Connector for cooling and energizing electronic devices

Abstract

Connector (1) for connecting a device generating heat (2) located in a housing (8) to a cooling module (3), in particular an active cooling module, located outside said housing (8), the connector (1) comprising a main body (4) including a support portion (5), a heat transfer element (6) in contact with the support portion (5) for conducting heat through the main body (4), in particular from the device generating heat (2) to the cooling module (3), and at least one power transfer element (7) in contact with the support portion (5) for transferring electrical energy through the main body (4), in particular between the connector (1) and the device generating heat (2), wherein the main body (4) comprises a coupling interface (9) for being coupled in a removable way with the housing (8) of the device (2).

Description

The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a device generating heat located in a housing to a cooling module. Also, the present invention relates to a cooling apparatus comprising said connector and a cooling module and to a system comprising said connector or said cooling apparatus. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for transferring heat outside a housing of a device generating heat and for energizing a cooling module, in particular an active cooling module, and / or for energizing the device generating heat using said connector, said apparatus, or said system. In the last decades, the use of computing devices is constantly increased, these being basically employed in any fields of technology, such as urban farms and video analytics applications. The performance of these devices and the amount of data to be processed increase despite a continuous request in reducing the dimensions. The computing devices can be for example data center, edge Al, high performance computing, motor drive, edge Al computing comprising micro controller units (MCUs), graphic process units (GPUs) and Neural Process Units (NPUs). One issue related to these devices is the production of heat. As a matter of fact, MCUs, GPUs, and NPUs generate a large amount of heat while computing a large amount of data. Existing heat management strategies comprise the dissipation of heat over a larger surface area. This heat dissipation usually occurs within the device enclosure and using heat pipes or vapor chambers to accelerate heat conduction so that heat is distributed faster to the rest of the device. Other forms of cooling systems employ heat sinks and fans to cool the chipset. However, heat sinks and cooling fans occupy space and increase the size of the product. In addition, when cooling is achieved using active cooling systems, electrically powered devices are required, such as a motorized fan with a heatsink ora fluid pump for fluid cooling to remove the heat through a heat pipe. Active cooling systems consume some electrical power to cool the device to maintain safe thermal operation of the device. Furthermore, in some situations, the active cooling systems require a control signal process to vary the rate of cooling. Accordingly, additional power sources and / or control systems can be necessary to effectively remove heat from a device generating heat. Examples of the present disclosure seek to address or at least alleviate the above problems. In a first aspect, there is provided a connector for connecting a device generating heat located in a housing to a cooling module, in particular an active cooling module, located outside said housing, the connector comprising: a main body including a support portion; a heat transfer element in contact with the support portion for conducting heat through the main body, in particular from the device generating heat to the cooling module, and at least one power transfer element in contact with the support portion for transferring electrical energy through the main body, in particular between the connector and the device generating heat; wherein the main body comprises a coupling interface for being coupled in a removable way with the housing of the device. In a second aspect, there is provided a cooling apparatus for transferring heat outside a housing of a device generating heat, the cooling apparatus comprising: a connector according to the first aspect, and a cooling module, in particular an active cooling module, located outside the housing of the device, the cooling module being connected to the connector through at least the heat transfer element and the power transfer element of the connector. In a third aspect, there is provided a system comprising: a connector according to the first aspect, or a cooling apparatus according to the second aspect; and a device generating heat, the device being located inside a housing and being connected to the connector or the cooling apparatus through at least a heat collecting element and a power collecting port, wherein the heat collecting element and the power collecting port come into contact with the heat transfer element and the power transfer element of the main body of the connector, respectively, once the main body is coupled to the housing. In a fourth aspect, there is provided a method for transferring heat outside a housing of a device generating heat and for energizing a cooling module, in particular an active cooling module, and / or for energizing the device generating heat using the connector according to the first aspect, the apparatus according to the second aspect, or the system according to the third aspect. Other