Patents by Inventor Roger Schmidt

Roger Schmidt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080060373
    Abstract: An isolation valve assembly, a coolant connect/disconnect assembly, a cooled multi-blade electronics center, and methods of fabrication thereof are provided employing an isolation valve and actuation mechanism. The isolation valve is disposed within at least one of a coolant supply or return line providing liquid coolant to the electronics subsystem. The actuation member is coupled to the isolation valve to automatically translate a linear motion, resulting from insertion of the electronics subsystem into the operational position within the electronics housing, into a rotational motion to open the isolation valve and allow coolant to pass. The actuation mechanism, which operates to automatically close the isolation valve when the liquid cooled electronics subsystem is withdrawn from the operational position, can be employed in combination with a compression valve coupling, with one fitting of the compression valve coupling being disposed serially in fluid communication with the isolation valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth Jr., Madhusudan Iyengar, Donald Porter, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20080062639
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and a direct cooling impingement module are provided, along with a method of fabrication thereof. The cooling apparatus and direct impingement cooling module include a manifold structure and a jet orifice plate for injecting coolant onto a surface to be cooled. The jet orifice plate, which includes a plurality of jet orifices for directing coolant at the surface to be cooled, is a unitary plate configured with a plurality of jet orifice structures. Each jet orifice structure projects from a lower surface of the jet orifice plate towards the surface to be cooled, and includes a respective jet orifice. The jet orifice structures are spaced to define coolant effluent removal regions therebetween which facilitate removal of coolant effluent from over a center region of the electronic component being cooled to a peripheral region thereof, thereby reducing pressure drop across the jet orifice plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi CAMPBELL, Richard CHU, Michael ELLSWORTH, Madhusudan IYENGAR, Roger SCHMIDT, Robert SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20080030953
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for cooling an assembly including a substrate supporting multiple electronics components. The cooling apparatus includes: multiple discrete cold plates, each having a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet and at least one coolant chamber disposed therebetween; and multiple coolant-carrying tubes, each tube extending from a respective cold plate and being in fluid communication with the coolant inlet or outlet of the cold plate. An enclosure is provided having a perimeter region which engages the substrate to form a cavity with the electronics components and cold plates being disposed within the cavity. The enclosure is configured with multiple bores, each bore being sized and located to receive a respective coolant-carrying tube of the tubes extending from the cold plates. Further, the enclosure is configured with a manifold in fluid communication with the tubes for distributing coolant in parallel to the cold plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi CAMPBELL, Richard CHU, Michael ELLSWORTH, Madhusudan IYENGAR, Roger SCHMIDT, Robert SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20080026509
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for cooling an assembly including a planar support structure supporting multiple electronics components. The cooling apparatus includes: multiple discrete cold plates, each having a coolant inlet, coolant outlet and at least one coolant carrying channel disposed therebetween; and a manifold for distributing coolant to and exhausting coolant from the cold plates. The cooling apparatus also includes multiple flexible hoses connecting the coolant inlets of the cold plates to the manifold, as well as the coolant outlets to the manifold, with each hose segment being disposed between a respective cold plate and the manifold. A biasing mechanism biases the cold plates away from the manifold and towards the electronics components, and at least one fastener secures the manifold to the support structure, compressing the biasing mechanism, and thereby forcing the parallel coupled cold plates towards their respective electronics components to ensure good thermal interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi CAMPBELL, Richard CHU, Michael ELLSWORTH, Madhusudan IYENGAR, Roger SCHMIDT, Robert SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20070242432
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack employing an air delivery structure coupled to the electronics rack. The air delivery structure delivers air flow at a location external to the electronics rack and in a direction to facilitate mixing thereof with re-circulating exhausted inlet-to-outlet air flow from the air outlet side of the electronics rack to the air inlet side thereof. The delivered air flow is cooler than the re-circulating exhausted inlet-to-outlet air flow and when mixed with the re-circulating air flow facilitates lowering air inlet temperature at a portion of the air inlet side of the electronics rack, thereby enhancing cooling of the electronics rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Levi CAMPBELL, Richard CHU, Michael ELLSWORTH, Madhusudan IYENGAR, Roger SCHMIDT, Robert SIMONS
  • Publication number: 20070177367
