TWM613467U - Component housing of a computer system component module and computing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A component housing insertable in a chassis for a computing device blocking air flow when in a pulled out position is disclosed. The component housing has a front end and an opposite rear end. A pair of side walls are provided between the front end and the rear end. The side walls are slidably connected to the chassis to allow the component housing to be moved between an inserted position and the pulled-out position. A cover on the rear end has an open position allowing air flow through the rear end when the component housing is in the inserted position. The cover has a closed position blocking air flow through the aperture when the component housing is in the pulled out position.

Description

Component housing of computer system component module and computing system

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for optimizing the thermal performance of computing devices. More specifically, the aspect of the present disclosure relates to a cover plate of a modular component holder. When the component holder is pulled out from the chassis, the cover plate is used to block the airflow; and when the component holder is inserted, the cover plate is used to guide the airflow.

In various applications, a large number of computing systems (for example, desktop computers, blade servers, rack-mount servers, etc.) are used. High-demand applications such as system-based networks, data centers, or high-density finite element simulation will drive the hardware of the computing system, causing the hardware of the computing system to generate excessive heat. For example, server hard drives operating at high capacity, memory modules installed in servers, and server processors may generate excessive heat. The heat generated by the computing system is usually dissipated to avoid damage to such components of the computing system or lower performance (performance degradation). For example, excessive heat can melt the interconnection of fragile electronics, or damage the substrate of these electronic devices.

Thermal management is an important aspect of optimizing the performance of computing systems. The heat dissipation management can be performed at the component level (for example, the heatable computing system component level). Central processing unit (CPU, Central processing unit), graphics processing unit (GPU, graphics processing unit) and dual in-line memory module (DIMM, dual in-line memory module) are usually considered when performing component-level thermal management Component example. Other systems (for example, the fan wall of the fan module) can be used to circulate the air of the entire computer system.

A networked computer device such as a server usually includes a chassis with high heat-generating components (such as a power supply, a processor, and a memory). Additional functions and modular housing holding components (for example, hard disk drives (HDD)) can be added together to increase storage capacity. Since the operation of the server is very important, this modular housing is designed so that these modular housings can be repaired without the server being offline or removed from the rack. For example, when the processor and other components of the server continue to operate, the modular component housing is designed to be pulled out of the chassis.

However, pulling out the modular component housing from the chassis will change the cooling air flow of the chassis. FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a prior art server 10 with a chassis 12. The chassis 12 is generally rectangular and has a front end 14, which is installed facing outward from the front of the rack. The front end has a function that allows a technician to repair the server 10, and a connector that allows connection through a cable. The opposite rear end 16 includes the power connection However, it is difficult to access the rear end 16 because it is designed to enter from the rear of the rack. The server 10 includes a motherboard 20 that holds processing components (for example, a processor and an additional heat sink 22 and a signal input/output component 24). The fan wall 26 with a plurality of fan modules provides air flow, as shown by arrow 28. The fan wall 26 draws air from the front end 14 to the rear end 16 to provide cooling to the inside of the chassis 12. One or more power supplies 30 provide power to the components of the chassis 12.

The chassis 12 is designed to accommodate the modular component housing 40. The modular component housing 40 has a side wall and a bottom panel. In this example, the modular component housing 40 includes a large amount of storage devices (for example, a hard disk (HDD) 42 supported by the bottom plate and side walls. Therefore, the modular component housing 40 provides additional storage space for the server 10. The modular component housing 40 can be pulled out from the front end 14 of the chassis 12 through a handle 44. The top of the modular component housing 40 is usually open to allow access to the HDD 42. Pull out from the chassis 12 on the rack When the modular component housing 40 is used, the operator can enter the storage device (ie HDD) 42 while the components on the motherboard 20 maintain power supply and operate when the components are maintained in the fixed position of the chassis 12 on the rack .

