Patent Publication Number: US-6655532-B1

Title: Vertical installation system in which information processing apparatuses are installed

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/729,514, filed Oct. 11, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,688 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/582,596, filed Jan. 3, 1996, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/214,284, filed Mar. 17, 1994, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to an installation system in which information processing apparatuses are installed, and more particularly to an installation system in which information processing apparatuses, such as computers, are vertically installed. 
     (2) Description of Related Art 
     Information processing systems have been increased in size, so that the number of information apparatuses, such as computers, to be installed in computer rooms has increased. Thus, it is expected that a large number of information apparatuses are efficiently installed on a limited-floor area of the computer room. 
     A conventional installation for information processing apparatuses is structured as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an installation  10  is formed of a double-floor set  11 . The double-floor set  1  is formed of posts  13  standing on a ground floor  12  and floor panels  14  supported by the posts  13  in a state where the floor panels  14  are connected to each other. A floor formed of the floor panels  14  is an installation floor. Large-scale information processing apparatuses  15  are installed on the installation floor of the double-floor set  11 . A space  16  under the installation floor is used for wiring of cables and used as a duct of air-conditioning equipment  17 . 
     In the above installation  10  for the information processing apparatuses  15 , information apparatuses  15  can be arranged in only a horizontal direction. Thus, the horizontal area needed to install the information processing apparatuses  15  increases in proportion to the number of information processing apparatuses  15 . That is, it is difficult to efficiently install a large number of information processing apparatuses  15  on a limited horizontal area in a computer room. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and useful installation for information processing apparatuses in which the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art are eliminated. 
     A specific object of the present invention is to provide an installation on which a large number of information processing apparatuses can be efficiently installed. 
     The above objects are achieved by a vertical installation structure comprising a plurality of placing stages on each of which information processing apparatuses are to be installed, and supporting members for supporting the plurality of placing stages so that the plurality of placing stages are vertically arranged. 
     The above objects are also achieved by a vertical installation system comprising at least one vertical installation structure having a plurality of placing stages on each of which information processing apparatuses are to be installed, and supporting members for supporting the plurality of placing stages so that the plurality of placing stages are vertically arranged, and a moving structure capable of moving along the vertical installation structure. The moving structure has plurality of stages on each of which at least one information processing apparatus is to be placed and supporting members for supporting the plurality of stages so that each of the plurality of stages is level with a corresponding one of the plurality of placing stages of the vertical installation structure, wherein the information processing apparatus set on each of the stages is transferred to the corresponding one of the plurality of placing stages of the vertical installation structure. 
     According to the present invention, since a plurality of information processing apparatuses are vertically installed in the vertical installation structure, a large number of information processing apparatuses can be efficiently installed in a room. 
    
    
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional installation for information processing apparatuses. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an installation according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the installation shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the installation shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of each of crossbeams shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 6A is a perspective view illustrating a structure in which the crossbeams are mounted on beams. 
     FIG. 6B is a side view of the structure shown in FIG.  6 A. 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a structure in which the beams are fixed on posts. 
     FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an initial step in a procedure for installing an information processing apparatus. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an information processing apparatus being transported from a moving structure to a vertical installing structure. 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating a state where the information apparatus is being transported from the moving structure to the vertical installing structure. 
     FIG. 11 is a side view illustrating the state where the information apparatus is being transported from the moving structure to the vertical installing structure. 
     FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a structure of each support leg for an information processing apparatus. 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating an insulating bush and an insulating ring shown in FIG.  12 . 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating the installation on which information processing apparatuses are installed. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A description will now be given of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  show an installation on which information processing apparatuses are to be installed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the installation, FIG. 3 is a front view thereof and FIG. 4 is a side view thereof. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 , an installation  30  is formed of a vertical installation structure  31  and  31 A, a moving structure  60  and an air-conditioning equipment  20 . The vertical installation structure  31  is a framed structure and has a lower placing stage  32 , supporting bodies  33  standing on the lower placing stage  32  each of which bodies has a truss structure, and an upper placing stage  34  supported by the supporting bodies  33 . The lower placing stage  32  is provided with a plurality of vibration-reducing support legs  35 . The vertical installation structure  31  is supported by the plurality of vibration-reducing support legs  35  on a floor  36  of a room such as a computer room. Large scale information processing apparatuses (shown in FIG. 9) are able to be installed in the vertical installation structure  31 . 
