JP2008140406A - Method and device for mounting computer component - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for cooling efficiently an operation component arranged in a rack. <P>SOLUTION: The method for cooling the operation component by using a heat sink 58 includes a process for mounting a support uprightly; a process for mounting the operation component on one surface of the support; a process for mounting the heat sink 58 on the operation component, namely, a process for mounting the heat sink 58 having mutually-separated fins 101 elongated from a base part 102, wherein the direction of each fin 101 is a vertical direction; and a process for allowing the air to flow in the vertical direction through the fins 101 of the heat sink 58. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to an improved method and apparatus for mounting computer components. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting computer components in a rack in a compact form.

There are a variety of different types of methods and systems for mounting computer components. For example, see Patent Documents 1 to 19.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,967 (Baudreau et al.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,634 (Storrow et al.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,532 (Borkowics, etc.) US Pat. No. 5,010,444 (Strow et al.) US Pat. No. 5,216,579 (Basara et al.) US Pat. No. 5,460,441 (Hasting, etc.) US Pat. No. 5,571,256 (Good, etc.) US Pat. No. 5,684,671 (Hobbs et al.) US Pat. No. 5,877,938 (Hobbs et al.) US Pat. No. 5,896,273 (Hobbs et al.) US Pat. No. 6,025,989 (Varghes et al.) US Pat. No. 6,058,025 (Ayd et al.) US Pat. No. 6,075,698 (Ecker et al.) US Pat. No. 6,220,456 B1 (Jensen et al.) US Pat. No. 6,305,556 B1 (Mayer et al.) US Pat. No. 6,315,249B1 (Jensen et al.) US Pat. No. 6,325,636 B1 (Hipp et al.) US Reissue Patent No. 35,915 (Hursting, etc.) US design patent No. 407,358 specification (Belanger etc.)

  Because there are many different types of technologies for mounting computer components, standards have been adopted for mounting computer components in racks according to a predetermined modular configuration. From this point of view, computer components, for example, computer processor units, are mounted in columns that overlap each other in a rack structure having standard dimensions. The standard is referred to as the EIA-310-D standard by the Server Rack Specification (SSI).

  The housing of each computer device needs to have a certain height according to the standard. The height must be a multiple of the standard unit “U”. Thus, there may be a computer component having a height of 1 “U” (standard unit), or multiples thereof. There may also be computer components with a height of 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U, etc. that can be mounted in a standard rack.

  Thus, according to the conventional standards currently in use, a rack is provided in which computer components are horizontally oriented at narrow intervals and tightly packed and stored. Each computer component mounted in the rack suitably has a size that is a multiple of the standard unit U. Since the rack is movably mounted on the upper part of a caster or the like, it is easily placed in a computer room or the like equipped with a strictly controlled air conditioning system that appropriately cools the computer apparatus.

  In certain applications, it is desirable to arrange the computer components in a rack in a compact and very tight manner. Thus, in many applications, it is important to place as many computer components as possible within a computer room or other assigned space.

  In order to mount the computer components very tightly and compactly on the rack, the computer components are stacked closely together and arranged in columns. Data and power cables are placed in a rear flat area or space in the rack.

  Various techniques are used for cooling purposes. For example, individual fans are provided in the housing of each computer component. The air in the housing room is often exhausted to a fan exhaust forced ventilation room provided on one side of the housing room.

  This conventional rack mounting system has several disadvantages. Individual fans installed in each component are expensive and require time to replace in the event of failure. Also, the rear flat space and the fan exhaust forced ventilation room occupy space that can be filled with computer components and waste space.

  Furthermore, when assembling the rack mounting system in the field, each component must be mounted in a fixed position in the rack, and then the cables of each unit must be mounted in the rack rear space in the rack. This operation is time consuming and therefore expensive due to the need for skilled personnel to perform such installation. In addition, once a computer component is installed, if the computer component fails, upon replacement, the entire system, or at least a substantial part of the system, is shut down, the failed unit is removed, a new unit is installed, You must connect again. This also takes time and money.