aspects and features are defined in the appended claims. Examples of the disclosure may provide a connector to connect a device generating heat to a cooling module, in particular to transfer heat from said device to said cooling element and to energize the cooling module and / or the device, that is efficient and simple to realize. In particular, examples of the disclosure may provide a connector between a heat generating device and a cooling system that can be easily installed and uninstalled in the field. Also, examples of the disclosure may provide a connector for transferring heat outside the housing of a device as well as for transferring electrical power inside and / or outside said housing, thereby maintaining the housing dust-free and waterproof. Examples of the disclosure will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like references refer to like parts, and in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the connector according to an example; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the connector according to another example; Figure 3A is a schematic representation of the connector in uncoupled configuration according to an example; Figure 3B is a schematic representation of the connector in coupled configuration according to an example; Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the cooling apparatus and of the system according to an example; Figure 5A is a top view representation of the connector in uncoupled configuration according to an example; Figure 5B is a top view representation of the connector in coupled configuration according to an example; and Figure 6 is a front view representation of the connector according to an example. A connector, a cooling apparatus, a system and a method for transferring heat outside a housing of a device generating heat and for energizing a cooling module and / or for energizing the device generating heat are disclosed. In the following description, a number of specific details are presented in order to provide a thorough understanding of the examples of the disclosure. It will be apparent however to a person skilled in the art that these specific details need not be employed in order to practice the examples of the disclosure. Conversely, specific details known to the person skilled in the art are omitted for the purposes of clarity in presenting the examples. Figure 1 schematically illustrates a connector 1 having the double function of extracting heat and transferring electrical power. In particular, the connector 1 is used to extract heat from a device 2 and to conduct extracted heat to a cooling module 3. It is noted that the device 2 is located inside a housing 8, i.e., a device enclosure, and the cooling module 3 is located outside the housing 8. In other words, the connector 1 is configured to provide heat passage from inside to outside the housing 8. The direction of the heat transfer is schematically illustrated with white arrows in the figure. The connector 1 is also used to transfer electrical energy (i.e. electrical power) for energizing the cooling module 3 and / or the device 2. The power source can be the device 2 or an external power source 30, as will be explained in detail in the following. The direction of the power transfer is schematically illustrated with grey arrows in the figure. In a basic configuration, the connector 1 comprises a main body 4, wherein said main body 4 includes a support portion 5, a heat transfer element 6 and at least one power transfer element 7, both in contact with the support portion 5. The heat transfer element 6 is used for conducting heat through the main body 4, in particular from the device generating heat 2 to the cooling module 3. The power transfer element 7 is used for transferring electrical energy through the main body 4, in particular between the connector 1 and the device generating heat 2, specifically from the connector 1 to the device generating heat 2 and / or from the device generating heat 2 to the connector 1 and then to the cooling module 3. The main body 4 furthermore comprises a coupling interface 9 that is configured to be coupled in a removable way with the housing 8 of the device 2. Advantageously, the connector 1 can be attached to, and detached from, the housing 8 without big efforts. For example, the coupling interface 9 can be configured such that the coupling mechanism between the connector 1 (or a component of the connector 1) and the housing 8 occurs through an insertion / extraction mechanism, without the necessity of permanently fixing the connector 1 to the housing 8, for example using screws or other fastening means. The connector 1 (or a component of the connector 1) can be a plug element that is insertable into the housing 8 for extracting heat from a device 2 located inside the housing 8 and for providing / extracting power. Therefore, the coupling interface 9 can comprise a plug-in junction, a snap-fit junction or another type of junction allowing a easy attachment to, and detachment from, the housing 8, without the need of fixing elements, like screws. Forthis purpose, the coupling interface 9 comprises coupling elements (not shown in the figure). In a simple configuration, the coupling interface 9 comprises at least a protrusion that is insertable in the housing 8. Coupling elements can comprise pins, clips, clamps, or the like. It is noted that the main body 4 of the connector 1 can directly be coupled to the housing 8. Alternatively, as will be described later, the main body 4 can be indirectly coupled to