O-ring gland fitting for liquid cooling with O-ring compression seal with redundant non-radial seal pairs

Abstract

An O-ring gland fitting for a liquid cooling circuit of an information processing device includes a plug, a slot, and an O-ring. The plug includes a mating protrusion and a plug gland surface. The socket includes a socket gland surface and a mating recess configured to receive the mating protrusion in a mated state of the plug and the socket. The plug gland surface and the slot gland surface are configured to form a gland that accommodates an O-ring in a mated state. The plug gland surface includes sealing surface features and the slot gland surface includes complementary sealing surface features configured to compress the O-ring between the complementary sealing surface features and form a plurality of non-radial sealing pairs in a mated state. Each of the non-radial seal pairs includes two contact stress surface seals formed by one of the sealing surface features and one of the complementary sealing surface features on opposite non-radial sides of the O-ring.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Information processing devices, such as computers and network equipment, generate heat during use. Cooling systems can be used to remove heat from the components of these devices, keeping them within desired operating temperatures. In some cases, the cooling system may be a liquid cooling system that flows a liquid coolant through a liquid cooling circuit to remove heat from one or more information processing devices. A liquid cooling system can include various components of a liquid cooling infrastructure, such as pipes / pipes, manifolds, fittings, cold plates, pumps, heat exchangers, etc.

[0002] Fittings for liquid cooling systems (also known as connectors, fluid connectors, hose connectors, etc.) are used to connect two liquid cooling components (such as two pipes / pipes) together in a manner that allows liquid to flow between them. Some fittings are permanent fittings, which are typically difficult to disconnect once connected. Examples of such permanent fittings include brazed / welded pipe fittings and hose barbs / clamp fittings. Other fittings are removable fittings, which are generally designed to be easier to connect and disconnect. Examples of such removable fittings include fluid quick disconnect (QD) fittings and fluid O-ring gland fittings. Removable fittings typically consist of two parts configured to work as a mating pair, wherein one end of each part of the fitting is more permanently connected to another liquid cooling component (e.g., pipe), and the other end is configured to removably mate with the other part of the fitting. Typically, one part of the fitting has an axially recessed mating portion configured to receive an axially protruding mating portion of the other part inserted therein. The part of the fitting that receives the other may be referred to herein as a “slot,” and the part of the fitting that inserts into the other may be referred to herein as a “plug.”

[0003] QD fittings are designed to allow for easy disconnection, typically without the need for tools. To achieve this, QD fittings may have a locking mechanism to hold the fittings together while allowing for easy (usually tool-free) release. Moving parts, such as lift valves or check valves, are also frequently present to provide automatic shut-off during connection / disconnection. Additionally, multiple sealing surfaces may be present to seal different parts relative to each other. Therefore, QD fittings can be relatively complex, with many intricate mechanical structures.

[0004] In contrast, fluid O-ring gland fittings are often simpler than QD fittings. Typically, a mating protrusion of the plug is inserted into a recessed portion of the socket, and an O-ring is positioned around the mating protrusion. This O-ring is compressed between the plug and the socket to seal the interface between the plug and the socket and prevent leakage. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Alone or with Figure 1This disclosure will be understood from the following detailed description. These accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and are incorporated in and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more examples of the teachings and, together with the description, explain certain principles and operations. In the drawings:

[0006] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example liquid cooling assembly.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a cross-section of another example liquid cooling fitting, where the plug and slot are not mating, and the O-ring is omitted from the view.

[0008] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The cross-section of the liquid cooling fitting, in which the plug and slot are in a non-fitting state.

[0009] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The cross-section of the liquid cooling fitting, in which the plug and slot are in a mating state, and the O-ring is omitted from the view.

[0010] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 The cross-section of the liquid cooling fitting, in which the plug and slot are in a mating state.

[0011] Figure 6 It is in a cooperative state. Figure 2 An enlarged view of a portion of the liquid cooling assembly.

[0012] Figure 7A It is in a cooperative state. Figure 2 Another enlarged view of a portion of the liquid cooling fitting, showing the O-ring in an expanded state.

[0013] Figure 7B It is in a cooperative state. Figure 2 Another enlarged view of a portion of the liquid cooling fitting, where the gland is enlarged due to tolerances.

[0014] Figure 7C It is in a cooperative state. Figure 2 Another enlarged view of a portion of the liquid cooling fitting, where the gland is enlarged due to the gap between the slot and the plug.

[0015] Figures 8 to 12 Including description Figure 2 The cross-section of the assembly sequence of the liquid cooling components. Figure 8 It is the cross-section of the liquid cooling component in the first stage of the assembly sequence. Figure 9 This is the cross-section of the liquid cooling component 2 in the second stage of the assembly sequence. Figure 10 It is the cross-section of the liquid cooling component in the third stage of the assembly sequence. Figure 11 It is the cross-section of the liquid cooling component in the fourth stage of the assembly sequence. Figure 12 This is the cross-section of the liquid cooling component in the fifth stage of the mating sequence, which corresponds to the mating state.

[0016] Figure 13 yes Figure 2 A 3D view of the plug for the accessory.

[0017] Figure 14 yes Figure 2 A 3D view of the slots for the accessories.

[0018] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of an example information processing system including a liquid cooling circuit with one or more liquid cooling components.

[0019] In each cross-sectional view, the section is taken along a plane parallel to the central axis 295 of the fitting (i.e., along the cutting plane of said plane), the central axis being... Figure 12 and Figure 13 Line 2-2 indicates the cut surface. The cut surface is depicted by drawing shading lines. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Permanent fittings typically establish reliable, leak-free connections. However, these permanent fittings may not be suitable for all fluid connections. For example, permanent fittings may be unsuitable where it is expected that the fitting can be easily disconnected in the future. Examples of such connections where easy disconnection may be desired include connections between information processing devices and fluid supply or return lines, as the information processing device may occasionally need to be removed from its mounting within a larger system (e.g., system enclosure or rack / cabinet) for purposes such as maintenance, repair, or replacement. Therefore, removable fittings may be more suitable in such cases.

[0021] QD fittings can be used to establish such removable connections. However, QD fittings can be relatively complex mechanical components and therefore potentially expensive. Furthermore, all the complex and movable parts in a QD fitting can increase the chance of failure, and the leakage risk is often not negligible. In some information processing systems that may have sensitive and expanded equipment, this leakage risk may make QD fittings a less desirable choice.

[0022] To avoid the cost and failure risks of QD fittings, in some cases, it may be necessary to use fluid O-ring gland fittings as an alternative to establish a removable connection. However, manufacturing fluid O-ring gland fittings with O-ring seals that adequately ensure leak-free operation in the case of liquid cooling of computing systems can be challenging, given certain challenges specific to this situation. In particular, existing fitting and O-ring designs (which may be sufficient in other cases) are often inadequate for the liquid cooling requirements of certain computing systems.

[0023] In a typical O-ring arrangement, when the two parts of the fitting mate, the O-ring is positioned between the radially outer surface of the mating protrusion of the plug and the radially inner surface of the slot, wherein the plug contacts the radially inward side of the O-ring and the slot contacts the radially outward side of the O-ring. (Radial refers to any direction perpendicular to the axis of the fitting part, which extends along the channel of the fitting part). The O-ring is radially compressed (deformed) between the plug and the slot, thereby forming two contact stress surface seals on opposite sides of the O-ring (radially outer and radially inner sides). These contact stress surface seals are called radial seals because the seals occur at the radial portion of the O-ring, i.e., the portion intersecting with the radial rays originating from the center point of the O-ring. In other words, in cross-section, the direction (normal vector) perpendicular to the surface of the O-ring at the seal points radially outward or radially inward. A seal pair may comprise two seals, which in cross-section are positioned on opposite diametrically opposed sides of the O-ring and are formed by compressing the O-ring along a line extending between the two seals. In the above arrangement, two radially contacting stress surfaces are sealed together to form a radial seal pair, wherein the compression line extends in the radial direction (i.e., the O-ring is radially compressed).

[0024] This radial sealing arrangement is commonly used due to its simplicity and ease of use. However, in some cases, radial sealing O-ring arrangements can be prone to leakage. One reason for this is that, due to the manufacturing process, O-rings often have small imperfections known as "flash," which surround the O-ring along its outer and inner radial surfaces. These flashes are typically shaped like small annular flanges or ridges, protruding radially from the O-ring and extending circumferentially around it—the outer flash protrudes radially outward around the outer circumference, while the inner flash protrudes radially inward around the inner circumference. Because these flashes are located on both the outer and inner radial surfaces, they are situated where a contact seal would be formed in a standard radial seal. The presence of flash at the sealing interface can prevent a perfectly smooth and flush contact between the sealing surfaces, thus reducing seal effectiveness and potentially leading to leakage. Typically, O-rings undergo post-manufacturing treatments to attempt to remove the flash. This can be done, for example, by polishing, sanding, flash freezing, or tumbling. However, flash removal techniques are not perfect, and in many cases, small remnants of flash and / or other surface defects will remain after the flash removal process. Therefore, even after flash removal, there remains a risk of leakage through the radial seal. Such leakage may be tolerable in some cases, where it is unlikely to cause damage or the damage will not be very costly. However, in computing systems that include sensitive and expensive electronics—in some cases, in large high-performance computing (HPC) or supercomputer systems where the equipment is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or more—even small leaks can cause damage, and the damage can be costly. Therefore, fittings with a standard radial seal O-ring design may not be suitable for many computing systems.

[0025] One approach to mitigating leakage risk through radial sealing O-rings is to incorporate multiple O-rings into the same fitting. This reduces the risk of leakage because a leak must pass through two O-rings simultaneously. However, accommodating multiple O-rings in the same fitting may require increasing the fitting's size, which is disadvantageous in space-constrained computing systems. Larger fittings with additional O-rings may also be more expensive. Furthermore, while incorporating multiple O-rings can help reduce the risk of leakage to some extent, the risk is often not sufficiently reduced for the liquid cooling requirements of certain computing systems. Two O-rings still suffer from the same drawbacks mentioned above (e.g., sealing on the burr), so the risk of leakage occurring simultaneously through two O-rings remains non-negligible. Therefore, using multiple O-rings per fitting is unlikely to make the fitting suitable for use in some computing systems.

[0026] Some hydraulic or pneumatic fittings are designed to provide good leak-proof performance. However, these fittings are typically designed for use in systems with relatively high-pressure fluids (such as between 150 and 1000+ PSI). Such fittings, and their O-rings, often rely on the pressure of the fluid itself to "activate" the O-ring, meaning moving the O-ring from its resting position to the sealing position and deforming it to help establish a seal. Contrary to intuition, these types of high-pressure fittings are often prone to leaking when used at lower fluid pressures because the lower pressure does not properly activate the O-ring. Therefore, existing hydraulic or pneumatic fitting designs may not be suitable for use in some computational systems using lower pressures (such as approximately 30 PSI gauge pressure ± 20 PSI), as the fittings may leak due to the failure to properly activate the O-ring at these low pressures.

[0027] On the other hand, there are fittings with O-rings designed to operate in systems with extremely low pressures, such as near-vacuum. However, to achieve a proper seal at such low pressures, these fittings typically require the use of vacuum grease, which is coated around the O-ring. The grease fills small gaps and surface defects, thus helping to prevent leaks. However, this type of grease may not be suitable for use in some computing systems that utilize liquid cooling, where the presence of grease could contaminate the liquid coolant and / or potentially degrade its performance.

[0028] Therefore, it is difficult to find or manufacture compact, cost-effective, removable fittings with O-ring seals that can operate at low fluid pressures and provide a reliable seal with extremely low risk of leakage without the need for grease or other sealing aids.

