US20070111550A1 - Cable assembly - Google Patents
Cable assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070111550A1 US20070111550A1 US11/273,302 US27330205A US2007111550A1 US 20070111550 A1 US20070111550 A1 US 20070111550A1 US 27330205 A US27330205 A US 27330205A US 2007111550 A1 US2007111550 A1 US 2007111550A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- connector
- sleeve
- cabinet
- backplane
- connectors
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
- H05K7/14—Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
- H05K7/1485—Servers; Data center rooms, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
- H05K7/1488—Cabinets therefor, e.g. chassis or racks or mechanical interfaces between blades and support structures
- H05K7/1492—Cabinets therefor, e.g. chassis or racks or mechanical interfaces between blades and support structures having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
Definitions
- a power distribution cabinet receives power from an external source, which power is provided to a backplane of the cabinet.
- the backplane of the cabinet provides power to the electronic devices housed in the cabinet via busbars and/or cables coupled therebetween. Busbars and cables are difficult to install and are expensive to repair.
- FIG. 1 shows a three-dimension (3D) view of an illustrative power distribution cabinet (PDC), in accordance with embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 2 a shows a 3D view of an illustrative cable assembly housed within a cable assembly sleeve, in accordance with embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 2 b shows a plan view of the sleeve of FIG. 2 a , in accordance with embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of a chassis used to protect and guide the cable assembly sleeve as the sleeve is coupled to a backplane of the cabinet, in accordance with embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of the installation of the cable assembly and sleeve in a PDC chassis, in accordance with embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of multiple cable assemblies and sleeves installed in the PDC chassis, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
- FIGS. 6 a and 6 b show flow diagrams of processes used to install or repair an electronic device and/or a cable assembly in a PDC, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
- a cable assembly sleeve capable of housing a cable that is used to electrically couple a power distribution cabinet (PDC) backplane to an electronic device housed within the PDC.
- the sleeve is made of a substantially rigid material and comprises additional features that facilitate the installation of cable assemblies and electronic devices in PDCs.
- FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a PDC 100 .
- the PDC 100 comprises a power source 102 , a backplane 104 and an electronic device 108 which rests on one of a plurality of horizontal shelves 106 .
- the electronic device 108 is a cell board, which is a logic board that may comprise components such as power converters, data buses, processors, memory, etc.
- multiple cell boards may be housed within a system, such as a server, as described further below.
- the PDC 100 comprises wheels 110 to facilitate movement of the PDC 100 , although the wheels 110 are not necessary.
- the power source comprises a power connection 118 , which in some embodiments comprises a plug that may be mated to an alternating current (AC) wall outlet.
- the power source 102 receives power via the power connection 118 and, in turn, provides AC or direct current (DC) power to the backplane 104 via a power connection 112 .
- the backplane 104 comprises a plurality of power connectors, such as the connector 116 shown in the figure.
- the connector 116 corresponds to a connector 114 on the electronic device 108 . By coupling the connector 116 to the connector 114 , the device 108 is powered.
- a power source external to the cabinet 100 provides power to the power source 102 via the power connection 118 ; the power source 102 provides power to the backplane 104 via the power connection 112 ; and the backplane 104 provides power to the electronic device 108 via connector 116 which is coupled to connector 114 .
- Power provided by the backplane 104 is regulated by a power management processor 120 housed in the backplane 104 , as described further below.
- FIG. 2 a shows a conductive cable assembly 200 that is used to electrically couple the connector 116 to the connector 114 , thus providing power from the backplane 104 to the electronic device 108 .
- the cable assembly 200 comprises a cable 201 that is housed in a rigid, hollow, partially insulative sleeve 202 .
- the sleeve may be made of a plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), or any of a variety of other plastics. At least some of the plastics that may be used to manufacture the sleeve 202 are provided in Industrial Plastics , by Terry L.
- the sleeve 202 may be manufactured using non-plastics.
- the cable 201 may comprise any suitable conductive material, such as copper wiring, and an insulative material such as plastic around the conductive material.
- the cable 201 may be incorporated into the sleeve 202 during a sleeve-molding process or, in other embodiments, the cable 201 may be incorporated into an already-formed sleeve 202 .
- the various embodiments disclosed herein are described in terms of a cable, at least some of these embodiments may substitute a rigid, metal (e.g., copper) bar in place of the cable.
