Cold plate assembly, electronic equipment and liquid cooling system

Abstract

The invention discloses a cold plate assembly, electronic equipment and a liquid cooling system. The cold plate assembly comprises a cold plate body and a flexible plate. The cold plate body is provided with a refrigerant fluid flow channel for refrigerant fluid to flow through. The cold plate body is in heat-conducting connection with the electronic device, and the refrigerant fluid is used for conducting heat of the electronic device through the cold plate body so as to dissipate heat of the electronic device. The flexible plate is integrated on the cold plate body, the flexible plate is provided with a high-speed signal line and a power supply interconnection line, and the high-speed signal line and the power supply interconnection line are respectively used for being electrically connected with an electronic device. The high-speed signal line is used for transmitting high-speed signals to the electronic device, and the power supply interconnection line is used for supplying power to the electronic device. The flexible plate is made of a flexible material and has an insulating property. The cold plate assembly has three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply, and cable connection in the electronic equipment is reduced. The number of cables in the electronic equipment is reduced, and the size of the electronic equipment is reduced.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 202310270108.1, and the original application date is March 14, 2023. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated into this application by reference.

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on December 6, 2022, with application number 202211559617.8 and invention name "A circuit board assembly and electronic device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, and in particular to a cold plate assembly, electronic equipment and a liquid cooling system. Background Art

[0004] With the development of technology, the demand for the evolution of electronic devices has gradually increased, and the interface rate of electronic devices has also gradually increased, for example, from 25Gbps to 112Gbps, and the interconnection between modules or boards has moved from printed circuit boards (PCBs) to high-speed cable interconnection architectures. Existing interconnection solutions use cables to achieve connectivity and power supply between modules or boards, but cables take up more space and are more complicated to maintain. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a cold plate assembly, an electronic device and a liquid cooling system, so that the cold plate assembly has three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply, reduces cable connections, is conducive to reducing cables in electronic devices, and reduces the volume of electronic devices.

[0006] In the first aspect, the present application provides a cold plate assembly, which includes a cold plate body and a flexible plate. Among them, the cold plate body is provided with a refrigerant liquid flow channel, and the refrigerant liquid flow channel is used to flow through the refrigerant. The above-mentioned cold plate body is thermally connected to the electronic device, and the refrigerant is used to conduct the heat of the electronic device through the cold plate body, thereby dissipating the heat of the electronic device. The above-mentioned flexible plate is integrated into the cold plate body, and the flexible plate is provided with a high-speed signal line and a power interconnection line, and the above-mentioned high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line are respectively used to be electrically connected to the electronic device. Specifically, the above-mentioned high-speed signal line is used to transmit high-speed signals to the electronic device, and the power interconnection line is used to power the electronic device. The above-mentioned flexible plate is made of flexible material and has insulation. In this technical solution, the cold plate assembly has three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply. That is to say, the cold plate assembly can dissipate heat for the electronic devices in the circuit board module, and can realize the signal transmission and power supply connection of different circuit board modules, reducing the cable connection. It is conducive to reducing the cables in electronic equipment and reducing the volume of electronic equipment.

[0007] When the above-mentioned flexible plate is specifically set, the flexible plate can be integrated into one side surface of the cold plate body, or it can be integrated into both side surfaces of the cold plate body. First, the flexible plate is integrated into the surface of the cold plate body, which is convenient for the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line to be electrically connected to the electronic device respectively. Secondly, the flexible plate can be integrated into one side surface of the cold plate body according to needs, or it can be integrated with both side surfaces of the cold plate body. It can be specifically determined according to the number of circuit board modules connected to the cold plate assembly. For example, when the number of circuit board modules connected to the cold plate assembly is large, the flexible plate can be integrated with both side surfaces of the cold plate body, and the above-mentioned circuit board modules can be set on both sides of the cold plate, which is conducive to further improving the integration of electronic equipment.

[0008] When the cold plate body is integrated with the above-mentioned flexible plate, the process and specific method used are not limited. For example, the surface of the cold plate body can be provided with a mounting groove, and the flexible plate can be embedded in the above-mentioned mounting groove. Alternatively, the flexible plate can be directly attached to the surface of the cold plate body. In addition, the above-mentioned flexible plate can be fixedly connected to the cold plate body by bonding or welding, and this application does not limit this.

[0009] This application does not impose any specific restrictions on the size of the flexible plate. In one possible technical solution, the area of ​​the flexible plate is smaller than the area of ​​the surface of the cold plate body facing the flexible plate. Specifically, the flexible plate avoids the area where the cold plate body is thermally connected to the electronic device. The arrangement of the flexible plate in this solution allows the electronic device to be directly thermally connected to the cold plate body without the need for a flexible plate to be arranged between the electronic device and the cold plate body, thereby shortening the link between the electronic device and the cold plate body, reducing thermal resistance, and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the electronic device.

