SERVER AND EXPANSION CAGE ASSEMBLY

An expansion cage assembly is configured to be installed onto two mounting plates, and is configured for an installation of an expansion card. The expansion cage assembly includes a supporting member, two side boards, a plurality of partitions and at least one expansion cage. The two side boards are connected to two opposite sides of the supporting member, respectively, and are detachably disposed the two mounting plates, respectively. The plurality of partitions are connected to the supporting member, and are disposed between the two side boards. The plurality of partitions are spaced apart from one another. The at least one expansion cage is disposed on one of the two side boards and the plurality of partitions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) on Patent Application No(s). 202310671846.7 filed in China, on Jun. 7, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a server and an expansion cage assembly, more particularly to a server and an expansion cage assembly connecting expansion cards and a motherboard via cables.

Description of the Related Art

In a server, expansion cards provide several functions, such as image processing, network interface, peripheral device interface and data storage. Users may install one or more expansion cards in the server according to their own needs so as to expand the function of the server.

However, it is difficult for an expansion card to be electrically connected to the motherboard of a conventional server by the use a golden finger due to the interior structure of the server. That is, the expansion card is difficult to be mounted in the conventional server. Therefore, how to improve the convenience of installing expansion cards in the servers and ensuring their electrical connection to the motherboard is an important issue to be solved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a server and an expansion cage assembly so as to improve the convenience of installing expansion cards in servers and ensuring their electrical connection to the motherboard.

One embodiment of the invention provides a server including a casing, a motherboard, an expansion cage assembly and at least one expansion card. The casing includes a bottom plate, two side plates and two mounting plates. The two side plates are connected to two opposite sides of the bottom plate, respectively. The two mounting plates are mounted to the two side plates, respectively. The motherboard is disposed on the bottom plate of the casing. The expansion cage assembly includes a supporting member, two side boards, a plurality of partitions and at least one expansion cage. The two side boards are connected to two opposite sides of the supporting member, respectively, and are detachably disposed on the two mounting plates, respectively. The plurality of partitions are connected to the supporting member, and are disposed between the two side boards. The plurality of partitions are spaced apart from one another. The at least one expansion cage is disposed on one of the two side boards and the plurality of partitions. The at least one expansion card is disposed on the at least one cage. The at least one expansion card is connected to the motherboard via a cable.

Another embodiment of the invention provides an expansion cage assembly configured to be installed onto two mounting plates, and is configured for an installation of an expansion card. The expansion cage assembly includes a supporting member, two side boards, a plurality of partitions and at least one expansion cage. The two side boards are connected to two opposite sides of the supporting member, respectively, and are detachably disposed on the two mounting plates, respectively. The plurality of partitions are connected to the supporting member, and are disposed between the two side boards. The plurality of partitions are spaced apart from one another. The at least one expansion cage is disposed on one of the two side boards and the plurality of partitions.

According to the server and the expansion cage assembly disclosed by the above embodiments, the side boards of the expansion cage assembly are detachably mounted on the mounting plates located at the side plates, respectively, and the expansion cards are connected to the motherboard via the cables, such that the expansion cards can be electrically connected to the motherboard of the server without the golden finger. Therefore, the convenience of installing the expansion card in the server and ensuring the electrical connection of the expansion card to the motherboard can be improved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In addition, the terms used in the invention, such as technical and scientific terms, have its own meanings and can be comprehended by those skilled in the art, unless the terms are additionally defined in the invention. That is, the terms used in the following paragraphs should be read on the meaning commonly used in the related fields and will not be overly explained, unless the terms have a specific meaning in the invention.

Please refer toFIG.1toFIG.3, whereFIG.1is a perspective view of a server10in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention,FIG.2is a plane view of the server10inFIG.1, andFIG.3is an exploded view of an expansion cage assembly13of the server10inFIG.1.

In this embodiment, the server10includes a casing11, a motherboard12, an expansion cage assembly13and a plurality of expansion cards14. The casing11includes a bottom plate111, two side plates112and two mounting plates113. A height of each side plate112is, for example, 2 U. The two side plates112are connected to two opposite sides of the bottom plate111, respectively. The two mounting plates113are mounted to the two side plates112, respectively. The motherboard12is mounted to the bottom plate111of the casing11.

Please refer toFIG.1toFIG.4, whereFIG.4is an exploded view of an expansion cage134of the expansion cage assembly13of the server10inFIG.1. An orthogonal projection of the expansion cage assembly13on the bottom plate111does not overlap with an orthogonal projection of the motherboard12on the bottom plate111. That is, the expansion cage assembly13does not cover the motherboard12. The expansion cage assembly13includes a supporting member131, two side boards132, a plurality of partitions133and a plurality of expansion cages134. The supporting member131has a base board1311and a mounting frame1312. The mounting frame1312is connected to a side of the base board1311, and is located between the two mounting plates113. The mounting frame1312includes a plurality of vertical portions13121and a horizontal portion13122. Ends of the vertical portions13121are connected to the base board1311. Another ends of the vertical portions13121are connected to the horizontal portion13122so as to form a plurality of openings13123between the vertical portions13121. The openings13123exposes a part of the expansion cards14. The horizontal portion13122is configured to be held by a user for easier installation of the expansion cage assembly13into the casing11.

