Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-09
2001-05-15
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S724000, C312S223100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233152
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for mounting a printed circuit board onto a computer assembly.
2. Background
Printed circuit boards are thin plates on which computer chips and other electronic components are mounted. In recent years, circuit boards have been used extensively in electrical equipment. For example, computers are routinely constructed of a plurality of printed circuit boards, each containing a portion of the electronics required to allow the computer to operate.
A typical circuit board includes an edge connector provided along a leading or forward edge of the board. This edge connector includes electrical contacts which allow the circuit board to communicate with the rest of the computer system. These edge connectors are received in connection sockets located on another circuit board. The amount of force required to seat a circuit board into a connection socket is dependent on the number of contacts and type of electrical connectors used. For a given type of connector, the more contacts that must be mated typically increases the force that must be used to seat the circuit board. In an exemplary circuit board, the three edge connectors require a 100 pound insertion force. Insertion mechanisms have been used to apply an accurate and sufficiently powerful insertion force to an edge of the circuit board opposite the edge connectors. These types of mechanisms are located coplanar to the circuit board, and thus occupy space within the computer housing adjacent to the board edge, which may interfere with access to the internal components.
The computer housings used for state-of-the-art computer systems are often densely filled with multiple circuit boards, media drives, power supplies, cables, and other computer components. Such dense packing significantly increases the difficulty with which these components can be accessed for upgrading and repair. The case of the Power Mac G4 by Apple Computer, Inc. has a swing-open side door that allows easy access to the internal components. In the Power Mac G4, the motherboard and other key components are mounted onto the door, leaving the power supply, media drives, and other non-circuit board components inside the computer housing.
The use of ribbon cables to connect components results in increased cost and decreased performance, as compared to systems using edge connectors; circuit board edge connectors provide higher speed signals and better signal integrity. However, the Power Mac's design uses ribbon cables to enable the door mounting of the circuit board. The ribbon cables are needed to provide a connection between the motherboard and the other system components that can flex to accommodate the opening and closing of the door.
SUMMARY
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an electronic system, such as a computer, comprises a housing having a plurality of walls, a door provided on a wall of said housing, said door having an open position and a closed position, a connection socket provided on an interior portion of said housing, and an insertion mechanism mounted on said door. The insertion mechanism comprises a driver portion accessible from an exterior side of said door and movable from an unlatched position to a latched position, and a movable mount provided on an interior side of said door and mechanically coupled to said driver portion. A circuit board assembly is mounted on said movable mount and has an edge connector along a forward edge of said circuit board assembly such that when said driver portion moves from said unlatched position to said latched position, said movable mount moves in a forward direction, inserting said edge connector into said connection socket.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method for mounting a circuit board assembly with an edge connector is described. The method comprises providing a housing having an open door on one side and a connection socket therein, providing a movable mount on an interior side of said door, mounting a circuit board assembly onto said movable mount, closing said door, and actuating a driver from an exterior side of said door, said driver moving said movable mount in a forward direction to mate said edge connector with said connection socket.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a electronic system comprises a housing, a rail system provided on said housing, and a driver portion. The driver portion comprises a handle having a unlatched position and a latched position, and a latch driver connected to said handle and rotatably connected to said housing through a first axis of rotation. A mount is slideably attached to said rail system and engages said latch driver such that as said handle is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position, said latch driver exerts a force on said mount in a forward direction urging said mount from a first location along said rail system to a second location along said rail system. A connection socket is provided on said housing, and a circuit board assembly is provided having an edge connector along a forward edge, said circuit board assembly being attached to said mount such that when said mount is in said first location, said edge connector is distant from said connection socket, and when said mount is in said second location, said edge connector is mated with said connection socket.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the features in accordance with the invention.
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Abbott Ryan
Baik David
Feldmeyer Mark
Hewlett--Packard Company
Lea-Edmonds Lisa
Picard Leo P.
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