Rack with Trays for Plug-In Automotive Control Units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023077114-A1
Application number	US-202217930609-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 8, 2022
Priority date	Sep 9, 2021
Publication date	Mar 9, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A rack assembly unit for mounting a control unit to a vehicle rack system is provided; a rack chassis and a tray are configured to receive the control unit for coupling to a vehicle system. The tray is movably coupled to the rack chassis at a coupling mechanism, which provides for movement of the tray relative to the rack chassis between open and closed positions. At the open position, the tray is spaced apart from rack chassis to facilitate user access to the tray and receiving the control unit therein. At the closed position, the tray is located fully inserted relative to the rack chassis and such that the control unit located in the tray is provided at a control unit operating position thermally coupled to a cold plate of a cooling system to provide for cooling of components of the control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rack assembly unit for mounting a control unit to a vehicle rack system, the rack assembly unit comprising:
a rack chassis; and a tray for receiving the control unit, wherein the tray is movably coupled to the rack chassis at a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism configured to provide for movement of the tray relative to the rack chassis between a first open position and a second closed position, and wherein at the first open position, the tray is spaced apart from rack chassis to facilitate user access to the tray and to the control unit receivable therein, and at the second closed position, the tray is located fully inserted relative to the rack chassis and such that the control unit located in the tray is provided at a control unit operating position thermally coupled to a cold plate of a cooling system to provide for cooling of components of the control unit.

2 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a fixing mechanism for fixing the tray in the closed position, wherein:
the fixing mechanism and rack assembly configured such that when tray is fixed in the closed position at the fixing mechanism,
the control unit is located in contact with the cold plate to define a thermal interface therebetween; and
a controlled contact force is applied between the control unit and the cold plate.

3 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the fixing mechanism is defined by corresponding features of the rack chassis and the tray or control unit, the rack chassis comprises one or more fixing brackets; the tray or the control unit coupled to the tray comprises one or more corresponding fixing brackets; a fixing screw is engaged to corresponding fixing brackets of each of the rack chassis and the tray or control unit, such that the position of the tray relative to the rack chassis is fixed in the closed position.

4 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit when located at the control unit operating position is further electrically or communicatively coupled via the rack assembly with the vehicle system, the control unit having at least one connector comprising at least one of an electrical or communication connector and the rack assembly unit comprising a corresponding header and a backplane connector for coupling the control unit to a backplane board.

5 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the rack chassis comprises a cold plate support for receiving and supporting a cold plate, and the rack assembly unit is configured such that when the tray is located in a lower open position, wherein the control unit when located in the tray is spaced apart from the cold plate, and wherein the control unit when the tray is located in an upper closed position the tray is located such that a heat transfer surface of the control unit is thermally coupled to a heat transfer surface of the cold plate to form a thermal interface therebetween.

6 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
the rack chassis has first and second side walls; the cold plate support is defined by first and second recesses formed at a top edge surface of each of the side walls; and the recesses of the support are located opposite to each other, such that in use the cold plate is arranged extending between the first and second recesses and over a portion of the control unit located in tray.

7 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
when the control unit is located in the operating position, a thermal interface material, TIM, is provided between the control unit and the cold plate such that a heat transfer surface of the control unit and a heat transfer surface of the cold plate are thermally coupled via said TIM.

8 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the control unit comprises:
a housing that comprises a TIM receiver portion for receiving the TIM as a TIM layer.

9 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:
the TIM receiver portion is defined by a recessed groove formed in an upper surface of the control unit; the recessed groove defines a periphery of the TIM receiver portion and has a shape generally corresponding to that of the cold plate; and an O-ring is located in the recessed groove surrounding the TIM receiver portion.

10 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a hinge mechanism, and wherein the tray and rack chassis are coupled at a rear portion of the rack assembly by the hinge mechanism being configured to provide for a rotational movement of the tray relative to the rack chassis.

11 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 10 ,
wherein the tray and rack chassis are further coupled at a front portion of the rack assembly by a stop mechanism configured to define and to limit angular range of movement of the tray relative to the rack chassis between a lower open position of the tray and an upper closed position of the tray.

12 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
a hinge rotation stop defined by a hinge stop slot formed in a rear wall portion of the rack chassis and a hinge stop protrusion attached to the tray and receivable in the hinge stop slot, the hinge rotation stop being configured such that when the tray is tilted to the open position relative to the rack chassis, the hinge stop protrusion is engaged with an upper edge surface of hinge stop slot and limits further tilting of the tray relative to the rack chassis.

13 . The rack assembly unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling mechanism comprises a guided pin fixing mechanism, the tray and rack chassis are movably coupled at first and second side walls by the guided pin fixing mechanism to provide for movement by translation of the tray relative to the rack chassis between the first open position and the closed position; and the tray and rack chassis comprise corresponding guide pins and guide slots located at the first and second side walls of each of the tray and rack chassis.

14 . The rack assembly unit according to claim 13 , wherein the movement of the tray relative to the rack chassis is controlled by range of movement of the each of the guide pins in each of the corresponding slots as defined by the guide slots, wherein the range of movement provides for translation of the tray relative to the rack chassis in horizontal (X) and vertical (Z) directions.

15 . A vehicle rack server system comprising;
a rack support for receiving at least one rack assembly unit for mounting a control unit to the vehicle rack server system, the rack assembly unit having a rack chassis and a tray for receiving the control unit, wherein:
the tray is movably coupled to the rack chassis at a coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism configured to provide for movement of the tray relative to the rack chassis between a first open position and a second closed position;
at the first open position, the tray is spaced apart from rack chassis to facilitate user access to the tray and to the control unit receivable therein; and
at the second closed position, the tray is located fully inserted relative to the rack chassis and such that the control unit located in the tray is provided at a control unit operating position thermally coupled to a cold plate of a cooling system to provide for cooling of components of the control unit;
a backplane board comprising one or more backplane connectors for interfacing with said control unit; a cold plate coupled to a co

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Korta Jakub Antoni
• Richter-Brockmann Tobias
• Reinhold Peter

Classifications

• H05K7/20854

  Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20863 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K5/0065 Primary

  wherein modules are associated together, e.g. electromechanical assemblies, modular structures · CPC title

• H05K7/20254 Primary

  Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant · CPC title

• H05K7/16

  on hinges or pivots · CPC title

• H05K7/20772

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title