Patent Description:
Heat dissipation is an important consideration for computer systems. Notably, many components of a computer system, such as a processor (for example a central processing unit (CPU), a graphical processing unit (GPU), and the like), generate heat and thus require cooling to avoid performance degradation and, in some cases, failure. Similar considerations arise for systems other than computer systems (e.g., power management systems). Different types of cooling systems are therefore implemented to promote heat dissipation from heat-generating electronic components, with the objective being to efficiently collect and conduct thermal energy away from heat-generating electronic components.

Heat sinks rely on a heat transfer medium (e.g., a gas or liquid) to carry away the heat generated by a heat-generating electronic component. For example, a water block, which is a water cooling heat sink, is thermally coupled to the component to be cooled (e.g., a processor) and water, or other heat transfer fluid, is made to flow through a conduit in the water block to absorb heat from the heat-generating electronic component. As water flows out of the water block, so does the thermal energy collected thereby.

Such solutions typically rely on disposing and maintaining the water block in mechanical contact with the heat-generating electronic component such that thermal energy may be collected by the water block and carried away from the heat-generating electronic component. For example, <CIT> discloses an electronic assembly connected to a host circuit board containing carrier assemblies configured to be coupled to an upper surface of the electronic package, in which each carrier assembly includes a carrier base block and a carrier lid configured to hold at least one interposer assembly and at least one cable module. The carrier assemblies hold the cable modules with the module contacts in electrical connection with upper mating interfaces of the interposer contacts as well as hold lower mating interfaces of the interposer contacts in electrical connection with upper package contacts of the electronic package.

However, excessive contact pressure between the water block and the heat-generating electronic component may damage the heat-generating electronic component. For instance, excessive mechanical pressure exerted on the heat-generating electronic component may cause physical impairment of the heat-generating electronic component. Moreover, in some cases, such excessive contact pressure may increase a temperature of the heat-generating electronic component, thereby minimizing or negating the cooling provided by the water block. Indeed, due to the excessive mechanical pressure exerted on the heat-generating electronic component, parts of the heat-generating electronic component (e.g. dies, capacitors, etc.) may undergo mechanical deformation and/or be forced closer one to another, resulting in greater heat generation.

There is therefore a desire for reliable and controlled fixing of a water block on a heat-generating electronic component that alleviates at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks.

It is an object of the present technology to ameliorate at least some of the inconveniences present in the prior art. Accordingly, embodiments of the present technology have been developed in which the inventive concepts are provided and represented by the appended set of claims.

In the context of the present specification, unless expressly provided otherwise, electronic equipment may refer, but is not limited to, "servers", "electronic devices", "operation systems", "systems", "computer-based systems", "controller units", "monitoring devices", a "control devices" and/or any combination thereof appropriate to the relevant task at hand.

In the context of the present specification, unless expressly provided otherwise, the words "first", "second", "third", etc. have been used as adjectives only for the purpose of allowing for distinction between the nouns that they modify from one another, and not for the purpose of describing any particular relationship between those nouns.

Implementations of the present technology each have at least one of the above-mentioned objects and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology that have resulted from attempting to attain the above-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfy other objects not specifically recited herein.

It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified herein, the drawings are not to scale.

The examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the present technology and not to limit its scope to such specifically recited examples and conditions. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art may devise various systems that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, nonetheless embody the principles of the present technology.

An aspect of the present technology introduces a fixing system and a method for fixing a liquid cooling block (sometimes referred to as "water block" or "cold plate") on a heat-generating electronic component, for example a processor, with controlled mechanical contact pressure between the liquid cooling block and the heat-generating electronic component. In one embodiment, the fixing system comprises a mounting bracket and an indicating means, the indicating means being in use, disposed between the main portion and the liquid cooling block. The indicating means undergoes deformation in response to the mounting bracket being fastened to a substrate of the heat-generating electronic component such as to provide an indication that a desired amount of pressure is exerted between the mounting bracket and the liquid cooling block to ensure adequate contact between the liquid cooling block and the heat-generating electronic component. The contact can be said to be adequate when thermal energy transfer is optimized without affecting or damaging the heat-generating electronic component due to high contact pressure.

For example, when the liquid cooling block is disposed in contact with the heat-generating electronic component and upon fixing the liquid cooling block on the heat-generating electronic component with the fixing system, the user may stop increasing the contact pressure exerted onto the heat-generating electronic component in response to the indicating means indicating that the desired pressure has been reached.