the housing 8, i.e. using an interposed element that is fixable to the housing 8. In one example, the coupling interface 9 is at least an external wall of the main body 4. The main body 4 can have a first wall 21, at one side of the main body 4, configured to be coupled to the cooling module 3 and a second wall 22, i.e. the outermost wall at the other side, that corresponds to the coupling interface 9. As shown in figure 1, the main body 4 can have an elongated shape, wherein one side of the elongate shaped body is the coupling interface 9. The heat transfer element 6 serves to conduct heat through the main body 4 of the connector 1, for example from the second wall 22 at the coupling interface 9 to the first wall 21 connectable to the cooling module 3. For this purpose, the heat transfer element 6 can be made of a material having high heat conductivity. For example, the heat transfer element 6 can comprise copper or aluminum. The heat transfer element 6 advantageously extends along the main body 4. The heat transfer element 6 can be entirely contained in the main body 4 of the connector 1 or can extend outside the main body 4. Figure 1 shows an example wherein the heat transfer element 6 extends outside the main body 4 in the direction of the cooling module 3. To favor the heat transfer, the heat transfer element 6 can comprise at least a heat pipe and / or a vapor chamber. For example, a heat pipe can extend along the main body 4 and be supported by the support portion 5. The power transfer element 7 serves to transfer electrical energy through the main body 4 of the connector 1, for example from the second wall 22 at the coupling interface 9 to the first wall 21 connectable to the cooling module 3 and / or on the other way around. For this purpose, the power transfer element 7 can comprise at least an electrical conductor extending, at least partially, along the main body 4. The power transfer element 7 can be entirely contained in the main body 4 of the connector 1 or can extend outside the main body 4. In examples, the main body 4 comprises a power inlet port 11 connected to the power transfer element 7 for connecting an external power source 30. According to figure 1, the power inlet port 11 is located on the first wall 21 of the main body 4. However, said power inlet port 11 can be located in other regions of the main body 4, provided that the port 11 establishes an electrical contact with the power transfer element 7. Thanks to the inlet power port 11, it is possible to connect an external power source 30 to the connector 1 and using the electrical energy provided by the external power source 30 to energize the cooling module 3 (active cooling module) and also the device generating heat 2. The presence ofthe power inlet port 11 is optional since the active cooling module 3 can still be energized by the device 2 itself (or by a power source located inside the housing 8 and energizing the device 2). However, the presence ofthe power inlet port 11 can be extremely useful if it is necessary to energize the device 2 from outside the housing 8. In this way, the connector 1 can be used to extract heat from the device 2 and at the same time to provide electricity to the device 2, for example to recharge a battery located in the housing 8. According to an example, the connector 1 further comprises at least one signal transmit element 10 in contact with the support portion 5 for transmitting control signals through the main body 4, in particular from the device generating heat 2 to the cooling module 3. Specifically, the control signals can be transmitted along the main body 4 from the second wall 22 at the coupling interface 9 to the first wall 21 connectable to the cooling module 3. This is illustrated in figure 2, wherein the connector 1 comprises the signal transmit element 10 in addition to the heat transfer element 6 and the power transfer element 7. The direction of the signal transmission is schematically illustrated with the arrows with vertical lines in the figure. It is noted that, based on the configuration, the control signal can also be transmitted in the opposite direction. The signal transmit element 10 can be entirely contained in the main body 4 of the connector 1 or can extend outside the main body 4. Figure 2 illustrates therefore a connector 1 having the triple function of extracting heat, transferring electrical power, and transmitting control signals. For the signal transmission, the signal transmit element 10 comprises at least a control bus for carrying control signals, the control bus extending, at least partially, along the main body 4. In this way, the cooling rate of the active control module 3 can be adjusted and regulated based on the necessities. Advantageously, the control signals are directly provided by the device generating heat 2. The ability to control the rate of cooling (e.g. speed of fan on heatsink) from the device 2 allows a more efficient use of energy in cooling the device 2 itself. For instance, the fan can be speeded-up to increase cooling rate when the computing processor (i.e. the device generating heat 2) is performing heavy computing and is expected to generate more heat. On the other hand, when the device 2 enters the sleep mode, less heat is generated, thus requiring less cooling. The cooling rate of the active cooling module 3 can therefore be adjusted / regulated to save energy. In this way, the connector 1 can be used to extract heat from the device 2, to provide electricity to the cooling module 3 and / or to the device 2, and at the same time, to control the cooling rate of the cooling module 3. In examples, the main body 4 comprises a recess region 12 extending along the heat transfer element 6. As shown in figures 1 and 2, the recess region 12 is located beneath the heat transfer element 6 and is configured to receive a corresponding element for collecting heat from the device 2, once the connector is coupled to the housing 8 of the device 2. It is noted that the recess region 12 can alternatively be located above or sideways the heat transfer element 6, provided that a contact area is present between the heat transfer element 6 and the recess region 12. As already mentioned, the main body 4 can be indirectly coupled to the housing 8, i.e. using an interposed element that is fixable to the housing 8. This is shown in figures 3A and 3B. According to this example, the connector 1 further comprises a receiving part 13 fixable to, or fixed to, the housing 8 of the device 2, the receiving part 13 being physically separable from the main body 4 and comprising a case 14 having a heat transfer region 15 and at least a power transfer region 16. Figure 3A shows an uncoupled configuration wherein the main body 4 is separated from the receiving part 13 and figure 3B shows a coupled configuration, wherein the main body 4 is coupled to the receiving part 13. Therefore, the main body 4 can be taken as a first part of the connector 1, whereas the receiving part 13 can be taken as a second part of the connector 1. The first part can be connected to the second part in a removable way, wherein the first part can be coupled to the cooling module 3 and the second part can be coupled to the housing 8 of the device 2. The second part can be firmly fixed to the housing 8 with fastening means (e.g. screws) or can be an integral part of the housing 8. In examples, the power transfer region 16 is provided with a power collecting port 24 configured to be connected to a power line 27. When the main body 4 is coupled to the receiving part 13 of the connector 1, i.e. when the first part is connected to the second part, the power transfer element 7, or at least a portion of the power transfer element 7, is at the power transfer region 16 so that the power transfer element 7 comes into contact with the power collecting port 24 (figure 3B). The power line 27 is used to transfer power for example to the device 2 or for receiving power from the device 2. In other words, a power supply path is provided connecting the device generating heat 2 to the active cooling module 3 through the connector 1. The power supply path, or power supply line, can be PWR and GND. In a configuration where the connector 1 also comprises a signal transmit element 10 (figure 2), the case 14 of the receiving part 13 comprises at least a signal transmit region 25. In examples, the signal transmit region 25 is provided with a signal collecting port 26 configured to be connected to a signal line 28. When the main body 4 is coupled to the receiving part 13 of the connector 1, i.e. when the first part is connected to the second part, the signal transmit element 10, or at least a portion of the signal transmit element 10, is at the signal transmit region 25 so that the signal transmit element 10 comes into contact with the signal collecting port 26 (figure 3B). The signal line 28 is used to transmit control signals coming, for example, from the device 2. In other words, a control signal path is provided connecting the device generating heat 2 to the active cooling module 3 through the connector 1. The control signal path can carry signals like PWM (pulse-width modulation), I2C, SPI or any other means of communication indicating the required rate of cooling. In particular, the control signal path, or control signal line, can be SDL, SDA; PWM, GND; SCLK, MOSI, MISO, CS). In examples, the main body 4 can form a protrusion and the receiving part 13 can form a recess, the main body 4 being insertable into the receiving part 13. Figures 3A and 3B illustrate an example wherein the main body 4 can be completely inserted into the receiving part 13, i.e. into the case 14 of the receiving part 13. For example, the case 14 of the receiving part 13 can comprise a cavity 17 for completely receiving the main body 4 in particular the support portion 5, once the main body 4 is coupled to the housing 8, in particular to the receiving part 13. However, according to an alternative configuration, the main body 4 can be inserted only in part into the receiving part 13, i.e. into the cavity 17 of the receiving part 13. In a configuration wherein the connector 1 is coupled to the housing 8 of the device 2 using a receiving part 13 as shown in figures 3A and 3B, the coupling interface 9 serves to couple the main body 4 to the receiving part 13 and indirectly to the housing 8. Advantageously, the coupling interface 9 of the connector 1 can extend along more than one external wall of the main body 4, e.g. the three walls that are in direct contact with the case 14 of the receiving part 13 (as simplified in figure 3A). According to other configurations, further coupling interface regions can be used in addition to the coupling interface 9 of the main body 4. For example, one or more walls of the cooling module 3 can be provided with coupling interfaces to improve the fastening between the connector 1 and the housing 8, i.e. between the main body 4 and the receiving part 13. In examples, the heat transfer region 15 of the receiving part 13 is configured to receive a heat collecting element 18 for collecting heat generated by the device 2, wherein the heat transfer element 6 of the main body 4 comes into contact with said heat collecting element 18, once the main body 4 is coupled to the housing 8, in particular to the receiving part 13. For this purpose, the heat transfer region 15 can comprise a rear opening 23, through which a heat collecting element 18, for example a heat pipe, is inserted. Since the heat transfer region 15 overlaps the recess region 12 of the main body 4 once the main body 4 is coupled to receiving part 13, any element inserted into the rear opening 23, such as the heat collecting element 18, would touch the heat transfer element 6 of the connector 1 in the coupling configuration. This is clearly shown in figure 4 that illustrates a system 20 comprising a connector 1, a device generating heat 2 and a cooling module 3 (i.e. an active cooling module). In particular, the device 2 is located inside a housing 8 and is connected to the thermal connector 1 through a heat collecting element 18, for example a heat pipe. It is noted that once the connector 1 is coupled to the housing 8 of the device 2, the heat collecting element 18 comes into contact with the heat transfer element 6 of the main body 4 of the connector 1 to determine a heat passage from the device 2 outside the housing 8 through the connector 1 and finally to the cooling module 3. From the figure 4 it is clear that in the coupling configuration at least one end of the heat transfer element 6 and of the heat collecting element 18 is completely enclosed in the case 14 of the receiving part 13 and / or in the housing 8. Whereas both ends of the heat collecting element 18 are inside the housing 8, one end of the heat transfer element 6 is located outside the housing 8 and is connected to the cooling module 3. It is furthermore noted that the system 20 is designed such that the heat transfer element 6 and the heat collecting element 18 can be mechanically disconnected in such a way that externally exerted pressure or movement on cooling module 3 or main body 4 does not cause misalignment or delamination of heat collecting element 18 from the device 2 (i.e. heat source). In other words, external forces exerted on the cooling module 3 or on the main body 4 do not affect the connection between the heat collecting element 18 and the device 2. This is to avoid the cantilever effect causing poor connection between the heat collecting element 18 and the device 2. The same considerations apply to the connection between the power collecting port 24 and the power transfer element 7 as well as between the signal transmit port 26 and the signal transmit element 10. Figure 4 shows a configuration, wherein the system 20 comprises a connector 1 as illustrated in figures 3A-3B including a receiving part 13 that is inserted inside the housing 8 of the device 2. In this case, the connector 1 would have an external portion (i.e. main body 4) and an internal portion (i.e. the receiving part 7). However, this is only an illustrative example. As a matter of fact, the receiving part 13 can be inserted only in part into the housing 8 or can be located outside the housing 8, however with a contact surface between the case 14 and the housing 8. In alternative, the system 20 can comprise a connector 1 as shown in figure 1 or figure 2 without the receiving part 13, the connector 1, i.e. the coupling interface 9 being directly in contact with the housing 8. In examples, the device generating heat 2 is at least one of: a. data center server; b. edge Al device; c. industrial computer; d. high performance computing device; e. motor drive; and / or f. a programmable logic controller. It is noted that the receiving part 13 of the connector 1 can be insertable into the housing 8 of the device 2, meaning that the housing 8 is provided with a recess portion, inside which the receiving part 13 can be inserted, for example in a removable way. In alternative, the receiving part 13 is integrated into the housing 8 of the device 2, i.e. the receiving part 13 is an integral part of the housing 8. Figure 4 also shows a cooling apparatus 19 for transferring heat outside a housing 8 of a device generating heat 2. The cooling apparatus 19 comprises a cooling module 3 that is located outside the housing 8 and a connector 1 as described in figures 1 and 2 (i.e. without the receiving part 13) or a connector 1 as described in figures 3A and 3B (i.e. with the receiving part 13). In examples, the cooling module 3 is an active cooling unit, in particular a heat sink with a fan, a liquid cooling element, or a Peltier module. Accordingly, the active cooling module 3 is provided with electrically powered devices. The power transfer element 7 of the connector 1 can therefore be used to energizing the cooling module 3. In particular, an external power source 30 can be connected to the power inlet port 11, as explained above. In this case, electrical power is supplied through the inlet port 11 and through a portion of the power transfer element 7 that is connected to the cooling module 3. It is noted that the power inlet port 11 can additionally be used to supply power to the device generating heat 2 through a portion of the power transfer element 7 that is connected to the housing 8 of the device 2. In this case, the power transfer occurs through the power line 27 that connects the power collecting port 24 (coupled to the power transfer element 7) to the device 2. In alternative, the device 2 itself can be used as power source for the cooling module 3. In this case, the power is transferred from the device 2 to the cooling module 3 passing through the power line 27, the power collecting port 24, and the power transfer element 7. In examples, the device generating heat 2 is connected to the connector 1 or the cooling apparatus 19 through at least a signal collecting port 26, wherein the signal collecting port 26 comes into contact with the signal transmit element 10 of the main body 4 of the connector 1, once the main body 4 is coupled to the housing 8. Since the cooling module 3 is an active cooling unit, it is possible to regulate the cooling rate by using dedicated control signals. The signal transmit element 10 of the connector 1 can therefore be used to transmit signals from a control unit (i.e. the device 2) to the cooling module 3. Specifically, the control signals are transmitted through the signal line 28 that connects the device 2 to the signal collecting port 26 and through the signal transmit element 10 connecting the signal collecting port 26 to the cooling module 3. Therefore, with the present connector 1, apparatus 19 and / or system 20 in addition to transfer heat outside a housing 8 of a device generating heat 2 and to energize an active cooling module 3 as well as the device generating heat 2, it is possible to regulate the cooling rate based on the necessity. As shown in figure 4, the cooling module 3 is connected to the connector 1 through at least the heat transfer element 6 of the connector 1 and the cooling module 3 is in touch with the heat transfer element 6. To increase the heat transfer, the heat transfer element 6 of the connector 1 can extend at least in part inside the cooling module 3. The cooling module 3 is additionally connected to the connector 1 through the power transfer element 7 of the connector 1. For this purpose, the cooling module 3 can be provided with a dedicated power connecting port that can be coupled to the power transfer element 7 of the connector 1. In the configuration where the connector 1 also comprises a signal transmit element 10, the cooling module 3 is connected to the connector 1 through the signal transmit element 10 of the connector 1. For this purpose, the cooling module 3 can be provided with a dedicated signal connecting port that can be coupled to the signal transmit element 7 of the connector 1. Advantageously, the cooling apparatus 19 can be attached to, and detached from, the housing 8 of the device 2 in a easy way, for example by simply plugging the cooling module 3, i.e. the main body 4 of the connector 1, directly into the housing 8 or into the receiving part 13 that is fixable to the housing 8. This can be extremely useful in case the cooling module 3 needs to be replaced, due for example to a malfunctioning or a damage of the cooling module 3. In fact, the connector 1 (or a part of the connector 1) connected to the cooling module 3 can be detached from the housing 8, or from the receiving part 13, at the coupling interface 9 and another cooling apparatus 19, with a different o a repaired cooling module 3, can be attached to the housing 8, or to the receiving part 13. In an additional advantage, the cooling apparatus 19 is designed to minimize and prevent external forces or pressures on the cooling module 3 or on main body 4 from dislodging the connection between the heat collecting element 18 and the device 2 (i.e. heat source). Figures 5A-5B illustrate the attachment process of the connector 1 or of the cooling apparatus 19 to the housing 8. In particular, figure 5A shows a top view of an uncoupled configuration, whereas figure 5B shows a top view of a coupled configuration. The device 2 is located inside a housing 8 and positioned on a printed circuit board 29. The device 2 generates heat and is in contact with a heat collecting element 18 to collect and transport heat away from the device 2. The heat collecting element 18 is an elongated element, for example a heat pipe, extending from the device 2 to the edge of the housing 8 passing through the case 14 of the receiving part 13 of the connector 1. In a uncoupled configuration (figure 5A), the main body 4 of the connector 1 and the cooling module 3 (forming here a cooling apparatus 19) is separated from the housing 8. In the coupled configuration (figure 5B), on the other hand, the connector 1 or the cooling apparatus 19 is connected to the housing 8 and the main body 4 is inserted into the receiving part 13. In particular, the support portion 5 is inserted into the cavity 17 of the case 14 and the heat cooling element 18 is inserted into the recess region 12 of the main body 4 such that the heat transfer element 6 comes into contact with the heat collecting element 18. As long as the connector 1 or cooling apparatus 19 is coupled to the housing 8, heat produced at the device 2 is conducted outside the housing 8 through the connector 1 to the cooling module 3. In particular, the heat transfer element 6 is used to conduct heat through the main body 4 of the thermal connector 1, for example from the surface in contact with the heat collecting element 18, through the heat transfer region 15, connectable to the cooling module 3. Such type of connector 1 is configured to cool the device 2 by transferring heat from the device 2 and PCB 29 to outside the housing 8. Heat can then be dissipated outside the housing 8 with a cooling module 3 such as heatsink, radiative cooling, heat convection, and other means. From the figures 5A and 5B it is clear that the contact between the heat collecting element 18 and the heat transfer element 6 occurs on a contact surface that should be wide enough to improve heat transfer. The area of the contact surface can be calculated as a function of heat transfer power; the larger the contact area, the higher the heat transfer. Figures 5A-B also show that the main body 1 of the connector 1 is also provided with a power transfer element 7 and a signal transmit element 10, both extending along the main body 1 and both having one end in contact with the cooling module 3. In the coupling configuration (fig. 5B), the main body 4 is coupled to the receiving part 13 and the outermost portion of the power transfer element 7 is located at the power transfer region 16, thereby contacting the power collecting port 24. Similarly, the outermost portion of the signal transmit element 10 is located at the signal transmit region 25, thereby contacting the signal collecting port 26. Both power collecting port 24 and signal transmit port 26 are connected to the device 2 through a power line 27 and a signal line 28, respectively. Accordingly, the device 2 can energize the cooling module 3 through the power path formed by the power line 27, the power collecting port 24, and the power transfer element 7 or can be energized by an external power source 30 through the power path formed by the power inlet port 11, the power transfer element 7, the power collecting port 24, and power line 27. The cooling module 3 can also be energized by the external source 30 through the power path formed by the power inlet port 11 and the power transfer element 7. The device 2 can also transmit control signals to the cooling module 3 through the signal path formed by the signal line 28, the signal collecting port 26, and the signal transmit element 10. It is noted that figures 1 to 5 schematically represent connectors 1 having a single power transfer element 7 and a single signal transmit element 10 arbitrarily arranged relative to the heat transfer element 6. However, it is clear that the connector 1 can be provided with a plurality of power transfer elements 7 and a plurality of signal transmit elements 10. This is shown for example in figure 6. The figure illustrates a front view of the connector 1, wherein, two power transfer elements 7 and three signal transmit elements 10 are arranged in the support portion 5 of the connector 1 close to the heat transfer element 6. The connector 1 can be designed as a plug with several pins / elongated structures used for heat transfer, power transfer, and eventually signal transmission. By using the present connector 1 and cooling apparatus 19 it is possible to dissipate heat outside the device’s enclosure. This leads to a more effective cooling with external cooling solution, a simpler device’s design (housing) since can be made smaller, an increased waterproofing of device due to a complete sealing, a more energy efficient cooling system that leverage cooler external ambient temperature outside the housing than the recirculating hot air inside the housing, a more dynamic cooling option when power is connected, and a longer electronics longevity with less thermal aging. The present connector 1, cooling apparatus 19 or system 20 can advantageously be used at least for data center servers, edge Al devices, industrial PC, high performance computing, and heat generating motors. With this connector 1, it is possible to optimize energy by varying the rate of cooling according to the computing loan or expected heat generated by the heat source in the device generating heat 2. Also, there is provided a better integration by integrating synergistic electrical connectors that provides electrical power that energize the active cooling module 3 and control signals to vary the rate of cooling of active cooling module 3. By integrating a power inlet port 11, it is also possible to use the connector 1 as an electrical connector that energizes both the active cooling module 3 and the device generating heat 2. In other words, the present connector 1, apparatus 19 and / or system 20 can be used according to two configurations. In a first configuration, for example an edge computer with external cooling, the connector 1 can be used to extract heat from a device 2 and the main processor of the device 2 can control the required cooling rate of the cooling module 3 by energizing at the same time the cooling module 3. In another configuration, for example a charging docking station with power and cooling units, the connector 1 can be coupled to a device 2 like a mobile robot and is configured to recharge incoming mobile robot and extracting heat from the robot (batteries) at the same time. Although a variety of techniques and examples of such techniques have been described herein, these are provided by way of example only and many variations and modifications on such examples will be apparent to the skilled person and fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Reference signs 1. Connector 2. Device generating heat 3. Cooling module 4. Main body (First part) 5. Support portion 6. Heat transfer element 7. Power transfer element 8. Housing 9. Coupling interface 10. Signal transmit element 11. Power inlet port 12. Recess region 13. Receiving part (Second part) 14. Case 15. Heat transfer region 16. Power transfer region 17. Cavity 18. Heat collecting element 19. Cooling apparatus 20. System 21. First wall 22. Second wall 23. Rear opening 24. Power collecting port 25. Signal transmit region 26. Signal collecting port 27. Power line 28. Control line 29. Printed circuit board 30. External power source

Claims

1. Connector (1) for connecting a device generating heat (2) located in a housing (8) to a cooling module (3), in particular an active cooling module, located outside said housing (8), the connector (1) comprising:a main body (4) including a support portion (5);a heat transfer element (6) in contact with the support portion (5) for conducting heat through the main body (4), in particular from the device generating heat (2) to the cooling module (3), andat least one power transfer element (7) in contact with the support portion (5) for transferring electrical energy through the main body (4), in particular between the connector (1) and the device generating heat (2);wherein the main body (4) comprises a coupling interface (9) for being coupled in a removable way with the housing (8) of the device (2).

2. Connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein the power transfer element (7) comprises at least an electrical conductor extending, at least partially, along the main body (4).

3. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 1 to 2, wherein the main body (4) comprises a power inlet port (11) connected to the power transfer element (7) for connecting an external power source (30).

4. Connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one signal transmit element (10) in contact with the support portion (5) for transmitting control signals through the main body (4), in particular from the device generating heat (2) to the cooling module (3).

5. Connector (1) according to claim 4, wherein the signal transmit element (10) comprises at least a control bus for carrying control signals, the control bus extending, at least partially, along the main body (4).

6. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 1 to 5, wherein the coupling interface (9) is at least an external wall of the main body.

7. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 1 to 6, whereina. the heat transfer element (6) is made of a material having high heat conductivity, in particular comprising copper or aluminum; and / orb. the heat transfer element (6) comprises at least a heat pipe and / or a vapor cnamoer.

8. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 1 to 7, wherein the main body (4) comprises a recess region (12) extending along the heat transfer element (6).

9. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 1 to 8, further comprising a receiving part (13) fixable to, or fixed to, the housing (8) of the device (2), the receiving part (13) being physically separable from the main body (4) and comprising a case (14) having a heat transfer region (15) and at least a power transfer region (16).

10. Connector (1) according to claim 9, wherein the at least power transfer region (16) is provided with a power collecting port (24) configured to be connected to a power line (27).

11. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 4 to 5 combined with any one of claims 9 to 10, wherein the case (14) comprises at least a signal transmit region (25).

12. Connector (1) according to claim 11, wherein the at least signal transmit region (25) is provided with a signal collecting port (26) configured to be connected to a power line (28).

13. Connector (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the main body (4) forms a protrusion and the receiving part (13) forms a recess, the main body (4) being insertable into the receiving part (13).

14. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 9 to 13, wherein the case (14) of the receiving part (13) comprises a cavity (17) for completely receiving the main body (4), in particular the support portion (5), once the main body (4) is coupled to the housing (8), in particular to the receiving part (13).

15. Connector (1) according to any one of clams 9 to 14, wherein the heat transfer region (15) of the receiving part (13) is configured to receive a heat collecting element (18) for collecting heat generated by the device (2) wherein the heat transfer element (6) of the main body (4) comes into contact with said heat collecting element (18), once the main body (4) is coupled to the housing (8), in particular to the receiving part (13).

16. Cooling apparatus (19) for transferring heat outside a housing (8) of a device generating heat (2), the cooling apparatus (19) comprising:a connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, anda cooling module (3), in particular an active cooling module, located outsiae me nousing (8) of the device (2), the cooling module (3) being connected to the connector (1) through at least the heat transfer element (6) and the power transfer element (7) of the connector (1).

17. Cooling apparatus (19) according to claim 16, wherein the cooling module (3) is connected to the connector (1) through at least a signal transmit element (10) of the connector (1).

18. System (20) comprising:a connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, or a cooling apparatus (19) according to any one of claims 16 to 17; anda device generating heat (2), the device (2) being located inside a housing (8) and being connected to the connector (1) or the cooling apparatus (19) through at least a heat collecting element (18) and a power collecting port (24),wherein the heat collecting element (18) and the power collecting port (24) come into contact with the heat transfer element (6) and the power transfer element (7) of the main body (4) of the connector (1), respectively, once the main body (4) is coupled to the housing (8).

19. System (20) according to claim 18, wherein the device generating heat (2) is connected to the connector (1) or the cooling apparatus (19) through at least a signal collecting port (26), wherein the signal collecting port (26) comes into contact with the signal transmit element (10) of the main body (4) of the connector (1), once the main body (4) is coupled to the housing (8).

20. Method for transferring heat outside a housing (8) of a device generating heat (2) and for energizing a cooling module (3), in particular an active cooling module, and / or for energizing the device generating heat (2) using the connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, the apparatus (19) according to any one of claims 16 to 17, or the system (20) according to any one of claims 18 to 19.

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