Disconnect assembly for active cooling of packaged electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767939-B2
Application number	US-201916665046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A disconnect assembly includes a solid frame comprising a slit and a first liquid coolant circuit leading to a frame outlet defined in an inner wall of the slit. The assembly further includes an insert element, insertable in the slit so as to reach a sealing position. The latter defines a shut state, in which the insert element seals the frame outlet. The assembly includes a cold plate, comprising a second liquid coolant circuit with a duct open on a side of the cold plate. The cold plate can be inserted in the slit, so as to push the insert element, for the latter to leave the sealing position and the cold plate to reach a fluid communication position. This position defines an open state, in which the duct is vis-à-vis the frame outlet, to enable fluid communication between the first liquid coolant circuit and the second liquid coolant circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A disconnect assembly for active cooling of packaged electronics, the assembly comprising:
a solid frame comprising a slit and a first liquid coolant circuit portion leading to a frame outlet defined in an inner wall of the slit;
an insert element, insertable in the slit so as to reach a sealing position defining a shut state to seal the frame outlet; and
a cold plate, comprising a second liquid coolant circuit portion with a duct open on a side of the cold plate, wherein the cold plate is insertable in the slit so as to push the insert element for the insert element to leave the sealing position and the cold plate to reach a fluid communication position defining an open state, in which the duct is vis-à-vis the frame outlet.

2. The disconnect assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising
a gasket arrangement extending on both the insert element and the cold plate, the gasket arrangement designed to prevent liquid leakage from the insert element and the cold plate in each of said shut state and said open state.

3. The disconnect assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the gasket arrangement is further designed to prevent liquid leakage from the insert element and the cold plate during a transition from said shut state to said open state.

4. The disconnect assembly according to claim 3 , wherein
the gasket arrangement comprises a toric joint, located on the cold plate, wherein the toric joint surrounds an aperture of the duct open on said side of the cold plate, so as to surround the frame outlet if the cold plate is in the fluid communication position and prevent liquid leakage from the frame outlet in the open state.

5. The disconnect assembly according to claim 4 , wherein
the toric joint is a second toric joint, the gasket arrangement comprising a first toric joint located on the insert element, so as to surround the frame outlet if the insert element is at the sealing position and prevent liquid leakage from the frame outlet if the assembly is in the shut state.

6. The disconnect assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the gasket arrangement further comprises:
an outer toric joint divided in two halves, comprising:
a first half located on the insert element, on a same side as the first toric joint, the latter partly surrounded by the first half of the outer toric joint on that same side; and
a second half located on the cold plate on a same side as the second toric joint, the latter partly surrounded by the second half on that same side, whereby the two halves meet and form the outer toric joint if the cold plate contacts the insert element in the slit, so as for the first toric joint and the second toric joint to be located within an area bounded by the outer toric joint.

7. The disconnect assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
the assembly further comprises an interlocking device configured to help maintaining said two halves forming the outer toric joint, in operation.

8. The disconnect assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the cold plate further comprises:
a liquid reservoir; and
an aperture open on the side of the cold plate, outside the second toric joint, so as for the aperture to be surrounded by the outer toric joint,
and wherein
the liquid reservoir is in fluid communication with the aperture, via a third liquid coolant circuit portion that is independent from said second liquid circuit portion, so as to evacuate liquid coming from the frame outlet toward the reservoir during a transition from the shut state to the open state, in operation of the assembly.

9. The disconnect assembly according to claim 8 , wherein
said reservoir is designed so as to allow evaporation of liquid accumulated therein via an edge surface of the cold plate.

10. The disconnect assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the cold plate further comprises a liquid evaporation medium extending along an edge of the cold plate, the evaporation medium interfacing a volume defined in said reservoir with an external environment medium to the cold plate.

11. The disconnect assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
a face of the cold plate, on which the second toric joint is arranged, is shifted along a normal of that face with respect to a face of the insert element on which the first toric joint is arranged.

12. The disconnect assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the two halves of the outer toric joint, the first toric joint and the second toric joint is partly embedded under a respective anchorage surface of the insert element.

13. The disconnect assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the two halves of the outer toric joint, the first toric joint and the second toric joint is partly embedded under a respective anchorage surface of the cold plate.

14. The disconnect assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the cold plate further comprises liquid cooling structures arranged in a volume defined within the cold plate, at an end of the second liquid coolant circuit portion.

15. The disconnect assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the solid frame and the cold plate is symmetrically designed and the assembly further comprises a second insert element, whereby the first liquid coolant circuit portion of the solid frame comprises two disconnected subsections and the cold plate is insertable in a pair of opposite slits of the solid frame, so as to push insert elements therein and connect the subsections via the second liquid coolant circuit portion.

16. The disconnect assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
the first liquid coolant circuit portion and the second liquid coolant circuit portion form parts of a liquid cooling circuit portion pathing through the solid frame and the insert element, which liquid cooling system is, in the open state, a closed liquid circuit portion.

17. The disconnect assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the solid frame comprises:
n slits and n corresponding first liquid coolant circuit portions leading to respective frame outlets, the latter defined, each, in an inner wall of a respective one of the n slits, n>1;
n insert elements, wherein each of the insert elements is insertable in a respective one of the n slits so as to reach a sealing position defining a shut state, in which said each of the n insert elements seals a respective one of the frame outlets; and
n cold plates with n second liquid coolant circuit portions, each of the cold plates comprising a respective duct open on a side thereof, the duct leading to a respective one of the n second liquid coolant circuit portions,

wherein
each of the cold plates is insertable in a respective one of the slits so as to push a respective one of the insert elements, for the latter to leave its sealing position and said each of the cold plates to reach a fluid communication position that defines an open state, in which a respective duct is vis-à-vis one of the frame outlets to enable fluid communication between one of the n first liquid coolant circuit portions and one of the second liquid coolant circuit portion.

18. A hardware system comprising
the disconnect assembly according to claim 1 , and
packaged electronics mounted on the cold plate, to thereby cool down the packaged electronics, in operation of the system.

19. A method of operation of an assembly for active cooling of packaged electronics, wherein
the assembly comprises a solid frame comprising a slit and a first liquid coolant circuit portion leading to a frame outlet defined in an inner wall of the slit,

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Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Schlottig Gerd
• Paredes Stephan
• Meijer Ingmar G
• Brunschwiler Thomas

Classifications

• H05K7/20327

  Accessories for moving fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title

• H05K7/20309 Primary

  Evaporators · CPC title

• F28F9/0251

  Massive connectors, e.g. blocks; Plate-like connectors · CPC title

• F28F9/0258 Primary

  of quick acting type, e.g. with snap action · CPC title