Modularized electronic rack oriented to complex airborne environment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of modular avionics cases, and discloses a modular electronic rack for a complex airborne environment, a module bearing area and a printed board backboard bearing area are of embedded structures, and the joints of side plates on the two sides of the module bearing area and transverse cold plates adopt mutually matched mortise and tenon joint structures. A plurality of modules can be installed and jointly inserted on the printed board backboard in a blind mode to achieve interconnection, and the electronic rack has the capacity of adapting to strong vibration, high temperature, high humidity and heat and salt mist of a carrier and being high in shielding performance due to the fact that the electronic rack is made of sealing pieces and corrosion-resistant materials.

Description

A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of modular avionics enclosure technology, and in particular to a modular electronic rack designed for complex airborne environments. Background Technology

[0002] The LRM (Line Replaceable Module) series modules are the most basic units constituting avionics equipment, possessing independent functions. The rack is the physical carrier that holds these LRM modules. Installed within the rack, the LRM modules achieve electrical interconnection via module electrical connectors to the rack's printed circuit board backplane electrical connectors, and further interconnection to the outside world via connectors on the rack. Furthermore, the LRM modules' thermal ribs are secured to the rack's cold plate. The rack provides channels for heat dissipation, a sealed enclosure for electromagnetic shielding, and a carrier to resist external mechanical loads and atmospheric conditions. Together, the LRM modules and the rack constitute integrated electronic equipment.

[0003] The frame must withstand the harsh mechanical environment of an aircraft, resulting in significant stress on the modules under vibration and impact loads. If the frame itself cannot dampen vibrations, this could amplify vibrations on the modules, causing malfunctions in internal electronic components. This necessitates increasing the frame's rigidity to prevent vibration amplification, or at least mitigating frame vibrations as much as possible. Conventional electronic equipment enclosures typically use independent vibration isolators for damping. These independent isolators are not only bulky but also cause significant equipment swaying during vibration damping, thus requiring a large installation space. However, airborne platforms have limited space, often requiring electronic equipment to be smaller and lighter, which restricts the installation of independent vibration isolators.

[0004] The modules need to be cooled by the rack. When the modules are cooled by convection, ambient air flows over the sides of the modules. The rack needs to have windows to form air ducts where the airflow passes, but this will compromise the overall airtightness of the rack. After the windows are opened, on the one hand, the airflow of the marine environment will accelerate the corrosion of the modules and the inside of the rack, and on the other hand, it will reduce the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the rack. Electromagnetic waves will be radiated out through the air ducts, affecting surrounding equipment.

[0005] Therefore, existing electronic rack designs face a dual challenge: they must achieve efficient vibration reduction to cope with harsh mechanical environments without significantly increasing size and weight; they must ensure effective heat dissipation of modules while maintaining the structural enclosure and electromagnetic shielding integrity of the rack. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments, in order to solve the problems of vibration suppression, efficient heat dissipation, structural enclosure and electromagnetic compatibility in existing racks within a limited space.

[0007] The present invention is achieved through the following scheme: a modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments, comprising a module support area and a backplane support area; the module support area includes multiple horizontally arranged transverse cold plates and left and right side plates respectively erected on both sides, a bottom plate at the bottom, a front cover plate covering the front side, and a fan assembly disposed on one side of the module support area; standard electronic modules are installed inside the module support area; the printed circuit board backplane support area includes a rear frame, a printed circuit board backplane, and a rear cover plate, and a shielded filter electrical connector and an ear plate are disposed on the rear frame.

[0008] The module carrying area is partially embedded in the printed circuit board backplate carrying area, and a conductive rubber strip is provided on the contact surface between the module carrying area and the printed circuit board backplate carrying area.

[0009] Furthermore, the module support area and the printed circuit board backplane support area are connected by screws and pins.

[0010] Furthermore, the horizontal cold plate includes an upper cold plate, a middle cold plate, and a lower cold plate arranged in sequence. The middle cold plate divides the module's load-bearing area into upper and lower layers, with a left side plate and a right side plate independently set on both sides of each layer. The connection between the left side plate, the right side plate, and the upper, middle, and lower cold plates adopts a matching mortise and tenon structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the top surface of the upper cold plate and the top surface of the rear frame are both beveled, forming a top surface structure that is high in the middle and low on both sides.