[0010] There is no restriction on the number and shape of the flexible plates integrated in the above-mentioned cold plate body, and the specific design can be based on the demand. For example, the cold plate body can be integrated with one or more flexible plates. When the cold plate body includes a flexible plate, the flexible plate can be of regular shape or irregular shape. In order to avoid the area where the above-mentioned cold plate body is thermally connected to the electronic device, the flexible plate can have a hollow structure, so that the cold plate body and the electronic device can be thermally connected through the above-mentioned hollow structure. In a technical solution, the edge shape of the above-mentioned flexible plate can be the same as the edge shape of the cold plate body. When the cold plate body includes multiple flexible plates, the multiple flexible plates can avoid the area where the above-mentioned cold plate body is thermally connected to the electronic device. Regardless of which solution is adopted, the design idea is mainly to avoid the area where the cold plate body is thermally connected to the electronic device, and to shorten the connection path of different circuit board modules, so as to improve the heat dissipation capacity of the circuit board module and improve the efficiency of signal transmission between different circuit board modules.

[0011] In order to improve the heat dissipation capacity of the flexible board, an insulating thermal interface material layer can be provided between the flexible board and the cold plate body, so that the cold plate body can be used to dissipate heat for the high-speed signal lines and power interconnection lines in the flexible board, thereby improving the service life of the high-speed signal lines and power interconnection lines in the flexible board.

[0012] When the connection between the flexible board and the circuit board module is specifically realized, the flexible board can be provided with a first connector, and the first connector is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power supply interconnection line. The electronic device is connected to the first connector. Specifically, the electronic device can be connected to the second connector, and the first connector is connected to the second connector, so as to realize the connection between the electronic device and the first connector. In this solution, the electronic device of the circuit board module is detachably connected to the cold plate module, so as to facilitate the flexible adjustment of the connection relationship and the maintenance and replacement of the circuit board module.

[0013] The specific form of the first connector is not limited, for example, the first connector is an elastic connector. The elastic connector has a certain elasticity, so that the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly are connected in a floating manner to absorb the tolerance between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly, reduce the coplanar constraint between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly, and facilitate installation.

[0014] In order to facilitate the connection between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly, the cold plate assembly can also include a first positioning assembly. The above-mentioned first positioning assembly includes a first guide pin and a second guide pin, and there is a preset distance between the surfaces opposite to each other of the first guide pin and the second guide pin. The first positioning assembly is used to locate the position of the electronic device on the cold plate assembly. During actual installation, the distance between the above-mentioned electronic device and the first positioning assembly is preset and specific, and the circuit board module has a second positioning assembly adapted to the above-mentioned first positioning assembly. The first positioning assembly and the second positioning assembly are first contacted and installed to achieve preliminary positioning, which is convenient for improving the positioning accuracy between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly and is conducive to simplifying the installation process.

[0015] The above-mentioned flexible board realizes signal transmission and power supply inside the cold plate assembly, but signal transmission and power supply may also be required between different cold plate assemblies. To this end, the flexible board in the present application is also provided with a first inter-board connector, the first inter-board connector is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line, and the first inter-board connector is used to be electrically connected to the cable. In this scheme, the cold plate assembly can also be connected to other circuit board assemblies through the first inter-board connector by using a cable for signal transmission and power supply.

[0016] In the second aspect, the present application also provides an electronic device, which includes the cold plate assembly of the first aspect and a plurality of circuit board modules. The circuit board module includes an electronic device, the circuit board module is installed on the cold plate assembly, the circuit board module is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line, and is electrically connected to the power supply interconnection line, and at least two circuit board modules are electrically connected through the high-speed signal line and the power supply interconnection line. Specifically, the electronic device of the circuit board module is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line, and is electrically connected to the power supply interconnection line, and the electronic devices in at least two circuit board modules are electrically connected through the high-speed signal line and the power supply interconnection line. In this solution, the cold plate assembly has three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply, which can dissipate heat for the electronic devices in the circuit board module, and can realize signal transmission and power supply connection of different circuit board modules, reducing cable connection. It is beneficial to reduce the cables in electronic equipment and reduce the volume of electronic equipment.

[0017] In a possible technical solution, the flexible plate is integrated on both sides of the cold plate body, and circuit board modules are respectively arranged on both sides of the cold plate assembly. A cold plate assembly can connect more circuit board modules, dissipate heat, transmit signals and power more circuit board modules, which is conducive to reducing the number of cold plate assemblies in electronic equipment and improving the integration of electronic equipment.

[0018] In a specific technical solution, the circuit board module includes a circuit board, an electronic device and a second connector, the electronic device and the second connector are arranged on the circuit board, and the electronic device and the second connector are electrically connected through the circuit board. The flexible board is also provided with a first connector, and the first connector is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line. The connection between the first connector and the second connector can realize the electrical connection between the electronic device and the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line in the flexible board. In this solution, the electronic device of the circuit board module is detachably connected to the cold plate module, so as to facilitate the flexible adjustment of the connection relationship and the maintenance and replacement of the circuit board module.

[0019] The specific forms of the first connector and the second connector are not limited. In one technical solution, the first connector and the second connector are elastic connectors. The elastic connector in this solution enables a floating connection between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly to absorb the tolerance between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly, reduce the coplanar constraint between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly, and facilitate installation.