    Abstract: An apparatus for conducting heat from a computer component to a heat sink. The invention may include a thermal interface material (TIM). The invention may further include a seal or gasket that at least partially encloses the TIM. The gasket may facilitate retaining the TIM within its sidewall, and thus in place on or near a computer component. Generally, the gasket may be placed between the computer component (or a silicon board or other material upon which the computer component is located) and a heat sink. An insert may be placed within the gasket and define an aperture. The chip seats in the aperture and thus is spatially located with respect to the insert. The TIM abuts both the computer component and a heat sink. A desiccant may be located within the gasket and absorb any moisture diffusing or migrating through the gasket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicants: Apple Computer, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Bailey, Richard Blanco, David Edwards, Supratik Guha, Michael Hillman, Yves Martin, Phillip Mort, Roger Schmidt, Prabjit Singh, Ronald Smith, Gregory Tice, Theodore van Kessel
  • Publication number: 20070154205
    Abstract: A system transports a device into a piece of industrial equipment for the purpose of collecting data inside of the industrial equipment. In an embodiment, the industrial equipment is a furnace and the device is an IR camera. The system opens a door covering an opening on the furnace, moves the IR camera inside of the furnace for a short time, the IR camera captures images, and the system removes the camera from the furnace and closes the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Kocanda, Roger Schmidt, Justin Sheard, William Volna, Manuel Alvarez, Charles Lane, Larry Hain
  • Publication number: 20070141378
    Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for providing an enhanced thermal interface. The interface is formed by application of a structure or foil embedded in an alloy in solid form between two surfaces. Once heat is applied from one or both surfaces, the alloy melts forming the desired interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jairo Pacheco, Roger Schmidt, Prabjit Singh
  • Publication number: 20070119569
    Abstract: A redundant assembly for an air and liquid cooled module is provided. The redundant cooling assembly comprises an air and liquid cooled module having a cold plate in thermal communication with a side attached auxiliary drawer. The auxiliary drawer houses a heat exchanger, a liquid pump with piping such that the heat exchanger, the liquid pump with piping and the cold plate form a closed liquid cooling loop. The auxillary drawer also housing an air moving device such that air can readily pass through the air moving device and the heat exchanger in order to provide air cooling. In one embodiment of the invention, fins are disposed on the cold plate to provide cooling in case the pump or the air moving device or both encounter a failure. In alternate embodiments, multiple pumps and/or multiple air moving devices can be used with or without the cold plate fins to provide redundancies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070121294
    Abstract: A heat exchange assembly for a cooling system, having first and second cooling loops, includes a housing with a first coolant inlet and outlet and a second coolant inlet and outlet, respectively coupling to the first and second cooling loops, and multiple heat exchange elements. Each heat exchange element includes a first set and a second set of coolant flow passages intersecting different pairs of parallel face surfaces of the elements, with the second set of flow passages extending in a transverse direction to the first set of flow passages. The heat exchange elements are disposed within the housing with the first set of flow passages oriented in a first common direction in fluid communication with the first coolant inlet and outlet and the second set of flow passages oriented in a second common direction in fluid communication with the second coolant inlet and outlet of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070121299
    Abstract: A heat transfer apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating removal of heat from a heat generating electronic device. The heat transfer apparatus includes a thermally conductive base having a main surface, and a plurality of thermally conductive fins extending from the main surface. The thermally conductive fins are disposed to facilitate transfer of heat from the thermally conductive base, which can be a portion of the electronic device or a separate structure coupled to the electronic device. At least some conductive fins are composite structures, each including a first material coated with a second material, wherein the first material has a first thermal conductivity and the second material a second thermal conductivity. In one implementation, the thermally conductive fins are wire-bonded pin-fins, each being a discrete, looped pin-fin separately wire-bonded to the main surface and spaced less than 300 micrometers apart in an array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070121295
    Abstract: A method and incorporated hybrid air and liquid cooled module for cooling electronic components of a computing system is disclosed. The module is used for cooling electronic components and comprise a closed loop liquid cooled assembly in thermal communication with an air cooled assembly, such that the air cooled assembly is at least partially included in the liquid cooled assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070104889
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for the surface treatment of workpieces, in particular for the wet chemical pretreatment of workpieces to be painted, are described. The apparatus comprises at least one pretreatment zone operating with a water-containing treatment liquid and at least one drying device for drying treatment liquid adhering to the surfaces of the workpieces. In order to dry the treatment liquid quickly and with a high energy efficiency, the drying device comprises at least one microwave generator with which the treatment liquid is dried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Wieland Flothmann, Roger Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20070091569
