3-way quick-disconnect fluid couplings with automatic bypass switching

1 . An information processing device comprising:

a chassis;

a primary space in the chassis and one or more primary electronic components disposed in the primary space;

a primary liquid cooling loop disposed in the primary space and configured to circulate liquid coolant to cool the one or more primary electronic components, the primary liquid cooling loop comprising a supply portion, a return portion, and a bypass path connecting the supply portion to the return portion, the bypass path comprising one or more bypass portions connected in series;

one or more expansion spaces in the chassis, each expansion space configured to receive a corresponding expansion device and a corresponding expansion loop to cool the expansion device; and

one or more fluid coupling pairs connected to the primary liquid cooling loop and corresponding, respectively, to the one or more expansion spaces, each fluid coupling pair comprising two 3-way fluid couplings;

wherein, for each of the fluid coupling pairs:

the 3-way fluid couplings are configured to automatically switch between an expansion-present state and an expansion-absent state based on whether an expansion loop is installed in the corresponding expansion space and complementary fluid couplings of the expansion loop are mated with the 3-way fluid couplings;

in the expansion-absent state, the 3-way fluid couplings direct liquid coolant to flow through a corresponding one of the bypass portions which extends between the 3-way fluid couplings; and

in the expansion-present state, the 3-way fluid couplings direct liquid coolant to flow through the expansion loop and block the corresponding bypass portion.

2 . The information processing device of claim 1 ,

wherein the primary electronic components comprise a primary system board and one or more processors mounted to the primary system board.

3 . The information processing device of claim 1 ,

an expansion module installed in one of the expansion spaces, wherein the expansion module comprises one or more of the expansion devices and one of the expansion loops integrated together as a module.

4 . The information processing device of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more expansion spaces comprise a plurality of expansion spaces and the one or more fluid coupling pairs comprises a plurality of fluid coupling pairs, wherein each of the fluid coupling pairs is connected to an adjacent one of the fluid coupling pairs by one of the bypass portions.

5 . The information processing device of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more fluid coupling pairs comprise a first fluid coupling pair comprising a first 3-way fluid coupling and a second 3-way fluid coupling;

wherein the first 3-way fluid coupling comprises a first port coupled to the supply portion, a second port coupled to a first bypass portion of the one or more bypass portions, and a third port;

wherein the second 3-way fluid coupling comprises a first port coupled to the return portion or to a second bypass portion of the one or more bypass portions, a second port coupled to the first bypass portion, and a third port;

wherein, in the expansion-absent state, the first and second 3-way fluid couplings block their respective third ports and fluidically connect their respective first ports to their respective second ports; and

wherein, in the expansion-present state, the first and second 3-way fluid couplings block their respective second ports and fluidically connect their respective first ports to their respective third ports.

6 . The information processing device of claim 5 ,

wherein the first and second 3-way fluid couplings each comprise a body and a poppet disposed in the body, the poppet movable relative to the body between a first position in which the poppet blocks the third port and a second position in which the poppet blocks the second port.

7 . A method, comprising:

installing an expansion device in an expansion space of an information processing device, the information processing device comprising a primary space, one or more primary components in the primary space, and a primarily liquid cooling loop in the primary space and configured to circulate liquid coolant to cool the primary components;

installing an expansion loop configured to cool the expansion device in the expansion space and coupling the expansion loop to the primary liquid cooling loop such that the liquid coolant circulates through expansion loop,

wherein coupling the expansion loop to the primary liquid cooling loop comprises:

mating a pair of 3-way fluid couplings of the primary liquid cooling loop with a pair of complementary fluid couplings of the expansion loop; and

by the mating, causing the pair of 3-way fluid couplings to change from an expansion-absent state to an expansion-present state;

wherein, in the expansion absent state, the 3-way fluid couplings direct the liquid coolant to flow through a bypass portion of the primary liquid cooling loop, the bypass portion extending between the 3-way fluid couplings; and

wherein in the expansion-present state, the 3-way fluid couplings direct the liquid coolant to flow through the expansion loop and block the bypass portion.

8 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein mating the pair of 3-way fluid couplings with the pair of complementary fluid couplings causes respective plungers of the complementary fluid couplings to push against and move respective poppets of the 3-way fluid couplings, wherein the moving of the poppets causes the pair of 3-way fluid couplings to change from the expansion-absent state to the expansion-present state.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein mating the pair of 3-way fluid couplings with the pair of complementary fluid couplings comprises moving the 3-way fluid couplings and the complementary fluid couplings together; and

wherein the moving of the poppets is caused by the moving of the 3-way fluid couplings and the complementary fluid couplings together without reliance on any additional user input.