[0020] In order to facilitate the positioning when connecting the circuit board module to the cold plate assembly, the cold plate assembly further includes a first positioning assembly, which includes a first guide pin and a second guide pin, and a preset distance is provided between the surfaces opposite to each other of the first guide pin and the second guide pin. The circuit board module further includes a second positioning assembly, which includes a first bracket and a second bracket, and a preset distance is provided between the surfaces opposite to each other of the first bracket and the second bracket. The first bracket and the second bracket are installed between the first guide pin and the second guide pin to position the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly. When installing the circuit board module to the cold plate assembly, the first bracket and the second bracket are first extended between the first guide pin and the second guide pin, and then the first connector and the second connector are connected. The first positioning assembly and the second positioning assembly achieve preliminary positioning, which is convenient for improving the positioning accuracy between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly, and is conducive to simplifying the installation process.

[0021] In order to improve the heat dissipation effect of the cold plate body on the electronic device, the cold plate body can be provided with a boss, which is thermally connected to the electronic device. In this solution, in addition to realizing signal transmission and power supply through the high-speed signal line and power supply interconnection line set in the flexible plate, the circuit board module can be provided with a second inter-board connector for signal transmission and power supply between circuit board modules that are far away or circuit board modules that are set with different cold plate components. The second inter-board connector can be connected to a cable, and the cable can be used to realize signal transmission and power supply between circuit board modules that are far away or circuit board modules that are set with different cold plate components, which can enrich the application scenarios of electronic equipment.

[0022] The type of circuit board modules included in the electronic device in the present application is not limited. For example, at least two circuit board modules may include a switching module and a computing module, and the computing module is arranged around the switching module. More computing modules are closer to the switching module, so that more computing modules can be connected to the switching module through the cold plate assembly to achieve signal exchange, and the signal transmission efficiency between the switching module and the computing module can be improved.

[0023] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a liquid cooling system, which includes a refrigeration device, a liquid pump, and the cold plate assembly of the first aspect. The cold plate assembly is arranged in the electronic device of the second aspect. The refrigeration device, the liquid pump and the refrigeration liquid flow channel of the cold plate body are connected, and the refrigeration liquid circulates between the refrigeration device and the refrigeration liquid flow channel under the drive of the liquid pump, thereby dissipating heat for the electronic devices in the electronic device and improving the service life and computing power of the electronic devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the connection between circuit board modules in traditional technology;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the side structure of an electronic device with a liquid cooling system provided in the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a top view of an electronic device provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the lateral structure of a circuit board assembly provided in the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cold plate assembly provided in this application;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of another circuit board assembly provided in the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the lateral structure of a circuit board assembly provided in the present application.

[0032] Reference numerals:

[0033] 1-cable; 2-circuit board module;

[0034] 3-housing; 4-circuit board assembly;

[0035] 5- management circuit board; 6- cold plate assembly;

[0036] 7-Liquid pump; 8-Refrigeration equipment;

[0037] 9-liquid pipeline; 10-liquid inlet channel;

[0038] 11-liquid outlet channel; 12-cold plate body;

[0039] 13-flexible plate; 14-refrigeration liquid flow channel;

[0040] 15-circuit board; 16-electronic device;

[0041] 17-insulating thermal interface material layer; 18-boss;

[0042] 19-first connector; 20-second connector;

[0043] 21-first guide pin; 22-second guide pin;

[0044] 23-first bracket; 24-second bracket;

[0045] 25-a first inter-board connector; 26-a second inter-board connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the connection between circuit board modules in traditional technology, such as Figure 1 As shown, cable 1 is used to realize signal transmission and power supply between different circuit board modules 2. Cable 1 occupies more space, and the burden of cable 1 organization is also heavy. With the comprehensive application scenarios such as high speed, high power density, high node power consumption, large bandwidth and low insertion loss, the size of cable 1 is getting larger and larger, resulting in more circuit space occupied and a heavier burden on cable 1 organization. On the other hand, different circuit board modules 2 need to use cable 1 for signal transmission and / or power supply, which also increases the number of cables 1 in the circuit board module 2, the occupied space and the complexity of maintenance.

[0047] To this end, the present application provides a cold plate assembly, which integrates the cold plate body with a flexible plate 13 provided with high-speed signal lines and power interconnection lines, so that the cold plate assembly becomes a structure with three functions of cooling, signal transmission and power supply. There is no need to use cables 1 for signal transmission and / or power supply, which reduces the size of the electronic equipment and simplifies the maintenance of the electronic equipment.

[0048] The cold plate assembly can be used to perform heat dissipation treatment on electronic devices, wherein the electronic devices can be computing devices (such as servers), network devices (such as switches) or storage devices (such as storage arrays) with high-power devices. Optionally, the electronic device may include a cabinet, and a node disposed in the cabinet, the node including a circuit board module 2, the circuit board module 2 including a circuit board 15, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), and an electronic device 16 is disposed on the circuit board 15. For ease of description, the electronic device is described as a server in the embodiment of the present application.

