Expansion card retention device

Details Expansion card retention device Expansion card retention device

2002-12-27

2004-08-03

Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S689000, C361S796000, C211S004000, C439S327000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06771510

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to retention of one or more expansion cards installed within a computer chassis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) cards are often used to add functions and capabilities to computers. These cards include card edge contacts and are installed in a computer by insertion into a mating slot on a circuit board of the computer. These cards may extend perpendicularly from the circuit board and some means of support the card may be provided by an adjacent portion of the computer chassis. The PCI cards may be releasably attached to the means of support to prevent the cards from being disturbed from the slot and to prevent adjacent cards from contacting each other. Often, the releasable attachment is accomplished by the use of tools and typically some sort of removable fastener, such as a screw. A bracket may be attached to one end of the card and screwed to a card support or a wall of the chassis. Improvements to the attachment and release of expansion cards from slots within a computer chassis are desirable.
PCI cards and the computers which receive them have been configured to permit hot swapping or plugging. This allows a card to be removed or installed from a slot in the computer without shutting the computer down. To accomplish this hot plug, the power supplied to the slot must be turned off prior to the removal or insertion of a card. Improvements to the powering or depowering of card slots for the insertion or removal of cards from the slots are desirable.
Each card slot for receiving a PCI card within a computer chassis may have a first LED indicating whether the slot is currently powered up, and a second LED indicating the fault status of the slot. Often, these LEDs are mounted to the circuit board to which the slot is mounted and are located adjacent the card slot. Space on the circuit board may be crowded adjacent the card slot, making relocation of the LEDs desirable. Further, LEDs placed on the circuit board may be difficult to see from outside the chassis. It is desirable to improve the visibility of these LEDs while keeping them adjacent to the card slot they are associated with.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card retention device which includes a frame, a slider and a flap. The frame defines an opening through which an expansion card may be inserted into or removed from an expansion slot. The flap is hingedly mounted to the frame and movable between a captive position where the flap covers the opening and a free position where the flap does not cover the opening. The slider is slidably mounted to the frame and movable between a locked position where the slider holds the flap in the captive position and an unlocked position where the flap is free to move from the captive to the free position.
The present invention further relates to a computer chassis including an expansion slot for receiving an expansion card and a card support extending adjacent the slot. A card retention device is mounted to card support and includes a frame, a slider and a flap. The frame defines an opening through which an expansion card may be inserted into or removed from an expansion slot. The flap is hingedly mounted to the frame and movable between a captive position where the flap covers the opening and a free position where the flap does not cover the opening. The slider is slidably mounted to the frame and movable between a locked where the slider holds the flap in the captive position and an unlocked position where the flap is free to move from the captive to the free position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4821145 (1989-04-01), Corfits et al.
patent: 6487089 (2002-11-01), Otis
patent: 6634898 (2003-10-01), Clements

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