Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – Hermetic sealed envelope type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-11-27
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
Hermetic sealed envelope type
C361S689000, C361S796000, C361S797000, C361S801000, C361S802000, C312S223200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323423
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to electrical cabinets adapted to store, or house, electrical components, and, more particularly to printed circuit boards used in data storage and transfer systems.
As is known in the art, electrical cabinets are used to store, or house, a variety electrical components such as printed circuit boards. The electrical cabinets allow the components within the cabinet to be interconnected and also allow the internal components to be connected to components external to the cabinets. The cabinets typically have an access door and a number of compartments, such as a card cage, i.e., a housing to store the various interconnected printed circuit boards. In addition, the individual components within the cabinet may be replaced or removed to a different location for repair.
Typically, some of the components are printed circuit boards arranged in a card cage, or housing, in an array of vertical or horizontal guide slots (i.e., a linear array of guide slots) provided between opposing sides of the cabinet. Each board is insertable into a corresponding pair of the opposing guide slots and is urged towards the rear of the cabinet to enable an electrical connector mounted to the rear edge of the board to engage, and thereby electrically connect to, a backplane. A backplane typically is a printed circuit board which contains a plurality of electrical connectors. The backplane commonly is referred to as a mother board. The other printed circuit boards discussed above, which connect to the mother board, commonly are referred to as daughter boards.
When an electrical cabinet is manufactured, a particular backplane may be installed in a housing designed for general use. However, the housing may not be able to allow the backplane to be quickly installed, easily registered into a specific position relative to the daughter boards that are subsequently installed, or easily secured within the housing.
In addition, card cages of electrical cabinets may not be able to accommodate backplanes having different thicknesses. Typically, electrical cabinets are used in systems that are custom tailored to the needs of the customer. Thus, the structure of a single cabinet may be employed in a system in which different combinations of components and different types of components may be used. These various components may have varying dimensions. Also, several vendors may supply similar components for a system design. For example, two different vendors may supply the backplanes for a single system. These different backplanes may have slightly different tolerances due to the differences in manufacturing standards of different vendors.
Also, existing card cages may secure printed circuit boards, especially backplanes, using hardware that concentrates a load in a small area. For example, a bolt and washer used to secure a printed circuit board has a concentrated load bearing surface and can cause the printed circuit board to, e.g., delaminate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention includes a housing having a support framework. The support framework supports two members movable to one another. The support framework also supports a pair of slots aligned to receive a opposing edges of a daughter board. One of the slots is included in one of the members. The members move apart into an unsecured position to provide a space to receive a printed circuit board transversely to the slots. The members move toward and adjacent to one another in a secured position to secure the printed circuit board between the members. The members include a fastening mechanism, and the members are adapted to secure printed circuit boards of varying widths.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention include the following features.
The housing is symmetrical and receives a printed circuit board and a plurality of daughter boards. The housing has two opposing sidewalls, a floor, and a ceiling. The sidewalls extend from opposing sides of the floor to opposing sides of the ceiling. The opposing sidewalls, the floor and the ceiling defining an opening for receiving a daughter board within slots in the floor and the ceiling. A movable ceiling member attaches to the sidewalls. The ceiling, the movable ceiling member and the sidewalls define an opening for receiving a printed circuit board, such as a backplane, when the movable ceiling member is in an unsecured position. The movable ceiling member is aligned with the ceiling when the movable ceiling member is in a secured position. The movable ceiling member includes a fastener that secures the printed circuit board. The movable ceiling member accommodates printed circuit boards having various thicknesses.
Embodiments within the scope of the claims may have one or more of the following advantages.
The housing provides an efficient mechanism to secure a printed circuit board within an electrical cabinet. The housing accommodates printed circuit boards of various thicknesses. The housing allows a printed circuit board to be quickly installed. The housing allows a printed circuit board to be easily registered into a specific position within the housing. The housing allows a printed circuit board to be easily secured within the housing. The housing provides a large load bearing surface to secure a printed circuit board.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4984133 (1991-01-01), Casanova et al.
Responses filed Apr. 13, 200 and Jan. 16, 2001 in Patent Application Ser. No. 09/283,029 filed Ma. 31, 1999.
Co-Pending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 09/281,846, filed Mar. 31, 1999 and Assigned to Group Art Unit 1772, Examiner Unknown at this time.
Co-Pending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 09/282,673, filed Mar. 31, 1999 and Assigned to Group Art Unit 283, Examiner D. Foster.
Co-Pending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 09/283,029, filed Mar. 31, 1999 and Assigned to Group Art Unit 3624, Examiner J. Hansen.
Claprood Edward
Nelson Erik
Tirrell Paul T.
Daly, Crowley & Mofford LLP
EMC Corporation
Ngo Hung V
Reichard Dean A.
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