Liquid Cooling Connector Assembly

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a liquid cooling connector assembly. The liquid cooling connector assembly includes a guiding shield, a liquid cooling plate, at least one heat conducting plate, and a pressing spring. The guiding shield has at least one plug accommodating space, and the plug accommodating space has a socket with an opening facing forward. The liquid cooling plate is disposed across the top of the plug accommodating space, and the liquid cooling plate has a first obliquely extending thermal coupling surface located at the bottom and extending obliquely backward and upward from the front. The at least one heat conducting plate is movably disposed between the at least one plug accommodating space and the liquid cooling plate. The heat conducting plate has a second obliquely extending thermal coupling surface located at the top and extending obliquely backward and upward from the front, and a plug thermal coupling surface located at the bottom and extending downward into the plug accommodating space. The pressing spring is connected to the heat conducting plate to provide an elastic acting force to the heat conducting plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a liquid-cooled connector assembly. Background Art

[0002] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN110139534A (corresponding to U.S. Patent Publication No. US2019 / 0246523A1) discloses a cooling device, which includes a manifold and a plurality of bases. The manifold includes a housing surrounding an inner cavity for accommodating and circulating a cooling liquid. Each base is individually and flexibly coupled to the housing of the manifold by a sealing and annular bellows. Each base is configured to extend outward from the bottom surface of the housing of the manifold when there is fluid pressure in the inner cavity. However, the bellows of this prior art only provides a flexible connection between the base and the manifold, and the base has enough force to extend outward from the bottom surface of the housing of the manifold only when there is fluid pressure in the inner cavity of the manifold. First, as a connection seal between the base and the manifold, the bellows has a complex structure and high manufacturing difficulty. Second, since the base needs to extend outward through fluid pressure, when the fluid pressure is insufficient or unstable, it is easy to cause the outward protrusion amount of the base relative to the manifold to be insufficient, resulting in insufficient pressure of the base contacting the electrical module or even unable to contact the electrical module, thereby reducing the heat dissipation efficiency. Moreover, when multiple electrical modules need to contact the respective bases on the manifold simultaneously, in the case where the outward protrusion amount of the base relative to the manifold is insufficient and the elastic restoring force of the base relative to the manifold is insufficient, it is easy for each electrical module to be unable to contact the respective bases on the manifold simultaneously due to the tolerance problems of each electrical module.

[0003] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN110658595 (corresponding to U.S. Patent No. US10,749,288) discloses a flexible liquid-cooled assembly. Among them, each of a plurality of connector cages has a heat dissipation plate attached to the top surface of the connector cage, and the heat conduction plates of each cooling sub-element are fixed to the corresponding heat dissipation plates by using screws. When a cable plug is inserted into the connector cage, each heat dissipation plate and the heat conduction plate of the cooling sub-element move vertically independently. That is to say, for each connector cage, an independent cooling sub-element is provided separately, and each cooling sub-element is independent and a plurality of cooling sub-elements are connected in series through interconnected hoses to convey the coolant. Therefore, the overall structure of the flexible liquid-cooled assembly is relatively complex, with high manufacturing difficulty and high cost. Second, a plurality of cooling sub-elements are connected by a flexible interconnecting assembly such as interconnected hoses. Although the hoses have flexibility, they still affect the movement of other cooling sub-elements and the position and contact area when the cooling sub-elements contact the cable plug, affecting the liquid-cooling heat dissipation efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling connector assembly that can improve at least one drawback in the prior art.

