JP2019121695A - Equipment unit and assembly unit - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an equipment unit and an assembly unit, capable of ensuring a sufficient cooling air amount even in the case where one part exhaust fan of a plurality of exhaust fans is stopped.SOLUTION: An equipment unit has: a housing body; a plurality of exhaust fans; and an exhaust duct. The housing body has an inlet port that inlets an air, and houses a heat generator. The plurality of exhaust fans is provided to the housing body, and exhausts the air in the housing body to an external part. The exhaust duct introduces the air exhausted from the plurality of exhaust fans. The exhaust duct includes: a duct main body; and a separation board. The duct main body is formed in a cylindrical shape having a base end and a tip, and introduces the air toward the tip. The separation board is extended to a length direction of the duct main body in the duct main body. The separation board divides a flow path of at least the air from the two exhaust fans of the plurality of exhaust fans. The tip of the separation board is positioned at the base end from the tip of the duct main body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to equipment units and aggregation units.

  A device with a built-in heating element such as a CPU or a power supply is required to have a function for cooling the inside. For example, an exhaust fan for exhausting the air inside the device or an exhaust duct for guiding the exhausted air to the outside of the device may be provided.

International Publication No. 2013/080897

  Such an apparatus may be provided with a plurality of exhaust fans. However, when a part of the exhaust fans is stopped, external air may flow back into the apparatus through the stopped exhaust fans. When the backflow volume is large, it is necessary to increase the size of the exhaust fan in advance or increase the number of exhaust fans in order to secure the cooling volume. This causes problems such as an increase in device size, an increase in device cost, and an increase in power consumption.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an equipment unit and an aggregation unit capable of securing a sufficient amount of cooling air flow even when a part of the exhaust fans is stopped.

  The device unit of the embodiment has a housing, a plurality of exhaust fans, and an exhaust duct. The container has an inlet for taking in gas and contains a heating element. The plurality of exhaust fans are provided in the housing to discharge the gas in the housing to the outside. The exhaust duct guides the gas exhausted from the plurality of exhaust fans. The exhaust duct has a duct body and a partition plate. The duct body is formed in a tubular shape having a proximal end and a distal end, and guides the gas toward the distal end. The partition extends in the duct body in the longitudinal direction of the duct body. The partition plate divides a flow path of gas from at least two adjacent exhaust fans of the plurality of exhaust fans. The distal end of the partition plate is located closer to the proximal end than the distal end of the duct body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The perspective view which shows the outline of a structure of the apparatus unit of 1st Embodiment. The front view which shows the outline of a structure of the apparatus unit of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the flow of air during normal operation in the device unit of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the flow of air when part of a plurality of exhaust fans stop in the equipment unit of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an aggregation unit having a plurality of device units according to the first embodiment. Schematic which shows the flow of the air at the time of the normal operation in the equipment unit of a 1st comparison form. The schematic which shows the flow of air when one part stops among several exhaust fans in the equipment unit of FIG. Schematic which shows the flow of the air at the time of the normal operation in the equipment unit of a 2nd comparison form. The schematic which shows the flow of air when one part stops among several exhaust fans in the equipment unit of FIG. The front view which shows the outline of a structure of the apparatus unit of the modification of 1st Embodiment. The schematic which shows the flow of air when one part stops among several exhaust fans in the apparatus unit of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic which shows the flow of air when one part stops among several exhaust fans in the apparatus unit of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, the device unit and the assembly unit of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of the device unit 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of the configuration of the device unit 10. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the X direction is the length direction of the bottom plate 11 of the housing 3. The Y direction is a direction perpendicular to the X direction in the plane along the bottom plate 11 and is the width direction of the bottom plate 11. The Z direction is a direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction, and is a thickness direction of the bottom plate 11. One of the X directions is called A direction, and the opposite direction is called B direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device unit 10 includes a device 1 and a cooling mechanism 2.
The device 1 includes a housing 3 for housing the electronic component 4.
As shown in FIG. 1, the container 3 is a rectangular parallelepiped casing. The housing 3 includes a bottom plate 11, a pair of side plates 12 and 12, a pair of end plates 13 and 13, and a top plate 14.

  The bottom plate 11 has a rectangular shape, for example, a rectangular shape in a plan view. The side plates 12 and 12 are provided upright on the side edges 11 a and 11 a of the bottom plate 11. The side plates 12 are formed perpendicular to the bottom plate 11. The end plates 13 and 13 are provided upright on the end edges 11 b and 11 b of the bottom plate 11. The end plates 13, 13 are formed perpendicularly to the bottom plate 11. The top 14 is provided on the upper edge of the side plate 12 and the end plate 13. The top plate 14 is parallel to the bottom plate 11. A space surrounded by the bottom plate 11, the side plates 12 and 12, the end plates 13 and 13, and the top plate 14 is referred to as an internal space 15.