[0049] As the functions of the server become more and more abundant, the power of the electronic devices 16 set on the node circuit board 15 is also increasing, and the heat generated is also increasing. For example, the circuit board 15 is often equipped with multiple electronic devices, including high-power devices, such as central processing units (CPU), artificial intelligence (AI) chips or graphics processing units (GPU), which are used to perform computing-intensive or memory-intensive business data processing such as artificial intelligence or high performance computing (HPC). As the computing power of the chip increases, the heat dissipation demand also continues to increase.

[0050] It is worth noting that, in addition to high-power devices such as CPU and GPU, the cold plate assembly of the present application can also dissipate heat for other devices according to business needs. For example, the cold plate assembly can also be used to dissipate heat for memory.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the side structure of an electronic device with a liquid cooling system provided by the present application. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a top view structure of an electronic device provided in this application, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device in the present application includes a housing 3 and a circuit board assembly 4, and a liquid cooling system is also provided in the electronic device, and the circuit board assembly 4 is provided in the housing 3. When the above-mentioned electronic device is a cabinet server, the housing 3 can also be called a cabinet, and the circuit board assembly 4 can also be called a node, for example, a blade server, and the above-mentioned node is provided in the cabinet. In a specific embodiment, the above-mentioned electronic device may include a plurality of nodes, and in addition, may also include a management circuit board 5, and each node may be electrically connected to the management circuit board 5 to transmit signals, realize power supply of nodes or communication between different nodes, etc.

[0052] The circuit board assembly 4 includes a cold plate assembly 6 and a plurality of circuit board modules 2, and the plurality of circuit board modules 2 are mounted on the cold plate assembly 6. In a specific embodiment, the liquid cooling system includes a liquid pump 7, a refrigeration device 8, a liquid pipeline 9 and a cold plate assembly 6, the liquid pump 7, the refrigeration device 8 and the cold plate assembly 6 are connected through the liquid pipeline 9, and the liquid pump 7 drives the refrigerant to flow between the refrigeration device 8 and the cold plate assembly 6, so that the cold plate assembly 6 is used to dissipate heat for the circuit board module 2.

[0053] Please combine Figure 2 , when the cold plate assembly 6 is connected to the refrigeration device 8. The liquid pipeline 9 can include a liquid inlet channel 10 and a liquid outlet channel 11, and the liquid inlet channel 10 and the liquid outlet channel 11 are respectively connected to the refrigeration device 8, and the liquid pump 7 can be arranged in the liquid inlet channel 10 and / or the liquid outlet channel 11. The above-mentioned refrigerant flows out of the refrigeration device 8 from the liquid outlet channel 11 and flows to the cold plate assembly 6. After the cold plate assembly 6 performs heat exchange, it flows back to the refrigeration device 8 from the liquid inlet channel 10 to realize the circulation of the refrigerant. In a specific embodiment, the refrigerant flow channels 14 of different cold plate assemblies 6 can be connected in series or in parallel, and the present application does not impose any restrictions on this. When the cold plate assemblies 6 at different nodes are connected in parallel, the heat exchange efficiency is higher, and the heat dissipation effect of the circuit board module 2 is better. When different cold plate assemblies 6 are connected in series, the design of the liquid pipeline 9 can be simplified, which is conducive to reducing the volume of the electronic equipment.

[0054] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the side structure of a circuit board assembly provided in this application. Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the circuit board assembly 4 includes a cold plate assembly 6 and a plurality of circuit board modules 2, the circuit board module 2 is detachably connected to the cold plate assembly 6, and the plurality of circuit board modules 2 can be electrically connected through the cold plate assembly 6. In addition, the cold plate assembly 6 has a refrigerant liquid flow channel 14 inside, and the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant liquid flow channel 14 driven by the liquid pump 7. In this technical solution, the cold plate assembly 6 has three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply. In other words, the cold plate assembly 6 can dissipate heat for the electronic devices 16 in the circuit board module 2, and can realize signal transmission and power supply connection of different circuit board modules 2, reducing the connection of the cable 1. It is beneficial to reduce the cables in electronic equipment and reduce the volume of electronic equipment.

[0055] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In a specific embodiment, the circuit board module 2 includes a circuit board 15 and an electronic device 16, wherein the electronic device 16 may be a chip, and the chip is electrically connected to the circuit board 15, so that the electronic device 16 is electrically connected to other electronic devices 16 or the circuit board module 2 through the circuit board 15. The electronic device 16 may generate a lot of heat during operation, so it is necessary to dissipate the heat of the electronic device 16. To this end, the electronic device 16 can be thermally connected to the cold plate body 12 of the cold plate assembly 6, for example, the electronic device 16 is directly contacted and thermally connected to the cold plate body 12, or a thermal conductive layer can be provided between the electronic device 16 and the cold plate body 12 to improve the reliability of the contact between the electronic device 16 and the cold plate body 12, improve the heat exchange efficiency, and improve the heat dissipation capacity of the electronic device 16, thereby making the electronic device 16 have a higher working efficiency and a longer service life.