[0029] To address the aforementioned issues, the examples disclosed herein provide fluid O-ring gland fittings with novel O-ring sealing arrangements, wherein two portions of the fitting compress the O-ring in a manner forming multiple non-radial seal pairs. As described above, the seal pair comprises two contact stress surface seals, which are disposed on opposite sides of the O-ring in diameter in cross-section, and a compression line extends between the two contact stress surface seals. In the non-radial seal pairs formed by the example fittings disclosed herein, the compression line extends along a non-radial direction, such as along an axial direction (referred to herein as a face seal type) or along a midway direction between the axial and radial directions (referred to herein as a corner seal type). In the examples disclosed herein, at least two distinct non-radial seal pairs are formed, such as a face seal pair and a corner seal pair in one example, two distinct corner seal pairs in another example, a face seal pair and two distinct corner seal pairs in yet another example, or any other combination of two or more distinct non-radial seal pairs.

[0030] Because these non-radial seal pairs are non-radial, the seals are formed by the portion of the O-ring surface that does not have any burrs (i.e., the non-radial portion), and therefore burrs do not interfere with the sealing capability of the non-radial seal pair. Therefore, the possibility of leakage for a non-radial seal pair is much smaller than that for a standard radial seal.

[0031] Furthermore, the presence of multiple distinct non-radial seal pairs provides redundancy, ensuring that even if one seal pair fails, another can still contain the leak. In other words, multiple seals must fail simultaneously for a leak to occur, thus reducing the chance of leakage compared to seals relying on a single seal pair. Moreover, the examples disclosed herein can provide this redundancy in a single O-ring, allowing the disclosed fittings to be smaller and less expensive than those that might attempt to achieve sealing redundancy using multiple O-rings.

[0032] In the fittings disclosed herein, the slot and plug include respective gland surfaces that engage opposite sides of an O-ring to form a non-radial sealing pair. When the connector is mated, these gland surfaces together define a gland between them, in which the O-ring is received. The gland surfaces include a plurality of surface features that cooperate to form the aforementioned non-radial sealing pair. Specifically, each non-radial sealing pair is formed by a pair of opposing surface features in the gland surfaces, wherein one surface feature in the pair is part of the gland surface of the plug, and the other surface feature in the pair is part of the gland surface of the slot. The pair of surface features are configured to contact the O-ring during mating and compress the O-ring between them such that, in cross-section, compression occurs along a compression line extending between the two surface features, wherein the compression line extends in a non-radial direction. For example, a pair of surface features forming a face seal may be arranged opposite to each other in an axial direction such that, in cross-section, the compression line extending between this pair of surface features extends axially (parallel to the axis of the fitting). As another example, a pair of surface features forming an angle seal can be arranged diagonally opposite each other, such that in cross-section, the compression line extends at a non-zero and non-right angle (e.g., 45°) relative to the axis of the fitting.

[0033] In some examples, surface features of the gland surface forming the non-radial seal pair are configured to create regions of relatively high contact stress within the O-ring when the plug and socket mate, where these high contact stress regions form a contact stress surface seal in the non-radial seal pair. The high contact stress regions can have contact pressures (contact stress per unit area) greater than the fluid pressure, thereby forming a seal that prevents fluid from being pushed between the O-ring and the surface features. For example, surface features may include protrusions (e.g., ridges), corners (e.g., rounded, chamfered, right-angled), inclined sections, or other surface features of the gland surface arranged to contact and compress a portion of the O-ring during mating. Compared to high-pressure pneumatic or hydraulic fittings, these surface features allow the plug and socket to self-activate the O-ring without relying on fluid pressure. That is, the surface features can be arranged to engage the O-ring during mating, move the O-ring to its sealing position, and compress and deform the O-ring between the surface features, without relying on fluid pressure.

[0034] These and other aspects of the examples disclosed herein will be combined below. Figures 1 to 15 To describe in more detail.

[0035] Figure 1 The illustration shows an example of a liquid cooling fluid O-ring gland fitting 100 (fitting 100). Figure 1 It is illustrative in nature and is not intended to depict shape, size, or other structural details accurately or to scale. Some examples of accessory 100 may include... Figure 1 Components not shown in the diagram, and in some examples, Figure 1 One or more components shown in the diagram can be omitted from accessory 100. Figure 1 In this context, physical connections between components are conceptually indicated by double solid lines; joints between components are conceptually indicated by solid lines with arrows; other relationships between components (such as a component being formed in or defined by one or more other components) are indicated by dashed lines; and directions or axes are indicated by dashed lines.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, accessory 100 includes a plug 101, a slot 102, and an O-ring 180. The plug 101 is configured to removably engage with the slot 102, wherein the O-ring 180 is disposed between the plug and the slot to form a liquid-tight seal. Accessory 100 can be used, for example, in a liquid cooling circuit for cooling an information processing device. For example, the plug 101 can be connected to a first liquid cooling component (e.g., a pipe, pump, manifold, etc.), the slot 102 can be connected to a second liquid cooling component (e.g., a pipe, pump, manifold, etc.), and this creates a fluid connection between the two liquid cooling components when the plug 101 and the slot 102 are engaged.

[0037] Specifically, the plug 101 includes a base portion 120 and a mating protrusion 110, the base portion 120 having a first side configured to connect to a first liquid cooling component, and the mating protrusion projecting axially from a second side of the base portion 120. In some examples, the first side of the base portion 120 may be connected to the first liquid cooling component via a permanent or semi-permanent connection (such as a welded / brazed connection, a threaded connection, a hose barb connection, a compression fitting connection, a push-in connection (e.g., SharkBite mating connection), a Yor-Lok fitting connection, etc.). Therefore, the first side of the base portion 120 may include connection features to facilitate such a connection. Such connections will be familiar to those skilled in the art and are therefore not illustrated or described in more detail herein. In other examples, the base portion 120 may be an integral connection portion of the first liquid cooling component (formed as part of the same integral as the first liquid cooling component) – for example, the base portion 120 may be an integral part of the housing of a pump or manifold. The plug 101 also has a channel 115 extending through the plug along an axis 195p, wherein the channel 115 forms a liquid flow path through the plug 101. The channel 115 extends along the axis 195p through a base portion 120 and a mating protrusion 110, wherein the radially inward-facing surfaces of the base portion 120 and the mating protrusion 110 define the circumferential boundary of the channel 115. The channel 115 has two openings at its opposite ends, wherein a first opening 118 is located at a first end of the plug 101, in the base portion 120, and a second opening 119 is located at a second end of the plug 101 opposite to the first end, in the distal end of the mating protrusion 110. When the first liquid cooling component is attached to the base portion 120, the channel 115 is fluidly connected to the first liquid cooling component via the first opening 118 (e.g., the first component can be inserted into the channel 115 via the first opening 118, the first opening 118 can be inserted into the channel of the first component, or the first opening 118 and the first component can be connected via another part such as an adapter or permanent fitting).

[0038] The slot 102 includes a base portion 140 having a first side and a second side. The first side includes a mating recess 141 configured to removably receive a mating protrusion 110 in the mated state of the plug 101 and the slot 102. The second side is configured to connect to a second liquid cooling component. In some examples, the second side of the base portion 140 may be connected to the second liquid cooling component via a permanent or semi-permanent connection and may therefore include connection features to facilitate such connection, as is well known to those skilled in the art and not illustrated herein. In other examples, the base portion 140 may be an integral connection portion of the second liquid cooling component. The base portion 140 also includes a channel 145 extending through the base portion along an axis 195s. The mating recess 141 is axially recessed from a first axial surface of the base portion 140 at its first side and includes a portion of the channel 145. In other words, radially inwardly facing surfaces of the base portion 140 define the circumferential boundary of the channel 145, and a portion of these surfaces also forms the mating recess 141. The channel 145 includes two openings at its opposite ends, wherein a first opening 146 is located at a first end of the slot 102, within the base portion 140 (in the mating recess 141), and a second opening 147 is located at a second end of the slot 102 opposite to the first end, within the base portion 140. When the second liquid cooling component is coupled to the base portion 140, the channel 145 is fluidly coupled to the second liquid cooling component via the first opening 146 (e.g., the second component can be inserted into the channel 145 via the first opening 146, the first opening 146 can be inserted into the channel of the second component, or the first opening 146 and the second component can be coupled via another part such as an adapter or permanent fitting).

[0039] When the plug 101 and the slot 102 are engaged, the engaging protrusion 110 is inserted into the engaging recess 141 through the first opening 146, such that the second opening 119 is contained within and fluidly connected to the channel 145. Therefore, in the engaged state, channels 115 and 145 are fluidly connected, and thus liquid can flow from channel 115 into channel 145, or vice versa. Additionally, in the engaged state, axes 195p and 195s can be substantially aligned with each other (i.e., coaxial), and thus in this state, axes 195p and 195s can be individually or collectively referred to as axis 195 of fitting 100.

[0040] The mating protrusion 110 of the plug 101 can have any desired shape. For example, in some embodiments, the mating protrusion 110 can have a generally round hollow cylinder shape (i.e., a cylindrical shell or tubular shape), with or without a tapered portion toward the distal end and / or an introduction feature at the distal end (e.g., a rounded or beveled edge). The mating recess 141 of the slot 102 can have a shape complementary to the shape of the mating protrusion 110, such that the mating recess 141 can receive the mating protrusion 110 therein. For example, the mating recess 141 may include a cylindrical bore with a diameter approximately equal to (e.g., only slightly larger than) the outer diameter of the mating protrusion 110.

[0041] The plug 101 and the slot 102 each include a plug cap surface 130 and a slot cap surface 160, respectively. When the plug 101 and the slot 102 mate, these cap surfaces 130, 160 are arranged opposite to each other and cooperate to define a cap 103 between them. The cap 103 is the volume between the mating plug 101 and the slot 102, in which an O-ring 180 is disposed.

[0042] The plug gland surface 130 is partially defined by a base portion 120 and partially by a mating protrusion 110. Specifically, in some examples, the base portion 120 projects radially outward from the mating protrusion 110, wherein the base portion has an axial surface facing the slot 102 in a generally axial direction. The axial surface of the base portion 120, together with a portion of the outer radial surface of the mating protrusion 110, forms the plug gland surface 130.

[0043] The slot cover surface 160 is at least partially defined by a first axial surface of the base portion 140, as mentioned above, which is the surface into which the mating recess 141 is recessed. This first axial surface is also the surface of the base portion 140 that faces the base portion 120 of the plug 101 when mated.

[0044] When the plug 101 and the slot 102 mate, the gland surfaces 130 and 160 move axially toward each other. The gland surfaces 130 and 160 define a volume between them in which the O-ring 280 is accommodated, wherein this volume is referred to herein as gland 103. It should be noted that gland 203 is not necessarily a completely closed or sealed volume, but rather corresponds to approximately the space between gland surfaces 130 and 160. Eventually, the gland surfaces 130 and 160 come close enough to contact each other and begin to compress the O-ring 180 between them. Further movement of the gland surfaces 130 and 160 toward each other further compresses the O-ring until, in the fully engaged position, the O-ring is sufficiently compressed to form multiple distinct non-radial seal pairs, as described below.

[0045] In some examples, fitting 100 includes an axial ring 150 and a shoulder 121, and the axial ring 150 and shoulder 121 may also form portions of the plug cap surface 130 and the slot cap surface 160. The axial ring 150 may have a generally ring-shaped (rectangular toroidal) surface, with its central axis aligned with axis 195a, and may project axially from either base portion 120 or base portion 140. The shoulder 121 may be an axially facing surface disposed opposite to the axial ring 150 in the mated state. In the mated state, the axial ring defines the radial boundary of the cap 203. In some examples, the shoulder 121 may contact the axial ring 150 in the mated state. In other cases, a small gap may exist between the axial ring 150 and the shoulder 121 (i.e., the cap 103 is not necessarily completely closed).

