Quick connector testing device

Abstract

A quick connector testing device includes a base, a control component, and a pressure plate. The base has an internal channel for assembling a female connector. The control component is located on the side of the base and can drive an actuator to control a linkage to perform a displacement action. The pressure plate is mounted on the actuator and abuts against the collar of the female connector. Thus, the linkage performs a displacement action, causing the pressure plate to displace the collar, thereby unlocking the male connector and performing repeated mating to complete the test for the flow of pressure medium.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a testing device, and more particularly to a quick connector testing device that can simultaneously achieve unlocking and locking requirements for repeated docking of quick connectors. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Currently, with the improvement of server computing performance, the heat generated by its internal computing units has also increased. Therefore, the heat dissipation requirements of servers are increasing day by day. Traditional air cooling can no longer meet the heat dissipation requirements of servers. Instead, cooling plate cooling and immersion cooling are used. Cooling plate cooling and immersion cooling mainly transfer the heat energy of the server to the cooling liquid medium. The cooling liquid medium sends the heat to the outside of the server for heat exchange and cooling. The transfer of the cooling liquid medium between the server and the heat exchange cooling mechanism mainly relies on quick-release connectors.

[0003] The quick connectors used for liquid cooling of servers are different from those used in general hydraulic systems. The quick connectors used for liquid cooling of servers are designed to be quick-connect or quick-release by the male and female connectors of the connecting pipes. Usually, the female connector of the quick connector is connected to the fixed module, one end of the male connector is connected to the hose, and the other end is connected to the female connector plug end. The male connector is locked or unlocked by the collar of the female connector, thereby realizing the conduction or disconnection of the system. In addition, the quick connectors used for liquid cooling of servers have high sealing requirements, because if the coolant liquid medium leaks, it can easily cause the server to short-circuit. If the server needs to be shut down for maintenance due to coolant liquid medium leakage, it will undoubtedly greatly increase the replacement cost. In order to avoid the occurrence of coolant liquid medium leakage of quick connectors, product reliability testing of quick-release connectors is particularly important. It is necessary to test different medium pressures according to the usage requirements of the server.

[0004] However, the testing equipment currently available on the market for repeatedly mating male and female quick couplings cannot simultaneously lock and unlock. The tests are all conducted in a constant unlocked state. Quick coupling testing can only be completed under the conditions of mating and separating male and female couplings and the presence of pressure media. However, under the condition of constant unlocking testing, it is not possible to test the mating and separating actions of male and female couplings.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a test device that can repeatedly connect and simultaneously meet the requirements of unlocking and locking and can easily replace the type of quick connector is the goal that people in this art want to improve. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] Therefore, in order to effectively solve the above problems, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a quick connector testing device that allows the male and female connectors to be unlocked and locked during connection, so as to facilitate repeated connection and complete pressure medium flow test.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a quick connector testing device, comprising a base, a control component, and a pressure plate. The base has an inner channel formed at its center, and a female connector is provided above the inner channel. A male connector is provided at the other end of the base opposite to the female connector.

[0008] The control component is located on the side of the seat, and the control component receives a program control signal. The control component can drive at least one actuator assembled on the side of the seat by the program control signal, so that the actuator controls an internal linkage, causing the linkage to perform up and down displacement.

[0009] The pressure plate is fixedly mounted on the linkage, and the pressure plate has a mating hole, and the female connector corresponds to the mating hole, and a groove is formed inside the mating hole, which abuts against a set of rings provided on the outside of the female connector.

[0010] When the linkage performs a displacement action through the actuator, the linkage will simultaneously drive the pressure plate to perform the same displacement action. When the linkage performs the displacement action, the linkage drives the pressure plate and pushes the collar to move, thereby unlocking the female connector from the male connector for repeated docking to complete the test with pressure medium flow.

Implementation Method

[0011] The above-mentioned objectives of the present invention and its structural and functional characteristics will be described with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, 3A, and 3B, which are three-dimensional assembly schematic diagrams, three-dimensional exploded schematic diagrams, partial cross-sectional schematic diagrams, and partial enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagrams of the quick connector testing device of the present invention. As shown in the figures, the quick connector testing device 1 of the present invention includes: a base 2, a control component 3, and a pressure plate 4.

[0013] An inner channel 21 is formed inside the seat body 2, which penetrates the seat body 2. An internal thread 22 is formed on the inner wall of the inner channel 21. An extension component 23 is mounted on the inner channel 21. An external threaded protrusion 231 is formed at the bottom of the extension component 23. The extension component 23 is screwed to the internal thread 22 by the external threaded protrusion 231, so that the extension component 23 is mounted on the seat body 2. An extension channel 232 is formed inside the extension component 23. When the extension component 23 is mounted on the seat body 2, the extension channel 232 communicates with the inner channel 21. An internal thread 233 is formed on the inner wall of the extension component 23. A female connector 24 is provided on the top of the extension component 23. A female head connecting section 241 with an external thread is formed on the bottom of the female connector 24. The female connector 24 is assembled on the extension component 23 by the female head connecting section 241 and the internal thread 233. The top of the female connector 24 has a ring 242. A locking part 2421 is formed on the side of the ring 242. The locking part 2421 surrounds the outer periphery of the ring 242. A female head channel 243 is formed inside the female connector 24. The lower part of the female head channel 243 is connected to the extension channel 232.