When the modular component housing 40 is fully inserted, the front end of the modular component housing 40 is generally flush with the front end 14 of the chassis 12. The relatively rear end of the modular component housing 40 is usually open. As shown in FIG. 1A, the air flow indicated by the arrow 28 also flows through the modular component housing 40 to provide the cooling capacity of the components (for example, the processor and the heat sink 22) substantially the same as that of the motherboard 20 to the HDD 42.

FIG. 1B shows an exemplary airflow interference cross-sectional view of the prior art server 10 in FIG. 1A when the modular component housing 40 is pulled out from the chassis 12. phase Identical components are marked with the same symbols as their counterparts in Figure 1A. When the modular component housing 40 is pulled out from the chassis 12, a large space 50 is formed from the open top side of the modular component housing 402. The impedance path formed by this is greater than the impedance leading to the motherboard 20. The path is lower, and the airflow (as indicated by the arrow 52) is diverted through the large space 50 and guided to the open rear end of the modular component housing 40. Therefore, by pulling out the modular component housing 40, a larger amount of airflow is guided from the top of the server case 12. The impedance structure change caused by the positioning of the modular component housing 40 causes the airflow to bypass, and reduces the efficiency of the fan wall 26 to cool the processor and other components on the motherboard 20. Since the components on the main board 20 reduce airflow, all operations of such components are impeded.

Therefore, there is a need for a structure that allows airflow to be maintained in the computer system housing even when the component module is pulled out. There is a need for a structure that normally maintains airflow when the component module is inserted into the computing system chassis. There is a need for a structure that allows multiple modular housings to be pulled out without obstructing the cooling air flow.

An example of the present disclosure is a component housing that can be inserted into a chassis of a computing device, and the component housing blocks air flow when the component housing is in a pulled out position. The component housing has a front end and an opposite rear end. A pair of side walls are arranged between the front end and the rear end. The side walls are slidably connected to the chassis to allow the component housing to move between the inserted position and the pulled out position. The cover plate on the rear end has an open position, which When the middle element housing is in the inserted position, the open position allows airflow to pass through the rear end. The cover plate has a closed position, wherein when the element housing is in the pulled-out position, the closed position blocks airflow from passing through an aperture.

Another embodiment of the exemplary component housing is an embodiment in which a plurality of electronic components are mounted between the side walls. Another embodiment is that the component housing has a bottom panel connecting the side walls. Another embodiment is that the multiple electronic components are hard disks. Another embodiment is to arrange a plurality of electronic components in a first group accessible from the front end of the component housing and a second group near the first group accessible from the top of the component housing. Another embodiment is that the front end of the element housing includes a handle. Another embodiment is that the element housing has a spring arm that rotates between an open position and a closed position. The housing includes a spring mounted on the spring arm. The spring has a first end connected to the element housing and a second end contacting the cover plate. The spring biases the cover plate in the closed position. Another embodiment is that the component housing includes a slot, which is formed in one of the side walls. When the component housing is inserted into the chassis, the slot engages a pin extending from the inner surface of the chassis to rotate the spring arm to an open position. Another embodiment is that the computing device is a rack-mount server. When the component housing is in the unplugged position, the rack server keeps operating.

Another public example is a computing system with a chassis. The chassis has two side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall. The side walls, the top wall and the bottom wall of the chassis define the The front and back of the chassis. The computing system has a fan module that generates airflow from the front to the back of the chassis. meter The computing system has a first element housing. The first element housing includes a front end, an opposite rear end, and a pair of side walls between the front end and the rear end. The side walls of the first component housing are slidably connected to the multiple side walls of the chassis to allow the first component housing to move between the inserted position and the pulled out position of the front end of the chassis. The first element housing includes a cover plate on the rear end. The cover plate of the first element housing has an open position. When the first element housing is in the inserted position, the open position of the cover plate of the first element housing allows airflow Through the rear end of the first element housing. The cover plate of the first element housing has a closed position. When the first element housing is in the pulled-out position, the closed position of the cover plate of the first element housing blocks air flow through the rear end of the first element housing.