[0012] Furthermore, the front and rear covers have an embedded structure, and conductive rubber strips are installed on the protruding frame of the inner side panels of both the front and rear covers.

[0013] Furthermore, the transverse cold plate includes an upper plate blank, serpentine fins, and a lower plate blank. The upper plate blank and the lower plate blank cover the serpentine fins in the middle. The surface of the serpentine fins has a ceramic oxide layer. The serpentine fins have exposed openings on both sides. The exposed surface of the serpentine fins has a ceramic oxide layer and a composite coating consisting of a micro-arc oxide layer and a fluoropolyurethane enamel layer sprayed on it.

[0014] Furthermore, the exposed metal surfaces of the transverse cold plate, left side plate, right side plate, front cover plate, rear cover plate, and rear frame have a composite coating consisting of a micro-arc oxidation layer and a fluoropolyurethane enamel layer sprayed thereon.

[0015] Furthermore, the non-exposed internal metal surfaces of the transverse cold plate, left side plate, right side plate, front cover plate, rear cover plate, and rear frame have a colored conductive oxide layer.

[0016] Furthermore, the base plate and ear plates are made of vibration-damping alloy.

[0017] Furthermore, the shielded filter electrical connector includes a conductive rubber plate and a filter, with the conductive rubber plate located inside the frame; a grounding post is installed on the frame, and the grounding post is electrically connected to the inside of the frame.

[0018] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Structurally, the frame is connected by screws and pins to form a relatively sealed whole. Combined with the embedded design of the front and rear cover plates and the conductive rubber strips, it effectively blocks marine atmospheric corrosion and prevents water vapor intrusion, resulting in good sealing performance. At the same time, the screws, pins, and tenon joints enhance the connection rigidity. Combined with the base plate and ear plates made of vibration-damping alloy, it can effectively buffer external vibration impacts and ensure the stable operation of the internal modules.

[0019] 2. In terms of electromagnetic compatibility, the mortise and tenon structure, multiple conductive rubber strips, and shielded filter connectors with conductive rubber plates on the inside work together to improve the shielding effectiveness of the contact surface and suppress electromagnetic interference.

[0020] 3. For heat dissipation, the module uses conductive heat dissipation, transferring heat through the module's metal casing to the cold plate of the rack. A fan then draws air over the cold plate fins to carry away the heat. The cold plate uses double-layered serpentine fins to increase the heat dissipation area and facilitate rapid heat conduction by the fan.

[0021] 4. In terms of environmental adaptability, the fins are treated with ceramic oxidation, and the exposed parts of the frame are treated with micro-arc oxidation and fluoropolyurethane spraying, which makes them highly corrosion resistant; the top of the frame adopts a sloping design with a high middle and low sides, which can prevent condensation from accumulating.

[0022] The overall structure is suitable for electronic equipment in harsh environments such as aviation and marine, improving the equipment's protection, electromagnetic compatibility, heat dissipation and environmental adaptability, and possessing high reliability and long lifespan. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the left axial side of the modular electronic rack of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the right axial side of the modular electronic rack of the present invention; Figure 3 is an exploded view of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a blank composition diagram of the upper cold plate of the modular electronic rack of the present invention; Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of F in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the modular electronic rack of the present invention after removing the front cover plate; Figure 7 is a view of the inner side of the front cover plate of the modular electronic rack of the present invention; Figure 8 is a partial enlarged view of A in Figure 6; Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of B in Figure 6; Figure 10 is the structure of the shielded filter electrical connector of the modular electronic rack of the present invention. Schematic diagram; Reference numerals: 1-Upper cooling plate, 2-Middle cooling plate, 3-Lower cooling plate, 4-Left side plate, 5-Right side plate, 6-Fan assembly, 7-Damping alloy base plate, 8-Front cover plate, 9-Standard electronic module, 10-Rear frame, 11-Printed circuit board back plate, 12-Rear cover plate, 13-Shielded filter electrical connector, 14-Ear plate, 15-Conductive rubber strip, 16-Grounding post, 101-Upper plate blank, 102-Snake-shaped fin, 103-Lower plate blank, 104-Beveled surface, 17-Embedded structure, 18-Tenon and tenon structure, 1301-Conductive rubber plate, 1302-Filter. Detailed Implementation

[0024] All features disclosed in this specification, or all steps in all disclosed methods or processes, may be combined in any way, except for mutually exclusive features and / or steps.

