Connector device

Abstract

A connector device is disposed on a substrate for insertion into a pluggable component. The connector device includes a socket assembly and a heat dissipation assembly. The socket assembly includes multiple cages and multiple connectors. The heat dissipation assembly includes a liquid cooling plate, which includes a main body disposed on the substrate and multiple cantilever portions integrally formed with the main body. The bottoms of the multiple cantilever portions extend into the top openings of the cages. In one embodiment, the liquid cooling plate further includes a liquid cooling pipe disposed in the multiple cantilever portions, the liquid cooling pipe contacting the top surface of the pluggable component inserted into the socket assembly. In another embodiment, the main body of the liquid cooling plate forms multiple channels for coolant flow, and the multiple cantilever portions are solid heat dissipation plates, the bottoms of the cantilever portions contacting the top surface of the pluggable component inserted into the socket assembly. Through the structural design of the above-described heat dissipation assembly, better heat conduction and coolant leakage prevention are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a connector device, and more particularly to a connector device having a cantilever for heat exchange with a pluggable component. Prior Technology

[0002] Chinese Utility Model Patent Publication No. CN118226592A discloses a heat dissipation device for an optical module. This device includes an optical module cooling plate and multiple optical cages. The optical module cooling plate includes a liquid distribution section and multiple cooling plate sections extending outward from one side of the liquid distribution section and correspondingly located above the multiple optical cages. The liquid distribution section has a spaced-apart inlet and outlet, an inlet channel communicating with the inlet, and a return channel communicating with the outlet. Each cooling plate section has a cooling channel. The cooling channel has an inlet communicating with the inlet channel and an outlet communicating with the return channel. Each optical cage is used for mating and plugging in an optical module, allowing the optical module to abut against the corresponding cooling plate section for heat exchange and cooling.

[0003] Upon closer inspection, the optical module's cooling plate features a cantilever design. Each section of the cooling plate is supported by the optical module during insertion, causing it to tilt upwards, while simultaneously exerting a downward restoring force against the module. However, because the cooling plate is composed of two plates joined together, with cooling channels formed directly within them, these multiple cooling plates are prone to deformation and cracking after vertical movement. This leads to coolant leakage within the cooling channels, resulting in a loss of heat dissipation. Therefore, the design of this optical module's cooling plate requires further improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a connector device that can at least overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0005] Therefore, the connector device of the present invention is disposed on a substrate for a pluggable component to be inserted into. The connector device includes a socket assembly and a heat dissipation assembly. The socket assembly includes a plurality of cages and a plurality of connectors respectively disposed within the plurality of cages, each cage having a top opening. The heat dissipation assembly includes a liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate including a main body disposed on the substrate, a plurality of cantilevered portions protruding from the main body and spaced apart from the substrate, and a liquid cooling pipe extending from the plurality of cantilevered portions. The main body and the plurality of cantilevered portions are integrally formed. The socket assembly is located between the substrate and the plurality of cantilevered portions, the bottoms of the plurality of cantilevered portions respectively extending into the top openings. When the pluggable component is inserted into the socket assembly, the liquid cooling pipe contacts the top surface of the pluggable component.

[0006] In one embodiment, each of the cantilever portions forms a U-shaped groove, the liquid cooling pipe is fixed to the U-shaped groove, and the liquid cooling pipe extends out of the bottom of the cantilever portion or is flush with the bottom of the cantilever portion.

[0007] In one embodiment, each cage shell has a bottom plate, two side plates extending upward from the left and right sides of the bottom plate respectively, and a rear plate extending upward from the rear side of the bottom plate. The top edge height of the side plates is equal to the height of the top opening and higher than the top edge height of the rear plate. The rear plate is used to support the corresponding cantilever portion.

[0008] In one embodiment, the liquid cooling pipe includes an inlet end, an outlet end, and a main pipe connecting the inlet end and the outlet end, the main pipe extending within the plurality of cantilever sections.

