Patent ID: 12261392

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer toFIG.1andFIG.2. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a socket connector of an immersion cooling type is used for installation on a partition board20for a plug10to be inserted therein. To be more specific, the partition board20forms a part of a water tank, and one side of the partition board20is located on the dry side21at the external of the water tank, and another side of the partition board is located on the wet side22at the internal of the water tank. The partition board20includes an installation hole23formed thereon, and the installation hole23penetrates through the partition board20.

Please refer toFIG.2toFIG.4. In this exemplary embodiment, the socket connector of the present disclosure includes a waterproof housing100, a socket200, a heat conduction plate300, a cable400and a waterproof plug500.

Please refer toFIG.1toFIG.4, in this exemplary embodiment, the waterproof housing100may have an elongated shape for penetrating through the installation hole23on the partition board20. One end of the waterproof housing100includes an opening101of an open state, and the opening101is located at the dry side21of the partition board20, and a press collar130is fastened to such end of the waterproof housing100to fasten and secure the waterproof housing100on the partition board20. Another end of the waterproof housing100includes a wiring opening102. The wiring housing102is located at the wet side22of the partition board20. An end cover140is disposed on the wiring opening102to close the wiring housing102, and a waterproof gasket143is disposed between the end cover140and the outer edge of the wiring opening102. Accordingly, the internal of the waterproof housing100is connected to the dry side21of the partition board20and is isolated from the wet side22of the partition board20. The inner side of the waterproof housing100includes a ring step surface120protruding therefrom, and the ring step surface120is arranged to face the wiring opening100. The outer surface of the waterproof housing100includes a plurality of cooling fins110. Accordingly, the cooling fins110are exposed at the wet side22of the partition board20.

The socket200is received inside the waterproof housing100. The socket200includes a circuit board210and at least one metal casing220. In addition, the metal casing220is attached to the circuit board210. In this exemplary embodiment, the socket200includes two identical metal casings220, and the two meal casings220are symmetrically attached to two sides of the circuit board210respectively. In the content below, one of the metal casings220is used as an example to illustrate the structure of the metal casing220. In this exemplary embodiment, the metal casing220has an elongated shape, and one end of the metal casing220includes an insertion opening221, and a side surface of the metal casing220includes a side opening222formed thereon. The metal casing220penetrates into the internal of the waterproof housing100and also penetrates the opening101of the waterproof housing100, such that the insertion opening221is able to align with the opening101to allow the plug10to be inserted into the socket200via the dry side21of the partition board20.

Please refer toFIG.3,FIG.4andFIG.9toFIG.11. The heat conduction structure of the socket connector of the present disclosure is described in detail in the following:

The heat conduction plate300is movably attached to the outer side of the metal casing220. One side of the heat conduction plate300passes through the side opening222to protrude out from the inner surface of the metal casing220. In addition, another side of the heat conduction plate300includes a flexible heat conduction element310attached thereto. In this exemplary embodiment, the flexible heat conduction element310is a thermal paste or thermal pad made of a gel material of mixed metal powder. To be more specific, the heat conduction plate300includes a protruding stage301passing through the side opening222to protrude out of the inner surface of the metal casing220. A slot222is formed at the opposite surface of the heat conduction plate300and the protruding stage301, and the flexible heat conduction element310is received inside the slot302. The flexible heat conduction element310is disposed between the inner surface of the waterproof housing100and the heat conduction plate300(the flexible heat conduction element310is spaced apart from the inner surface of the waterproof housing100, that is, the flexible heat conduction element310does not contact the inner surface of the waterproof housing100before the socket200being inserted), such that during the assembly, it is able to allow the socket200to be inserted into the waterproof housing100. The heat conduction plate300includes a guiding slope303, and the guiding slope303is formed at one side of the protruding stage301and protrudes inside the metal casing220. The guiding slope303is arranged to face the insertion opening221.

Please refer toFIG.9toFIG.11. When the plug10is inserted into the metal casing220, the plug10pushes the heat conduction plate300via the protruding stage301, and the plug10presses the protruding stage301to be thermally connected to the heat conduction plate300, and the guiding slope303facilitates the plug10to push the protruding stage301. The heat conduction plate300is pushed toward the external of the metal casing220to allow the flexible heat conduction element310to be compressed by the heat conduction plate300and the waterproof housing100, thereby allowing the heat conduction plate300to be thermally connected to the waterproof housing100. In some embodiments, the flexible heat conduction element310is arranged corresponding to the locations of the cooling fins110, such that when the plug10is inserted into the metal casing220, the heat conduction plate300is thermally connected to the cooling fins110.

The metal casing220includes an elastic member230, and the elastic member230is connected to the heat conduction plate300. When the plug10is removed, the elastic member230may push the heat conduction plate300to return to its original position. To be more specific, the elastic member230is attached to the metal bracket141at the outer side of the metal casing220, and the elastic member230includes an elastic arm231extended therefrom. In addition, the elastic arm231presses the heat conduction plate300to push the heat conduction plate300toward the internal of the metal casing220.

Please refer toFIG.3toFIG.8. The waterproof structure of the socket connector of the present disclosure is described in detail in the following:

One end of the cable400is connected to the circuit board210of the socket200, and the cable400penetrates through the waterproof housing100via the wiring opening102to reach the internal of the water tank. The waterproof plug500wraps a section of the cable400. To be more specific, the waterproof plug500wraps the connection area between the cable400and the circuit board210, and the waterproof plug500is disposed at the wiring opening102to close the wiring opening102. The waterproof plug500includes an inner end510and an outer end520opposite to the inner end510. The inner end510of the waterproof plug500is arranged to face the socket200and the inner end510of the waterproof plug500includes a longitudinal annular rib501formed thereon. The end cap140is fastened to the waterproof housing100along the longitudinal direction of the waterproof plug500to press the outer end520, thereby allowing the longitudinal annular rib501to press the ring step surface120to achieve the sealing effect. The inner end510of the waterproof plug500includes an annular slot503, and the ring step surface120closes the annular slot503. The internal of the annular slot503is filled with waterproof gel to achieve the sealing effect. The outer surface of the waterproof plug500includes a transverse annular rib502, and the transverse annular rib abuts against the inner surface of the waterproof housing100to achieve the sealing effect.

To be more specific, the end cap140includes a plurality of brackets141, and the brackets141are connected to each other to circumferentially define a through hole103for the waterproof plug500to penetrate therethrough. In addition, the plurality of brackets141are respectively fastened to the waterproof housing100along the longitudinal direction of the waterproof plug500. Accordingly, when the plurality of brackets141are assembled, an inner edge of the through hole103presses against an outer surface of the waterproof plug500to achieve the sealing effect.

The above description is provided to illustrate the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure only such that it shall not be treated as limitation to the claimed scope of the present disclosure. In addition, any equivalent modification made based on the present disclosure shall be considered to be within the claimed scope of the present disclosure.