- the material has an approximate resistivity of 10 8 Ohms/square unit (e.g., square inch, square centimeter).
- the scope of disclosure is not limited to using a material that is approximate to 10 8 Ohms/square unit.
- the material used to manufacture the sleeve 202 is sufficiently insulative to prevent arcing between the cable assembly 200 and an adjacent cable assembly.
- the sleeve 202 also is sufficiently conductive to prevent an electrostatic discharge at the connector 114 , thus preventing damage to the connector 114 and/or the electronic device 108 .
- the shape of the sleeve 202 may be a cylinder with a circular, rectangular or elliptical cross section, although any shape may be used.
- the size (e.g., length, width, thickness) of the sleeve 202 is application-specific and may be adjusted as desired.
- the sleeve 202 comprises connectors 204 and 210 on either end as shown.
- Each connector 204 , 210 is coupled to the cable 201 housed inside the sleeve 202 , so that current flows between the connectors 204 , 210 via the cable 201 .
- the connectors 204 , 210 couple to the connectors 116 , 114 , respectively.
- the connectors 204 , 116 and the connectors 210 , 114 can be any type of connectors, as long as the connectors 204 , 116 and the connectors 210 , 114 can be coupled to each other.
- the connector 204 may comprise a plurality of male pins which mate to a female connector 116 , or vice versa. Other types of connections may be used as desired.
- the sleeve 202 optionally comprises multiple guide pins 206 that may be manufactured using the same material as the sleeve 202 . As shown in FIG. 2 a , the guide pins 206 are located on the same end of the sleeve 202 as the connector 204 . In some embodiments, the guide pins 206 may comprise bullet-shaped (e.g., cylindrical) protrusions, although the scope of disclosure is not limited as such. The guide pins 206 are used to aid in guiding the connector 204 to “blind-mate” with the connector 116 , as described further below.
- the sleeve 202 also comprises a plate 212 that is coupled to the same end as the connector 210 .
- Captive screws 208 may protrude through the plate 212 .
- the captive screws 208 protrude through the plate 212 on opposing sides of the connector 210 .
- the plate 212 and/or the screws 208 may be metal, plastic, or any other suitable type of material and of any suitable size and shape. For instance, as shown in FIG. 2 a , the plate 212 may be of a substantially rectangular shape.
- the captive screws 208 and the plate 212 are used as described further below.
- FIG. 2 b shows a plan view of the cable assembly 200 as indicated by arrows 250 in FIG. 2 a .
- FIG. 2 b shows the end of the assembly 200 that comprises the connector 204 and the guide pins 206 .
- the connector 204 is shown comprising multiple male connection pins 252 , although the scope of disclosure is not limited to using such pins to establish electrical connections between connectors.
- the connector 204 is fastened by the sleeve 202 such that the connector 204 is substantially immovable. That is, the connector 204 is tightly fastened by the sleeve 202 such that there is little or no “wiggle room” for the connector 204 .
- the guide pins 206 may be formed as part of the sleeve 202 , or the guide pins 206 may be formed separately from the sleeve 202 and subsequently attached to the sleeve 202 .
- FIG. 3 shows a chassis 300 that is housed in the cabinet 100 (not shown in the cabinet 100 of FIG. 1 ). More specifically, the chassis 300 is located between the electronic device 108 and the backplane 104 .
- the chassis 300 contains a frame comprising multiple I-beams 302 and multiple tunnels 304 formed between the I-beams 302 as shown.
- Each tunnel 304 is hollow and has an opening on each end of the tunnel.
- Each tunnel has one opening that is exposed to front-side plane 306 and another opening that is exposed to back-side plane 308 .
- Back-side plane 308 is substantially parallel to front-side plane 306 .
- the tunnels 304 are arranged substantially perpendicular to the I-beams 302 .
- the I-beams 302 serve to support the tunnels 304 .
- the I-beams 302 may be supported in the cabinet 100 by any suitable structure, such as the walls of the cabinet 100 .
- the chassis 300 comprises a resistive material, such as PVC or ABS, although the scope of disclosure is not limited to these materials.
- FIG. 4 shows the insertion of the cable assembly 200 into a tunnel 304 a of the chassis 300 .
- the sleeve 202 is inserted into an opening of the tunnel 304 a which is exposed on a front-side plane 306 of the chassis 300 .
