Server apparatus and cable management mechanism thereof

A server apparatus includes a holding portion, a server module, a cable management mechanism, a cable, and a tray movably disposed on the holding portion. The cable management mechanism is disposed at a side of the tray and includes first and second racks, a reversing module, and a pillar disposed on the second rack. The first rack is fixed to the holding portion. The second rack is slidably disposed at the side of the tray. The reversing module is connected to the tray and engaged with the first and second racks respectively. The cable is coupled to the server module when the cable is wound on the pillar along the side of the tray. When the tray is pulled outward, the second rack moves inward with movement of the reversing module for making the pillar move inward.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a server apparatus and a cable management mechanism, and more specifically, to a server apparatus capable of performing cable management on a cable wound on a pillar of a rack via linkage of a reversing module located at a side of a tray with the rack and the tray and a cable management mechanism thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In general, a server apparatus usually has a host device (including major server components, such as a central processing unit and a server board) disposed on a holding plate and a detachable device (e.g. a hard disk drive) disposed on a tray slidably disposed on the holding plate, so that a user could pull out the tray to perform a device replacing operation on the server apparatus. Furthermore, the server apparatus could utilize cables to establish electrical connection between the detachable device and the host device. A conventional cable management method is to connect a foldable link frame to the tray and the holding plate and wind the cables along the foldable link frame, so that the foldable link frame could be expanded or folded with sliding of the tray relative to the holding plate. Accordingly, no matter the user pulls or pushes the tray relative to the holding plate, the cables could be always wound on the foldable link frame with expansion or folding of the foldable link frame, so as to achieve the cable management purpose.

However, since the foldable link frame has a complicated folding design and is disposed outside the tray, the aforesaid design may increase the manufacturing cost of the server apparatus and disposal of the foldable frame may occupy excessive internal space of the server apparatus so as to be disadvantageous to the thinning design and the internal configuration of the server apparatus. Furthermore, when the foldable link frame is folded with inward sliding of the tray, the foldable link frame could form a transverse folded structure to interfere with airflow in the server apparatus, so that the heat dissipating efficiency of the server apparatus could be influenced by the transverse folded structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a server apparatus. The server apparatus includes a holding portion, a tray, a server module, and a cable. The tray is movably disposed on the holding portion. The server module includes a detachable device and a host device. The detachable device is disposed on the tray. The host device is disposed on the holding portion. The cable management mechanism is disposed at a side of the tray. The cable management mechanism includes a first rack, a second rack, a reversing module, and a pillar. The first rack is fixed to the holding portion. The second rack is slidably disposed at the side of the tray. The reversing module is connected to the tray and engaged with the first rack and the second rack respectively. The pillar is disposed on the second rack. The cable is coupled to the host device and coupled to the detachable device when the cable is wound on the pillar along the side of the tray. When the tray is pulled along a first direction relative to the holding portion, the reversing module moves on the first rack with movement of the tray toward the first direction to move the second rack toward a second direction and to make the pillar move along the second direction. The first direction is opposite to the second direction.

The present invention further provides a cable management mechanism for cable management of a server apparatus. The server apparatus includes a holding portion, a tray, a server module, and a cable. The tray is movably disposed on the holding portion. The server module includes a detachable device and a host device. The detachable device is disposed on the tray. The host device is disposed on the holding portion. The cable is electrically connected to the host device. The cable management mechanism includes a first rack, a second rack, a reversing module, and a pillar. The first rack is fixed to the holding portion. The second rack is slidably disposed at the side of the tray. The reversing module is connected to the tray and engaged with the first rack and the second rack respectively. The pillar is disposed on the second rack. The cable is coupled to the detachable device when the cable is wound on the pillar along the side of the tray. When the tray is pulled along a first direction relative to the holding portion, the reversing module moves on the first rack with movement of the tray toward the first direction to move the second rack toward a second direction and to make the pillar move along the second direction. The first direction is opposite to the second direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer toFIG. 1, which is a partial diagram of a server apparatus10according to an embodiment of the present invention. For clearly showing the internal mechanical design of the server apparatus10,FIG. 1is a partial enlarged and sectional diagram of the server apparatus10. As shown inFIG. 1, the server apparatus10includes a holding portion12(e.g. a holding plate), a tray14, a server module16, a cable management mechanism18, and a cable20. The tray14is movably disposed on the holding portion12so that a user could pull out the tray14to replace a device (e.g. a hard disk drive) disposed on the tray14. In this embodiment, a containing structure22is formed on a side P of the tray14(but not limited thereto) for containing the cable management mechanism18and the cable20. The server module16includes a detachable device24and a host device26. The detachable device24could be an electronic device detachably disposed in a conventional server apparatus, such as a hard disk drive, and could be disposed on tray14. The host device26could include main server components (e.g. a central processing unit and a server board) and could be disposed on the holding portion12.