Another embodiment of the exemplary computing system is an embodiment with a motherboard in a chassis under the first element housing. The computing system includes a processor on the motherboard. When the first component housing is in the pulled-out position, the processor keeps operating. Another embodiment is a computing system that includes a second component housing, the second component housing having a front end, a front end and a rear end relative to the second component housing, and a space between the front end and the back end of the second component housing. A pair of side walls. The side walls of the second component housing are slidably connected to the side walls of the chassis to allow the second component housing to move between the inserted position and the pulled out position of the front end of the chassis. The second element housing includes a cover plate located on the rear end of the second element housing. The cover plate of the second element housing has an open position. When the second element housing is in the inserted position, the open position of the cover plate of the second element housing allows airflow to pass through the rear end of the second element housing. The cover plate of the second element housing has a closed position. When the second element housing is in the pulled-out position, the closed position of the cover plate of the second element housing blocks air flow through the rear of the second element housing. end. In another embodiment, the first component housing further includes a plurality of electronic components installed between the side walls of the first component housing. Another embodiment is that the electronic component is a hard disk. Another embodiment is to arrange the electronic components in the first group entering from the front end of the first component housing and the second group near the first group entering from the top of the first component housing. Another embodiment is that the front end of the first element housing includes a handle. Another embodiment is that the first element housing further includes a spring arm that rotates between an open position and a closed position. The first element housing also includes a spring mounted on the spring arm. The spring has a first end connected to the housing and a second end contacting the cover plate. The spring biases the cover plate to the closed position. Another embodiment is that the first element housing includes a slot formed in the side wall of one of them. When the first element housing is inserted into the case, the slot engages with a pin extending from the inner surface of the case to rotate the spring arm to an open position.

The above summary is not intended to represent every embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides examples of some of the novel aspects and features set forth herein. The above-mentioned features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of representative embodiments and modes for realizing the present disclosure when combined with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In order to have a better understanding of the above-mentioned and other aspects of this creation, the following examples are specially cited, and the accompanying drawings are described in detail as follows:

10,100,500: server

12,110,510: Chassis

14,102,512: front end

16,104,162: backend

20,120,520: Motherboard

22,130: radiator

24: Signal input/output components

26,122,530: fan wall

28,52,200,210: Arrow

30: power supply

40, 150, 502, 504, 506: modular component housing

42,180,182: hard disk

44,154: handle

50: large space

112,114,156,158: sidewall

116, 160: bottom plate

124: Fan Module

126: power supply

132: Interface Circuit

134: Two-wire memory module

152: front frame

164: Rear connector panel

166: Front connector panel

170,570: cover plate

190: Vertical mounting flange

400: Cover the offset component

410: Slot

412: support arm

414: Depression

416: Spring latch

418: mounting hole

420: shaft

430: spring arm

432: edge

434: hole

436: Side Rod

440: Spring

442: end

444: Opposite end

450: Actuating latch

Figure 1A is a cross-sectional view of the prior art server case with modular component housing inserted into the airflow.

Figure 1B is a cross-sectional view of the prior art server chassis of Figure 1A showing the direction of air flow when the modular component housing is pulled out from the chassis.

Figure 2A is a perspective view of a rack server and a modular component housing with an exemplary backflow prevention cover.

Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary case showing the airflow when the modular component housing is inserted into the case.

Figure 2C is a close-up view of the cover plate at the rear end of the modular component housing in the open position.

Figure 3A is a close-up perspective view of the modular component housing in the unplugged position of the chassis of Figure 2A.

Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary case showing the direction of air flow when the modular component housing is pulled out from the case.

Figure 3C is a close-up perspective view of the cover plate at the rear end of the module component housing in the closed position blocking the air.

FIG. 4A is a close-up perspective view of the exemplary cover offset structure of the modular component housing of FIG. 3A.

Figure 4B is a close-up side view of the exemplary cover bias structure when the cover plate is rotated to the closed position to block airflow.

Figure 4C is a close-up side view of the exemplary covering bias structure when the covering plate is rotated to the open position to allow air flow through.

Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of a 2U server with multiple modular component housings.