- the assembly 200 is inserted such that the connector 210 is exposed to the front-side plane 306 and the connector 204 is exposed to the back-side plane 308 .
- the tunnel 304 a is of a size (e.g., length, width) such that the assembly 200 fits snugly into the tunnel 304 a and such that the connectors 210 , 204 , when the assembly 200 is fully inserted into the tunnel 304 a , are able to couple to connectors 114 , 116 , respectively, as described below.
- additional cable assemblies may be inserted into the other tunnels 304 in the chassis 300 to provide power from the backplane 104 to additional electronic devices in the cabinet 100 .
- FIG. 5 shows the chassis 300 installed in the cabinet 100 .
- Each tunnel 304 in the chassis 300 houses a cable assembly.
- tunnel 304 a is shown with portions of the tunnel 304 a and portions of the sleeve 202 removed.
- the tunnel 304 a comprises the cable 201 housed within the sleeve 202 .
- the connector 204 and the guide pins 206 protrude from the tunnel 304 a at the back-side plane 308 when the plate 212 abuts the tunnel 304 a.
- the chassis 300 is installed in the cabinet 100 at a distance from the backplane 104 such that, when the assembly 200 is fully inserted in the tunnel 304 a , the connector 204 snugly couples with the connector 116 on the backplane 104 .
- the optional guide pins 206 mate with holes (not specifically shown) on opposing sides of the connector 116 on the backplane 104 .
- an assembly 200 can be inserted into a tunnel (e.g., tunnel 304 a ), causing the connector 204 on sleeve 202 to electrically couple with the corresponding connector 116 on the backplane facilitated, if desired, by the guide pins 206 mating with corresponding holes.
- the assemblies inserted into the other tunnels 304 also have connectors (and optionally, guide pins) that couple to the backplane 104 via connectors on the backplane 104 .
- FIG. 6 a shows a process 600 that may be used to install an electronic device 108 in the cabinet 100 .
- the process begins by inserting assembly 200 into a tunnel 304 (block 602 ) and blind mating the connector 204 with the connector 116 (block 604 ).
- blind mating implies that due to the rigidity of the sleeve 202 , the connector 204 may be readily mated to the connector 116 , regardless of whether the connectors 204 , 116 are visible to a user coupling the connectors 204 , 116 .
- the sleeve 202 facilitates the blind mating of the connectors 204 , 116 because the sleeve 202 is rigid, unlike, in at least some embodiments, the cable 201 . Because the sleeve 202 is rigid, the cable 201 (housed in the sleeve 202 ) can quickly be inserted through the tunnel 304 a and coupled to the backplane 104 .
- the guide pins 206 may also be used to ensure that the connectors 204 , 116 are being properly blind-mated and to avoid any damage to the connectors 204 , 116 .
- the sleeve 202 facilitates coupling together the connectors 204 , 116 , the amount of time it takes to install the cable assembly 200 is substantially shorter than the time it would take to install the cable 201 without the sleeve 200 .
- the process 600 further comprises using screws 208 to fasten the plate 212 to the chassis 300 (block 606 ), effectively fastening the cable assembly 200 to the chassis 300 to keep the assembly 200 from slipping out of place.
- the process 600 then comprises installing the electronic device 108 (e.g., in a server) if not already installed, and coupling connector 114 to the connector 210 (block 608 ), thereby establishing an electrical connection between the device 108 and the backplane 104 .
- multiple electronic devices 108 may be housed together within a single system, such as a server (not specifically shown).
- a server may house multiple (e.g., four) electronic devices 108 (e.g., cell boards), each device 108 receiving power from the backplane 104 via its own cable assembly 200 .
- the electronic devices 108 housed in the server are hot-swappable, meaning that if one of the devices 108 fails, then that failed device 108 can be removed and fixed or replaced without having to power down the server and thus the other devices 108 contained therein.
- an individual cable assembly 200 can be removed and replaced without having to power down all of the devices 108 within the server—only the device 108 connected to the removed cable assembly 108 would be powered down.
- the management processor 120 may detect the failure and may, in some instances, cut off power supply to the defective device 108 and the assembly 200 .
- the processor 120 also may cause a display (not shown) coupled to the cabinet and/or the server to display an alert message to a user, warning the user of the failure.
- the user may address the failure using a process 650 as shown in FIG. 6 b.