One of the pair of end plates 13, 13 is referred to as a first end plate 13A. The other of the pair of end plates 13, 13 is referred to as a second end plate 13B. The second end plate 13B is located on the A direction side with respect to the first end plate 13A.
The first end plate 13A is formed with an intake port 16 for taking in external air (gas) into the housing 3. The shape of the intake port 16 is not particularly limited. For example, the intake port 16 has a rectangular shape whose long side extends in the Y direction.

  A pair of openings 17 and 17 for discharging the air (gas) of the internal space 15 is formed in the second end plate 13B. The pair of openings 17 and 17 are provided side by side in the Y direction. The opening 17 is, for example, rectangular. One of the pair of openings 17 and 17 is referred to as a first opening 17A. The other of the pair of openings 17 is referred to as a second opening 17B.

The electronic component 4 is housed in the internal space 15 of the housing 3. The electronic component 4 includes a component body 18 (heating element body) and a radiator 19 capable of transferring heat from the component body 18.
The component body 18 is, for example, a circuit board, a power supply unit, a transistor, a CPU, a power combiner, or the like. The heat dissipating body 19 is, for example, a heat dissipating fin. The electronic component 4 is a heating element that generates heat due to the operation of the component body 18.

The cooling mechanism 2 includes two exhaust fans 5 and 5 and an exhaust duct 6.
The exhaust fan 5 is a blower for discharging the air in the internal space 15 of the housing 3 to the outside of the housing 3 through the opening 17. The exhaust fan 5 is attached to the outer surface of the second end plate 13B. The two exhaust fans 5, 5 are provided side by side in the Y direction. The blowing direction of the exhaust fan 5 is the A direction. One of the two exhaust fans 5 and 5 is referred to as a first exhaust fan 5A. The other of the two exhaust fans 5 and 5 is referred to as a second exhaust fan 5B. The first exhaust fan 5A exhausts the air in the housing 3 through the first opening 17A. The second exhaust fan 5B exhausts the air in the housing 3 through the second opening 17B.

The exhaust duct 6 guides the air discharged from the exhaust fans 5 and 5 in the A direction. The exhaust duct 6 includes a duct body 21 and a partition plate 22.
The duct body 21 is formed in a tubular shape having a base end 21 a and a tip end 21 b. The duct body 21 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape provided with a bottom plate 31, a pair of side plates 32 and 32, and a top plate 33. The opening of the tip 21 b of the duct body 21 is referred to as an exhaust port 23. The duct body 21 extends along the X direction. The base end 21 a is an end of the duct main body 21 in the B direction. The tip 21 b is an end on the A direction side of the duct main body 21.

  The bottom plate 31 is formed along the XY plane. The side plates 32 and 32 are provided upright on the side edges 31 a and 31 a of the bottom plate 31. The side plates 32, 32 are formed perpendicularly to the bottom plate 31. The top plate 33 is provided on the upper edge of the side plates 32, 32. The top plate 33 is parallel to the bottom plate 31. A space surrounded by the bottom plate 31, the side plates 32 and 32, and the top plate 33 is referred to as an internal space 34.

  The proximal end 21a is in contact with or close to the outer surface of the second end plate 13B. The opening end of the first flow passage 41 (described later) at the base end 21a surrounds the first exhaust fan 5A and the first opening 17A as viewed from the X direction. The open end of the second flow passage 42 (described later) at the base end 21a surrounds the second exhaust fan 5B and the second opening 17B as viewed from the X direction.

  The partition plate 22 is provided in the duct main body 21. The partition plate 22 is a partition formed from the center of the bottom plate 31 in the Y direction to the center of the top plate 33 in the Y direction. The partition plate 22 is formed perpendicular to the bottom plate 31. The partition plate 22 extends in the length direction (X direction) of the duct body 21.

The partition plate 22 divides the internal space 34 of the duct main body 21 into a first flow passage 41 and a second flow passage 42. The first flow passage 41 is a flow passage of the exhaust air from the first exhaust fan 5A. The second flow path 42 is a flow path of the exhaust air from the second exhaust fan 5B.
The base end 22 a of the partition plate 22 is an end on the B direction side. The tip 22 b of the partition plate 22 is an end on the A direction side. The proximal end 22 a is located at or near the proximal end 21 a of the duct body 21.