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of a 2U-shaped server with an exemplary cover plate to block air backflow when one of the modular component housings is pulled out for maintenance.

This disclosure is easy to make various modifications and alternative forms. Some representative embodiments have been shown in the drawings by way of example, and will be described in detail here. However, it should be understood that this creation is not intended to be limited to the specific form disclosed. Rather, this disclosure will cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the creation defined by the scope of the attached patent application.

This creation can be implemented in many different forms. Representative embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail here. Please understand that these embodiments are examples or illustrations of the principles of the disclosure, but are not intended to limit the broad aspects of the disclosure. In this regard, for example, the elements and limitations disclosed in the abstract, new content, and implementation methods but not explicitly stated in the claim should not be incorporated into the application example individually or collectively by implication, inference, or other means. In the range. Unless explicitly denied, the purpose of this detailed description: the singular includes the plural, and vice versa; and the word "including" means "including but not limited to". In addition, words such as "approximately", "almost", "substantially", "approximately" and other similar words used herein can mean "located, close to, or close to" or within 3-5%. , "Or within acceptable manufacturing tolerances", or any logical combination thereof.

The present disclosure relates to a rear cover flap for a removable modular component housing. Installed in the server chassis. When the server remains installed in a rack and is powered-up, the modular component housing can be pulled out from the computing device chassis to allow maintenance of the components in the housing. When the component housing is pulled out, the cover plate can prevent the internal components of the server from being thermally damaged. The cover plate blocks the airflow, thereby effectively guiding the airflow to cool the components of the server. This design can reduce bypass airflow in the system. This design can be used with any modular housing of different standard chassis sizes (for example, 1U, 2U, or 4U server chassis types).

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a computing device (for example, a rack-mounted server 100). FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the server 100. FIG. 2C is a close-up perspective view of the modular component housing, which allows air to flow through the server 100. As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the server 100 has a front end 102 and a rear end 104. When the server 100 is installed in a slot of the rack, the front end 102 is located in front of the rack, and the front end 102 is usually designed to be when the server 100 is retained in the rack (for example, a cable connector) Allows frequent maintenance functions. The back end 104 includes a connection (e.g., a power connector), which generally requires less maintenance.

The server 100 includes a chassis 110 having two side walls 112 and 114. The side walls 112 and 114 are connected through a bottom panel 116. The main board 120 is installed between the side walls 112 and 114. The main board 120 is fixed between the front end and the rear end of the chassis 110. A fan wall 122 with a fan module 124 is located near the rear of the chassis 110. The fan wall 122 generates air flow between the side walls 112 and 114 to help cool the components of the chassis 110. A series of power supplies 126 and support Components (for example, a voltage regulator) are located near the rear end 104 of the chassis 110.

The motherboard 120 includes one or more components, including a processor (for example, a CPU, a network interface card, a memory device, etc.). In this example, the motherboard 120 includes a plurality of processors, each of which is attached to a heat sink 130. The interface circuit 132 (FIG. 2B) is installed near the front of the motherboard 120 to receive data signals from the connector near the front 102 of the chassis 110. The motherboard 120 also includes a dual in-line memory module (DIMM, dual in-line memory module) 134 near the processor, which is used for rapid memory. During operation, the components on the main board 120 generate heat and require airflow generated by the fan wall 122 for cooling.

The inflow air enters through the front end 102 of the chassis 110 of the server 100. The inflow airflow passes through the elements in the chassis 110 to generate an outflow airflow, and the inflow airflow exits from the rear end 104 of the chassis 110. The fan module 124 of the fan wall 122 sets the direction of the inflow airflow and the outflow airflow, so that the inflow airflow and the outflow airflow move in the same direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2B-2C, the modular component housing 150 can be inserted into the CPU of the motherboard 120 and the chassis 110 above the components. As shown in Figures 2A and 3A-3C, the modular component housing 150 can be pulled out of the chassis 110.

