A quick docking device for server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of server liquid cooling circuit technology, and more particularly to a quick docking device for server liquid cooling circuits. The device includes a male plug mechanism and a female plug mechanism that interlock. The female plug mechanism includes a female plug housing, a sliding sleeve slidably disposed within the female plug housing, and a female plug valve core fixed within the female plug housing. The male plug mechanism includes an active hollow insert that inserts into the female plug housing. A vacuum-resistant sealing component is embedded at the end of the female plug valve core that contacts the inner wall of the sliding sleeve to maintain a dynamic fluid seal in an external high-vacuum environment. A press-type linkage mechanism is provided around the female plug housing to achieve asynchronous dry disconnection timing. This invention, through an eccentric arc-shaped delayed sliding surface, achieves asynchronous dry disconnection by forcibly cutting off the water path before mechanical release and tripping under a single press action, effectively reducing the risk of liquid spillage and contamination in aerospace weightlessness environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit technology, and in particular to a quick docking device for server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of high-performance servers in extreme environments such as commercial spaceflight (e.g., space stations, low-Earth orbit satellite constellations), liquid cooling technology has become a core solution for dissipating high heat flux density in the high vacuum and microgravity environments of space. In liquid cooling systems, rapid docking devices are key components that ensure the safe flow of cooling media between nodes.

[0003] Existing technologies mostly employ quick-connect couplings for server host liquid cooling systems, as disclosed in CN119983029A. These couplings focus on flow resistance optimization, addressing the issues of high flow resistance and leakage risk associated with traditional couplings, and achieving rapid sealing and connection of the liquid cooling circuit. However, directly applying these existing technologies to commercial aerospace and complex microgravity environments still presents the following significant drawbacks: First, this patent primarily adapts to ground-based server hosts and does not address the specifications for aerospace equipment interfaces, lacking the vibration-resistant clips required for aerospace environments. Its conventional locking method is highly susceptible to resonance-induced unlocking under the high-frequency, intense vibrations and high-G overload conditions during rocket launches, leading to accidental coupling detachment. Second, existing couplings lack special designs such as leak-proof rubber rings for the high-vacuum environment of aerospace. In the extreme vacuum of space and the drastic temperature fluctuations (e.g., -100℃ to +150℃) between the sunlit and shaded sides, conventional sealing rings within grooves are easily sucked out or squeezed out by the internal high pressure differential, leading to burst failure. Furthermore, they cannot compensate for volume fluctuations caused by the thermal expansion and contraction of the elastomer. Finally, during the pressurized pull-out separation, the closure of the internal valve core in traditional connectors exhibits mechanical hysteresis, easily resulting in residual liquid spraying. In the microgravity environment of space, the dispersed conductive coolant poses a safety risk of short-circuit failure to the spacecraft's precision electronic components. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the prior art where traditional liquid cooling connectors are prone to unlocking under high-frequency vibration in aerospace, the sealing ring is prone to detachment and failure under high vacuum alternating temperature difference in space, and residual liquid is prone to spraying when pulled out under pressure. Therefore, a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device is proposed.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A server liquid cooling circuit quick docking device includes a male plug mechanism and a female plug mechanism that are mutually mated. The female plug mechanism includes a female plug housing, a sliding sleeve slidably disposed within the female plug housing, and a female plug valve core fixed within the female plug housing. The male plug mechanism includes an active hollow insert that is inserted into the female plug housing. The end of the female plug valve core that is in contact with the inner wall of the sliding sleeve is fitted with a vacuum-resistant sealing component for maintaining dynamic fluid sealing in an external high vacuum environment. The periphery of the female plug housing is provided with a press-type linkage mechanism for realizing asynchronous dry disconnection sequence. The press-type linkage mechanism includes a linkage stop pin for outputting a linear locking thrust when pressed, and a locking hook for converting the pressing action into a controlled yielding and delayed release action.

[0006] Preferably, the pressing linkage mechanism further includes a rocker claw hinged to the outer wall of the female plug housing via a pin. The tail end of the rocker claw is a pressing operation part. The linkage stop pin is vertically fixed to the bottom end of the pressing operation part. The locking hook is disposed at the front end of the rocker claw. The locking hook is used to engage the male plug flange outside the male plug mechanism. The inner locking surface of the locking hook includes an eccentric circular arc delayed sliding surface and a release chamfer located at the bottom of the sliding surface.

[0007] Preferably, the female plug housing has a guide hole that allows the linkage stop pin to pass through radially, and the outer wall of the sliding sleeve has a corresponding limiting groove with a wedge-shaped thrust surface.