  In conventional rack-mounted computer components, the computer component cables are often located at the rear of the rack, so the main circuit board, such as a motherboard, is placed at the rear of the computer component housing, Cable installation at the rear of the rack was made easier. Such a circuit board arrangement within the housing of the computer component has been undesirable in certain applications. For example, if a user wishes to connect a test component such as a keyboard, monitor, etc. to a predetermined one of the rack-mounted computer components, the motherboard is installed after the housing, so access to the motherboard It is difficult to do as usual. That is, accessing a given computer component has to be done at the rear of the rack where a number of cables are present, thus hindering access to the computer module. Furthermore, since the motherboard is mounted after the housing of the computer component, it is difficult to mount a fan and a baffle that allow air to enter from the front of the housing and exhaust the air from the rear of the housing, which is often expensive. .

  Accordingly, there is a need for a new and improved computer component structure that allows users to access individual components relatively easily and that provides relatively efficient and effective ventilation for cooling. Yes.

  In a conventional rack mounted computer component, a circuit in the component housing is cooled by mounting a suction fan and drawing air into the housing through the front of the housing. Typically, an exhaust fan is also mounted on the side of the housing to exhaust the heated air in the computer component housing. For cooling purposes, a heat sink is mounted on a circuit element such as a microprocessor chip to dissipate the heat accumulated in the circuit element. Thereafter, the moving air moves heat from the heat sink, and the air is exhausted outside the housing.

  Since air enters from the front of the housing and exits from the side of the housing, the air movement path is irregular. Therefore, it may be difficult to place a heat sink in the airflow path. From this point of view, a baffle or the like may be used to direct the airflow through the fins spaced on the heat sink.

  A suction exhaust fan is used to cool the electronic circuitry in the computer component housing. Generally, a plurality of suction fans are arranged at the front part of the component housing, and another set of fans for exhausting air is arranged at the side part of the housing. If one or more of the fans fail, the entire computer component must be replaced, or the computer component must be deactivated to replace or repair the failed fan. Postponing system functions in this way is not desirable in many applications.

  Therefore, it is desirable to mount the computer components compactly in a very tight manner within the rack mounting system. However, it is difficult to accommodate a large number of computer components mounted in one rack very tightly within the rack while maintaining the need for cable installation.

  In at least one of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein, a rack mounting system for supporting operable components such as circuit devices using computer components mounted vertically and having a blade configuration. provide. The blades are mounted in a series of compartments that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. In each section, the blade mounted in the vertical direction is mounted compactly by being connected to the long piece of the power distribution unit. Accordingly, the pair of blades mounted in the vertical direction is attached to the opposite side portions of the power distribution unit in the same section. A cooling fan unit is disposed between each of the compartments separated in the vertical direction to form an airflow flowing in the vertical direction through the entire system.

  In at least one of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, an open computer component structure, i.e., a blade structure, configured to be mounted substantially upright or vertically in a rack. A rack-mountable computer component is disclosed. An operable part, such as a motherboard, is mounted on the front of the computer component, i.e., the blade, to allow user access to the part. The actuatable parts are cooled by an airflow that flows perpendicularly to the mounted blade and facilitates cooling of the parts.

  In at least one of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein, the structure of the computer component is configured to have an operable part mounted on at least one side thereof and to be supported substantially upright. A support. A front panel extends transversely to the front edge of the support, and an output disposed on the panel is connected to at least one actuatable component. Mounted on the rear edge of the support is a power input that receives power for the actuatable parts.

  As disclosed in the present application, the support has a cut-out portion, and a power input is disposed in the vicinity of this portion. This segment is substantially rectangular and substantially rigid. As disclosed in the present application, at least one operable component, such as a mother board, is disposed in the vicinity of the front edge of the support and is electrically connected to the output. As further disclosed herein, a cable that transmits electrical information from actuatable components is electrically connected to the output on the front panel.

  In at least one of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, one of the front panel edges is disposed on the support edge to form an L-shape. Accordingly, the laterally extending front panel and support are configured and arranged so that similar units are in close contact with each other as a result of the component structures being substantially upright and adjacent. Thus, the front panels of similar computer components form a substantially continuous upright wall, but the operable parts are mounted open on the upright support. According to this configuration, the structure of the computer component can be placed in a path of vertical airflow passing through the working components mounted on this upright support.

  In at least one embodiment of the present invention disclosed herein, a method and apparatus for mounting a heat sink for a rack mounted computer component is provided. The heat sink is configured to be mounted on a computer component blade mounted vertically. The heat sink is arranged so that the airflow flowing in the vertical direction is in sufficient contact with the fins of the heat sink for the purpose of efficient and rapid cooling.

