Electrically-conducting plate, uninterruptible sliding mechanism, and related server apparatus

A server apparatus has a server unit disposed inside a casing via an uninterruptible sliding mechanism. The uninterruptible sliding mechanism includes a discharging track disposed on the casing and an electrically-conducting plate disposed on the server unit. The electrically-conducting plate is slidably assembled with the discharging track. The electrically-conducting plate includes abase, a buckling portion and an elastic piece set. The base is electrically connected to the server unit. The buckling portion is disposed on the base to engage with the discharging track. The elastic piece set is disposed on middle of the base and has at least one elastic unit. The elastic unit is an arc structure. An end of the arc structure is fixed to the base, and the other end of the arc structure abuts against the discharging track to continuously transmit energy output from the discharging track to the server unit via the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a server apparatus capable of keeping an electrically-conducting state in assembly/disassembly process, and more particularly, to a server apparatus capable of utilizing an electrically-conducting plate and an uninterruptible sliding mechanism to keep the electrically-conducting state in assembly/disassembly process.

2. Description of the Prior Art

While a conventional server apparatus is repaired, power supply of a server unit has to be cut off and then the server unit is removed from a rack for replacing electronic components, and the server apparatus cannot be operated during the repair period. For improvement on a drawback of the conventional server apparatus, a flexible cable is set between the server unit and the rack, and two ends of the cable are respectively connected to the server unit and the power supply to accommodate the cable into a gap behind the server unit, so that the cable can be folded and unfolded while the server unit is moved into or out of the rack. However, dimensions of the server unit is designed as being smaller than dimensions of the rack, and the rack can have sufficient inner space to accommodate the cable while the server unit is located inside the rack, which means structural lengths of the rack and the server unit are constrained. Accordingly design of a sliding mechanism capable of keeping the server unit stayed in an electrically-conducting state while being slid relative to the rack is an important issue in the related server industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a server apparatus capable of utilizing an electrically-conducting plate and an uninterruptible sliding mechanism to keep the electrically-conducting state in assembly/disassembly process for solving above drawbacks.

According to the claimed invention, an electrically-conducting plate slidably assembled with a discharging track is disclosed. The electrically-conducting plate includes a base, two buckling portions and an elastic piece set. The two buckling portions are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the base. The elastic piece set is disposed on the base and located between the two buckling portions; the elastic piece set has at least one elastic unit, and the elastic unit is an arc structure. An end of the arc structure is connected to the base, and the other end of the arc structure abuts against the discharging track, so as to transmit energy output from the discharging track to the base.

According to the claimed invention, an uninterruptible sliding mechanism includes a discharging track and an electrically-conducting plate. The discharging track is electrically connected with an external power supply to acquire energy. The electrically-conducting plate is slidably assembled with the discharging track. The electrically-conducting plate includes a base, two buckling portions and an elastic piece set. The base is adapted to electrically connect with an electronic component. The two buckling portions are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the base and buckled with the discharging track to suspend the base above the discharging track. The elastic piece set is disposed on the base and located between the two buckling portions; the elastic piece set has at least one elastic unit, and the elastic unit is an arc structure. An end of the arc structure is connected to the base, and the other end of the arc structure abuts against the discharging track. Energy output from the discharging track is transmitted to the electronic component via the base while the electrically-conducting plate is slidably moved relative to the discharging track.

According to the claimed invention, a server apparatus includes a casing, a server unit and an uninterruptible sliding mechanism. The server unit is disposed inside the casing. The server unit is kept in an electrically-conducting state by the uninterruptible sliding mechanism while being slid relative to the casing. The uninterruptible sliding mechanism includes a discharging track and an electrically-conducting plate. The discharging track is disposed on the casing and electrically connected with an external power supply to acquire energy. The electrically-conducting plate is disposed on the server unit and slidably assembled with the discharging track. The electrically-conducting plate a base, two buckling portions and an elastic piece set. The base is adapted to electrically connect with an electronic component of the server unit. The base is adapted to electrically connect with an electronic component of the server unit. The elastic piece set is disposed on the base and located between the two buckling portions; the elastic piece set has at least one elastic unit, and the elastic unit is an arc structure. An end of the arc structure is connected to the base and the other end of the arc structure abuts against the discharging track, and energy output from the discharging track is transmitted to the electronic component via the base while the electrically-conducting plate is slidably moved relative to the discharging track.