- the process 650 comprises disconnecting the connectors 210 , 114 without powering down the server (block 652 ). By disconnecting the connectors 210 , 114 , the device 108 is powered down, but the server otherwise continues to function. Thus, the device 108 is “hot-swappable.” In case it is the device 108 that has failed (block 654 ), the process 650 comprises repairing or replacing the device 108 (block 656 ), inserting the repaired or replaced device 108 into the server (block 658 ), and coupling the connectors 210 , 114 to power up the device 108 (block 660 ).
- the process 650 comprises unscrewing the screws 208 (block 662 ) and pulling out the cable assembly 200 from the tunnel 304 a (block 664 ).
- the process 650 then comprises repairing or replacing the cable assembly 200 (block 666 ) and inserting the repaired or replaced cable assembly 200 into tunnel 304 a (block 668 ).
- the process 650 further comprises inserting the cable assembly 200 into the tunnel 304 a , blind-mating the assembly 200 to the backplane 104 (block 670 ) using connectors 204 , 116 and the guide pins 206 , and fastening the assembly 200 to the chassis 300 using the screws 208 (block 672 ).
- the connector 114 of the device 108 is mated to the connector 210 of the cable assembly 200 (block 674 ), thus powering the device 108 .
Abstract
Description
- Electronic devices, such as servers and computers, often are installed in power distribution cabinets. A power distribution cabinet receives power from an external source, which power is provided to a backplane of the cabinet. The backplane of the cabinet provides power to the electronic devices housed in the cabinet via busbars and/or cables coupled therebetween. Busbars and cables are difficult to install and are expensive to repair.
- For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a three-dimension (3D) view of an illustrative power distribution cabinet (PDC), in accordance with embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 2 a shows a 3D view of an illustrative cable assembly housed within a cable assembly sleeve, in accordance with embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 2 b shows a plan view of the sleeve ofFIG. 2 a, in accordance with embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of a chassis used to protect and guide the cable assembly sleeve as the sleeve is coupled to a backplane of the cabinet, in accordance with embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of the installation of the cable assembly and sleeve in a PDC chassis, in accordance with embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of multiple cable assemblies and sleeves installed in the PDC chassis, in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and -
FIGS. 6 a and 6 b show flow diagrams of processes used to install or repair an electronic device and/or a cable assembly in a PDC, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. - Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct electrical connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct electrical connection, or through an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections.
- The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.
- Disclosed herein is a cable assembly sleeve capable of housing a cable that is used to electrically couple a power distribution cabinet (PDC) backplane to an electronic device housed within the PDC. The sleeve is made of a substantially rigid material and comprises additional features that facilitate the installation of cable assemblies and electronic devices in PDCs.
-
FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of aPDC 100. The PDC 100 comprises apower source 102, abackplane 104 and anelectronic device 108 which rests on one of a plurality ofhorizontal shelves 106. In at least some embodiments, theelectronic device 108 is a cell board, which is a logic board that may comprise components such as power converters, data buses, processors, memory, etc. In some such embodiments, multiple cell boards may be housed within a system, such as a server, as described further below. The PDC 100 compriseswheels 110 to facilitate movement of thePDC 100, although thewheels 110 are not necessary. The power source comprises apower connection 118, which in some embodiments comprises a plug that may be mated to an alternating current (AC) wall outlet. Thepower source 102 receives power via thepower connection 118 and, in turn, provides AC or direct current (DC) power to thebackplane 104 via apower connection 112. Thebackplane 104 comprises a plurality of power connectors, such as theconnector 116 shown in the figure. Theconnector 116 corresponds to aconnector 114 on theelectronic device 108. By coupling theconnector 116 to theconnector 114, thedevice 108 is powered. Thus, the transfer of power is as follows: a power source external to thecabinet 100 provides power to thepower source 102 via thepower connection 118; thepower source 102 provides power to thebackplane 104 via thepower connection 112; and thebackplane 104 provides power to theelectronic device 108 viaconnector 116 which is coupled toconnector 114. Power provided by thebackplane 104 is regulated by apower management processor 120 housed in thebackplane 104, as described further below. - In accordance with embodiments of the invention,
