Server and expansion module

Abstract

The invention provides a server and an expansion module. The server comprises a shell, a mainboard and at least one expansion module. The machine shell is provided with a containing space and a front window, and the front window is located on one side of the containing space and communicated with the containing space. The main board is located in the containing space and provided with at least one main board connector. The expansion module is detachably arranged in the containing space and exposed out of the front window. The expansion module comprises a main body, a main electric connector and two liquid cooling joints. The main electric connector is arranged on the main body and detachably connected to a main board connector of the main board. The two liquid cooling joints are arranged on the main body. According to the server, the maintenance operation efficiency of the expansion module can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of servers, and in particular to a server and an expansion module. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, a server is usually equipped with an expansion card to expand the performance of the server. When maintaining the expansion card in the server, it is usually necessary to first turn off the power of the server, then slide the server out of the cabinet, then open the upper cover of the server casing, and then disconnect the connection relationship of various lines or pipes before the expansion card can be removed from the server. However, the above operations are very cumbersome and time-consuming, resulting in low efficiency in maintaining the expansion card. Therefore, researchers in this field are currently working to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a server and an expansion module, so as to improve the maintenance efficiency of the expansion module.

[0004] A server disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing, a motherboard and at least one expansion module. The housing has a storage space and a front window, and the front window is located at one side of the storage space and is connected to the storage space. The motherboard is located in the storage space, and the motherboard has at least one motherboard connector. The expansion module is detachably arranged in the storage space and exposed to the outside through the front window. The expansion module includes a main body, a main electrical connector and two liquid cooling connectors. The main electrical connector is arranged on the main body and can be detachably assembled to the motherboard connector of the main board. The two liquid cooling connectors are arranged on the main body.

[0005] Preferably, the server also includes a power distribution board, which is located in the accommodating space and has an electrical connection portion. At least one of the expansion modules also includes a power connector, which is disposed on the main body and can be detachably assembled to the electrical connection portion of the power distribution board.

[0006] Preferably, the power connector is located between the main electrical connector and the two liquid cooling joints.

[0007] Preferably, the casing has a bearing surface, the bearing surface is located at the bottom of the accommodating space, the main body of at least one expansion module is carried on the bearing surface, and the two liquid cooling connectors are closer to the bearing surface than the power connector and the main electrical connector.

[0008] Preferably, the main electrical connector is closer to the front window than the power connector and the two liquid cooling connectors.

[0009] Preferably, the main body includes a shell, an adapter card and an expansion card assembly, the adapter card and the expansion card assembly are arranged in the shell, the expansion card assembly includes a circuit board and a heat sink, the circuit board of the expansion card assembly is plugged into the adapter card, the heat sink is thermally coupled to the circuit board, the main electrical connector is arranged in the shell and electrically connected to the adapter card, and the two liquid cooling joints are arranged in the shell and connected to the heat sink.

[0010] Preferably, the shell includes a cover portion and a base portion, the base portion is detachably assembled to the cover portion, the cover portion and the base portion together form an internal space, the expansion card assembly and the adapter card are located in the internal space, and the adapter card is farther away from the base portion than the expansion card assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the main body further includes a first retaining member, which is movably disposed on the base portion and can be selectively fastened to the cover portion.

[0012] Preferably, the main body also includes a latch and a second retaining member, the latch having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end of the latch being pivotally disposed on the cover portion of the shell and being selectively clamped to the housing, and the second retaining member being movably disposed on the base portion of the shell and being selectively clamped to the second end of the latch.

[0013] Preferably, the main body further comprises an elastic member, opposite ends of which are respectively connected to the cover portion of the shell and the latch member, and the elastic member is used to apply a force to the second end of the latch member to move in a direction away from the second retaining member.

[0014] Preferably, the main body also includes an assembly guide, the assembly guide includes a wide portion and a narrow portion, the width of the wide portion is greater than the width of the narrow portion, the wide portion is connected to the cover portion through the narrow portion, the base portion has an assembly guide groove, the assembly guide groove has a release section and a clamping section connected to each other, the width of the wide portion of the assembly guide is greater than the width of the clamping section, the narrow portion of the assembly guide is located in the clamping section, and the base portion is partially located between the wide portion of the assembly guide and the cover portion.

[0015] Preferably, the expansion card assembly has a baffle structure, the main body also includes a limit member, the limit member is pivotally mounted on the cover portion and stopped by the base portion, the limit member has a limit groove, and the baffle structure portion of the expansion card assembly is located in the limit groove of the limit member.

[0016] Preferably, the housing has at least one guiding slot, the main body further comprises a plurality of guiding sliders, the plurality of guiding sliders are fixed to the housing and arranged in a straight line, and the plurality of guiding sliders are installed in at least one guiding slot.