  Since the dimension of the partition plate 22 in the X direction is shorter than that of the duct body 21, the tip 22 b of the partition plate 22 does not reach the tip 21 b of the duct body 21 and is positioned closer to the proximal end 21 a than the tip 21 b. . That is, the tip 22 b is located on the B direction side relative to the tip 21 b of the duct main body 21.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the flow of air in the normal operation of the device unit 10. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the exhaust fans 5, 5 are operated, the air in the housing 3 is sent into the exhaust duct 6 through the openings 17, 17. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the air exhausted through the first opening 17A by the first exhaust fan 5A is fed into the first flow path 41 of the exhaust duct 6, and the inside of the first flow path 41 is It flows in the A direction and is discharged from the exhaust port 23. The air exhausted through the second opening 17B by the second exhaust fan 5B is fed into the second flow path 42 of the exhaust duct 6, flows in the A direction in the second flow path 42, and is exhausted from the exhaust port 23.

  As shown in FIG. 1, external air is taken into the housing 3 through the air inlet 16 as the air pressure inside the housing 3 is discharged by the exhaust fans 5 and 5 and the air pressure is reduced. The air taken into the housing 3 comes in contact with the electronic component 4 to cool the electronic component 4. The air whose temperature has risen in contact with the electronic component 4 is exhausted by the exhaust fans 5, 5 as described above.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the flow of air when part of the plurality of exhaust fans 5 in the equipment unit 10 is stopped.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the second exhaust fan 5B is stopped, the flow of air in the A direction in the second flow path 42 is stopped. On the other hand, the first exhaust fan 5A is operating normally. The air flow in the B direction (a direction from the exhaust port 23 toward the second exhaust fan 5B) may be generated in the second flow path 42 due to the pressure reduction in the housing 3 due to the operation of the first exhaust fan 5A. . This air is referred to as reverse air 24. A portion of the reverse flow air 24 may enter the housing 3 from the second opening 17B through the second exhaust fan 5B and may be sent to the first flow path 41 through the first opening 17A by the first exhaust fan 5A. . This air is referred to as circulating air 26. When the flow rate of the circulating air 26 is high, the amount of air taken into the housing 3 from the inlet 16 decreases.

  In the device unit 10, the distal end 22b of the partition plate 22 is located closer to the proximal end 21a (the B direction side) than the distal end 21b of the duct main body 21. Therefore, the first flow passage 41 and the second flow passage 42 communicate with each other on the A direction side of the tip 22 b. Therefore, a part of the air flowing in the A direction in the first flow passage 41 can flow into the second flow passage 42. The flow direction of the inflowing air 25 is, for example, an oblique direction including an A-direction component. Therefore, the inflowing air 25 inhibits the inflow of the backflow air 24 flowing in the B direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction of the air volume due to the back flow, and it becomes possible to secure the cooling air volume (the amount of air taken in from the air inlet 16 and circulated in the container 3).

  As described above, since the container 3 is provided with the two exhaust fans 5 and 5, the circulating air 26 may be generated in the container 3, but the device unit 10 suppresses the backflow air 24 to circulate the air. Air 26 can be reduced. Therefore, it is advantageous in securing the amount of cooling air.

  In the equipment unit 10, the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the exhaust fans 5 and 5 is a direction intersecting the extending direction of the exhaust duct 6, so the flow of the exhaust air from the exhaust fan 5 is from the other exhaust fan 5 It is possible to suppress the obstruction by the exhaust air.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an aggregation unit 300 having a plurality of equipment units 10. The assembly unit 300 includes a rack 301 and a plurality of equipment units 10. The plurality of equipment units 10 are accommodated in the rack 301 side by side in the height direction (Z direction).

(First comparison form)
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the flow of air during normal operation in the device unit 510 of the first comparative embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the flow of air when part of the plurality of exhaust fans 5 in the equipment unit 510 is stopped. In addition, about the same structure as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the device unit 510 has the same configuration as the device unit 10 shown in FIG. 3 and the like except that the exhaust duct 506 of the cooling mechanism 502 does not have the partition plate 22.
During normal operation, the air in the housing 3 is fed into the exhaust duct 506 by the first exhaust fan 5A and the second exhaust fan 5B and exhausted from the exhaust port 23.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the second exhaust fan 5B is stopped, reverse air 24 is generated, and a part thereof enters the housing 3 from the second opening 17B through the second exhaust fan 5B. A portion of the air (circulating air 26) that has entered the housing 3 is sent by the first exhaust fan 5A into the exhaust duct 506 through the first opening 17A. A portion of the air (circulating air 27) that has entered the exhaust duct 506 is entrained by the backflow air 24 and returns into the housing 3 from the second opening 17B. As described above, in the device unit 510, the amount of cooling air tends to be insufficient due to the backflow air 24 and the circulating air 26, 27.