[0005] Thus, in some embodiments, the liquid cooling connector assembly of the present invention includes a guiding shield, a liquid cooling plate, at least one heat conducting plate, and a pressing spring. The guiding shield has at least one plug accommodating space, and the plug accommodating space has a socket with an opening facing forward. The liquid cooling plate is disposed across the top of the plug accommodating space, and the liquid cooling plate has a first obliquely extending thermal coupling surface at the bottom that extends obliquely backward and upward from the front. The at least one heat conducting plate is movably disposed between the at least one plug accommodating space and the liquid cooling plate. The heat conducting plate has a second obliquely extending thermal coupling surface at the top that extends obliquely backward and upward from the front, and a plug thermal coupling surface at the bottom that extends downward into the plug accommodating space. The pressing spring is connected to the heat conducting plate to provide an elastic acting force to the heat conducting plate. Wherein, the second obliquely extending thermal coupling surface of the heat conducting plate is slidably and cooperatively contacted with the first obliquely extending thermal coupling surface of the liquid cooling plate. When the heat conducting plate is subjected to an external force and slides obliquely backward and upward along the first obliquely extending thermal coupling surface, the plug thermal coupling surface of the heat conducting plate moves upward; when the external force is removed, the elastic acting force provided by the pressing spring resets the heat conducting plate.

[0006] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate is fixed and immovable relative to the guiding shield.

[0007] In some embodiments, the acting force provided by the pressing spring to the heat conducting plate causes the second obliquely extending thermal coupling surface of the heat conducting plate to act on the first obliquely extending thermal coupling surface of the liquid cooling plate, and causes the plug thermal coupling surface of the heat conducting plate to act on the object providing the external force.

[0008] In some embodiments, the pressing spring is disposed between the rear end of the heat conducting plate and the liquid cooling plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the guiding shield has side walls that form the plug accommodating space. An obliquely extending guiding track and a guiding slider corresponding to and cooperating with the guiding track are provided between the side walls of the guiding shield and the side surface of the heat conducting plate. The slope of the guiding track is the same as the slope of the first obliquely extending thermal coupling surface and the slope of the second obliquely extending thermal coupling surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, a guiding edge is provided at the lower front edge of the heat conducting plate.

[0011] In some embodiments, a socket connector and a plug are further included. The socket connector is disposed at the rear end of the plug accommodating space. When the plug is inserted into the plug accommodating space, it acts on the guiding edge at the front end of the heat conducting plate to push the heat conducting plate and make the heat conducting plate slide obliquely backward and upward. After the plug is completely inserted into the plug accommodating space, it is docked with the socket connector, and due to the elastic force provided by the pressing spring to the heat conducting plate, the plug heat coupling surface of the heat conducting plate abuts against the surface of the plug, and the second oblique heat coupling surface of the heat conducting plate abuts against the first oblique heat coupling surface of the liquid cooling plate.

[0012] In the liquid cooling connector assembly of the present invention, through the second oblique heat coupling surface of the heat conducting plate and the first oblique heat coupling surface of the liquid cooling plate that are slidably and cooperatively contacted, and the pressing spring that provides an elastic force to the heat conducting plate, the heat conducting plate can be slidably and closely contacted with the liquid cooling plate and the plug applying the external force, thereby improving the liquid cooling and heat dissipation efficiency and simplifying the overall structure. In addition, the liquid cooling plate can be fixedly spanned across a plurality of plug accommodating spaces corresponding to a plurality of heat conducting plates, thereby further simplifying the overall structure when the liquid cooling connector assembly is applied to a plurality of plug accommodating spaces and improving the liquid cooling and heat dissipation efficiency. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein:

[0014] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the liquid cooling connector assembly of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1 a three-dimensional schematic diagram, in which one side wall of the guiding shielding cover of this embodiment is omitted in the figure;

[0016] Figure 3 is Figure 2 a side view schematic diagram;

[0017] Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 a side view schematic diagram, in which the plug of this embodiment is inserted into the plug accommodating space of the guiding shielding cover and abuts against and acts on the heat conducting plate; and

[0018] Figure 5 is similar to Figure 3 a side view schematic diagram, in which the plug of this embodiment is completely inserted into the guiding shielding cover.