[0017] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses an expansion module, which includes a main body, a main electrical connector and two liquid cooling connectors. The main electrical connector is disposed on the main body and can be detachably assembled to a motherboard connector of a motherboard. The two liquid cooling connectors are disposed on the main body.

[0018] Preferably, the expansion module further comprises a power connector, wherein the power connector is disposed on the main body and is located between the main electrical connector and the two liquid cooling joints.

[0019] Preferably, the main body includes a shell, an adapter card and an expansion card assembly, the adapter card and the expansion card assembly are arranged in the shell, the expansion card assembly includes a circuit board and a heat sink, the circuit board of the expansion card assembly is plugged into the adapter card, the heat sink is thermally coupled to the circuit board, the main electrical connector is arranged in the shell and electrically connected to the adapter card, and the two liquid cooling joints are arranged in the shell and connected to the heat sink.

[0020] Preferably, the shell includes a cover portion and a base portion, the base portion is detachably assembled to the cover portion, the cover portion and the base portion together form an internal space, the expansion card assembly and the adapter card are located in the internal space, and the adapter card is farther away from the base portion than the expansion card assembly.

[0021] Preferably, the main body further includes a first retaining member, which is movably disposed on the base portion and can be selectively fastened to the cover portion.

[0022] Preferably, the main body also includes a latch and a second retaining member, the latch having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end of the latch being pivotally mounted on the cover portion of the shell, and the second retaining member being movably disposed on the base portion of the shell and selectively clamped on the second end of the latch.

[0023] Preferably, the expansion card assembly has a baffle structure, the main body also includes a limit member, the limit member is pivotally mounted on the cover portion and stopped by the base portion, the limit member has a limit groove, and the baffle structure portion of the expansion card assembly is located in the limit groove of the limit member.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following characteristics and advantages:

[0025] According to the server and expansion module disclosed in the above embodiments, the expansion module is detachably disposed in the housing space of the casing and exposed from the front window, and the main body of the expansion module is provided with a main electrical connector and two liquid cooling connectors that can be separated from the main board connector of the main board. Therefore, when the user wants to remove the expansion module from the casing for maintenance, the expansion module can be directly pulled out from the front window of the casing without turning off the power of the server, sliding the server out of the cabinet, removing the upper cover of the casing, and disconnecting the connection relationship of various lines and pipes. In this way, the efficiency of the maintenance operation of the expansion module can be effectively improved.

[0026] The above description of the content of the present invention and the following description of the embodiments are intended to demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention and to provide further explanation of the claims of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a server disclosed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another partial perspective schematic diagram of the server shown;

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the expansion module shown;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 An exploded schematic diagram of the expansion module shown;

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic front view of a server is shown;

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a server is shown;

[0033] Figures 7 to 9 A schematic diagram of the action of removing the expansion module from the casing of the server;

[0034] Figures 10 to 12 It is a schematic diagram of the action of removing the expansion card assembly from the housing.

[0035] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0036] 1. server; 10. housing; 11. bottom plate; 111. bearing surface; 121. bearing surface; 12. top plate; 13. side plate; 14. first guide member; 141. guide slide groove; 151. guide slide groove; 15. second guide member; 152. fixing hole;

[0037] 20. Mainboard; 21. Mainboard connector;

[0038] 30. expansion module; 31. main body; 311. shell; 3111. cover; 3111a. positioning hole; 3112. base; 312. riser card; 313. expansion card assembly; 3131. circuit board; 3132. heat sink; 3132a. assembly hole; 3133. baffle structure; 3134. power connector; 314. assembly guide; 3141. wide part; 3142. narrow part; 315. first retaining member; 3151. latch; 3201. latch; 3152. operating part; 3202. operating part; 316. support member; 317. extension member ; 318, stopper; 319, latch; 3191, first end; 3191a, clamping structure; 3192, second end; 3192a, fixing hole; 32, main electrical connector; 320, second retaining member; 321, elastic member; 322, limiting member; 3221, limiting groove; 323, first guide slider; 324, second guide slider; 325, main cable; 326, power cable; 327, power connector; 34, power connector; 328, pipeline; 329, liquid cooling joint; 33, liquid cooling joint; 40, power distribution board; 41, electrical connection part;

[0039] G, assembly guide groove; G1, release section; G2, fixing section; O, front window; P1, pivot axis; P2, pivot axis; S1, accommodating space; S2, internal space. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 . Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a server disclosed according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the server is shown.

[0041] In this embodiment, the server 1 includes a housing 10, a motherboard 20 and an expansion module 30. In addition, the server 1 may further include a power distribution board 40. In order to clearly illustrate the connection relationship between the expansion module 30, the motherboard 20 and the power distribution board 40, only one expansion module 30 is shown in the figure, but in fact, the server 1 can be configured with more than two expansion modules 30. In addition, in the following description, although the number of components and structures matched with the expansion module 30 is described as only one, in fact, the number of these components and structures is matched with the number of expansion modules 30, and is not limited to one.

