Flexible coolant manifold—heat sink assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9913403-B2
Application number	US-201615185704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A cooling assembly is provided which includes: one or more coolant-cooled heat sinks configured to couple to one or more electronic components to be cooled; one or more flexible coolant conduits; and one or more pivotable coolant manifolds. The flexible coolant conduit(s) couples in fluid communication the pivotable coolant manifold(s) and the coolant-cooled heat sink(s), and accommodates pivoting of the pivotable coolant manifold(s), while maintaining the coolant-cooled heat sink(s) in fluid communication with the pivotable coolant manifold(s). In one or more embodiments, the pivotable coolant manifold(s) pivots between a first position laterally offset from one or more of the coolant-cooled heat sink(s), and a second position above the one or more coolant-cooled heat sinks. First and second pivot arms may be provided at opposite ends of the pivotable coolant manifold(s) to facilitate pivotable movement of the manifold(s) between the first position and the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling assembly comprising:
at least one coolant-cooled heat sink to couple to at least one electronic component to be cooled, one coolant-cooled heat sink of the at least one coolant-cooled heat sink comprising at least one coolant-carrying channel;
at least two flexible coolant conduits, two flexible coolant conduits of the at least two flexible coolant conduits being in fluid communication with the at least one coolant-carrying channel of the one coolant-cooled heat sink;
a pivotable coolant supply manifold and a pivotable coolant return manifold, the two flexible coolant conduits coupling in fluid communication the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold, respectively, with the one coolant-cooled heat sink, and the two flexible coolant conduits accommodating pivoting of the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds, while maintaining the one coolant-cooled heat sink in fluid communication with the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds; and
a first pivot arm and a second pivot arm, the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm being disposed at opposite ends of the pivotable coolant supply manifold and opposite ends of the pivotable coolant return manifold, and facilitating pivotably moving together the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold, the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm being configured to couple to an electronic system, or associated structure, comprising the multiple electronic components to be cooled.

2. The cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds pivot between a first position laterally offset from the one coolant-cooled heat sink and a second position above the one coolant-cooled heat sink, and in the first position, when the cooling assembly is operatively associated with the at least one electronic component, access to the one coolant-cooled heat sink is accommodated.

3. The cooling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the two flexible coolant conduits are bent with the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds in the first position, and are straighter with the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold in the second position.

4. The cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first pivot arm or the second pivot arm comprises a latch mechanism for latching the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds in one of a first position or a second position, the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold being pivotable between the first position and the second position.

5. The cooling assembly of claim 4 , wherein the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds are pivotable between a first position laterally offset from the one coolant-cooled heat sink and a second position above the one coolant-cooled heat sink, and wherein in the first position, when the cooling assembly is operatively associated with the at least one electronic component, access to the one coolant-cooled heat sink is accommodated.

6. The cooling assembly of claim 1 , further comprising: multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks to couple to multiple electronic components to be cooled, the at least one coolant-cooled heat sink being at least one coolant-cooled heat sink of the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, and the at least one electronic component being at least one electronic component of the multiple electronic components to be cooled; multiple flexible coolant conduits coupled in fluid communication with the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, the at least two flexible coolant conduits being at least two flexible coolant conduits of the multiple flexible coolant conduits; and multiple pivotable coolant manifolds, the pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds being pivotable coolant supply and return manifolds of the multiple pivotable coolant manifolds, and the multiple flexible coolant conduits coupling in fluid communication the multiple pivotable coolant manifolds with the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold pivoting between a respective first position laterally offset from the one coolant-cooled heat sink, and a respective second position above the one coolant-cooled heat sink.

7. The cooling assembly of claim 6 , wherein the multiple flexible coolant conduits comprise a plurality of flexible coolant supply conduits, one of the at least two flexible coolant conduits being one of the flexible coolant supply conduits and a plurality of flexible coolant return conduits, another of the at least two flexible coolant conduits being one of the flexible coolant return conduits, the plurality of flexible coolant supply conduits coupling in fluid communication the pivotable coolant supply manifold to the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, and the plurality of flexible coolant return conduits coupling in fluid communication the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks and the pivotable coolant return manifold.

8. The cooling assembly of claim 6 , wherein the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks comprise a metal material, and the multiple flexible coolant conduits comprise a flexible, insulative material.

9. A cooled electronic system comprising:
an electronic system comprising multiple electronic components to be cooled; and
a cooling assembly associated with the electronic system, the cooling assembly comprising:
multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks coupled to the multiple electronic components to be cooled;
multiple flexible coolant conduits coupled in fluid communication with the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks to facilitate flow of liquid coolant therethrough;
a pivotable coolant supply manifold and a pivotable coolant return manifold, the pivotable coolant supply manifold and pivotable coolant return manifold being pivotably movable between a respective first position and a respective second position, wherein the multiple flexible coolant conduits couple in fluid communication the pivotable coolant supply manifold to the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks and couple in fluid communication the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks to the pivotable coolant return manifold to facilitate the flow of liquid coolant through the multiple coolant-cooled heat sinks, the multiple flexible coolant conduits accommodating pivoting of the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold between their respective first position and second position; and
a first pivot arm and a second pivot arm, the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm being disposed at opposite ends of the pivotable coolant supply manifold and opposite ends of the pivotable coolant return manifold, the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm facilitating pivotably moving together the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold, and the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm being coupled to the electronic system.

10. The cooled electronic system of claim 9 , wherein the multiple flexible coolant conduits are bent with the pivotable coolant supply manifold and pivotable coolant return manifold in their respective first position, and are straighter with the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold in their respective second position.

11. The cooled electronic system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first pivot arm or the second arm comprises a latch mechanism for latching the pivotable coolant supply manifold and the pivotable coolant return manifold in at least one of the respective first position or the respective second position.

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Assignees

• IBM
• Int Business Machines Corporations

Inventors

• Krug Jr Francis R
• Mckeever Eric J
• Mullady Robert K
• Porter Donald W
• Snider Richard P
• Torok John G
• Vandeventer Allan C
• Wei Xiaojin

Classifications

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• H05K7/20772 Primary

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• H05K7/20254 Primary

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

• H05K7/20218

  using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• H05K7/20781

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title