[0009] In one embodiment, the liquid cooling pipe is a copper pipe.

[0010] In one embodiment, the main pipe includes multiple bends disposed within the multiple cantilever sections, and multiple connecting pipe sections disposed within the main body and connecting two adjacent bends. Each bend is U-shaped with its U-shaped opening facing the main body, and each connecting pipe section is inverted U-shaped with its U-shaped opening facing the multiple cantilever sections.

[0011] In one embodiment, the connector device further includes a spring-loaded assembly, which includes a fixed plate spaced above the plurality of cantilever portions and a plurality of elastic members disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions and the fixed plate, the plurality of elastic members applying elastic force toward the plurality of cantilever portions respectively.

[0012] The advantage of this invention is that by enclosing the liquid cooling pipe inside the cantilever, it can achieve better heat conduction and prevent coolant leakage.

[0013] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a connector device that can at least overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0014] Therefore, the connector device of the present invention is disposed on a substrate for a pluggable component to be inserted into. The connector device includes a socket assembly and a heat dissipation assembly. The socket assembly includes multiple cages and multiple connectors respectively disposed within the multiple cages, each cage having a top opening. The heat dissipation assembly includes a liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate including a main body disposed on the substrate and multiple cantilever portions protruding from the main body and spaced apart from the substrate. The socket assembly is located between the substrate and the multiple cantilever portions. The bottoms of the multiple cantilever portions extend into the top openings respectively. The main body includes a hollow cavity and multiple heat dissipation fins arranged in the hollow cavity. The multiple heat dissipation fins and the hollow cavity form multiple channels for coolant flow. The multiple cantilever portions are solid heat dissipation plates, each thermally bonded to the main body. When the pluggable component is inserted into the socket assembly, the bottom of the cantilever portion contacts the top surface of the pluggable component.

[0015] In one embodiment, each cage shell has a bottom plate, two side plates extending upward from the left and right sides of the bottom plate respectively, and a rear plate extending upward from the rear side of the bottom plate. The top edge height of the side plates is equal to the height of the top opening and higher than the top edge height of the rear plate. The rear plate is used to support the corresponding cantilever portion.

[0016] In one embodiment, the connector device further includes a spring-loaded assembly, which includes a fixed plate spaced above the plurality of cantilever portions and a plurality of elastic members disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions and the fixed plate, the plurality of elastic members applying elastic force toward the plurality of cantilever portions respectively.

[0017] The advantages of this invention are: by using solid heat dissipation plates for the cantilever portion of the liquid cooling plate, the heat dissipation effect can be improved. In addition, the coolant only flows within the channel of the main body and does not flow to the multiple cantilever portions connected to the main body, thus preventing the coolant from leaking due to bending or deformation of the multiple cantilever portions. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0018] Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of the connector device of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the first embodiment; Figure 3 is a top view illustrating the first embodiment; Figure 4 is a sectional side view illustrating the first embodiment; Figure 5 is a sectional front view illustrating the first embodiment; Figure 6 is a sectional front view illustrating another embodiment of the first embodiment; Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of the connector device of the present invention; Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the second embodiment; Figure 9 is a rear-view exploded perspective view illustrating the second embodiment; Figure 10 is a top view illustrating the second embodiment; Figure 11 is a sectional side view illustrating the second embodiment; Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the second embodiment; Figure 13 is a sectional front view illustrating the second embodiment; Figure 14 is a perspective view illustrating that the connector device of the second embodiment further includes a spring-loaded component; Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 14, illustrating the state of the spring-loaded assembly of the second embodiment after disassembly from a heat dissipation assembly; and Figure 16 is a cross-sectional side view of Figure 14, illustrating the positional relationship between the spring-loaded assembly and the heat dissipation assembly. Implementation

[0019] Before the invention is described in detail, it should be noted that similar elements are represented by the same numbers in the following description.