<FIG> shows a cooling assembly <NUM> for cooling a heat-generating electronic component <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. As can be seen, the cooling assembly <NUM> comprises a liquid cooling block <NUM> that is, in use, disposed in contact with the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>, and a fixing system <NUM> for fixing the liquid cooling block <NUM> on the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. The heat-generating electronic component <NUM> is a component of an electronic device such as a computer system. For instance, in this example, the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> is a processor of a computer system. The computer system may be, for example, a server stored in a server rack of a data center. It is contemplated that the electronic device may be any other suitable electronic device. As can be seen, the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> is disposed on and connected to a substrate <NUM>. The substrate <NUM> supports the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. In some cases, the substrate <NUM> may also have electronic connections to electrically connect the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> to other components. For example, the substrate <NUM> may be a printed circuit board (PCB), such as a motherboard of the computer system. Other types of substrates <NUM> are also contemplated.

The liquid cooling block <NUM> is a heat sink that uses a cooling fluid (e.g., a liquid such as water) for absorbing thermal energy. It is to be understood that the term "liquid cooling block" is intended to include such thermal transfer devices that use water, or any fluids other than water and/or multiphase flow (e.g., two-phase flow). For example, in some instances, the fluid may be an oil, an alcohol, or a dielectric heat transfer fluid (e.g., <NUM> Novec ®).

As shown in <FIG>, the liquid cooling block <NUM> defines an internal fluid conduit <NUM> (shown in dashed lines) through which, in use, the cooling fluid circulates. The internal fluid conduit <NUM> describes a path along which the cooling fluid flows while traversing the liquid cooling block <NUM>. The path described by the internal fluid conduit <NUM> may have any suitable shape. For instance, in this example, as can be seen in <FIG>, the internal fluid conduit <NUM> defines a generally serpentine path. The liquid cooling block <NUM> has a fluid inlet <NUM> and a fluid outlet <NUM> for respectively feeding cooling fluid into and discharging cooling fluid from the internal fluid conduit <NUM>. An external thermal transfer surface <NUM> of the liquid cooling block <NUM>, provided on an underside of the liquid cooling block <NUM> in this example, is configured to be in thermal contact with the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. It is to be understood that in this context, the external thermal transfer surface <NUM> is said to be in "thermal contact" with the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> whether the liquid cooling block <NUM> is in direct contact with the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> or when a thermal paste or thermal pad is applied between the external thermal transfer surface <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>, in a manner that is known in the art, to ensure adequate heat transfer between the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> and the external thermal transfer surface <NUM>.

In use, the cooling fluid received into the fluid inlet <NUM> is cold. As the cooling fluid flows along the path defined by the internal fluid conduit <NUM>, the cooling fluid absorbs heat that has been transferred to a body of the liquid cooling block <NUM> via the external thermal transfer surface <NUM>. The now-heated cooling fluid then flows out of the fluid outlet <NUM>, thereby dissipating the thermal energy absorbed from the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>.

The liquid cooling block <NUM> may form part of a cooling loop of a server rack that includes other various similar liquid cooling blocks (e.g., for cooling other heat-generating electronic components of the same electronic device, and/or the heat-generating electronic components of other electronic devices). In some embodiments, the cooling loop of which the liquid cooling block <NUM> forms a part may further comprise a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the liquid cooling block <NUM> and configured for receiving the heated cooling fluid from the liquid cooling block <NUM>. As such, the heated cooling fluid discharged from the liquid cooling block <NUM> is cooled in the heat exchanger before returning to the liquid cooling block <NUM>. The heat exchanger may be of various constructions. For example, the heat exchanger may be an air-to-liquid heat exchanger or a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. The cooling loop may also comprise a pump to pump the cooling fluid into and out of the internal conduit <NUM> of the liquid cooling block <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the fixing system <NUM> comprises a mounting bracket <NUM> for urging the liquid cooling block <NUM> against the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> and an indicating means <NUM> which, based at least in part on a deformation thereof, provides an indication to a user regarding the pressure exerted between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. The indicating means <NUM> may also be referred to as an indicating device.

The mounting bracket <NUM> comprises a main portion <NUM> that, in use, overlies the liquid cooling block <NUM> such that at least part of the main portion <NUM> is aligned with the liquid cooling block <NUM> along a width and length of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. Notably, the main portion <NUM> is the part of the mounting bracket <NUM> that, as the mounting bracket <NUM> approximates the liquid cooling block <NUM>, urges the liquid cooling block <NUM> against the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. The main portion <NUM> spans a majority or an entirety of a length or width of the liquid cooling block <NUM> measured between opposite ends <NUM>, <NUM> thereof.

