External flipable liquid cooling device

Abstract

The application provides an external reversible liquid cooling device. The external reversible liquid cooling device is connected to an electronic device with a heat source, and includes a cooling module, a power module, a seat body and two connecting brackets. The liquid cooling unit is connected to the heat source for heat exchange. Two side plates of the seat body are located on both sides of the cooling module, and are provided with sliding blocks and spring fixing pins. The two connecting brackets are connected to the electronic device, and are provided with an arc-shaped sliding groove and two fixing holes. The sliding blocks are assembled in the arc-shaped sliding groove, and the spring fixing pins are clamped in one of the two fixing holes. When the spring fixing pin is separated from the fixing hole, the sliding block can slide along the arc-shaped sliding groove to drive the seat body and the cooling module to overturn. When the spring fixing pin enters the other fixing hole to be fixed, the angle of the overturned seat body is maintained. The external reversible liquid cooling device can be installed outside the electronic device without affecting the installation of the circuit, and has simple design and high cooling efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat flow, and more particularly to an externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device. Background Technology

[0002] With advancements in semiconductor technology, the integrated circuits per unit volume within chips have increased, improving computational efficiency and system performance. However, the heat generated by individual chips, such as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), is also constantly rising. For example, Intel's recent Eagle Stream series CPUs have reached 400W. Traditional air cooling methods, such as fans, are no longer sufficient to meet these cooling demands, potentially leading to overheating and system crashes.

[0003] Therefore, the demand for water / liquid cooling has emerged. However, currently, the main applications are high-power electronic devices such as industrial computers and servers. These typically require internal liquid cooling systems, which necessitates custom-designed chassis and pre-planning space for the radiator within the chassis. Furthermore, as system performance increases, internal space shrinks, leading to limited design margins and installation difficulties.

[0004] Another approach is to use an external cooling system, which requires the use of the overall liquid cooling system in the computer room. However, this is usually very expensive and the overall design is often bulky, making it quite inconvenient to install cables and maintain the system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems encountered in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide an externally connected, rotatable liquid cooling device. This externally connected, rotatable liquid cooling device is used to connect to an electronic device with a heat source. The externally connected, rotatable liquid cooling device includes a cooling module, a power module, a base, and a connecting bracket.

[0006] The cooling module includes a liquid cooling unit, a pump, and a heat sink. The heat sink is mounted on the heat source. The liquid cooling unit connects to the heat sink and the pump. The pump draws coolant from the heat sink and delivers it to the liquid cooling unit through an inlet pipe for cooling. The pump then delivers the cooled coolant back to the heat sink through an outlet pipe. The power module electrically connects the electronic devices to the pump and supplies power to the pump.

[0007] The base consists of a base plate and two side plates. The base plate supports the cooling module. The two side plates connect to the two sides of the base and extend perpendicular to the base. The two side plates are located on both sides of the cooling module, and their length is greater than the width of the cooling module. Each side plate has a sliding block and a spring-loaded retaining pin on one side. Two connecting brackets are connected to electronic devices on both sides, and each connecting bracket has an arc-shaped groove and two fixing holes. The sliding block is assembled in the arc-shaped groove, and the spring-loaded retaining pin is engaged in one of the two fixing holes. When the spring-loaded retaining pin disengages from the fixing hole, the sliding block can slide along the arc-shaped groove, causing the base and cooling module to flip. When the spring-loaded retaining pin enters the other fixing hole and is fixed, it maintains the flipped angle of the base.

[0008] In some embodiments, the external reversible liquid cooling device further includes a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket includes a plurality of first connecting ribs, a second connecting rib, and two extension connectors. The first connecting ribs connect the electronic device and the second connecting rib, the second connecting rib connects the first connecting rib, and the two extension connectors extend from both sides of the second connecting rib and connect to the two side plates of the base respectively.

[0009] More specifically, in some embodiments, the plurality of first connecting ribs includes at least one upper connecting rib and at least one lower connecting rib arranged in pairs, as well as two side connecting ribs located on both sides.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cooling module further includes a fan that is snapped onto the side of the housing facing the electronic device and adjacent to the liquid cooling unit, and the fan is electrically connected to the power module.

[0011] More specifically, in some embodiments, the power module is mounted on two first connecting ribs of the mounting bracket.

[0012] More specifically, in some embodiments, the externally mounted reversible liquid cooling device further includes a heat conduction assembly. The heat conduction assembly includes two fixed joints and a plurality of flexible heat-conducting pipes. The two fixed joints are respectively used to connect a heat source and a base, and the two ends of each flexible heat-conducting pipe are respectively connected to the two fixed joints, with the fixed joint connecting to the base adjacent to the fan.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the length of the first connector is greater than or equal to 85 mm.