[0056] In a specific embodiment, the specific type of the circuit board module 2 is not limited, and it can be, for example, a switching module, a computing module or a storage module, etc., which are respectively used to realize signal exchange, computing and storage.

[0057] by Figure 3 and Figure 4 Taking the circuit board assembly 4 as an example, the at least two circuit board modules 2 included in the circuit board assembly 4 may include a switching module and a computing module, and the computing module is arranged around the switching module. In this solution, more computing modules can be arranged adjacent to the switching module, so that more computing modules are closer to the switching module, so that more computing modules can be connected to the switching module through the cold plate assembly 6 to realize signal exchange, and the signal transmission efficiency between the switching module and the computing module can be improved.

[0058] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cold plate assembly provided in this application, such as Figure 5As shown, the cold plate assembly 6 includes a cold plate body 12 and a flexible plate 13. The cold plate body 12 includes a refrigerant liquid flow channel 14, which is connected to the refrigeration device 8 and the liquid pump 7. The liquid pump 7 is used to drive the refrigerant to flow between the refrigeration device 8 and the refrigerant liquid flow channel 14. The refrigerant is used to conduct the heat of the electronic device 16, so as to realize the function of the cold plate assembly 6 to dissipate heat for the electronic device 16 in the circuit board module 2. Specifically, the cold plate body 12 is thermally connected to the electronic device 16 in the circuit board module 2, especially the cold plate body 12 is thermally connected to the electronic device 16 of the circuit board module 2, so as to dissipate heat for the electronic device 16 of the circuit board module 2. Specifically, the electronic device 16 can be directly contacted and connected with the cold plate body 12, or a heat conductive layer is provided between the electronic device 16 and the cold plate body 12, so that the heat conductive connection between the cold plate body 12 and the circuit board module 2 can be realized.

[0059] The flexible plate 13 is fixed to the surface of the cold plate body 12, and the flexible plate 13 is provided with an interconnection circuit and at least two interfaces, and the at least two interfaces are electrically connected to the interconnection circuit so that the interfaces are electrically connected through the interconnection circuit. When the circuit board module 2 is connected to the interface, at least two circuit board modules 2 can be electrically connected through the interconnection circuit. The interconnection circuit includes a high-speed signal line and a power supply interconnection line, and the high-speed signal line and the power supply interconnection line are respectively electrically connected to the interface, and then respectively electrically connected to the electronic device 16 of the circuit board module 2. The high-speed signal line is used to transmit high-speed signals to the electronic device 16, and the power supply interconnection line is used to supply power to the electronic device 16. Thereby, the function of the cold plate assembly 6 for signal transmission and power supply for the circuit board module 2 can be realized. The flexible plate 13 is made of flexible material, which is convenient for deformation with the shape of the cold plate body 12, and the connection reliability between the flexible plate 13 and the cold plate body 12 can be improved.

[0060] In this solution, a flexible plate 13 provided with high-speed signal lines and power interconnection lines is integrated with the cold plate body 12, realizing the three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply, without the need for additional connectors and other connection structures. Compared with the traditional technology in which the three functions of heat dissipation, signal transmission and power supply need to be realized by different structures, the above three functions can be realized by using an integrated cold plate assembly. The volume of the cold plate assembly is relatively small, so the volume of the circuit board assembly 4 with the above cold plate assembly is also reduced, which can reduce the space occupied by the circuit board assembly 4 and improve the integration of electronic equipment. In this way, the rapidly developing business needs are met, and a heavy computing node with the characteristics of high speed, high density, large bandwidth, and high power consumption is provided.

[0061] On the other hand, the technical solution provided by the present application uses the high-speed signal line and power interconnection line provided in the flexible board 13 to replace the cable 1 in the prior art, so there is no need to organize the cable 1, making the circuit board assembly 4 easy to manage. The specific method of integrating the flexible board 13 with the cold board body 12 is not limited.

[0062] In a possible implementation, the cold plate body 12 has a mounting groove, and the flexible plate 13 is embedded in the mounting groove. In this solution, the peripheral side of the mounting groove of the cold plate body 12 protrudes from the bottom of the mounting groove, and can be in contact with or thermally connected to the electronic device 16, so as to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the cold plate assembly 6 for the circuit board module 2.

[0063] In another possible implementation, the cold plate body 12 has a planar installation area, and the flexible plate 13 is installed on the planar installation area of ​​the cold plate body 12 .

[0064] In another possible implementation, the flexible plate 13 can be attached to the surface of the cold plate body 12, and the flexible plate 13 and the cold plate body 12 are fixed by bonding. Optionally, the flexible plate 13 can also be welded to the surface of the cold plate body 12, and the flexible plate 13 and the cold plate body 12 are fixed by welding.

[0065] Furthermore, in addition to the solutions described above, in order to increase the heat dissipation effect of the cold plate, an insulating thermal interface material layer 17 (Thermal Interface Material, TIM) may be provided between the flexible plate 13 and the cold plate body 12 .