[0046] exist Figure 1 In this diagram, the axial ring 150 is shown as part of the slot 102, while the shoulder 121 is part of the plug 101. In such an example, the slot cover surface 160 is partially defined by a first axial surface of the base portion 140 and partially by the axial ring 150, while the plug cover surface 130 may include the shoulder 121.

[0047] In other examples, the axial ring 150 may be part of the plug 101, and the shoulder 121 may be part of the slot 102. In such an example, the plug cap surface 130 is partially defined by the axial face of the base portion 120 and partially by the axial ring 150, while the slot cap surface 160 may include the shoulder 121.

[0048] In other examples, there may be two axial rings 150 (and no shoulder 121), one axial ring 150 protruding from the base portion 120 of the plug 101, and the other axial ring 150 protruding in the opposite direction from the base portion 140 of the slot 102. In such an example, the plug gland surface 130 is partially defined by one of the axial rings 150, and the slot gland surface 160 is partially defined by the other axial ring 150, and the two axial rings 150 may face each other (in some cases, contact each other) in the mating state and together define the radial boundary of the gland 102.

[0049] like Figure 1As shown, the plug gland surface 130 and the slot gland surface 160 include various sealing surface features 135 and complementary sealing surface features 165 that engage with the O-ring 180. The sealing surface features 135, 165 are arranged in pairs, with each pair including a sealing surface feature 135 of the plug gland surface 130 and a corresponding complementary sealing surface feature 165 of the slot gland surface 160. The two corresponding sealing surface features 135 / 165 of a given pair engage the non-radial portions of the O-ring 180 with opposite diameters, such that the two sealing surface features 135 / 165 compress the O-ring between them and form a non-radial sealing pair. A non-radial portion or side of the O-ring 180 refers to the portion of the O-ring that does not face the radial direction. In other words, a portion or side of the O-ring 180 is non-radial if all normal vectors in a portion of the O-ring 180 point in a non-radial direction (a normal vector is a vector (arrow) originating from a point on the surface of the O-ring 180 and pointing perpendicular to that surface). Examples of the non-radial portions / sides of the O-ring 180 include an axial side facing the axial direction and a diagonal side facing the midway direction between the axial and radial directions.

[0050] For example, the sealing surface feature 135 of the plug gland surface 130 may include a face sealing surface feature 131, in which case the complementary sealing surface feature 165 of the slot gland surface 160 may include a face sealing surface feature 161 forming a pair with the face sealing surface feature 131. In such an example, face sealing surface features 131 and 161 are configured to engage opposite axial sides of the O-ring 180 and axially compress the O-ring 180 between them in response to the axial movement of the plug 101 and the slot 102 toward each other during engagement. The “axial side” of the O-ring in contact with face sealing surface features 131 and 161 refers to two axially oriented portions of the O-ring surface, one axial side facing the plug gland surface 130 and the other axial side facing the slot gland surface 160. More specifically, each axial side includes a circular strip consisting of: a portion of the O-ring surface having an axially facing normal vector; or in other words, a portion of the O-ring surface corresponding to the maximum axial extent (apex) of the O-ring along the axial direction; or in other words, a portion of the O-ring surface intersecting with an imaginary cylinder coaxial with the O-ring and having a radius that is midway between the outer and inner radii of the O-ring (i.e., the lateral axial bisect of the O-ring by the cylinder). The axial compression of the O-ring between face sealing surface features 131 and 161 generates a region of high contact stress, which forms contact stress surface seals 181a and 181b at the locations where face sealing surface features 131 and 161 engage the O-ring 180. These contact stress surface seals 181a and 181b together form a non-radial seal pair, in this case, a face seal pair. In cross-section, the compression line 171 of the face seal pair (the line between seals 181a and 181b, along which the O-ring is compressed by surface features 131 and 161) is parallel to axis 195.

[0051] In some examples, face seal surface features 131 and 161 include protrusions that, in cross-section, axially project from adjacent portions of the plug gland surface 130 or the slot gland surface 160, respectively. In the mating state, the protrusions forming face seal surface features 131 and 161 are radially aligned with each other and project toward each other in opposite directions. The protrusion forming face seal surface feature 131 extends circumferentially about axis 195p, such that, viewed from a front view along axis 195p, the protrusion has a generally annular ridge shape. The protrusion forming face seal surface feature 161 similarly extends circumferentially about axis 195s with a generally annular ridge shape. In some examples, for each of face seal surface features 131 and 161, the normal vector at its apex may be parallel to the compression line 171 and axis 195. The protrusions can help concentrate contact forces in smaller areas, which increases pressure and amplifies local contact stress, resulting in a more robust contact stress surface seal.

[0052] As another example, the sealing surface feature 135 of the plug gland surface 130 may include a first corner sealing surface feature 132, in which case the complementary sealing surface feature 165 of the slot gland surface 160 may include a corresponding first corner sealing surface feature 162 forming a pair with the first corner sealing surface feature 132. In such an example, the first corner sealing surface features 132 and 166 are configured to engage diagonally opposite sides of the O-ring 180 midway between the axial and radial sides of the O-ring, and to compress the O-ring between the first corner sealing surface features. More specifically, in some examples, each diagonally opposite side may include a circular strip formed by a portion of the O-ring surface intersecting with an imaginary cone coaxial with the O-ring and whose sides diagonally bisect the O-ring. The O-ring undergoes diagonal compression between the first corner sealing surface features 132 and 162, creating a region of high contact stress. This region forms contact stress surface seals 182a and 182b at the location where the O-ring 180 engages with the first corner sealing surface features 132 and 162. These contact stress surface seals 182a and 182b together form a non-radial seal pair, in this case, a corner seal pair. In cross-section, the compression line 172 of the corner seal pair (the line between seals 182a and 182b along which the O-ring is compressed by surface features 132 and 162) forms an angle θ relative to the axis 195, where ||θ|| < 90°. In some examples, θ = 45°. In some examples, 40° < θ1 < 50° (i.e., θ1 = 45° ± 5°). In some examples, 30° < θ < 60° (i.e., θ = 45° ± 15°). In some examples, 15° < θ < 75° (i.e., θ = 45° ± 30°).

[0053] In some examples, corner sealing surface features 132 and 162 include inclined and / or curved mating surfaces that generally face each other and engage opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring. These mating surfaces may have diagonally pointing normal vectors. Furthermore, unlike face sealing surface features 131 and 161, which are radially aligned with each other in the mated state, corner sealing surface features 132 and 162 are radially offset from each other. In other words, one of the corner sealing surface features 132 and 162 is positioned radially outward than the other, with the axial side of the O-ring radially positioned between the two corner sealing surface features 132 and 162. For the purposes of discussion, it is assumed that corner sealing surface feature 132 is positioned more radially inward, and that when the plug 101 and the slot 102 move axially toward each other, surface feature 132 contacts the O-ring, and the inclined / curved surface of the surface feature pushes the O-ring diagonally outward and toward the slot 102 (i.e., in a direction generally perpendicular to the slope of the inclined / curved surface). Meanwhile, in this assumption, the corner sealing surface feature 162, which is more radially outward, contacts the opposite diagonal side of the O-ring, and the inclined / bent surface of the corner sealing surface feature pushes the O-ring diagonally inward and toward the plug 101 (i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the inclined / bent surface). Therefore, with the opposite diagonal side of the O-ring being pushed in opposite diagonal directions, the O-ring is diagonally compressed between the two corner sealing surface features 132 and 162. Alternatively, if the corner sealing surface feature 132 is more radially outward than the corner sealing surface feature 162, a similar effect to the above will occur, except that it is in a different direction; that is, the corner sealing surface feature 132 will push the O-ring radially inward and toward the socket 102, while the corner sealing surface feature 162 will push the O-ring radially outward and toward the plug 101. The inclined / bent mating surfaces forming corner seal surface feature 132 extend circumferentially about axis 195p, while the inclined / bent mating surfaces forming corner seal surface feature 162 similarly extend circumferentially about axis 195s. In some examples, for each of corner seal surface features 132 and 162, when in the mating state, the direction perpendicular to its surface may be parallel to compression line 172.

[0054] In some examples where both face sealing surface features 131 and 161 and corner sealing surface features 132 and 162 are present, corner sealing surface features 132 and 162 may include portions that are axially higher than face sealing surface features 131 and 161. In other words, the vertex of corner sealing surface feature 132 may be positioned axially further toward the slot 102 than the vertex of face sealing surface feature 131, and similarly, the vertex of corner sealing surface feature 162 may be positioned axially further toward the plug 101 than the vertex of face sealing surface feature 161. This arrangement allows for stronger diagonal compression between corner sealing surface features 132 and 162.

[0055] As another example, the sealing surface feature 135 of the plug gland surface 130 may include one or more additional corner sealing surface features, in which case the complementary sealing surface feature 165 of the slot gland surface 160 may include corresponding additional corner sealing surface features. In such an example, each pair of corresponding corner sealing surface features is configured to engage the opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring 180 midway between the axial and radial sides of the O-ring in a manner similar to that of the first corner sealing surface features 132 and 162, and to compress the O-ring between the corner sealing surface features, thereby forming a corner sealing pair. Each corner sealing pair may have a compression line at an angle different from that of the compression lines of other corner sealing pairs relative to the axis 195. For example, if the first corner sealing pair has a compression line at an angle θ1 = 45° relative to the axis 195, the second corner sealing pair may have a compression line at an angle θ2 = -45° relative to the axis 195, such that the two compression lines extend in opposite diagonal directions (e.g., in an X-shape). (In this case, a negative value of θ means that the angle is measured in the opposite direction to axis 195 relative to a positive value of θ. For example, if a positive θ is measured clockwise relative to axis 195, then a negative θ is measured counterclockwise relative to the axis.)

[0056] For ease of understanding, the above description focuses on surface features 131, 132, 161, and 162; however, it should be understood that the examples disclosed herein may include any desired combination of two or more pairs of sealing surface features 135 / 165 forming two or more non-radial sealing pairs. Specifically, some examples include a pair of face sealing surface features 131 and 161 for forming a face seal pair and a first diagonal sealing surface feature 132 and 162 for forming a corner seal pair; other examples include a first diagonal sealing surface feature 132 and 162 for forming a first corner seal pair and a second diagonal sealing surface feature for forming a second corner seal pair (without any face sealing surface feature); other examples include a pair of face sealing surface features 131 and 161 for forming a face seal pair, a pair of first corner sealing surface features 132 and 162 for forming a first corner seal pair, and a second diagonal sealing surface feature for forming a second corner seal pair; other examples include three or more pairs of diagonal sealing surface features (without any face sealing surface feature); and other examples include a pair of face sealing surface features for forming a face seal pair and three or more pairs of diagonal sealing surface features for forming three or more corner seal pairs.

[0057] In some examples, the O-ring 180 is carried by the plug 101 prior to mating, wherein the O-ring 180 abuts against a portion of the outer surface of the mating protrusion 110, which is also part of the plug cap surface 130. In some of these examples, the outer surface of the mating protrusion 110 may include retaining features (e.g., pawls) to hold the O-ring 180 on the plug 101. In some examples, the O-ring 180 is carried by the slot 102 prior to mating, wherein the O-ring 180 abuts against a portion of the slot cap surface 160. In some of these examples, the axial face of the base portion 140 may include a groove into which the O-ring 180 is partially received to hold the O-ring on the slot 102.

