Quick plug adopting Y-shaped sealing

Abstract

According to the quick plug adopting Y-shaped sealing, the Y-shaped sealing ring made of a high phenyl material is adopted to replace a traditional sealing structure, and the excellent sealing performance and the low insertion force characteristic under the high-pressure and wide-temperature working condition are achieved. Due to the pressure self-tightening design of the Y-shaped sealing ring, when the system pressure rises, a lip of the Y-shaped sealing ring is further attached to a matching surface, and the sealing effect is enhanced; the high-phenyl material endows the sealing ring with good elasticity retention capacity and medium resistance within the range of-70 DEG C to 100 DEG C, and sealing failure caused by low-temperature hardening and high-temperature softening is avoided; meanwhile, the friction coefficient of the Y-shaped structure is low, the insertion force in the insertion and extraction process is remarkably reduced, the operation hand feeling is improved, the insertion and extraction service life is prolonged, the overall structure is simple and reliable, and the connector is suitable for application scenes such as liquid cooling servers with strict requirements for sealing performance and temperature adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fluid flow quick connectors for servers, and in particular to a quick connector employing a Y-type seal. Background Technology

[0002] Liquid-cooled server systems are a crucial technology for heat dissipation in data centers. They achieve efficient thermal management by directly or indirectly contacting heat-generating components with a liquid cooling medium. In this system, quick-connect plugs, as key components connecting the cooling pipes, play a vital role in ensuring rapid insertion and removal, reliable sealing, and leak prevention, directly impacting the system's deployment efficiency, ease of maintenance, and operational safety. Traditional liquid-cooled pipe connections often use threaded connections, flange connections, or compression fittings. These methods suffer from low installation efficiency, difficult disassembly, and susceptibility to leaks, especially in high-density server rack deployments, leading to significant maintenance challenges and high reliability risks.

[0003] Currently, most commercially available liquid-cooled quick connectors use O-rings or platform-type sealing structures to achieve static and dynamic seals. While these sealing structures perform well at normal temperature and pressure, they present several problems under typical high-pressure (e.g., above 0.6 MPa) and wide-temperature (-40℃ to 80℃ or even higher) operating conditions in liquid-cooled systems: First, the sealing ring material has limited temperature resistance; hardening at low temperatures leads to seal failure, while softening at high temperatures accelerates aging. Second, under high pressure, the sealing ring is easily extruded or deformed, leading to leakage. Third, during insertion and removal, the frictional resistance between the sealing ring and the mating surface is high, resulting in high insertion force and affecting the user experience and insertion / removal lifespan. Fourth, most sealing structures require high precision machining of the mating surfaces, leading to high manufacturing costs and sensitivity to assembly processes.

[0004] Furthermore, existing quick-connect plugs exhibit significant deterioration in sealing performance under extreme temperature fluctuations or prolonged high-pressure cycling, leading to coolant leakage and potentially causing serious malfunctions such as server short circuits and corrosion. Therefore, achieving reliable sealing under high pressure and wide temperature conditions while ensuring convenient quick-connection and disconnection has become a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed in liquid-cooled server piping connection technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a quick plug with a Y-type seal to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides a quick-connect plug employing a Y-type seal, comprising: A female connector assembly includes a female connector base, a female connector fixed valve core, and a female connector body. The female connector base has a pagoda connector on its outer side for connecting to an inlet pipe. The female connector body is threadedly connected to the female connector base. The outer ring of the female connector body has a first sealing ring groove, and a first sealing ring is assembled in the first sealing ring groove. The inner ring of the female connector body has a second sealing ring groove, and a first Y-shaped sealing ring is assembled in the second sealing ring groove with its lip facing the inlet direction of the female connector base. The female connector fixed valve core is assembled between the female connector body and the female connector base. The female connector fixed valve core has a female connector spring mounted on it through a female connector spring seat. The small end of the female connector fixed valve core has a third sealing ring groove, and a second Y-shaped sealing ring is assembled in the third sealing ring groove with its lip facing the inlet direction of the female connector base. A male plug assembly includes a male plug valve core and a male plug valve body. The male plug valve body has a fourth sealing ring groove on its outer side, and a second sealing ring is assembled in the fourth sealing ring groove. The male plug valve core is provided with a male plug spring through a male plug spring seat, and the end of the male plug spring seat is provided with a hole elastic retaining ring. The locking mechanism includes a lock housing, a lock housing spring, a retaining ring, and a female locking bar sleeved on the outside of the female valve body. When the male connector is inserted into the female connector, a protrusion on the male valve body pushes the female locking bar and the retaining ring to compress the lock housing spring until the female locking bar passes the protrusion and, under the reset action of the lock housing spring, engages in the corresponding groove of the male valve body, thus locking. When separation is required, the lock housing is pulled backward, pushing the female locking bar and the retaining ring to compress the lock housing spring again, causing the female locking bar to disengage from the groove of the male valve body. Under the combined action of the female and male springs, the male connector assembly and the female connector assembly are separated.

