JP7615560B2 - Storage device and method for storage of storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage device and a storage method for a storage device used, for example, in tower-type computer equipment used in a standalone manner.

When a computer device is submerged in water due to flooding or the like, there is a risk that the storage device may be damaged along with the computer device.
Furthermore, if you try to recover the data in a storage device after it has been submerged in water, you will need to outsource the process to a specialist company, who will disassemble the device and remove the storage media and NAND flash memory, which will require a lot of time and cost for the post-processing.

Moreover, assuming that such equipment will be submerged in water, a protection device for housing a storage device in a sealed container has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-233666.
The protection device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a storage device protection case formed from a material having at least one of the properties of water resistance, fire resistance, and impact resistance.
Specifically, this storage device protection box has a box body capable of housing a storage device, and a lid body which allows the box body to be opened and closed freely and which is sealed when closed using the elastic force of a spring and a gasket; when the lid body and box body are sealed, the intrusion of heat and water is prevented.

In this type of protection device, the signal and power cables connected to the storage device are wound around a rotating roller and detached from the storage device, and then the lid is closed, sealing the storage device within the box body.
This allows the storage device sealed and housed in the storage device protection box to be protected from disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes.

JP 2007-004945 A

The storage device protective box shown in Patent Document 1 has high sealing performance in emergencies when the device is expected to be submerged in water, but there is a risk that heat from the device will accumulate near the main body of the box during normal operation, and improvements in this regard were anticipated.

This invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides a storage device and a storage method for a storage device that can prevent damage to the storage device due to submersion in water without causing the problem of reduced heat dissipation performance during normal use.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The storage device for a storage device shown in a first form of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a storage section cage in which a storage device is housed; a storage container having at least two openings and waterproof shielding lids for closing each of the openings in a sealed state, and for storing the storage section cage via one of the openings; a sealing means for closing the waterproof shielding lid of the storage container; a transport means for transporting the storage section cage from an external position into the storage container; and an operation control means for operating the transport means to transport the storage section cage from the external position into the storage container and operating the sealing means to close the waterproof shielding lid of the storage container when flooding begins.

The second embodiment of the present invention shows a method for storing a storage device, which is characterized in that the storage container is provided with at least two openings and waterproof shielding lids that close these openings in a sealed state, and when flooding begins, a storage section cage containing a storage device is transferred from an external position into the storage container through one of these openings, and the waterproof shielding lid of the storage container is closed.

In the present invention, when flooding occurs, it is possible to prevent damage to the storage device housed in the storage cage from flooding.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the minimum configuration of a storage device according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing a storage operation of the storage unit cage based on detection by the water ingress sensor. 13 is a flowchart showing a storage unit cage storing operation based on a storage unit storing signal output from a manager side management unit.

The minimum configuration of a storage device 100 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The storage device 100 comprises a storage cage 1, a storage container 2, a sealing means 3, a transport means 4 and an operation control means 5, and is installed in, for example, a computer device.

The storage cage 1 houses a storage device 1A.
The storage container 2 has at least two openings 6 and waterproof shielding lids 7 that close each of these openings 6 in a sealed state, and stores the memory cage 1 through one of the openings 6 (the opening 6 on the right side in Figure 1).
The sealing means 3 closes the waterproof shielding lid 7 of the containment vessel 2 so as to maintain a waterproof state.
The transport means 4 transports the storage cage 1 from an external location into the containment vessel 2 .
Furthermore, at the start of flooding, the operation control means 5 operates the transport means 4 to transport the memory unit cage 1 from an external position into the containment vessel 2, and operates the sealing means 3 to close the waterproof shielding lid 7 of the containment vessel 2 as shown by arrows a1 and a2.

In the storage device 100 configured as described above, when flooding begins, the operation control means 5 controls the operation of the transport means 4 to transport the memory section cage 1 in which the memory device 1A is stored from an external position into the storage container 2, and the sealing means 3 is operated to close the waterproof shielding lid 7 of the storage container 2.
As a result, in the storage device 100 of the present invention, when flooding occurs, the storage devices 1A housed in the storage cage 1 can be prevented from suffering damage due to flooding.
In addition, the storage container 2 of the present invention has at least two openings 6 and a waterproof shielding lid 7 that closes each of these openings 6 in a sealed state, so that under normal circumstances, cooling air (indicated by symbol F) can be circulated through these at least two openings 6 by a cooling fan not shown, thereby preventing heat generated by the storage device 1A from accumulating near the storage unit cage 1.

