Floating Bus Bar and Connector for Sliding Tray Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible power cables for sliding trays in computer systems occupy significant space and impede airflow within the chassis, limiting cooling efficiency as they need to be as long as the tray's travel length to maintain connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A floating bus bar and bus bar connector system that provides power to components on a sliding tray, featuring a power terminal and connecting fingers engaging with parallel-mounted bus bars inside the chassis, ensuring continuous contact and power supply without obstructing airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible power cable is used to provide power to the sliding tray, then power connectivity is maintained during tray movement, but the cable occupies significant space and impedes airflow within the chassis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional flexible power cable with thin floating bus bars that can bend and flex to accommodate tray movement. These bus bars are mounted on flexible supports that allow them to follow the tray's motion while maintaining electrical contact, significantly reducing the volume occupied compared to a flexible cable of equivalent length.
Solution Approach 2:
The power delivery system is segmented into multiple floating bus bars distributed along the tray's path, rather than using a single continuous flexible cable. This segmentation allows each bus bar segment to be shorter and less obtrusive while collectively providing continuous power connectivity throughout the tray's travel range.
2Reliability
If a flexible power cable is used to provide power to the sliding tray, then power connectivity is maintained during tray movement, but airflow within the chassis is impeded, limiting cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The floating bus bars are implemented as thin, flat conductive elements rather than bulky flexible cables. This thin-film approach minimizes the cross-sectional area that obstructs airflow channels within the chassis, allowing cooling air to flow more freely past the power delivery components while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bus bars are oriented and positioned in three-dimensional space to follow the tray's movement path, utilizing vertical and lateral dimensions rather than occupying horizontal airflow channels. This dimensional arrangement allows power delivery without blocking the primary airflow paths needed for cooling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the power cable is made as long as the tray's travel length to maintain connectivity, then power is available throughout the full range of motion, but the cable occupies considerable space when the tray is fully inside the chassis
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of one long continuous cable, the system uses multiple shorter floating bus bar segments distributed along the tray's travel path. Each segment is activated only when needed, providing full-range power availability through coordinated segmentation rather than requiring a single long obstructive cable.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating bus bars are mounted on dynamic supports that allow them to move and flex with the tray's position. This dynamic configuration enables the bus bars to maintain optimal contact and positioning throughout the full range of motion without requiring excessive length, as each segment adapts its position rather than relying on a fixed long cable.
Data Source
AI summary
A chassis includes floating bus bars providing power and a sliding tray included in the chassis includes a power terminal and connecting fingers contacting the floating bus bars. As the sliding tray moves in a direction of motion, the connecting fingers remain in contact with the floating bus bars, providing power to components included on the sliding tray while it is repositioned. The floating bus bars are mounted inside the chassis in a direction parallel to the sliding direction of the sliding tray, and may be positioned within the chassis in a location that does not significantly impede airflow within the chassis.