The mounting bracket <NUM> also comprises an outer connecting portion <NUM> extending from the main portion <NUM> and configured to be fastened to the substrate <NUM> on which the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> is disposed. In use, the outer connecting portion <NUM> is positioned such that it does not overlie the liquid cooling block <NUM> and rather extends outwards therefrom. In this embodiment, the outer connecting portion <NUM> includes two connecting sections <NUM> disposed at opposite ends of the main portion <NUM> and interconnected by the main portion <NUM>. It is contemplated that the outer connecting portion <NUM> could be configured differently in other embodiments. For instance, in some embodiments, the outer connecting portion <NUM> could extend from all four sides of the main portion <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the two connecting sections <NUM> extend perpendicularly to the main portion <NUM>. Each connecting section <NUM> defines two fastener openings <NUM> for receiving fasteners <NUM> (e.g., bolts) that connect the mounting bracket <NUM> to the substrate <NUM>. Notably, in this example, the substrate <NUM> has fasteners <NUM> (e.g., nuts) that define threaded openings for threadedly receiving the fasteners <NUM> in order to secure the mounting bracket <NUM> to the substrate <NUM>. As will be appreciated, as the outer connecting portion <NUM> is progressively fastened to the substrate <NUM> via the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM>, the fasteners <NUM> begin applying pressure on the outer connecting portion <NUM> which causes the main portion <NUM> to be pressed against the liquid cooling block <NUM>. If the main portion <NUM> is pressed against the liquid cooling block <NUM> with excessive force as a result of the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM> being overtightened, the heat-generating electric component <NUM> could be damaged. Therefore, it is desirable for the fastening connection between the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM> not to be overtightened, but rather to be sufficiently tightened to ensure adequate contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>.

The indicating means <NUM> provides a manner in which a user can assert whether the mounting bracket <NUM> is sufficiently fastened to the substrate <NUM>. In particular, the indicating means <NUM> is positioned so as to be compressed between the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> as the outer connecting portion <NUM> is progressively fastened to the substrate <NUM> and deforms according to the pressure exerted thereon by the mounting bracket <NUM>. A magnitude of the deformation of the indicating means <NUM> in response to the outer connecting portion <NUM> being progressively fastened to the substrate <NUM> therefore provides a visual indication to the user of adequate contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>.

As best shown in <FIG>, in this embodiment, the indicating means <NUM> comprises a resilient member <NUM> that is connected to the mounting bracket <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM> is resilient in that it is deformable in response to getting compressed between the main portion <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> as the outer connecting portion <NUM> is progressively fastened to the substrate <NUM>. Notably, the resilient member <NUM> is elastically deformable such that it deforms elastically from an initial configuration thereof to a deformed configuration and, once the force applied on the resilient member <NUM> that causes the resilient member <NUM> to be in the deformed configuration ceases, the resilient member <NUM> is biased back to its initial configuration. In this embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> is a resilient plate having two opposite end portions <NUM>, <NUM> that are connected to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. Notably, the first end portion <NUM> of the resilient member <NUM> is fixedly connected to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> while the second end portion <NUM> is movably connected to the main portion <NUM> as will be described in greater detail below.

In this embodiment, the first end portion <NUM> defines an opening <NUM> through which a fastener (not shown) is inserted to connect the resilient member <NUM> to the mounting bracket <NUM>. Notably, in this example, the main portion <NUM> defines a corresponding opening <NUM> (<FIG>) through which the fastener is inserted to fasten the first end portion <NUM> to the main portion <NUM>. The opening <NUM> is located along a part of the main portion <NUM> that does not overlie the liquid cooling block <NUM>. Other fastening means between the first end portion <NUM> and the mounting bracket <NUM> are contemplated in alternative embodiments. For example, the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> may define a slit in which a portion of the first end portion <NUM> may be inserted and locked. In other embodiments, the first end portion <NUM> could be welded (e.g., spot welded) to the mounting bracket <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the second end portion <NUM> is slidable along a portion of the mounting bracket <NUM>. In particular, the second end portion <NUM> is slidable along the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>, namely in a direction of elongation of the main portion <NUM>. To that end, as shown in <FIG>, the second end portion <NUM> has guiding means <NUM> configured to guide the sliding movement of the second end portion <NUM> relative to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. The guiding means <NUM> may also be referred to as a guiding arrangement. In this embodiment, the guiding means <NUM> includes parallel guiding walls <NUM> that straddle opposite edges <NUM> of the main portion <NUM> (see <FIG>). In use, the guiding walls <NUM> limit the movement of the second end portion <NUM> relative to the main portion <NUM> in a direction transversal to the direction of sliding movement of the second end portion <NUM> to keep the second end portion <NUM> generally centered relative to the main portion <NUM>. More specifically, inner surfaces of the guiding walls <NUM> slide along the edges <NUM> of the main portion <NUM> to guide the sliding movement of the second end portion <NUM> along the main portion <NUM>. It is contemplated that the guiding means <NUM> could be configured differently in other embodiments.