[0020] Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a first embodiment of the connector device of the present invention is suitable for mounting on a substrate 7 for insertion of a plurality of pluggable components 8. In this first embodiment, the substrate 7 is, for example, but not limited to, a circuit board. Each pluggable component 8 is, for example, but not limited to, an optical fiber transmission plug. The connector device includes a socket assembly 4 and a heat dissipation assembly 1.

[0021] The socket assembly 4 may be, for example, but not limited to, an optical module socket connector, for removably inserting the plurality of pluggable components 8. The socket assembly 4 includes a plurality of cages 42 mounted on the substrate 7 and spaced apart along a first direction X, and a plurality of connectors 43 respectively disposed within the cages 42. Each cage 42 defines a slot 41. The slot 41 extends along a second direction Y intersecting the first direction X and includes a notch 411 for each pluggable component 8 to enter and exit, and a top opening 412 formed on the top side. Structurally, each cage 42 has a base plate 421, two side plates 422 extending upward from the left and right sides of the base plate 421 respectively, and a rear plate 423 extending upward from the rear side of the base plate 421. The top edge height of the side plates 422 is equal to the height of the top opening 412 and higher than the top edge height of the rear plate 423. In this first embodiment, the first direction X is the left-right direction and the second direction Y is the front-back direction. However, in practice, the directions can be changed and are not limited to this first embodiment.

[0022] In this first embodiment, the heat dissipation assembly 1 is disposed on the substrate 7, and the heat dissipation assembly 1 includes a liquid cooling plate 2. The liquid cooling plate 2 has a generally transverse L-shaped structure in side view, and is designed as a cantilever beam with one end fixed and the other end free. The liquid cooling plate 2 includes a main body 21 extending along the first direction X and disposed on the substrate 7, a plurality of cantilever portions 22 extending from one side of the main body 21 into the second direction Y and spaced apart from the substrate 7 to correspond to the plurality of cage shells 42, and a liquid cooling pipe 3 extending from the plurality of cantilever portions 22. The socket assembly 4 is disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions 22 and the substrate 7. The bottom surface of each cantilever portion 22 forms a U-shaped groove 221. The bottom of each cantilever portion 22 protrudes and extends into the slot 41 through the top opening 412 of each cage shell 42, and the rear end of the bottom of the cantilever portion 22 rests against the rear plate 423 and is supported by the rear plate 423. The bottom front end of the cantilever portion 22 has a guide surface 424. Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate 2 of this first embodiment includes sixteen cantilever portions 22; however, in other embodiments, the number of cantilever portions 22 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of slots 41 provided by the socket assembly 4. In this first embodiment, the main body 21 and the plurality of cantilever portions 22 are integrally formed.

[0023] The liquid cooling pipe 3 is fixed to the U-shaped groove 221, and the liquid cooling pipe 3 includes an inlet end 32 and an outlet end 33 located at two opposite ends and respectively exiting the main body 21, and a main pipe 31 connecting the inlet end 32 and the outlet end 33 and extending and winding within the plurality of cantilever sections 22 and the main body 21. The main pipe 31 includes a plurality of bent pipe sections 311 respectively disposed within the plurality of cantilever sections 22, and a plurality of connecting pipe sections 312 disposed within the main body 21 and respectively connecting two adjacent bent pipe sections 311. Each bent pipe section 311 is U-shaped with the U-shaped opening 412 facing rearward toward the main body 21, and each connecting pipe section 312 is inverted U-shaped with the U-shaped opening 412 facing forward toward the plurality of cantilever sections 22. Of course, the shape and structure of the liquid cooling pipe 3 can also be changed and are not limited to this first embodiment. A coolant (not shown) can flow through the liquid cooling pipe 3. In this first embodiment, the liquid cooling pipe 3 is a copper pipe, but its material is not limited to this; it can also be other heat-conducting pipe materials that can be used to allow the coolant to flow. In this first embodiment, the bottom surface of the liquid cooling pipe 3 is flattened and flush with the bottom of the cantilever portion 22. However, the design of the liquid cooling pipe 3 is not limited to this. As shown in FIG6, in another embodiment of the first embodiment, the bottom surface of the liquid cooling pipe 3 is arc-shaped and protrudes from the bottom of the cantilever portion 22.