[0019] Reference numerals are as follows:

[0020] 100 Liquid cooling connector assembly

[0021] 1 Guide shielding cover

[0022] 11 Plug accommodation space

[0023] 111 Socket

[0024] 112 Bottom opening

[0025] 12 Side wall

[0026] 121 Guide rail

[0027] 13 Bottom wall

[0028] 2 Socket connector

[0029] 3 Liquid cooling plate

[0030] 31 Flank convex part

[0031] 32 First obliquely thermal coupling surface

[0032] 33 Setting structure

[0033] 331 Plate body

[0034] 332 Setting column

[0035] 4 Heat conducting plate

[0036] 40 Thermal coupling convex part

[0037] 41 Second obliquely thermal coupling surface

[0038] 42 Plug thermal coupling surface

[0039] 43 Guide edge

[0040] 44 Guide slider

[0041] 5 Pressing spring

[0042] 6 Plug

[0043] D1 Front - rear direction

[0044] D2 Left - right direction

[0045] D3 Up - down direction Specific implementation mode

[0046] Refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown in [[ID=]], an embodiment of the liquid - cooled connector assembly 100 of the present invention includes a guide shielding cover 1, a socket connector 2, a liquid - cooling plate 3, a heat - conducting plate 4, a pressing spring 5, and a plug 6.

[0047] The guiding shield 1 has a plug accommodating space 11 which has a socket 111 with an opening facing forward along a front-rear direction D1. In this embodiment, the guiding shield 1 has two side walls 12 spaced side by side along a left-right direction D2, and a bottom wall 13 connecting to the bottom edges of the two side walls 12 in an up-down direction D3. The two side walls 12 and the bottom wall 13 together define the plug accommodating space 11. In addition, the plug accommodating space 11 further has a bottom opening 112 located behind the bottom wall 13 and defined by the bottom wall 13 and the two side walls 12. The socket connector 2 is disposed at the rear end of the plug accommodating space 11 by extending into the plug accommodating space 11 from the bottom opening 112. Specifically, the bottom of the guiding shield 1 and the bottom of the socket connector 2 can be disposed on a circuit board (not shown), but not limited thereto.

[0048] The liquid cooling plate 3 extends into the guiding shield 1 and straddles above the plug accommodating space 11. In addition, the liquid cooling plate 3 can be fixedly installed on the two side walls 12 of the guiding shield 1 and be immovable relative to the guiding shield 1 as an example in this embodiment. The liquid cooling plate 3 has two wing convex parts 31 extending outward along the left-right direction D2 and disposed at the top edges of the two side walls 12 of the guiding shield 1. However, in other embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 3 can also be fixed to other components and be immovable relative to the guiding shield 1. Specifically, the liquid cooling plate 3 allows cooling liquid to flow inside. The cooling liquid can be water or other cooling fluids as an example. The liquid cooling plate 3 is made of metal (such as copper, aluminum) as an example and has an inlet (not shown) and an outlet (not shown) for the cooling liquid to flow in or out. The liquid cooling plate 3 can be used in conjunction with other components of a liquid cooling system (not shown) to form the liquid cooling system. Thus, after the cooling liquid absorbs heat from the liquid cooling plate 3 and leaves, it can dissipate heat through other components of the liquid cooling system. The liquid cooling system can include fluid ducts, radiators, cooling fans, pumps, water tanks, etc. as an example. The above components can be disposed outside the guiding shield 1 of the liquid cooling connector assembly 100 as an example. In addition, it should be noted that in other alternative embodiments, the guiding shield 1 can also have multiple plug accommodating spaces 11. At this time, the single liquid cooling plate 3 can straddle multiple plug accommodating spaces 11, and the liquid cooling plate 3 straddling multiple plug accommodating spaces 11 can be provided with only one inlet and one outlet, and the structure is relatively simple.