The electrically-conducting plate of the present invention disposes the elastic piece set composed of several elastic units on the base; the plural elastic units can be arranged in symmetry or asymmetry, and each elastic unit can be formed as the arc structure via the arc resilient arm portion. Because the elastic unit is designed as the arc structure, each part of the arc resilient arm portion can be deformed accordingly while elastic unit is pressed, which means stress is averagely spread toward the whole parts instead of concentrating upon a few specific parts close to the root portion. Deformation stress applied to the elastic unit can be effectively decreased to be smaller than yield stress, so the elastic unit can maintain the linear resilient property, and resilience of the elastic unit is not affected by impact or assembly error. Further, design of the arc resilient arm portion can be used to increase the whole resilience of the elastic unit, which means compression stroke of the elastic unit can be enlarged to avoid instability resulted from assembly tolerance. Moreover, a force applied to the discharging track from the elastic unit can be made smaller while the elastic unit is resiliently deformed, so that kinetic friction which results in abrasion and scratch due to sliding friction motion can be reduced to provide stable voltage supply. The thickness and cost of a plated coating on the golden finger can be decreased; the arc elastic unit has advantages of the large scale compression stroke and low stress concentration on the root portion, and the arc elastic piece set can provide preferred resilient recovering function in long term usage. While the electrically-conducting plate is moved relative to the discharging track, the arc elastic unit can be continuously slid to abut against the discharging track, and the energy output from the external power supply can be stably transmitted to the circuit board under the server unit through the electrically-conducting plate, so that the server apparatus can acquire the stable energy supply.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 2.FIG. 1is an assembly diagram of a server apparatus10according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2is an exploded diagram of the server apparatus10according to the embodiment of the present invention. The server apparatus10includes a casing12, a server unit14and an uninterruptible sliding mechanism16. The server unit14can be disposed inside the casing12via the uninterruptible sliding mechanism16, and be kept in an electrically-conducting state by the uninterruptible sliding mechanism16while the server unit14is slidably moved relative to the casing12. For example, the uninterruptible sliding mechanism16has an electrically-conducting plate20slidably assembled with a discharging track18in a line contacting manner or in a surface contacting manner. The discharging track18is disposed inside the casing12and electrically connected with an external power supply22to acquire energy. The electrically-conducting plate20is disposed on a bottom of the server unit14and movably assembled with the discharging track18.

Please refer toFIG. 2toFIG. 4.FIG. 3is a diagram of the electrically-conducting plate20according to the embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 4is an enlarged diagram of the electrically-conducting plate20according to the embodiment of the present invention. The electrically-conducting plate20may mainly include a base24, a buckling portion26and an elastic piece set28. The base24is electrically connected with an electronic component30disposed under the server unit14. For instance, the electronic component30can be a printed circuit board. An amount of the buckling portion26preferably can be a plural number, such as two buckling portions26respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the base24. The buckling portion26can be designed as a hook structure for buckling an edge of the discharging track18. Dimensions of inner space of the buckling portion26can be larger than a thickness of the discharging track18, and the base24can be spaced from the discharging track18in a non-contacting manner. The elastic piece set28is located between the two buckling portions26and disposed on a side of the base24facing toward the discharging track18. A fixing end of the elastic piece set28is connected to the base24, and a free end of the elastic piece set28abuts against the discharging track18, which means the base24can be suspended above the discharging track18by the elastic piece set28while the electrically-conducting plate20is engaged with the discharging track18.

As shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4, the elastic piece set28can include one or more elastic units32. The elastic unit32can be an arc structure; the arc elastic unit32may be slightly compressed and deformed while the arc elastic unit32abuts against the discharging track18, and the arc elastic unit32can be a support used to suspend the base24above the discharging track18. The elastic unit32may include a root portion34, an arc resilient arm portion36and a contacting portion38. The root portion34is fixed onto the base24. The arc resilient arm portion36stretches outwardly from each edge of the root portion34, and the elastic unit32can be formed as the arc structure. The contacting portion38is disposed on an end of the arc resilient arm portion36opposite to the root portion34and utilized to abut against the discharging track18. Therefore, while the electrically-conducting plate20is slid relative to the discharging track18, the elastic unit32can keep the contacting portion38continuously abutting the discharging track18in accordance with resilient deformation of the arc resilient arm portion36, and energy output from the discharging track18can be transmitted to the electronic component30via the electrically-conducting plate20.