[0024] When each pluggable component 8 is inserted into the slot 41, the pluggable component 8 contacts the guide surface 424 of the cantilever portion 22, causing the cantilever portion 22 to be pushed upwards and abut against the top of the pluggable component 8, and allowing the liquid cooling pipe 3 to directly contact the top surface of the pluggable component 8. Therefore, in this first embodiment, the heat generated by the pluggable component 8 can be conducted through the main pipe portion 31 to the coolant inside it, and the coolant can exchange heat to cool down and carry away the heat, resulting in better heat dissipation. Since the main pipe portion 31 is connected to the cantilever portion 22, even if the cantilever portion 22 cracks due to deformation, the coolant can only flow within the liquid cooling pipe 3, thus avoiding coolant leakage.

[0025] Referring to Figures 7 to 13, the second embodiment of the connector device of the present invention has a structure that is generally the same as that of the first embodiment. The difference between the two embodiments is that the heat dissipation component 1' in the second embodiment omits the liquid cooling pipe (see Figure 1, number 3) and changes the layout design of the liquid cooling plate 2'. The liquid cooling plate 2' forms multiple channels 213' for the flow of coolant only in the main body 21' which is fixedly mounted on the substrate 7', and the multiple cantilever portions 22' become solid heat dissipation plates. In this second embodiment, the main body 21' and the multiple cantilever portions 22' can be integrally manufactured.

[0026] Looking further at the design of the main body 21', the main body 21' includes a hollow cavity 211' extending along the first direction X and in the shape of a rectangular box, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 212' extending along the first direction X and arranged vertically at intervals within the hollow cavity 211', a cover plate 214' sealing the rear side of the hollow cavity 211', and an inlet end 215' and an outlet end 216' disposed at both ends of the cover plate 214' and protruding rearward respectively. The plurality of heat dissipation fins 212' and the hollow cavity 211' together define the plurality of channels 213', and the plurality of channels 213' connect the inlet end 215' and the outlet end 216'. In this second embodiment, each of the heat dissipation fins 212' is a horizontal plate, and at least one side is integrally connected to the hollow cavity 211'. Of course, in practice, the extension direction and arrangement of the multiple heat dissipation fins 212' can also be changed. For example, the multiple heat dissipation fins 212' are arranged in the hollow cavity 211' with back and forth intervals, and each heat dissipation fin 212' is an upright fin. Therefore, the design is not limited to the second embodiment.

[0027] The plurality of cantilever portions 22' are respectively positioned above the plurality of cage shells 42'. Each cage shell 42' has a base plate 421', two side plates 422', and a rear plate 423' defining the slot 41'. The bottom of each cantilever portion 22' protrudes and extends into the slot 41' through the top opening 412' of each cage shell 42', and the rear end of the bottom of the cantilever portion 22' rests against the rear plate 423' for support. The front end of the bottom of the cantilever portion 22' has a guide surface 424'. In use, the bottom of the cantilever portion 22' contacts the top surface of the pluggable component 8', and the heat generated by the pluggable component 8' can be directly conducted from the cantilever portion 22' to the main body 21', and then the heat is dissipated by the coolant, resulting in excellent heat dissipation.