[0049] The heat conducting plate 4 is movably arranged between the plug accommodating space 11 and the liquid cooling plate 3. It should be noted that when the guiding shielding cover 1 has a plurality of plug accommodating spaces 11, the number of the heat conducting plates 4 can be multiple corresponding to the number of the plurality of plug accommodating spaces 11, and the multiple heat conducting plates 4 are respectively movably arranged corresponding to between the plurality of plug accommodating spaces 11 and the liquid cooling plate 3. The liquid cooling plate 3 has a first obliquely extending heat coupling surface 32 located at the bottom and extending obliquely backward and upward from the front. The heat conducting plate 4 has a second obliquely extending heat coupling surface 41 located at the top and extending obliquely backward and upward from the front, a plug heat coupling surface 42 located at the bottom and extending downward into the plug accommodating space 11, and a guiding edge 43 located at the lower front edge and in a shape of an inclined surface. In this embodiment, the heat conducting plate 4 is formed with a heat coupling convex portion 40 extending downward into the plug accommodating space 11, and the plug heat coupling surface 42 and the guiding edge 43 are formed on the heat coupling convex portion 40, but not limited thereto. The pressing spring 5 extends along the front-back direction D1 and is connected between the rear end of the heat conducting plate 4 and the liquid cooling plate 3, and is used to provide an elastic acting force to the heat conducting plate 4. In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 further has a setting structure 33 extending downward from the rear end. The setting structure 33 has a plate body 331 extending downward, and a setting post 332 extending forward from the front side of the plate body 331. The pressing spring 5 is a coil spring and is sleeved on the setting post 332 and clamped between the rear end of the heat conducting plate 4 and the plate body 331 of the liquid cooling plate 3. However, it should be noted that the pressing spring 5 can also be connected between the heat conducting plate 4 and other fixed components to provide an elastic acting force to the heat conducting plate 4, and the pressing spring 5 can also be other forms of elastic elements, not limited to this embodiment.

[0050] Wherein, the second obliquely extending heat coupling surface 41 of the heat conducting plate 4 and the first obliquely extending heat coupling surface 32 of the liquid cooling plate 3 are in slidable mating contact. In addition, each side wall 12 of the guiding shielding cover 1 is formed with a guiding track 121 extending obliquely and having the same slope as the slope of the first obliquely extending heat coupling surface 32 and the slope of the second obliquely extending heat coupling surface 41. The side surface of the heat conducting plate 4 has a plurality of guiding sliders 44 corresponding to and mating with the plurality of guiding tracks 121. In a variant embodiment, the guiding tracks 121 can be formed on the heat conducting plate 4, and the guiding sliders 44 are formed on the guiding shielding cover 1.

[0051] Refer to Figures 2 to 5 , when the plug 6 has not been inserted into the plug accommodating space 11, the plug heat coupling surface 42 of the heat conducting plate 4 extends downward into the plug accommodating space 11, as Figure 3 shown; when the plug 6 is inserted into the plug accommodating space 11, it abuts against and acts on the guiding edge 43 at the front end of the heat conducting plate 4, from Figures 4 to 5During the process, the heat conduction plate 4 is pushed by the plug 6 and slides obliquely backward and upward along the first oblique thermal coupling surface 32 due to the cooperation and guidance of a plurality of guiding sliders 44 and a plurality of guiding tracks 121. At this time, the plug thermal coupling surface 42 of the heat conduction plate 4 will move upward accordingly; when the plug 6 is completely inserted into the plug accommodation space 11 and docks with the socket connector 2, the heat conduction plate 4 compresses the pressure spring 5 backward, and through the elastic force provided by the pressure spring 5 to the heat conduction plate 4, the plug thermal coupling surface 42 of the heat conduction plate 4 abuts against the top surface of the plug 6 with a force, and the second oblique thermal coupling surface 41 of the heat conduction plate 4 abuts against the first oblique thermal coupling surface 32 of the liquid cooling plate 3 with a force, as Figure 5 shown. In this case, through the force provided by the pressure spring 5, the second oblique thermal coupling surface 41 of the heat conduction plate 4 can act on the first oblique thermal coupling surface 32 of the liquid cooling plate 3, and the plug thermal coupling surface 42 of the heat conduction plate 4 can act on the surface of the plug 6 to ensure that there is a firm and close contact between the heat conduction plate 4 and the liquid cooling plate 3 and between the heat conduction plate 4 and the plug 6. In addition, when the plug 6 is pulled out from the plug accommodation space 11 to release the external force, the elastic force provided by the pressure spring 5 will cause the heat conduction plate 4 to return to its original position.