The modular component housing 150 has a generally rectangular front frame 152, and the front frame 152 has a side handle 154, which can be used to pull out the module from the chassis 110 Chemical component housing 150. The modular component housing 150 includes side walls 156 and 158 and a bottom plate 160. The bottom edges of the side walls 156 and 158 are both connected to the bottom plate 160. The front ends of the side walls 156 and 158 are attached to the sides of the rectangular front frame 152. As shown in Figures 2A-2C, the exterior of the side walls 156 and 158 has a registration feature that allows the modular component housing 150 to be supported when the modular component housing 150 is inserted into the chassis Above the motherboard 120. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the modular component housing 150 is pulled out, this alignment function also guides the modular component housing 150.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the rear ends of the side walls 156 and 158 and the rear end of the bottom plate 160 define an open rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. A rear connector panel 164 is connected to part of the side walls 156 and 158 near the rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. A front connector panel 166 (FIG. 2A) is connected to part of the side walls 156 and 158 near the front frame 152. A rotatable cover 170 is installed at the rear of the side walls 156 and 158. As shown in Figures 3B-3C below, the biasing assemblies (Biasing assemblies) on the rear of the side walls 156 and 158 allow the cover plate 170 to rotate to a closed position to block the open rear end 162. The cover plate 170 can be rotated to an open position to allow air to flow through the open rear end 162 shown in FIGS. 2B-2C.

The modular component housing 150 can accommodate different electronic components through the space defined by the side walls 156 and 158 and the bottom plate 160. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the modular component housing 150 can accommodate 24 hard disk drives (HDD) 180. Other quantities of electronic components of different types and sizes (for example, circuit boards, PCIe-type factor devices, and devices such as solid state drives (SSD) Other storage devices) can be stored in the modular component housing 150. FIG. 3A is a close-up perspective view of the modular component housing 150 from the unplugged position of the chassis 110. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the chassis 110, which shows the divert of air flow when the modular component housing 150 is pulled out from the chassis 110. Figure 3C is a close-up perspective view of the cover plate 170 at the rear of the modular component housing 150 in the closed position. The cover plate 170 blocks air.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a set of 12 HDDs 180 are arranged in three columns and four rows along the width of the front frame 152 under the front connector panel 166. In this example, the front frame 152 includes an aperture that allows the status LED of the HDD 180 to be seen from the front of the chassis 110. Alternatively, when the modular component housing 150 is inserted into the chassis 110, the HDD 180 in this group can be removed through the front frame 152.

The 12 HDDs 180 of the second group are arranged in three columns and four rows behind the first group of HDDs 180. The top edges of the side walls 156 and 158, the front connector panel 166, and the rear connector panel 164 define an open head space that allows the user to remove and replace the HDD 180 in the second group. The modular component housing 150 can be pulled out from the chassis 110 instead of removing these components from the front of the modular component housing 150, and the user can unload from the open top space of the modular component housing 150 Remove components (for example, the hard disk (HDD) 182 shown in Figure 3A).

When the modular component housing 150 is pulled out from the chassis 110, the chassis 110 remains in the rack, as shown by a vertical mounting flange 190. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the modular component housing 150 is pulled out, the server 100 can continue to operate.

Return to Figure 2B, the modular component housing 150 is inserted into the housing 110 At this time, the air flow generated by the fan module of the fan wall 122 passes through the modular component housing 150, and the air flow also passes above the main board 120. The generated air flow allows air to pass through the front frame 152 of the modular component housing 150 to cool the HDD 180. As described below, the cover plate 170 is biased to rotate to an open position near the rear connector panel 164. Therefore, air will flow through the open rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. In this arrangement, the air flow generated by the fan wall 122 provides cooling to the components in the modular component housing 150 and the components on the motherboard 120, as shown by the arrow 200. Therefore, the computing system reaches a state of thermal equilibrium, which means that all components will not exceed their operating temperature.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, when the modular component housing 150 is pulled out from the chassis 110, the cover plate 170 is rotated to the closed position. Therefore, the cover plate 170 covers the open rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. The open top space of the modular component housing 150 allows the user to enter the second HDD 180 behind the HDD 180 of the front group. The cover plate 170 blocks the airflow flowing through the open top of the modular component housing 150. Therefore, air only passes through the bottom of the front end 102 of the chassis 110. Therefore, the airflow (shown by arrow 210) generated by the fan wall 122 is largely guided to cool the components on the main board 120.