The resilient member <NUM> also has a central body portion <NUM> extending between the first and second end portions <NUM>, <NUM>. In this embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> is biased such that, in an undeformed state of the resilient member <NUM> (i.e., at rest), the central body portion <NUM> has a generally concave shape defining a vertex <NUM> which, in use, is oriented towards the liquid cooling block <NUM>. For instance, in this example, in the undeformed state of the resilient member <NUM>, the central body portion <NUM> is generally V-shaped. It is contemplated that the central body portion <NUM> could have a different shape in other embodiments. For example, as shown in <FIG>, in another embodiment, in the undeformed state of the resilient member <NUM>, the central body portion <NUM> may be generally curved. Notably, the central body portion <NUM> could be arched relative to the first and second end portions <NUM>, <NUM>.

It is contemplated that the resilient member <NUM> could be configured differently in other embodiments. For instance, with reference to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the resilient member <NUM> could be a spring that is fixed to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. In some cases, the spring could be integrally formed with the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> such that the main portion <NUM> and the resilient member <NUM> are made from a continuous material. In such cases, the resilient member <NUM> is thus not slidably connected to the main portion <NUM>.

The manner in which the fixing system <NUM> is used to fix the liquid cooling block <NUM> on the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> will now be described in greater detail. Broadly speaking, the liquid cooling block <NUM> is first positioned on the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> such that the external thermal transfer surface <NUM> is in thermal contact with the heat generating electronic component <NUM>. With the resilient member <NUM> connected to the mounting bracket <NUM>, the mounting bracket <NUM> is then positioned such that the main portion <NUM> thereof overlies the liquid cooling block <NUM>. In this embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> is connected to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> such that the resilient member <NUM> is disposed between the main portion <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM>. The fasteners <NUM> are then inserted through the openings <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> and received by the fasteners <NUM>. At this stage, the cooling assembly <NUM> is in an initial assembled configuration illustrated in <FIG>. Notably, in the initial assembled configuration, the vertex <NUM> of the resilient member <NUM> is in contact with the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM>, but the resilient member <NUM> is not in a state of deformation that is indicative of the desired amount of pressure being exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> for establishing adequate contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. In other words, in the initial assembled configuration, the extent of deformation of the resilient member <NUM> is not associated with the desired amount of pressure being exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM>.

The outer connecting portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> is then progressively fastened to the substrate <NUM> on which the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> is disposed such as to approximate the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> to the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM> (i.e., decreasing a distance between the main portion <NUM> and the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM>). In particular, the fasteners <NUM> are further threadedly engaged with the fasteners <NUM> to lower the main portion <NUM> toward the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. This urges the liquid cooling block <NUM> against the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> and the resilient member <NUM> therefore deforms between the main portion <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> in response to said progressive fastening of the outer connecting portion <NUM>.

As mentioned above, the deformation of the resilient member <NUM> provides an indication to a user relating a current amount of pressure exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM>. Notably, as pressure exerted on the liquid cooling block <NUM> by the mounting bracket <NUM> progressively increases, the central body portion <NUM> undergoes mechanical deformation which causes the second end portion <NUM> to slide along the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. More specifically, as the outer connecting portion <NUM> is progressively fastened by tightening the engagement between the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM>, a height H of the resilient member <NUM>, defined between the vertex <NUM> and the first end portion <NUM> (or the second end portion <NUM>) along a direction normal to the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM>, decreases since, in this embodiment, the second end portion <NUM> slides along the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>.

