Housing structure for an industrial computer

Abstract

Housing structure for an industrial computer, which is designed for the separate arrangement of at least one expansion card (25) and a mainboard (22), wherein the housing (1) for an industrial computer comprises: a base plate (11); a front panel (13) and a rear panel (12) arranged adjacent to the base panel (11) and aligned parallel to each other; a side plate unit (14) consisting of two side plates arranged adjacent to the base plate (11) and aligned parallel to each other; a partition plate unit (15) arranged parallel to the base plate (11); and a cover plate (16) opposite the base plate (11), characterized in - that the interior of the housing structure (1) is divided into a main component receiving space (S1) and an extension component receiving space (S2) by the partition plate unit (15); - that at least one power supply unit (21) and the main board (22) are installed in the main component receiving space (S1), which is mounted on the base plate (11) by means of a plurality of fastening elements (241) in combination with a plurality of fixing elements (24) and is electrically connected to the power supply unit (21); - that at least one expansion card (25) is installed in the expansion component receiving space (S2), which is fastened to the partition plate unit (15) by means of associated fastening elements (241) and fixing elements (24); - that at least one ribbon cable (23) is provided, the first end (231) of which is connected to an expansion slot (221) of the mainboard (22), wherein the partition plate unit (15) has at least one first opening (1513) through which the second end (232) of the ribbon cable (23) is passed and is fastened to the partition plate unit (15) by means of fastening elements (241) and fixing elements (24) and is connected to the expansion card (25); and - that at least one first cooling device (26) is arranged in the main component receiving space (S1) and at least one second cooling device (27) is arranged in the extension component receiving space (S2), wherein the first cooling device (26) and the second cooling device (27) are each electrically connected to the power supply unit (21).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a housing structure for an industrial computer and, in particular, to a structural improvement in which a thermal flow concept is constructed inside the computer housing by a stepped arrangement.

[0002] Conventional industrial computer cases are primarily based on the 1U or 2U form factor (Rack Unit, RU or U - defined by the Electronic Industries Alliance of the USA, where 1U corresponds to a height of 4.445 cm and 2U to a height of 8.89 cm). In sectors such as finance or the semiconductor industry, the more compact 1U design is preferred to save space and costs. However, this offers less expandability than 2U cases, which makes designing the interior of a 1U case particularly challenging. To address this problem, technical approaches have already been developed that make the interior space more efficient, allowing the installation of additional expansion cards. However, heat dissipation in a 1U case is physically limited, which can negatively impact the computer's performance.

[0003] With the advancement of modern technologies such as cryptocurrency mining and artificial intelligence (AI), the demand for high computing power has increased significantly. This requires the increased use of expansion cards such as graphics processing units (GPUs), network cards, or network interface controllers (NICs). At the same time, central components such as the CPU, motherboard, expansion cards, and RAM are increasingly being overclocked. This results in an increased need for powerful cooling systems. Although a 2U chassis generally offers more space for additional components and cooling devices, efficient use of this expanded space is not always guaranteed. Furthermore, high-performance computers can experience problems such as air turbulence or vibration transmission (resonance phenomena) that impair operation, even with installed or reinforced cooling systems.

[0004] Another well-known approach to improving computer cases is to divide the interior of the case (also called the chassis) into separate compartments for processing units and memory. This serves to maximize the number of storage drives within a limited space. However, in such structures, expansion cards (also called external interface cards) are still installed in the same plane as the central processor, thus still not satisfactorily addressing the problem of inadequate heat dissipation.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of creating a housing structure for an industrial computer in which the limited heat dissipation performance of conventional industrial computer housings is improved by a targeted design of the interior and an optimized arrangement of main components and expansion components, so that the computing power can be maintained efficiently and stably.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a housing structure for an industrial computer having the features specified in claim 1. Further advantageous developments of the invention emerge from the features of the subclaims.

[0007] According to the invention, a housing structure for an industrial computer is provided, which in particular consists of dividing the interior into an upper and a lower section by a partition plate unit, so that the mainboard and the expansion card are each housed in separate compartments with independent cooling systems. This prevents mutual interference between the cooling circuits and simultaneously reduces the generation of resonance noise.