[0028] Since the multiple cantilever portions 22' in this second embodiment are solid structures without channels, there is absolutely no risk of coolant leakage due to bending or deformation of the multiple cantilever portions 22'. In addition, the arrangement of the multiple heat dissipation fins 212' increases the contact area with the coolant, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0029] Referring to Figures 14, 15, and 16, in addition to the above, taking this second embodiment as an example, the connector device of the present invention may further include a spring-loaded assembly 5' mounted above the plurality of cantilever portions 22'. The spring-loaded assembly 5' includes a fixed plate 51' spaced above the plurality of cantilever portions 22', and a plurality of elastic members 52' disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions 22' and the fixed plate 51'. In this second embodiment, the fixed plate 51' is fixedly mounted on both sides of a housing 9', but this is not a limitation in implementation, and it can also be mounted in other locations. The plurality of elastic members 52' are, for example, but not limited to, compression springs, and have an elastic force that drives the plurality of cantilever portions 22' to spring downward toward the plurality of slots 41' respectively. Therefore, if the connector device is limited by size or space or encounters special requirements, resulting in the plurality of cantilever portions 22' being unable to provide the required downward pressure, the spring-loaded assembly 5' can be added to provide the required downward pressure. Of course, the construction of the spring-loaded component 5' is also applicable to the first embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0030] In summary, the connector device of the present invention, which places the liquid cooling pipe 3 in the cantilever portion 22 and makes the liquid cooling pipe 3 directly contact the top surface of the pluggable component 8, can have better heat conduction and prevent coolant leakage, thus achieving the purpose of the present invention.

[0031] On the other hand, the connector device of the present invention improves the heat dissipation effect by using solid heat dissipation plates for the cantilever portion 22' of the liquid cooling plate 2'. In addition, the coolant only flows within the channel 213' of the main body portion 21' and does not flow to the plurality of cantilever portions 22' connected to the main body portion 21', thus achieving the effect of preventing the coolant from leaking due to bending and deformation of the plurality of cantilever portions 22'. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention can indeed be achieved.

[0032] However, the above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application and the contents of the patent specification shall still fall within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

[0033] 1, 1': Heat dissipation components 2, 2': Liquid cooling plate 21, 21': Main body 211': Hollow cavity 212': Heat dissipation fins 213': Channel 214': Cover plate 215': pipe entry end 216': Outlet pipe end 22, 22': Cantilever section 221: U-shaped groove 3: Liquid cooling pipes 31: Supervisory Department 311: Bend Section 312: Connecting pipe section 32: Entry point 33: Export end 4: Socket assembly 41, 41': Slot 411: Groove 412, 412': Top opening 42, 42': Cage shell 421, 421': Base plate 422, 422': Side panels 423, 423': Back plate 424, 424': Guiding surface 43: Connector 5': Spring-loaded assembly 51': Fixing plate 52': Elastic element 7. 7':Substrate 8, 8': Pluggable components 9': Chassis X: First direction Y: Second direction

Claims

1. A connector device disposed on a substrate for insertion of a pluggable component, the connector device comprising: a socket assembly including a plurality of cages and a plurality of connectors respectively disposed within the plurality of cages, each cage having a top opening; and a heat dissipation assembly including a liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate including a main body disposed on the substrate, a plurality of cantilever portions protruding from the main body and spaced apart from the substrate, and a liquid cooling pipe extending from the plurality of cantilever portions, the main body and the plurality of cantilever portions being integrally formed, the socket assembly being located between the substrate and the plurality of cantilever portions, the bottoms of the plurality of cantilever portions respectively extending into the top openings, and when the pluggable component is inserted into the socket assembly, the liquid cooling pipe contacting the top surface of the pluggable component; wherein... Each of the cantilever sections forms a U-shaped groove, the liquid cooling pipe is fixed to the U-shaped groove, and the liquid cooling pipe extends out of the bottom of the cantilever section or is flush with the bottom of the cantilever section.

2. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The liquid cooling pipe includes an inlet end, an outlet end, and a main pipe connecting the inlet end and the outlet end, the main pipe extending within the plurality of cantilever sections.

3. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The liquid cooling pipe is made of copper.