The user ceases progressive fastening of the outer connecting portion <NUM> once the deformation of the resilient member <NUM> indicates that the desired amount of pressure is exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> to establish adequate contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. In this embodiment, the deformation of the resilient member <NUM> that is indicative of the desired amount of pressure exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> corresponds to the resilient member <NUM> being in a substantially flat configuration as shown in <FIG> (the thickness of the resilient member <NUM> has been exaggerated for visibility thereof). Notably, in the substantially flat configuration of the resilient member <NUM>, the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> is in contact with the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM> and thereby urges the liquid cooling block <NUM> against the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> to ensure proper heat transfer therebetween.

It is contemplated that, in other embodiments, the deformation of the resilient member <NUM> that is indicative of the desired amount of pressure exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> may be different. That is, in other embodiments, the resilient member <NUM> may not necessarily be in the substantially flat configuration to indicate that the desired amount of pressure is exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM>. For instance, in some embodiments, the resilient member <NUM> may be deformed relative to its shape in the initial assembled configuration (<FIG>) yet still have a somewhat concave shape (e.g., a V-shape) that is indicative of the desired amount of pressure being exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM>. As will be appreciated, the amount of deformation that the resilient member <NUM> undergoes to indicate the desired amount of pressure being exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> is dependent on its initial shape, its dimensions and its material composition as these parameters will establish a resistance to deformation of the resilient member <NUM>.

When the user wishes to remove the liquid cooling block <NUM> from its fixed position (e.g., to perform maintenance on the liquid cooling block <NUM>), the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM> are disengaged, thereby unfastening the outer connecting portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM> from the substrate <NUM>. As the outer connecting portion <NUM> is unfastened from the substrate <NUM>, the resistance posed on the mounting bracket <NUM> by the resilient member <NUM> forces the mounting bracket <NUM> away from the top surface of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM>, which in this embodiment is elastically deformable, thus springs back at least substantially to its shape its in the initial assembled configuration (<FIG>).

In the above-described embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> is positioned such that its vertex <NUM> is substantially centered relative to the width and/or length of the liquid cooling block <NUM>, namely because in that exemplary case, a die <NUM> of the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>, which is a small block of semiconducting material that is prone to generating a significant amount of thermal energy, is centered relative to the width and length of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM> thus applies pressure on the liquid cooling block <NUM> at a point that is aligned with the die <NUM> such that an axis extending through the vertex <NUM> of the resilient member <NUM> along a height direction of the liquid cooling assembly <NUM> traverses the die <NUM>. However, it is contemplated that the resilient member <NUM> could be offset from the center of the width and length of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. Notably, with reference to <FIG>, in some cases, the die <NUM> of the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> may be in a position other than the center of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. As such, the resilient member <NUM> could be similarly positioned off-center from the liquid cooling block <NUM> such that its vertex <NUM> is aligned with the die <NUM> along the length and width of the liquid cooling block <NUM>. As such, the fixing system <NUM> urges the liquid cooling block <NUM> toward the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> particularly at the die <NUM> to ensure proper heat transfer at the location of the die <NUM>. Therefore, thermal energy generated by the die <NUM> is more likely to be properly collected by the liquid cooling block <NUM>, due to properly maintained contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> at the die <NUM>.

It should be noted that the die <NUM> is merely an illustrative example of an area of the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> that is known to generate a high amount of thermal energy. Other sub-components or group of components of the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> may also be considered as areas generating high amount of thermal energy.

Furthermore, with reference to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the indicating means <NUM> comprises two resilient members <NUM> of the type described above. Each of the resilient members <NUM> is connected to the mounting bracket <NUM> in the manner described above such that one end of each resilient member <NUM> is slidable along the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. The two resilient members <NUM> are thus disposed between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the mounting bracket <NUM> to secure adequate contact of the liquid cooling block <NUM> with the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> at the locations of the two dies <NUM>. More specifically, the respective vertices <NUM> of the two resilient members <NUM> exert pressure onto the liquid cooling block <NUM> above the two dies <NUM>.

In the illustrative embodiment of <FIG>, the respective second end portions <NUM> of the two resilient members <NUM> are slidable along the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. As such, the second end portions <NUM> of the two resilient members <NUM> slide along a common axis (i.e. their respective second ends <NUM> slide in a same direction or in opposite directions along the common axis). However, in alternative embodiments, it is contemplated that the mounting bracket <NUM> could comprise a plurality of main portions <NUM> extending between the two opposite connecting sections <NUM>, each main portion <NUM> being similar to the main portion <NUM>, and a respective resilient member <NUM> could be mounted to one of the main portions <NUM>. As such, the second end portions <NUM> of the resilient members <NUM> may be slidable in parallel directions and not necessarily along a same axis.