[0008] The invention and its embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the housing structure for an industrial computer according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the housing structure for an industrial computer according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic embodiment I of the present invention; Fig. 4 shows a section through the housing structure according to the invention for an industrial computer; Fig. 5 a schematic representation I of the internal structure according to the invention; Fig. 6 a schematic representation II of the internal structure according to the invention; Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged view I of the present invention; Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged view II of the present invention; Fig. 9 shows a schematic embodiment II of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a schematic embodiment III of the present invention; Fig. 11 is a representation I of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 12 is a diagram II of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 13 is a representation III of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 14 is a representation IV of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention; and Fig. 15 is a diagram V of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

[0009] As in Fig. 1 is a structural external view of the present invention example. In addition, Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the structure. As can be seen from the figures, the present invention relates to a housing structure for an industrial computer in which at least one expansion card and a mainboard can be arranged separately from one another. The housing 1 of the industrial computer has a base plate 11, a rear wall 12, and a front plate 13, wherein the rear wall 12 and the front plate 13 are arranged adjacent to the base plate 11 and parallel to one another. Furthermore, a side plate unit 14 is provided, which is adjacent to the base plate 11 and aligned parallel to one another. In addition, a partition plate unit 15 and a cover plate 16 are arranged parallel to the base plate 11. The partition plate unit 15 is composed of a first partition plate 151 and a second partition plate 152.The first partition plate 151 has at least one first opening 1513, while the second partition plate 152 is provided with at least a fourth opening 1523. The rear panel 12 is provided with a plurality of second openings 121 and a plurality of first ventilation openings 122. The front panel 13 is provided with a plurality of third openings 131 and a plurality of second ventilation openings 132. The third openings 131 serve to accommodate a plurality of input / output ports. Preferably, two of the third openings 131 are designed as Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces. The outer side surface of the side panel unit 14 is provided with a plurality of sliding structures 141, by means of which the housing of the industrial computer can be slidably mounted in a rack. The cover plate 16 is provided with a plurality of third ventilation openings 161 on the surface facing the rear panel 12.

[0010] As in Fig. 3, the first partition plate 151 of the partition plate unit 15 has at least one first projection 1511 and at least one first coupling section 1512 on the side facing away from the rear wall 12. The second partition plate 152 is provided with at least one second projection 1521 and at least one second coupling section 1522 on the side facing away from the front panel 13. The first partition plate 151 and the second partition plate 152 are displaceable relative to one another in the horizontal direction, such that the first projection 1511 and the second projection 1521 can each engage in a form-fitting manner with the associated second coupling section 1522 and first coupling section 1512, respectively. After locking, the entire partition plate unit 15 can be additionally fastened to the side plates 14 by means of a screw connection in order to increase structural stability.

[0011] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the interior of the industrial computer housing 1 is divided by the partition plate unit 15 into two areas, namely a main component accommodation space S1 and an expansion component accommodation space S2. The total height of the industrial computer housing 1 is 2U, with both the main component accommodation space S1 and the expansion component accommodation space S2 each having a height of 1U.

[0012] As in Fig. 5, at least one power supply 21, a main board 22, at least one ribbon cable 23, and at least one first cooling device 26, 26a are installed in the main component receiving space S1. The power supply 21 is electrically connected to the main board 22. The main board 22 is mounted on the base plate 11 in the main component receiving space S1 by means of several fastening elements in combination with several holding elements. One end of the ribbon cable 23 is connected to the main board 22, and the first cooling device 26 is arranged on the base plate 11. As shown in Fig. 6, the ribbon cable 23 is guided through the first opening 1513 of the partition plate unit 15 from the main component receiving space S1 into the expansion component receiving space S2. There, at least one expansion card 25 is mounted on the first partition plate 151, and at least one second cooling device 27 is mounted on the second partition plate 152. The first and second cooling devices 26, 26a, and 27 can each be designed as air-cooled or liquid-cooled systems. Preferably, the first cooling device 26 is designed as an air-cooled system that directs outside air into the housing interior, while the additional first cooling device 26a can serve as a liquid-cooled unit for the targeted cooling of the CPU (Central Processing Unit) arranged on the mainboard 22. The second cooling device 27 is designed as an air-cooled system.At a corresponding position of the second partition plate 152, a fourth opening 1523 is provided through which the second cooling device 27 can divide the air flow. Preferably, the second cooling device 27 is designed as a turbo fan (also referred to as a screw fan) that redirects a portion of the air flow from the main component receiving space S1 toward the expansion card 25 in the expansion component receiving space S2 via the fourth opening 1523, thereby enabling targeted heat dissipation there.

[0013] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, several power supplies 21 are mounted side by side on the base plate 11 in the main component receiving space S1. A pull ring 211 is provided on each side surface of the rear wall 12 adjacent to the power supplies 21, enabling quick and convenient installation as well as tool-free removal. Preferably, two power supplies 21 are provided in order to be able to cover different voltage or current requirements. The main board 22 is arranged on the base plate 11 on the side opposite the rear wall 12, adjacent to one of the side panels 14. The main board 22 has several expansion slots 221, to each of which a first end 231 of a ribbon cable 23 can be connected. Preferably, four expansion slots 221 are provided in order to enable the simultaneous connection of four ribbon cables 23.