[0058] In some examples, accessory 100 may also include attachment features (not shown) to hold plug 101 and slot 102 together in a mated state. In some examples, the attachment feature may include portions of plug 101 and slot 102 that engage with each other to hold plug 101 and slot 102 together. In some examples, the attachment feature may include an intermediate portion (e.g., a threaded sleeve) that engages each of plugs 101 and 102 to hold them together.

[0059] For example, a threaded sleeve may be disposed around the plug 101 and the slot 102, wherein the plug 101 and the slot 102 are inserted into the center hole of the threaded sleeve, and the internal thread of the threaded sleeve may engage with the external thread of the plug 101 and the slot 102, thereby holding the plug and the slot together. The external thread of the plug 101 may be formed, for example, in the outer radial surface of the base portion 120, and the external thread of the slot 102 may be formed in the outer radial surface of the axial ring 150 and / or the base portion 140.

[0060] In another example, plug 101 and slot 102 may include complementary threads that directly engage (without intermediate portions) to hold plug 101 and slot 102 together. For example, plug 101 may include external threads, and slot 102 may include internal threads (e.g., on a portion (not shown) that projects axially from base portion 140 and radially surrounds base portion 120 when engaged), which engage the external threads of plug 101. Alternatively, in another example, slot 102 includes external threads, and plug 101 includes internal threads (e.g., on a portion (not shown) that projects axially from base portion 120 and radially surrounds axial ring 150 and / or base portion 140 when engaged), which engage the external threads of slot 102.

[0061] Now go to Figures 2 to 14 This section will describe an example liquid cooling fluid O-ring gland fitting 100 (fitting 200). Fitting 200 is an example embodiment of fitting 100 described above, and some components of fitting 200 therefore correspond to components of fitting 100 (i.e., are implementation examples of its components). Such corresponding components have similar reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 101 and 201. In some cases, unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory, the above description of various aspects of fitting 100 also applies to the corresponding components of fitting 200 described below, and therefore repeated descriptions of these aspects may be omitted below. Although fitting 200 is an example embodiment of fitting 100, fitting 100 is not limited to fitting 200.

[0062] This document references various directional terms, such as axial, radial, distal, proximal, outward, and inward. These terms are used in relation to the object depicted in the figure and are not related to any external frame of reference (such as the Earth). Axial refers to the direction parallel to the axis 295p of plug 201, the axis 295s of slot 202, and / or the axis 295 of fitting 200, depending on the context. Proximal and distal refer to two opposite axial directions, such as... Figure 2As depicted herein, radial means any direction perpendicular to and intersecting axes 295p, 295s, and / or 295, depending on the context. Outward and inward refer to opposite axial directions, where outward means the radial direction pointing away from axes 295p, 295s, and / or 295, and inward means the radial direction pointing toward axes 295p, 295s, and / or 295 (it should be noted that whether a given direction is outward or inward can depend on which side of axes 295p, 295s, and / or 295 is being considered, since a direction pointing inward on one side of axes 295p, 295s, and / or 295 will point outward on the other side of these axes). Other directional or relational terms used herein but not mentioned above are similarly understood based on the orientation depicted in the figures and are not limited relative to an external reference frame.

[0063] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, accessory 200 includes plug 201, slot 202, and O-ring 280 (from...). Figure 2 and Figure 4 The view in the image omits the O-ring to make other aspects visible. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The accessory 100 is shown in a non-cooperative state, wherein the plug 201 and the slot 202 are separate. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The fittings are shown in a mating state, with the plug 201 and the slot 202 mating together and the O-ring 280 compressed between them. Figure 12 and Figure 13 A perspective view shows the plug 201 and slot 202 in isolation, while Figures 2 to 11 The diagram shows a plug 201, a slot 202, and (in some cases) an O-ring 280 in various mating or non-matting states.

[0064] Accessory 200 can be used, for example, in a liquid cooling circuit used for cooling information processing devices. Figure 2 and Figure 13 As shown, the plug 201 has a first end 206 and a second end 207. The first end is configured to connect to a first liquid cooling component (e.g., a pipe, pump, manifold, etc.), or an integral part of the first liquid cooling component, and the second end is configured to mate with a slot 202. Similarly, as Figure 2 and Figure 14 As shown, slot 202 has a first end 208 configured to mate with plug 201 and a second end 209 configured to mate with a second liquid cooling component (e.g., a pipe, pump, manifold, etc.). When plug 201 and slot 202 mate together, this creates a fluid connection between the two liquid cooling components.

[0065] like Figure 2 and Figure 13 As shown in Figure 13 , the plug 201 includes a base portion 220 at a first end 206, a mating projection 210 at a second end 207, and a passage 215 extending along an axis 295p, where the passage 215 forms a liquid flow path through the plug 201. These will be described in turn below.

[0066] The base portion 220 has a first side 222 (corresponding to the first end 206 of the plug 201) and a second side 223 opposite the first side 222. The first side 222 may be configured to be connected to the first liquid cooling component via a permanent or semi-permanent connection or be an integral part of the first liquid cooling component. In the drawings, for ease of illustration, the first side 222 is illustrated as having a simple flat surface, but in practice, the first side 222 may assume a variety of different shapes and may include various connection features (not shown) for connection to the first liquid cooling component and / or other structures. Those of ordinary skill in the art will be familiar with the various types of fitting connection features that can be part of the base portion 220 of the first side 222, and thus these details are not illustrated herein.

[0067] The mating projection 210 projects axially (along the +z direction in Figure 2 ) from the second side 223 of the base portion 220. The distal end of the plug 201 corresponds to the second end 207 of the plug 201, opposite the first end 206. The mating projection 210 has a generally shape of a straight circular hollow cylinder (i.e., a cylindrical shell or tubular shape), except that the outer radial surface 211 is tapered toward the distal end and has various contours or surface features. Specifically, the outer radial surface 211 includes a tapered introduction feature 217 at the distal end of the mating projection 210, where the introduction feature 217 radially outwardly inclines from an initial radius r2 at the distal end to a final radius r3 at the proximal end, where r3 > r2. Proximal to the introduction feature 217, the outer radial surface 211 compresses an O-ring retaining feature 216 in the form of a protrusion, where the radius at the apex of the O-ring retaining feature is r4. Proximal to the O-ring retaining feature 216, the outer radial surface 211 includes an O-ring seat 214 with a radius of r5, where r5 < r4. In some examples, r5 = r3. Proximal to the O-ring seat 214 is a ramp 213 that radially outwardly inclines from an initial radius r5 at its distal end to a final radius r6 at its proximal end, where r6 > r5. The introduction feature 217, the O-ring retaining feature 216, the O-ring seat 214, and the ramp 213 will be described in more detail below.

[0068] ​​Channel 215 extends along axis 295p through base portion 220 and mating protrusion 210, wherein a radially inwardly facing surface 212 defines the circumferential boundary of channel 215. The radially inwardly facing surface 212 may be part of both base portion 220 and mating protrusion 210. The radius of channel 215 is referred to herein as r1, as... Figure 2 As shown. Channel 215 has two openings at its opposite ends, wherein a first opening 218 is located at the first end 208 of plug 201, in the first side 222 of base portion 220, and a second opening 219 is located at the second end 207 of plug 201, in the distal end of mating protrusion 210. When the first liquid cooling component is coupled to base portion 220, channel 215 is fluidly connected to the first liquid cooling component via the first opening 218.

[0069] Now turn to slot 202, as follows Figure 2 and Figure 14 As shown, the slot includes an axial ring 250 at a first end 208, a base portion 240 at a second end 209, and a channel 245 extending along an axis 295s, wherein the channel 245 forms a liquid flow path through the slot 202. These will be described in turn below.

[0070] The base portion 240 has a first side 244 and a second side 248 opposite to the first side 244 (the second side 248 of the base portion 240 corresponds to the second end 209 of the slot 202). The second side 248 is configured to connect to a second liquid cooling component. Like the first side 222 of the plug 201, the second side 248 of the slot 202 is illustrated herein as a simple flat surface for ease of illustration only, but in practice it can take any desired shape and may include various connection features (not shown) to facilitate connection to the second liquid cooling component. The first side 244 of the base portion 240 includes an axial surface 249 and a mating recess 241 recessed axially (along the +z direction) from the axial surface 249. The mating recess 241 includes a cylindrical hole defined between radially inwardly facing surfaces 242, wherein the radius r8 of the hole is equal to or only slightly larger (e.g., at most 0.05 mm larger) the maximum outer radius of the portion of the mating protrusion 210 received in the mating recess 241. Specifically, in some examples, the radius r4 of the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216 can be the maximum radius of any portion of the receiving portion of the mating protrusion 210 within the mating recess 241, and therefore in these examples, r8 is equal to or only slightly greater than r4. The base portion 240 may further include a shelf 255 in the shape of an annular ring around axis 295, which defines the distal boundary of the mating recess 241 and faces the mating protrusion 210 in the mated state. The mating recess 241 also has an edge 243 at its proximal end (opposite to the shelf 255) formed at the intersection of the radially inwardly facing surface 242 and the axial surface 249. The edge 243 may have a rounded or beveled edge to facilitate smooth engagement with the tapered inlet 217 of the mating protrusion, as described below.

[0071] In the illustrated example, an axial ring 250 is positioned at the first end 208 of the slot 202, where the axial ring protrudes axially (in the -z direction) from the axial face 249 of the base portion 240. (In other examples, the axial ring 250 may alternatively move from the slot 202 to the plug 201 rather than moving on the slot 202, where such an axial ring 250 protrudes from the shoulder 221 in the +z direction and engages with the axial face 249.) The axial ring 250 has the shape of a rectangular toroidal surface (a ring with a square cross-section) around an axis 295s. The axial ring 250 may cooperate with the axial face 225 of the shoulder 221 of the base portion 220 of the plug 201 to define the gland 203, as will be described in more detail below. In some examples, the axial ring 250 does not directly participate in creating any seal. Alternatively, in some examples, one purpose of the axial ring 250 is to cover and protect the O-ring 280 from contact with external objects that could damage the O-ring or interfere with the seal. Therefore, as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, in the mating state, the axial ring 250 can be positioned directly opposite and facing the shoulder 221 with a small gap or no gap therebetween to prevent all objects except very small objects from entering the gland 203. Another purpose of the axial ring 250 can be to form a stop corresponding to the nominal mating position of the socket 202 and the plug 201 and additionally corresponding to the desired compression of the O-ring 280. More specifically, in some examples, when the socket 202 and the plug 201 are fully mated, the axial ring 250 can contact the shoulder 221, and this contact can prevent further axial movement of the plug 201 and the socket 202 towards each other, which may over-compress the O-ring 280. However, as Figure 7C shown, in some cases, there may be a small gap between the axial ring 250 and the shoulder 221. This may be due to part tolerances and / or may be part of the nominal specified dimensions of the parts. In some examples, when the plug 201 and the socket 202 are mated, if the axial ring 250 and the shoulder 221 are at one extreme of their respective tolerance ranges (see Figure 6 ), then these parts contact each other, but if these parts are at the opposite extreme of their respective tolerance ranges (see Figure 7C ) or at their nominally specified dimensions, then these parts do not contact each other.

[0072] The channel 245 extends along the axis 295s through the socket 202. The radially inward-facing surface of the socket 202 defines the circumferential boundary of the channel 245, including the radially inward-facing surface 251 of the axial ring 250 that defines a part of the channel 245, the radially inward-facing surface 242 of the mating recess 241 that defines another part of the channel 245, and the radially inward-facing surface 256 of the shelf 255 that defines yet another part of the channel. The various parts of the channel can have different radii, as Figure 2 shown. In particular, the radius of the part of the channel 2,45 defined by the surface 256 is r7, the radius of the part of the channel 245 defined by the surface 242 is r8, and the radius of the part of the channel 245 defined by the surface 251 is r9, where r7 < r8 < r9. In some examples, r7 = r1. The channel 245 includes two openings at its opposite ends, where the first opening 246 is located at the first end 208 of the socket 202 and the second opening 247 is located at the second end 209 of the socket 202. When the second liquid cooling component is coupled to the base portion 240, the channel 245 is fluidly coupled to the second liquid cooling component via the first opening 246.