[0066] Please continue to refer to the specific plan Figure 5 The cold plate body 12 has good thermal conductivity and is generally made of metal material, so it has electrical conductivity. In this embodiment, the insulating thermal interface material layer 17 can insulate the flexible plate 13 from the insulating thermal interface material layer 17, so the insulation requirements for the surface of the flexible plate 13 body itself are relatively low. In addition, the insulating thermal interface material layer 17 has good thermal conductivity, which is conducive to using the cold plate body 12 to dissipate heat for the flexible plate 13.

[0067] The specific arrangement of the refrigerant flow channel 14 in the cold plate body 12 is not limited. In one possible implementation, the refrigerant flow channel 14 is a liquid cooling cavity in the cold plate body 12. In order to improve the heat exchange efficiency, heat dissipation teeth may also be provided in the liquid cooling cavity. In another possible implementation, the refrigerant flow channel 14 in the cold plate body 12 may be arranged in a serpentine shape.

[0068] In a specific embodiment, the specific manner in which the circuit board module 2 is connected to the flexible board 13 is not limited, and the interface provided in the flexible board 13 refers to a structure in which the interconnection circuit in the flexible board 13 is used to connect to the circuit board module 2. In a possible implementation, the interface is a welding point, such as a welding foot, and the circuit board module 2 is electrically connected to the interface by welding. This solution is conducive to reducing the volume of the circuit board assembly 4 and improving the integration of the electronic device.

[0069] Please continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 As a possible implementation, the flexible board 13 is integrated on both sides of the cold plate body 12, and the two sides of the cold plate assembly 6 are respectively connected with the circuit board module 2. In this solution, the heat dissipation capacity of the cold plate body 12 and the interconnection capacity of the flexible board 13 can be fully utilized. It is beneficial to improve the integration of the circuit board assembly 4 and reduce the space occupied by the circuit board assembly 4.

[0070] There is no restriction on the number and shape of the flexible plates 13 in the present application, and the specific design can be based on the requirements. For example, the area of ​​the flexible plate 13 is smaller than the area of ​​the surface of the cold plate body 12 facing the flexible plate 13. Specifically, the flexible plate 13 avoids the area where the cold plate body 12 is thermally connected to the electronic device 16. The arrangement of the flexible plate 13 in this solution allows the electronic device 16 to be directly thermally connected to the cold plate body 12 without the need for a flexible plate to be arranged between the electronic device 16 and the cold plate body 12, thereby shortening the link between the electronic device 16 and the cold plate body 12, reducing thermal resistance, and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the electronic device 16.

[0071] As a possible implementation, the flexible plate 13 can be an irregular shape and can be designed according to the needs. In the specific setting, the flexible plate 13 avoids the area where the cold plate body 12 and the electronic device 16 are thermally connected, and the distance between different circuit board modules 2 connected to the flexible plate 13 is short, so as to reduce the loss during signal transmission and improve the efficiency of signal transmission. In another possible implementation, the flexible plate 13 can be a flexible plate with regular edge shape, such as a square or rectangular shape; or the edge shape of the flexible plate 13 is the same as the edge shape of the cold plate body 12. In this solution, a hollow structure can be set on the flexible plate 13, and the hollow structure avoids the area where the cold plate body 12 and the electronic device 16 are thermally connected.

[0072] In addition, in different implementations, the cold plate assembly 6 may include one or more flexible plates 13. When the cold plate assembly 6 includes one flexible plate 13, the flexible plate 13 may be in an irregular shape or in a shape with regular edges, which will not be described in detail herein. When the cold plate assembly 6 includes multiple flexible plates 13, the multiple flexible plates 13 are arranged to avoid the area where the cold plate body 12 is thermally connected to the electronic device 16.

[0073] Furthermore, in order to further enhance the thermal conductivity of the cold plate body and electronic components, please continue to refer to Figure 4In a specific embodiment, the cold plate body 12 may have a boss 18, and the boss 18 is thermally connected to the electronic device 16. When the boss 18 is connected to the electronic device 16, the electronic device 16 is directly contacted and connected to the boss 18, or a heat conductive layer may be provided between the electronic device 16 and the cold plate body 12 to achieve thermal connection between the electronic device 16 and the boss 18. When the boss 18 is provided, the position of the boss 18 may be provided according to the layout position of the circuit board module 2, so that the boss 18 and the electronic device 16 of the circuit board module 2 can be thermally connected to each other. Specifically, the area of ​​the surface of the boss 18 facing the electronic device 16 may be larger than the area of ​​the surface of the electronic device 16 facing the boss 18 to which it is thermally connected, so that the entire surface of the electronic device 16 may be in contact with the boss 18 to improve the heat dissipation effect of the electronic device 16. In this solution, the cold plate body 12 is provided with a boss 18, and the boss 18 extends toward the circuit board 15, which can make up for the height difference between the electronic device 16 and other structures in the circuit board assembly 4, so that the electronic device 16 can be fully in contact with the cold plate body 12, thereby improving the heat dissipation capacity of the electronic device 16. As a possible implementation, the boss 18 extends out of the hollow structure of the flexible plate 13.