[0014] As in Fig. 7 and Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the rear panel 12 is provided with a plurality of second openings 121 through which at least one expansion card 25, 25a can be mounted in the expansion component receiving space S2. The expansion card 25 can be, for example, a graphics card [GPU], and the further expansion card 25a can be a network interface controller [NIC]. Each expansion card 25 has a plug-in connection area 251 and a connection area 252. The plug-in connection area 251 is designed as a high-speed input / output interface, while the connection area 252 is positioned in the area of ​​a second opening 121. Preferably, four second openings 121 are provided so that four expansion cards 25, 25a can be installed in a single-slot format. In each case, two second openings 121 are combined to form a group, with the two groups being arranged at a distance from one another at opposite end areas of the rear panel 12.The first partition plate 151 of the partition plate unit 15 is provided with at least one first opening 1513 through which the ribbon cable 23 is passed, so that its second end 232 can be connected to the plug-in connection area 251 of the respective expansion card 25. Several fixing elements 24, 24a, etc., are arranged in two groups in the area of ​​the rear wall 12: A first group is attached to the partition plate unit 15 near a side plate 14 on the side facing away from the mainboard 22; the second group is provided near the opposite side plate 14 on the partition plate unit 15. Preferably, the expansion slots 221 of the motherboard 22, the first end 231 and the second end 232 of the ribbon cable 23 and the connector area 251 of the expansion card 25 correspond to the PCIe x16 standard [Peripheral Component Interconnect Express], wherein the length of a PCIe x16 slot is 89 mm.The first opening 1513 in the first partition plate 151 of the partition plate unit 15 is correspondingly longer than a PCIe x16 slot. The fixing elements 24, 24a, etc., can be implemented as positioning pins of various designs, e.g., as cylindrical pins, pins with an enlarged head, press-fit pins, internally threaded pins, externally threaded pins, or combinations thereof. Preferably, these are cylindrical internally threaded pins that can be mounted by threaded engagement within the available height of a 1U housing.

[0015] As in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the first end 231 of the ribbon cable 23 is connected along a first direction Y to one of the expansion slots 221 of the mainboard 22. The second end 232 of the ribbon cable 23 runs along a second direction X and is fastened to one of the fixing elements 24, 24a, etc. by means of a fastening element 241. At the same time, the plug-in connection area 251 of the expansion card 25 is also connected in the second direction X to the second end 232 of the ribbon cable 23. The fastening element 241 can be, for example, a screw, such as a machine screw, a self-tapping screw, a drilling screw, or another type of screw. The first direction Y and the second direction X are perpendicular to one another. The first direction Y and the second direction X can each be horizontal or vertical.Preferably, the first direction Y is perpendicular to the main board 22, while the second direction X is parallel to the main board 22.

[0016] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 10, the arrangement of the partition plate unit 15 in the industrial computer housing 1 enables a functional division of the interior into a main component accommodation space S1 and an expansion component accommodation space S2, so that the mainboard 22 and the expansion card 25 are each installed in separate areas. Cooling air is first introduced into the interior of the housing 1 via the second ventilation opening 132 through the first cooling device 26. Part of this air is then redirected into the expansion component accommodation space S2 by the second cooling device 27. This forms two independent convection channels: a first convection channel F1 in the main component accommodation space S1 and a second convection channel F2 in the expansion component accommodation space S2.The cooling air flows along the first convection duct F1, absorbing the waste heat from the motherboard 22 and then being discharged from the housing 1 via the lower first ventilation openings 122. The air in the second convection duct F2, on the other hand, flows through the expansion component receiving unit S2, absorbing the waste heat generated by the expansion card 25, and is discharged from the housing 1 via the upper first ventilation openings 122 and the third ventilation openings 161. Thanks to this targeted separation of the air flows, mutual interference between the two air circuits can be avoided, even during overclocking operations on the motherboard 22 and the expansion card 25. This separation also minimizes flow disturbances and thus contributes to maintaining stable computing performance.In addition, the structural separation by arranging the main board 22 on the base plate 11 and the expansion card 25 on the partition plate unit 15 contributes to reducing vibrations and noise.