It is contemplated that, in other embodiments, the indicating means <NUM> may not be elastically deformable (e.g., plastically deformable). For instance, as shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments, the indicating means <NUM> could comprise a plastically deformable member <NUM>' and function in a substantially similar manner as that described above with regard to the resilient member <NUM>. In this alternative embodiment, the deformable member <NUM>' is an integral part of the mounting bracket <NUM> and is connected to the main portion <NUM> thereof. The deformable member <NUM>' has opposite ends <NUM>', <NUM>' that are integrally connected to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. Two leg portions <NUM>' extend downward from respective ones of the ends <NUM>', <NUM>' towards a central contact portion <NUM>' that is configured to contact the liquid cooling block <NUM>. When the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM> are tightened, the deformable member <NUM>' undergoes compression which causes the leg portions <NUM>' to progressively collapse and fold so that the deformable member <NUM>' becomes flattened. In contrast with the resilient member <NUM>, the deformable member <NUM>' does not recover its original shape once the fasteners <NUM>, <NUM> are disengaged.

With reference to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the fixing system <NUM> further comprises an electric circuit <NUM> that collaborates with the indicating means <NUM> to facilitate indication to the user that the desired amount of pressure is exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM> for establishing adequate contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. In this embodiment, the electric circuit <NUM> comprises a first electrical contact <NUM> connected to the resilient member <NUM> and a second electrical contact <NUM> connected to the main portion <NUM> of the mounting bracket <NUM>. In this example, the first electrical contact is disposed on the vertex <NUM> of the resilient member <NUM>. In addition, the electric circuit <NUM> includes an electrical indication device <NUM> that is electrically connected to the first and second electrical contacts <NUM>, and a power source <NUM> (e.g., a battery) for powering the electric circuit <NUM>.

The first and second electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM> are operable to contact each other in response to the resilient member <NUM> being deformed by a given magnitude corresponding to the desired amount of pressure being exerted between the mounting bracket <NUM> and the liquid cooling block <NUM>. As such, the electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM> function as a switch, whereby when the electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM> contact each other, the electric circuit <NUM> is in a closed state, and when the electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM> are spaced from each other, the electric circuit <NUM> is in an open state. As such, in the open state of the electric circuit <NUM>, the first electrical contact <NUM> and the second electrical contact <NUM> are spaced from each other such that electricity is not transmitted to the electrical indication device <NUM>. Notably, the current provided by the power source <NUM> is not able to flow through the electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM> and therefore does not reach the electrical indication device <NUM>. In the closed state of the electric circuit <NUM>, the first electrical contact <NUM> and the second electrical contact <NUM> are in contact and therefore in electrical communication with each other such that the current transmitted by the power source <NUM> is transmitted to the electrical indication device <NUM>.

The electrical indication device <NUM> is provided to detect and indicate presence or absence of an electric current between the first and second electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM>. For example, the electrical indication device <NUM> can be an ammeter, a light-emitting element (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)), or a sound-emitting device that can be monitored by the user when using the fixing system <NUM>. As such, the electric circuit <NUM> may detect, via the electrical indication device <NUM>, a non-null electric current flowing between the first and second electrical contacts <NUM>, <NUM>, representative of a contact between the indicating means <NUM> (i.e. the vertex <NUM> of the resilient members <NUM> in this example) and the mounting bracket <NUM>. The electrical indication device <NUM> thus emits a signal to the user that informs the user whether the electric circuit <NUM> is in the open state or the closed state, thereby allowing the user to ascertain whether the adequate amount of pressure is being applied by the mounting bracket <NUM> onto the liquid cooling block <NUM>. For instance, in this embodiment, the electrical indication device <NUM> is a light-emitting element that lights up when the electric circuit <NUM> is in the closed state and turns off when the electric circuit <NUM> in the open state. Thus, when using the fixing system <NUM> that includes the electric circuit <NUM>, the user ceases the progressive fastening of the outer connecting portion <NUM> to the substrate <NUM> based on activation of the electrical indication device <NUM>.