FIG. 2 a shows aconductive cable assembly 200 that is used to electrically couple theconnector 116 to theconnector 114, thus providing power from thebackplane 104 to theelectronic device 108. Thecable assembly 200 comprises acable 201 that is housed in a rigid, hollow, partiallyinsulative sleeve 202. The sleeve may be made of a plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), or any of a variety of other plastics. At least some of the plastics that may be used to manufacture thesleeve 202 are provided in Industrial Plastics, by Terry L. Richardson et al., Thomson Delmar Learning, September 2003, incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, thesleeve 202 may be manufactured using non-plastics. Thecable 201 may comprise any suitable conductive material, such as copper wiring, and an insulative material such as plastic around the conductive material. In some embodiments, thecable 201 may be incorporated into thesleeve 202 during a sleeve-molding process or, in other embodiments, thecable 201 may be incorporated into an already-formedsleeve 202. Although the various embodiments disclosed herein are described in terms of a cable, at least some of these embodiments may substitute a rigid, metal (e.g., copper) bar in place of the cable. - Regardless of the material used to manufacture the
sleeve 202, in at least some embodiments, the material has an approximate resistivity of 108 Ohms/square unit (e.g., square inch, square centimeter). The scope of disclosure is not limited to using a material that is approximate to 108 Ohms/square unit. In general, the material used to manufacture thesleeve 202 is sufficiently insulative to prevent arcing between thecable assembly 200 and an adjacent cable assembly. However, thesleeve 202 also is sufficiently conductive to prevent an electrostatic discharge at theconnector 114, thus preventing damage to theconnector 114 and/or theelectronic device 108. The shape of thesleeve 202 may be a cylinder with a circular, rectangular or elliptical cross section, although any shape may be used. The size (e.g., length, width, thickness) of thesleeve 202 is application-specific and may be adjusted as desired. - The
sleeve 202 comprisesconnectors connector cable 201 housed inside thesleeve 202, so that current flows between theconnectors cable 201. Theconnectors connectors connectors connectors connectors connectors connector 204 may comprise a plurality of male pins which mate to afemale connector 116, or vice versa. Other types of connections may be used as desired. - The
sleeve 202 optionally comprisesmultiple guide pins 206 that may be manufactured using the same material as thesleeve 202. As shown inFIG. 2 a, theguide pins 206 are located on the same end of thesleeve 202 as theconnector 204. In some embodiments, theguide pins 206 may comprise bullet-shaped (e.g., cylindrical) protrusions, although the scope of disclosure is not limited as such. Theguide pins 206 are used to aid in guiding theconnector 204 to “blind-mate” with theconnector 116, as described further below. Thesleeve 202 also comprises aplate 212 that is coupled to the same end as theconnector 210.Captive screws 208, as well as theconnector 210, may protrude through theplate 212. The captive screws 208 protrude through theplate 212 on opposing sides of theconnector 210. Theplate 212 and/or thescrews 208 may be metal, plastic, or any other suitable type of material and of any suitable size and shape. For instance, as shown inFIG. 2 a, theplate 212 may be of a substantially rectangular shape. The captive screws 208 and theplate 212 are used as described further below. -
FIG. 2 b shows a plan view of thecable assembly 200 as indicated byarrows 250 inFIG. 2 a. In particular,FIG. 2 b shows the end of theassembly 200 that comprises theconnector 204 and the guide pins 206. Theconnector 204 is shown comprising multiple male connection pins 252, although the scope of disclosure is not limited to using such pins to establish electrical connections between connectors. Theconnector 204 is fastened by thesleeve 202 such that theconnector 204 is substantially immovable. That is, theconnector 204 is tightly fastened by thesleeve 202 such that there is little or no “wiggle room” for theconnector 204. Such fastening of theconnector 204 to thesleeve 202 aids in “blind-mating” theconnector 204 to theconnector 116, as described further below. The guide pins 206 may be formed as part of thesleeve 202, or the guide pins 206 may be formed separately from thesleeve 202 and subsequently attached to thesleeve 202. -