[0025] Any feature disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims and abstract) may be replaced by other equivalent or similar features, unless specifically stated otherwise. That is, unless specifically stated otherwise, each feature is merely one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and 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 this invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0028] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to Figures 1-10: A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments is provided, including a module carrying area and a printed circuit board backplane carrying area.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1-3, the module support area consists of an upper cooling plate 1, a middle cooling plate 2, a lower cooling plate 3, a left side plate 4, a right side plate 5, a fan assembly 6, a damping alloy base plate 7, and a front cover plate 8. A standard electronic module 9 is installed inside this support area. The printed circuit board (PCB) backplate support area consists of a rear frame 10, a PCB backplate 11, a rear cover plate 12, a shielded filter electrical connector 13, and ear plates 14. The module support area and the PCB backplate support area are connected by screws and pins to form a frame. The ASACC standard electronic module 9, with dimensions of 233.4mm x 160mm, is enclosed and installed inside the module support area; its thickness can be customized upon request.

[0030] Due to the above construction, the rack, connected by screws and pins, is relatively sealed, which not only prevents corrosion from the external marine atmosphere but also provides a certain degree of electromagnetic shielding. The combined use of screws and pins increases the connection rigidity between the module load-bearing area and the printed circuit board backplane load-bearing area of ​​the rack.

[0031] The fan assembly 6 is installed on the left side of the rack. The module conducts heat to the fins between the upper cooling plate 1, the middle cooling plate 2, and the lower cooling plate 3 through heat conduction. The fan assembly 6 dissipates the heat by drawing air from right to left, thus adapting to the high-temperature environment.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cold plate is formed by vacuum aluminum brazing of the upper plate blank 101, serpentine fins 102, and lower plate blank 103. The fin area undergoes ceramic anodizing surface treatment. After machining the external shape, the exposed parts are further surface-treated with micro-arc oxidation and sprayed with fluoropolyurethane enamel. This design is suitable for marine environments. The fins in the middle of the cold plate physically isolate the fins from the module area. The opening of the cold plate is located on the outside of the frame, without compromising the overall sealing of the frame. The welded fins in the upper, middle, and lower cold plates are serpentine and double-layered, further increasing the heat dissipation area and facilitating the rapid removal of heat from the module by the fan on the left.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, the upper surface of both the upper cold plate and the upper surface of the rear frame are sloping surfaces 104 with a higher middle and lower sides to prevent the deposition of condensate and adapt to the marine environment with high humidity and high salt spray.

[0034] As shown in Figures 7-9, the module's support area is partially embedded within the printed circuit board's backplane support area. Conductive rubber strips 15 are installed on the contact surfaces of the two. The outer surfaces of the front cover plate 8 and the rear cover plate 12 are embedded structures 17, and conductive rubber strips 15 are installed on the protruding frame contact surfaces on the inner sides of the cover plates. It should be noted that the embedded structure refers to an area formed by an inwardly recessed or sunken plane, which is embedded into the adjacent frame to form a circumferential contact surface. Due to the above construction, the electromagnetic shielding performance of the contact surface is improved, as is the sealing degree, preventing moisture from entering the rack interior.

[0035] The contact surfaces of the left side panel 4, right side panel 5, and upper cold plate 1, middle cold plate 2, and lower cold plate 3 adopt a convex-concave tenon and mortise structure 18. Specifically, the middle cold plate 2 is horizontally positioned, dividing the cabinet into upper and lower layers; each layer has an independently set left side panel 4 and right side panel 5 on both sides; the upper and lower ends of the left side panel 4 and right side panel 5 are respectively provided with vertical protrusions or grooves; the upper and lower edges of the middle cold plate 2, as well as the lower edge of the upper cold plate 1 and the upper edge of the lower cold plate 3, are respectively provided with matching grooves or protrusions, realizing a double-position tenon and mortise and tenon connection with the upper and lower side panels, forming multiple sets of convex-concave mating structures arranged vertically. Due to the above construction, the use of a convex-concave tenon and mortise structure not only improves the connection rigidity of the connected components, but also enhances the electromagnetic shielding performance of the contact surfaces. At the same time, a grounding post 16 is installed on the frame, and the grounding post 16 is electrically connected to the inside of the frame.