In this alternative embodiment, the first and second end portions <NUM>, <NUM> of the resilient member <NUM> are coated with electrically insulating material such that no electric current can flow from the resilient member <NUM> to the mounting bracket <NUM> via the first and second end portions <NUM>, <NUM>. For example, a rubber coating may cover the first and second end portions <NUM>, <NUM> of the resilient member <NUM>.

With continued reference to <FIG>, it is contemplated that, in some embodiments, the electric circuit <NUM> could also be connected to a controller <NUM> that is configured to monitor a status of the electric circuit <NUM> and, thereby, whether a sufficient amount of pressure is exerted on the resilient member <NUM> to ensure adequate contact between the liquid cooling block <NUM> and the heat-generating electronic component <NUM>. The controller <NUM> therefore detects when the electric circuit <NUM> is open or closed and can communicate with peripheral devices (e.g., a display monitor, a tablet, a phone, etc.) to indicate the status of the electric circuit <NUM>. For example, if the fasteners <NUM> begin loosening their engagement with the fasteners <NUM> (e.g., due to vibrations to which the servers are subjected), then the electric circuit <NUM> may switch from the closed state to the open state. In such an event, the controller <NUM> detects this change of the electric circuit <NUM> to the open state and can send a signal indicating that an insufficient amount of pressure is being exerted on the resilient member <NUM>. For instance, the controller <NUM> may be part of a computer of a building management system (BMS) that monitors and records data related to the functioning of a data center. The BMS may thus monitor the status of the electric circuit of various such fixing systems that fix in place respective liquid cooling blocks. In some embodiments, the controller <NUM> could, upon detecting the change of the state of the electric circuit <NUM>, cause a peripheral device (e.g., a display monitor, a speaker, etc.) to emit a signal (e.g., visual or audio signal) indicative of the change of the state of the electric circuit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the controller <NUM> has a processor unit <NUM> for carrying out executable code, and a non-transitory memory unit <NUM> that stores the executable code in a non-transitory medium (not shown) included in the memory unit <NUM>. The processor unit <NUM> includes one or more processors for performing processing operations that implement functionality of the controller <NUM>. The processor unit <NUM> may be a general-purpose processor or may be a specific-purpose processor comprising one or more preprogrammed hardware or firmware elements (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), etc.) or other related elements. The non-transitory medium of the memory unit <NUM> may be a semiconductor memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) and/or random-access memory (RAM)), a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, and/or any other suitable type of memory. While the controller <NUM> is represented as being one control unit in this implementation, it is understood that the controller <NUM> could comprise separate control units for controlling components separately and that at least some of these control units could communicate with each other.

It is to be understood that the electric circuit <NUM> and the controller <NUM> could also be implemented in relation to the deformable member <NUM>' in a similar manner.

It should be understood that, in the context of the present specification, the liquid cooling block <NUM> being depicted above the heat-generating electronic component <NUM> is a mere example of an illustrative orientation, and that use of the words "above", "under", and related lexicon expressing relative positions of the components is only used to ease an understanding of the present technology. As an example, in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG> to <FIG>, the fixing system <NUM> is depicted above the liquid cooling block <NUM> which is disposed atop the heat-generating electronic component. This is a mere choice of representation, as the substrate <NUM> could extend, in use, along a vertical plane parallel to a gravity axis.

It should be expressly understood that not all technical effects mentioned herein need to be enjoyed in each and every embodiment of the present technology.

Claim 1:
A fixing system (<NUM>) for fixing a liquid cooling block (<NUM>) on a heat-generating electronic component (<NUM>), the fixing system comprising:
a mounting bracket (<NUM>) comprising:
a main portion (<NUM>) configured to overlie at least part of the liquid cooling block in order to urge the liquid cooling block against the heat-generating electronic component; and
an outer connecting portion (<NUM>) extending from the main portion, the outer connecting portion being configured to be fastened to a substrate (<NUM>) on which the heat-generating electronic component is disposed;
characterized by a resilient member (<NUM>) configured to be disposed between the main portion (<NUM>) of the mounting bracket (<NUM>) and the liquid cooling block, the resilient member (<NUM>) incorporating a vertex (<NUM>) to facilitate deformation that is oriented towards the liquid cooling block,
wherein, in use, the resilient member (<NUM>) is configured to undergo deformation in response to the outer connecting portion being progressively fastened to the substrate in order to provide an indication to a user that a desired amount of pressure is exerted between the mounting bracket (<NUM>) and the liquid cooling block for establishing adequate contact between the liquid cooling block and the heat-generating electronic component.