Reduced Vertical Profile Ejector for Liquid Cooled DIMMs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of liquid cooling technology with semiconductor chips on DIMM cards is complicated by the connector latch, which interferes with the layout of cooling system tubing, leading to complex and expensive solutions with potential reliability issues and derated cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A reduced vertical profile ejector design that removes the upper portion of the latch, allowing liquid cooling conduits to run straight across the DIMM, reducing design complexity and enhancing cooling efficiency by using wider tubing that covers more of the chip's surface area, and securing the DIMM with mechanical features or liquid cooling conduits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional latch mechanism is used to secure the DIMM, then the DIMM is securely held in the connector, but the latch interferes with the layout of liquid cooling conduits causing complex routing and reduced cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the upper portion of the traditional latch mechanism that interferes with cooling conduit routing. The ejector retains only the essential lower components (body, foot, and pivot point) while eliminating the upper engagement portion, allowing cooling conduits to pass through the connector without obstruction while maintaining DIMM securement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejector is divided into distinct functional segments: the body portion that provides structural support, the foot that contacts the DIMM for securement, and the pivot point that enables rotation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the body positioned to minimize interference with cooling conduits while the foot and pivot provide necessary mechanical function.
2Productivity
If the upper portion of the latch is removed to allow straight cooling conduits, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the ejector's vertical profile is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The ejector design shifts from a vertically-oriented latch mechanism to a horizontally-oriented ejector structure. By rotating the functional orientation from vertical to horizontal, the ejector achieves a low vertical profile that accommodates straight cooling conduits while maintaining adequate horizontal dimensions for mechanical functionality.
3Productivity
If wider tubing is used to cover more chip surface area, then cooling performance is enhanced, but the connector design becomes more constrained
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the upper latch portion, the patent creates additional vertical clearance in the connector that accommodates wider cooling tubing. The extracted space allows broader tubing to pass through and make contact with larger portions of the chip surface area without increasing overall connector complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a printed circuit board (PCB) dual in-line memory module (DIMM) connector having ejectors. The ejectors have a small enough vertical profile to permit unbent liquid cooling conduits to run across the DIMM's semiconductor chips.