Patent ID: 7978472

Claim:
A cooling apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronic subsystem, the cooling apparatus comprising: a liquid-cooled cooling structure configured to mount to a front of a housing within which the electronic subsystem is configured to dock, the electronic subsystem being slidable relative to the housing through the front of the housing, for docking or undocking thereof relative to the housing, the liquid-cooled cooling structure comprising a thermally conductive material and comprising at least one coolant-carrying channel extending therethrough; and a heat transfer element configured to couple to one or more heat-generating components of the electronic subsystem, and configured to physically contact the liquid-cooled cooling structure when the liquid-cooled cooling structure is mounted to the front of the housing, the heat transfer element is coupled to the one or more heat generating components of the electronic subsystem and the electronic subsystem is docked within the housing, wherein each heat transfer element physically engages the liquid-cooled cooling structure external the housing as the electronic subsystem coupled thereto is slidably docked within the housing, and wherein the heat transfer element provides a thermal transport path from the one or more heat-generating components of the electronic subsystem coupled thereto, when docked within the housing, to the liquid-cooled cooling structure mounted to the front of the housing, and wherein the electronic subsystem is dockable within or undockable from the housing without affecting flow of coolant through the liquid-cooled cooling structure.