[0007] Preferably, the male spring seat is provided with a sealing ring groove, and the second Y-shaped sealing ring is assembled in the sealing ring groove provided on the male spring seat, with its lip facing the liquid outlet direction.

[0008] Preferably, both the first Y-shaped sealing ring and the second Y-shaped sealing ring are pressure self-tightening sealing structures.

[0009] Preferably, the first Y-shaped sealing ring, the second Y-shaped sealing ring, the first sealing ring, and the second sealing ring are all made of high-phenyl silicone rubber.

[0010] Preferably, the first sealing ring is used to seal the female valve body and the external mounting interface, and the second sealing ring is used to seal the male valve body and the external mounting interface.

[0011] Preferably, the female plug base, female plug valve core, female plug valve body, female plug spring seat, lock shell, female plug locking rod, male plug valve body, male plug spring seat and the elastic retaining ring for the hole are made of stainless steel.

[0012] Preferably, in the separated state, the second Y-shaped sealing ring is in close contact with the mating surface of the male valve core to form a dry disconnect seal to prevent media leakage.

[0013] The present invention also provides an application of a Y-type sealed quick-connect plug for connecting coolant lines in a liquid-cooled server system.

[0014] The present invention achieves the following beneficial technical effects compared to the prior art: This invention provides a quick-connect plug employing a Y-type seal. A Y-type sealing ring made of high-phenylene material replaces the traditional sealing structure, achieving excellent sealing performance and low insertion force characteristics under high pressure and wide temperature conditions. The pressure-self-tightening design of the Y-type sealing ring ensures that the lip further tightens against the mating surface when the system pressure increases, enhancing the sealing effect. The high-phenylene material provides the sealing ring with good elasticity retention and media resistance within a temperature range of -70℃ to 100℃, avoiding seal failure caused by low-temperature hardening and high-temperature softening. Simultaneously, the Y-type structure has a low coefficient of friction, significantly reducing the insertion force during insertion and removal, improving the user experience and insertion / removal life. The overall structure is simple and reliable, suitable for applications with stringent requirements for sealing performance and temperature adaptability, such as liquid-cooled servers. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a quick-connect plug structure with a Y-type seal provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application include both direct and indirect connections (linkages). In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention.

[0018] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The purpose of this invention is to provide a quick plug with a Y-type seal to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] Example 1: Please see Figure 1 This invention provides a Y-type sealed quick connector for liquid-cooled server systems. This quick connector aims to solve problems in existing liquid-cooled quick connectors, such as poor sealing reliability under high pressure and wide temperature conditions, high insertion force, and stringent requirements for processing and assembly precision. This invention, by introducing a Y-type sealing ring with a specific structure and material as its core, constructs a fluid connection solution that combines excellent sealing performance, low insertion and extraction force, and ultra-wide temperature adaptability.