[0014] In some embodiments, the side plate of the base also includes a riveting stud, and a spring retaining pin is installed in the riveting stud.

[0015] In some embodiments, the base also includes two front plates, each of which extends from one side of two side plates and is located in front of the liquid cooling unit.

[0016] In some embodiments, the distance from the cooling module to the electronic device is greater than or equal to 135 mm.

[0017] In summary, the externally mounted, rotatable liquid cooling unit can be directly installed on the outside of industrial computers, servers, and other electronic devices. Its design is simple and installation is easy. Furthermore, the sliding design of the base and connecting bracket allows the base and cooling module to be rotated, further simplifying the overall installation without affecting the wiring on the original input / output ports. This achieves high cooling efficiency, low cost, simple design, and easy installation. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device.

[0019] Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view of an externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the externally connected reversible liquid cooling device in its flipped state.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device.

[0023] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0024] 1: External reversible liquid cooling unit

[0025] 10: Cooling Module

[0026] 11: Liquid cooling unit

[0027] 13: Pump

[0028] 15: Heatsink Base

[0029] 17A: Water inlet pipe

[0030] 17B: Water outlet pipe

[0031] 19: Fan

[0032] 20: Power Module

[0033] 30: base body

[0034] 31: Base

[0035] 32:Front panel

[0036] 33: Side panel

[0037] 35: Sliding block

[0038] 37: Spring retaining pin

[0039] 39: Riveted studs

[0040] 40: Connecting bracket

[0041] 41: Arc-shaped groove

[0042] 43: Fixing hole

[0043] 60: Fixture

[0044] 61: First connecting rib

[0045] 611: Upper connecting rib

[0046] 613: Lower connecting rib

[0047] 615: Side connecting rib

[0048] 63: Second connecting rib

[0049] 65: Extension connector

[0050] 70: Heat transfer components

[0051] 71: Fixed connector

[0052] 73: Flexible heat pipe

[0053] 500: Electronic devices

[0054] 510: Heat source Detailed Implementation

[0055] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device. Figure 1 As shown, an external rotatable liquid cooling unit 1 is used to connect to an electronic device 500 having a heat source 510. The external rotatable liquid cooling unit 1 includes a cooling module 10, a power module 20, a base 30, and a connecting bracket 40. Here, the electronic device 500 is represented as a server, and the heat source 510 is the server's CPU. The top cover of the electronic device 500 is removed in the illustration, clearly showing the connection method. The external rotatable liquid cooling unit 1 is mounted at the I / O port of the server's rear end; however, this is merely an example and not intended to be limiting.

[0056] The cooling module 10 includes a liquid cooling unit 11, a pump 13, and a cold plate 15. The cold plate 15 is fixed to the heat source 510. The liquid cooling unit 11 connects the cold plate 15 and the pump 13. The pump 13 draws coolant from the cold plate 15 and delivers it to the liquid cooling unit 11 through the inlet pipe 17A for cooling. Then, the pump 13 pressurizes the cooled coolant and returns it to the cold plate 15 through the outlet pipe 17B, thus achieving a heat exchange cycle. Alternatively, the pump 13 of the cooling module 10 can be replaced with a compressor, and the liquid in the liquid cooling unit 11 can be water or a liquid refrigerant. The power module 20 can be electrically connected to the electronic device 500, for example, connected to the input / output port, and used to supply power to the pump 13. Here, the cooling module 10 is implemented with two liquid cooling units 11 and a shared pump 13; however, this is only an example, and the configuration can be adjusted according to actual needs. In addition, the configuration of the inlet pipe 17A and the outlet pipe 17B is only for the purpose of clear configuration and is not intended to limit.

[0057] The base 30 includes a base 31 and two side plates 33. The base 31 supports the cooling module 10, and the two side plates 33 connect to the two sides of the base 31 and extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to the base 31. The side plates 33 are located on both sides of the cooling module 10, and the length of the side plates 33 is greater than the width of the cooling module 10. A sliding block 35 and a spring fixing pin 37 are provided on one side of each side plate 33. Two connecting brackets 40 are respectively connected to the electronic device 500 on both sides. In this embodiment, the connecting brackets 40 are directly connected to the electronic device 500, but in practice, an indirect connection can also be used. Each connecting bracket 40 has an arc-shaped sliding groove 41 and two fixing holes 43. The sliding block 35 is assembled in the arc-shaped sliding groove 41, and the spring fixing pin 37 is engaged in one of the two fixing holes 43.