(Embodiment)
The storage device 101 according to the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.
The storage device 101 is provided within a computer device C and its main components are a storage cage 11, a storage container 12, a sealing means 13, a transport means 14 and an operation control means 15.

The storage cage 11 is a container for housing a storage device 11A such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and is held within a bracket 10 inside the housing of the storage device 101.
The storage device 11A in the storage cage 11 is connected via a connector 16 and a cable 17 to a motherboard M (described later) in the computer equipment C, which serves as the main control board in the operation control means 15.
The storage section cage 11 is placed inside the bracket 10 inside the housing with the upper and side spaces 10A, 10B inside the bracket 10 inside the housing being open.

In such a storage cage 11, cooling air flows F1 and F2 are supplied by a cooling fan (not shown) through spaces 10A and 10B within the bracket 10 inside the housing, thereby cooling the internal storage device 11A from the surroundings.
In addition, the memory device 11A in the memory cage 11 is normally connected to a connector 16 which is connected to the motherboard M via a cable 17, and when water ingress begins, it is pulled out of the connector 16 and separated (as described below).

Additionally, the housing interior bracket 10 is provided with a transport means 14 for transporting the storage cage 11 from an external location into the containment vessel 12 .
This transport means 14 has a guide rail 20 that is installed on the bracket 10 inside the housing and allows the memory unit cage 11 to run horizontally (in the direction of arrow A1-A2), a spring 21 that urges the memory unit cage 11 in the direction of arrow A1 along the guide rail 20, and a memory unit locking part L5 (described later) that holds the memory unit cage 11 in its initial position on the right side in the figure (the side of arrow A2).
In the initial position, the storage cage 11 is on the right side (arrow A2 side) in the figure, and is connected to the motherboard M of the computer equipment C via the connector 16 and the cable 17.
In addition, a spring for removing the connector may be attached to the memory unit cage 11, and a mechanism may be provided for engaging the memory unit locking part L5 so that the spring prevents the connector from being removed under normal circumstances. A timer function may also be provided to release the connector 16 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the memory unit locking part L5 was released from the lock.

When the storage unit lock L5 is released, the force of the spring 21 causes the storage unit cage 11 to be moved to the left side in the figure (the arrow A1 side) through the guide rail 20 and stored in the storage container 12 (described later).

The storage container 12 has a sleeve 30 that constitutes the container housing, at least two openings 31 (31A, 31B) formed in the sleeve 30, and first and second closing mechanisms 32, 33 that close these openings 31 in a sealed state, and stores the memory unit cage 11 via one of the openings 31 (opening 31B in this example).
The opening 31 consists of a rear opening 31A and a front opening 31B that penetrate the sleeve 30 of the storage container 12 horizontally (in the direction of arrows A1-A2), and the memory cage 11, which is located in an external position, is transported into the storage container 12 from the front opening 31B via the transport means 14.

As the sealing means 13, first and second closing mechanisms 32, 33 for closing waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A of the containment vessel 12 are provided.
The first closing mechanism 32 is rotatable around the horizontal axis 32a and holds the first waterproof shielding lid 32A in an open-locked state so as to open the rear opening 31A in an initial position, and when water entry begins, the open-locked state is released and the first waterproof shielding lid 32A is rotated around the horizontal axis 32a under its own weight to close the rear opening 31A.
In addition, the first closing mechanism 32 is provided with an open lock portion L1 that holds the first waterproof shielding lid 32A in an open and locked state in the initial position with the rear opening 31A in an open and locked state, and a closed lock portion L2 that holds the rear opening 31A in a closed and locked state.

The second closing mechanism 33 holds the second waterproof shielding lid 33A, which is freely slidable in the vertical direction (in the direction of arrows B1-B2), in an open-locked state that opens the front opening 31B, and when water entry begins, releases the open-locked state and drops the second waterproof shielding lid 33A to close the front opening 31B.
In addition, the second closing mechanism 33 is provided with an open lock portion L3 that holds the second waterproof shielding lid 33A in an open and locked state with the front opening 31B in the initial position, and a closed lock portion L4 that holds the front opening 31B in a closed and locked state.