[0073] When the plug 201 and the slot 202 mate, the mating protrusion 210 is inserted through the first opening 246, passes through the axial ring 250, and enters the mating recess 241, such that the second opening 219 is contained within the channel 245 and fluidly connected to the channel 245. Figure 4 As shown. Therefore, in the mating state, channels 215 and 245 are fluidly connected, and thus liquid can flow from channel 215 into channel 245, or vice versa. Additionally, in the mating state, axes 295p and 295s can be substantially aligned with each other (i.e., coaxial), therefore in this state, axes 295p and 295s can be individually or collectively referred to as axis 295 of fitting 200, as... Figure 4 As shown. This alignment can be achieved through the interaction of various joining and alignment features, as will be discussed below. Figures 8 to 12 More detailed description.

[0074] like Figure 2 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the plug 201 and the slot 202 each include a plug cap surface 230 and a slot cap surface 260, respectively. When the plug 201 and the slot 202 are engaged, these cap surfaces 230, 260 are disposed opposite to each other and cooperate to define a cap 203 between them, as shown. Figure 4 As shown. The pressure cap 203 is the volume between the mating plug 201 and the slot 202, and the O-ring 280 is disposed within said volume, as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, the O-ring 280 is supported by the plug 201 before mating. Specifically, as... Figure 2 As shown, the radial outer surface 211 of the mating protrusion 210 includes an O-ring seat 214 and an O-ring retaining feature 216. The O-ring retaining feature 216 includes a radial protrusion (ridge) adjacent to the O-ring seat 214. Figure 3 As shown, the radially inner side of the O-ring 280 abuts against the O-ring seat 214, wherein the mating protrusion 210 abuts the O-ring retaining feature 216 such that the O-ring retaining feature 216 retains the O-ring 280 from disengaging from the end of the mating protrusion 210. The O-ring seat 214 and the O-ring retaining feature 216 are arranged such that the O-ring 280 is positioned distal to the gland surface 230, i.e., in the pre-fitted state, the O-ring 280 is not in contact with the gland surface 230. In some examples, the nominal, unstretched inner diameter of the O-ring 280 is smaller than r5 (the outer diameter of the O-ring seat 214), such that the O-ring 280 is in a slightly stretched state when resting on the O-ring seat 214, which helps to retain the O-ring 280 on the mating protrusion 210.

[0076] like Figure 2 and Figure 13 As shown, the plug cap surface 230 is partially defined by a base portion 220 and partially by a mating protrusion 210. Specifically, the base portion 220 includes a shoulder 221 that projects radially outward from the base (attachment end) of the mating protrusion 210, wherein the shoulder 221 has an axial surface 225 that faces the slot 202 in a generally axial (+z) direction. The axial surface 225 of the shoulder 221, together with a portion of the outer radial surface 211 of the mating protrusion 210, forms the plug cap surface 230.

[0077] like Figure 2 and Figure 14 As shown, the slot cover surface 260 is partially defined by the base portion 240 and partially by the axial ring 250. The radially inwardly facing surface 251 of the axial ring 250 together with the axial surface 249 of the base portion 240 forms the slot cover surface 260.

[0078] When the plug 201 and the slot 202 mate, the gland surfaces 230 and 260 move axially toward each other. Eventually, the gland surfaces 230 and 260 come close enough to contact each other and begin to compress the O-ring 280 between them. Further movement of the gland surfaces 230 and 260 closer together further compresses the O-ring until, in the fully engaged position, the O-ring is sufficiently compressed to form multiple distinct non-radial seal pairs, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown and described below. Additionally, as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in the fully engaged position, the axial ring 250 is positioned opposite the shoulder 221, partially closing the gland 203. In some cases, the axial ring 250 can abut the shoulder 221 in the engaged state, such as... Figure 6 As shown. In other cases, a small gap may exist between the axial ring 250 and the shoulder 221 (i.e., the gland 203 may not be completely closed), such as Figure 7C As shown.

[0079] like Figure 2 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As can be best seen, the plug gland surface 230 and the slot gland surface 260 include various surface features. For example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, these surface features engage with the O-ring 280 in the mating state. Specifically, as Figure 2 and Figure 13 As shown, the plug gland surface 230 includes a face sealing surface feature 231, a first corner sealing surface feature 232, and a second corner sealing surface feature 233. Accordingly, as... Figure 2 and Figure 14As shown, the slot cover surface 260 includes a face sealing surface feature 261, a first corner sealing surface feature 262, and a second corner sealing surface feature 263. For example... Figure 5 As shown, face sealing surface features 231 and 261 form a face seal pair by engaging opposite axial sides of the O-ring 280 and axially compressing the O-ring between these face sealing surface features along compression line 271. First corner sealing surface features 232 and 262 form a first corner seal pair by engaging opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring 280 and diagonally compressing the O-ring between the first corner sealing surface features along compression line 272. Second corner sealing surface features 233 and 263 form a second corner seal pair by engaging opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring 280 and diagonally compressing the O-ring between the second corner sealing surface features along compression line 273. The aforementioned axial and diagonal sides of the O-ring... Figure 3 The surfaces are marked as axial sides 280a1 and 280a2 and diagonal sides 280d1, 280d2, 280d3 and 280d4, and using this naming convention, face sealing surface features 231 and 261 contact axial sides 280a1 and 280a2 respectively, first corner sealing surface features 232 and 262 contact diagonal sides 280d2 and 280d4 respectively, and second corner sealing surface features 233 and 263 contact diagonal sides 280d1 and 280d3 respectively.

[0080] The axial seals include contact stress seals 281a and 281b, which are formed by regions of the O-ring 280 that experience relatively high contact stress due to axial compression of the opposing face sealing surface features 231 and 261. Figure 6 As shown, the contact stress seal 281a is formed on the axial side of the O-ring facing the plug gland surface 230 (-z direction), that is, Figure 3 In the axial side 280a1 marked in the middle, and the contact stress seal 281b is formed in the axial side of the O-ring facing the slot cover surface 260 (+z direction), that is, Figure 3 In the axial side 280a2 marked in the middle. Axial compression in Figure 6 The compression line 271 indicates the direction of compression along a cross-sectional slice of the O-ring. Compression line 271 is parallel to axis 295.

[0081] like Figure 6 As shown, face sealing surface features 231 and 261 each include a protrusion, which in cross-section includes a circular (arched) bump, the bump protruding axially (±z direction) from the adjacent portion of the plug cap surface 230 or the slot cap surface 260, respectively. Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, when viewed from a three-dimensional perspective, face sealing surface features 231 and 261 have the form of circular ridges or axially projecting rings around axes 295p and 205s. In the mating state, the protrusions forming face sealing surface features 231 and 261 are radially aligned with each other and project towards each other in opposite directions. Specifically, the vertex of face sealing surface feature 231 is located at radius r11, and the vertex of face sealing surface feature 261 is located at radius r14, and in some examples, r11 = r14. The protrusions forming face sealing surface feature 231 extend circumferentially around axis 295p, such that, viewed from a front view along axis 295p, the protrusion has a generally arched shape of an annular ridge. The protrusions forming face sealing surface feature 261 similarly extend circumferentially around axis 295s in a generally annular ridge shape. Furthermore, for each of face sealing surface features 231 and 261, the normal vector at its vertex is parallel to the compression line 271 and axis 295. The protrusions can help concentrate the contact force in a smaller area, which increases the pressure and amplifies the local contact stress, resulting in a more robust contact stress surface seal 281a or 281b.

[0082] The first angle seal pair includes contact stress seals 282a and 282b, which are formed by regions of the O-ring that experience relatively high contact stress due to diagonal compression of the opposing angle seal surface features 232 and 262. Figure 6 As shown, the contact stress seal 282a is formed in the diagonal side of the O-ring facing the plug gland surface 230 along a first direction, midway between the axial and radial directions (e.g., midway between the -z and +x directions), i.e. Figure 3 In the diagonal side 280d2 marked in the middle. The corresponding contact stress seal 282b is formed in a second direction (opposite to the first direction) along the midway between the axial and radial directions (e.g., the midway between the +z and -x directions), in the diagonal side of the O-ring facing the slot cover surface 260, that is, Figure 3 The diagonal side of the marked area is 280d4. The diagonal is compressed within... Figure 6 The compression line 272 represents the direction of compression along a cross-sectional slice of the O-ring. In the cross-section, the compression line 272 forms an angle θ1 with respect to the axis 295, where ||θ1|| < 90°. In some examples, θ1 = 45°. In some examples, 40° < θ1 < 50° (i.e., θ1 = 45° ± 5°). In some examples, 30° < θ1 < 60° (i.e., θ1 = 45° ± 15°). In some examples, 15° < θ1 < 75° (i.e., θ1 = 45° ± 30°).

[0083] like Figure 6As shown, the angular seal surface features 232 and 262 include inclined and / or curved mating surfaces that generally face each other and engage diagonal opposite sides of the O-ring 280. In cross-section, these mating surfaces have diagonally directed normal vectors. Specifically, the angular seal surface feature 232 has a normal vector that points midway between the +z direction and the -x direction (i.e., the normal vector has a negative x-component, a zero y-component, and a positive z-component), while the angular seal surface feature 262 has a normal vector that points midway between the -z direction and the +x direction (i.e., the normal vector has a positive x-component, a zero y-component, and a negative z-component). In three dimensions, the respective inclined surfaces of the angular seal surface features 232 and 262 wrap around axes 295p and 295s, like the inclined surfaces of a frustum of a cone, as Figure 13 and Figure 14 shown. In the mated state, these inclined surfaces that make up the angular seal surface features 232 and 262 are at the same angle to each other relative to axis 295, such as a 45° angle in some examples. Additionally, in contrast to the face seal surface features 231 and 261 that are radially aligned with each other in the mated state, as Figure 6 shown, the angular seal surface features 232 and 262 are radially offset from each other, with the angular seal surface feature 262 being set further radially outward than the angular seal surface feature 232, and wherein the axial sides of the O-ring 280 are radially positioned between the two angular seal surface features 232 and 262. More specifically, the angular seal surface feature 232 has a radius r10 (e.g., the radius at its middle portion), the angular seal surface feature 262 has a radius r15 (such as, the radius at its vertex), the face seal surface feature 231 has a radius r11 at its vertex, and the face seal surface feature 261 has a radius r14 at its vertex, and in some examples, r10 < r11 = r14 < r15, as Figure 2 shown.

[0084] The beveled surfaces of the angular seal surface features 232 and 262, and the positioning of the angular seal surface features on opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring, allow these features to create a diagonal compression of the O-ring 280 between the plug 201 and the socket 202 when the plug and the socket are moved axially towards each other. The inclined / curved mating surface that forms the angular seal surface feature 232 extends circumferentially around axis 295p, while the inclined / curved mating surface that forms the angular seal surface feature 262 similarly extends circumferentially around axis 295s. For each of the angular seal surface features 232 and 262, in cross-section, when in the mated state, the direction perpendicular to its surface is generally parallel to the compression line 272 (within ±15° of the compression line).