     The lower placing stage  32  and the upper placing stage  34  are formed as follows. 
     Each of the lower placing stage  32  and the upper placing stage  34  has a width D and a length E longer than the width D. The width D corresponds to a depth B of each of information processing apparatuses  90  (shown in FIG. 9) to be installed in the vertical installation structure  31 . The length E is at least a few times as large as a width A of each of the information processing apparatuses  90 . 
     The upper placing stage  34  is formed of a pair of beams  38  and  39  which are arranged so as to be parallel to each other, many crossbeams  40  which cross the pair of beams  38  and  39 , and a cover plate  41  underneath the pair of beams  38  and  39 . A U-shaped structure  42  having a U-shaped cross section is formed of the pair of beams  38  and  39  and the cover plate  41 . A space  42   a  inside the U-shaped structure  42  is used as a space for wiring of cables and as a duct for cooled air from the air-conditioning equipment  80 . A smoke sampling pipe  43  for a high-sensitivity smoke detector is laid on an outer surface of the U-shaped structure  42  along the length of the cover plate  41 . The smoke generated by fire in the installation  30  can be detected by the high-sensitivity smoke detector. CO 2 -gas sprinklers  44  are also arranged on the outer surface of the U-shaped structure  42  along the length of the cover plate  41 . The CO 2 -gas sprinklers  44  release CO 2 -gas to extinguish fires. 
     Each of the crossbeams  40  is made of U-steel as shown in FIG.  5 . The U-steel has a bottom plate  40 - 1  and standing walls  40   a  and  40   b  projecting from side edges of the bottom plate  40 - 1  in a direction perpendicular to the bottom plate  40 - 1 . The bottom plate  40 - 1  is provided with mounting holes  40   c  and  40   d  formed at positions near the ends of the U-steel in the longitudinal direction thereof. The mounting holes  40   c  and  40   d  are used to mount equipment. The U-steel is provided with brackets  45 - 1  and  45 - 2  and stopper mechanisms  46 - 1  and  46 - 2  both of which are located near the ends of the U-steel. The brackets  45 - 1  and  45 - 2  are used to mount the crossbeam  40  on the beams  38  and  39 . Slotted holes  45 - 1   a  and  45 - 2   a  are respectively formed on the brackets  45 - 1  and  45 - 2 . The stopper mechanism  46 - 1  is formed of a stopper bar  47  and engaging ends  47 - 1  and  47 - 2 . The engaging ends  47 - 1  and  47 - 2  of the stopper mechanism  46 - 1  are respectively engaged with notches  40   e  and  40   f  formed on the standing walls  40   a  and  40   b  so that the stopper mechanism  46 - 1  is detachably mounted at one end of the U-steel. The other stopper mechanism  46 - 2  is also formed of the stopper bar  47  and the engaging ends  47 - 1  and  47 - 2  and may be detachably mounted on the other end of the U-steel in the same manner as the stopper mechanism  46 - 1 . 
     Each of the crossbeams  40  is mounted on the pair of beams  38  and  39  as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the beams  38  and  39  are respectively provided with many holes  38   a  and  39   a  which are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the beams  38  and  39  at intervals P 1 . Each of the crossbeams  40  is placed on the beams  38  and  39 , bolts  48  are made to pass through the slotted holes  45 - 1   a  and  45 - 2   a  of the brackets  45 - 1  and  45 - 2  and the holes  38   a  and  39   a  of the beams  38  and  39 , and nuts  49  and the bolts  48  are tightened so that each of the crossbeams  40  is fixed on the beams  38  and  39 . The position at which each of the crossbeams  40  is fixed on the beams  38  and  39  depends on the width B of the information processing apparatus  90  to be installed on the upper placing stage  34 . The position of the crossbeams  40  can be changed in the longitudinal direction of the upper placing stage  34  by changing the holes  38   a  and  39   a  through which the bolts  48  should pass. 