The two side boards132are, for example, riveted to two opposite ends of the base board1311, respectively, and are, for example, riveted to the mounting frame1312. The two side boards132are, for example, arranged symmetrically. The two side boards132are detachably mounted to the two mounting plates113, respectively. Each mounting plate113has two first mounting structures1131. Each side board132has two second mounting structures1321. The two first mounting structures1131and the two second mounting structures1321are recesses and protrusions matching each other, and the two second mounting structures1321are slidably disposed in the two first mounting structures1131, respectively, so as to install the two side boards132of the expansion cage assembly13onto the two mounting plates113of the casing11, respectively.

The partitions133are, for example, riveted to the base board1311and the mounting frame1312, and are disposed between the two side boards132. The partitions133are spaced apart from one another. At least part of the two side boards132and the partitions133have third mounting structures1322and fourth mounting structures1331. The expansion cages134are disposed on the two side boards132and the partitions133, respectively, and each expansion cage134further includes a cage body1341. Each cage body1341has a fifth mounting structure13411and a sixth mounting structure13412. The third mounting structures1322and the fifth mounting structures13411are recesses and protrusions matching each other. The fifth mounting structures13411are slidably disposed at the third mounting structures1322, respectively. The sixth mounting structures13412and the fourth mounting structures1331are recesses and protrusions matching each other. The fourth mounting structures1331is slidably disposed in the sixth mounting structures13412, respectively. Accordingly, the cage bodies1341can be mounted to one of the two side boards132and the partitions133.

Each expansion cage134further includes a conductive foam1342and an insulating film1343. The insulating film1343is made of, for example, a polyester film. The conductive foam1342and the insulating film1343are disposed on the cage body1341, and the insulating film1343covers one of the expansion cards14. The expansion cards14are installed into the expansion cages134, and connected to the motherboard12via a plurality of cables20. The expansion cards14are, for example, interface cards.

In this embodiment, each expansion cage134may further include a cable management clip1344. The cable management clip1344is disposed on the cage body1341, so that the cables20can be accommodated in the cable management clip1344to prevent them from becoming disorganized.

In this embodiment, the expansion cage assembly13includes the plurality of expansion cages134, and the expansion cages134are disposed on the two side boards132and the partitions133, respectively, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the expansion cage assembly may include one expansion cage, and the expansion cage is disposed on one of the two side boards and the partitions.

Please refer toFIG.5toFIG.8, whereFIG.5is a perspective view showing that the expansion cage134is not mounted to the supporting member131in the server10inFIG.1.FIG.6is a perspective view showing that the expansion cage134is mounted to the supporting member131in the server10inFIG.1,FIG.7is a perspective view showing that the expansion cage assembly13is not mounted to the casing11in the server10inFIG.1, andFIG.8is a perspective view showing that the expansion cage assembly13is mounted to the casing11in the server10inFIG.1.

In this embodiment, as shown inFIG.5andFIG.6, when the expansion cards14are to be installed into the casing11, the expansion cards14are firstly installed onto the expansion cages134, respectively, and the expansion cages134are placed into the supporting member131along a direction A. Then, the expansion cages134are moved along a direction B. At this time, the fifth mounting structures13411of the cage bodies1341are engaged with the third mounting structures1322of one of the two side boards132and the partitions133, respectively, and the sixth mounting structures13412of the cage bodies1341are engaged with the fourth mounting structures1331of the two side boards132and the partitions133, respectively, such that the expansion cages134can be fixed to the supporting member131so as to form the expansion cage assembly13.

As shown inFIG.7andFIG.8, then, the expansion cage assembly13is placed into the casing11along a direction C. Then, the expansion cage assembly13is moved along a direction D. At this time, the two second mounting structures1321of the two side boards132are engaged with the two first mounting structures1131of the two mounting plates113, respectively, such that the expansion cage assembly13can be fixed to the casing11.

On the contrary, when the expansion cards14are to be removed from the casing11, the expansion cards14are firstly moved along a direction opposite to the direction D. Then, the expansion cards14are moved outside the casing11along a direction opposite to the direction C. At this time, the two second mounting structures1321of the two side boards132are disengaged from the two first mounting structures1131of the two mounting plates113, respectively, such that the expansion cage assembly13can be separated from the casing11.

Then, the expansion cages134are moved along a direction opposite to the direction B. Then, the expansion cages134are removed from the supporting member131along a direction opposite to the direction A. At this time, the fifth mounting structures13411of the cage bodies1341are disengaged from the third mounting structures1322of one of the two side boards132and the partitions133, respectively, and the sixth mounting structures13412of the cage bodies1341are disengaged from the fourth mounting structures1331of the two side boards132and the partitions133, respectively, such that the expansion cages134can be separated from the supporting member131. Finally, the expansion cards14can be removed from the expansion cages134, respectively.

In this embodiment, the height of each side plate112of the casing11is, for example, 2 U, and the server10includes one expansion cage assembly13, but the invention is not limited thereto. Please refer toFIG.9, which is a perspective view of a server10A in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a height of each side plate112A of the server10A is, for example, 3 U, and the server10A may include two expansion cage assemblies13. One expansion cage assembly13is stacked on the other expansion cage assembly13.

In this embodiment, the server of the invention can be applied to artificial intelligence (AI) computing, edge computing, and can also be used as a5G server, a cloud server or a Vehicles Internet server.

According to the server and the expansion cage assembly disclosed by the above embodiments, the side boards of the expansion cage assembly are detachably mounted on the mounting plates located at the side plates, respectively, and the expansion cards are connected to the motherboard via the cables, such that the expansion cards can be electrically connected to the motherboard of the server without the golden finger. Therefore, the convenience of installing the expansion card in the server and ensuring the electrical connection of the expansion card to the motherboard can be improved.