FIG. 3 shows achassis 300 that is housed in the cabinet 100 (not shown in thecabinet 100 ofFIG. 1 ). More specifically, thechassis 300 is located between theelectronic device 108 and thebackplane 104. Thechassis 300 contains a frame comprising multiple I-beams 302 andmultiple tunnels 304 formed between the I-beams 302 as shown. Eachtunnel 304 is hollow and has an opening on each end of the tunnel. Each tunnel has one opening that is exposed to front-side plane 306 and another opening that is exposed to back-side plane 308. Back-side plane 308 is substantially parallel to front-side plane 306. As shown, thetunnels 304 are arranged substantially perpendicular to the I-beams 302. The I-beams 302 serve to support thetunnels 304. The I-beams 302 may be supported in thecabinet 100 by any suitable structure, such as the walls of thecabinet 100. In at least some embodiments, thechassis 300 comprises a resistive material, such as PVC or ABS, although the scope of disclosure is not limited to these materials. -
FIG. 4 shows the insertion of thecable assembly 200 into atunnel 304 a of thechassis 300. Thesleeve 202 is inserted into an opening of thetunnel 304 a which is exposed on a front-side plane 306 of thechassis 300. In at least some embodiments, theassembly 200 is inserted such that theconnector 210 is exposed to the front-side plane 306 and theconnector 204 is exposed to the back-side plane 308. Thetunnel 304 a is of a size (e.g., length, width) such that theassembly 200 fits snugly into thetunnel 304 a and such that theconnectors assembly 200 is fully inserted into thetunnel 304 a, are able to couple toconnectors other tunnels 304 in thechassis 300 to provide power from thebackplane 104 to additional electronic devices in thecabinet 100. -
FIG. 5 shows thechassis 300 installed in thecabinet 100. Eachtunnel 304 in thechassis 300 houses a cable assembly. For illustrative purposes,tunnel 304 a is shown with portions of thetunnel 304 a and portions of thesleeve 202 removed. As can be seen, thetunnel 304 a comprises thecable 201 housed within thesleeve 202. Theconnector 204 and the guide pins 206 protrude from thetunnel 304 a at the back-side plane 308 when theplate 212 abuts thetunnel 304 a. - The
chassis 300 is installed in thecabinet 100 at a distance from thebackplane 104 such that, when theassembly 200 is fully inserted in thetunnel 304 a, theconnector 204 snugly couples with theconnector 116 on thebackplane 104. In some embodiments, the optional guide pins 206 mate with holes (not specifically shown) on opposing sides of theconnector 116 on thebackplane 104. When thechassis 300 is installed in thePDC 100, anassembly 200 can be inserted into a tunnel (e.g.,tunnel 304 a), causing theconnector 204 onsleeve 202 to electrically couple with the correspondingconnector 116 on the backplane facilitated, if desired, by the guide pins 206 mating with corresponding holes. Just as theassembly 200 has aconnector 204 that mates with theconnector 116, the assemblies inserted into theother tunnels 304 also have connectors (and optionally, guide pins) that couple to thebackplane 104 via connectors on thebackplane 104. -
FIG. 6 a shows aprocess 600 that may be used to install anelectronic device 108 in thecabinet 100. The process begins by insertingassembly 200 into a tunnel 304 (block 602) and blind mating theconnector 204 with the connector 116 (block 604). The term “blind mating” implies that due to the rigidity of thesleeve 202, theconnector 204 may be readily mated to theconnector 116, regardless of whether theconnectors connectors sleeve 202 facilitates the blind mating of theconnectors sleeve 202 is rigid, unlike, in at least some embodiments, thecable 201. Because thesleeve 202 is rigid, the cable 201 (housed in the sleeve 202) can quickly be inserted through thetunnel 304 a and coupled to thebackplane 104. The guide pins 206 may also be used to ensure that theconnectors connectors - Without the
sleeve 202, coupling theconnector 204 to theconnector 116 would be difficult, since thecabinet 100 may be crowded with wires and other electronic devices, and further because thechassis 300 minimizes or eliminates hand-maneuvering space. Because thesleeve 202 facilitates coupling together theconnectors cable assembly 200 is substantially shorter than the time it would take to install thecable 201 without thesleeve 200. - The
process 600 further comprises usingscrews 208 to fasten theplate 212 to the chassis 300 (block 606), effectively fastening thecable assembly 200 to thechassis 300 to keep theassembly 200 from slipping out of place. Theprocess 600 then comprises installing the electronic device 108 (e.g., in a server) if not already installed, andcoupling connector 114 to the connector 210 (block 608), thereby establishing an electrical connection between thedevice 108 and thebackplane 104. - In at least some embodiments, multiple