  In at least one of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, the heat sink is used for an actuating component that forms part of a computer motherboard mounted on an upright support, such as a microprocessor. The heat sink has a base, which has a series of spaced apart fins extending from the base, providing a relatively large surface area, as cooling air flowing in a generally vertical direction passes between the fins. Heat is dissipated from the surface. The base is mounted in a substantially vertical direction, and the fins also extend in a substantially vertical direction. In at least one embodiment of the invention, the ratio of fin height to base height is greater than 7.

  In another embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, the ratio of fin height to heat sink base height is between about 7.5 and 10.45. Further, as disclosed in the present application, a heat transfer slag plate overlaps the base portion, and the slag plate is interposed between the base portion and the operating component to be cooled.

  In an embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, a method for assisting cooling of an active component using a heat sink is disclosed. The method includes the steps of mounting the support in a substantially upright position and mounting an actuating component on one side of the support. A heat sink is mounted almost vertically on the working part. At this time, the heat sink has fins spaced apart from each other and extending substantially vertically from the base. A slag plate is interposed between the base and the operating part to be cooled.

  In certain embodiments of the invention, an arrangement is provided for cooling a series of upright computer components mounted on a support and spaced closely apart. This arrangement has a plurality of air moving devices, eg trays with fans. A member for detachably attaching the tray to the support body in a substantially horizontal direction is used. The air moving device moves air in a substantially vertical movement path to assist in cooling the upright computer components. The tray also includes a series of connector ports that make electrical connections with the outputs of the individual computer components.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the tray comprises a front panel having connector ports that form a row at the top thereof. As disclosed herein, the front panel can be opened and the air moving device can be accessed or removed for repair or replacement. The air moving device can be detached from the support unit. Also, as disclosed herein, in another embodiment of the present invention, the air moving device is configured into individual subgroups, and when the front panel is opened, the selected subgroup of air moving devices is integrated. It can be removed from the tray as one unit.

  In an embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, an electrical cable is connected to the connector port to transmit signals from the connector port. The cable has a sufficiently slack section to allow the front panel to be removed to the open position while maintaining an electrical connection to the connector port. Thus, the air moving device is “hot swappable” while the computer components continue to operate.

  In at least one embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, to facilitate vertical air movement through computer components mounted horizontally in a rack and mounted vertically in the rack. A fan tray configured as described above, that is, a fan unit is provided. In one example of the present invention, the series of fan trays are configured to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction within the rack. Each fan tray is configured to be removed and replaced while the computer components are operating normally.

  In at least one embodiment of the present invention disclosed herein, a method is provided for supplying power to a series of upright computer blades adjacent to each other and closely spaced. The method comprises the steps of disposing an elongate power distribution unit transversely to the upstanding blade and electrically connecting the upstanding blade to a series of connectors disposed adjacent to each other on one side of the distribution unit. Including. In one embodiment of the present invention, a series of second connectors are arranged adjacent to each other on the opposing surface of the power distribution unit main body.

  In another embodiment of the invention, each computer component blade has cutout portions that are similar to each other. The body of the power distribution unit has a complementary cross-sectional shape received by the cut-out portion of the blade to provide a compact mounting structure.

  In at least one of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the present application, a pair of computer components mounted in a vertical direction are mounted with their rear portions facing each other and in close proximity to each other in the vertical direction. A power distribution unit is provided that enables The power distribution unit further conveniently slides vertically mounted components into the rack and electrically engages the power distribution unit.

  With particular reference to FIGS. 1-21, 29 and 30, a rack mounting system 10 in accordance with a disclosed embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The rack mounting system 10 includes a rack housing 12. This housing is configured as a rectangular box having a plurality of compartments 14 arranged in the vertical direction. The illustrated embodiment comprises three compartments 14 spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction.

  Each section 14 is divided into a front partition section 16 and a rear partition section 18 by a horizontal partition 19 extending in the lateral direction at the center. The central partition 19 is shown most clearly in FIG. The compartments 14 are arranged in the rack housing 12 so as to be stacked in the vertical direction. A control section 21 exists at the bottom of the rack housing 12. This control section 21 houses various control components which will be described in more detail below.

  The rack housing 12 further includes a fan / LAN tray slot 23 at the top of each compartment 14. Each fan / LAN tray slot is configured to accommodate a fan / LAN tray, eg, tray 27.