     The lower placing stage  32  is formed of a pair of beams and crossbeams mounted on the pair of beams in the same manner as the upper placing stage  34  described above. However, the lower placing stage has neither the cover plate  41 , the sampling pipe  43  nor the CO 2 -gas sprinklers  44 . The vibration-reducing support legs  35  are fixed on lower surfaces of the beams  38  and  39  of the lower placing stage  32  so as to be arranged at predetermined intervals. 
     The upper placing stage  34  is mounted on the supporting bodies  33  as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, each of the beams  38  and  39  is provided with brackets  50  and  51  fixed on the ends of each of the beams  38  and  39 . Each of the brackets  50  and  51  has a U-shape cross section and is engaged with a corresponding one of the supporting bodies  33  so as to hold a longitudinal beam  33   a  of the corresponding one of the supporting bodies  33 . The longitudinal beam  33   a  is provided with holes  53  arranged along the edges thereof at intervals P 2 , and the brackets  50  and  51  are respectively provided with holes  50   a  and  51   a . Bolts  52  are made to pass through the holes  50   a  ( 51   a ) of each of the brackets  50  and  51  and the holes  53  of the longitudinal beam  33   a  of the corresponding one of the supporting bodies  33 , and are tightened, so that each of the beams  38  and  39  are fixed on the supporting bodies  33 . 
     The distance between the lower placing stage  32  and the upper placing stage  34  corresponds to the height C of the information processing apparatus  90  to be installed on the lower placing stage  32 . That is, the position at which each of the beams  38  and  39  is to be fixed on the supporting bodies  33  depends on the height C of the information processing apparatus  90 . The position at which each of the beams  38  and  39  is fixed can be changed by changing the holes  53  through which the bolts  50  are made to pass. 
     The other vertical installation structure  31 A is the same structure as the vertical installation structure  31 B, as shown in FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 . 
     The vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A are installed on the floor  36  so as to be parallel to each other on opposite sides of an alley  54  in which the moving structure  60  is moved. The width G of the alley  54  is slightly greater than the width D of each of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A. 
     The moving structure  60  is formed as follows. Referring to FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 , the moving structure  60  has a lower stage  62  provided with wheels  61 , props  63  standing on the lower stage  62 , an upper stage  64  supported by the props  63  and a fence  65  mounted on the upper stage  64 . The lower stage  62  is supported by wheels  61  so as to be level with the lower placing stage  32  of each of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A, and the upper stage  64  is supported by the props  63  so as to be level with the upper placing stage  34  of each of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A. U-shaped members  66  which extend in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the lower and upper stages  62  and  64  extend are fixed on the lower and upper stages  62  and  64 . Guide rollers  67  and  68  are mounted on front and rear surfaces of the lower stage  62  and the upper stage  64 . The guide rollers  67  and  68  mounted on the front surfaces of the lower stage  62  and the upper stage  64  roll on the rear surfaces of the lower and upper placing stages  32  and  34  of the vertical installation structure  31 . The guide rollers  67  and  68  mounted on the rear surfaces of the lower stage  62  and the upper stage  64  roll on the front surfaces of the lower and upper placing stages  32  and  34  of the other vertical installation structure  31 A. Thus, the moving structure  60  can be moved along the alley  54 , being guided by the front and rear surfaces of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A. The width I of the moving structure  60  is slightly greater than the width B of the information processing apparatus  90  but is much smaller than the width of a working area of a lifter  100  (shown in FIG. 8) which will be described later. 
     The air-conditioning equipment  80  is installed at a side of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     Ducts  81  and  82  extend from the air-conditioning equipment  80  to the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A respectively. The duct  81  has a first opening  81   a  connected to an end of the U-shaped structure  42  of the upper placing stage  34  and a second opening  81   b  connected to an end of a space  83  formed between the floor  36  and the lower placing stage  32 . The other duct  82  also has openings connected to the other vertical installation structure  31 A in the same manner as the first and second openings  81   a  and  81   b  of the duct  81 . 