More detailed description for the mechanical design of the cable management mechanism18is provided as follows. Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 2.FIG. 2is an exploded diagram of the cable management mechanism18inFIG. 1. As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, the cable management mechanism18is disposed on the side P of the tray14and includes a first rack28, a reversing module29, a second rack34, and a protruding pillar36. The first rack28is disposed in the containing structure20and fixed to the holding portion12(e.g. by rivets). In this embodiment, the cable management mechanism18could adopt a gear driving design. For example, the reversing module29could include a driving gear30and a reversing gear32. The driving gear30is pivoted to the tray14and engaged with the first rack28. The reversing gear32is pivoted to the tray14and is engaged with the driving gear30and the second rack34respectively. The second rack34is slidably disposed in the containing structure20. The pillar36is disposed on the second rack34. To be more specific, in this embodiment, for further reducing space occupied by the driving gear30and the reversing gear32, the driving gear30could have a first concentric gear31and a second concentric gear33as shown inFIG. 1. The first concentric gear31is engaged with the first rack28. The second concentric gear33could have the same module with the reversing gear32to be engaged with the reversing gear32. Furthermore, please refer toFIG. 3, which is a diagram of the second rack34inFIG. 2at another viewing angle. As shown inFIG. 1,FIG. 2, andFIG. 3, the tray14has at least one I-shaped member23(eight shown inFIG. 1, but not limited thereto) in the containing structure22, and a sliding slot35is formed on the second rack34. The I-shaped member23is disposed through the sliding slot35to make the second rack34slidable on the I-shaped member23relative to the tray14.

As shown inFIG. 1, the cable20is electrically connected to the host device26and is electrically connected to the detachable device24when the cable20is wound on the pillar36along the containing structure22in a tight fitting manner. For example, the cable20could pass through the side P of the tray14to be electrically connected to the detachable device24for establishing the electrical connection between the host device26and the detachable device24. In practical application, the pillar36could preferably be a pulley. Accordingly, the pillar36could rotate with the cable20wound thereon for reducing the sliding friction between the cable20and the pillar36, so as to increase life of the cable20.

To be noted, please refer toFIG. 4, which is a comparison diagram of the server apparatus10inFIG. 1after being pulled out and the server apparatus10inFIG. 1after being pushed back. For clearly showing the mechanical design of the server apparatus10,FIG. 4is a partial sectional diagram of the server apparatus10inFIG. 1. As shown inFIG. 4, since a sum of a travelling distance S2of the tray14relative to the holding portion12and a distance S3from the pillar36to an end of the cable20coupled to the detachable device24(i.e. the end of the cable14passing through the side P of the tray14) is equal to a sum of the distance S3and twice a travelling distance S1of the pillar36in the containing structure22(i.e. S2+S3=S1+S3+S1), the travelling distance S1of the pillar36in the containing structure22could be equal to one half of the travelling distance S2of the tray14relative to the holding portion (i.e. S2=2S1). Thus, in practical application, for preventing deformation of the cable20during the tray14moves relative to the holding portion12, the server apparatus10could adopt the design that a linear velocity of the pillar36is equal to one half of a linear velocity of the tray14relative to the holding portion12. To be more specific, according to the equation that a linear velocity of a gear is equal to a product of a pitch radius of the gear and an angular velocity of the gear, in this design, a pitch diameter of the second concentric gear33could be equal to one half of a pitch diameter of the first concentric gear31, and the second concentric gear33could have the same module with the reversing gear32, so as to achieve the purpose that the linear velocity of the pillar36is equal to one half of the linear velocity of the tray14relative to the holding portion12. It should be mentioned that the driving gear30could only have one gear structure instead of the aforesaid design for simplifying the mechanical design of the cable management mechanism18. For example, in another embodiment, the driving gear30could be an integrally-formed gear structure to be directly engaged with the reversing gear32and could have the same module with the reversing gear32, and the pitch diameter of the reversing gear32could be equal to one half of a pitch diameter of the driving gear30. In such a manner, the effect that the linear velocity of the pillar36is equal to one half of the linear velocity of the tray14relative to the holding portion12could be also generated.