  The illustrated embodiment comprises a control section 21 (FIG. 7). The control section 21 promotes the airflow flowing in the vertical direction from the vent opening 26 of the floor 28, and the bottom opening that facilitates the airflow to flow in the vertical direction through the system 10 assisted by the fan / LAN tray. 25 (FIG. 7). At the top of the rack housing 12 is an open top panel 26 (FIG. 1), where vertically flowing air is exhausted from the system 10.

  A power distribution unit (PDU) 29 is located in the central region between the front compartment 16 and the rear compartment 18 at the top of each compartment 14 as best illustrated in FIGS. Provided to supply power to various components mounted in the rack mounting system. Each compartment houses a plurality of computer components as a computer component with an open structure, or a blade, eg, a blade 32 (FIG. 1), within each of the front compartment 16 and the rear compartment 18. Have been adapted. In the illustrated embodiment, eleven blades are housed substantially upright in each front compartment and each rear compartment. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the system 10 accommodates 66 computer components in close proximity to each other and in a compact manner with a narrow gap.

  The bottom control compartment 21 is adapted to accommodate various control components. As shown most clearly in FIG. 6, the control component may comprise a breaker connection box 34. The breaker connection box 34 is electrically connected to each PDU. As shown in FIG. 4, a switch module 36 may be arranged in the control section 21. The switch module 36 controls between various blades such as the blade 32 and a network such as a local area network, a wide area network, or a public network such as the Internet. The control compartment 21 further houses an air suction fan module 38 (FIGS. 1 and 5) to suck air through the bottom opening 25 and pass through the blade and compartment 14 from the top opening panel 26. Facilitates the vertical flow of air flow away.

  The illustrated embodiment of the rack system 10 includes four casters 41, which movably supports the system on the floor 26 (FIG. 5), thereby imparting portability to the rack system 10. Another embodiment of the rack system according to the present invention may be installed on the floor, so that legs or skids are placed at the casters and installed directly on the floor.

Fan / LAN Tray With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the fan / LAN tray 27 and the mounting of the fan / LAN tray 27 to the rack housing 12 will be described in more detail. FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a fan / LAN tray 27 that is mounted on a suitable support such as the rack system 10 shown in the drawing. The fan / LAN tray 27 includes eight air moving devices and promotes the vertical flow of the airflow. While the illustrated embodiment has eight fans 43 per fan / LAN tray (FIG. 9), the fans can have any suitable number.

  A series of LAN connector ports 45 (FIGS. 1 and 9) are arranged at the front of the fan / LAN tray 27. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, each fan / LAN tray 27 has 12 LAN connector ports 45, and the end ports can be used for testing purposes. Although 12 LAN connectors are disclosed in this embodiment, it will be understood that any number of connectors may be arranged for a given application. An internal wiring lead (not shown) from each LAN connector port 45 extends to one of the two signal connectors 47 (FIG. 9) disposed at the rear of the fan / LAN tray 27. In one embodiment, each signal connector 47 is a 50 pin connector and is electrically connected to the switch module 36. Each fan / LAN tray further includes an AC power input 49 for supplying power to the fan / LAN tray 27 at the rear thereof. When the fan / LAN tray is mounted, power can be supplied from the PDU 29 to the fan such as the fan 43 via the AC power input 49.

  In order to facilitate mounting of the fan / LAN tray 27 into the fan / LAN tray slot 23 of the rack housing 12, guides 52 are provided on the sides of each fan / LAN tray 27 as shown in FIG. It may be provided. During the mounting process, guides, preferably nylon guides, may engage corresponding members on the sides of the fan / LAN tray slot 23 to assist in supporting the fan / LAN tray. Further, in order to fix the fan / LAN tray 27 in the fan / LAN tray slot 23, a lock mechanism related to the guide 52 may be provided. Once the fan / LAN tray is attached, each fan / LAN tray 27 occupies a region immediately above either the front partition 16 or the rear partition 18. Thus, the fan / LAN tray in the front compartment and the fan / LAN tray in the rear compartment can completely cover the upper level of each compartment 14. As shown most clearly in FIG. 10, a total of six fans / LAN trays 27 and air suction fan modules 38 may be provided in the three-compartment level rack mounting system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, according to another embodiment of the disclosed invention, the fan / LAN tray 42, similar to the fan / LAN tray 27, includes a plurality of individual trays, ie, tray portions, eg, tray portions. It is divided into 44. Since each can be removed separately, the remaining tray portion or tray portions can still function. In this respect, the LAN connection is separate from the fan tray, i.e., the tray portion, so that the tray portion can be removed independently of the LAN components.