     Information processing apparatuses (e.g. large scale computers) are installed in the installation  30  having the above structures as follows. 
     The moving structure  60  is located at the entrance of the alley  54  so as to face the lifter  100 . An information processing apparatus  90  is loaded on the lifter  100  and is lifted up to the level of the upper stage  64  of the moving structure  60 . The information processing apparatus  90  is slid from the lifter  100  into the upper stage  64  of the moving structure  60  so as to be loaded thereon. 
     The moving structure  60  on which the information apparatus is loaded is moved along the alley in a direction  69  shown in FIG. 8 until it reaches a desired position. The moving structure  60  is guided by the front and rear surfaces of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A on which surfaces the rollers  67  and  68  roll, so that the moving structure  60  moves without falling. Due to the moving structure  60 , the heavy information processing apparatus  90  can be located at any position in the longitudinal direction along the alley  54 . 
     The moving structure  60  is stopped at the desired position in a state where the U-shaped members  66  on the upper stage  64  of the moving structure  60  and the crossbeams  40  on the upper placing stage  34  of the vertical installation structure  31  are aligned as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The information processing apparatus  90  loaded on the upper stage  64  of the moving structure is pushed in a direction  110  shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The outer surface of the bottom plate of the information processing apparatus  90  is provided with casters  91  as shown in FIG.  10 . The casters  91  are engaged in the U-shaped members  66  on the moving structure  60 , and, due to the pushing in the direction  110 , the casters  91  roll on the U-shaped members  66  and continue to roll on the crossbeams  40 . As a result, the information processing apparatus  90  is transferred from the upper stage  64  of the moving structure  60  to the upper placing stage  34  of the vertical installation structure  31 , as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The information processing apparatus  90  is moved until the casters  91  hit the stopper bars  47  provided at the end of the crossbeams  40 . The stopper bars  47  prevent the information processing apparatus  90  from falling down from the upper placing stage  34  of the vertical installation structure  31 . 
     The information processing apparatus  90  transferred to the upper placing stage  34  of the vertical installation structure  31  is fixed on the upper placing stage  34  as follows. 
     Each of the four corner portions of the bottom plate of the information processing apparatus  90  is fixed on the crossbeam  40  as shown in FIG.  12 . Referring to FIG. 12, an insulating bush  110  having a sleeve  110   a  as shown in FIG. 13 is engaged in the mounting hole  40   d  formed on the crossbeam  40  so that the sleeve  110   a  passes through the mounting hole  40   d . A support leg  111  and a bolt  112  engaged in each of the four corner portions of the bottom plate of the information processing apparatus  90  are integrated with each other. The support leg  111  is rotated so that the bolt  112  projects outward from the bottom plate of the information processing apparatus  90  until the caster  91  slightly floats by pressing of the support leg  111  against the crossbeam  40  via the insulating bush  110 . As a result, the information processing apparatus  90  is supported by the support leg  111  at each of the four corner portions of the bottom plate. A passing bolt  113  passes through the sleeve  110   a  of the bush  110  and is engaged in the support leg  111 . After this, a reinforcing plate  114  and an insulating bush  115  shown in FIG. 13 are engaged with the sleeve  110   a  of the bush  110  under the crossbeam  40 , and two nuts  117  engaged in the passing bolt  113  are tightened so as to press via a washer  116  the insulating bush  115  and the reinforcing plate  114  against the crossbeam  40 . As a result, the passing bolt  113  proceeds outward from the crossbeam  40 , so that the support leg  111  supporting each of the four corner portions of the bottom plate of the information processing apparatus  90  is tightly fixed on the crossbeam  40 . That is, the information processing apparatus  90  is tightly fixed on the crossbeams  40  on the upper placing stage  34  of the vertical installation structure  31 . The information processing apparatus  90  is electrically insulated from the crossbeams  40 , that is, the vertical installation structure  31 , by the insulating bushes  110  and  115 . 