[0042] The housing 10 includes a bottom plate 11, a top plate 12 and two side plates 13. The bottom plate 11 is connected to the top plate 12 via the two side plates 13, and the bottom plate 11, the two side plates 13 and the top plate 12 together surround a receiving space S1 and a front window O, and the front window O is located at one side of the receiving space S1 and communicates with the receiving space S1.

[0043] In this embodiment, the bottom plate 11 has a bearing surface 111 facing the accommodation space S1, and the top plate 12 has a bearing surface 121 facing the accommodation space S1. In addition, the housing 10 further includes a first guide member 14 and a second guide member 15. The first guide member 14 and the second guide member 15 are respectively fixed to the bearing surface 111 of the bottom plate 11 and the bearing surface 121 of the top plate 12, and extend from the front window O toward the interior of the accommodation space S1. The first guide member 14 has a guide slot 141, and the second guide member 15 has a guide slot 151 and a fixing hole 152.

[0044] The mainboard 20 is located in the accommodating space S1 of the housing 10 , and has a mainboard connector 21 on one side of the mainboard 20 facing the front window O. The power distribution board 40 has an electrical connection portion 41 on one side of the power distribution board 40 facing the front window O.

[0045] The expansion module 30 is detachably disposed in the accommodation space S1 of the housing 10 and is closer to the front window O than the mainboard 20 and the power distribution board 40, and the expansion module 30 is exposed to the outside from the front window O. For details, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 . Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the expansion module shown. Figure 4 for Figure 3 The expansion module 30 includes a main body 31 , a main electrical connector 32 and two liquid cooling connectors 33 . In addition, the expansion module 30 may also include a power connector 34 .

[0046] The main body 31 of the expansion module 30 includes a housing 311, a riser card 312, and an expansion card assembly 313. In addition, the main body 31 also includes a plurality of assembly guides 314, a first retaining member 315, a supporting member 316, an extending member 317, a stopper 318, a latch 319, a second retaining member 320, an elastic member 321, a limiting member 322, a plurality of first guide sliders 323, and a plurality of second guide sliders 324.

[0047] The housing 311 includes a cover portion 3111 and a base portion 3112. The base portion 3112 is detachably assembled to the cover portion 3111. In detail, in the present embodiment, the base portion 3112 has a plurality of assembly guide grooves G, and each assembly guide groove G has a release section G1 and a clamping section G2 connected to each other. The structures of the plurality of assembly guides 314 are the same, so only one of the assembly guides 314 is described in detail below. The assembly guide 314 includes a wide portion 3141 and a narrow portion 3142, and the wide portion 3141 is connected to the cover portion 3111 through the narrow portion 3142. The width of the wide portion 3141 is greater than the width of the narrow portion 3142 and the width of the clamping section G2 of the assembly guide groove G. The narrow portion 3142 of the assembly guide 314 is located in the locking section G2 of the assembly guide groove G of the base portion 3112, and the base portion 3112 is partially located between the wide portion 3141 of the assembly guide 314 and the cover portion 3111, so that the base portion 3112 is positioned on the cover portion 3111. By sliding the base portion 3112, the narrow portions 3142 of the plurality of assembly guides 314 can be separated from the plurality of assembly guide grooves G via the release sections G1 of the plurality of assembly guide grooves G on the base portion 3112, and the base portion 3112 can be removed from the cover portion 3111.

[0048] The first holding member 315 is movably disposed on one side of the base portion 3112 and can be selectively fixed to the cover portion 3111. For example, the cover portion 3111 has a positioning hole 3111a, and the first holding member 315 includes a latch portion 3151 and an operating portion 3152 connected to each other, and the latch portion 3151 is inserted into the positioning hole 3111a of the cover portion 3111 to fix the base portion 3112 to the cover portion 3111. By operating the operating portion 3152, the latch portion 3151 can be driven to move, so that the latch portion 3151 is separated from the positioning hole 3111a of the cover portion 3111, and the base portion 3112 can slide relative to the cover portion 3111.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the cover portion 3111 and the base portion 3112 together form an internal space S2. The adapter card 312 and the expansion card assembly 313, for example, both support a PCIe interface, such as PCIe 5.0. The adapter card 312 and the expansion card assembly 313 are both located in the internal space S2 of the housing 311, and the adapter card 312 is farther away from the base portion 3112 than the expansion card assembly 313. The expansion card assembly 313 is, for example, a double-width expansion card assembly, and the expansion card assembly 313 includes a circuit board 3131, a heat sink 3132, a baffle structure 3133 and a power connector 3134. The circuit board 3131 is plugged into the adapter card 312. The heat sink 3132 is, for example, a structure having a fluid chamber (not shown) inside, and has two assembly holes 3132a connected to the fluid chamber. The heat sink 3132 is thermally coupled to the circuit board 3131 to absorb heat generated by electronic components (such as chips) on the circuit board 3131. The baffle structure 3133 is, for example, L-shaped and fixed to one side of the heat sink 3132. The power connector 3134 is electrically connected to the circuit board 3131 and is disposed opposite to the baffle structure 3133.

