Cold plate placement and retraction apparatus with predefined travel pathway

A method of using a cold plate placement and retraction apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing the cold plate placement and retraction apparatus including
• a moveable arm assembly comprising a first linkage arm, a second linkage arm, and a third linkage arm, wherein the first linkage arm and the second linkage arm are pivotally connected by-a first pivot pin and the second linkage arm and the third linkage arm are pivotally connected by a second pivot pin, the moveable arm assembly has a first end and a second end, and the first end is adapted to allow for removable attachment of a cold plate from a cooling assembly in a computer server;
• and
• a coupling that reversibly connects the second end of the moveable arm assembly to a location on the cooling assembly, wherein the coupling is adapted to allow the moveable arm assembly to be held in place at the location on the cooling assembly, wherein the moveable arm assembly is adapted to move along a predefined travel pathway and adapted to be reversibly converted between at least:
• a lowered configuration in which the moveable arm assembly is in an arrangement adapted to allow the first end of the moveable arm assembly to attach to the cold plate;
• and
• a service configuration in which the moveable arm assembly is raised from the lowered configuration along the predefined travel pathway to an elongated arrangement adapted to allow the cold plate to extend away from the cooling assembly to allow for service actions on the cold plate;
• coupling the cold plate placement and retraction apparatus to the location on the cooling assembly;
• attaching the first end of the moveable arm assembly to the cold plate while the moveable arm assembly is in the lowered configuration;
• raising the moveable arm assembly from the lowered configuration to the service configuration;
• and
• replacing the cold plate with a replacement cold plate.