(Second comparison form)
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the flow of air during normal operation in the device unit 610 of the second comparative embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the flow of air when part of the plurality of exhaust fans 5 in the equipment unit 610 is stopped. In addition, about the same structure as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the device unit 610 has the same configuration as the device unit 10 shown in FIG. 3 etc. except that the end 622b of the partition plate 622 of the exhaust duct 606 reaches the end 21b of the duct main body 21. .
During normal operation, the air in the housing 3 is sent into the first flow path 641 and the second flow path 642 of the exhaust duct 606 by the first exhaust fan 5A and the second exhaust fan 5B and exhausted from the exhaust port 23 .

As shown in FIG. 9, when the second exhaust fan 5B is stopped, backflow air 24 is generated in the second flow path 642, and a part thereof passes through the second exhaust fan 5B and into the housing 3 from the second opening 17B. enter. Since the partition plate 622 reaches the front end 21 b of the duct main body 21, the inflow of air from the first flow passage 641 to the second flow passage 642 does not occur. Therefore, the backflow air 24 is unlikely to be inhibited.
A part of the air (circulating air 26) that has entered the housing 3 is sent by the first exhaust fan 5A into the exhaust duct 6 (first flow path 241) through the first opening 17A. Thus, in the equipment unit 610, the amount of cooling air tends to be short due to the backflow air 24 and the circulating air 26.

(Modification of the first embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a front view showing an outline of the configuration of the device unit 110 according to the second embodiment. In addition, about the same structure as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10, the device unit 110 includes the device 101 and the cooling mechanism 2.
The device 101 includes a housing 103 for housing the electronic component 4.
The housing body 103 includes a first housing portion 103A for housing the component main body 18, and a second housing portion 103B for housing at least a part of the heat radiating body 19.
The intake port 116 is formed in the first end plate 113A (end plate 113) of the second accommodation portion 103B.
The plurality of openings 117 are formed in the second end plate 113B (end plate 113) of the second accommodation portion 103B.
The exhaust fans 5, 5 are provided on the outer surface of the second end plate 113B (end plate 113) of the second accommodation portion 103B. The exhaust fans 5 and 5 can discharge the air in the second housing portion 103B through the opening 117.

In the device unit 110, similarly to the device unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the decrease in air volume due to the backflow is suppressed, and it is easy to secure the cooling air volume.
In the device unit 110, since the radiator 19 can be concentrated and efficiently cooled in the second housing portion 103B, the device unit 110 is excellent in the performance of cooling the electronic component 4.

Second Embodiment
11 and 12 are schematic views showing the flow of air when part of the plurality of exhaust fans 5 is stopped in the device unit 210 according to the second embodiment. The same components as those in the first embodiment and the modification thereof will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the device unit 210 includes a device 201 and a cooling mechanism 202.
The cooling mechanism 202 includes three exhaust fans 5 (5A to 5C) and an exhaust duct 206.
The exhaust fans 5 (5A to 5C) are provided on the outer surface of the second end plate 213B (end plate 213) of the housing body 203 side by side in the Y direction.

The exhaust duct 206 guides the air discharged from the exhaust fan 5 in the A direction. The exhaust duct 206 includes a duct body 221 and two partition plates 222.
The duct body 221 extends along the X direction.
The partition plate 222 is formed along the XZ plane. The partition plate 222 extends in the length direction (X direction) of the duct main body 221. The two partition plates 222 are formed at intervals in the Y direction.

  The two partition plates 222 divide the internal space 234 of the duct main body 221 into a first flow passage 241, a second flow passage 242, and a third flow passage 243. Specifically, of the two partition plates 222, the first partition plate 222A divides the first flow passage 241 and the second flow passage 242. Of the two partition plates 222, the second partition plate 222B divides the second flow passage 242 and the third flow passage 243. The first flow path 241 is a flow path of the exhaust air from the first exhaust fan 5A. The second flow path 242 is a flow path of the exhaust air from the second exhaust fan 5B. The third flow path 243 is a flow path of the exhaust air from the third exhaust fan 5C.

  The end 222 b of the partition plate 222 (222 A, 222 B) is located on the B direction side relative to the end 221 b of the duct main body 221.