During the normal operation of the server 100, the cover plate 170 will rotate to allow air flow to pass through the rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. When the modular component housing 150 is pulled out to repair the component, the cover plate 170 is rotated to the closed position through a biasing mechanism to prevent airflow from passing through the rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. The resulting airflow allows the components on the motherboard 120 to interact with other components of the chassis 110. Pieces for best operation. Since the airflow is mainly guided below the pulled-out modular component housing 150 and the airflow is directly guided above the main board 120, this arrangement can also be used as an air duct mechanism to reduce the bypass airflow. The cover plate 170 in the closed position diverts the air flow out of the main board 120 so as to be away from the components on the main board 120.

Fig. 4A is a close-up perspective view of an exemplary cover biasing assembly 400 on the side wall 156 of the modular component housing 150 in Figs. 3A-3B. The side walls 158 of the modular component housing 150 support the same biasing components. FIG. 4B is a close-up side view of the exemplary cover biasing assembly 400 when the cover plate 170 is rotated to the closed position to block airflow. Figure 4C is a close-up side view of the exemplary cover biasing assembly 400 when the cover plate 170 is rotated to the open position to allow airflow. The cover biasing assembly 400 moves the cover plate 170 between the open position and the closed position.

As shown in Figures 4B-4C, the rear edge of the side wall 156 forms an angle. A slot 410 with an open end and a closed end is cut into the rear edge of the side wall 156. The support arm 412 defines the top of the slot 410. The cover biasing assembly 400 is supported on the distal end of the support arm 412. The inner surface of the support arm 412 includes a depression 414. A spring pin 416 protrudes from the recess 414.

The distal end of the support arm 412 includes a mounting hole 418. The shaft 420 is inserted into the mounting hole 418. The rotating shaft 420 is attached to one end of the cover plate 170 and rotates in the mounting hole 418. The spring arm 430 has an edge 432 attached to the side of the cover plate 170. The spring arm 430 includes a hole 434 that is attached to the rotating shaft 420 so that the spring arm 430 and the rotating shaft 420 rotate together. spring The arm 430 supports a lateral rod 436 which protrudes from the side of the spring arm 430. The spring 440 is wound on the side rod 436. One end 442 of the spring 440 contacts the surface of the cover plate 170. The opposite end 444 of the spring is wound on the spring plug 416.

As shown in Figs. 4B-4C, the spring force of the spring 440 urges the spring arm 430 to rotate the shaft 420 in a counter clockwise direction, thereby causing the shaft 420 to rotate the cover plate 170 to the closed position in Fig. 4B. As shown in Figures 3A-3C, when the modular component housing 150 is pulled out from the chassis 110 (Figures 3A-3C), the spring 440 urges the cover plate 170 to the closed position, thereby preventing the mold from coming out. The air flow at the rear end 162 of the component housing 150.

The side wall 112 of the chassis 110 includes an activation pin 450 that extends from the inner surface of the side wall 112. When the modular component housing 150 is fully inserted into the chassis 110, the actuating pin 450 is located near the rear end 162 of the modular component housing 150. A similar actuation pin is located on the opposite side wall 114 of the chassis 110 to engage another biasing component of the side wall 158 of the modular component housing 150.