[0008] Preferably, the anti-vacuum release sealing assembly includes a dovetail-shaped groove on the outer wall of the end of the female plug valve core, an elastic sealing ring is installed in the dovetail-shaped groove, the opening width of the dovetail-shaped groove is smaller than the bottom width of the groove, and a closed thermal expansion compensation cavity is reserved on the inner side of the bottom of the dovetail-shaped groove.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic sealing ring is configured to adaptively squeeze the overflowing volume expansion portion into the thermal expansion compensation cavity when the spacecraft experiences a drastic alternating temperature difference between the sun-facing and shaded sides and undergoes thermal volume expansion.

[0010] Preferably, the female plug mechanism further includes a valve sleeve return spring that is loosely fitted outside the valve core of the female plug, and the left end of the valve sleeve return spring is fixed to the right end face of the sliding sleeve.

[0011] Preferably, the positive hollow plug has a hollow plug cavity inside, and the male plug mechanism further includes a male plug valve core that is slidably disposed in the hollow plug cavity. A male return spring is disposed inside the hollow plug cavity, and one end of the male return spring is supported on the male plug valve core.

[0012] Preferably, the male plug mechanism is surrounded by a male plug housing, and the outer wall of the male plug housing is formed with a male plug guide slope inclined from left to right. The left end opening of the female plug housing is correspondingly formed with a female plug guide slope inclined from right to left. The female plug guide slope is used for adaptive space guidance during docking in a microgravity environment. A color identification ring is embedded on the outside of the female plug housing to avoid reverse misinstallation in complex aerospace piping systems.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention utilizes a press-type linkage mechanism with a delayed tripping sequence and an eccentric arc-shaped delayed sliding surface on the linkage stop pin and locking hook to achieve asynchronous dry disconnection by forcibly cutting off the water circuit before mechanical release and tripping under a single press action, effectively reducing the risk of liquid spraying pollution in the weightless environment of aerospace.

[0014] 2. This invention employs a double-layered defense system, utilizing a dovetail-shaped groove to compensate for thermal expansion within the accommodating cavity. Physical barbs counteract the high vacuum pressure difference, while the bottom blind cavity absorbs volume fluctuations of the elastic sealing ring under the intense temperature variations of space, achieving a constant grip under all operating conditions.

[0015] 3. The present invention is designed with a sliding sleeve and a male plug valve core that have a bidirectional self-closing function, and combined with a slanted adaptive blind insertion guide and color-coded error prevention design, which effectively improves the fault tolerance and assembly efficiency when astronauts are wearing spacesuits or operating with robotic arms. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device proposed in this invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure of a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device proposed in this invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the press-type linkage mechanism and the sliding sleeve transmission of a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device proposed in this invention; Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the anti-vacuum detachment sealing component of a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device proposed in this invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the male plug mechanism of a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device proposed in this invention; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional diagram showing the locking relationship between the locking hook and the male flange of a quick-connect device for a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit proposed in this invention. Figure 7 This is a separate structural diagram of the rocker claw and linkage stop pin of the quick docking device for server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit proposed in this invention. Figure 8 This is a separate structural diagram of the female plug valve core and sealing ring of a server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device proposed in this invention.

[0017] In the diagram: 10. Male plug mechanism; 11. Male plug housing; 111. Male plug flange; 112. Male plug guide ramp; 12. Positive hollow insert; 121. Hollow insert cavity; 122. Push rod; 13. Male plug valve core; 14. Male plug return spring; 20. Female plug mechanism; 21. Female plug housing; 211. Guide hole; 212. Female plug guide ramp; 213. Color recognition ring; 22. Sliding sleeve; 221 1. Limiting groove; 222. Wedge-shaped thrust surface; 23. Female plug valve core; 24. Valve sleeve return spring; 30. Press-type linkage mechanism; 31. Rocker claw; 32. Pin shaft; 33. Press-operating part; 34. Linkage stop pin; 35. Locking hook; 351. Eccentric arc delayed sliding surface; 352. Release chamfer; 40. Anti-vacuum release sealing assembly; 41. Dovetail groove; 42. Elastic sealing ring; 43. Thermal expansion compensation receiving cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0019] Reference Figures 1-8 A rapid docking device for a server liquid cooling circuit includes an internal female plug mechanism 20 responsible for high-pressure fluid sealing and conduction, a front-end male plug mechanism 10 responsible for precise docking and pushing, and an external push-type linkage mechanism 30 responsible for vibration anti-anchoring and timing control. The three-layer structure achieves leak prevention and automated bidirectional dry disconnection in a space environment through precise geometric constraints and deep coupling of spring mechanics.