electronic devices 108 may be housed together within a single system, such as a server (not specifically shown). For example, a server may house multiple (e.g., four) electronic devices 108 (e.g., cell boards), eachdevice 108 receiving power from thebackplane 104 via itsown cable assembly 200. In some such embodiments, theelectronic devices 108 housed in the server are hot-swappable, meaning that if one of thedevices 108 fails, then that faileddevice 108 can be removed and fixed or replaced without having to power down the server and thus theother devices 108 contained therein. Similarly, anindividual cable assembly 200 can be removed and replaced without having to power down all of thedevices 108 within the server—only thedevice 108 connected to the removedcable assembly 108 would be powered down. - More specifically, in case either a device 108 (e.g., housed in a server) and/or a
corresponding cable assembly 200 fails, themanagement processor 120 may detect the failure and may, in some instances, cut off power supply to thedefective device 108 and theassembly 200. In some embodiments, theprocessor 120 also may cause a display (not shown) coupled to the cabinet and/or the server to display an alert message to a user, warning the user of the failure. In turn, the user may address the failure using aprocess 650 as shown inFIG. 6 b. - The
process 650 comprises disconnecting theconnectors connectors device 108 is powered down, but the server otherwise continues to function. Thus, thedevice 108 is “hot-swappable.” In case it is thedevice 108 that has failed (block 654), theprocess 650 comprises repairing or replacing the device 108 (block 656), inserting the repaired or replaceddevice 108 into the server (block 658), and coupling theconnectors cable assembly 200 is defective (block 654), theprocess 650 comprises unscrewing the screws 208 (block 662) and pulling out thecable assembly 200 from thetunnel 304 a (block 664). Theprocess 650 then comprises repairing or replacing the cable assembly 200 (block 666) and inserting the repaired or replacedcable assembly 200 intotunnel 304 a (block 668). Theprocess 650 further comprises inserting thecable assembly 200 into thetunnel 304 a, blind-mating theassembly 200 to the backplane 104 (block 670) usingconnectors assembly 200 to thechassis 300 using the screws 208 (block 672). Finally, theconnector 114 of thedevice 108 is mated to theconnector 210 of the cable assembly 200 (block 674), thus powering thedevice 108. - The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. For example, although the embodiments are described above as being used to transfer power, they also may be used to transfer electrical data signals. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.
Claims (23)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/273,302 US7214100B1 (en) | 2005-11-14 | 2005-11-14 | Cable assembly |
JP2006300599A JP4695054B2 (en) | 2005-11-14 | 2006-11-06 | Cable assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/273,302 US7214100B1 (en) | 2005-11-14 | 2005-11-14 | Cable assembly |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US7214100B1 US7214100B1 (en) | 2007-05-08 |
US20070111550A1 true US20070111550A1 (en) | 2007-05-17 |
Family
ID=38000947
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/273,302 Expired - Fee Related US7214100B1 (en) | 2005-11-14 | 2005-11-14 | Cable assembly |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7214100B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4695054B2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2274963A4 (en) * | 2008-04-30 | 2014-03-05 | Hewlett Packard Development Co | Power supply assembly for server rack and method for mounting power supply for server rack |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR101531981B1 (en) * | 2009-04-29 | 2015-06-26 | 휴렛-팩커드 디벨롭먼트 컴퍼니, 엘.피. | Optical memory expansion |
KR101994872B1 (en) * | 2018-05-28 | 2019-07-01 | 정교선 | Handgun storage module and firearm management apparatus having the same |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4146291A (en) * | 1977-08-03 | 1979-03-27 | Msi Data Corporation | Antistatic electrical connector housing |
US4480835A (en) * | 1983-03-02 | 1984-11-06 | Williams Theodore R | Cartridge adapter for programmable video games |
US5155663A (en) * | 1990-02-19 | 1992-10-13 | Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. | Memory cartridge system with adapter |
US5567180A (en) * | 1993-07-07 | 1996-10-22 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Cable manager system of a computer |
US6065992A (en) * | 1998-11-17 | 2000-05-23 | Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd. | Guide post of electrical connector |
US6767253B1 (en) * | 2002-11-06 | 2004-07-27 | Sprint Communications Company L.P. | Media-component docking system |
US20050116685A1 (en) * | 2003-12-01 | 2005-06-02 | Inventec Corporation | Docking module exchangeable with battery module of ultra thin notebook computer |