The actuating pin 450 is located at a height matched by the slot 410 of the side wall 156 of the modular component housing 150. As shown in FIG. 4C, when the modular component housing 150 is fully inserted into the chassis 110, the slot 410 will allow the actuating pin 450 to move to the closed end of the slot 410. When the actuating pin 450 moves from the open end of the slot 410 (as shown in FIG. 4B) to the closed end of the slot 410, the actuating pin 450 will contact the edge 432 of the spring arm 430. Actuating the latch 450 will cause the spring to rotate in a clock-wise direction, thereby counteracting the elastic force of the spring 440. Such as 4C As shown in the figure, the rotation of the spring arm 430 rotates the shaft 420 to rotate the cover plate 170 to the open position. When the modular component housing 150 is fully inserted into the chassis 110, the actuating pin 450 is used to resist the elastic force of the spring 440 and fix the cover plate 170 in the open position shown in FIG. 4C.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a 2U-sized server 500 with multiple modular component housings 502, 504, and 506. The server 500 includes a chassis 510 with a height of 2U. The chassis 510 has a front end 512 that allows the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506 to be pulled out individually. The modular component housings 502, 504, and 506 are stacked on top of the motherboard 520, which includes components such as processors, DIMMs, and so on. A fan wall 530 with a plurality of fan modules is located near the rear end of the chassis 510 to generate air flow from the front end 512 to cool the motherboard 520 and the components on the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506.

Each of the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506 includes a rotatable rear cover plate 570, and the rear cover plate 570 is the same as the cover plate 170 in FIGS. 3 and 4 described above. As shown in Figure 5A, when the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506 are fully inserted into the chassis 510, each cover plate 570 is in an open position to allow airflow through each of the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506. When any one of the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506 is in the pulled-out position, a cover biasing mechanism closes each cover plate to block airflow. In this way, the components in any one of the modular component housings 502, 504, and 506 can be repaired without preventing the airflow from flowing to the components on the motherboard 520.

For example, Figure 5B shows that Figure 5A has an unplugged position The modular component housing 506 of the server 500 is in the unplugged position, and the modular component housing 506 is used for maintenance. The same elements in Fig. 5B are labeled with the same symbols as in Fig. 5A. When the modular component housing 506 is in the pulled-out position, the cover plate 570 is biased to the closed position to block airflow. Therefore, the airflow generated by the fan wall 530 continues to pass over the modular component housings 502 and 504 and the main board 520 at a normal level.

As used in this creation, the terms "component", "module", "system", etc. usually refer to computer-related entities, which are hardware (such as circuits), a combination of hardware and software, software, or An entity related to an operating machine with one or more specific functions. For example, the element may be a process (process) running on a processor (such as a digital signal processor), but is not limited to a processor, object, object, executable file, thread of execution (thread), program, and/or computer. As an illustration, both the application and the controller running on the controller can be components. One or more components can reside in the process and/or thread of execution, and the components can be located on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, the "device" can have a specially designed form of hardware; generalized hardware specially manufactured by its software execution enables the hardware to perform specific functions, software stored on a computer readable medium, or Its combination.

The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms. In addition, just use the terminology in the detailed description and/or the scope of the patent application As far as the scope of "include", "include", "have", "have", "have" or variants thereof, these terms are intended to be summarized in a manner similar to the term "include".

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the present invention belongs. It should be further understood that, for example, those terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant field, and will not be understood as idealized or over-formalized meanings unless explicitly defined as such .

Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples, and not limitations. Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to one or more embodiments, those with ordinary knowledge in the art will be able to think of equivalent changes and modifications after reading and understanding this specification and drawings. Furthermore, although a specific feature of the present invention may only be disclosed with reference to one of the multiple embodiments, such feature can be combined with one or more other features of other implementations to be desirable or helpful for any given Or specific applications. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-mentioned embodiments. On the contrary, the scope of the present invention should be defined according to the scope of the following patent applications and their equivalents.

To sum up, although the present creation has been disclosed as above by embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the creation. Therefore, the scope of protection of this new model shall be subject to the scope of the attached patent application.