     Installing of an information apparatus  90  to the lower placing stage  32  of the vertical installation structure  31  is performed using the lower stage  62  of the moving structure  60  in the same manner as the installing of the information apparatus  90  to the upper placing stage  34  described above. 
     A plurality of information processing apparatuses  90  are vertically installed in the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A as shown in FIG.  14 . In each of the lower and upper stages  32  and  34 , the information processing apparatuses  90  are horizontally arranged. Thus, the number of information processing apparatuses  90  installed in a unit area of the floor  36  is about twice as large as the number in the conventional case (see FIG.  1 ). 
     Information/power cables  120  are arranged in the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A as follows. 
     Information/power cables connected to the information processing apparatuses  90  which are installed on the upper placing stage  34  of each of the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A as shown in FIG. 14 are laid in the space  42   a  of the U-shaped structure  42 . Information/power cables  121  connected to the information processing apparatuses  90  which are installed on the lower placing stage  32  of each of the vertical installing structures  31  and  31 A are laid in the space  83  between the crossbeams  40  of the lower placing stage  32  and the floor  36 . The wiring between the upper stage  34  and the lower stage is performed so that the cables  122  are laid along the supporting bodies  33 . 
     Cooled air generated by the air-conditioning equipment  80  is guided by the ducts  81  ( 82 ) and is released from the first and second openings  81   a  and  81   b  connected, as shown in FIG. 3, to the upper placing stage  34  and the lower placing stage  32  of the vertical installation structures  31  ( 31 A). The cooled air released from the first opening  81   a  is fed into the space  42   a  of the U-shaped structure  42  of the upper placing stage  34  in a direction  130  shown in FIG.  14 . The U-shaped structure  42  functions as a duct, so that the cooled air flows through the space  42   a  of the U-shaped structure  42  in a direction  132 . The cooled air ejected from the second opening  81   b  is fed into the space  83  under the lower placing stage  34  in a direction  131  shown in FIG.  14 . The space  83  also functions as a duct, so that the cooled air flows through the space  83  in a direction  133 . 
     Since the cooled air flows through in the space  42   a  of the U-shaped structure  42  of the upper placing stage  34  and flows through the space  43  under the lower placing stage  32 , the cooled air is supplied to each of the information processing apparatuses from the bottom side thereof. As a result, the information processing apparatuses  90  are cooled by the cooled air. 
     The maintenance of the information processing apparatuses  90  installed in the lower placing stage  32  is performed in the same manner as that in a conventional case. On the other hand, the maintenance of the information processing apparatuses  90  installed in the upper placing stage  34  is performed using the moving structure  60 . A worker rides on the moving structure  60 , and the moving structure is moved to a position at which an information processing apparatus to be repaired is located. The worker riding on the moving structure  60  carries out operations to repair the information processing apparatus. Since the worker can carry out the operations on the moving structure  60 , the maintenance working of the information processing apparatuses  90  installed on the upper placing stage  34  can be easily performed. In addition, the safety of the worker on the moving structure  60  is maintained by the fence  65  provided on the moving structure  60 . 
     The vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A are supported by the vibration-reducing support legs  35 . Thus, the vertical installation structures  31  and  31 A are exempted from the vibration such as earthquake. Since each of the information processing apparatuses  90  are tightly fixed on the lower and upper placing stages  32  and  34  by the mechanism as shown in FIG. 12, there is no danger of the information processing apparatuses  90  falling. 
     If the information processing apparatuses  90  catch fire, the high-sensitivity smoke detector detects smoke collected by the smoke sampling pipe  43  in an initial stage of the fire and a fire alarm is rapidly triggered. When the first alarm is triggered, the CO 2 -gas sprinkler  44  is activated and the firer is extinguish by the CO 2 -gas released from the CO 2 -gas sprinkler  44 . 
     In the above embodiment, the vertical installation structure has two placing stages vertically arranged. However, the number of placing stages vertically arranged, on which stages the information processing apparatuses are to be installed vertically arranged, may be equal to or greater than three. 
     The present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention.