Male connector, female connector and fluid connector

Abstract

A fluid connector, comprising a male connector (10) and a female connector (20). The male connector(10) comprises a male connector valve body (11) and a male connector valve core (12); a first passage (14) extending from a first end to a second end is provided in the male connector valve body (11), and the male connector valve core (12) is movably arranged in the first passage (14); the inner wall of the first end of the male connector valve body (11) is provided with a first abutting surface (111), and the outer wall of the male connector valve core (12) is provided with a first protrusion (121) extending in the radial direction; the first protrusion (121) is provided with a second abutting surface (122) matching the first abutting surface (111), and the first abutting surface (111) and the second abutting surface (122) can be fitted so as to block the first passage (14). The female connector comprises a female connector valve body (21) and a female connector valve core (22), the female connector valve core (22) comprising a movable valve core (221) and a fixed valve core (222). The connector allows for both manual mating and blind mating, and achieves the decoupled delivery of a liquid-cooled cabinet and a server. Also disclosed is a liquid-cooled cabinet comprising the connector.

Description

Male and female connectors and fluid connectors

[0001] Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411336096.9, filed on September 24, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of fluid connection, in particular to a male connector, a female connector and a fluid connector. BACKGROUND

[0004] Cold plate liquid cooling is a technology that uses a cold plate installed on a heat-generating component of a server to cool the heat-generating component. Compared with traditional air-cooled cabinets, liquid-cooled servers need to reserve cooling water supply and return ports, and need to add cold plates. There is a pipe interface for cooling water between the cold plate liquid-cooled cabinet and the server, and the cooling water supply pipe and return pipe are connected through fluid connectors.

[0005] In related technologies, fluid connectors use two types of structures, hand insertion and blind insertion. Blind insertion type fluid connectors have the advantage of easy insertion and removal, but have a relatively high requirement for insertion accuracy. Moreover, the blind insertion type fluid connector does not have a locking device after the male and female connectors are inserted, and a driving force is needed to maintain the inserted state of the connector after insertion. The hand insertion type fluid connector has no requirement for the position of the waterway interface of the server and the liquid-cooled cabinet, and has a locking device that can be fixed after insertion.

[0006] Current cold plate liquid cooling technology is in a stage of continuous development, and compared with air cooling, the cold plate liquid-cooled cabinet generally adopts an entire cabinet delivery mode. Since the waterway interface positions of servers produced by different server manufacturers are not unified, and the requirements of different servers for liquid-cooled cabinets are also inconsistent, this leads to a mutual adaptation relationship between the servers produced by each manufacturer and the liquid-cooled cabinet, which can only be delivered as an entire cabinet, and cannot be decoupled and delivered. Decoupled delivery means that the server and the liquid-cooled cabinet do not need to be bound and can be produced and delivered by different manufacturers. SUMMARY

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is how to solve the problem that the existing technology uses a cold plate liquid cooling method, the fluid connection method is different, and the liquid-cooled cabinet cannot be compatible with the server and cannot be decoupled and delivered.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the application provides a male head for cooperating with a female head, the male head comprising a male head valve body and a male head valve core, the male head valve body being internally provided with a first passage extending from a first end to a second end, and the male head valve core being movably arranged in the first passage, the male head having oppositely arranged first and second ends;

[0009] An inner wall of the first end of the male head valve body is provided with a first abutting surface, an outer wall of the male head valve core is provided with a first protrusion extending in a radial direction, and the first protrusion is provided with a second abutting surface matched with the first abutting surface; wherein the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface can be attached to block the first passage.

[0010] Further preferably, an inner wall of the second end of the male head valve body is provided with a limiting plate, and a first elastic member is arranged between the first protrusion and the limiting plate; the first elastic member is used to maintain a pushing force of the male head valve core to the first abutting surface when the male head and the female head are not connected, so that the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface are attached.

[0011] Further preferably, an outer wall of the first end of the male head valve body is provided with a locking mechanism configured to interact with the female head to achieve locking of the male head and the female head.

[0012] Further preferably, the locking mechanism is a groove or protrusion structure.

[0013] Further preferably, the locking mechanism is arranged as at least two in a circumferential direction of the outer wall of the male head valve body.

[0014] Further preferably, an end portion of the second end of the male head valve core is arranged as a tapered structure.

[0015] The application also provides a female head for cooperating with the male head described above, the female head comprising a female head valve body and a female head valve core, the female head valve body being internally provided with a second passage extending from a first end to a second end, and the female head valve core being arranged in the second passage, the female head having oppositely arranged first and second ends;

[0016] The female head valve core comprises a movable valve core and a fixed valve core, the movable valve core being movably arranged in the second passage, and the movable valve core being internally provided with a third passage coaxial with and communicating with the second passage; the fixed valve core being fixedly arranged in the second passage, and at least part of the fixed valve core being inserted into the third passage, and the second end of the fixed valve core being provided with a second protrusion for blocking the third passage.

[0017] Further preferably, the second end of the fixed valve core is provided with a second protrusion for blocking the third passage.

[0018] Further preferably, the inner wall of the female valve body is provided with a first guide groove, a second elastic member is arranged in the first guide groove, a first guide limiting block is arranged on the side of the movable valve core facing the first guide groove, the first guide limiting block extends into the first guide groove and abuts against the second end of the second elastic member, and the second elastic member acts on the first guide limiting block so that the second protrusion and the inner wall of the third passage abut to block the third passage when the male head and the female head are not connected.

[0019] Further preferably, the second end of the female valve body is provided with a locking device configured to interact with the locking mechanism of the male head to achieve locking of the male head and the female head.

[0020] Further preferably, the outer wall of the second end of the female valve body is provided with a clearance groove extending along the axial direction of the female valve body.

[0021] The locking device comprises:

[0022] a locking member arranged in the clearance groove, at least part of the locking member being capable of penetrating through the clearance groove to extend into the interior of the female valve body, the locking member being movable in the radial direction to achieve abutting locking or separation with the locking mechanism; and

[0023] a control mechanism movably arranged on the outer wall of the female valve body, the control mechanism being used to drive the locking member to move in the radial direction.

[0024] Further preferably, the outer wall of the female valve body is further provided with a second guide groove, the control mechanism comprises a mechanism member body and a third elastic member, the mechanism member body is sleeved on the outer wall of the female valve body, the third elastic member is arranged in the second guide groove, the inner wall of the mechanism member body is provided with a second guide limiting block, the second guide limiting block is arranged in the second guide groove, and the second guide limiting block abuts against the second end of the third elastic member.

[0025] Further preferably, the mechanism member body is further provided with a ramp, the ramp cooperates with the locking member, and the ramp drives the locking member to move in the radial direction while moving forward and backward.

[0026] Further preferably, the clearance groove and the locking member are opposite to each other and have the same number of positions as the locking mechanism.

[0027] Further preferably, the mechanism member body is a cylindrical structure arranged circumferentially along the outer wall of the female valve body.

[0028] Further preferably, the locking member is any one of a ball, a crossbar or a hook, and the locking member is arranged in at least two on the inner wall of the female valve body in a circumferential direction, and the locking member is opposite to the locking mechanism and has the same number as the locking mechanism.

[0029] Further preferably, the first end of the fixed valve core is arranged in a conical structure.

[0030] The application also provides a fluid connector, comprising the male valve body and the female valve body as described above, the first end of the male valve body is used to abut against the second end of the movable valve core to drive the movable valve core (axial movement, at the same time, the fixed valve core abuts against the male valve core to make the second abutting surface of the male valve core separate from the first abutting surface, thereby connecting the first passage and the second passage.

[0031] Further preferably, the second end of the female valve body is provided with a locking device, and the locking mechanism is used to abut against and lock or separate from the locking device to realize the locking of the male valve body and the female valve body.

[0032] Further preferably, the locking device comprises a locking member and a control mechanism, the control mechanism is used to drive the locking member to move in a radial direction,

[0033] The locking mechanism cooperates with the locking member, when the female valve body is inserted into the male valve body, the locking mechanism abuts against the locking member, and after the male valve body moves and passes the locking member, the locking member is reset under the pushing of the control mechanism to form a lock with the locking mechanism on the male valve body.

[0034] The fluid connector provided by the application has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0035] When the male valve body is inserted into the female valve body, the first end of the male valve core abuts against the female valve body, and with the insertion, the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface are separated, so that the first passage is connected, through the above structure, the male valve body can be adapted to different female valve bodies, and only the separation of the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface is needed to realize the connection of the male valve body.

[0036] When the female valve body is inserted into the male valve body, the male valve body abuts against the movable valve core to drive the second protrusion to separate from the inner wall of the movable valve core, and the second passage is opened, so that the female valve body can be adapted to the male valve body, and only the separation of the second protrusion from the inner wall of the movable valve core is needed to realize the connection of the female valve body.

[0037] Specifically, when the female head of the application is plugged with the male head, the first end of the male head valve body abuts against the second end of the movable valve core to drive the second protrusion away from the inner wall of the movable valve core and open the second passage; the first end of the male valve core abuts against the second end of the fixed valve core to drive the second abutting surface away from the first abutting surface, and the first passage is opened. Through the above structure, the male head can be adapted to the blind plug type female head or the hand plug type female head, and both hand plug and blind plug forms are considered, so that the data center infrastructure side can be adapted to both hand plug type servers and blind plug type servers. By using the fluid connector of the application, when a standardized interface position server is installed on the liquid cooling cabinet, blind plug installation can be realized; at the same time, when a non-standardized interface position server is installed on the liquid cooling cabinet, hand plug installation can be realized through the same series of fluid connectors. Compared with the technical solution of separating hand plug and blind plug fluid connectors in the prior art, the application has the advantage of uniformity of fluid connector series, and can realize decoupling delivery of liquid cooling cabinet and server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0038] Fig. 1 is an assembly diagram of the male head and the female head according to some embodiments of the application.

[0039] Fig. 2 is a structural diagram of the male head according to some embodiments of the application.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of the female head according to some embodiments of the application.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a left side view of the fixed valve core and the female head valve body according to some embodiments of the application.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a structural diagram of the female head according to some embodiments of the application.

[0043] Fig. 6 is an assembly diagram of the male head and the female head according to some embodiments of the application.

[0044] Fig. 7 is a structural diagram of the female head according to some embodiments of the application.

[0045] Fig. 8 is a connection diagram of the fluid connector, the server and the liquid cooling cabinet according to some embodiments of the application.

[0046] In the figure: 100, fluid connector; 10, male head; 11, male head valve body; 111, first abutting surface; 12, male head valve core; 121, first protrusion; 122, second abutting surface; 13, locking mechanism; 14, first passage; 15, limiting plate; 16, first elastic member; 17, plugging part; 20, female head; 21, female head valve body; 211, first guide groove; 212, empty slot; 213, second guide groove; 214, transition inclined surface; 22, female head valve core; 221, movable valve core; 221a, first guide limiting block; 221b, third passage; 222, fixed valve core; 222a, second protrusion; 222b, support fixing member; 23, locking device; 231, locking member; 232, control mechanism; 232a, mechanism member body; 232b, second guide limiting block; 232c, third elastic member; 232d, driving member; 24, second passage; 25, second elastic member; 200, distribution header; 300, heat exchange unit; 400, server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The specific embodiments of the present application will be further described in conjunction with the drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present application, but are not used to limit the scope of the present application.

[0048] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only used for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements indicated must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0049] The terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0050] In addition, unless specifically stated and limited otherwise, the terms "mounting", "connected", "connecting" should be interpreted broadly, for example, can be fixedly connected, can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; can be mechanically connected, or electrically connected; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0051] In this application, unless specifically stated and limited otherwise, the first feature is "on" or "under" the second feature can be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "over" and "on" the second feature can be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature "below", "under" and "under" the second feature can be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0052] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "provided on" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a middle element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there can be a middle element. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not the only implementation.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid connector 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application includes a male head 10 and a female head 20, and the male head 10 and the female head 20 each have a first end and a second end arranged oppositely, wherein the second end of the female head 20 can be connected to the first end of the male head 10 in a plug-in manner, and the male head 10 and the female head 20 are in conduction. The embodiments take the fluid connector used to connect the server waterway and the liquid cooling cabinet waterway as an example, wherein the male head 10 is installed on the liquid cooling cabinet side, and the female head 20 is installed on the server side.

[0054] It should be noted that when the fluid connector 100 is used as a liquid supply connector, the flow direction of the fluid is from the second end of the male head 10 to the first end of the female head 20; when the fluid connector 100 is used as a liquid return connector, the flow direction of the fluid is from the first end of the female head 20 to the second end of the male head 10. The direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 1 is the flow direction of the fluid when the fluid connector 100 is used as a liquid supply connector.

[0055] In order to facilitate the description of the structure and principle of the fluid connector 100, the fluid connector 100 is taken as a liquid supply connector as an example for explanation.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. 2, the male head 10 comprises a male head valve body 11 and a male head valve core 12 arranged in the male head valve body 11. The first end outer wall of the male head valve body 11 is provided with a locking mechanism 13. The male head valve body 11 is provided with a first passage 14 extending from the first end to the second end. The male head valve core 12 is movably arranged in the first passage 14.

[0057] In some embodiments, the male head valve body 11 is a sleeve type structure. The second end of the male head valve body 11 is provided with a lotus-shaped interface or a threaded interface of a water connection path, so as to facilitate the assembly of the male head 10.

[0058] In some embodiments, the male head valve core 12 is a cylindrical structure.

[0059] In some embodiments, in order to limit the axial movement of the male head valve core 12, a first abutting surface 111 is arranged on the inner wall of the first end of the male head valve body 11. A first protrusion 121 extending in the radial direction is arranged on the outer wall of the male head valve core 12. The first protrusion 121 is provided with a second abutting surface 122 matched with the first abutting surface 111. The first abutting surface 111 and the second abutting surface 122 can block the first passage 14.

[0060] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the inner diameter of the first end of the male head valve body 11 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second end of the male head valve body 11. Thus, a first abutting surface 111 with a slope is formed at the interface between the two inner diameters. The slope of the second abutting surface 122 is the same as that of the first abutting surface 111. When the second abutting surface 122 is matched with the first abutting surface 111, the first passage 14 can be blocked. When the second abutting surface 122 is separated from the first abutting surface 111, the first passage 14 is connected.

[0061] In the above-mentioned embodiments, it should be noted that the term "axial direction" refers to the flow direction of the fluid, i.e. the direction from the second end to the first end or the direction from the first end to the second end.

[0062] In some embodiments, a sealing ring or a sealing gasket can be arranged between the second abutting surface 122 and the first abutting surface 111, which can effectively prevent leakage.

[0063] In some embodiments, when the male head 10 is separated from the female head 20, to achieve automatic flow blocking of the male head 10, a limiting plate 15 is arranged on the inner wall of the second end of the male head valve body 11, and a first elastic member 16 is arranged between the first protrusion 121 and the limiting plate 15. The first elastic member 16 is used to keep the pushing force of the male head valve core 12 to the first abutting surface 111 when the male head 10 and the female head 20 are not connected, so that the first abutting surface 111 and the second abutting surface 122 are tightly fitted. That is, the first elastic member 16 acts on the first protrusion 121 to keep the male head valve core 12 in the initial position, and pushes the male head valve core 12 back to the initial position when the male head valve core 12 deviates from the initial position. When the male head valve core 12 is in the initial position, the first abutting surface 111 and the second abutting surface 122 are tightly fitted. That is, after the male head 10 is separated from the female head 20, the acting force of the female head 20 on the male head valve core 12 disappears, and the male head valve core 12 moves in the direction from the second end to the first end under the action of the first elastic member 16 until the second abutting surface 122 is tightly fitted with the first abutting surface 111.

[0064] In addition, the first elastic member 16 always provides a pre-tightening force to the male head valve core 12 in the direction from the second end to the first end, which can avoid the male head valve core 12 from loosening and leaking.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the "initial position" refers to the position when the second abutting surface 122 is completely fitted with the first abutting surface 111.

[0066] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the female head 20 is a blind insertion type female head, at this time, the relative positions of the server and the liquid cooling cabinet are determined, the female head 20 is connected with the server by plug-in connection, and the male head 10 is locked with the female head 20 by external force.

[0067] In some embodiments, the female head 20 includes a female head valve body 21 and a female head valve core 22 arranged in the female head valve body 21, the second end of the female head valve body 21 is plug-in matched with the first end of the male head valve body 11, and the female head valve core 22 is configured to cooperate with the male head valve core 12 to achieve passage opening after the male head 10 and the female head 20 are plugged in.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first end of the female head valve body 21 is left with a lotus-shaped interface or a threaded interface of a water connection, so as to facilitate the assembly of the female head 20.

[0069] In some embodiments, the female head valve body 21 is provided with a second passage 24 extending from the first end to the second end, the female head valve core 22 includes a movable valve core 221 and a fixed valve core 222, the movable valve core 221 is movably arranged in the second passage 24, and the fixed valve core 222 is fixedly arranged in the second passage 24. The first end of the male head 10 is inserted into the second end of the female head valve body 21, and the first passage 14 and the second passage 24 are communicated.

[0070] In some embodiments, the movable valve core 221 is internally provided with a third passage 221b coaxial with and in communication with the second passage 24, and the outer wall of the second end of the movable valve core 221 is in close contact with the inner part of the second passage 24; at least part of the fixed valve core 222 is inserted into the third passage 221b, and the second end of the fixed valve core 222 is used to block the third passage 221b.

[0071] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer wall of the fixed valve core 222 is provided with a plurality of supporting fixed parts 222b, which are arranged at intervals around the circumference of the fixed valve core 222, and the other end of the supporting fixed part 222b is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the female valve body 21, so that between the fixed valve core 222 and the female valve body 21, adjacent two supporting fixed parts 222b can form a hollow structure, which is beneficial to the flow of fluid.

[0072] In other embodiments, the number of supporting fixed parts 222b is preferably 3-6, so as to ensure the firmness and stability of the fixed valve core 222.

[0073] In some embodiments, the movable valve core 221 is of a sleeve structure, at least part of the fixed valve core 222 is inserted into the movable valve core 221, and the diameter of the fixed valve core 222 is smaller than the inner diameter of the movable valve core 221.

[0074] In some embodiments, the male valve core 12 is of a conical structure, and the diameter of the male valve core 12 gradually decreases from the first end to the second end; in some embodiments, the first end of the fixed valve core 222 is of a conical structure, and the diameter of the fixed valve core 222 gradually increases from the first end to the second end, so as to ensure that the fluid passes through the male head 10 and the female head 20 at the maximum flow rate.

[0075] In some embodiments, the second end of the fixed valve core 222 is provided with a second protrusion 222a for blocking the movable valve core 221, i.e. the diameter of the second end of the movable valve core 221 gradually increases, and the maximum diameter of the second protrusion 222a is not less than the inner diameter of the movable valve core 221, so that when the second protrusion 222a enters the inside of the movable valve core 221, an interference fit is formed, thereby achieving the blocking effect.

[0076] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the female valve body 21 is provided with a first guide groove 211, the first guide groove 211 is provided with a second elastic member 25, the side of the movable valve core 221 facing the first guide groove 211 is provided with a first guide limiting block 221a, the first guide limiting block 221a extends into the first guide groove 211 and abuts against the second end of the second elastic member 25, the second elastic member 25 acts on the first guide limiting block 221a so that the second protrusion 222a and the inner wall of the third passage 221b abut to block the third passage 221b when the male head 10 and the female head 20 are not connected. That is, the second elastic member 25 acts on the first guide limiting block 221a to keep the movable valve core 221 in the initial position, and pushes the movable valve core 221 back to the initial position when the movable valve core 221 deviates from the initial position, the second protrusion 222a and the inner wall of the movable valve core 221 abut to block the second passage 24 when the male valve core 12 is in the initial position. The cooperation of the first guide groove 211, the second elastic member 25 and the first guide limiting block 221a can achieve the purpose of controlling the movement stroke of the movable valve core 221.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the term "initial position" refers to the position when the second protrusion 222a is in interference connection (abuts) with the inner wall of the movable valve core 221, which is to achieve the blocking of the second passage 24 after the male head 10 and the female head 20 are disconnected, thereby achieving the function of cutting off the flow; in the initial position, the contact between the movable valve core 221 and the second protrusion 222a of the fixed valve core 222 forms a seal; in other embodiments, a sealing ring or other necessary leakage prevention measures is provided at the sealing position of the second protrusion 222a and the movable valve core 221.

[0078] In this embodiment, when the male head 10 and the female head 20 are inserted, the first end of the male valve body 11 abuts against the second end of the movable valve core 221, and as the male head 10 is continuously inserted, the male valve body 11 pushes the movable valve core 221 to move axially from the second end to the first end against the elastic force of the second elastic member 25, since the fixed valve core 222 does not move in the axial direction, as the male head 10 is continuously inserted, the second protrusion 222a is separated from the inner wall of the movable valve core 221, at this time the second passage 24 is opened and conducted; in the process of continuous insertion of the male head 10, the second end of the fixed valve core 222 abuts against the first end of the male valve core 12, thereby pushing the male valve core 12 to move axially from the first end to the second end against the elastic force of the first elastic member 16, at this time the second abutting surface 122 is separated from the first abutting surface 111, and the first passage 14 is opened and conducted; that is, the male head 10 and the female head 20 can be automatically opened and conducted after being inserted, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0079] In other embodiments, the second end of the male head 10 is externally provided with a sealing part 17, which can abut against the second end of the female head 20 after the male head 10 is inserted into the female head 20, so as to avoid dust from entering the female head 20 and affecting the performance.

[0080] In some embodiments, a transition slope 214 is arranged on the inner wall of the female head valve body 21 near the second end, which gradually increases the diameter of the second passage 24 from the first end to the second end, so as to guide the first end of the male head valve body 11 when the male head 10 is inserted into the female head 20, thereby improving the efficiency of the insertion of the male head 10 into the female head 20; in addition, the transition slope 214 can form a transition space between the female head valve body 21 and the male head valve body 11 to accommodate the locking mechanism 13, so as to avoid the axial interference between the female head valve body 21 and the locking mechanism 13.

[0081] In summary, the first end of the male head valve body 11 abuts against the second end of the movable valve core 221 to drive the movable valve core 221 to move axially, and the fixed valve core 222 abuts against the male head valve core 12 to make the second abutting surface 122 of the male head valve core 12 disengage from the first abutting surface 111, thereby guiding the first passage 14 and the second passage 24 to be in communication.

[0082] In some optional cases, some embodiments of the present application are different from the above-mentioned embodiments:

[0083] In some embodiments of the present application, the female head 20 is a hand-insertion type female head, and the second end of the female head valve body 21 is provided with a locking device 23 configured to interact with the locking mechanism 13 to achieve the locking of the male head 10 and the female head 20.

[0084] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 13 is a groove or a protruding structure, when the locking mechanism 13 is a groove structure, it is used to clamp the locking member on the male head, when the locking mechanism 13 is a protruding structure, it is used to clamp the locking device 23 on the female head 20 to achieve the locking; when the locking mechanism 13 is a groove structure, the locking device 23 extends into the groove to achieve the locking of the male head valve body 11; when the locking mechanism 13 is a protruding structure, the protruding structure is used to engage with the locking device 23 to achieve the locking.

[0085] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 13 is a protruding structure, for example, in the form of a barb, from the first end to the second end, the outer wall of the male head valve body 11 is provided with a slope, which gradually increases the outer diameter of the male head valve body 11, and after increasing to the maximum value, the outer diameter is perpendicular to the outer wall of the male head valve body 11, and then decreases to the original position, thereby forming a barb, which is used to cooperate with the locking device 23 on the hand-insertion type female head to achieve the locking of the male head 10 and the female head 20.

[0086] In some embodiments, the female head 20 is a hand-insert type female head, which is suitable for assembly when the relative positions of the server and the liquid cooling cabinet are uncertain, and the female head 20 is connected to the server through a connecting hose.

[0087] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the second end outer wall of the female head valve body 21 is provided with a clearance groove 212 extending along the axial direction of the female head valve body 21; the locking device 23 comprises a locking member 231, which is arranged in the clearance groove 212 and at least part of which can extend into the interior of the female head valve body 21 through the clearance groove 212, and the locking member 231 is used to abut and lock with the locking mechanism 13.

[0088] In some embodiments, the locking member 231 is movable in the radial direction to achieve abutment and locking with the locking mechanism 13 or separation.

[0089] In some embodiments, the female head valve body 21 further comprises a control mechanism 232, which is movably arranged on the outer wall of the female head valve body 21, and the control mechanism 232 is used to drive the locking member 231 to move in the radial direction. The locking mechanism cooperates with the locking member, when the female head is inserted with the male head, the locking mechanism abuts to the locking member, after the locking mechanism moves along with the male head and passes through the locking member, the locking member is reset under the pushing of the control mechanism to form locking with the locking mechanism on the male head.

[0090] In some embodiments, a driving member 232d is arranged between the control mechanism 232 and the locking member 231, which can convert the axial movement of the control mechanism 232 into the radial movement of the locking member 231.

[0091] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the female head valve body 21 is further provided with a second guide groove 213, and the control mechanism 232 comprises a mechanism member body 232a and a third elastic member 232c, the mechanism member body 232a is sleeved on the outer wall of the female head valve body 21, the third elastic member 232c is arranged in the second guide groove 213, the inner wall of the mechanism member body 232a is provided with a second guide limiting block 232b, the second guide limiting block 232b is arranged in the second guide groove 213, and the second end of the third elastic member 232c abuts against the second guide limiting block 232b.

[0092] In some embodiments, the mechanism member body 232a is a cylindrical structure arranged circumferentially along the outer wall of the female head valve body 21, and the locking member 231 is a spherical body, the number of the spherical bodies is double and two by two oppositely arranged on the side wall of the female head valve body 21, the side wall of the female head valve body 21 is provided with through holes allowing part of the spherical bodies to extend into the inside of the female head valve body 21, and the spherical bodies and the locking mechanism 13 cooperate to achieve the locking effect.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the diameter of the ball to avoid the ball from falling off; the driving member 232d is a slope plate, when the ball is pressed from the inside, the ball moves radially, the slope plate drives the mechanism body 232a to move from the second end to the first end, when the pressing force on the ball disappears, the mechanism body 232a is reset under the action of the third elastic member 232c, thereby the slope plate drives the ball to be clamped into the through hole.

[0094] In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, when the male head 10 is inserted into the female head 20, the first end of the male head valve body 11 abuts against the second end of the movable valve core 221, as the male head 10 is continuously inserted, the male head valve body 11 pushes the movable valve core 221 to move from the second end to the first end against the elastic force of the second elastic member 25, since the fixed valve core 222 does not move in the axial direction, as the male head 10 is continuously inserted, the second protrusion 222a is separated from the inner wall of the movable valve core 221, at this time, the second passage 24 is opened and conducted; in the process of continuously inserting the male head 10, the second end of the fixed valve core 222 abuts against the first end of the male head valve core 12, thereby pushing the male head valve core 12 to move from the first end to the second end against the elastic force of the first elastic member 16, at this time, the second abutting surface 122 is separated from the first abutting surface 111, the first passage 14 is opened and conducted; that is, after the male head 10 is inserted into the female head 20, the automatic opening and conduction can be realized; at the same time, since the locking mechanism 13 has a certain slope, in the process of inserting the male head 10, the locking mechanism 13 pushes the ball to move into the empty slot 212, and at the same time, the mechanism body 232a is displaced from the second end to the first end, after the male head and the female head are continuously inserted, when the locking mechanism 13 passes the ball, since there is no force to push the ball radially outward, the mechanism body 232a is reset under the action of the third elastic member 232c, at the same time, the ball is reset by the driving member 232d, the reset ball forms a lock with the locking mechanism 13 on the male head. When it is needed to unlock, the mechanism body 232a is pushed to move from the second end to the first end against the elastic force of the third elastic member 232c, the mechanism body 232a drives the slope plate to move from the second end to the first end, at this time, the force of the slope plate acting on the ball disappears, the locking mechanism 13 can push the ball to move into the empty slot 212 in the process of pulling out, thereby releasing the restriction on the locking mechanism 13, at this time, the male head 10 can be pulled out, and after the mechanism body 232a is loosened, the locking member 231 is reset.

[0095] In some optional cases, some embodiments of the present application are different from the above-mentioned embodiments:

[0096] As shown in FIG. 7, the locking member 231 in some embodiments of the present application is a crossbar, the sidewall of the female head valve body 21 is provided with a through hole allowing part of the crossbar to extend into the inside of the female head valve body 21, the crossbar and the locking mechanism 13 cooperate to realize the locking effect.

[0097] In some embodiments, the end of the crossbar extending into the inside of the female valve body 21 is provided with a slope facing the second end, which can cooperate with the slope of the locking mechanism 13. In this way, during the insertion of the male head 10, the locking mechanism 13 can exert a radial force on the crossbar, thereby pushing the crossbar into the clearance groove 212. When the locking mechanism 13 passes the crossbar, the crossbar is reset by the action of the third elastic member 232c, thereby clamping the locking mechanism 13. At this time, the male head 10 and the female head 20 are locked in the inserted state. When locked, the locking mechanism 13 exerts an axial force on the crossbar due to the vertical surface. At this time, the male and female heads are not separated due to the outward pulling force and the limitation of the crossbar.

[0098] In some embodiments, the driving member 232d is a lever mechanism, which can be connected to the control mechanism 232 by a spring, a pull rope, or a mechanical connection. The lever mechanism is configured to push the control mechanism 232 to overcome the elastic force of the third elastic member 232c and move axially from the second end to the first end when the crossbar is subjected to a radial force. When it is necessary to pull out the male head 10, the mechanism member body 232a is pushed to overcome the elastic force of the third elastic member 232c and move axially from the second end to the first end. The mechanism member body 232a drives the crossbar to move into the clearance groove 212 by the lever mechanism, thereby releasing the restriction of the crossbar on the locking mechanism 13, achieving the unlocking of the male head 10 and the female head 20. At this time, the male head 10 can be pulled out. After the mechanism member body 232a is released, the crossbar is reset.

[0099] It should be noted that the lever mechanism is a conventional technical means in the art, which will not be described in detail.

[0100] In other embodiments, the locking member 231 is a hook, which has the same function as the crossbar, i.e., to cooperate with the locking mechanism 13 to achieve the locking effect.

[0101] In other embodiments, the valve core of the male head 10 and the female head 20 can also be provided in the form of a ball valve structure (not shown). In this embodiment, the valve core of the male head 10 and the female head 20 is provided in the form of a ball valve core. The second end of the female head 20 can be connected to the first end of the male head 10 in a plug-in manner, and a locking device is provided at the junction of the male head and the female head. For example, the male head is provided with an end face locking mechanism for hand insertion, which is used for end face locking in the hand insertion mode. The end face locking can be a rotary buckle locking. At the same time, the male head is also provided with a control device for controlling the opening and closing of the ball valve core in the blind insertion mode. The control device can be a gear, a track, a protrusion, etc. The function of the control device is to enable the ball valve core to form a passage when the male head and the female head are connected.

[0102] In the above embodiment, when the female head 20 is a hand-inserted female head, it is provided as the same as the male head, with corresponding locking devices, control devices and ball valve spools. When the hand-inserted female head is inserted with the male head, the female head and the male head are fixed together through the locking devices, and then the control devices on both sides are used to lock the male head and the female head respectively. When the male head and the female head need to be separated, the valve spools in the male head and the female head are first closed through the control devices, and then the locking devices are opened to achieve separation.

[0103] In the above embodiment, when the female head 20 is a blind-inserted female head, it is provided with a cylindrical device, a valve spool and a control device. The cylindrical device is sleeved on the valve spool, and the control device is arranged on the cylindrical device. The control device can be a gear device corresponding to the male head, or a protrusion and a track corresponding to the male head. If the male head is provided with a gear device, the female head is provided with a channel matched with the gear device. The channel is provided with teeth that can engage with the gear when the gear is in contact with the gear. When the gear device passes through the channel, the gear will rotate, and the opening and closing of the valve spool is realized through the rotation. If the male head is provided with a protrusion, the female head is provided with a track that can accommodate the protrusion. The track is provided with a track, and the protrusion will displace along the track during the insertion of the male head and the female head. The opening and closing of the valve spool is realized through the displacement.

[0104] When the male head and the female head are connected, the control devices on the male head and the female head control the opening and closing of the valve spool. When the blind-inserted female head is matched with the liquid cooling cabinet, the blind-inserted server is pushed into the liquid cooling cabinet by the maintenance worker, and the blind-inserted female head and the male head are fitted under the action of the pushing force of the maintenance worker. The gears engage with each other and continuously rotate through the transmission force during the insertion process. The gear device controls the opening and closing of the ball valve spool, so as to realize the opening and closing of the valve spool during the insertion process. When the control device is a protrusion and a track, the protrusion on the male head matches with the track on the cylindrical device of the female head. During the insertion of the male head and the female head, the protrusion matches with the track. During the insertion process, the protrusion on the male head and the female head relative to the cylindrical device occurs relative displacement, and the opening and closing of the ball valve spool is realized through the displacement of the protrusion.

[0105] In summary, when in use, the male head is installed on the liquid cooling cabinet side, and then the female head on the server side is replaced, so that the cabinet can be adapted to both blind insertion type servers and hand insertion type servers without changing the hardware on the cabinet side, thereby achieving the purpose of adapting the liquid cooling cabinet to different server positions. When the server waterway interface positions installed in the liquid cooling cabinet are uniform, the server is installed with a blind insertion type female head and installed in a blind insertion form. When the server waterway positions installed in the liquid cooling cabinet are not uniform, the server is installed with a hand insertion type female head and installed in a hand insertion form. As shown in FIG. 8, the liquid cooling cabinet is a device for providing a working environment for the server 400, which includes a water distributor 200 and a heat exchange unit 300. When the liquid cooling system is working, the low-temperature coolant flows out of the heat exchange unit 300, enters the liquid supply main pipe of the water distributor 200, then passes through the liquid supply branch pipe and the fluid connector 100, enters the cold plate device, exchanges heat with the heat generating elements of the server 400, becomes high-temperature coolant, then enters the liquid return main pipe of the water distributor 200 through the fluid connector 100, and then enters the heat exchange unit 300 to exchange heat and become low-temperature coolant, completing the cycle. The male head 10 of the present application is installed on the water distributor 200, and the female head 20 is installed on the cold plate device of the server. The male head 10 and the female head 20 are inserted to realize water flow. When the server uniformly uses the fluid connector of the present application, the blind insertion female head is used for blind insertion when the server interface positions in the same liquid cooling cabinet are the same; the hand insertion female head is used for blind insertion when the server interfaces in the same liquid cooling cabinet come from different manufacturers and the interface positions are not the same.

[0106] The structure of the fluid connector proposed in the present application allows the male head to simultaneously consider the hand insertion type and the blind insertion type. The fluid connector proposed in the present application can adapt to both hand insertion type servers and blind insertion type servers without changing the data center infrastructure. Through the technology proposed in the present application, blind insertion can be achieved when installing a standardized interface position server on a liquid cooling cabinet, and hand insertion can be achieved when installing a non-standardized interface position server on a liquid cooling cabinet. Compared with the prior art which uses separate hand insertion and blind insertion fluid connectors, the present application has the advantage of uniformity of the fluid connector series, and can realize decoupling delivery of the liquid cooling cabinet and the server.

[0107] In the present application, since both the blind insertion type female head and the hand insertion type female head can be inserted with the male head, the sealing and internal valve structure of the blind insertion type female head and the hand insertion type female head are made consistent and shareable. Since the length of the male head or the female head needs to change for blind insertion, in the present application, the size of the male head and the female head required for blind insertion is compared with the size of the male head and the female head required for hand insertion. The male head and the female head are coordinated and set to a longer length, so that the insertion is consistent and compatible.

[0108] The present application aims to promote the decoupling of the liquid cooling facility side and the server device side, promote the standardization of the cabinet and server interface, and integrate refrigeration, power distribution, and distributed heat exchange units. The current liquid cooling cabinet and server delivery ecological pattern is broken, compatible with various categories and multiple models of IT equipment installation, reducing the restrictions between the cabinet and the server, and the cabinet and the server can be purchased from multiple manufacturers. The decoupling delivery of the server can be achieved through hand insertion and blind insertion to realize node-level rapid installation and maintenance, and improve efficiency.

[0109] In addition, it should be understood that the fluid connector of the present application is not limited to use in liquid cooling cabinets and servers, and can also be used in other devices that can only be delivered as a whole due to the inability of the fluid connector to achieve unification.

[0110] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and it should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the technical field, several improvements and replacements can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present application, and these improvements and replacements should also be considered as the protection scope of the present application. The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present application, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to the details of the preferred embodiments, and the embodiments should be considered as exemplary and non-limiting, the scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and therefore all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims should be included in the present application.

[0111] In addition, it should be understood that although the present application is described in the form of an embodiment, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution, and the description of the specification is only for the sake of clarity, and those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in the embodiments can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that those skilled in the art can understand.

Claims

1. A male head configured to cooperate with a female head, the male head comprising a male valve body and a male valve core, the male valve body having a first passage extending from a first end of the male valve body to a second end of the male valve body, the male valve core movably arranged in the first passage; The first end inner wall of the male valve body is provided with a first abutting surface, the outer wall of the male valve core is provided with a first protrusion extending in the radial direction, and the first protrusion is provided with a second abutting surface matched with the first abutting surface. the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface are configured to abut to block the first passage. 2.The male head of claim 1, wherein a limiting plate is arranged on an inner wall of the second end of the male valve body, a first elastic member is arranged between the first protrusion and the limiting plate, and the first elastic member is configured to maintain a pushing force of the male valve core to the first abutting surface when the male head and the female head are not connected, so that the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface abut. 3.The male head of claim 1 or 2, wherein a locking mechanism is arranged on an outer wall of the first end of the male valve body, and the locking mechanism is configured to interact with the female head to achieve locking of the male head and the female head. 4.The male head of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism is a groove or a protrusion structure. 5.The male head of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism is arranged as at least two along a circumferential direction of the outer wall of the male valve body. 6.The male head of any one of claims 1-5, wherein an end of the second end of the male valve core is arranged as a tapered structure. 7.A female head configured to cooperate with the male head of any one of claims 1-6, the female head comprising a female valve body and a female valve core, the female valve body having a second passage extending from a first end of the female valve body to a second end of the female valve body, the female valve core arranged in the second passage; the female valve core comprises a movable valve core and a fixed valve core, the movable valve core movably arranged in the second passage, an inner portion of the movable valve core having a third passage coaxial with and communicating with the second passage, the fixed valve core fixedly arranged in the second passage, at least a portion of the fixed valve core inserted into the third passage, and a second end of the fixed valve core configured to block the third passage. 8.The female head of claim 7, wherein the second end of the fixed valve core is provided with a second protrusion configured to block the third passage. 9.The female head of claim 8, wherein an inner wall of the female valve body is provided with a first guide groove, the first guide groove is provided with a second elastic member, a side of the movable valve core facing the first guide groove is provided with a first guide limiting block, the first guide limiting block extends into the first guide groove and abuts against a second end of the second elastic member, and the second elastic member acts on the first guide limiting block to make the second protrusion abut against an inner wall of the third passage to block the third passage when the male head and the female head are not connected. 10.The female head of any one of claims 7-9, wherein the second end of the female valve body is provided with a locking device configured to interact with the locking mechanism of the male head to achieve locking of the male head and the female head. 11.The female head of claim 10, wherein an outer wall of the second end of the female valve body is provided with a clearance groove extending along an axial direction of the female valve body. The locking device comprises: a locking member arranged in the clearance groove, at least part of the locking member being capable of passing through the clearance groove to extend into the interior of the female valve body, the locking member being movable in the radial direction to achieve abutting locking or separation with the locking mechanism; and a control mechanism movably arranged on the outer wall of the female valve body, the control mechanism being used to drive the locking member to move in the radial direction.

12. The female valve body according to claim 11, wherein the outer wall of the female valve body is further provided with a second guide groove, the control mechanism comprises a mechanism member body and a third elastic member, the mechanism member body is sleeved on the outer wall of the female valve body, the third elastic member is arranged in the second guide groove, the inner wall of the mechanism member body is provided with a second guide limiting block, the second guide limiting block is arranged in the second guide groove, and the second guide limiting block is in abutment with the second end of the third elastic member.

13. The female valve body according to claim 12, wherein the mechanism member body is further provided with a ramp, the ramp cooperates with the locking member, and the ramp drives the locking member to move in the radial direction while moving forward and backward.

14. The female valve body according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein the clearance groove and the locking member are opposite to the locking mechanism in position and are identical in number.

15. The female valve body according to claim 12, wherein the mechanism member body is a cylindrical structure arranged circumferentially along the outer wall of the female valve body.

16. The female valve body according to claim 11, wherein the locking member is any one of a ball, a crossbar or a hook, and the locking member is arranged as at least two uniformly along the inner wall of the female valve body in the circumferential direction, the locking member is opposite to the locking mechanism in position and is identical in number.

17. The female valve body according to any one of claims 7-16, wherein the first end of the fixed valve core is provided with a tapered structure.

18. A fluid connector comprising the male valve body according to any one of claims 1-6 and the female valve body according to any one of claims 7-17, the first end of the male valve body is in abutment with the second end of the movable valve core to drive the movable valve core to move in the axial direction, meanwhile, the fixed valve core is in abutment with the male valve core to make the second abutment surface of the male valve core disengage from the first abutment surface, thereby conducting the first passage and the second passage.

19. The fluid connector according to claim 18, wherein the second end of the female valve body is provided with a locking device, the locking mechanism is used to abut and lock or separate with the locking device to achieve locking of the male valve body and the female valve body.

20. The fluid connector according to claim 19, wherein the locking device comprises a locking member and a control mechanism, the control mechanism is used to drive the locking member to move in the radial direction, the locking mechanism cooperates with the locking member, when the female valve body is inserted into the male valve body, the locking mechanism is in abutment with the locking member, after the locking mechanism moves along with the male valve body and passes through the locking member, the locking member is reset under the pushing of the control mechanism to form locking with the locking mechanism on the male valve body.

21. A liquid-cooled cabinet comprising: The heat exchange unit and the distribution header; wherein the distribution header is connected with the cold plate device of the server through the fluid connector as claimed in claim 18 to realize circulation of the cooling liquid among the heat exchange unit, the distribution header and the cold plate device.

22. The liquid chiller cabinet of claim 21, wherein, The male head is configured to be mounted on the distribution header, and the female head is configured to be mounted on the cold plate device of the server. 23.The liquid cooling cabinet according to claim 21 or 22, wherein, When the server interface positions in the liquid cooling cabinet are the same, the male head and the female head are configured to be installed in the form of a blind plug female head by blind plugging; When the server interfaces in the liquid cooling cabinet are from different manufacturers and the interface positions are different, the male head and the female head are configured to be installed in the form of a hand plug female head by blind plugging.

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