Scissor structure for cable/tube management of rack-mounted liquid-cooled electronic assemblies

An articulating scissor structure for managing a cable/tube bundle that electrically and fluidly communicates with a liquid-cooled case containing an electronic assembly that is mounted within a rack frame, the articulating scissor structure comprising:

• a first arm configured to be detachably connected to a contact point on a backplane of the at least one liquid-cooled case and to supportively guide a segment of the cable/tube bundle routed towards a distal end of the first arm;
• a second arm configured to be detachably connected to a contact point on a backplane of the rack frame to supportively guide a segment of the cable/tube bundle routed from the rack frame;
• and
• a joining portion configured to hingedly couple the first and second arms via a center axle and to controllably guide the cable/tube bundle along a pivot point of the center axle during a racking operation moving the at least one liquid-cooled case into a racked space within the rack frame and during a de-racking operation moving the at least one liquid-cooled case into a de-racked space away the rack frame,
• wherein the racked and de-racked spaces are defined between the distal end of the first arm and the rack frame backplane, in which the de-racked space is larger than the racked space,
• the joining portion being configured to controllably guide the cable/tube bundle by incorporating, proximate to the center axle, a first strain-relief fitting connecting to a segment of the cable/tube bundle routed from the rack frame backplane and a second strain-relief fitting connecting to a segment of the cable/tube bundle routed to the distal end of the first arm.

A rack system for housing at least one rack-mounted, liquid-cooled case containing at least one electronic assembly, comprising:

• a rack frame configured to receive the at least one of liquid-cooled case within the rack system;
• an opening within the rack frame configured to accommodate at least one cable/tube bundle for servicing the at least one liquid-cooled case within the rack system when the at least one liquid-cooled case is installed in the rack system;
• and
• at least one articulating scissor structure comprising a first arm having a top portion with a fastener configured to be detachably coupled to a contact point of the at least one liquid-cooled case backplane, a second arm having a top portion with a fastener detachably coupled to a contact point of the rack frame backplane, and a joining portion hingedly coupling a bottom portion of the first arm and a bottom portion of the second arm together via a center axle,
• when in use and the at least one liquid-cooled case is received within the rack system:
• the at least one articulating scissor structure being configured to slidably move the at least one liquid-cooled case in racking and de-racking operations, the racking and de-racking operations causing lateral movement of the at least one of liquid-cooled case between a racked space and a de-racked space,
• the racked and de-racked spaces being defined between a distal end of the first arm and a backplane of the rack frame, the de-racked space being larger than the racked space,
• the joining portion being configured to controllably guide the at least one cable/tube bundle along a pivot point of the center axle during racking and de-racking operations movement by incorporating, proximate to the center axle, a first strain-relief fitting connecting to a segment of the cable/tube bundle routed from the rack frame backplane and a second strain-relief fitting connecting to a segment of the cable/tube bundle routed to the distal end of the first arm,
• wherein, the articulating scissor structure is configured to support and guide the at least one cable/tube bundle during de-racking operations movement by laterally extending the first and second arms to accommodate the de-racked space and to support and guide the at least one cable/tube bundle during racking operations movement by laterally contracting the first and second arms to accommodate the racked space.