[0014] The control component 3 can be set on any side of the seat 2. In this embodiment, the control component 3 can be screwed to the front side of the seat 2. In this embodiment, the control component 3 is a solenoid valve for controlling the air source. However, it can actually be controlled by electricity, fluid (air, water) or other means. This case is not limited to this. The control component 3 is connected to a gas source input pipe 31 and a gas source output pipe 32 by a plurality of valve connectors. The gas source input pipe 31 inputs gas to the control component 3, and the gas source output pipe 32 is connected to at least one actuator 33. In this embodiment, the actuator 33 is a cylinder. The actuator 33 is locked to the left and right sides of the seat 2, so that each side of the seat 2 has a set of actuators 33. The actuator 33 is also connected to the gas source output pipe 32 by a cylinder connector. A connecting member 331, which is a piston, is provided in each actuator 33. A bearing part 332 is provided at the top of each side connecting member 331. At least one engagement hole 3321 is formed on the bearing part 332.

[0015] The pressure plate 4 has a circular engagement hole 41 at its center position. The engagement hole 41 of the pressure plate 4 is designed according to the model of the female connector 24 to be tested. The pressure plate 4 has a groove 42 below the engagement hole 41. The inner diameter of the groove 42 is wider than the inner diameter of the engagement hole 41, while the inner diameter of the engagement hole 41 is smaller than the outer diameter of the collar 242 of the female connector 24. When the pressure plate 4 is assembled on the bearing portions 332 on both sides, the female connector 24 is positioned opposite the engagement hole 41, and the locking portion 2421 of the collar 242 abuts against the groove 42. Furthermore, at least one fixing hole 43 is provided on each side of the pressure plate 4, and the pressure plate 4 is fixed by at least one screwing element 44 through the fixing hole 43 and the connecting hole 3321, so that the pressure plate 4 can be fixedly mounted on the bearing part 332, and the slot 42 abuts against the collar 242.

[0016] As shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the quick-connect testing device 1 of the present invention can be used with a corresponding quick-connect male connector 51 and female connector 24 to connect and provide a pressure medium (e.g., pressurized coolant) for reliability testing. The pressure medium is sent from the channel 21 inside the base 2 to the extension channel 232. The pressure medium entering the extension channel 232 is then sent to the female connector channel 243. In the locked state, the pressure medium can flow between the female connector channel 243 and the male connector channel 512, and then through the male connector channel 512 to a testing connection device 5 that provides positioning and fixing of the male connector 51. However, the present invention is not limited to the method of fixing the male connector 51.

[0017] At this time, the quick connector formed by the female connector 24 and the male connector 51 can be connected and locked under the pressure medium by the quick connector testing equipment 1 of the present invention, and continue to carry out the reliability test cycle under the conditions that meet the test requirements.

[0018] Specifically, the quick-connect testing device 1 of the present invention can be used to test the quick-connect consisting of the male connector 51 and the female connector 24 by providing a pressure medium and performing an unlocking operation. The control component 3 simultaneously receives a program control signal (e.g., zero input response) transmitted by a test control device (not shown in the figure). The control component 3 then switches the air source according to the program control signal. When the test control device enters the unlocking procedure, the test control device does not generate the program control signal. Component 3 is driven by the air source output pipe 32 to switch the air source to drive the actuator 33 to pull down the linkage 331. When the actuator 33 controls the linkage 331 to pull down, the bearing part 332 on the linkage 331 moves downward in accordance with the downward movement of the linkage 331. When the bearing part 332 moves downward, the pressure plate 4 on the bearing part 332 also moves downward in accordance with the displacement state of the bearing part 332. When the pressure plate 4 moves downward, the slot 42 attaches to the latching part 2421 and drives the collar 242 to move downward.

[0019] As the collar 242 moves downward, the male connector 51 and the female connector 24 are in an unlocked state. When the male connector 51 and the female connector 24 are unlocked, the male connector assembly section 511 that is connected to the female connector 24 is no longer restricted by the collar 242. The male connector assembly section 511 can then detach from the female connector 24. If the position of the male connector 51 remains fixed, the male connector 51 can be pulled away from the female connector 24 by moving (e.g., moving downward) the quick connector testing device 1, and the pressure medium will stop flowing between the male connector channel 512 and the female connector channel 243.