[0052] To sum up, the present invention enables the second oblique thermal coupling surface 41 of the heat conduction plate 4 and the first oblique thermal coupling surface 32 of the liquid cooling plate 3 to be in slidable and mating contact, and the pressure spring 5 that provides an elastic force to the heat conduction plate 4, so that the heat conduction plate 4 can slidably and closely contact the liquid cooling plate 3 and the plug 6 applying the external force, thereby improving the liquid cooling efficiency and simplifying the overall structure. In addition, the liquid cooling plate 3 can be fixedly spanned across a plurality of plug accommodation spaces 11 corresponding to a plurality of heat conduction plates 4, thereby further simplifying the overall structure and improving the liquid cooling efficiency when the liquid cooling connector assembly 100 is applied to a plurality of plug accommodation spaces 11.

[0053] However, as described above, it is only an embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of implementation of the present invention cannot be limited thereby. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and the content of the specification of the present invention still fall within the scope covered by the patent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooled connector assembly, comprising: A guiding shield, having at least one plug accommodating space, and the plug accommodating space has a socket with an opening facing forward; A liquid-cooled plate, spanning above the plug accommodating space, and the liquid-cooled plate has a first obliquely thermal coupling surface located at the bottom and extending obliquely backward and upward from the front; At least one heat conducting plate, movably disposed between the at least one plug accommodating space and the liquid-cooled plate, the heat conducting plate has a second obliquely thermal coupling surface located at the top and extending obliquely backward and upward from the front, and a plug thermal coupling surface located at the bottom and extending downward into the plug accommodating space; and A pressing spring, connected to the heat conducting plate to provide an elastic acting force to the heat conducting plate; Wherein, The second obliquely thermally coupled surface of the heat conducting plate is slidably and matingly contacted with the first obliquely thermally coupled surface of the liquid cooling plate. When the heat conducting plate is forced to slide obliquely backward and upward along the first obliquely thermally coupled surface, the plug thermally coupled surface of the heat conducting plate moves upward; when the external force is removed, the elastic force provided by the pressing spring causes the heat conducting plate to reset; Wherein, the guiding shielding cover has side walls forming the plug accommodating space, and an obliquely extending guiding track and a guiding slider corresponding to and mating with the guiding track are provided between the side walls of the guiding shielding cover and the side surface of the heat conducting plate, and the slope of the guiding track is the same as the slopes of the first obliquely thermally coupled surface and the second obliquely thermally coupled surface.

2. The liquid-cooled connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid cooling plate is fixed and immovable relative to the guiding shielding cover.

3. The liquid-cooled connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein, The force provided by the pressing spring to the heat conducting plate causes the second obliquely thermally coupled surface of the heat conducting plate to act on the first obliquely thermally coupled surface of the liquid cooling plate, and causes the plug thermally coupled surface of the heat conducting plate to act on the object providing the external force.

4. The liquid-cooled connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein, The pressing spring is arranged between the rear end of the heat conducting plate and the liquid cooling plate.

5. The liquid-cooled connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, A guiding edge is provided at the lower edge of the front end of the heat conducting plate.

6. The liquid-cooled connector assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a socket connector and a plug, the socket connector is disposed at the rear end of the plug accommodating space; when the plug is inserted into the plug accommodating space, it acts on the guiding edge at the front end of the heat conducting plate to push the heat conducting plate and make the heat conducting plate slide obliquely backward and upward; when the plug is fully inserted into the plug accommodating space, it is docked with the socket connector, and through the elastic acting force provided by the pressing spring to the heat conducting plate, the plug thermal coupling surface of the heat conducting plate abuts against the surface of the plug, and the second obliquely thermal coupling surface of the heat conducting plate abuts against the first obliquely thermal coupling surface of the liquid-cooled plate.

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