US6908324B1 (en) * | 2000-09-08 | 2005-06-21 | 3Com Corporation | Connector scheme to allow physical orientation of a computer peripheral |
US6981068B1 (en) * | 1993-09-01 | 2005-12-27 | Sandisk Corporation | Removable mother/daughter peripheral card |
Family Cites Families (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS63225479A (en) * | 1987-03-14 | 1988-09-20 | 松下電工株式会社 | Electric source joint box |
-
2005
- 2005-11-14 US US11/273,302 patent/US7214100B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2006
- 2006-11-06 JP JP2006300599A patent/JP4695054B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4146291A (en) * | 1977-08-03 | 1979-03-27 | Msi Data Corporation | Antistatic electrical connector housing |
US4480835A (en) * | 1983-03-02 | 1984-11-06 | Williams Theodore R | Cartridge adapter for programmable video games |
US5155663A (en) * | 1990-02-19 | 1992-10-13 | Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. | Memory cartridge system with adapter |
US5567180A (en) * | 1993-07-07 | 1996-10-22 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Cable manager system of a computer |
US6981068B1 (en) * | 1993-09-01 | 2005-12-27 | Sandisk Corporation | Removable mother/daughter peripheral card |
US6065992A (en) * | 1998-11-17 | 2000-05-23 | Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd. | Guide post of electrical connector |
US6908324B1 (en) * | 2000-09-08 | 2005-06-21 | 3Com Corporation | Connector scheme to allow physical orientation of a computer peripheral |
US6767253B1 (en) * | 2002-11-06 | 2004-07-27 | Sprint Communications Company L.P. | Media-component docking system |
US20050116685A1 (en) * | 2003-12-01 | 2005-06-02 | Inventec Corporation | Docking module exchangeable with battery module of ultra thin notebook computer |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2274963A4 (en) * | 2008-04-30 | 2014-03-05 | Hewlett Packard Development Co | Power supply assembly for server rack and method for mounting power supply for server rack |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP4695054B2 (en) | 2011-06-08 |
US7214100B1 (en) | 2007-05-08 |
JP2007141836A (en) | 2007-06-07 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US10951013B2 (en) | Multiple input power distribution shelf and bus bar assembly thereof | |
US10349524B2 (en) | Board-mounted circuit breakers for electronic equipment enclosures | |
US7760516B2 (en) | Modular UPS systems and methods using modular interconnect assemblies | |
US7591667B2 (en) | Network connection sensing assembly | |
EP2580634B1 (en) | Power routing device for expansion slot of computer system | |
US7313000B2 (en) | Power distribution system for a personal computer | |
TWI409020B (en) | Data processing equipment and power matching mechanism with methods using same | |
US5406453A (en) | Computer chassis planar/riser card assembly | |
US8500465B1 (en) | Adaptive cable connection system | |
EP1835795A2 (en) | Power interconnect assemblies and methods for configuring the same | |
US20050101184A1 (en) | [electrical connecting interface of mobile data storage device] | |
EP3235103B1 (en) | Modular uninterruptible power supply and power distribution system | |
US6496364B1 (en) | Upgradeable system and method for connecting a 1U personal computer | |
US7214100B1 (en) | Cable assembly | |
US6711012B1 (en) | Method and system for quickly connecting a 1U personal computer | |
US6737582B2 (en) | Power connector | |
CN111694407B (en) | Server system | |
JP2007141836A5 (en) | ||
CN207398394U (en) | A kind of supply lines of high current-carrying low connect-disconnect force | |
KR20150004464U (en) | Power connector device | |
US20130308259A1 (en) | Server cabinet | |
JP2000035838A (en) | Bus for power distribution and its manufacture | |
JPH11243628A (en) | Network line concentrator | |
CN219202237U (en) | High-shielding 3U chassis for satellite ground data processing equipment | |
US20210028645A1 (en) | Enclosure with modular trays for controlling power and communication |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.,TEXAS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CHIA, VIC HONG;PETERSON, MARTHA G.;SKOOG, ROBERT W.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:017234/0796 Effective date: 20051114 Owner name: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P., TEXAS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CHIA, VIC HONG;PETERSON, MARTHA G.;SKOOG, ROBERT W.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:017234/0796 Effective date: 20051114 |
|
CC | Certificate of correction | ||
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
REMI | Maintenance fee reminder mailed | ||
LAPS | Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees | ||
STCH | Information on status: patent discontinuation |
Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362 |
|
FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee |
Effective date: 20150508 |