[0020] The removal of the quick connector test device 1 can be performed through additional automated or manual methods to separate the male connector 51 from the female connector 24. After being removed, the control component 3 can switch the air source to cause the actuator 33 to release the linkage 331. When the linkage 331 is released, the pressure plate 4 on the bearing part 332 is released at the same time, and the elastic force generated by the collar spring 2422 on one side of the collar 242 pushes the collar 242 back. At this time, the female connector 24 is ready to be reassembled with the male connector 51 by moving the quick connector test device 1 in again, so that the male connector 51 is inserted into the female connector channel 243 of the female connector 24 with the male connector assembly section 511, thereby locking the male connector 51 and the female connector 24, and the pressure medium can be sent to the male connector channel 512 through the female connector channel 243. In this way, the quick connector test device 1 of the present invention can repeatedly enter the unlocking procedure and repeat the above steps. The female connector 24 and the male connector 51 can be repeatedly connected through the quick connector test device 1 and complete the test with pressure medium flow.

[0021] In this way, the quick connector formed by the female connector 24 and the male connector 51 can be unlocked and locked by using other suitable testing devices, and the female connector 24 and the male connector 51 can be repeatedly connected through the quick connector testing equipment 1 to complete the reliability test with pressure medium flow.

[0022] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the replacement pressure plate and female connector of the quick connector testing equipment of the present invention. Also refer to Figures 2 and 4A above. As shown in the figure, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the replacement pressure plate 4 and female connector 24. The pressure plate 4 is screwed onto the support part 332 through the fixing holes 43 on both sides. The shape of the engagement hole 41 of the pressure plate 4 is set according to the style of the female connector 24 to be tested. Therefore, when the female connector 24 to be tested is replaced, the pressure plate 4 can be directly removed from the support part 332. Then, a pressure plate 4 that corresponds to the engagement hole 41 of the female connector 24 to be tested is selected and screwed onto the support part 332, so that the female connector 24 is positioned relative to the engagement hole 41 and the slot 42 abuts against the locking part 2421 of the collar 242. Then, the female connector 24 and male connector 51 to be tested are repeatedly connected and pressure medium flow test is completed.

[0023] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of conventional testing equipment, which operates in a constant unlocked state. Furthermore, under constant unlocked testing conditions, it is impossible to test for different medium pressures or for quick-connect couplings with varying medium pressures. This quick-connect coupling testing device 1 utilizes a pressure plate 4 to switch the air source and perform vertical displacement actions according to the program control signal of the control component 3. This allows the female connector 24 and male connector 51 to be repeatedly connected and tested for pressure medium flow. This invention has the following advantages: 1. It allows for simultaneous locking and unlocking and repeatable connection testing. 2. It facilitates the replacement of pressure plates to accommodate different quick-connect couplings. 3. It is convenient for operation and testing. 4. It provides effective unlocking force to accommodate quick-connect couplings of different sizes for locking and unlocking. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0024] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional assembly schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention; Figure 2 is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention; Figure 3A is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention; Figure 3B is a partial enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention; Figure 4A is an assembly schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention assembling the male connector; Figure 4B is an assembly cross-sectional schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention assembling the male connector; Figure 4C is a partial enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the quick connector testing device of the present invention locking the male connector; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the implementation of replacing the pressure plate and female connector in the quick connector testing device of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quick connector testing device for a female connector, comprising: A body with an internal channel formed inside, and the female connector is installed above the internal channel; A control component is disposed on the side of the base and receives a program control signal. The control component can be driven by the program control signal to drive at least one actuator, so that the actuator controls a linkage to perform a displacement action. A pressure plate is assembled on the linkage and has a mating hole. A female connector corresponds to the mating hole. A groove is formed in the mating hole so that the female connector is positioned relative to the mating hole. The groove abuts against a collar of the female connector. When the linkage performs a displacement action, the linkage drives the pressure plate to move and pushes the collar to move, thereby unlocking the female connector.

2. The quick connector testing device as described in claim 1, wherein an extension assembly is provided on the base, and an extension channel is formed within the extension assembly communicating with the inner channel.

3. The quick connector testing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control component is locked to the side of the base, and the side of the control component is provided with at least one air source input pipe and at least one air source output pipe, the air source input pipe inputs air to the control component, and the air source output pipe is connected to the actuator, and the control component switches the air source to the actuator via the air source output pipe.

4. The quick connector testing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the linkage is provided with a support portion, and the pressure plate is assembled on the support portion.

5. The quick connector testing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pressure plate has a plurality of fixing holes and the bearing portion has a plurality of engaging holes, and the pressure plate is secured by at least one screwing element through the fixing holes and the engaging holes.

6. The quick connector testing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the inner diameter width of the slot is greater than the inner diameter width of the engagement hole.

7. The quick connector testing equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control component is a solenoid valve, the actuator is a cylinder, and the linkage is a piston.

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