[0017] As in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, an air-cooled cooling device is used in the illustrated embodiment. The partition plate unit 15 is composed of the first partition plate 151 and an additional third partition plate 153. The third partition plate 153 comprises, in sequence, a base plate 1531, an inclined plate 1532, and a cover plate 1533. The base plate 1531 is functionally the same as in Fig. 3 and is coupled to the first separating plate 151. The base plate 1531 has at least one third projection and at least one third coupling section, which are each positively connected to the first coupling section 1512 and the first projection 1511 of the first separating plate 151. In addition, the base plate 1531 is provided with at least one opening, via which the second cooling device - as in Fig. 14 - can effect airflow distribution. The inclined plate 1532 extends diagonally upward toward the front panel 13, with the distance between its highest point and the base plate 11 not exceeding 2U. The interior space formed by the cover plate 1533 and the base plate 11 allows the installation of a large-area air-cooled cooling unit, thereby achieving particularly effective heat dissipation.

[0018] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 13, a first cooling device 26 and a third cooling device 28 are installed in the main component receiving space S1, both of which are designed as air-cooled systems. Preferably, the first cooling device 26 is a fan with a diameter of 4 cm, and the third cooling device 28 is a fan with a diameter of 8 cm. As shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 14, the structure of the third partition plate 153 with its inclined plate 1532 and the cover plate 1533 enables the integration of the third cooling device 28 even in a multi-layer structure while simultaneously maintaining a 2U space. The inclined plate 1532 serves as an air guide element that specifically directs the air flow generated by the third cooling device 28 in the direction of the first cooling device 26 and compresses it in the process. This creates a compressed, accelerated air flow with a turbo effect. The air flow compressed in this way can then be redirected via the second cooling device 27 into the expansion component receiving space S2. In this way, a first convection channel F1 is formed in the main component receiving space S1 and a second convection channel F2 is formed in the expansion component receiving space S2. The cooling air guided through these channels F1, F2 absorbs the waste heat from the main board 22 and the mainboard 26, respectively.the expansion card 25 and is then discharged from the industrial computer housing 1.

[0019] As in Fig.15, a plurality of data storage devices 29 can be installed in the area between the first cooling device 26 and the third cooling device 28. These are fastened to corresponding fixing elements 24b on the base plate 11 by means of a plurality of fastening elements 241a. The data storage devices 29 can each be a solid-state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), an SRAM or a DRAM memory. Two M.2 SSDs and one HDD are preferably used. The two M.2 SSDs are each connected to an associated fixing element 24b via a fastening element 241a and mounted on the base plate 11. The HDD can also be installed on a bracket 17. If a server originally equipped with a liquid cooling device is converted to a server model for a management information system (MIS), the present concept allows the liquid cooling to be removed and several M.2 SSDs and an HDD into the existing free space without changing the layout of the other components. This allows the existing server chassis to be reused, significantly reducing replacement costs.

[0020] Furthermore, by simply replacing the partition plate unit, a third cooling device in the form of an 8 cm fan can be added and operated in conjunction with the existing 4 cm fan. The combined effect of these two air-cooled systems creates a turbo fan effect for improved heat dissipation while still ensuring separate airflow for the respective component compartments.

[0021] As described above, the focus of the present invention is on the targeted spatial design of the interior of an industrial computer chassis. By installing a partition plate unit, the heat-intensive expansion cards can be spatially separated from the motherboard. This effectively avoids the problem of air turbulence during heat dissipation that occurs in conventional 2U chassis, so that computing performance can be maintained reliably and efficiently. In summary, the present design of the industrial computer chassis enables an improvement in the previously limited heat dissipation performance of industrial computer chassis through the structural division of the interior and the targeted arrangement of the main components and expansion components. At the same time, a stable and powerful computing environment is efficiently supported.

[0022] The present invention thus relates to a housing structure for an industrial computer, comprising a base plate, a rear panel, a front panel, a side panel unit, a partition plate unit, and a cover plate. The arrangement of the partition plate unit divides the interior of the housing into two separate areas, allowing heat-intensive main components and expansion components to be arranged separately. Separate cooling devices are provided for each area, reducing mutual thermal interference even during simultaneous high-performance processing, and maintaining stable computing performance in both component areas.

[0023] The above description represents only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit its scope. Those skilled in the art can readily make various equivalent modifications or variations, which, however, remain within the scope of the invention provided they do not depart from the spirit and scope thereof.