[0050] The support member 316 is fixed to the base portion 3112 of the housing 311, and is used to support the expansion card assembly 313. The extension member 317 is fixed to the side of the heat sink 3132 of the expansion card assembly 313 relative to the baffle structure 3133. The stopper 318 is fixed to the cover portion 3111, and the stopper 318 abuts against the side of the extension member 317 away from the heat sink 3132. In this embodiment, the support member 316 and the stopper 318 provide support and stopper effects to the expansion card assembly 313 at the adjacent two sides of the expansion card assembly 313, so as to stably position the position of the expansion card assembly 313 to prevent the expansion card assembly 313 from unexpectedly moving relative to the riser card 312.

[0051] It should be noted that the extension member 317 is an optional component. In other embodiments, the extension member 317 can be omitted, and the stop member 318 can directly abut against the side of the heat sink 3132 relative to the baffle structure 3133. Furthermore, the stop member 318 is also an optional component. In other embodiments, the extension member 317 can be omitted, and the expansion card assembly 313 can be directly abutted against the wall of the cover portion 3111 of the housing 311.

[0052] The latch 319 has a first end 3191 and a second end 3192 opposite to each other, and the first end 3191 of the latch 319 has a fixing structure 3191a. The first end 3191 of the latch 319 is pivotally disposed on the cover portion 3111 of the housing 311, and the fixing structure 3191a can be selectively fixed in the fixing hole 152 of the second guide member 15 of the housing 10 (e.g., Figure 2 shown).

[0053] The second holding member 320 is movably disposed on the base portion 3112 of the housing 311 and is opposite to the first holding member 315. The second holding member 320 can be selectively fixed to the second end 3192 of the latch 319. For example, the second end 3192 of the latch 319 has a fixing hole 3192a, and the second holding member 320 includes a latch portion 3201 and an operating portion 3202 connected to each other, and the latch portion 3201 is inserted into the fixing hole 3192a of the second end 3192 of the latch 319, thereby fixing the latch 319 in a closed position. By operating the operating portion 3202, the latch portion 3201 can be driven to move, so that the latch portion 3201 is disengaged from the fixing hole 3192a of the second end 3192 of the latch 319, so that the latch 319 can be pivoted relative to the cover portion 3111.

[0054] The elastic member 321 is, for example, a tension spring, and opposite ends of the elastic member 321 are respectively connected to the cover portion 3111 of the housing 311 and the first end 3191 of the latch 319. For example, the opposite ends of the elastic member 321 are fixed to the cover portion 3111 and the first end 3191 of the latch 319 in a hook-and-loop manner. The elastic member 321 is used to apply a force to the second end 3192 of the latch 319 to move in a direction away from the second holding member 320.

[0055] The stopper 322 is pivotally disposed on the cover portion 3111 of the housing 311 and is stopped by the base portion 3112. The pivot axis P1 of the stopper 322 may not be parallel to the pivot axis P2 of the latch 319. For example, the pivot axis P1 of the stopper 322 is perpendicular to the pivot axis P2 of the latch 319. The stopper 322 has a stopper slot 3221, and a portion of the baffle structure 3133 of the expansion card assembly 313 is located in the stopper slot 3221 of the stopper 322.

[0056] Next, see Figure 4 and Figure 5 . Figure 5 for Figure 1The front view of the server shown in FIG. The plurality of first guide sliders 323 and the plurality of second guide sliders 324 are, for example, I-shaped nails, and the plurality of first guide sliders 323 and the plurality of second guide sliders 324 are fixed to the opposite sides of the housing 311 by, for example, riveting, and are located outside the internal space S2 of the housing 311. Specifically, the plurality of first guide sliders 323 are fixed to the surface of the base portion 3112 facing away from the internal space S2 and are arranged in a straight line, while the plurality of second guide sliders 324 are fixed to the surface of the cover portion 3111 facing away from the internal space S2 and are arranged in a straight line. The plurality of first guide sliders 323 and the plurality of second guide sliders 324 are slidably mounted in the guide slots 141 of the first guide member 14 of the housing 10 and in the guide slots 151 of the second guide member 15, respectively, so that the housing 311 of the expansion module 30 is supported on the support surface 111 of the bottom plate 11 of the housing 10 through the first guide member 14.