As part of this sealing means 13, elastic members 34, 35 made of a material such as rubber or urethane foam are further provided at the contact points between the first and second waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A and the rear opening 31A and front opening 31B of the storage vessel 12 to absorb shocks when the vessel is closed and to prevent water from entering the storage vessel 12.
As the sealing means 13, an open lock portion L1, a close lock portion L2, an open lock portion L3 and a close lock portion L4 are provided, which will be described later.

Next, the operation control means 15 for controlling the operations of the storage section cage 11 and the first and second waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A of the sealing means 13 will be described.
This operation control means 15 comprises the above-mentioned motherboard M, an unlocking judgment and unlocking switch section 50, an agent-side management section 51, and a manager-side management section 52, all of which are connected to one another via a network.
A water inundation sensor 60 serving as detection means for detecting water inundation of computer equipment C is connected to the agent-side management section 51 of the operation control means 15. When the water inundation sensor 60 detects that computer equipment C has been flooded, it outputs a water inundation detection signal to the agent-side management section 51.

The manager side management unit 52 is a device that is located outside the computer equipment C and receives instructions directly from the computer administrator.
Furthermore, the manager-side management section 52 outputs a storage unit accommodation signal to the agent-side management section 51 to accommodate the storage unit cage 11 in the storage container 12 based on, for example, an input from a computer administrator.

The agent side management section 51 is located in computer device C.
This agent side management unit 51 outputs a lock unit activation signal to the lock release judgment and release switch unit 50 via the lock release judgment and release switch unit 50 to accommodate the memory unit cage 11 in the storage container 12 based on the memory unit accommodation signal supplied from the manager side management unit 52 and/or the water inundation detection signal supplied from the water inundation sensor 60.

The lock release judgment and release switch unit 50 is a driving device that shuts down the OS (Operating System) of the computer equipment C through the motherboard M based on a memory unit accommodation signal from the manager side management unit 52 and/or a water ingress detection signal from the water ingress sensor 60, and then sequentially releases the lock units L1 to L5 in the storage device 101.
In addition, the lock release judgment and release switch unit 50 judges that computer equipment C has actually been shut down when shutdown is completed and the agent side management unit 51 recognizes the detection of DC (Direct Current)-OFF of computer equipment C as a log.

Then, based on a memory unit storage signal from the manager side management unit 52 and/or a water ingress detection signal from the water ingress sensor 60, the operation control means 15 unlocks the memory unit lock unit L5 of the transfer means 14 and transfers the memory unit cage 11 from the external position into the storage container 12.
Thereafter, the operation control means 15 operates the locking portions L1 to L4 of the sealing means 13 to execute an operation of closing the waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A of the storage vessel 12.
The details of the processing executed by the operation control means 15 will be described in detail with reference to the following flow charts (FIGS. 3 and 4).

First, referring to the flowchart in FIG. 3, the storage operation of the storage cage 11 based on detection by the water ingress sensor 60 will be explained for each step S.

[Step S1]
It is determined whether or not the computer equipment C has been submerged based on the submersion detection signal from the submersion sensor 60, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S2, and if YES, the process proceeds to step S3.
[Step S2]
Assuming that there is no water inside computer equipment C, normal use continues.

[Step S3]
Based on a water ingress detection signal from the water ingress sensor 60 , the agent side management section 51 outputs an alarm signal to the lock release determination and release switch section 50 .
[Step S4]
Based on the alarm signal output in step S3, the lock release determination and release switch section 50 starts a "cage release process" for detaching the storage section cage 11 from the bracket 10 inside the housing.
At the same time, a notification signal is output to the manager side control section 52, notifying the manager that computer equipment C has been flooded.

[Step S5] to [Step S6]
Based on the "cage release process" in step S4, computer equipment C is shut down, and based on detection of DC-OFF in computer equipment C, it is determined whether computer equipment C should be shut down.

[Step S7]
If it is determined in step S6 that the computer equipment C has been shut down based on the DC-OFF detection in the computer equipment C, the process proceeds to the next step S8.

