Cooling interface for a pluggable module

1 . A receptacle for receiving a pluggable module, comprising:

a cage comprising a plurality of plates including:

a lower plate;

an upper plate;

a left side plate disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate;

a right side plate disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate opposite the left side plate;

a bay defined by the plurality of plates, wherein the bay is sized to receive the pluggable module; and

one or more cooling interface modules, wherein:

each cooling interface module of the one or more cooling interface modules comprises:

a gap pad; and

a protective cover; and

each cooling interface module of the one or more cooling interface modules is disposed such that the gap pad is adjacent to a given plate of the plurality of plates and located between the protective cover and the given plate.

2 . The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is movable with respect to the given plate.

3 . The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein each cooling interface module of the one or more cooling interface modules further comprises a hook attached to one end of the protective cover and configured to pivotably connect the cooling interface module to an edge of the cage.

4 . The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein:

a first cooling interface module of the one or more cooling interface modules is disposed adjacent to a first plate of the plurality of plates; and

a second cooling interface module of the one or more cooling interface modules is disposed adjacent to a second plate of the plurality of plates.

5 . The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the protective cover comprises a metal sheet.

6 . The receptacle of claim 5 , wherein:

the metal sheet has an average thickness of 0.003 inches or less; and

the metal sheet comprises one of copper, a copper alloy, nickel, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or any combination of these.

7 . The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the protective cover comprises a low-friction, conforming, tear resistant, and thermally conductive material.

8 . The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is in the form of a sheet, foil, or film adhered to a face of the gap pad.

9 . The receptacle of claim 8 , wherein the protective cover comprises a metal sheet, foil, or film with an average thickness of 0.006 inches or less.

10 . The receptacle of claim 8 , wherein the protective cover is in contact with the entirety of the face of the gap pad.

11 . A computing system, comprising:

a chassis;

a system board supported by the chassis;

a removably pluggable module;

a receptacle coupled to or formed by the chassis and configured to receive the removably pluggable module, wherein the receptacle comprises:

a cage comprising a plurality of plates including:

a lower plate;

an upper plate located opposite the lower plate; and

side plates coupled to the lower plate and to the upper plate; and

at least one cooling interface module disposed along a plate of the plurality of plates, wherein the at least one cooling interface module further comprises:

a gap pad; and

a protective cover coupled to the gap pad such that the gap pad is sandwiched between the plate and the protective cover; and

a cold plate thermally coupled to the receptacle.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the gap pad of the at least one cooling interface module compresses upon insertion of the removably pluggable module such that a thermal connection is created between the receptacle and the removably pluggable module.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the removably pluggable module compresses the gap pad by pushing the protective cover away from the removably pluggable module as the removably pluggable module is inserted into the receptacle.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein contact between the gap pad and the receptacle, between the gap pad and the protective cover, and between the protective cover and the removably pluggable module creates a thermal interface between the removably pluggable module and the receptacle.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:

insertion of the removably pluggable module results in compression of the gap pad; and

the protective cover is pushed against the removably pluggable module by a restoring force caused by compression of the gap pad.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the cold plate is directly coupled to the receptacle.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the cold plate is a remotely located cold plate; and

the receptacle is thermally coupled to the remotely located cold plate by one or more thermal transfer devices.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the protective covering is a stainless steel covering.

19 . A method comprising:

inserting a removably pluggable module into a receptacle of a computing system, the receptacle comprising:

a cage defining a bay into which the removably pluggable module is inserted; and

a cooling interface module attached to the cage;

during the inserting, contacting the removably pluggable module with a protective cover of the cooling interface module;

by the contacting, compressing a gap pad of the cooling interface module between the protective cover and a plate of the cage, wherein the gap pad is attached to the protective cover; and

thermally coupling the removably pluggable module to the receptacle by causing the gap pad to, in response to being compressed, push the protective cover against the removably pluggable module.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the receptacle is thermally coupled to a cold plate of the computing system; and

thermally coupling the removably pluggable module to the receptacle comprises thermally coupling the removably pluggable module to the cold plate.