[0057] It should be noted that the plurality of first guide sliders 323 , the plurality of second guide sliders 324 , the first guide member 14 and the second guide member 15 are optional components and may be omitted according to actual needs.

[0058] Next, see Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 . Figure 6 for Figure 1 The main electrical connector 32, the two liquid cooling connectors 33 and the power connector 34 are all disposed on the side of the cover portion 3111 of the housing 311 away from the front window O of the case 10, and the main electrical connector 32 is closer to the front window O than the power connector 34 and the two liquid cooling connectors 33. The power connector 34 is located between the main electrical connector 32 and the two liquid cooling connectors 33, and the two liquid cooling connectors 33 are closer to the bearing surface 111 of the bottom plate 11 of the case 10 than the power connector 34 and the main electrical connector 32.

[0059] In this embodiment, the expansion module 30 may further include a main cable 325 , a power cable 326 , another power connector 327 , two pipelines 328 and another two liquid cooling connectors 329 .

[0060] The main electrical connector 32 is electrically connected to the riser card 312, for example, through a main cable 325, and the main electrical connector 32 can be detachably assembled to the motherboard connector 21 of the motherboard 20, so that the circuit board 3131 of the expansion card assembly 313 is electrically connected to the motherboard connector 21 of the motherboard 20 through the riser card 312, the main cable 325 and the main electrical connector 32. The motherboard 20 can transmit signals and supply power to the electronic components on the circuit board 3131 of the expansion card assembly 313 through the motherboard connector 21, the main electrical connector 32, the main cable 325 and the riser card 312.

[0061] The power connector 34 is, for example, a busbar connector. The power connector 34 and the power connector 327 are respectively connected to opposite ends of the power cable 326. The power connector 327 is assembled to the power connector 3134 of the expansion card assembly 313, and the circuit board 3131 of the expansion card assembly 313 is electrically connected to the power connector 34 through the power connector 3134, the power connector 327 and the power cable 326. The power connector 34 is detachably assembled to the electrical connection portion 41 of the power distribution board 40.

[0062] In this embodiment, the electronic components on the circuit board 3131 of the expansion card assembly 313 require a large amount of power to operate, so the server 1 provides the required power through the power distribution board 40, the power connector 34, the power cable 326, the power connector 327 and the power connector 3134.

[0063] The two liquid cooling connectors 33 are connected to the two liquid cooling connectors 329 through two pipelines 328. The two liquid cooling connectors 329 are respectively assembled to the two assembly holes 3132a on the heat sink 3132 of the expansion card assembly 313, so that the fluid chamber of the heat sink 3132 can be connected to the two liquid cooling connectors 33 through the two liquid cooling connectors 329 and the two pipelines 328. The two liquid cooling connectors 33 are respectively used to be detachably assembled to the liquid outlet connector and the liquid inlet connector of the branch pipe (not shown) in the liquid cooling loop. In this way, the expansion module 30 can be used as a link in the liquid cooling loop, so that the coolant transported in the liquid cooling loop can flow into and out of the heat sink 3132 to take away the heat generated by the electronic components on the circuit board 3131.

[0064] In this embodiment, the two liquid cooling joints 33 are arranged closer to the bearing surface 111 of the bottom plate 11 of the casing 10 than the power connector 34 and the main electrical connector 32. When liquid leakage occurs at the two liquid cooling joints 33, the leaked liquid can be prevented from dripping onto the power connector 34 or the main electrical connector 32, thereby reducing the occurrence of short circuits or damage.

[0065] It should be noted that the two liquid cooling connectors 33 are not limited to being closer to the bearing surface 111 of the bottom plate 11 of the case 10 than the power connector 34 and the main electrical connector 32. Instead, the positions of the two liquid cooling connectors 33, the power connector 34 and the main electrical connector 32 relative to the bearing surface 111 of the bottom plate 11 of the case 10 can be adjusted arbitrarily according to needs.

[0066] In this embodiment, the main electrical connector 32 is disposed closer to the front window O than the power connector 34 and the two liquid cooling connectors 33, so that the motherboard 20 has an additional portion extending toward the front window O, so that the motherboard 20 has more area for configuring circuits or electronic components.

[0067] It should be noted that the main electrical connector 32 is not limited to being closer to the front window O than the power connector 34 and the two liquid cooling connectors 33, but the positions of the main electrical connector 32, the power connector 34 and the two liquid cooling connectors 33 relative to the front window O can be adjusted arbitrarily according to actual needs.