[0036] As shown in Figure 10, the shielded filter electrical connector 13 consists of a conductive rubber plate 1301 and a filter 1302. The shielded filter electrical connector 13 is located in the portion of the printed circuit board backplane bearing area that exceeds the height of the module bearing area, and has both conductive and filtering functions at the contact surface. The conductive rubber plate 1301 of the shielded filter electrical connector is located inside the frame, which can improve the shielding effectiveness between the electrical connector and the frame. The electrical connector 13 has a filtering function, which also helps to improve the overall electromagnetic compatibility performance.

[0037] The damping alloy base plate 7 and ear plate 14 are made of vibration-damping alloy. This material can improve the vibration reduction performance of the equipment structure without increasing its size, working together to reduce the magnitude of vibration and impact transmitted from the aircraft to the frame, which is beneficial to the normal operation of the module. The internal metal parts of the frame are treated with colored conductive anodizing, while the exposed parts are treated with micro-arc anodizing and spraying with fluoropolyurethane enamel.

[0038] The combined effect of these measures enables the frame to adapt to complex airborne environments, including harsh mechanical environments, marine corrosion environments, high-temperature environments, and high electromagnetic compatibility environments.

[0039] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments, characterized in that: The circuit board includes a module support area and a backplate support area. The module support area includes multiple horizontally arranged transverse cold plates and a left side plate (4) and a right side plate (5) respectively erected on both sides, a bottom plate (7) set at the bottom, a front cover plate (8) covering the front side, and a fan assembly (6) set on one side of the module support area. A standard electronic module (9) is installed inside the module support area. The printed circuit board backplate support area includes a rear frame (10), a printed circuit board backplate (11), and a rear cover plate (12). A shielded filter electrical connector (13) and an ear plate (14) are provided on the rear frame (10). The module support area is partially embedded in the printed circuit board backplate support area, and a conductive rubber strip (15) is provided on the contact surface between the module support area and the printed circuit board backplate support area.

2. The modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The module support area and the printed circuit board backplate support area are connected by screws and pins.

3. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The horizontal cold plate includes an upper cold plate (1), a middle cold plate (2), and a lower cold plate (3) arranged in sequence. The middle cold plate (2) divides the module bearing area into two layers, with a left side plate (4) and a right side plate (5) independently set on both sides of each layer. The connection between the left side plate (4), the right side plate (5), and the upper cold plate (1), the middle cold plate (2), and the lower cold plate (3) adopts a matching mortise and tenon structure (18).

4. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The top surface of the upper cold plate (1) and the top surface of the rear frame (10) are both inclined surfaces (104), forming a top surface structure that is high in the middle and low on both sides.

5. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front cover plate (8) and the rear cover plate (12) have an embedded structure (17). Conductive rubber strips (15) are installed on the protruding frame of the inner side panel of the front cover plate (8) and the rear cover plate (12).

6. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transverse cold plate includes an upper plate blank (101), a serpentine fin (102), and a lower plate blank (103). The upper plate blank (101) and the lower plate blank (103) cover the serpentine fin (102) in the middle. The surface of the serpentine fin (102) has a ceramic oxide layer. The serpentine fin (102) has exposed openings on both sides. The exposed surface of the serpentine fin (102) has a ceramic oxide layer and a composite coating consisting of a micro-arc oxide layer and a fluoropolyurethane enamel layer sprayed on it.

7. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The exposed metal surfaces of the transverse cold plate, left side plate (4), right side plate (5), front cover plate (8), rear cover plate (12) and rear frame (10) have a composite coating consisting of a micro-arc oxidation layer and a fluoropolyurethane enamel layer sprayed thereon.

8. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The non-exposed internal metal surfaces of the transverse cold plate, left side plate (4), right side plate (5), front cover plate (8), rear cover plate (12) and rear frame (10) have a colored conductive oxide layer.

9. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (7) and the ear plate (14) are made of vibration damping alloy.

10. A modular electronic rack for complex airborne environments as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The shielded filter electrical connector (13) includes a conductive rubber plate (1301) and a filter (1302), wherein the conductive rubber plate (1301) is located inside the frame; a grounding post (16) is installed on the frame, and the grounding post (16) is electrically connected to the inside of the frame.

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