  The fan tray 42 includes a generally rectangular flat frame 46 having a cavity that includes a series of guides, such as guides 68, that allow the fan tray 42 to be similar to the rack housing 12 of FIG. Attaching to a support (not shown) is assisted. Frame 46 has a front opening 48 (FIG. 9B) for receiving individual tray portions, eg, tray portion 44. The removable front panel 51 fits over the entire opening 48 and is fixed in place using any suitable means, for example using a fixing device (not shown). A series of connector ports, for example, a connector port 53, is mounted on the front panel 51, and the connector port 53 is electrically connected to a signal connector (not shown) that can be similar to the signal connector 47 of FIG. In this respect, the cable, for example, the cable 55, is individually connected to the connector port, for example, the connector port 53. In order to allow the front panel 51 to be detached, the cable, for example the cable 55, has a cable slack portion, for example a cable slack portion 57, which allows the front panel 51 to be detached from the frame 46 and a computer configuration. Maintaining an electrical connection to the element allows the system to operate normally. In this regard, individual fan tray portions can be removed for repair or replacement, while the remaining fan tray portions can function independently and provide cooling, while the computer components operate normally.

  Considering the tray portion 44 in more detail, it will be understood that the tray portions may be similar to each other. As shown in FIG. 9B, the tray portion 44 has a front flange portion 59 to facilitate the user to grip the tray portion and pull it out of the frame 46 to the outside. The fan tray portion engages a pair of air moving devices, such as a fan 70, and a power output 60 on the power distribution unit 62 to power the fan, similar to power input 49 (FIG. 9). (Not shown). In this configuration, the tray portion 44 can be pulled out of the frame 46 by simply removing the tray portion 44 from the power output 60. Thereafter, after another fan tray portion of the same type is inserted in place and connected to the power output 60, the front panel 51 can be returned to the opening 48.

  As described above, the group of air moving devices can be divided into small groups of tray portions, and only a few air moving devices can be taken out without disturbing the operation of the remaining air moving devices. It will be clear. Note that the small group of tray portions of the air moving device can be any number greater than or equal to one. In addition, individual tray portions, eg, tray portion 44, are disposed at the rear of front panel 51 and a similar set of tray portions (not shown) are attached to the rear of frame 46 to interact with power distribution unit 62. Note that they can be connected. The rear panel (not shown) is detachable and is similar to the front panel 51 and serves the same purpose as the front panel.

Computer Component Structure With reference to FIGS. 11, 25 and 26, the computer components, ie blades 32, and the mounting of the blades 32 in the rack housing 12 will be described in more detail. Each blade is provided with a pair of handles 54 protruding from the front surface of the front panel. The front panel extends laterally toward the rigid upright support or support plate and is connected to the front end of the support in an L-shape. The handle may be grasped by the user to easily slide the blade 32 into or out of the compartment.

  Each blade 32 may include one or more motherboards 56. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, each blade 32 includes two motherboards 56a and 56b. It will be appreciated that the number of motherboards included in each blade 32 may vary depending on the design. The motherboard includes a heat sink, such as heat sinks 58 and 59, to facilitate cooling of the motherboard. Each motherboard further includes a random access memory (RAM) 61. The total amount of RAM 61 included in each motherboard can be varied as needed. A pair of power supplies 63a and 63b is provided on the blade 32 to supply power to the corresponding motherboards 56a and 56b. On the blade 32, a pair of hard disks 64a and 64b are also provided.

  All components are mounted on one side of a rigid plate, i.e., support 64, configured to be supported vertically within the compartment. Each blade 32 has a corner cut or section 65 at its upper rear. The corner 65 is sized to receive and receive the PDU 29 therein, so that the two opposing blades 32, 32a (as shown in FIG. 26) receive the PDU 29 almost completely. Therefore, the mounting area of the PDU 29 is substantially zero. Each blade 32 is provided with an AC power input, for example an input 67, at or near the corner 65. Therefore, when the blade 32 is mounted in the rack housing 12, the AC power input 67 is electrically engaged with the AC connector of the corresponding PDU 29, for example, the connector 76 (FIG. 17).