[0085] The second angle seal pair includes contact stress seals 283a and 283b, which are formed by regions of the O-ring that experience relatively high contact stress due to diagonal compression of the opposing angle seal surface features 233 and 263. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the contact stress seal 283a is formed in a third direction along the midpoint between the axial and radial directions (e.g., the midpoint between the -z and -x directions) on the diagonal side of the O-ring facing the plug gland surface 230, i.e. Figure 3 In the diagonal side 280d1 marked in the middle. The corresponding contact stress seal 283b is formed in the fourth direction (opposite to the third direction) along the midway between the axial and radial directions (e.g., the midway between the +z and +x directions), in the diagonal side of the O-ring facing the slot cover surface 260, that is, Figure 3 The diagonal side of the marked area is 280d3. The diagonal is compressed within... Figure 6 The compression line 273 represents the compression direction along a cross-sectional slice of the O-ring. In the cross-section, the compression line 273 forms an angle θ2 with respect to the axis 295, where ||θ2|| < 90°. In some examples, θ2 = -45°. In some examples, -40° < θ2 < -50° (i.e., θ2 = -45° ± 5°). In some examples, -30° < θ2 < -60° (i.e., θ2 = -45° ± 15°). In some examples, -15° < θ2 < -75° (i.e., θ1 = -45° ± 30°). In some examples, compression lines 273 and 272 intersect each other at an angle of 90°.

[0086] like Figure 6As shown, corner sealing surface features 233 and 263 include inclined and / or curved mating surfaces that generally face each other and engage diagonally opposite sides of the O-ring 280. In cross-section, these mating surfaces have diagonally pointing normal vectors. Specifically, corner sealing surface feature 233 has a normal vector pointing midway between the -z and +x directions (i.e., the normal vector has a negative x-component, a zero y-component, and a negative z-component), while corner sealing surface feature 262 has a normal vector pointing midway between the +z and +x directions (i.e., the normal vector has a positive x-component, a zero y-component, and a positive z-component). In the mating state, these inclined surfaces constituting corner sealing surface features 233 and 263 form the same angle with respect to axis 295, such as 45° in some examples. In some examples, the angle of the inclined surfaces of the first corner sealing surface features 232 and 262 may be offset by 90 degrees from the angle of the inclined surfaces of the second corner sealing surface features 233 and 263. Corner seal surface features 233 and 263 are radially offset from each other, and their beveled surfaces and relative positions allow these features to create diagonal compression of the O-ring 280 between the plug and the socket as the plug 201 and the socket 202 move axially toward each other. The beveled / bent engagement surface forming corner seal surface feature 233 extends circumferentially about axis 295p, while the beveled / bent engagement surface forming corner seal surface feature 263 similarly extends circumferentially about axis 295s. For each of corner seal surface features 233 and 263, in cross-section, when in the mating state, the direction perpendicular to its surface is generally parallel to the compression line 273 (within ±15° of the compression line).

[0087] like Figure 6 As shown, the face sealing surface feature 231 is radially disposed between the first corner sealing surface feature 232 and the second corner sealing surface feature 233. Similarly, the face sealing surface feature 261 is radially disposed between the first corner sealing surface feature 262 and the second corner sealing surface feature 263. More specifically, the corner sealing surface feature 233 has a radius r12 (e.g., the radius at its apex), the corner sealing surface feature 263 has a radius r13 (e.g., the radius in its middle region), the face sealing surface feature 231 has a radius r11 at its apex, and the face sealing surface feature 261 has a radius r14 at its apex, and in some examples, r12 > r11 = r14 > r13, such as... Figure 2 As shown. Additionally, in some examples, r12 = r15 and r10 = r13. Furthermore, compression line 273 is transverse to compression line 272.

[0088] like Figure 3As shown, a portion of the uncompressed O-ring 280 has a circular profile, so its axial side 280a1 is positioned closer to the gland surface 230 in the axial direction than the diagonal sides 280d1 or 280d2. Specifically, the diagonal side 280d1 of the O-ring 280 (its contact angle surface feature 233) is positioned rearward in the axial direction by a distance d6 further than the diagonal side 280d1 of the O-ring 280 (its contact angle sealing surface feature 233). Because the diagonal sides 280d1 and 280d2 are positioned rearward relative to the axial side 280a1, if surface features 231, 232, and 233 are all at the same axial height in the distal direction, the face sealing surface feature 231 will contact the O-ring 280, and the O-ring will begin to compress well before the corner sealing surface features 232 or 233 contact the O-ring 280. The same applies to surface features 261, 262, and 263. Therefore, when the plug 201 and the slot 202 move together, the degree of contact stress (deformation) generated by the face sealing surface features 231 and 261 will be greater than the contact pressure (deformation) generated by the corner sealing surface features 232, 262, 233 and 263, which may result in the corner seal pair having a lower-than-expected sealing performance. Therefore, in order to reduce this difference in contact stress between different seal pairs and allow all seal pairs to provide the expected level of sealing performance, the face sealing surface features 231 and 261 may be slightly concave axially relative to the corner sealing surface features 232, 233, 262 and 263. More specifically, corner sealing surface features 232 and 233 may be axially higher than face sealing surface feature 231 (i.e., corner sealing surface features 232 and 233 are positioned further away from the apex of face sealing surface feature 231 in the distal direction), while corner sealing surface features 262 and 263 are axially higher than face sealing surface feature 261 (i.e., corner sealing surface features 262 and 263 are positioned further away from the apex of face sealing surface feature 261 in the proximal direction). This allows the corner sealing surface features to contact and begin compressing the O-ring 280 more quickly than if all surface features had the same axial height, and in some cases, it allows all surface features to begin compressing the O-ring 280 approximately simultaneously. This results in increased contact stress at seals 282a, 282b, 283a, and 283b, thereby improving sealing performance.

[0089] In addition to the aforementioned non-radial seal pairs, fitting 200 may also include additional secondary seals. For example, O-ring 280 may be along... Figure 6 The compression line 274 shown is axially compressed between the portions of the gland surfaces 230 and 260 that face axially and are adjacent to the corner seal surface features 233 and 262. This axial compression produces an additional axial face seal pair.

[0090] like Figure 3 and Figure 6As shown, the O-ring 280 has a flash 285 on either of its radial sides (the flash is exaggerated in the figures to make it more visible). However, since the aforementioned non-radial seals do not involve the portions of the O-ring with such flash 285, the flash 285 does not interfere with these non-radial seals.

[0091] Furthermore, a secondary radial seal can occur at the location where the radially inner side of the O-ring contacts the radially outward surface 211 of the mating protrusion 210. This secondary radial seal may have the aforementioned problems related to the flash 285 that could potentially impair sealing performance, but it still provides a degree of additional sealing redundancy. However, since this is a radial seal, this secondary seal is not considered part of the non-radial seal pair.

[0092] When the O-ring 280 is compressed between the gland surfaces 230 and 260, the O-ring 280 changes its shape (deforms), but its volume does not change significantly (i.e., the O-ring 280 is made of an "incompressible" material, meaning that the material does not significantly change its volume in response to increased pressure). Specifically, the O-ring 280 deforms when pressed by the movement of the plug 201 and slot 202 along the axial (±z) direction. This deformation may include a general reduction in the width of the O-ring 280 in the axial (±z) direction. Because the volume of the O-ring 280 does not change significantly, the reduction in the axial width of the O-ring 280 results in a corresponding expansion of the O-ring in other directions, including an expansion in the radial width of the O-ring 280. Therefore, the reference to compression of O-ring 280 in this paper should be understood as applying force / pressure to the opposite side of O-ring 280 to squeeze O-ring 280 between them. This may cause stress and deformation of O-ring 280, but not necessarily change its overall volume. To account for the expansion of O-ring 280 along the radial (±x) direction during compression, as... Figure 6 As shown in Figure 7, the gland 203 is configured to have a free space radially adjacent to the space normally occupied by the O-ring 280 before mating, wherein the free space is large enough to accommodate displaced material of the O-ring 280 during mating. In other words, the volume of the gland 203 in the mated state is at least as large as the volume of the O-ring 280.

[0093] Furthermore, in some examples, the gland 203 is configured to provide more additional space than might be required simply considering the deformation of the O-ring 280 under compression. In other words, the volume of the gland 203 can exceed the volume of the O-ring 280. This additional space can be provided to account for the possibility that the O-ring 280 is larger than its nominal value and / or the gland 203 is smaller than its nominal value. The O-ring 280 may be larger than its nominal value due to manufacturing tolerances. Alternatively, in some cases, the volume of the O-ring 280 may increase (expand) over time due to liquid absorption and / or thermal expansion. Similarly, the gland 203 may be smaller than its nominal value due to manufacturing tolerances or thermal variations in the plug 201 and the socket 202. Figure 7A An example is shown where the O-ring 280 is larger than the nominal value, and as shown by... Figure 7A and Figure 6 A comparison reveals that the increased volume of the larger O-ring 280 causes it to expand further radially into the gland 203. Similarly, if the gland 203 is smaller than its nominal size, the O-ring 280 will be compressed more (due to the smaller size of the gland 203), and therefore the O-ring 280 will expand further radially into the gland 203 in a similar manner. In other words, a similar result occurs whether the O-ring 280 is large, the gland is small, or both, i.e., the O-ring 280 is further compressed radially into the gland 203. However, because the gland 203 is excessively large relative to the nominal size of the O-ring 280, in each of these cases, the gland 203 can still adequately accommodate the O-ring 280. In other words, the nominal dimensions of the gland 203 are such that if the plug 201 and the slot 202 are both at the extremes of their respective tolerance ranges, such that the gland 203 has a minimum dimension within the tolerance range, then when this minimum gland 203 is at the maximum extreme of its tolerance range (in some cases, including the factor of O-ring expansion), this minimum gland will still be large enough to accommodate the O-ring 280.

[0094] In addition to considering the O-ring 280 being greater than the nominal value and / or the gland 203 being less than the nominal value as described above, the gland 203 is also configured to account for tolerances extending in another direction, i.e., the O-ring 280 being less than the nominal value and / or the gland 203 being greater than the nominal value. When the O-ring 280 is less than the nominal value and / or the gland 203 is greater than the nominal value, as... Figure 7B As shown, the O-ring 280 will protrude not so far into the gland 203 in the radial direction. Figure 7BThis phenomenon is illustrated because the axial ring 250 causes the gland 203 to be larger than its nominal value, but a similar effect will occur if the O-ring 280 is smaller than its nominal value. However, even in the worst-case scenario (where the O-ring 280 is at its minimum tolerance) and when the gland 203 is at its maximum tolerance, all sealing surface features of the gland surfaces 230 and 260 are still able to contact and compress the O-ring 280 to form a non-radial seal pair.

[0095] In addition, such as Figure 7C As shown, in some cases, the axial ring 250 may not fully contact the shoulder 221 in the mating state. This may also cause the size of the gland 203 to increase beyond its nominal specified size, which in turn causes the O-ring 280 to extend less far into the gland 203.

[0096] Now refer to Figures 8 to 12 The mating sequence of plug 201 and slot 202 is described below. In this description of the mating sequence, plug 201 and slot 202 are shown at each successive stage of the mating process (at which stage they may have the greatest degree of misalignment) to illustrate how the engagement between the features of plug 201 and slot 202 can automatically guide plug 201 and slot 202 to alignment. However, it should be understood that this only illustrates the most extreme constraints, and in practice, plug 201 and slot 202 can be aligned to a greater extent at each mating stage. Furthermore, the contact between surfaces at each stage of the mating sequence is described; however, it should be understood that such contact may not occur (or may occur intermittently), for example, if plug 201 and slot 202 are not at the greatest degree of misalignment at a given stage, then there may be no contact between the surfaces of plug 201 and slot 202 at that time. Furthermore, it should be understood that the described surfaces extend circumferentially around axes 295s and 295p, and the contact between these surfaces described below may refer to contact of only a portion of each surface, while other portions of the surfaces (e.g., on the opposite side of axes 295s or 295p) may not be in contact.

