Supports: cabinet structure – Television type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-23
2003-12-30
Hansen, James O. (Department: 3637)
Supports: cabinet structure
Television type
C361S796000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669313
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a fastening device, and more particularly, to a fastening device for an electronic board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the rapid development of information technology, a lot of computer products and their peripheral equipment, e.g. motherboard being a kernel of the computer, have been becoming more and more widespread. Besides the operation of central processing unit (CPU) on the motherboard, the computer having many peripheral devices, such as hard disk drive (HDD), floppy disk drive (FDD) and digital versatile device (DVD) etc, must induce vibration effect to a computer case containing theses peripheral devices. Therefore, how to fasten motherboard to a frame case within the computer case for performing computer operation is an important issue. In addition, how to provide an easier and quicker way for loading and unloading the motherboard is also an important topic of manufactures.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, this figure shows a motherboard
100
is fixed to a frame case
106
by screws
102
according to the prior art. These screws
102
used as fastening components secure conventional motherboard
100
on the frame case
106
. Showed in the local view
103
with respect to the frame case
106
, a plurality of copper pillars
104
with inner screw are sequentially fixed on the frame case
106
before a plurality of locating holes on the motherboard
100
are aligned to theses copper pillars
104
. Next, a plurality of screws
102
is driven into these coppers by using screwdriver. In conventional, auxiliary tool kits, e.g. various screwdrivers, are needed so that the complicated loading and unloading steps will decrease the throughput and the motherboard
100
maintenance efficiency. Even though a flexible piece is used to fasten the motherboard
100
to the frame case
106
before the frame case
106
is put into a computer case, it can not still acquire a better and quicker result with respect to the motherboard
100
installment. Consequently, there is a need for replacing screws
102
used in the conventional motherboard
100
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to utilize a fastening device for rapidly securing an electronic board to a frame case such that the use of auxiliary tools in the process of loading and unloading the electronic board is not entirely needed.
Another object of the present invention is to utilize a fastening device for replacing the screws and to reduce a great deal of screws so that the throughput and maintenance efficiency of a computer system are largely increased.
According to the above objects, the present invention sets forth a fastening device for the electronic board by alignment between fastening devices in the frame case and locating holes of the electronic board and then at least a manual bolt is may be selectively incorporated with the frame case. The fastening device essentially comprises a base unit, a position shaft and a resilient device.
The base unit, preferably annular polygon shape coupled to the frame case, has a first opening on the upper region of the base unit, a second opening on the lower region of the base unit and a sidewall used to connect both the first opening and the second opening. The surface region of base unit adjacent to the first opening has at least a protrusion for closely attaching the electronic board into the base unit. The sidewall further comprises at least an extension portion, preferably two symmetrical arc-shaped portions or the like, in the surface region adjacent to the first opening for tightly withstanding the electronic board by resilience inducing from the extension portion. One end portion of the extension portion is disposed in the sidewall and the other end portion freely is higher than the upper region of the base unit to block the electronic board.
The position shaft, similar to a column coupled to the base unit, has a first flange and a second flange. The first flange in one end of the position shaft has a smaller size than that of first opening to pass through the first opening and to be exposed outside the base unit. The second flange in the annular edge of the position shaft has a larger size than that of first opening to lean against the inner surface region of first opening. Furthermore, an interval space between first flange and second flange is used to clip the electronic board.
The resilient device, preferably a coil spring coupled to the position shaft, is disposed inside the sidewall for automatically aligning the locating holes of the electronic board and for readily loading and unloading the electronic board. Specifically, the position shaft is able to move back and forth inside the resilient device.
In summary, the loading and unloading steps of the fastening device in the present invention are not need any auxiliary tools are not needed for these electronic boards so that the assembly efficiency is considerably raised. Furthermore, since the position shaft freely moves a distance range back and forth inside the base unit, the electronic board is protected from harm when the electronic board contacts with the first flange. Moreover, interval space between said first flange and said second flange allows the fastening device to buckle any kind of locating holes of electronic boards, so the substitution of the electronic boards is increased to decrease the stock in the shop.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5191513 (1993-03-01), Sugiura et al.
patent: 5575545 (1996-11-01), Wang
patent: 5978232 (1999-11-01), Jo
patent: 6424538 (2002-07-01), Paquin
patent: 851612 (1970-09-01), None
Dort David B.
Hansen James O.
Hickman Paul L.
Perkins Coie LLP
Quanta Computer Inc.
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