  As most clearly shown in FIG. 11, the mounting of the blade 32 is done in a quick and efficient manner. The blade 32 is simply slid into the front section 16 or the rear section 18 of the section 14 of the rack housing 12. Each blade 32 is slid back until the AC power input 67 engages a corresponding AC connector on the PDU 29. The middle partition 19 serves as a rear stop for the blade 32. Each blade 32 is secured to its slot by four blade screws 69, whereby the blade 32 is attached to the rack housing 12.

  Once the blade 32 is mounted on the rack housing 12, a short blade / LAN connector cable, such as cable 45 (FIG. 12) or cable 71 (FIG. 1), is connected to the blade 32 and a network, such as a local area network, wide area network. An electrical network connection is formed with a network or a public network such as the Internet. In this respect, each motherboard is mounted on the front of each blade so that access to the motherboard is easily accomplished with a front output, such as output 73 (FIG. 12). Thus, a data connection can be made from output 73 via short cable 45 to input 77 of PDU 29 that is coupled to switch module 36.

Power Distribution Unit The power distribution unit 29 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. The power distribution unit 29 supplies power to a series of upright computer components or blades mounted adjacent to each other at narrow intervals in the rack. As most clearly shown in FIG. 26, blades, such as blades 32 and 32a, have a cut-out portion or section 65 at the top rear to receive PDU 29. In this respect, the cut portion 65 has a shape that is complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the PDU 29. The PDU 29 has a substantially rectangular cross section, and the cut-out portion 65 at the corner portion is substantially L-shaped to receive the opposite side portions of the PDU 29 in a compact manner. Thus, the blades, for example blades 32, 32a, can be plugged into the PDU 29 very compactly without having to provide a rear flat space for receiving individual cables.

  The PDU 29 supplies power to the various blades 32 and the fan / LAN tray 27 via the circuit breaker communication box 34 from an external power source. Each PDU 29 comprises an elongate PDU body 74, preferably formed from two parts consisting of an 18 gauge steel case. Each of both sides of the PDU body 74 has a series of female AC connectors 76. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 to 20, twelve female AC connectors 76 are provided on each side surface. The twelve connectors 76 correspond to the eleven blades mounted in the front partition 16 and the rear partition 18 of each partition 14 and the fan / LAN tray 27. The twelfth connector is connected to the AC power output on the front face of the fan tray.

  Accordingly, twelve female AC connectors 76 are provided on each of the front and rear surfaces of the PDU main body 74. Each set of 12 female AC connectors receives power through a pair of power cables 72. In one embodiment, the power cable 72 is a 15 amp power cable and has a strained relief near the connection point with the PDU body 74. As will be described below, the power cable 72 is connected to the breaker connection box 34 in the control section 21. The PDU body 74 may include a series of troughs 78 that attach the PDU body 74 to the rack housing 12.

  The routing of various power cables and LAN cables will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. As most clearly shown in FIG. 13, the power cable 72 derived from each partition level PDU 29 is directed along the right side of the rack housing 12 toward the front of the rack housing 12 and toward the bottom. At the bottom, the cable is electrically connected to the circuit breaker connection box 34. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, two cables extend from each of the three PDUs, so that six cables 72 are connected to the circuit breaker connection box 34. A set of three cables, indicated at 80, is each coupled to an appropriate AC power source to provide power to the system 10.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13, a set of six LAN cables 81 derived from the fan / LAN tray and PDU is wired to the switch module 36 along the rear right side of the rack housing 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two LAN cables 81 extend from each PDU, which are then electrically connected to a pair of 15 pin connectors 47. Accordingly, the six cables 81 are directed along the right side of the rack housing 12. Similarly, as shown most clearly in FIG. 15, six LAN cables 81 extend from the fan / LAN tray 27 and the PDU along the front left side of the rack housing 12. These six cables 81 are also connected to the switch module 36 at the lower end thereof.

  When fan / LAN tray 27, PDU 29 and blade 32 are all in place and rack system 10 is fully assembled, a fully assembled and efficient rack mounting system is formed. In this system, the network functions of the various components mounted on the blade 32 are similarly performed efficiently. In the illustrated embodiment, eleven blades are accommodated in each of the front section 16 and the rear section 18 in each section 14. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, 66 blades 32 can be accommodated. However, some of the slots may be occupied by a master computer component or a blade such as, for example, master blade 32a, shown as 32a in FIGS. In the illustrated embodiment, two master blades 32 a are arranged at the bottom of the three blade sections directly above the switch module 36. The master blade 32a is directly electrically connected to the switch module 36 through a high-speed connection (not shown) such as a fiber optic connection. The master blade controls the switch module 36 to switch communication between the various slave blades 32 and the master blade. Thus, the system of the illustrated embodiment can accommodate 64 slave blades. Each of the 64 slave blades may be hot-swappable, for example, the blade 32 can be replaced without shutting down the system 10.