100: server

110: Chassis

102: front end

104: backend

112,114,156,158: sidewall

116, 160: bottom plate

120: Motherboard

122: Fan Wall

124: Fan Module

126: power supply

130: radiator

134: Two-wire memory module

150: Modular component housing

152: front frame

154: Handle

166: Front connector panel

170: cover plate

180: Hard Disk

Claims (10)

A component housing that can be inserted into a chassis of a computing device, the component housing blocks an air flow when the component housing is in an unplugged position, the component housing includes: a front end; a rear end opposite to the front end; a pair of side walls , Located between the front end and the rear end, the side walls are slidably connected to the chassis to allow the component housing to move between an inserted position and the pulled out position; and a cover plate, Located on the rear end, the cover plate has an open position and a closed position, wherein when the element housing is in the inserted position, the open position allows the airflow to pass through the rear end; when the element housing is in the withdrawn position The closed position blocks the airflow from passing through the rear end; wherein the front end of the element housing includes a handle. The component housing according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of electronic components installed between the side walls, wherein the electronic components are one of a hard disk, a solid state disk, a circuit board, or a PCIe device; A bottom plate is connected to the side walls. The component housing according to claim 2, wherein the electronic components are arranged in a first group accessible from the front end of the component housing and the first group accessible from a top of the component housing A second group near one group. The component housing according to claim 1, further comprising: a spring arm to rotate between the open position and the closed position; a spring mounted on the spring arm, the spring having a connection to the component housing A first end and a second end contacting the cover plate, the spring biases the cover plate in the closed position; and a slot is formed in one of the side walls, When the component housing is inserted into the chassis, the slot engages a pin extending from an inner surface of the chassis to rotate the spring arm to the open position. The component housing according to claim 1, wherein the computing device is a rack-mount server, and the rack-mount server keeps operating when the component housing is in the unplugged position. A computing system, the computing system comprising: a chassis having two side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, the side walls, the top wall and the bottom wall of the chassis define the front and rear ends of the chassis A fan module, the fan module generates an air flow from the front end of the chassis to the rear end; a first component housing, including: a front end; a rear end, relative to the first component housing Front end; a pair of side walls, located between the front end and the rear end of the first element housing, the side walls of the first element housing are slidably connected to the chassis Side walls to allow the first element housing to move between an inserted position and an unplugged position of the front end of the chassis; a cover plate is located on the rear end of the first element housing, the first element housing The cover plate of an element housing has an open position and a closed position. When the first element housing is in the inserted position, the open position of the cover plate of the first element housing allows the airflow to pass through the first element The rear end of the housing; when the first element housing is in the withdrawn position, the closed position of the cover plate of the first element housing blocks the airflow from passing through the rear end of the first element housing; The front end of the first element housing includes a handle. The computing system according to claim 6, further comprising: a motherboard located in the chassis below the first component housing; and a processor located on the motherboard, and wherein the first component housing is located When in the unplugged position, the processor keeps operating. The computing system according to claim 6, further comprising: a second component housing, the second component housing including a front end, a rear end opposite to the front end of the second component housing, and the second component housing A pair of side walls between the front end and the rear end of the second element housing and a cover plate on the rear end of the second element housing, the side walls of the second element housing are slidably connected to the Side wall to allow the second component housing to move between the inserted position and the withdrawn position of the front end of the chassis; wherein the cover plate of the second component housing has an open position and a closed position, when the When the second component housing is in the inserted position, the second component housing The open position of the cover plate of the body allows the airflow to pass through the rear end of the second element housing; when the first element housing is in the pulled-out position, the cover plate of the second element housing The closed position blocks the airflow from passing through the rear end of the second element housing. The computing system according to claim 6, wherein the first component housing further includes: a plurality of electronic components installed between the side walls of the first component housing, wherein the electronic components are hard disks, solid-state One of a hard disk, a circuit board, or a PCIe device; wherein the electronic components are arranged in a first group that enters from the front end of the first component housing and are arranged on a top of the first component housing A second group near the first group entered. The computing system according to claim 6, wherein the first element housing further includes: a spring arm that rotates between the open position and the closed position; and a spring installed on the spring arm, the spring having Connected to a first end of the first element housing and a second end contacting the cover plate, the spring biases the cover plate in the closed position; and a slot is formed in the first element housing When the first component housing is inserted into the chassis, the slot engages a pin extending from an inner surface of the chassis, so that the spring arm Rotate to the open position.

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