[0020] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the female plug mechanism 20 adopts a coaxial multi-layered nested layout in terms of structure. The outermost layer is the main pressure-bearing female plug housing 21, in which a solid female plug valve core 23 is rigidly fixed at the center, serving as the fixed stator and constraint reference for the opening and closing of the entire female plug water circuit. Between the inner wall of the female plug housing 21 and the outer wall of the female plug valve core 23, a hollow sliding sleeve 22 is slidably fitted with a clearance fit. A valve sleeve return spring 24 is loosely fitted behind the sliding sleeve 22. One end of the spring is fixed to the housing step, and the other end continuously pushes the sliding sleeve 22 outward, providing it with the power for water shut-off reset.

[0021] Combination Figure 4 and Figure 8A vacuum-resistant sealing assembly 40 is provided at the dynamic mating surface between the female plug valve core 23 and the sliding sleeve 22. A dovetail-shaped groove 41 is machined around the front outer wall of the female plug valve core 23, within which the elastic sealing ring 42 is contained. The dovetail-shaped groove 41 has an inverted trapezoidal cross-section, and its narrow opening utilizes a physical hook mechanism to overcome the suction and peeling force of the extreme external vacuum from a mechanical perspective. The bottom of the dovetail-shaped groove 41 is not completely sealed to the inner ring of the elastic sealing ring 42, but instead reserves a micron-level thermal expansion compensation cavity 43. When the spacecraft is at +150°C on the sunlit side, the nonlinear expansion volume generated by the rapid heating of the elastic sealing ring 42 will overflow into the thermal expansion compensation cavity 43 and be absorbed, preventing the outer sliding sleeve 22 from being crushed. When the spacecraft contracts at -100°C on the shaded side, the rubber in the thermal expansion compensation cavity 43 is released to maintain a constant wall pressure, transforming harmful thermodynamic deformation into adaptive volumetric storage.

[0022] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 5 The outermost part of the male plug mechanism 10 is covered by a male plug housing 11, and an active hollow plug 12 is rigidly fixed coaxially inside. A push rod 122 is rigidly fixed to the top of the active hollow plug 12. The push rod 122 is fixed to the end of the active hollow plug 12 by a support frame. The right end of the push rod 122 extends to and abuts against the end face of the male plug valve core 13, and is used to overcome the elastic force of the male head return spring 14 during the insertion process, thereby pushing the male plug valve core 13 away from the sealing position to open the fluid passage at the male end. The active hollow plug 12 has a hollow plug cavity 121 inside, in which the male plug valve core 13 is slidably arranged, and the male head return spring 14 is supported on its back. The normal storage force of the male head return spring 14 ensures that when the male plug is pulled out, the valve core can push outward and sit down, tightly sealing the male head port and achieving independent self-closing.

[0023] Combination Figure 6 and Figure 7 A press-type linkage mechanism 30 is located between the male and female outer shells. Its main body is a rocker claw 31 that is laterally hinged to the outside of the female plug housing 21 via a pin 32. The rear section of the rocker claw 31 extends into a pressing operation part 33, and a linkage stop pin 34 with an inclined surface is vertically fixed to its bottom surface. The stop pin radially penetrates the guide hole 211 on the female plug housing and directly abuts against the wedge-shaped thrust surface 222 of the limiting groove 221 on the outer wall of the inner sliding sleeve 22. The front section of the rocker claw 31 bends downward to form a locking hook 35 for engaging the male plug flange 111. The inner locking surface of the locking hook 35 is an eccentric circular arc delayed sliding surface 351 constructed based on micro-eccentric geometry. The radius of curvature of this surface shows a slow and controlled gradual expansion trend relative to the pin 32, and abruptly incises at the bottom end to form a release chamfer 352.

[0024] In addition, the male plug guide slope 112 on the outer wall of the male plug housing 11 and the female plug guide slope 212 at the entrance of the female plug housing 21 form a spatial friction correction system, which, together with the red and blue color recognition ring 213, enables foolproof blind insertion in a microgravity environment.

[0025] It should be noted that the specific model and specifications of the elastic sealing ring 42 need to be selected and determined according to the actual specifications of the device. The specific selection calculation method adopts the existing technology in this field, so it will not be elaborated here.

[0026] The functional principle of this invention can be explained through the following operational methods: First, during docking, the positively oriented hollow pin 12 of the male plug mechanism 10 is inserted into the female plug housing 21, and the push rod 122 pushes the sliding sleeve 22 inward, opening the fluid passage. At this time, the external rocker claw 31 is reset under the action of the torsion spring, the locking hook 35 at its front end locks the male plug flange 111, and the linkage stop pin 34 at its rear end is radially inserted into the limiting groove 221 on the outer wall of the sliding sleeve 22, thereby achieving a rigid interlock between fluid conduction and mechanical locking.

[0027] Subsequently, when disconnection is required, pressing down on the pressing operation part 33 causes the rocker pawl 31 to deflect around the pin 32. During this process, the linkage stop pin 34 presses down on the wedge-shaped thrust surface 222 of the limiting groove 221, forcibly driving the sliding sleeve 22 to slide outward to close the water passage in advance.

