1. A disk array system connectable with an information processing device, said disk array system comprising:
at least one group of a plurality of disk drives, the plurality of disk drives having biggest surfaces thereof alignably positioned against each other;
at least one circuit board which includes a plurality of Port Bypass Circuits (PBCs) and is operatively connected to each of said plurality of disk drives via a corresponding data line laid in parallel with one another so as to form a data path connecting to each of the plurality of disk drives thereby serially transferring data to and from the group of disk drives therethrough,
first and second disk adapters each adapted to be coupled to said information processing device so as to control transfer of data received from the coupled information processing device; and
an expansion housing installed with a first set of disk drive units and a plurality of boards, each of the plurality boards including a port bypass circuit and being adapted to be coupled to said first and second disk adapters when installed in said disk array system,
wherein the at least one circuit board is operatively positioned to face against one side surface of each of said plurality of disk drives so as to be equidistant from each of said plurality of disk drives, and
each of said disk drive units includes a converter, a disk drive, and an interface accessible in accordance with a Serial ATA protocol, said converter executes conversion of protocols for transmitting data between a Fibre Channel protocol and the Serial ATA protocol, and said disk drive receives data via said converter and stores the received data.
2. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said expansion housing further comprises a plurality of power supply modules adapted to control supply of power to said disk drive units, and
wherein both of said first and second disk adapters are provided outside of said expansion housing.
3. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein said converter in each of said disk drive units is coupled to both said first disk adapter and said second disk adapter.
4. A disk array system according to claim 1, further comprising another housing accommodating said first disk adapter and said second disk adapter;
wherein said plurality of boards include a plurality of port bypass circuits, and one of said port bypass circuits is coupled to said converter in at least one of said disk drive units.
5. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein first one of said plurality of boards includes a first port bypass circuit coupled to said first disk adapter, and second one of said plurality of boards includes a second port bypass circuit coupled to said second disk adapter,
wherein said converter in one of said disk drive units is coupled to both said first port bypass circuit and said second port bypass circuit.
6. A disk array system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a host adapter adapted to be coupled to said information processing device; and
a cache memory coupled to said host adapter, said first disk adapter and said second disk adapter.
7. A disk array system according to claim 1, further comprising:
another housing;
a second set of disk drive units provided in said another housing, each of said second set of disk drive units including a disk drive provided with an interface accessible in accordance with the Fibre Channel protocol; and
a plurality of second power supply modules provided in said another housing and arranged so as to control supply of power to said second set of disk drive units.
8. A disk array system according to claim 1, further comprising a second set of disk drive units each including a disk drive provided with an interface accessible in accordance with the Fibre Channel protocol,
wherein said first disk adapter is arranged to control transfer of data fromto said disk drive in each of said first set of disk drive units as well as in each of said second set of disk drive units.
9. A disk array system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first communication medium, said first disk adapter being arranged to control the transfer of data via said first communication medium; and
a second communication medium, said second disk adapter being arranged to control the transfer of data via said second communication medium,
wherein each of said disk drive units includes a first port coupled to said first communication medium and a second port coupled to said second communication medium.
10. A disk array system according to claim 1,
wherein said first disk adapter controls transfer of data fromto said disk drive units via a first Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop,
wherein said second disk adapter controls transfer of data fromto said disk drive units via a second Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop, and
wherein each of said disk drive units includes a first port coupled to said first Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop and a second port coupled to said second Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop.
11. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein each of said disk drive units is removably inserted in said expansion housing.
12. A disk array system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of boards is removably inserted in said expansion housing.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A ratchet hand tool comprising:
a handle and a head connected to an end of the handle, a through hole defined in the head and a recess defined in an inner periphery of the through hole;
a driving member rotatably received in the through hole and retained by engaging a C-shaped clip with the head, the driving member having first teeth defined in an outer periphery thereof, and
a ratchet mechanism received in the recess and having a first member with a curved and smooth surface facing the driving member, a second member with second teeth, and a spring member connected between the first and second members, the second teeth engaged with the first teeth, the first member having a first notch and the second member has a second notch, two ends of the spring member engaged with the first and second notches.
2. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring member is a compression spring.
3. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two ends of the spring member are two rings.
4. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring member is an inverted U-shaped member.
5. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring member is a U-shaped member and the two ends of the spring member are engaged with the first and second notches of the first and second members.
6. The hand tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring member is a p-shaped member and the two ends of the spring member are engaged with the first and second notches of the first and second members.
7. A ratchet hand tool comprising:
a handle and a head connected to an end of the handle, a through hole defined in the head and a recess defined in an inner periphery of the through hole;
a driving member rotatably received in the through hole and retained by engaging a C-shaped clip with the head, the driving member having first teeth defined in an outer periphery thereof, and
a ratchet mechanism received in the recess and having a first member with a curved and smooth surface which faces the driving member, a second member with second teeth, and a spring member connected between the first and second members, the second teeth engaged with the first teeth, the first member having a first protrusion and the second member has a second protrusion, two ends of the spring member engaged with the first and second protrusions.
8. The hand tool as claimed in claim 7, wherein the spring member is a compression spring.
9. The hand tool as claimed in claim 7, wherein the spring member is a spring plate.
10. The hand tool as claimed in claim 7, wherein a second head is connected to the other end of the handle and a second through hole is defined in the second head, a second recess is defined in an inner periphery of the second through hole;
a driving member is rotatably received in the second through hole and retained by engaging a second C-shaped clip with the second head, the driving member has third teeth defined in an outer periphery thereof, and
a ratchet mechanism is received in the second recess and has a third member with a second curved and smooth surface, a fourth member with fourth teeth, and a spring member connected between the third and fourth members, the fourth teeth are engaged with the third teeth, the third member has a third protrusion and the fourth member has a fourth protrusion, two ends of the spring member are engaged with the third and fourth protrusions.
11. The hand tool as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spring member is a compression spring.
12. A ratchet hand tool comprising:
a handle and a head connected to an end of the handle, a through hole defined in the head and a recess defined in an inner periphery of the through hole, a driving member rotatably received in the through hole and first teeth defined in an outer periphery of the driving member which is retained by engaging a C-shaped clip with a groove in the inner periphery of the through hole of the head and another groove defined in the outer periphery of the driving member;
a ratchet mechanism received in the recess and having a first member with a curved and smooth surface facing the driving member and a second member with second teeth, the second teeth removably engaged with the first teeth, the first member having a first notch defined in an end thereof and the second member having a second notch defined in an end thereof, and
a spring member connected between the first and second members. two ends of the spring member being retained within the first and second notches.
13. The hand tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring member is a compression spring and the pitch diameter of the spring member is located between an inner diameter and a width of the opening of the first and second notches.
14. The hand tool as claimed in claim 13, wherein the inner diameter and the width of the opening of the first and second notches are 1.0 mm and 0.8 mm respectively.
15. The hand tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring member is a serrated-shaped member and composed of an inverted N-shaped portion and two straight portions which are connected to two ends of the inverted N-shaped portion.
16. The hand tool as claimed in claim 15, wherein one of the straight portions is ended at a lower end thereof and the other straight portion is ended at a top end thereof.
17. The hand tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring member is composed of a substantially U-shaped portion and two downward portions which are connected to two ends of the U-shaped portion, each of the two downward portions has an inclined and upward portion extending from a lower end thereof and toward the U-shaped portion.