  Each fan / LAN tray 27 includes 12 LAN connector ports, for example, port 45 (FIG. 1). Eleven of the twelve LAN connector ports 45 are adapted to allow communication between the various slave blades 32 and the switch module 36. The twelfth LAN connector port 45 allows an external user to connect an external device, such as a laptop computer, to the network. In addition, each fan / LAN tray 27 includes an AC power output disposed in the center for connecting an external device.

  In accordance with the disclosed embodiment of the invention, as shown schematically in FIG. 21, the illustrated system 10 provides sufficient airflow for various components mounted on the blade 32. To maintain a low operating temperature. Air is introduced from the bottom opening 25 by an intake fan module 38 disposed in the control compartment 21. The intake fan module 38 directs the airflow vertically through various blades 32 having an open structure at each compartment level 14. This airflow is further promoted by the fan 43 in each fan / LAN tray 27 to move in a moving path directed upward. The airflow is directed to the outside of the rack housing 12 through the open top panel 26.

  21 to 24 show a further embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the suction and discharge of the airflow can be changed to correspond to various configurations depending on the purpose of supplying air into the surrounding environment. For example, in FIG. 22, the intake fan module 38a draws air from the bottom opening 25a in the same manner as described in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The airflow is directed in the vertical direction with the assistance of the fan 43a mounted on the fan / LAN tray. However, unlike the embodiment described above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the airflow is redirected from the vertical movement path to the horizontal movement path in a direction perpendicular to the rack system 10a to exit the rack housing. Oriented to. The airflow hood 85a promotes the rearward redirection of the airflow.

  FIG. 23 shows a rack system according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the intake fan module 38b draws air inward in the horizontal direction through, for example, an opening defined by a perforated plate 87b in the bottom front portion of the rack housing. Thereafter, the airflow is redirected upward with the assistance of the fan 43b mounted in the fan / LAN tray. The airflow is directed in the vertical direction and exits from the top of the rack system 10b.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 24, the intake fan module 38c draws air horizontally through, for example, an opening defined by a perforated plate 87c in the bottom front of the rack housing. The airflow is redirected in the vertical direction through the system with the assistance of the fan 43c. The airflow is redirected perpendicular to the horizontal travel path and exits to the back of the rack housing at the top of the rack housing. Redirection to the rear of the air current is facilitated by the air current hood 85c. One skilled in the art will recognize that various other alternatives are possible with respect to airflow suction and discharge according to other embodiments of the present invention.

Heat Sink Structure Referring to FIGS. 27, 28 and 29, the heat sink 58 is illustrated in more detail. The heat sink 58, which is a passive heat sink, is attached to a circuit element such as a microprocessor (not shown) on the motherboard 56a (FIG. 26) and is configured to dissipate undesirable heat from the circuit element. A preferred orientation when the heat sink 58 is mounted on the motherboard is shown in FIG. The heat sink 58 is generally formed from an aluminum alloy (6063-T5) or other suitable metal material. The heat sink 58 includes a series of fins, such as fins 101, extending from the base 102 and provides a relatively large area to dissipate heat from the fins as the airflow passes between the fins in a generally vertical direction. The heat sink 58 may be a molded body. The heat sink 58 includes a substrate formed from a suitable metal material such as copper, i.e., a slag plate 103, that overlies the base 102 and is a component to be protected by any suitable method such as solder. It is attached. The metal slag plate 103 absorbs heat from the component to be protected, and the heat is dissipated from the fin at the same time as the airflow flowing in the vertical direction passes between the fins.

  As shown in FIG. 26, the fins, eg, fins 101, extend in the vertical direction when the heat sink 58 is mounted on an operable component. The fins are generally spaced at regular intervals.

  For preferred operation, the heat sink 58 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has certain critical dimensions. That is, the heat sink 58 generally has a substantially block shape with a substantially rectangular cross section. In one preferred application, the overall heat sink has a width of about 64.237 to 68.580 mm, a length of about 81.331 to 95.606 mm, and a height of about 24.765 to 32.258 mm. The overall height dimension includes the height of the slag plate 103. In a preferred application, the height of the slag plate is about 3.175 mm. The height of the fins is preferably about 19.050 to 26.543 mm, and the distance between the fins is preferably about 2.311 to 2.362 mm. The thickness of the base 102 is preferably about 2.540 mm.