4. The connector device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The main section includes multiple bends disposed within the multiple cantilever sections, and multiple connecting sections disposed within the main body and connecting two adjacent bends. Each bend is U-shaped with its U-shaped opening facing the main body, and each connecting section is inverted U-shaped with its U-shaped opening facing the multiple cantilever sections.

5. The connector device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 further includes a spring-loaded assembly, the spring-loaded assembly including a fixed plate spaced above the plurality of cantilever portions, and a plurality of elastic members disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions and the fixed plate, the plurality of elastic members respectively applying elastic force toward the plurality of cantilever portions.

6. A connector device disposed on a substrate for insertion of a pluggable component, the connector device comprising: a socket assembly including a plurality of cages and a plurality of connectors respectively disposed within the plurality of cages, each cage having a top opening; and a heat dissipation assembly including a liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate including a main body disposed on the substrate, a plurality of cantilever portions protruding from the main body and spaced apart from the substrate, and a liquid cooling pipe extending from the plurality of cantilever portions, the main body and the plurality of cantilever portions being integrally formed, the socket assembly being located between the substrate and the plurality of cantilever portions, the bottoms of the plurality of cantilever portions respectively extending into the top openings, and when the pluggable component is inserted into the socket assembly, the liquid cooling pipe contacting the top surface of the pluggable component; wherein... Each cage has a bottom plate, two side plates extending upward from the left and right sides of the bottom plate respectively, and a rear plate extending upward from the rear side of the bottom plate. The height of the top edge of the side plates is equal to the height of the top opening and higher than the height of the top edge of the rear plate. The rear plate is used to support the corresponding cantilever portion.

7. The connector device as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The liquid cooling pipe includes an inlet end, an outlet end, and a main pipe connecting the inlet end and the outlet end, the main pipe extending within the plurality of cantilever sections.

8. The connector device as claimed in claim 6, wherein, The liquid cooling pipe is made of copper.

9. The connector device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The main section includes multiple bends disposed within the multiple cantilever sections, and multiple connecting sections disposed within the main body and connecting two adjacent bends. Each bend is U-shaped with its U-shaped opening facing the main body, and each connecting section is inverted U-shaped with its U-shaped opening facing the multiple cantilever sections.

10. The connector device as described in any one of claims 6 to 9 further includes a spring-loaded assembly comprising a fixed plate spaced above the plurality of cantilever portions and a plurality of elastic members disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions and the fixed plate, the plurality of elastic members applying elastic forces toward the plurality of cantilever portions respectively.

11. A connector device disposed on a substrate for insertion of a pluggable component, the connector device comprising: a socket assembly including a plurality of cages and a plurality of connectors respectively disposed within the plurality of cages, each cage having a top opening; and a heat dissipation assembly including a liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate including a main body disposed on the substrate and a plurality of cantilever portions protruding from the main body and spaced apart from the substrate, the socket assembly being located between the substrate and the plurality of cantilever portions, the bottoms of the plurality of cantilever portions extending into the top openings respectively, the main body including a hollow cavity and a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged in the hollow cavity, the plurality of heat dissipation fins and the hollow cavity forming a plurality of channels for coolant flow, the plurality of cantilever portions being solid heat dissipation plates respectively thermally bonded to the main body, and when the pluggable component is inserted into the socket assembly, the bottom of the cantilever portion contacts the top surface of the pluggable component.

12. The connector device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, Each cage has a bottom plate, two side plates extending upward from the left and right sides of the bottom plate respectively, and a rear plate extending upward from the rear side of the bottom plate. The height of the top edge of the side plates is equal to the height of the top opening and higher than the height of the top edge of the rear plate. The rear plate is used to support the corresponding cantilever portion.

13. The connector device as described in any one of claims 11 to 12 further includes a spring-loaded assembly comprising a fixed plate spaced above the plurality of cantilever portions and a plurality of elastic members disposed between the plurality of cantilever portions and the fixed plate, the plurality of elastic members applying elastic forces toward the plurality of cantilever portions respectively.

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