[0097] Furthermore, in the following description, for the sake of simplicity, the motion during mating will primarily be described as the motion of plug 201; however, it should be understood that such a description refers to the relative motion between plug 201 and slot 202. Therefore, if some external reference frame (such as the ground) is considered, the movement of one or more parts relative to the external reference frame may differ from what is described. For example, the axial translation of plug 201 in the distal (+z) direction described herein, when considered relative to an external reference frame, may include any of the following: plug 201 translates distally relative to the external reference frame (e.g., the ground), while slot 202 remains stationary relative to the external frame; slot 202 translates proximally relative to the external reference frame, while plug 201 remains stationary relative to the external reference frame; and plug 201 translates distally relative to the external reference frame and slot 202 proximally relative to the external reference frame simultaneously. In other words, in order to achieve mating, the plug 201, the slot 202, or both can be moved relative to an external reference frame, and any of these movements can be considered as the movement of the plug 201 relative to the slot 202.

[0098] like Figure 8 As shown, in the initial stage of mating, the user can roughly align the plug 201 relative to the slot 202 until the tapered inlet 217 of the mating protrusion 210 engages with the edge 243 of the mating recess 241. During this roughly aligned stage, axes 295p and 295s can be slightly misaligned by a maximum amount of d2. For example, d2 can be equal to radius r4 minus radius r1 plus the total alignment tolerance ε of the fitting 200 (the maximum misalignment tolerance between axes 295p and 295s in a fully mated state). In some examples, d2 = ±0.70 mm and ε = ±0.05 mm.

[0099] After the tapered inlet 217 engages the edge 243, the mating sequence continues by axially translating the plug 201 toward the slot 202 in the distal (+z) direction, causing the mating protrusion 210 to advance distally into the mating recess 241. As the mating protrusion 210 advances into the mating recess 241, the engagement between the tapered inlet 217 and the edge 243 forces the plug 201 and the slot 202 to move radially relative to each other, causing the axes 295p and 295s to be forced closer to alignment. Finally, the edge 243 reaches the proximal end of the tapered inlet 217, as... Figure 9 As shown. In this state, axes 295p and 295s have achieved a rough alignment, meaning they may still be slightly misaligned, but more so than... Figure 8 The misalignment in the approximate alignment should be small. For example, in Figure 9In the rough alignment, the axes 295p and 295s can be misaligned by up to an amount d3 < d2. In some examples, d3 can be equal to the radius r4 minus the radius r3 plus the tolerance ε. In some examples, d3 = 0.10 mm.

[0100] Then, the mating sequence is continued by further axially translating the plug 201 in the distal direction, which causes the edge 243 to cross the outer surface 211 in the proximal direction until the edge 243 reaches the O-ring retaining feature 216, as Figure 10 shown. Continued translation of the plug 201 distally causes the edge 243 to begin sliding upward along the O-ring retaining feature 216, and ultimately, the edge 243 reaches the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216, as Figure 11 shown. The distal side of the O-ring retaining feature 216 can be curved / tapered to make it easier for the edge 243 to slide upward to the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216. This upward sliding of the O-ring 280 along the retaining feature 216 further aligns the plug 201 relative to the socket 202 such that once the inner surface 242 is radially positioned above (e.g., resting on) the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216, the plug 201 and the socket 202 are nominally perfectly aligned. In other words, once the inner surface 242 is radially positioned above the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216, the axes 295p and 295s are within ε of being perfectly aligned (coaxial). In some examples, ε = 0.05 mm. Although there may be some slight misalignment of the axes 295p and 295s in this state due to tolerances, for the purposes of this disclosure, the axes 295p and 295s are considered to be "aligned" in this state and can thus be referred to as the single axis 295 of the fitting 200.

[0101] At some point during the insertion of the plug 201 into the socket 202, after the approximate alignment shown in Figure 8 and before the O-ring is compressed between the plug 201 and the socket 202, the gland surface 260 of the socket 202 contacts the O-ring 280. As Figure 10 shown, in the illustrated example, this contact between the gland surface 260 and the O-ring 280 occurs after the edge 243 has reached the proximal end of the tapered introduction portion 217 (after the state in Figure 9 and before the edge 243 has climbed to the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216 (e.g., in Figure 11(before the state). In other examples, this contact between the gland surface 260 and the O-ring 280 can occur at some other moment during the mating sequence, such as when the edge 243 is still in contact with the tapered inlet 217, when the edge 243 reaches the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216, or after the edge 243 has moved proximally past the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216.

[0102] Once contact is established between the gland surface 260 and the O-ring 280, the mating sequence continues by further axial translation of the plug 201 in the distal direction. This causes the gland surface 260 to push the O-ring 280 proximally (in the -z direction) toward the gland surface 230 of the plug 201. This pushing of the O-ring 280 toward the gland surface 230 causes the O-ring 280 to begin sliding along the inclined ramp 213. The translation of the O-ring 280 along the inclined ramp 213 causes the O-ring to stretch radially outward, resulting in an increase in the diameter of the O-ring. This stretching of the O-ring 280 facilitates the sliding of the edge 243 of the mating recess 241 between the O-ring 280 and the mating protrusion 210 without clamping the O-ring 280 between the mating recess and the mating protrusion. Such clamping could lead to seal failure and / or damage to the O-ring 280.

[0103] As the plug 201 continues to translate distally, the O-ring 280 will eventually be pushed proximally far enough to contact the capping surface 230 of the plug 201, as... Figure 11 As shown. In the illustrated example, the contact between the O-ring 280 and the cap surface 230 occurs simultaneously with the edge 243 reaching the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216. However, this is only one example, and in other examples, the contact between the O-ring 280 and the cap surface 230 may occur at some other moment in the mating sequence, including after the edge 243 reaches the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216 or before the edge 243 reaches the apex of the O-ring retaining feature 216.

[0104] Once the O-ring 280 contacts both the gland surfaces 230 and 260 ( Figure 11The continuous axial translation of plug 201 in the distal direction causes O-ring 280 to be compressed between gland surfaces 230 and 260, and thus deforms O-ring 280. The further distally plug 201 is translated after the initial compression begins, the more O-ring 280 deforms, and the greater the surface contact stress generated within the O-ring. In some examples, face seal surface features 231 and 261 may initially contact O-ring 280, and corner seal surface features 232, 233, 262, and 263 may subsequently contact O-ring 280 as it begins to deform due to compression between face seal surface features 231 and 261. In other examples, all surface features may contact O-ring 280 simultaneously. In either case, as the plug 201 moves distally into the slot 202, all the aforementioned surface features 231, 232, 233, 261, 262, and 263 eventually come into contact with the O-ring 280, and these surface features begin to compress the O-ring 280 between them along the aforementioned compression lines 271, 272, and 273. Ultimately, as... Figure 12 As shown, a fully fitted state has been achieved, in which the aforementioned non-radial sealing pair has been formed.

[0105] In some examples, fitting 200 may also include attachment features (not shown) to hold plug 201 and slot 202 together in a mated state. In some examples, the attachment feature may include portions of plug 201 and slot 202 that engage with each other to hold plug 201 and slot 202 together. In some examples, the attachment feature may include an intermediate portion (e.g., a threaded sleeve) that engages each of plugs 201 and 202 to hold them together. Such attachment features are well known to those skilled in the art and are therefore not shown or described in detail herein. It should be noted that the radially outward-facing surfaces of shoulder 221, axial ring 250, and base portion 240 are depicted herein as flat surfaces for ease of understanding only, but in practice various surface features may be included, such as some of the attachment features described above, such as threads or other attachment features.

[0106] Turn now Figure 15 It describes the example system 1000. Figure 15 It is schematic in nature and is not intended to accurately or to scale a particular shape, size or other structure.

[0107] System 1000 may include one or more information processing systems 1080. Figure 15The figure illustrates an information processing system 1080, but any number of information processing systems may be provided in other examples. Information processing system 1080 may include, for example, a computer (e.g., a server), a multi-node computer (e.g., a high-performance computing (HPC) system), a blade server, a converged system, a hyperconverged system, a composable system, a data storage system, etc.

[0108] exist Figure 15 In this embodiment, information processing system 1080 is shown to include multiple information processing devices 1081, but in some examples, information processing system 1080 may have a single information processing device 1081 or any number of information processing devices 1081. Information processing 1081 may include, for example, computing devices (e.g., servers, server nodes, blades of blade servers, etc.), network devices (e.g., network routers, network switches, etc.), or some other electronic device that processes (e.g., receives, transmits, and / or manipulates) data.

[0109] The information processing system 1080 is a liquid cooling system and therefore includes a system liquid cooling circuit 1170 configured to circulate liquid coolant through the information processing device 1081. The system liquid cooling circuit 1170 includes various liquid cooling infrastructure, including a liquid supply line 1171 for supplying cold liquid coolant to the information processing device 1081 and a liquid return line 1172 for returning warm liquid coolant from the information processing device 1081. The liquid cooling circuit 1170 may also include a coolant distribution unit (CDU) 1090. The liquid cooling circuit 1170 may also include local cooling circuits within respective housings of the information processing device 1081, wherein each local cooling circuit cools a component of the corresponding information processing device 1081. The local cooling circuits may include cold plates, fluid lines, and other liquid cooling infrastructure familiar to those skilled in the art. The liquid supply line 1171 may be fluidly connected to the supply (outlet) side of the local cooling circuits and the CDU 1090. Liquid supply line 1171 can be connected to CDU 1090 via a supply manifold that divides the single liquid coolant flow received from CDU 1090 into multiple flows carried by liquid supply line 1171. Conversely, liquid return line 1172 can be fluidly connected to the local cooling loop and the return (inlet) side of CDU 1090. Liquid return line 1172 can be connected to CDU 1090 via return manifold 1086 that combines the multiple flows carried by liquid return line 1172 into a single liquid coolant flow returning to CDU 1090. Thus, liquid coolant can flow in the loop from the outlet side of CDU 1090, through the local cooling loop inside information processing unit 1081, and then return to the inlet side of CDU 1090.

[0110] Additionally, CDU 1090 may include a heat exchanger arranged to cool the liquid coolant by transferring heat from the liquid coolant to another cooling medium, such as a facility-wide cooling medium. In this way, the liquid coolant supplied to the information processing device 1081 by CDU 1090 may be relatively cold (thus allowing for more efficient heat removal from the electronic device), then the coolant is heated by the information processing device 1081, and the heated liquid coolant is returned to CDU 1090, which then cools the heated liquid coolant and supplies the now-cooled liquid coolant back to the information processing device 1081 for another cycle. The facility-wide cooling medium that removes heat from the liquid coolant in CDU 1090 may be air (e.g., CDU 1090 may include a liquid-air heat exchanger such as a radiator) or a liquid (e.g., CDU 1090 may include a liquid-liquid heat exchanger). Figure 15 In the diagram, CDU 1090 is shown as a liquid configured for liquid-liquid heat exchange, wherein CDU 1090 is connected to a facility supply line to receive facility liquid coolant, CDU 1090 transfers heat to the facility liquid coolant, and is connected to a facility return line, CDU 1090 returning the facility liquid coolant to the facility return line.

[0111] The liquid cooling circuit 1170 may also include one or more pumps that drive the liquid to flow within the circuit. In some examples, the CDU 1090 includes one or more pumps. In some examples, local pumps are distributed within the information processing unit 1081, with each information processing unit 1081 having one or more local pumps disposed therein or attached thereto. Depending on the desired implementation, such local pumps may be used in addition to or in place of the CDU pump. In some examples, a local pump module may be provided for the information processing unit, wherein the local pump module has local pumps and is attached to or disposed within the housing of the information processing unit.