  When the third exhaust fan 5 </ b> C is stopped, backflow air 224 may be generated in the third flow path 243. A part of the reverse flow air 224 enters the housing 3 from the third opening 17C through the third exhaust fan 5C. The air (circulation air 226) is sent to the second flow path 242 through the second opening 17B by the second exhaust fan 5B.

  In the device unit 210, since the tip 222b of the partition plate 222 is located on the base end 221a side (the B direction side) of the tip 221b of the duct main body 221, part of the air in the second flow path 242 (inflowing air 225) flows into the third flow path 243 and inhibits the inflow of the backflow air 224. Therefore, the fall of the air volume by backflow can be suppressed, and ensuring of a cooling air volume is attained.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when the second exhaust fan 5B is stopped, backflow air 224 may occur in the second flow path 242. A portion of the reverse flow air 224 enters the housing 3 through the second opening 17B. The air (circulating air 226A, 226C) is sent to the first flow path 241 and the third flow path 243 by the first exhaust fan 5A and the third exhaust fan 5C.

  In the device unit 210, the tip 222b of the partition plate 222 is located closer to the base end 221a (the B direction side) than the tip 221b of the duct main body 221, so the air in the first flow path 241 and the third flow path 243 (Inflowing air 225A, 225C) flows into the second flow path 242, and blocks the backflowing air 224 from flowing. Therefore, the fall of the air volume by backflow can be suppressed, and ensuring of a cooling air volume is attained.

In the device unit of the embodiment, the gas exhausted by the exhaust fan is not limited to air, and may be another gas (such as nitrogen).
In the equipment unit 10 shown in FIG. 1, the alignment direction (Y direction) of the two exhaust fans 5, 5 is orthogonal to the extension direction (X direction) of the exhaust duct 6. In the equipment unit of the embodiment, the arranging direction of the plurality of exhaust fans is a direction intersecting the extending direction of the exhaust duct, for example, an angle exceeding 0 ° and less than 180 ° with respect to the extending direction of the exhaust duct It may be in the crossing direction.

The number of exhaust fans is not limited to two, and may be three or more. The number of flow paths formed in the exhaust duct can be determined according to the number of exhaust fans.
The partition plate may be configured to define a flow path of gas from at least two adjacent exhaust fans among the plurality of exhaust fans.

  According to at least one embodiment described above, since the tip of the partition plate is located on the base end side of the tip of the duct main body, in the duct main body, one of the air flowing toward the tip in the flow path The part can flow into the next flow path. This inflowing air inhibits the inflow of backflowing air. Therefore, the fall of the air volume by backflow can be suppressed, and ensuring of a cooling air volume is attained. Therefore, the size of the device unit, the manufacturing cost, the power consumption and the like can be suppressed.

  While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof as well as included in the scope and the gist of the invention.

  3, 103, 203: Containment body, 4: Electronic component (heating element), 5, 5A, 5B, 5C: Exhaust fan, 6, 206: Exhaust duct, 10, 110, 210: Equipment unit, 16, 116: Intake Port 18 Component body (heating element main body) 19 Radiator 21 21 21 Duct body 21a 221a Base end 21b 221b Tip 22 22 222 Partition plate 22b 222b Tip 103A: first housing portion, 103B: second housing portion, 300: collective unit

Claims (4)

A container having an inlet for taking in gas and containing a heating element;
A plurality of exhaust fans provided in the container for discharging the gas in the container to the outside;
An exhaust duct for guiding the gas exhausted from the plurality of exhaust fans,
The exhaust duct is
A duct body formed in a tubular shape having a proximal end and a distal end, and guiding the gas toward the distal end;
A partition plate extending in a longitudinal direction of the duct body in the duct body and partitioning a flow path of gas from at least two adjacent exhaust fans of the plurality of exhaust fans;
The device unit, wherein a tip of the partition plate is positioned closer to the base end than a tip of the duct body. The plurality of exhaust fans are provided side by side in the container.
The equipment unit according to claim 1, wherein the alignment direction of the exhaust fans is a direction that intersects with the extension direction of the exhaust ducts. The heat generating body has a heat generating body main body and a heat dissipating body capable of transferring heat from the heat generating body main body,
The housing body includes a first housing portion for housing the heating element main body, and a second housing portion for housing at least a part of the heat radiating body.
The air intake can take in the gas into the second housing portion,
The device unit according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust fan can exhaust the gas in the second accommodation portion.   A collective unit having a plurality of device units according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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