[Step S8]
The open lock portion L1 of the waterproof shielding lid 32A, which holds the rear opening 31A of the storage vessel 12 in an open state, is released.
As a result, the waterproof shielding lid 32A rotates by its own weight about the horizontal axis 32a in the direction indicated by the arrow s, thereby closing the rear opening 31A of the storage vessel 12.

[Step S9]
After the rear opening 31A of the storage container 12 is closed, the memory unit lock portion L5 of the transport means 14 is released, and the memory unit cage 11 housing the memory device 11A is slid in the direction of arrow A1 through the guide rail 20 by the biasing force of the spring 21.
As a result, after the storage unit cage 11 is pulled out from the connector 16, it is housed in the sleeve 30 of the storage container 12 via the front opening 31B of the storage container 12.

[Step S10]
Thereafter, the closing lock portion L2 is operated to hold the waterproof shielding cover 32A, which closes the rear opening 31A, in a locked closed state, completing the locking.
This allows the waterproof shielding lid 32A to fit tightly against the rear opening 31A, preventing water from entering the sleeve 30 of the containment vessel 12 through the rear opening 31A.
The series of operations of the open lock unit L1, the memory unit lock unit L5 and the close lock unit L2 may be performed by a preset program or by a separately installed timer.

[Step S11]
The open lock portion L3 of the waterproof shielding lid 33, which holds the front opening 31B of the storage vessel 12 in an open state, is released.
As a result, the waterproof shielding lid 33 falls vertically in the direction of arrow B1 due to its own weight, closing the front opening 31B of the storage vessel 12.
Thereafter, the closing lock portion L4 is operated to hold the waterproof shielding cover 33, which closes the front opening 31B, in a locked closed state, completing the locking.
This allows the waterproof shielding lid 33 to fit tightly against the front opening 31B, preventing water from entering the sleeve 30 of the containment vessel 12 through the front opening 31B.
The series of operations of the open lock section L3 and the close lock section L4 may be performed according to a preset program or may be performed by a separately installed timer.

In addition, while Figure 3 shows the flow of the storage operation of the memory unit cage 11 based on detection by the water ingress sensor 60, the storage operation of the memory unit cage 11 may also be performed based on a memory unit storage signal supplied from the manager side management unit 52, regardless of detection by the water ingress sensor 60.
Specifically, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, in step S20 provided in place of steps S1 and S2 in FIG. 3, it may be determined whether or not a memory unit accommodation signal has been output from the manager side management unit 52, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S2, and if YES, the process proceeds to step S4.

In the storage device 101 of this embodiment configured as described above, when flooding begins, the operation control means 15 can control the operation of the transport means 14 to transport the memory section cage 11 in which the memory device 11A is stored from an external position into the sleeve 30 of the storage container 12, and the sealing means 13 can be operated to close the waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A of the storage container 12.
As a result, in the storage device 101 of this embodiment, in the event of flooding, the memory device 11A stored in the memory unit cage 11 is isolated within the sleeve 30 of the storage container 12, thereby preventing damage from flooding.

Further, the containment vessel 12 of this embodiment has two waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A that seal the opening 31 consisting of the rear opening 31A and the front opening 31B in a hermetic state, respectively.
At this time, in the storage container 12, under normal circumstances, these waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A can be left in the open state to allow cooling air (indicated by symbols F1, F2) to circulate through the rear opening 31A and the front opening 31B, thereby preventing heat generated by the memory device 11A from accumulating near the memory unit cage 11.

More specifically, in the storage device 101 of this embodiment, the computer equipment C has a storage cage 11 with an automatic evacuation mechanism, a guide rail 20 for evacuation, a sleeve 30 for evacuation, and lids 32A, 33A with waterproof shielding and locking mechanisms at the front and rear of the sleeve 30, and when water ingress is detected by the water ingress sensor 60 or when the administrator enables the evacuation setting in the manager-side management unit 52, a notification is sent to the agent-side management unit 51 via the network.