[0074] Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional structural diagram of another circuit board assembly 4 provided in the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the above interface is a first connector 19, and the first connector 19 is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power supply interconnection line. Correspondingly, the circuit board module 2 also includes a second connector 20, which is arranged on the circuit board 15 and is electrically connected to the circuit pattern in the circuit board 15. The second connector 20 is electrically connected to the electronic device 16 through the circuit board 15. The first connector 19 and the second connector 20 are adapted to be connected. In this scheme, the electronic device 16 in the circuit board module 2 is electrically connected to the interconnection circuit of the flexible board 13 in the cold plate assembly 6 through the first connector 19 and the second connector 20. Optionally, the first connector 19 and the second connector 20 are detachably connected by a connection method such as plug-in, so that the circuit board module 2 is detachably connected to the cold plate assembly 6, and the circuit board module 2 can be replaced as needed. For example, when the circuit board module 2 is damaged, or the configuration of the circuit board assembly 4 changes, different first connectors 19 and second connectors 20 can be disassembled and connected as needed, and the circuit board assembly 4 can be flexibly replaced, which is highly flexible. In addition, the first connector 19 and the second connector 20 adapted in this solution can also achieve the purpose of positioning, and the assembly and disassembly process of the circuit board module 2 is relatively simple.

[0075] As a possible implementation, flexible connectors can be used to facilitate the installation between the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly. Figure 4 and Figure 6 In a specific embodiment, the first connector 19 and the second connector 20 are elastic connectors. In this solution, the circuit board module 2 and the cold plate assembly 6 are connected by an elastic connector. The elastic connector has a certain elasticity. In a specific embodiment, the pins of the elastic connector can be elastic pins, or the elastic connector can be connected with elastic parts, which can be deformed along the insertion direction of the first connector 19 and the second connector 20. A floating connection can be achieved between the circuit board module 2 and the cold plate assembly 6 to absorb the tolerance between the circuit board module 2 and the cold plate assembly 6, reduce the coplanar constraint between the circuit board module 2 and the cold plate assembly 6, and facilitate installation.

[0076] As a possible implementation, in order to position the assembly between the circuit board module 2 and the cold plate assembly 6, a first positioning assembly can also be provided in the cold plate assembly 6, and the first positioning assembly is fixedly connected to the cold plate body 12. Specifically, the first positioning assembly can be welded, threaded, or bonded to the cold plate body 12, and there is no limitation on the specific fixing method. For example, please refer to Figure 6 The first positioning assembly includes a first guide pin 21 and a second guide pin 22, and there is a preset distance between the surfaces opposite to each other of the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin 22, and the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin 22 form a limiting groove. The circuit board module 2 includes a second positioning assembly, and the second positioning assembly can be fixed to the circuit board 15. Specifically, the second positioning assembly can be welded, threaded or bonded to the circuit board 15, and there is no restriction on the specific fixing method. The second positioning assembly includes a first bracket 23 and a second bracket 24, and there is a preset distance between the surfaces opposite to each other of the first bracket 23 and the second bracket 24. The first bracket 23 and the second bracket 24 are installed between the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin 22. Specifically, the second positioning assembly is inserted into the first positioning assembly to position the circuit board module 2 and the cold plate assembly 6. It makes it easier to align the first connector 19 and the second connector 20, and it is convenient to plug the first connector 19 and the second connector 20.

[0077] Specifically, the preset distance between the opposite surfaces of the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin 22 and the preset distance between the opposite surfaces of the first bracket 23 and the second bracket 24 can be equal in theoretical value, but can have a certain tolerance as long as the above-mentioned first positioning assembly and the second positioning assembly can achieve positioning.

[0078] In a specific implementation, the first guide pin 21 and the second guide pin 22 can be disposed at both ends of the first connector 19 , and the first bracket 23 and the second bracket 24 can be disposed at both ends of the second connector 20 , thereby facilitating the plug-in of the first connector 19 and the second connector 20 .

[0079] Please continue to refer to Figure 5In the case where the interconnection circuit provided on the flexible board cannot be used to realize signal transmission and power supply, the inter-board connector can also be used for connection. Optionally, the cold plate assembly 6 can also include a first inter-board connector 25, and the first inter-board connector 25 is also electrically connected to the interconnection circuit of the flexible board 13. Specifically, the first inter-board connector 25 is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line respectively. The first inter-board connector 25 is used to be electrically connected to the cable 1.

[0080] Specifically, the board-to-board connector (BTB) in the embodiment of the present application is installed on the circuit board and can be connected to the opposite end connector. Specifically, the opposite end connector can be connected to a cable. In a possible implementation, a set of connection components includes two circuit boards and a cable. One of the two circuit boards is fixedly connected to an inter-board connector, and the other circuit board is fixedly connected to another inter-board connector; both ends of the cable have opposite end connectors, each of which is connected to an inter-board connector, so that the two circuit boards are connected by using the cable, and then the electronic devices arranged on the two circuit boards are connected.

[0081] Figure 5 The first inter-board connector shown can be used not only for the same circuit board assembly but also for connecting multiple circuit board assemblies.

