housing the plurality of hard disk drive modules provided on a front side thereof, and the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules provided on a back side thereof, the controller module and the power supply module being placed between the plurality of fan modules,

said operation module including an alarm buzzer stop switch and a power switch, said power switch having an ON-side whereby power is provided to said plurality of hard disk drive modules and an OFF-side whereby power is not provided to said plurality of hard disk drive modules, said alarm buzzer stop switch being disposed on said ON-side of said power switch,

said operation module further including a setting switch that is accessible from a space in front of a hard disk drive module that is disposed adjacent to said operation module.

2. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising a partitioning plate

and a second power supply module, wherein said partitioning plate is disposed between said power supply module and said second power supply module.

3. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising a partitioning plate disposed in a middle region of said chassis, wherein said controller module is arranged across said partitioning plate.

4. The disk array of claim 2 or 3 wherein the partitioning plate includes vent openings.

5. The disk array of claim 1 wherein a height of an opening of said front side of said chassis is substantially the same as a height of said hard disk drive modules.

6. The disk array of claim 1 wherein said chassis has a substantially rectilinear shape.

7. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board, said hard disk drive modules being connected to a first side of said circuit board, said controller module and said power supply module being connected to a second side of said circuit board module.

8. The disk array of claim 7 wherein said hard disk drive modules are inserted into said chassis via an opening from said front side thereof, wherein said controller module and said power supply module are inserted into said chassis via an opening from said back side thereof.

9. The disk array of claim 7 further comprising a battery module inserted into said chassis via an opening from said front side thereof and connected to said circuit board.

10. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising a front circuit board, a rear circuit board disposed parallel and adjacent to said front circuit board, and an electrical connector connecting said front and rear circuit boards, said hard disk drive modules being connected to said first circuit board, said controller module and said power supply module being connected to said second circuit board module.

11. The disk array of claim 10 further comprising a battery module inserted into said chassis via an opening from said front side thereof and connected to said first circuit board.

12. The disk array of claim 1 wherein said controller module includes a management portion for managing additional installation of a disk array device.

13. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising additional controller modules vertically stacked atop each other and a circuit board having a column of connectors to which said vertically stacked additional controller modules are connected.

14. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board to which said modules are connected, said chassis and said circuit board having a notch and a matching tab, wherein said notch mates with said matching tab thereby connecting together said chassis and said circuit board.

15. The disk array of claim 1 wherein at least one fan module is arranged on a first side of said chassis and another fan module is arranged on a second side of said chassis opposite said first side.

16. The disk array of claim 15 wherein cooling air flow provided by said fan modules is introduced from said front side of said chassis to cool at least said hard disk drive modules, said power supply module, and said controller module, and is discharged out of said back side of said chassis.

17. The disk array of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board to which said modules are connected, wherein said controller module is substantially flat and said circuit board includes a plurality of holes extending in a direction parallel to said controller module.