[0024] The present invention meets the requirements of industrial applicability, novelty and inventive step and thus meets the basic requirements for patent protection. List of reference symbols 1 Industrial computer housing 11 Base plate 12 Rear wall 121 second opening 122 first ventilation opening 13 Front panel 131 third opening 132 second ventilation opening 14 Side plate unit 141 Sliding structure 15 Partition plate unit 151 first partition plate 1511 first advance 1512 coupling section 1513 first opening 152 second partition plate 1521 second lead 1522 second coupling section 1523 fourth opening 153 third partition plate 1531 base plate 1532 inclined plate 1533 cover plate 16 Cover plate 161 third ventilation opening 17 Bracket S1 Main component recording room S2 Expansion component storage room F1 first convection channel F2 second convection channel 21 Power supply 211 Pull ring 22 Mainboard 221 expansion slot 23 ribbon cables 231 first end 232 second end 24, 24a, 24b fixing element 241, 241a Fasteners 25, 25a expansion card 251 plug-in connection area 252 connection area 26, 26a first cooling device 27 second cooling device 28 third cooling device 29 Data storage device X second direction Y first direction

Claims

[1] Housing structure for an industrial computer designed for the separate arrangement of at least one expansion card (25) and a mainboard (22), wherein the housing (1) for an industrial computer comprises the following: a base plate (11); a front panel (13) and a rear panel (12) which are arranged adjacent to the base panel (11) and are aligned parallel to each other; a side plate unit (14) consisting of two side plates which are arranged adjacent to the base plate (11) and are aligned parallel to each other; a partition plate unit (15) arranged parallel to the base plate (11); and a cover plate (16) opposite the base plate (11), characterized by , - that the interior of the housing structure (1) is divided into a main component receiving space (S1) and an extension component receiving space (S2) by the partition plate unit (15); - that at least one power supply (21) and the mainboard (22) are installed in the main component receiving space (S1), which is mounted on the base plate (11) by means of several fastening elements (241) in combination with several fixing elements (24) and is electrically connected to the power supply (21); - that at least one expansion card (25) is installed in the expansion component receiving space (S2), which is attached to the partition plate unit (15) by means of associated fastening elements (241) and fixing elements (24); - that at least one ribbon cable (23) is provided, the first end (231) of which is connected to an expansion slot (221) of the mainboard (22), wherein the partition unit (15) has at least one first opening (1513) through which the second end (232) of the ribbon cable (23) is passed and is attached to the partition unit (15) by means of fastening elements (241) and fixing elements (24) and is connected to the expansion card (25); and - that at least one first cooling device (26) is arranged in the main component receiving space (S1) and at least one second cooling device (27) is arranged in the extension component receiving space (S2), wherein the first cooling device (26) and the second cooling device (27) are each electrically connected to the power supply (21). [2] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by, that the partition unit (15) is composed of a first partition (151) and a second partition (152), wherein the first partition (151) has at least one first projection (1511) and at least one first coupling section (1512) on its side facing away from the rear wall (12), and the second partition (152) has at least one second projection (1521) and at least one second coupling section (1522) on its side facing away from the front plate (13), wherein the first projection (1511) and the second projection (1521) are each movable in a horizontal direction and can engage positively in the corresponding second coupling sections (1522) and first coupling sections (1512). [3] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by that the partition plate unit (15) has at least one fourth opening (1523) through which the second cooling device (27) can divide an airflow. [4] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by , - that the first end (231) of the ribbon cable (23) is connected in a first direction (Y) to the expansion slot (221) of the mainboard (22); and - that the second end (232) is attached to the separating plate unit (15) in a second direction (X); and - that the first direction (Y) and the second direction (X) are perpendicular to each other. [5] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by , that the main component receiving space (S1) and the extension component receiving space (S2) each have a height of 1U. [6] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by , that the first cooling device (26) is selected from a group consisting of an air-cooled cooling device and a liquid-cooled cooling device. [7] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by , that the second cooling device (27) is selected from a group consisting of an air-cooled cooling device and a liquid-cooled cooling device. [8] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 1, characterized by , - that the partition unit (15) is composed of a first partition (151) and a third partition (153), wherein the third partition (153) comprises a bottom plate (1531), an inclined plate (1532) and a top plate (1533); - that the first separating plate (151) has at least one first projection (1511) and at least one second coupling section (1512) on its side facing away from the rear wall (12); - that the base plate (1531) has at least one third projection and at least one third coupling section on its side facing away from the front plate (13), wherein the first projection (1511) and the third projection are each movable in the horizontal direction and can be positively locked to the third coupling section and the first coupling section (1512). [9] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 8, characterized by , that the inclined plate (1532) is designed to rise in the direction of the front plate (13), wherein a third cooling device (28) can be mounted between the top plate (1533) and the bottom plate (11). [10] Housing structure for an industrial computer according to claim 9, characterized by , that the first cooling device (26) and the third cooling device (28) are each designed as air-cooled cooling devices.

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