[0068] On the other hand, the power connector 34, the power connector 327, the power cable 326, the liquid cooling connector 33, the liquid cooling connector 329, and the two pipelines 328 are optional components. In other embodiments, if the electronic components on the circuit board of the expansion card assembly 313 can operate without supplying a large amount of power, the server 1 can omit the power distribution board 40, the expansion module 30 can omit the power connector 34, the power connector 327, and the power cable 326, and the power required by the expansion card assembly 313 can be provided by the motherboard 20 and the riser card 312. In another embodiment, if the expansion module 30 does not need to use liquid cooling to dissipate heat, the expansion module 30 can omit the liquid cooling connector 33, the liquid cooling connector 329, and the two pipelines 328.

[0069] When the user wants to maintain the expansion module 30, the user must first remove the expansion module 30 from the housing 10 of the server 1. For details, please refer to Figures 7 to 9 . Figures 7 to 9 It is a schematic diagram of the operation of removing the expansion module 30 from the casing 10 of the server 1 .

[0070] The user must first operate the operating portion 3202 of the second fixing member 320 to disengage the latch portion 3201 of the second fixing member 320 from the fixing hole 3192a of the second end 3192 of the latch 319. In this way, under the elastic force of the elastic member 321, the elastic member 321 forces the latch 319 to pivot relative to the housing 311 by a certain angle, so that the fastening structure 3191a of the first end 3191 of the latch 319 is in the fastening hole 152 (such as the second guide member 15 of the housing 10) of the second guide member 15. Figure 2 At this time, the user can hold the latch 319 to pull the entire expansion module 30 out of the casing 10 of the server 1, so that the main electrical connector 32 is disconnected from the motherboard connector 21 of the motherboard 20, the power connector 34 is disconnected from the electrical connection portion 41 of the power distribution board 40, and the two liquid cooling connectors 33 are respectively disconnected from the liquid outlet connector and the liquid inlet connector of the branch pipe (not shown) in the liquid cooling circuit. In this way, the entire expansion module 30 can begin to be maintained.

[0071] In this embodiment, the expansion module 30 is detachably disposed in the accommodation space S1 of the housing 10 and is exposed to the outside from the front window O relative to the main board 20, and the main body 31 of the expansion module 30 is provided with a main electrical connector 32 and two liquid cooling connectors 33 that can be separated from the main board connector 21 of the main board 20. Therefore, when the user wants to remove the expansion module 30 from the housing 10 for maintenance, the expansion module 30 can be directly pulled out from the front window O of the housing 10 without turning off the power of the server 1, sliding the server 1 out of the cabinet, removing the upper cover of the housing 10, and releasing the connection relationship of various lines and pipes. In this way, the efficiency of maintaining the expansion module 30 can be effectively improved.

[0072] In addition, after the latch 319 and the second retaining member 320 are released, the elastic member 321 can automatically pop out the latch 319, so that the user can use the latch 319 as a handle to pull the entire expansion module 30 out of the housing 10. It should be noted that the elastic member 321 is an optional component. If the function of automatically popping out the latch 319 is not required, the elastic member 321 can be omitted.

[0073] Next, see Figures 10 to 12 . Figures 10 to 12 Schematic diagram of the operation of removing the expansion card assembly 313 from the housing 311. Assuming that the expansion card assembly 313 needs to be removed from the housing 311 during maintenance of the expansion module 30, the user can first release the connection between the power cable 326, the two pipelines 328 and the expansion card assembly 313. Then, operate the operating portion 3152 of the first retaining member 315 so that the latch portion 3151 of the first retaining member 315 is disengaged from the positioning hole 3111a of the cover portion 3111 of the housing 311. Then, slide the base portion 3112 of the housing 311 so that the narrow portion 3142 of the assembly guide member 314 moves from the locking section G2 of the assembly guide groove G of the base portion 3112 to the release section G1, so that the base portion 3112 can be removed from the cover portion 3111, so that the limiting member 322 is no longer stopped by the base portion 3112. Next, the user can rotate the stopper 322 relative to the cover 3111 to disengage the stopper slot 3221 of the stopper 322 from the baffle structure 3133 of the expansion card assembly 313. At this time, the path for the expansion card assembly 313 to be disassembled from the adapter card 312 is not restricted, and the expansion card assembly 313 can be disassembled from the adapter card 312.

[0074] After the maintenance of the expansion module 30 is completed, the user can assemble the expansion card assembly 313 back to the riser card 312 and connect the power cable 326 and the two pipes 328 to the expansion card assembly 313, then pivot the stopper 322 to limit the baffle structure 3133 of the expansion card assembly 313, and then install the base portion 3112 of the housing 311 back to the cover portion 3111. At this time, the second retaining member 320 is kept in a state where the fixing hole 3192a of the second end 3192 of the latch member 319 is not locked, and the entire expansion module 30 is placed into the housing 10, so that the main electrical connector 32 of the expansion module 30 is assembled with the motherboard connector 21 of the motherboard 20, the power connector 34 of the expansion module 30 is assembled with the electrical connection portion 41 of the power distribution board 40, and the two liquid cooling connectors 33 are assembled with the liquid outlet connector and the liquid inlet connector of the branch pipe (not shown) in the liquid cooling circuit. Next, the second end 3192 of the latch 319 is pivoted toward the second holding member 320, so that the fastening structure 3191a of the first end 3191 of the latch 319 is fastened to the fastening hole 152 of the second guide member 15 of the housing 10. Then, the second holding member 320 is operated so that the second holding member 320 is fastened to the fixing hole 3192a of the second end 3192 of the latch 319, and thus the expansion module 30 is installed in the housing 10.