Thereafter, when the agent side management section 51 receives these notifications, it issues a signal to the lock release determination and release switch section 50, and safely shuts down the computer equipment C.
Thereafter, the agent side management unit 51 can automatically and unattended evacuate the storage device 11A together with its cage into the sleeve 30 of the storage container 12 by linking each of the locking units L1 to L5 via signals, and further, by closing and locking the front and rear waterproof shielding lids 32A, 33A of the sleeve 30, it becomes possible to safely evacuate the storage device 11A in the event of submersion without the need for an operator to perform any work on-site.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, it is determined that computer device C is shut down based on detection of DC-OFF in computer device C.
However, if DC-OFF detection is not confirmed, the power may be forcibly turned off and the memory unit cage 11 may be evacuated after the water ingress sensor 60 detects water ingress, or a timer function may be used to forcibly evacuate the memory unit cage 11 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the water ingress detection.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the storage unit cage 11 located in an external position is transferred into the storage container 12 through the transfer means 14 from the front opening 31B of the storage container 12, but this is just one example, and depending on the layout, it may also be transferred into the storage container 12 from the rear opening 31A.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the opening 31 of the containment vessel 12 is configured from the rear opening 31A and the front opening 31B, but the number of openings 31 may be three or more in order to improve ventilation efficiency.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included.

The present invention relates to a storage device and a storage method for a storage device used in a tower-type computer device for standalone use.

1 Memory cage 1A Memory device 2 Storage container 3 Sealing means 4 Transport means 5 Operation control means
10: Housing inner bracket 11: Memory cage 11A: Memory device 12: Storage container 13: Sealing means 14: Transport means 15: Operation control means
16 Connector 17 Cable 20 Guide rail 21 Spring 30 Sleeve 31 Opening 31A Rear opening 31B Front opening 32 First closing mechanism 32A Waterproof shielding cover 32a Horizontal shaft 33 Second closing mechanism 33A Waterproof shielding cover 34 Elastic material 35 Elastic material 50 Lock release determination and release switch unit 51 Agent side management unit 52 Manager side management unit 100 Storage device 101 Storage device C Computer equipment
L1 Open lock section L2 Close lock section L3 Open lock section L4 Close lock section L5 Memory section lock section M Motherboard

Claims (10)

a storage cage in which a storage device is housed;
a storage container having at least two openings and waterproof shielding covers for sealingly closing the openings, and for storing the storage unit cage via one of the openings;
A sealing means for closing a waterproof shielding lid of the containment vessel;
a transport means for transporting the storage cage from an external location into the containment vessel;
and operation control means for operating the transport means to transport the storage unit cage from an external location into the containment vessel and for operating the sealing means to close a waterproof shielding lid of the containment vessel when flooding begins. The opening portion includes a front opening and a rear opening that horizontally penetrate the containment vessel,
2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage cage is transferred from an external location into the storage vessel through one of the openings and through the transfer means. 3. The storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that the sealing means is provided with a first closing mechanism which is rotatable about a horizontal axis, holds a first waterproof shielding lid in an open-locked state so as to open the rear opening at an initial position, and releases the open-locked state when water entry begins and rotates the first waterproof shielding lid about the horizontal axis by its own weight to close the rear opening. The storage device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first closing mechanism holds the first waterproof shielding lid in a locked state after closing the rear opening of the storage vessel. The storage device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the sealing means is provided with a second closing mechanism which is slidable vertically, holds a second waterproof shielding lid in an open-locked state so as to open the front opening at an initial position, and releases the open-locked state when water ingress begins, thereby dropping the second waterproof shielding lid to close the front opening. The storage device according to claim 5, characterized in that the second closing mechanism holds the second waterproof shielding lid in a locked state after closing the front opening of the storage vessel. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the two waterproof shielding lids are provided with elastic material that fits closely to the front and rear openings of the storage vessel to prevent water from entering the storage vessel. The storage device in the storage cage is connected to a connector on the motherboard side of the computer device under normal circumstances, and is pulled out and separated from the connector when being transferred to the storage vessel when flooding begins. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the operation control means determines the onset of flooding based on the output of a flooding sensor detecting flooding. A containment device having at least two openings in a containment vessel and waterproof shielding lids for sealingly closing the openings,
A method of storage comprising the steps of: transporting a storage unit cage housing storage devices from an external location into the storage vessel through one of these openings when flooding begins; and closing a waterproof shielding lid of the storage vessel.

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