[0023] This quick-connect plug mainly consists of mating female and male connector assemblies, equipped with a mechanical mechanism for quick locking and disengagement. The female connector assembly, as a fixed component, is typically installed on a liquid-cooled distribution unit or fixed pipeline. Its core components include a female connector base 1, a female connector valve core 2, a female connector valve body 3, a female connector spring seat 4, and a female connector spring 5. The outer side of the female connector base 1 is designed as a pagoda connector for easy connection to the inlet hose, and is secured with a hose clamp to ensure reliable and leak-free pipeline connection. The female connector valve body 3 is tightly connected to the female connector base 1 via threads, forming the main structure of the female connector assembly. A first sealing ring groove is machined on the outer ring of the female connector valve body 3, in which a first sealing ring 6 is installed. This sealing ring provides a static seal when the female connector valve body 3 is installed on external equipment (such as a liquid-cooled plate interface), preventing coolant leakage from the installation interface.

[0024] To achieve crucial dynamic sealing and low-pressure insertion / extraction force, the core improvement of this invention lies in the design of the sealing structure. A second sealing ring groove is precision-machined into the inner ring of the female valve body 3, and a first Y-shaped sealing ring 7 is fitted within the groove. The installation direction of this first Y-shaped sealing ring 7 is critical; its lip (i.e., the open side of the Y-shape) clearly faces the liquid inlet direction of the female valve base 1. This orientation design ensures that when coolant is introduced, the fluid pressure acts on the inner side of the lip of the Y-shaped sealing ring, causing the lip to adhere more tightly to the outer wall of the mating male valve core 9, forming a "pressure self-tightening" effect. The higher the system pressure, the greater the sealing contact pressure, thus achieving a more reliable seal under high pressure. In contrast, traditional O-rings are easily squeezed into gaps and damaged under high pressure, while the Y-shaped structure of this design utilizes pressure to enhance the seal.

[0025] The female insert valve core 2 is assembled within the cavity formed by the female insert valve body 3 and the female insert base 1, and it can move within a small axial range within the cavity. The tail end of the female insert valve core 2 is connected to the female insert spring 5 via the female insert spring seat 4, and the other end of the female insert spring 5 abuts against the inner end face of the female insert base 1, thereby providing a preload force to the female insert valve core 2 in the direction of the male insert assembly. A third sealing ring groove is provided on the cylindrical surface of the front end (i.e., the small end) of the female insert valve core 2, and a second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 is assembled in the groove. Similarly, the lip of the second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 also faces the liquid inlet direction of the female insert base 1. This second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 constitutes the main seal in the separated state. When the male insert assembly is not inserted, under the preload force of the female insert spring 5, it maintains close contact with the end or a specific internal surface (depending on the specific structural design) of the male insert valve core 9, achieving "dry disconnection" and ensuring no coolant leakage when the plug is separated.

[0026] The male connector assembly, as a moving part, is typically connected to a server chip cold plate or movable piping that requires cooling. Its core components include a male connector valve core 9, a male connector valve body 14, a male connector spring seat 16, and a male connector spring 15. The male connector valve body 14 has a fourth sealing ring groove on its outer side, fitted with a second sealing ring 18, providing an external static seal when the male connector valve body 14 is installed in a rack or equipment interface. The front end of the male connector valve core 9 mates with the female connector assembly, and its rear end connects to the male connector spring 15 via the male connector spring seat 16. The end of the male connector spring seat 16 has a perforated elastic retaining ring 17. The male connector spring 15 provides a restoring force to the male connector valve core 9 towards the female connector assembly. A sealing ring groove is also provided in the area where the male connector spring seat 16 mates with the second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 on the female connector valve core 2. According to a preferred embodiment, a second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 can also be fitted in this groove, with its lip facing the liquid outlet of the male connector assembly. This design can form a redundant seal or work in conjunction with the second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 on the female connector assembly, further improving the sealing reliability in the connected state.

