Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-29
2003-03-04
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S759000, C361S752000, C361S798000, C361S801000, C361S800000, C439S377000, C211S041170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06529383
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to a system, method, and apparatus for packaging electronic circuit components. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system for electronic component packaging which permits easy insertion and removal of fully populated circuit boards without having to remove printed circuit cards which have already been inserted into the boards. Even more particularly, the present invention is directed to systems, methods, and devices which enhance the ability to package electronic components in a dense manner while still being able to provide not only air cooling but which also provides an effective system for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
It should be appreciated that not all of the features of the present invention need to be incorporated into a single device or system. Many of the features found in the present invention may be employed independently from one another. In general, the present invention seeks to solve a number of problems with respect to electronic circuit packaging. In particular, it is desirable to employ printed circuit cards which can be easily inserted and removed from printed circuit boards without the removal of the board and without removal of any cabinet or enclosure surrounding the electronics package. In desired embodiments of the present invention, therefore, it is found that printed circuit cards are capable of being “hot plugged” into a printed circuit board.
Additionally, it is noted that, in preferred embodiments of the present invention, circuit components operate at relatively high frequencies. At higher frequencies, problems associated with the propagation of electromagnetic interference become more significant. Accordingly, for those situations in which higher frequency components are desired, there is a correspondingly higher desire to employ electromagnetic shielding systems. Thus, there should be provided a mechanism for providing EMI shielding that is commensurate with the notions of hot pluggability. In other words, the EMI shielding system should be compatible with the notion that printed circuit cards are removed and inserted from printed circuit boards which are themselves not pluggable.
Hot pluggable systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,894 issued May 16, 2000, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. However, in the system described therein, there is a dependence on the existence of an external cabinet to effect the vertical motion of the printed circuit card into a corresponding mating socket on a printed circuit board. The presence of physical contact between the mechanism for insertion and removal and an enclosure which surrounds a printed circuit board precludes the use of such devices in mechanisms for which the entire printed circuit board itself is removable.
It is also noted that the present discussion refers to printed circuit boards and printed circuit cards. As contemplated herein, the printed circuit board is the larger component into which at least one printed circuit card is inserted for purposes of electrical connection. The present invention places no specific limits on either the size of a printed circuit board or the size of a printed circuit card. In the most general situation, a circuit board is populated with a plurality of printed circuit cards. That is, the printed board has a number of printed circuit cards inserted therein. Accordingly, as used herein, the terms “printed circuit board” and “printed circuit card” are considered to be relative terms. However, it is also noted that one of the motivating factors in the design of the present invention is the fact that printed circuit boards are, when fully populated, relatively heavy and possess one or more connectors at the edges thereof. These board edge connectors typically possess a large number of electrical connections to accommodate the correspondingly larger number of electrical connections that must be accommodated for a board which is populated with a number of printed circuit cards. The present inventors have also contemplated a mechanism for insertion of the entire board in a tight space without the necessity of removing any of the printed circuit cards. Accordingly, some of the specific situations contemplated by the present inventors have also resulted in the inclusion of mechanisms for insertion and removal of fully populated printed circuit boards.
Normally the circuit board, the mother board if you will, is considered fixed and does not usually constitute a movable structure. Moreover, even in those circumstances where one might contemplate inserting or removing a circuit board, one would normally not consider such an operation without first removing the printed circuit cards from the board. Because a typical printed circuit board is often populated with a relatively large number of printed circuit cards, the size and weight of the circuit board is typically relatively large. Thus, one is normally presented with the problem of moving (in forward and reverse directions) a large, flat, relatively thin substrate. Particularly during insertion operations, such a physical structure is likely to experience bending and flexing motions typically referred to as “oil canning,” Accordingly, solutions to problems in the present art address this issue as well.
Accordingly, the present inventors are presented with the following sometimes competing packaging problems: oil canning, dense and close packaging, air cooling, electromagnetic interference shielding, hot pluggability, the desire to provide an easy to load cartridge for carrying printed circuit cards, mechanisms requiring a mechanical advantage for insertion and removal of entire circuit boards, the removal of fully populated boards and the insertion thereof, and means to provide a cooperative EMI shielding arrangement in a system which provides circuit board guide mechanisms which do not require physical contact with a surrounding enclosure or cabinet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a number of features are provided which together solve all of the competing problems indicated above. In particular, a significant aspect of the present invention is provision of a docking cartridge which serves as a printed circuit card carrier and which is capable, in and of itself, of inserting and removing electronic printed circuit cards. While the present invention is particularly suitable for the incorporation of printed circuit cards meeting the so-called PCI (Personal Computer Interface) Standard, the principles of the present invention are generally applicable to any printed circuit card having an edge connector which is insertable into a corresponding mating connector on a printed circuit board. The docking cartridge of the present invention includes an actuating mechanism for card insertion which is completely self contained and which does not rely upon any physical contact with an enclosure or cabinet. Rather, the docking cartridge of the present invention interacts with a single-sided cartridge guide mechanism which is provided at the printed circuit board level. Moreover, the docking cartridge of the present invention is provided with an easy load mechanism for the printed circuit card. In particular, the docking cartridge is provided with a front bezel which also constitutes part of an EMI shield mechanism and which is also pivotable with respect to a top cartridge wall structure. The top cartridge member is slidably disposed with respect to a circuit card carrier which contains corner clips and slidable adjustable mechanisms as shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,894. The top member is thus slidably attached to a moveable carrier which moves the printed circuit board up and down so as to provide insertion and removal of the circuit board with respect to mating electrical connectors on the printed circuit board.
A front bezel of the docking cartridge is also provided with a mechanism for ensuring EMI shielding during t
Barringer Dennis R.
Seminaro Edward J.
Toffler Harold M.
Cutter Lawrence D.
Gandhi Jayprakash N.
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