1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cooling arrangement with a housing for receiving electronic printed circuit boards or plug-in modules, and with an air-conditioning device which is connected via a coolant-conducting feed line and a return-flow line with at least one electronic component, to be cooled, on the respective printed circuit board or plug-in module, wherein the feed line is coupled with at least one component feed line assigned to the electronic component, and the return-flow line is coupled with at least one component return-flow line assigned to the electronic component.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A cooling arrangement is known from European Patent Reference EP 1 448 040 A2. Plug-in modules, which are arranged on top of each other in a horizontal plane are housed in a switchgear housing. Built-in electronic devices are located on the plug-in modules, in particular CPUs of computer servers, which require specific cooling. Because the generated heat cannot be removed to a sufficient degree by known air cooling fans, cooling by coolants are employed. The components to be cooled are cooled by cooling bodies, through which a fluid flows and which are connected with an air-conditioning device through feed and return-flow lines.
The layout of the plug-in module used in the known cooling arrangement, or its fitting with components, and the arrangement of strip conductors, are matched to the arrangement of the cooling bodies through which liquid flows and the connectors of the component feed and component return-flow hoses. With the known cooling arrangement it is not possible without a considerable structural cost outlay to use plug-in modules of any arbitrary layout and to provide them with liquid cooling.
It is one object of this invention to provide a printed circuit board or plug-in module of any arbitrary layout with liquid cooling without substantially changing the layout or the fitting with electronic components.
The above and other objects of this invention are accomplished with a housing arrangement having characteristics described in the claims and this specification.
Accordingly, the printed circuit board or plug-in module of this invention has an area for fitting electronic components and a coupling area for coupling the feed line with the component feed line, and for coupling the return-flow line with the component return-flow line. A separate coupling area is created on the printed circuit board or the plug-in module, besides an area provided for a predetermined layout and fitting, and the area for fitting it is only necessary to attach the cooling elements through which liquid flows to the components to be cooled. Coupling to the remaining cooling system is performed in the coupling area.
Thus the coupling area can adjoin the area for fitting. The coupling area can additionally or alternatively be provided at the upper edge area of the printed circuit board or the plug-in module.
In one embodiment, the component feed line and the component return-flow line have coupling elements attached at the ends of the coupling area. These form, together with the counter coupling elements of the feed line and the return-flow line attached at the end of the housing, a releasably coupled connection. With this arrangement, it is possible to directly couple a liquid-cooled printed circuit board or plug-in module to the feed line and to the return-flow line which are connected with the air-conditioning device. Thus, the electronic components to be cooled can be easily connected with a liquid cooling body through which liquid flows and which has a connector for the component feed line and a connector for the component return-flow line.
It is also possible to arrange the coupling element of the component feed line and the coupling element of the return-flow line side-by-side in a plug housing. A coupling block is thus formed, which assures a definite spatial arrangement of the two coupling elements.
The counter coupling element of the feed line and the counter coupling element of the return-flow line can be arranged side-by-side in a plug housing. A counter coupling block is thus formed, which corresponds in a particularly advantageous manner to the coupling head of the component feed line and the component return-flow line.
The coupling connection can be designed as a no-drip releasable and pluggable coupling to prevent cooling liquid from running out when pulling out the printed circuit board or plug-in module.
In one embodiment, a rear transition module at the rear of the housing can be assigned to the respective printed circuit board or plug-in module, which has plug connectors for electrical input and output signals. Corresponding electrical counter plug connectors at the printed circuit board or the plug-in module engage the rear transition module. The coupling elements of the component feed line or the component return-flow line in the area of or near the electrical counter plug connectors are arranged at the printed circuit board or the plug-in module, and the counter coupling elements of the feed line or the return-flow line are arranged on the rear transition module. It is thus possible with this arrangement to create a plurality of different connecting options within a narrow space.
This invention is explained in greater detail in view of an exemplary embodiment represented in the drawings, wherein:
In a schematic-perspective plan view,
In a schematic perspective plan view,
A schematically represented air-conditioning device 14 is connected via a coolant-conducting feed line 16 and a return-flow line 18 with three liquid cooling bodies 32a, 32b and 32c, through which liquid flows for cooling electronic components (not represented) on the plug-in module 10. The electronic components to be cooled are connected with the liquid cooling bodies 32a, 32b and 32c, through which liquid flows, via a connector for the component feed line 20 and a connector for the component return-flow line 22. The liquid cooling bodies 32a, 32b and 32c are connected with each other in series by the component feed line 20 and the component return-flow line 22, wherein the component feed line 20 and the component flow-return line 22 have coupling elements 24 and 26 attached with their ends to the plug-in module 10. The coupling elements 24 and 26 are arranged in the upper edge area of the plug-in module 10 in a coupling area 10.2, which is kept free of other electronic components. Together with counter coupling elements 28 and 30 of the feed line 16 and the return-flow line 18 attached by their ends to the rear transition module 38, the coupling elements 24 and 26 form a releasable coupling connection. The rear transition module 38 is arranged at the rear wall of the component support 12 in accordance with
Besides the coupling area 10.2, the plug-in module 10 has an adjoining fitting area 10.1 for the electronic components. The output components which are to be cooled and which have the liquid cooling bodies 32a, 32b and 32c, through which liquid flows, are here arranged. The releasable coupling of the feed line 10 with the component feed line 20 and the releasable coupling of the return-flow line 18 with the component return-flow line 22 is provided in the coupling area 10.2.
The horizontally extending feed line 16 and the horizontally extending return-flow line 18 each make a transition into an ascending line leading vertically to the air-conditioning device 14.
In particular, if a plurality of component supports in accordance with
In accordance with an alternate embodiment (not represented), a fan or a fan system for generating a cooling air flow can be arranged at the switchgear cabinet, the component support 12 or the respective plug-in modules 10.
In the embodiment shown in
The plug-in modules 10 can also be inserted and pulled out at the front of the component support 12 with the aid of lockable insertion/removal handles. In the inserted position, the plug-in modules 10 can be fixed in place in the component support 12 by screw connections.
In its upper area facing the plug-in module 10, the rear transition module 38 at the rear of the housing has plug connectors 40 for electrical input and output signals. Corresponding counter plug connectors 42 at the plug-in module 10 engage the plug connectors 40. The coupling elements 24 and 26 of the component feed line 20 or component return-flow line 22 are arranged on the plug-in module 10 in the area of or near the electrical counter plug connectors 42. The counter coupling elements 28 and 30 of the feed line 16 or the return-flow line 18 are arranged on the rear transition module 38.
Guide pins 37, oriented in the direction toward the inserted plug-in module 10, for the assured plugging together of the plug-in module 10 with the electrical plug connectors 42, 50 and 52, and the liquid-conducting coupling connectors 24 and 26 are arranged at the upper partial area of the rear transition module 38.
German Patent Reference 10 2004 054337.2-34, the priority document corresponding to this invention, and its teachings are incorporated, by reference, into this specification.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 04 054337.2-34 | Nov 2004 | DE | national |