[0027] To achieve rapid and reliable connection and disconnection, this invention incorporates a sophisticated locking mechanism. This mechanism primarily comprises a locking housing 10, a locking housing spring 11, a retaining ring 12, and a female locking rod 13, all fitted around the outside of the female valve body 3. The locking housing 10 can slide axially along the female valve body 3 under external force. The locking housing spring 11 provides a restoring force for the locking housing 10. The female locking rod 13 is linked to the locking housing 10 via the retaining ring 12. When the male connector is inserted into the female connector, the protruding inclined surface at the front end of the male valve body 14 first contacts and pushes the female locking rod 13, forcing it to move radially outward. This movement, along with the retaining ring 12, causes the locking housing 10 to slide backward against the force of the locking housing spring 11. When the male connector is inserted into place and the annular groove on the male connector valve body 14 reaches the position of the female connector locking rod 13, the female connector locking rod 13, pushed by the reset push of the locking housing spring 11, quickly springs into the annular groove, thereby mechanically locking the male connector valve body 14 and the female connector valve body 3, completing the connection lock. This process is accompanied by a clear "click" sound, providing the user with clear feedback that the connection is in place. When it is necessary to disconnect, the user only needs to pull the locking housing 10 backward (i.e., away from the female connector direction). The locking housing 10 pushes the female connector locking rod 13 radially outward through the retaining ring 12, causing it to disengage from the groove of the male connector valve body 14. At this time, the elastic potential energy stored in the female connector spring 5 in the female connector assembly and the male connector spring 15 in the male connector assembly is released simultaneously, pushing the female connector fixed valve core 2 and the male connector valve core 9 to move in the separation direction, thereby realizing the rapid and automatic separation of the male and female connector assemblies. At the moment of separation, the second Y-shaped sealing ring 8 at the front end of the female valve core 2 quickly returns to its original position and fits with the male valve core 9 under the action of spring force, immediately cutting off the flow channel and forming an effective seal, effectively preventing the coolant from splashing or dripping during the separation process.

[0028] Another key innovation of this invention lies in the choice of materials. To ensure long-term stable operation in the extreme operating temperature environments (such as -70°C to 100°C) that liquid-cooled servers may face, this invention preferably uses high-phenyl silicone rubber as the manufacturing material for the first sealing ring 6, the first Y-type sealing ring 7, the second Y-type sealing ring 8, and the second sealing ring 18. High-phenyl silicone rubber introduces phenyl side chains into the main chain of silicone rubber, significantly improving its resistance to high and low temperatures. Compared with ordinary silicone rubber, it maintains excellent elasticity at extremely low temperatures, avoiding sealing failure caused by hardening and cracking; at high temperatures, it has better resistance to compression set and aging, resulting in a longer service life. This material characteristic, combined with the structural advantages of the Y-type sealing ring, jointly ensures the sealing reliability of the quick connector over a wide temperature range. Meanwhile, the main structural components of the plug, such as the female plug base 1, the female plug valve core 2, the female plug valve body 3, the lock shell 10, the male plug valve body 14, and the elastic retaining ring for the hole, are preferably made of corrosion-resistant and high-strength stainless steel materials (such as 304 or 316 stainless steel) to ensure the long-term durability and dimensional stability of the overall structure in the coolant environment.

[0029] In summary, the quick-connect plug provided by this invention, by employing a specially designed Y-shaped sealing ring with a lip-shaped lip as the core sealing element and using high-phenyl silicone rubber as the sealing material, supplemented by a reliable mechanical locking and spring return mechanism, successfully achieves a balance between low insertion force, high-pressure sealing, and ultra-wide temperature adaptability. Its ingenious structural design and reliable operation make it particularly suitable for liquid-cooled server coolant piping connection scenarios with extremely high requirements for sealing performance, ease of operation, and environmental adaptability, effectively improving the deployment efficiency, maintenance safety, and operational reliability of data center liquid cooling systems.