Please refer toFIG. 5, which is a partial diagram of the server apparatus10inFIG. 1at another viewing angle. As shown inFIG. 5, the holding portion12could have a cable fixing structure13for fixing the cable20, and the tray14could have a cable fixing structure15for fixing the cable20after the cable20passes through the side P of the tray14. Via the aforesaid fixing design, the cable20could be coupled to the detachable device24and the host device26steadily, so as to efficiently prevent the cable20from falling off the server apparatus10accidentally during the tray14moves relative to the holding portion12.

Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 6.FIG. 6is a partial diagram of the tray14inFIG. 1being pulled out. For clearly showing the mechanical design of the server apparatus10,FIG. 6is a partial enlarged and sectional diagram of the server apparatus10inFIG. 1. When a user wants to replace the detachable device24in the server apparatus10, the user just needs to pull out the tray14from a position as shown inFIG. 1to a position as shown inFIG. 6in a first direction A, so that the user could perform a device replacing operation on the detachable device24. During the aforesaid process, as shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 6, the first concentric gear31on the driving gear30could rotate clockwise on the first rack28with outward movement of the tray14in the first direction A. Accordingly, the second concentric gear33on the driving gear30engaged with the reversing gear32could rotate clockwise to rotate the reversing gear32counterclockwise, so as to make the reversing gear32drive the second rack34to move inwardly in a second direction B (opposite to the first direction A) and to make the pillar36move inwardly to a position as shown inFIG. 6. In such a manner, the configuration of the cable20could be changed fromFIG. 1toFIG. 6, so as to prevent deformation of the cable20.

On the other hand, after the user completes the aforesaid device replacing process of the server apparatus10, the user just needs to push the tray14from the position as shown inFIG. 6back to the position as shown inFIG. 1in the second direction B. During the aforesaid process, the first concentric gear31on the driving gear30could move with inward movement of the tray14in the second direction B to rotate counterclockwise on the first rack28. Accordingly, the second concentric gear33on the driving gear30could rotate counterclockwise to rotate the reversing gear32clockwise, so as to make the reversing gear32drive the second rack34to move outwardly in the first direction A and make the pillar36move outwardly to a position as shown inFIG. 1in the first direction A. In such a manner, the configuration of the cable20could be changed fromFIG. 6toFIG. 1, so as to prevent deformation of the cable20.

Via the tight fitting design that the cable is wound on the pillar of the second rack along the side of the tray and the linkage design that the pillar having the cable wound thereon moves in the opposite direction with movement of the tray, the present invention could prevent deformation of the cable during the tray moves relative to the holding portion to generate the cable management effect. Furthermore, since the cable management mechanism is disposed at the side of the tray, the server apparatus provided by the present invention could efficiently solve the prior art problem that the manufacturing cost of the server apparatus is increased due to the complicated folding design of the foldable link frame, the foldable link frame occupies excessive internal space of the server apparatus, and the foldable link frame in a transverse folded state influences the heat dissipating efficiency of the server apparatus.