[0075] In this embodiment, the expansion card assembly 313 is not limited to being limited in the housing 311 by the limiting member 322. In other embodiments, the limiting member 322 may be omitted, and the expansion card assembly 313 may be limited in the housing 311 by other suitable structures or components.

[0076] In addition, the expansion module 30 is not limited to being fixed to the housing 10 by the latch 319. In other embodiments, the latch 319 and the second retaining member 320 matched therewith may be omitted, and the expansion module 30 may be fixed in the housing 10 by other components or structures as required.

[0077] Furthermore, the base portion 3112 of the housing 311 is not limited to being detachably assembled to the cover portion 3111. In other embodiments, the base portion 3112 of the housing 311 may be non-detachably connected to the cover portion 3111. In this way, the first retaining member 315, the positioning hole 3111a of the cover portion 3111, the assembly guide 314, and the assembly guide groove G of the base portion 3112 may be omitted.

[0078] In this embodiment, the expansion card assembly 313 is not limited to a double-width expansion card assembly 313. In other embodiments, the expansion card assembly 313 may be a single-width expansion card assembly 313, and the size of the housing 311 may be adjusted accordingly, so that a greater number of expansion modules 30 may be configured in the front window O in the housing 10. On the other hand, the number of expansion card assemblies 313 in the housing 311 of the expansion module 30 is not limited to one. In other embodiments, the size of the housing 311 may be increased so that more than two single-width or double-width expansion card assemblies 313 may be accommodated in the housing 311. In other words, the size and number of the expansion card assemblies 313 in the expansion module 30 may be flexibly changed according to demand, so that the area of ​​the front window O of the housing 10 has a variety of different configurations of the expansion modules 30.

[0079] In this embodiment, in addition to air cooling, the expansion module 30 can also be used as a link in a liquid cooling loop to dissipate heat from the expansion module 30 because the expansion module 30 is equipped with two liquid cooling connectors 33.

[0080] It should be noted that the electronic component configuration inside the main body 31 of the expansion module 30 is only an example. The electronic components included in the main body 31 can be adjusted according to needs. For example, the expansion card component 313 and the adapter card 312 can be omitted in the main body 31, and a hard disk can be included instead.

[0081] According to the server 1 and expansion module 30 disclosed in the above embodiment, the expansion module 30 is detachably disposed in the accommodation space S1 of the casing 10 and exposed to the outside from the front window O, and the main body 31 of the expansion module 30 is provided with a main electrical connector 32 and two liquid cooling joints 33 that can be separated from the main board connector 21 of the main board 20. Therefore, when the user wants to remove the expansion module 30 from the casing 10 for maintenance, the expansion module 30 can be directly pulled out from the front window O of the casing 10 without turning off the power of the server 1, sliding the server 1 out of the cabinet, removing the upper cover of the casing 10, and releasing the connection relationship of various lines and pipes. In this way, the efficiency of maintaining the expansion module 30 can be effectively improved.

[0082] Furthermore, the size and quantity of the expansion card assembly 313 in the expansion module 30 can be flexibly changed according to the demand, so that the area of ​​the front window O of the housing 10 has a variety of different configurations of the expansion module 30.

[0083] In addition, in addition to being air-cooled, the expansion module 30 can also be used as a link in a liquid cooling loop to dissipate heat from the expansion module 30 because the expansion module 30 is configured with two liquid cooling connectors 33 .

Claims

1. A server, characterized in that: include: A housing having a containing space and a front window, wherein the front window is located at one side of the containing space and communicates with the containing space; a mainboard, located in the accommodating space, the mainboard having at least one mainboard connector; as well as At least one expansion module is detachably disposed in the accommodating space and exposed to the outside from the front window, and at least one expansion module comprises: One subject; a main electrical connector, disposed on the main body, the main electrical connector being detachably assembled to at least one of the mainboard connectors of the mainboard; and Two liquid cooling joints are arranged on the main body.

2. The server according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a power distribution board, which is located in the accommodating space and has an electrical connection portion. At least one of the expansion modules also includes a power connector, which is arranged on the main body and can be detachably assembled to the electrical connection portion of the power distribution board.