The contacting portion38may optionally have a guiding structure40disposed on a surface of the contacting portion38facing the discharging track18. While the contacting portion38of the elastic unit32is moved upon the discharging track18in a slidably contacting manner, the guiding structure40can be used to decrease friction loss and scratch resulted from slidable contacting motion, and further to increase energy supply stability of the uninterruptible sliding mechanism16. As shown inFIG. 4, the arc resilient arm portion36is an integrated arc structure; it is to say, the arc resilient arm portion36can include a plurality of parts361connected with each other side by side, and the plurality of parts361can be arc parts with similar curvature radius. The arc resilient arm portion36is not permanently deformed by stress concentration, and can be utilized to preserve linear resilient property of the elastic unit32.

Please refer toFIG. 5andFIG. 6.FIG. 5is a diagram of an elastic unit32′ according to the other embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 6is a diagram of an elastic unit32″ according to the other embodiment of the present invention. In those embodiments, elements having the numerals the same as ones of the above-mentioned embodiment have the same structures and functions, and a detailed description is omitted herein for simplicity. According to the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the arc resilient arm portion36′ of the elastic unit32′ can have a plurality of arc parts361′ assembled with each other side by side, and curvature radiuses of the arc parts361′ are different from each other. According to the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, the arc resilient arm portion36″ of the elastic unit32″ can have a plurality of non-arc parts361″; the non-arc part361″ may be designed as a planar part, and the adjacent planar parts361″ are connected with each other in a bending manner, so the elastic unit32″ can be formed as the arc structure. Resilience of the elastic units32′ and32″ can be varied by adjusting the curvature radius of the arc parts361′ and structural length of the non-arc parts361″.

In conclusion, the electrically-conducting plate of the present invention disposes the elastic piece set composed of several elastic units on the base; the plural elastic units can be arranged in symmetry or asymmetry, and each elastic unit can be formed as the arc structure via the arc resilient arm portion. Because the elastic unit is designed as the arc structure, each part of the arc resilient arm portion can be deformed accordingly while elastic unit is pressed, which means stress is averagely spread toward the whole parts instead of concentrating upon a few specific parts close to the root portion. Deformation stress applied to the elastic unit can be effectively decreased to be smaller than yield stress, so the elastic unit can maintain the linear resilient property, and resilience of the elastic unit is not affected by impact or assembly error. Further, design of the arc resilient arm portion can be used to increase the whole resilience of the elastic unit, which means compression stroke of the elastic unit can be enlarged to avoid instability resulted from assembly tolerance. Moreover, a force applied to the discharging track from the elastic unit can be made smaller while the elastic unit is resiliently deformed, so that kinetic friction which results in abrasion and scratch due to sliding friction motion can be reduced to provide stable voltage supply.

The arc resilient arm portion is mainly composed on the plurality of parts connected with each other side by side, and the plurality of parts can be the arc parts with the same curvature radius or with different curvature radiuses, so the plurality of parts further can be the non-arc planar parts, or can be a complex of the arc parts and the non-arc parts (which is not shown in figures). The arc elastic unit has advantages of the large scale compression stroke and low stress concentration on the root portion, and the arc elastic piece set can provide preferred resilient recovering function in long term usage. While the electrically-conducting plate is moved relative to the discharging track, the arc elastic unit can be continuously slid to abut against the discharging track, and the energy output from the external power supply can be stably transmitted to the circuit board under the server unit through the electrically-conducting plate, so that the server apparatus can acquire the stable energy supply. Comparing to the prior art, the electrically-conducting plate and the related uninterruptible sliding mechanism of the present invention can provide stable voltage for the server apparatus, and the thickness and cost of a plated coating on the golden finger can be decreased for preferred market competition.