Low profile/high leverage electronic computer book latching...

Details Low profile/high leverage electronic computer book latching... Low profile/high leverage electronic computer book latching...

2000-02-03

2001-07-31

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...

C439S160000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06267614

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mechanisms for assisting in the electrical connection of memory, central electronic complex, and other similar electronic books to the electrical connector of a computer and, more specifically, to this high leverage insertion lever and latching system necessary on an electronic book frame and connector in order to exert the large forces required to properly connect books with computer connectors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Computers and servers now are designed with very large internal memories requiring very large numbers of memory modules. Each memory module or memory chip requires a plurality of connections, both to and through the circuit board onto which it is mounted and to the circuit board connectors, which then may be connected to mating connectors as part of the host computer. Similarly, a large and complex central electronic portion of the computer is required to control, address and efficiently utilize the large internal memories. The interconnection of the circuit board connectors on the memory panels and central electronic complex panels to the computer connectors effectively connects the memory or other electronic modules to the circuitry of the host computer.
In order to make a computer easily maintainable and repairable, as necessary, the memory modules and the components of the central electronic system are mounted on a plurality of removable and replaceable electronic circuit boards. These electronic circuit boards are mounted within rigid frames which permit the circuit boards and associated circuit board connectors to be removed from the computer and changed out with a replacement assembly providing protection from the high level forces necessary for insertion and removal. The completed assembly of the memory modules, circuit board, frame and connectors are commonly collectively referred to as a “book.” Additionally a central electronic complex for the computer may be made into a “book” for the same reasons.
Each book must be easily removable and replaceable with respect to the computer framework or connections to the electronics of the computer. Removal and re-connection of books during operation of the computer or server is referred to as “hot plugging.” As it is common for computers to be operational at all times, maintenance and repair must be accomplished to whatever extent possible while the computer is operating, thus requiring hot plugging. Thus, the installation and removal of the book must be accomplished to insure minimal, if any, disruption to the continued computer operation.
With a large memory capacity or a large number of electronic components necessary for a central electronic complex assembled as a book, the number of connections required between the book and computer circuits can and does become quite large. For example, a typical connector may have 1112 pin-in-socket interfaces. More or fewer such connections may be incorporated as dictated by the type and the number of chips or electronic components on the electronic circuit board of the book.
A typical book of memory or central electronic complex book may require connection forces of up to 190 pounds or disconnection forces of 60 pounds or more, force levels which generally are not manageable by service or assembly personnel without an additional apparatus to assist and evenly apply the connection or disconnection forces to the book frame. This connection or disconnection force is the cumulative force made up of the combined frictional resistance forces of connection or disconnection for each individual pin and socket connection. Even and proper distribution of the connection and disconnection forces to the book frame is necessary to prevent any potential bending or damaging of the pins and/or misconnection of any connector on the electronic circuit board of the book.
A prior art lever and latching system which has been used to aid in the insertion, connection, disconnection and removal of a electronic book in a computer is illustrated in FIG.
1
. The lever and latching system in
FIG. 1
is such that the maximum utilization of the space within the computer, by maximization of the dimensions of the circuit board within a particular book, has been compromised both by the volume of space required for the latching and retention apparatus as well as the resulting unusable space between the latches. The disposition of the latches on the exposed, external planar surface
12
of the tailstock
10
by the positioning of bracket
14
and pivot
18
, as illustrated, consumes excessive space. Additionally, the disposition of latch
22
to engage the latching surface
32
of bracket
14
further requires the latch arms
16
to be displaced significantly from tailstock
10
in order to accommodate the latch structure and permit manual access to the release member
28
. With the consumption of available space by the latch arm
16
, the remaining space is unduly limited within the computer frame for the book including the electronic circuit board and the electronic modules.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to ease the insertion and connection of electronic books into a computer frame.
It is another object of the invention to easily overcome the large cumulative frictional forces encountered whenever connecting or disconnecting large numbers of pin-in-socket connectors in a computer.
It is a further object of the invention to latch and retain an electronic book within a computer whenever connected to the computer.
It is still another object of the intention to reduce the required space for the electronic book installed within the host computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electronic book, such as a memory book or a central electronic complex book and which is intended for insertion into and incorporation into a computer as a subassembly, is provided with a pair of levers which engage the frame of the computer at ends closely spaced to the fulcrums of the levers, thereby resulting in a significant mechanical advantage. The levers and their mechanical advantage are employable to connect or disconnect the electrical connectors of the electronic book with and from connectors of the computer both with much lower manual forces and evenly applied connection forces.
The levers or latch arms are pivoted about axes which are disposed intermediate the extended plane of the book tailstock to which the levers are mounted and the extended plane of the connector housing interface surface on the electronic circuit board of the book. On ends distal from the pivot axes, the levers carry latches which engage the tailstock to hold the levers in a desired latched position, thus insuring retention of the book in a desired position relative to the computer's connectors. The latches are extensions affording a low profile to the latch arm or levers. The latch arms are further formed to provide an end surface which, once latched, reside on the outer surface of a flange of the computer frame giving mechanical advantage to the force and movement required for disconnection of and removal of the book from the computer connector. With forces of up to
190
pounds required to connect an electronic book to the computer connector, the mechanical advantage required must be large while the displacement provided by a latch arm movement must be adequate to fully engage the connectors.
The design of the latch arm and latch on the distal end of the latch arm and its incorporation into the book assembly affords a low profile which permits the design of a computer with either a larger electronic book with an increased electronic module carrying capacity to be used within a given frame size or a smaller frame to accept a predetermined sized electronic book.
While sufficiently rigid to transmit the connection/disconnection forces to the electronic book, the latch arms also must be resilient to the degree permitting a final deflection to latch once the electronic book is fully plugged and to maintain a loading on the connectors.
A better and more complete understa

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