  In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is important to have long fins as opposed to the overall height of the heat sink. The long fins cool the airflow sufficiently. Therefore, it is not necessary to place a fan with respect to the heat sink or in the vicinity of the heat sink. The air flowing through the blade passes through the heat sink 58 and between the fins such as the fins 101 in the vertical direction with almost no interference.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the height of the fin, eg, fin 101, to the height of the base, eg, base 102, is preferably greater than 7, and is about 7.5 to 10.45. More preferred. This preferred ratio proves that the desired cooling effect is achieved when the heat sink is mounted with the fins extending vertically as shown in FIG.

  The heat sink 58 is arranged in a vertical direction and fixed in place by a set of fixing devices, for example, in the form of bolts or screws, for example, a fixing device 105. In this form, for example, fins such as the fin 101 extend in a substantially vertical direction and interact with an airflow flowing in the vertical direction.

  Referring to FIGS. 30, 31, and 32, another heat sink 107 is shown that is substantially identical to the heat sink 58 except for the different attachment means. The heat sink 107 includes a series of fins, eg, fins 109, that are spaced apart from each other to facilitate heat dissipation. The heat sink 107 includes a substrate, that is, a slag 112. The slag 112 is substantially the same as the slag 103, and is preferably made of a metal material such as copper.

  The heat sink 107 is for an operable part 110, such as a microprocessor, to be protected by a suitable mounting device, such as a clip 113 or other mounting device, that engages a space 114 located centrally between the fin groups. Attached.

  Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be understood that various different modifications and combinations are possible within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, there is no intention to limit the exact outline disclosed in this application.

1 is a perspective view showing a front surface, a left side surface, and a top surface of a rack mounting system configured according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. The front view of the rack mounting system shown in FIG. The left side view of the rack mounting system shown in FIG. The rear view of the rack mounting system shown in FIG. The right side view of the rack mounting system shown in FIG. The perspective view which shows the rear surface of the rack mounting system shown in FIG. 1, a right side surface, and a top surface. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1 without the various components mounted for illustration purposes. The perspective view of the housing shown in FIG. 7 which shows the attachment process of a fan / LAN tray. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of a fan / LAN tray used in the rack mounting system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a fan / LAN tray used in the rack mounting system of FIG. 1. FIG. 9B is a partially enlarged perspective view of the tray shown in FIG. 9A with several fans detached. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the housing of FIG. 7 with a fan / LAN tray attached. The perspective view of the housing of FIG. 7 which shows a braid | blade mounting process. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1 showing the relative arrangement of fans / LAN trays and blades. FIG. 2 is a schematic right side view of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1 showing the right cable arrangement. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the bottom of the rack mounting system of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic left side view of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1 showing the left cable arrangement. FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the bottom of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1 showing the cable arrangement in the rear left side of the control compartment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of an embodiment of a power distribution unit (PDU) used in the rack mounting system of FIG. 1. The front view of PDU shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a partial plan view of the PDU illustrated in FIG. 17. The rear view of PDU shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1 showing the flow of air through the rack mounting system. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the rack mounting system of the present invention showing the air flow through the rack mounting system. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the rack mounting system of the present invention showing the air flow through the rack mounting system. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the rack mounting system of the present invention showing the air flow through the rack mounting system. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of an embodiment of a blade of the rack mounting system of FIG. 1. The left side view of the blade of FIG. FIG. 26 is an enlarged plan view of the heat sink of the blade of FIG. 25 rotated 90 °. The side view of the heat sink of FIG. The bottom view of the heat sink of FIG. FIG. 26 is a plan view of another heat sink according to another embodiment of the present invention that may be used with the computer blade of FIG. The side view of the heat sink of FIG. The side view of the heat sink of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  58, 59: heat sink, 64: support, 101, 109: fin, 102: base, 110: working part.

Claims (1)

A method of cooling a moving part using a heat sink,
Attaching the support upright; and
Mounting an operating component on one side of the support;
Mounting a heat sink on the actuating component, the heat sink having fins spaced from each other extending from a base, and mounting the heat sink, wherein the orientation of the fins is in a vertical direction;
Allowing air to flow vertically through the fins of the heat sink.

Images