[0058] Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view of an externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the externally connected reversible liquid cooling device in its flipped state. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The perspective is from inside the housing of the electronic device 500 towards the outside of the housing. For example... Figures 2 to 4As shown, when the spring retaining pin 37 is pressed out of its original retaining hole 43, the sliding block 35 can slide along the arc-shaped slide groove 41, causing the base 30 and cooling module 10 to flip. Here, it is presented as a 90-degree plane flip, but in reality, more retaining holes 43 can be designed to accommodate different flip angles, such as 30 degrees, 60 degrees, etc. When the spring retaining pin 37 is fixed in another retaining hole 43, it can maintain the flip angle of the base 30. In this way, the installation of cables and the inspection of indicator lights at the output / output ports will not be affected by the external flip-up liquid cooling device 1.

[0059] For more details, please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 4 The cooling module 10 also includes a fan 19, which is snapped onto the side of the housing 30 facing the electronic device 500 and adjacent to the liquid cooling unit 11. The fan 19 is electrically connected to the power module 20. The fan 19 can also accelerate the dissipation of heat to the outside.

[0060] In addition, considering installation and flipping, the distance between the cooling module 10 and the electronic device 500 is greater than or equal to 135mm, and the water inlet pipe 17A and the water outlet pipe 17B are made of flexible hoses to maintain the flexibility of flipping.

[0061] See again Figures 1 to 4 Preferably, the two side plates 33 of the base 30 also include riveting studs 39, and spring retaining pins 37 are installed in the riveting studs 39 to prevent deformation or displacement of the spring retaining pins 37. The spring retaining pins 37 can protrude from the riveting studs 39 to be installed in the fixing holes 43. Further, the base 30 also includes two front plates 32, which are bent and extended from one side of the side plates 33 and are located in front of the liquid cooling unit 11. Further, they can also be fixed to the liquid cooling unit 11 by locking. In this way, the cooling module 10 is limited by the base 31, the front plates 32, and the side plates 33.

[0062] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device. Figure 5 As shown, see also Figure 1 and Figure 4Unlike the first embodiment, the side plate 33 in the second embodiment is shorter and is connected to the electronic device 500 via a mounting bracket 60. The mounting bracket 60 includes multiple first connecting ribs 61, second connecting ribs 63, and two extension connectors 65. The first connecting ribs 61 connect the electronic device 500 and the second connecting ribs 63. More specifically, the first connecting ribs 61 include a pair of upper connecting ribs 611 and lower connecting ribs 613 arranged in the middle, and side connecting ribs 615 located on both sides. The first connecting ribs 61 can be fixed to the electronic device 500 by a locking mechanism. The second connecting ribs 63 connect multiple first connecting ribs 61. The two extension connectors 65 extend from both sides of the second connecting ribs 63 and connect to the two side plates 33 of the base 30 respectively. The two extension connectors 65 and the side connecting ribs 615 extend approximately from the second connecting ribs 63 to the front and rear sides. This structure is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. The purpose of the mounting bracket 60 is to improve the rigidity of the connection between the external reversible liquid cooling device 1 and the electronic device 500, so as to maintain a longer service life.

[0063] Furthermore, the power module 20 is mounted on two first connecting ribs 61 of the mounting bracket 60. In this embodiment, the length of the first connecting ribs 61 is greater than or equal to 85 mm, thus providing leeway for the base 30 and the cooling module 10 to be flipped, and for ease of assembly.

[0064] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the externally connected, reversible liquid cooling device. Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 As shown, the externally mounted reversible liquid cooling device 1 also includes a heat conduction assembly 70. The heat conduction assembly 70 includes two fixed connectors 71 and multiple flexible heat-conducting pipes 73. The two fixed connectors 71 are respectively used to connect the heat source 510 and the base 30 (not explicitly shown in the figure), and both ends of each flexible heat-conducting pipe 73 are connected to the two fixed connectors 71. Thus, in addition to liquid cooling, excess heat is also conducted to the outside through heat conduction. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, it can be understood from the structural relationship that the fixed connectors 71 connected to the base 30 are adjacent to the fan 19 to achieve faster heat conduction. Although... Figure 6 Therefore Figure 1 , Figure 4 It is presented in a structure that is understandable. Figure 6 It can also be like Figure 5 It is equipped with a fixing bracket 60 to further enhance the rigidity of the assembly.

[0065] The following is an experimental example using a server with the external reversible liquid cooling device 1 structure of the second embodiment installed, compared with a server of the same specifications without the external reversible liquid cooling device 1 and cooled solely by a fan, to compare the temperatures of various components. The temperatures of each component were compared at room temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius, as shown in Table 1. In this experimental example, the cooling module 10 includes two liquid cooling units 11, a pump 13, and two heat sinks 15, connected to the server's two CPUs. The CPUs are Intel Whitley 270W Dual processors, and the coolant in the liquid cooling units 11 is water.