3. The server according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power connector is located between the main electrical connector and the two liquid cooling joints.

4. The server according to claim 3, characterized in that: The housing has a bearing surface, which is located at the bottom of the accommodating space. The main body of at least one expansion module is carried on the bearing surface, and the two liquid cooling connectors are closer to the bearing surface than the power connector and the main electrical connector.

5. The server according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main electrical connector is closer to the front window than the power connector and the two liquid cooling joints.

6. The server according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body includes a shell, an adapter card and an expansion card assembly, the adapter card and the expansion card assembly are arranged in the shell, the expansion card assembly includes a circuit board and a heat sink, the circuit board of the expansion card assembly is plugged into the adapter card, the heat sink is thermally coupled to the circuit board, the main electrical connector is arranged in the shell and electrically connected to the adapter card, and the two liquid cooling joints are arranged in the shell and connected to the heat sink.

7. The server according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shell includes a cover portion and a base portion, the base portion is detachably assembled to the cover portion, the cover portion and the base portion together form an internal space, the expansion card assembly and the adapter card are located in the internal space, and the adapter card is farther away from the base portion than the expansion card assembly.

8. The server according to claim 7, characterized in that: The main body also includes a first fixing member, which is movably disposed on the base portion and can be selectively clamped on the cover portion.

9. The server according to claim 8, characterized in that: The main body also includes a latch and a second retaining member, the latch having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end of the latch being pivotally disposed on the cover portion of the shell and being selectively clamped on the housing, and the second retaining member being movably disposed on the base portion of the shell and being selectively clamped on the second end of the latch.

10. The server according to claim 9, characterized in that The main body further comprises an elastic member, opposite ends of which are respectively connected to the cover portion of the shell and the latch member, and the elastic member is used to exert a force on the second end of the latch member to move in a direction away from the second retaining member.

11. The server according to claim 7, characterized in that: The main body also includes an assembly guide, the assembly guide includes a wide portion and a narrow portion, the width of the wide portion is greater than the width of the narrow portion, the wide portion is connected to the cover portion through the narrow portion, the base portion has an assembly guide groove, the assembly guide groove has a release section and a clamping section connected to each other, the width of the wide portion of the assembly guide is greater than the width of the clamping section, the narrow portion of the assembly guide is located in the clamping section, and the base portion is partially located between the wide portion of the assembly guide and the cover portion.

12. The server according to claim 7, characterized in that: The expansion card assembly has a baffle structure, and the main body also includes a limiting member, which is pivotally arranged on the cover part and stopped by the base part. The limiting member has a limiting groove, and the baffle structure of the expansion card assembly is partially located in the limiting groove of the limiting member.

13. The server according to claim 6, characterized in that: The housing has at least one guiding slide groove, and the main body also includes a plurality of guiding sliders, the plurality of guiding sliders are fixed to the housing and arranged in a straight line, and the plurality of guiding sliders are installed in at least one guiding slide groove.

14. An expansion module, characterized in that: include: One subject; a main electrical connector, disposed on the main body, the main electrical connector being detachably assembled to a mainboard connector of a mainboard; as well as Two liquid cooling joints are arranged on the main body.

15. The expansion module according to claim 14, characterized in that: It also includes a power connector, which is arranged on the main body and located between the main electrical connector and the two liquid cooling joints.

16. The expansion module according to claim 14, characterized in that: The main body includes a shell, an adapter card and an expansion card assembly, the adapter card and the expansion card assembly are arranged in the shell, the expansion card assembly includes a circuit board and a heat sink, the circuit board of the expansion card assembly is plugged into the adapter card, the heat sink is thermally coupled to the circuit board, the main electrical connector is arranged in the shell and electrically connected to the adapter card, and the two liquid cooling joints are arranged in the shell and connected to the heat sink.

17. The expansion module according to claim 16, characterized in that: The shell includes a cover portion and a base portion, the base portion is detachably assembled to the cover portion, the cover portion and the base portion together form an internal space, the expansion card assembly and the adapter card are located in the internal space, and the adapter card is farther away from the base portion than the expansion card assembly.

18. The expansion module according to claim 17, characterized in that: The main body also includes a first fixing member, which is movably disposed on the base portion and can be selectively clamped on the cover portion.

19. The expansion module according to claim 18, characterized in that: The main body also includes a latch and a second retaining member, the latch having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end of the latch being pivotally disposed on the cover portion of the shell, and the second retaining member being movably disposed on the base portion of the shell and selectively clamped on the second end of the latch.

20. The expansion module according to claim 17, characterized in that: The expansion card assembly has a baffle structure, and the main body also includes a limiting member, which is pivotally arranged on the cover part and stopped by the base part. The limiting member has a limiting groove, and the baffle structure of the expansion card assembly is partially located in the limiting groove of the limiting member.

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