[0112] Various liquid cooling components of the liquid cooling circuit 1070 can be connected together using various attachment techniques, at least some of which include a fluid O-ring gland fitting 1100. Fitting 1100 includes any fittings disclosed herein, such as fitting 100 or fitting 200. Figure 15In this document, fitting 1100 is shown for connecting each of the liquid supply line 1171 and the liquid return line 1172 to each of the information processing unit 1081 and to the supply manifold 1085 and the return manifold 1086, and for connecting the liquid supply / return lines to the CDU 1090. However, this is merely one example of how fitting 1100 can be used, and in some examples disclosed herein, fitting 1100 can be used for fewer than all of these connectors (at least one connector in the liquid cooling circuit 1070 uses fitting 1100). Fitting 1100 allows components to be easily connected and disconnected as needed, while providing excellent leak-proof functionality due to the redundant non-radial seal pairs thus provided.

[0113] In some examples, accessory 1100 may also be used within the information processing device 1081, for example, for removably connecting to a liquid cooling component within the information processing device 1081. For example, the individual information processing device 1081 may include an internal cooling circuit, and in some cases, this internal cooling circuit may include a main portion and removable secondary (extension) portions that can allow cooling of extensions added to the information processing device. In some examples, accessory 1100 may be used to connect the main portion to the removable secondary (extension) portion of the internal cooling circuit. As another example, the individual information processing device 1081 may include a local pump module comprising one or more local pumps, and the pump module may be coupled to the internal local cooling circuit of the information processing device 1081 via one or more accessories 1100. For example, one half of accessory 1100 (e.g., a plug or slot) may be attached to the pump module, and the other half of accessory 1100 (e.g., a slot or plug) may be attached to the local cooling circuit (in some examples, to the housing). In some examples, the pump module may be removable, and accessory 1100 may facilitate easy insertion and / or removal of the pump module.

[0114] The above description describes various types of electronic circuits. As used herein, "electronic" is intended to be understood broadly to include all types of circuits that utilize electricity, including digital and analog circuits, direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits, circuits for converting electricity into another form of energy, and circuits for using electricity to perform other functions. In other words, as used herein, there is no distinction between "electronic" circuits and "electrical" circuits.

[0115] It should be understood that both the general description and the detailed description provide illustrative examples of an inherent nature and are intended to provide an understanding of this disclosure without limiting its scope. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electronic, and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of this specification and the claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring these examples. In two or more drawings, the same numerals denote the same or similar elements.

[0116] Furthermore, unless the context otherwise indicates, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms. Additionally, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” etc., specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, components described as connected may be directly electrically or mechanically connected, or may be indirectly connected via one or more intermediate components. Unless the context otherwise indicates, mathematical and geometric terms are not necessarily used according to their strict definitions, as those skilled in the art will understand that, for example, substantially similar elements acting in substantially similar ways may readily fall within the scope of descriptive terms, even if those terms have strict definitions.

[0117] And / or: Occasionally, the phrase “and / or” is used in conjunction with a list of enumerated items in this text. This phrase means that any combination of items in the list can be included—from a single item to all items, and any permutation in between. Thus, for example, “A, B and / or C” means “one of {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {C, B}, and {A, C, B}.”

[0118] An element and its related aspects described in detail with reference to an example may, where feasible, be included in other examples that do not specifically show or describe them. For example, if an element is described in detail with reference to an example and not with reference to a second example, then that element may still be claimed as being included in the second example.

[0119] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated herein or implied by the context, the use of approximate terms such as “substantially,” “approximately,” “about,” “around,” “probably,” etc., should be understood to mean that mathematical precision is not required, but rather refers to a range of variation that includes, but is not strictly limited to, the stated value, characteristic, or relationship. In particular, apart from any range explicitly stated herein (if any), the range of variation implied by the use of such approximate terms includes at least any insignificant variations and those that are typical for items of the type discussed due to manufacturing tolerances or other tolerances in the relevant field. In any case, unless otherwise indicated, the range of variation may include values ​​within ±1% of the stated value, characteristic, or relationship.

[0120] Given the disclosure herein, further modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, apparatus and methods may include additional components or steps omitted from the figures and description for clarity of operation. Accordingly, this description is to be interpreted only as illustrative and intended to teach those skilled in the art the general manner of performing this teaching. It should be understood that the various examples shown and described herein are to be considered exemplary. Those shown and described herein may be replaced by elements and materials, and arrangements of such elements and materials, components and processes may be reversed, and certain features of this teaching may be utilized independently, all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon benefiting from the description herein. Changes may be made to the elements described herein without departing from the scope of this teaching and the appended claims.

[0121] It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are non-limiting, and modifications can be made to the structure, dimensions, materials, and methods without departing from the scope of this teaching.

[0122] Considering the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein, other examples based on this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The specification and examples are intended to be illustrative only, and the following claims will have their broadest scope, including equivalents under applicable law.

Claims

1. An accessory for a liquid cooling circuit in an information processing device, comprising: The plug includes a mating protrusion and a plug cap surface; The slot includes a slot cover surface and a mating recess configured to receive the mating protrusion in the mating state of the plug and the slot; and O-rings, The plug cap surface and the slot cap surface are configured to form a cap for receiving the O-ring in the mating state. The plug gland surface includes sealing surface features, and the slot gland surface includes complementary sealing surface features. These complementary sealing surface features are configured to compress the O-ring between the complementary sealing surface features in the mating state, forming a plurality of non-radial sealing pairs. Each of the non-radial seal pairs includes two contact stress surface seals, which are formed by one of the sealing surface features and one of the complementary sealing surface features on the opposite non-radial side of the O-ring.

2. The accessory as described in claim 1, in, The sealing surface features of the plug gland surface include face sealing surface features and first corner sealing surface features, and the complementary sealing surface features of the slot gland surface include complementary face sealing surface features and complementary first corner sealing surface features. The face sealing surface feature and the complementary face sealing surface feature are configured to engage opposite axial sides of the O-ring in the mating state to form a face sealing pair, which is one of the non-radial sealing pairs. The first corner sealing surface feature and the complementary first corner sealing surface feature are configured to engage the first pair of opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring in the mating state to form a first corner sealing pair, which is one of the non-radial sealing pairs.

3. The accessory as described in claim 2, in, The face sealing surface feature includes an axial protrusion from the axial surface of the plug, and the complementary face sealing surface feature includes an axial protrusion from the axial surface of the slot.

4. The accessory as described in claim 3, in, In the mating state, the face sealing surface feature is axially aligned with the complementary face sealing surface feature.

5. The accessory as described in claim 2, in, The first corner sealing surface feature includes a first inclined surface in the axial plane of the plug, and the complementary first corner sealing surface feature includes a second inclined surface in the axial plane of the slot.

6. The accessory as described in claim 5, in, In the mating state, the second inclined surface and the first inclined surface are inclined at the same angle relative to the axis of the fitting.

7. The accessory as described in claim 2, in, In the mating state, in cross-section, the line extending from the first corner sealing surface to the complementary first corner sealing surface feature forms a non-zero, non-right angle with respect to the axis of the fitting.

8. The accessory as described in claim 7, in, In the mating state, the line extending from the first corner sealing surface to the complementary first corner sealing surface feature forms an angle θ with respect to the axis of the fitting, wherein the absolute value of θ is equal to 45° ± 15°.

9. The accessory as described in claim 2, in, The sealing surface feature of the plug gland surface includes a second corner sealing surface feature, and the complementary sealing surface feature of the slot gland surface includes a complementary second corner sealing surface feature. The second corner sealing surface feature and the complementary second corner sealing surface feature are configured to engage the second pair of opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring in the mating state to form a second corner sealing pair, which is one of the non-radial sealing pairs.

10. The accessory as claimed in claim 1, in, The sealing surface features of the plug gland surface include a first corner sealing surface feature and a second corner sealing surface feature, and the complementary sealing surface features of the slot gland surface include complementary first corner sealing surface features and complementary second corner sealing surface features. Wherein, the first corner sealing surface feature and the complementary first corner sealing surface feature are configured to engage the first pair of opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring in the mating state to form a first corner sealing pair, the first corner sealing pair being one of the non-radial sealing pairs, and The second corner sealing surface feature and the complementary second corner sealing surface feature are configured to engage the second pair of opposite diagonal sides of the O-ring in the mating state to form a second corner sealing pair, which is one of the non-radial sealing pairs.

11. The accessory as claimed in claim 10, in, The first corner sealing surface feature includes a first inclined surface in the axial plane of the plug, and the complementary first corner sealing surface feature includes a second inclined surface in the axial plane of the slot; and The second corner sealing surface feature includes a third inclined surface in the axial surface of the plug, and the complementary second corner sealing surface feature includes a fourth inclined surface in the axial surface of the slot, the fourth inclined surface being parallel to and facing the third inclined surface.

12. The accessory as claimed in claim 11, in, In the mating state, the second inclined surface and the first inclined surface are inclined at a first angle relative to the axis of the fitting, and The fourth inclined surface and the third inclined surface are inclined at a second angle relative to the axis of the fitting.

13. The accessory as described in claim 1, in, The plug includes a first base portion and a first channel extending through the base portion and through the mating protrusion, the mating protrusion projecting axially from the plug. The plug capping surface includes the surface of the first base portion and the surface of the mating protrusion. The slot includes a second base portion, an axial ring, and a second channel extending through the second base portion; the mating recess includes a portion of the second channel; and the slot cover surface includes the surface of the axial ring and the surface of the second base portion.

14. The accessory as claimed in claim 1, in, The radial outer surface of the mating protrusion includes a tapered inlet portion.

15. The accessory as described in claim 1, in, The radially outer surface of the mating protrusion includes an O-ring seat and a ramp, the O-ring seat being configured to carry the O-ring in the non-mating state of the plug and the slot, and the ramp being configured to engage the O-ring during mating of the plug and the slot, such that the O-ring slides along the ramp and the ramp causes the O-ring to stretch radially outward.

16. An information processing apparatus, comprising: chassis; The main system board includes one or more electronic components disposed in the housing; as well as A liquid cooling circuit is disposed in the housing and configured to circulate liquid coolant to cool the one or more electronic components, wherein the liquid cooling circuit includes the accessory as claimed in claim 1.

17. An information processing system, comprising: Separately, multiple information processing devices; as well as A system liquid cooling circuit, configured to circulate liquid coolant to the information processing device, wherein the system liquid cooling circuit includes: A coolant distribution unit, the coolant distribution unit including a heat exchanger; Local cooling circuits are respectively installed in the housing of the information processing device to cool the information processing device. A liquid supply line connects the supply side of the coolant distribution unit to the local cooling circuit of the information processing device; A liquid return line connecting the local cooling circuit of the information processing device to the return side of the coolant distribution unit; and One or more examples of the accessory as described in claim 1.

18. The information processing system as described in claim 17, in, The information processing device includes a first information processing unit, which has a first housing and a first local cooling circuit within the first housing. The system liquid cooling circuit includes a first local pump module, which is disposed in or attached to the first housing and includes one or more pumps. One or more instances of the accessory include a first accessory that communicatively connects the first local pump module to the first local cooling circuit.

19. The information processing system as described in claim 17, in, One or more instances of the accessory include a first accessory that communicatively connects one of the liquid supply lines to one of the local cooling circuits.

20. The information processing system as described in claim 17, in, The system's liquid cooling circuit includes a manifold, and One or more instances of the fitting include a first fitting that communicatively connects the manifold to one of the liquid supply lines or one of the liquid return lines.

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