[0030] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0031] It should be noted that the components mentioned in the above embodiments are all general standard parts or components known to those skilled in the art. Their structures and principles can be learned by those skilled in the art through technical manuals or conventional experimental methods.

[0032] This invention has illustrated its principles and implementation methods using specific examples. The descriptions of these embodiments are merely illustrative of the method and its core ideas; furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the principles of this invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as limiting the invention.

Claims

1. A quick-connect plug employing a Y-type seal, characterized in that, include: The female connector assembly includes a female connector base (1), a female connector fixed valve core (2), and a female connector valve body (3). The female connector base (1) has a pagoda connector on its outer side for connecting to the inlet pipe. The female connector valve body (3) is threadedly connected to the female connector base (1). The outer ring of the female connector valve body (3) has a first sealing ring groove, and a first sealing ring (6) is assembled in the first sealing ring groove. The inner ring of the female connector valve body (3) has a second sealing ring groove, and a first Y-shaped sealing ring (7) is assembled in the first sealing ring groove. The second sealing ring groove is located inside the female plug base (1), and its lip faces the liquid inlet direction of the female plug base (1). The female plug fixed valve core (2) is assembled between the female plug valve body (3) and the female plug base (1). The female plug fixed valve core (2) is provided with the female plug spring (5) through the female plug spring seat (4). The small end of the female plug fixed valve core (2) is provided with the third sealing ring groove. The second Y-shaped sealing ring (8) is assembled inside the third sealing ring groove, and its lip faces the liquid inlet direction of the female plug base (1). The male plug assembly includes a male plug valve core (9) and a male plug valve body (14). The male plug valve body (14) has a fourth sealing ring groove on its outer side, and a second sealing ring (18) is assembled in the fourth sealing ring groove. The male plug valve core (9) has a male plug spring (15) through a male plug spring seat (16). The male plug spring seat (16) has a hole elastic retaining ring (17) at its end. The locking mechanism includes a lock housing (10), a lock housing spring (11), a retaining ring (12), and a female locking rod (13) sleeved on the outside of the female valve body (3). When the male assembly is inserted into the female assembly, the protrusion on the male valve body (14) pushes the female locking rod (13) and the retaining ring (12) to compress the lock housing spring (11) until the female locking rod (13) passes over the protrusion and the lock housing spring (11) returns to its original position. The lower plug is inserted into the corresponding groove of the male plug valve body (14) to achieve locking; when separation is required, the lock shell (10) is pulled back to push the female plug locking bar (13) and the retaining ring (12) to compress the lock shell spring (11) again, so that the female plug locking bar (13) is disengaged from the groove of the male plug valve body (14). Under the combined action of the female plug spring (5) and the male plug spring (15), the male plug assembly and the female plug assembly are separated.

2. The quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male spring seat (16) is provided with a sealing ring groove, and the second Y-shaped sealing ring (8) is assembled in the sealing ring groove provided on the male spring seat (16), with its lip facing the liquid outlet direction.

3. The quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the first Y-type sealing ring (7) and the second Y-type sealing ring (8) are pressure self-tightening sealing structures.

4. The quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first Y-type sealing ring (7), the second Y-type sealing ring (8), the first sealing ring (6) and the second sealing ring (18) are all made of high phenyl silicone rubber.

5. The quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first sealing ring (6) is used to seal the female valve body (3) and the external mounting interface, and the second sealing ring (18) is used to seal the male valve body (14) and the external mounting interface.

6. The quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The female plug base (1), female plug fixed valve core (2), female plug valve body (3), female plug spring seat (4), lock shell (10), female plug locking bar (13), male plug valve body (14), male plug spring seat (16) and the elastic retaining ring for the hole are made of stainless steel.

7. The quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the separated state, the second Y-type sealing ring (8) is in close contact with the mating surface of the male plug valve core (9) to form a dry disconnect seal to prevent media leakage.

8. The application of the quick-connect plug with Y-type sealing according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Used for coolant piping connections in liquid-cooled server systems.

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