[0082] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 7 As shown, when the electronic device includes multiple circuit board assemblies 4, different circuit board assemblies 4 are provided with a first inter-board connector 25, and the cable 1 can be connected to the first inter-board connectors 25 of different circuit board assemblies 4, so that high-speed signal transmission and power signal transmission can be achieved between different circuit board assemblies 4 through the cable 1.

[0083] In a specific implementation, the first inter-board connector 25 may also be an elastic connector, so that a floating connection between the cable 1 and the first inter-board connector 25 can be achieved.

[0084] In addition to the above-mentioned circuit board assembly being connected by using the inter-board connector, the circuit board module in the circuit board assembly can also be connected to a circuit board module that is farther away by using the inter-board connector. For example, in one possible implementation, Figure 8 For a schematic diagram of the side structure of a circuit board assembly provided in this application, please refer to Figure 8In another embodiment, the circuit board module 2 is further provided with a second inter-board connector 26, and the second inter-board connector 26 is used to electrically connect to the cable 1. The electronic device includes multiple circuit board assemblies 4, and the circuit board modules 2 arranged on different circuit board assemblies 4 can be electrically connected to each other through the second inter-board connector 26 in conjunction with the cable 1. Alternatively, in the same circuit board assembly 4, multiple circuit board modules 2 are arranged, and some circuit board modules 2 are difficult to interconnect using the flexible board 13. For example, the interconnection between circuit board modules 2 that are far apart can be electrically connected by using the second inter-board connector 26 in conjunction with the cable 1.

[0085] The second inter-board connector 26 may be a flexible connector, so that the cable 1 and the second inter-board connector can be connected in a floating manner.

[0086] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the scope of protection of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A cold plate assembly, characterized in that: The cold plate assembly comprises: The cold plate body is provided with a refrigerant flow channel, wherein the refrigerant flow channel is used for the refrigerant to flow through; A flexible board is integrated with the cold board body and is provided with a high-speed signal line and a power interconnection line. The high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line are respectively used to electrically connect with the electronic device. The high-speed signal line is used to transmit a high-speed signal to the electronic device, and the power interconnection line is used to supply power to the electronic device. The flexible board is made of a flexible material.

2. The cold plate assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The flexible plate is integrated on one side surface of the cold plate body, or integrated on both side surfaces of the cold plate body.

3. The cold plate assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The surface of the cold plate body is provided with a mounting groove, and the flexible plate is embedded in the mounting groove.

4. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The flexible plate is attached to the surface of the cold plate body.

5. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: An insulating thermal interface material layer is arranged between the flexible plate and the cold plate body.

6. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The flexible board is further provided with a first connector, the first connector is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line, and the electronic device is connected to the first connector.

7. The cold plate assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that The first connector is an elastic connector.

8. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: It also includes a first positioning assembly, which includes a first guide pin and a second guide pin, and there is a preset distance between the opposing surfaces of the first guide pin and the second guide pin; the first positioning assembly is used to locate the position of the electronic device on the cold plate assembly.

9. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The flexible board is further provided with a first inter-board connector, the first inter-board connector is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line, and the first inter-board connector is used to be electrically connected to a cable.

10. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The area of ​​the flexible plate is smaller than the area of ​​the surface of the cold plate body facing the flexible plate, and the flexible plate avoids the area where the cold plate body is thermally connected to the electronic device.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: It comprises a cold plate assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, and a plurality of circuit board modules, wherein the circuit board module is mounted on the cold plate assembly, the circuit board module is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and to the power interconnection line, and at least two of the circuit board modules are electrically connected via the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The flexible plate is integrated on both side surfaces of the cold plate body, and the circuit board modules are respectively arranged on both sides of the cold plate assembly.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The circuit board module includes a circuit board, an electronic device and a second connector, the electronic device and the second connector are arranged on the circuit board, and the electronic device and the second connector are electrically connected through the circuit board; the flexible board is also provided with a first connector, the first connector is electrically connected to the high-speed signal line and the power interconnection line, and the first connector is connected to the second connector.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first connector and the second connector are elastic connectors.

15. The electronic device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that: The cold plate assembly also includes a first positioning assembly, which includes a first guide pin and a second guide pin, and a preset distance exists between the opposing surfaces of the first guide pin and the second guide pin; the circuit board module also includes a second positioning assembly, which includes a first bracket and a second bracket, and the preset distance exists between the opposing surfaces of the first bracket and the second bracket, and the first bracket and the second bracket are installed between the first guide pin and the second guide pin for positioning the circuit board module and the cold plate assembly.

16. The electronic device according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that: The cold plate body has a boss, and the boss is thermally connected to the electronic device.

17. The electronic device according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that: The circuit board module is also provided with a second inter-board connector.

18. The electronic device according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that: At least two of the circuit board modules include a switching module and a computing module, and the computing module is arranged around the switching module.

19. A liquid cooling system, characterized in that: It comprises a refrigeration device, a liquid pump and a cold plate assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cold plate assembly is arranged in an electronic device as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 18, and the refrigeration device and the liquid pump are connected to the refrigeration liquid flow channel of the cold plate body.

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