[0066] Table 1

[0067]

[0068] As shown in Table 1 above, the experimental examples demonstrate that the externally connected reversible liquid cooling device 1 can effectively dissipate heat compared to the air-cooled comparative example, thereby maintaining the stability of system performance.

[0069] As explained above, the externally mounted, rotatable liquid cooling unit 1 can be directly installed on the outside of industrial computers, servers, and other electronic devices 500, particularly behind the input / output ports. No special casing design or internal space reallocation is required, resulting in a simple overall design and greater design flexibility for the electronic device 500. Furthermore, the sliding design of the base 30 and connecting bracket 40 allows the base 30 and cooling module 10 to be rotated, simplifying the overall installation and not affecting the wiring on the original input / output ports. This achieves high cooling efficiency, low cost, simple design, and easy installation.

[0070] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as "connected" or "set" on another component, it can mean that the component is directly on the other component, or that there may be an intermediate component that connects the component to the other component. Conversely, when a component is referred to as "directly on another component" or "directly connected to another component," it can be understood that this explicitly defines the absence of an intermediate component.

[0071] Furthermore, relative terms such as “down” and “up,” “front” and “back” may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element and another. It should be understood that relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device beyond those shown in the figures. For example, if a device in a figure is flipped, an element described as being “down” of other elements would be oriented “up” of other elements. This indicates only a relative orientation, not an absolute orientation.

[0072] Although the technical content of the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications and refinements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An externally detachable liquid cooling device for connection to an electronic device having a heat source, comprising: A cooling module includes a liquid cooling unit, a pump, and a heat sink. The heat sink is connected to the liquid cooling unit through a water inlet pipe and is fixed on the heat source. The liquid cooling unit is connected to the heat sink and the pump. The pump draws coolant from the heat sink and delivers it to the liquid cooling unit through a water inlet pipe for cooling. Then, the pump delivers the cooled coolant to the heat sink through a water outlet pipe. A power module is used to electrically connect the electronic device and the pump to supply power to the pump; A unit comprising a base and two side plates. The base supports the cooling module. The two side plates are connected to the two sides of the base and extend in a direction perpendicular to the base. The two side plates are located on both sides of the cooling module, and the length of multiple side plates is greater than the width of the cooling module. Each side plate has a sliding block and a spring retaining pin on one side. Two connecting brackets are connected to the electronic device on both sides respectively, and each connecting bracket has an arc-shaped slide groove and two fixing holes. The sliding block is assembled in the arc-shaped slide groove, and the spring fixing pin is locked in one of the two fixing holes. When the spring fixing pin is disengaged from the fixing hole, the sliding block can slide along the arc-shaped slide groove, causing the base and the cooling module to flip. When the spring fixing pin enters the other fixing hole and is fixed, it can maintain the angle of the base flipping.

2. The externally connected reversible liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1 further includes a fixing frame, the fixing frame including a plurality of first connecting ribs, a second connecting rib and two extension connectors, the plurality of first connecting ribs connecting the electronic device and the second connecting rib, the second connecting rib connecting the plurality of first connecting ribs, and the two extension connectors extending from both sides of the second connecting rib and respectively connecting to the two side plates of the base.

3. The externally connected reversible liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of first connecting ribs include at least one upper connecting rib and at least one lower connecting rib arranged in pairs, as well as two side connecting ribs located on both sides.

4. The external rotatable liquid cooling device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling module further includes a fan that is snapped onto the side of the base facing the electronic device and adjacent to the liquid cooling unit, the base supports the fan, and the fan is electrically connected to the power module.

5. The externally connected rotatable liquid cooling device as described in claim 4 further includes a heat conduction component, which includes two fixed joints and a plurality of flexible heat conduction pipes. The two fixed joints are respectively used to connect the heat source and the base. The two ends of each flexible heat conduction pipe are respectively connected to the two fixed joints, and the fixed joint connected to the base is adjacent to the fan.

6. The externally connected reversible liquid cooling device as described in claim 2, wherein the power module is mounted on the two first connecting ribs of the fixed frame.

7. The externally connected reversible liquid cooling device as described in claim 2, wherein the length of the first connecting rib is greater than or equal to 85 mm.

8. The externally connected reversible liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two side plates of the base further include a riveting stud, and the spring retaining pin is installed in the riveting stud.

9. The externally mounted reversible liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base further comprises two front plates, each of which extends from one side of the two side plates and is located on the front side of the liquid cooling unit.

10. The externally connected reversible liquid cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the cooling module and the electronic device is greater than or equal to 135 mm.

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