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for cooling an assembly including a substrate supporting multiple electronics components. The cooling apparatus includes: multiple discrete cold plates, each having a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet and at least one coolant chamber disposed therebetween; and multiple coolant-carrying tubes, each tube extending from a respective cold plate and being in fluid communication with the coolant inlet or outlet of the cold plate. An enclosure is provided having a perimeter region which engages the substrate to form a cavity with the electronics components and cold plates being disposed within the cavity. The enclosure is configured with multiple bores, each bore being sized and located to receive a respective coolant-carrying tube of the tubes extending from the cold plates. Further, the enclosure is configured with a manifold in fluid communication with the tubes for distributing coolant in parallel to the cold plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070091570
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for cooling an assembly including a planar support structure supporting multiple electronics components. The cooling apparatus includes: multiple discrete cold plates, each having a coolant inlet, coolant outlet and at least one coolant carrying channel disposed therebetween; and a manifold for distributing coolant to and exhausting coolant from the cold plates. The cooling apparatus also includes multiple flexible hoses connecting the coolant inlets of the cold plates to the manifold, as well as the coolant outlets to the manifold, with each hose segment being disposed between a respective cold plate and the manifold. A biasing mechanism biases the cold plates away from the manifold and towards the electronics components, and at least one fastener secures the manifold to the support structure, compressing the biasing mechanism, and thereby forcing the parallel coupled cold plates towards their respective electronics components to ensure good thermal interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070084588
    Abstract: In a system for liquid cooling of electronics, where the electronics are subject to rotation in space, a liquid coolant storage tank includes a degassing and vortex-preventing structure to allow bubbles to float to the surface of the liquid inside the tank, and also to prevent vortices from forming near the outlet from the tank. The structure includes nested tubes or conduits. An inner conduit extends from the inlet into the tank, and its open end is covered by a second conduit with a baffle across its end, so that the flow is directed by the baffle to flow back along the outside of the inner conduit, and inside of the outer conduit. Especially at the inlet, a third conduit with large perforations surrounds the open end of the outer conduit. Smaller perforations on the inner conduit at the outlet side discourage any vortex from forming there. Reversal of the liquid flow, and the gradual increase in flow cross section prevent surging inside the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Eckberg, James Gerken, Cary Huettner, Roger Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20070044483
    Abstract: A localized refrigerator apparatus for a thermal management device includes a chamber having an evaporation portion and a condensation portion. The evaporation portion is adapted to thermally couple to a heat generating device. A fluid housed in the chamber and is adapted to facilitate heat transfer between the evaporation portion and the condensation portion by an evaporation and condensation cycle. The thermal management device also includes a thermoelectric cooler thermally coupled to the condensation portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: ATI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Gamal Refai-Ahmed, Roger Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20070032979
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the physical quantities of a data center during operation and method for servicing large-scale computing systems is disclosed. The apparatus includes a cart that supports a plurality of sensors. The cart is moveable within the data center. The sensors capture temperature or other physical parameters within the room. The sensor readings, along with position and orientation information pertaining to the cart are transmitted to a computer system where the data is analyzed to select the optimum temperature or other system environmental parameters for the data center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hendrik Hamann, Madhusudan Iyengar, James Lacey, Martin O'Boyle, Roger Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20070019380
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack employing an air delivery structure coupled to the electronics rack. The air delivery structure delivers air flow at a location external to the electronics rack and in a direction to facilitate mixing thereof with re-circulating exhausted inlet-to-outlet air flow from the air outlet side of the electronics rack to the air inlet side thereof. The delivered air flow is cooler than the re-circulating exhausted inlet-to-outlet air flow and when mixed with the re-circulating air flow facilitates lowering air inlet temperature at a portion of the air inlet side of the electronics rack, thereby enhancing cooling of the electronics rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Marchines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi Campbell, Richard Chu, Michael Ellsworth,, Madhusudan Iyengar, Roger Schmidt, Robert Simons
  • Publication number: 20070017658
    Abstract: Cold plate apparatuses and methods of fabrication are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronics component. The fabrication approach includes: forming a tube with a first metal and having first and second ends with a heat transfer region disposed therebetween; positioning the heat transfer region of the tube within a mold and casting a heat sink member around the tube by contacting a second metal in molten form over the tube, wherein the first and second metals react peritectically to form an alloy layer between the tube and the heat sink member, and a metallurgical bond is formed between the tube and heat sink member with cooling of the molten second metal; and controlling casting of the heat sink member to minimize a thickness of the alloy layer to enhance a heat transfer characteristic of the metallurgical bond formed between the tube and the heat sink member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bret Lehman, Roger Schmidt, Prabjit Singh