[0028] Simultaneously, the upward-lifting locking hook 35 utilizes its inner eccentric arc-shaped delay sliding surface 351 to frictionally slide against the male plug flange 111. Due to the extremely slow increase in eccentric radius, the locking hook 35 provides the male plug mechanism 10 with a controlled retraction displacement stroke. Then, under the forced push of the linkage stop pin 34, the sliding sleeve 22 moves outward synchronously against the slowly retracting male plug mechanism 10 until the sliding sleeve 22 completely covers the elastic sealing ring 42 on the female plug valve core 23, completely cutting off the liquid cooling circuit.

[0029] Finally, at the instant the waterway is cut off, the locking hook 35 completes its eccentric arc segment, and the release chamfer 352 at its bottom crosses the male plug flange 111, completely eliminating the mechanical obstruction, and the male plug mechanism 10 safely ejects. Upon release, the male plug mechanism 10 loses the pressure of the female plug, and the internal male plug return spring 14 instantly releases its energy, pushing the male plug valve core 13 to the very front to completely seal the opening, thus achieving bidirectional dry disconnection.

[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quick-connect device for a server liquid cooling circuit, comprising a male plug mechanism (10) and a female plug mechanism (20) for mutual insertion, characterized in that, The female plug mechanism (20) includes a female plug housing (21), and the female plug mechanism (20) further includes a sliding sleeve (22) slidably disposed in the female plug housing (21) and a female plug valve core (23) fixed in the female plug housing (21). The male plug mechanism (10) includes an active hollow insert (12) inserted into the female plug housing (21). The end joint surface of the female plug valve core (23) that is in contact with the inner wall of the sliding sleeve (22) is provided with a vacuum-proof sealing component (40) for maintaining fluid dynamic sealing in an external high vacuum environment. The periphery of the female plug housing (21) is provided with a press-type linkage mechanism (30) for realizing asynchronous dry disconnection sequence. The press-type linkage mechanism (30) includes a linkage stop pin (34) for outputting linear locking thrust when pressing. The press-type linkage mechanism (30) also includes a locking hook (35) for converting the pressing action into a controlled yielding and delayed release action.

2. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The press-type linkage mechanism (30) also includes a rocker claw (31) hinged to the outer wall of the female plug housing (21) via a pin (32). The tail end of the rocker claw (31) is a press operation part (33). The linkage stop pin (34) is vertically fixed to the bottom end of the press operation part (33). The locking hook (35) is located at the front end of the rocker claw (31). The locking hook (35) is used to engage the male plug flange (111) outside the male plug mechanism (10). The inner locking surface of the locking hook (35) includes an eccentric arc delayed sliding surface (351) and a release chamfer (352) located at the bottom of the sliding surface.

3. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The female plug housing (21) is provided with a guide hole (211) that allows the linkage stop pin (34) to pass through radially, and the outer wall of the sliding sleeve (22) is provided with a limiting groove (221) with a wedge-shaped thrust surface (222).

4. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-vacuum release sealing assembly (40) includes a dovetail groove (41) on the outer wall of the end of the female plug valve core (23). An elastic sealing ring (42) is installed in the dovetail groove (41). The opening width of the dovetail groove (41) is smaller than the bottom width of the groove. A closed thermal expansion compensation cavity (43) is reserved on the inner side of the bottom of the dovetail groove (41).

5. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic sealing ring (42) is configured to adaptively squeeze the overflowing volume expansion portion into the thermal expansion compensation cavity (43) when the spacecraft experiences a severe alternating temperature difference between the sun-facing and shaded sides and undergoes thermal volume expansion.

6. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The female plug mechanism (20) also includes a valve sleeve return spring (24) that is loosely fitted outside the female plug valve core (23), with the left end of the valve sleeve return spring (24) fixed to the right end face of the sliding sleeve (22).

7. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positive hollow plug (12) has a hollow plug cavity (121) inside. The male plug mechanism (10) also includes a male plug valve core (13) that is slidably disposed in the hollow plug cavity (121). A male head return spring (14) is disposed inside the hollow plug cavity (121). One end of the male head return spring (14) is supported on the male plug valve core (13).

8. The server liquid cooling heat dissipation circuit quick docking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male plug mechanism (10) is surrounded by a male plug housing (11). The outer wall of the male plug housing (11) is formed with a male plug guide slope (112) that slopes from left to right. The left end opening of the female plug housing (21) is correspondingly formed with a female plug guide slope (212) that slopes from right to left. The female plug guide slope (212) is used for adaptive space guidance during docking in a microgravity environment. The outside of the female plug housing (21) is embedded with a color identification ring (213) to avoid reverse misinstallation in complex aerospace piping systems.

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