Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-16
2003-06-17
Martin, David (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S753000, C361S756000, C361S759000, C361S796000, C361S801000, C361S802000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06580616
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical equipment in which printed circuit cards are held in a card cage assembly, and more particularly, to providing card guides to enable the use of variously sized peripheral component interconnect cards within the card cage assembly.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Electrical apparatuses often include components which are provided on a plug-in circuit card and attached to the apparatus by inserting the card into a connector on a mother board or backplane within the apparatus. For example, many computer designs have processor boards, memory boards, and the like which are connected to the computer by insertion into a connector on a mother board or backplane.
The most common method of interfacing circuit cards in a computer system is to provide each circuit card with a bus connector and to plug each circuit card's bus connector into a matching connector socket mounted to a backplane or mother board. When multiple circuit cards are connected to a single backplane in this manner, the resulting arrangement is often referred to as a card cage.
These circuit cards come in a variety of standard shapes and sizes. Some computer card standards such as the VME (Versa Modular Eurocard) bus standard specify that all circuit cards must have a fixed size and shape. The compact PCI (Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect) board standard uses the same Eurocard-style of VME bus applications. However, several sized boards are included within this standard. Most common are boards of either 3U (100 mm) or 6U (233.35 mm) high, with a depth of 160 mm. The 3U board accommodates full 64-bit PCI. The 6U board defines up to three additional expansion connectors. Additional buses, such as G-64, VME, or H.110 computer telephony, can be implemented as can proprietary and other user-defined functions. The board-to-board spacing is 20.32 mm (0.8 inch). Also, other sized non compact PCI boards are available, e.g., 4U, 7U, and 9U. Due to the different board sizes available, there is a need to provide a rack system or card cage for circuit cards which can accommodate variously sized and shaped circuit cards.
Previous solutions for allowing the use of smaller cards in larger sized card cage rack assemblies have involved building partitions in the card case rack assembly. The first style of partition which has been utilized is a cantilevered bar assembly that can be attached to either end of a traditional large sized card cage to split a number of larger slots into smaller slots. For example, 6U slots into 3U slots. One disadvantage of this cantilevered bar approach is that no more than two or three modified slots can be allowed. Another disadvantage is that the use of larger sized boards is eliminated in the modified slots unless a difficult bar disassembly is performed.
Another solution which has been utilized is referred to as a bridge solution. With the bridge solution, a partition is inserted into one existing full-length slot. A bridge is then formed between this partition and an outer wall or another partition. Again, one disadvantage is that the entire area between the partitions are then available for only the smaller style boards and these slots become unavailable for larger sized circuit board unless the bridge assembly is disassembled and removed in order to change the use of the slots. Another disadvantage of the bridge solution is that the partition(s) themselves occupy a slot which would otherwise be available for circuit boards; thereby reducing the overall number of slots available for circuit cards.
SUMMARY
In one aspect of the present invention, a circuit board adapter for use with a card cage having a series of circuit board slots is provided. Each slot has common dimensions and includes card guides therein adapted to house a full height circuit board card by holding a top end and a bottom end of the full height circuit board. The circuit board adapter houses a circuit board which is of a smaller vertical height dimension than the full height circuit board within the card cage slot. The adapter includes a vertical support member having a top end and a bottom end. The adapter also includes a set of cooperating vertical support member guides located within the dimensions of the slot which cooperate to house the vertical support member within the slot by holding the top end and the bottom end of the vertical support member. The adapter further includes an intermediate card guide supported by the vertical support member which cooperates with at least one of the card guides to house the smaller circuit board within the slot by holding a top end and a bottom end therebetween.
In another aspect of the present invention, a circuit board adapter kit for use in modifying a circuit board slot is provided. The slot has standard dimensions to house a full height circuit board card. The circuit board adapter kit selectively allows the full height circuit board card or a circuit board card which is of a smaller vertical height dimension to be held within the slot. The adapter kit includes a top and a bottom replacement guide member, each replacement guide member having standard card guides and vertical support member guides, and further being sized and adapted for attachment within the slot without occupying any space within any adjacent slot. The adapter kit also includes a vertical support member supporting an intermediate card guide. The vertical support member is adapted to be held within the dimensions of the slot by cooperation with the vertical support member guides. The vertical support member is also adapted to enable selective location of the intermediate card guide within the slot and to enable the selective removal of the intermediate card guide from the slot. The top and bottom replacement guide members are adapted, once attached within the slot, to enable cooperation of the standard card guides to hold a full vertical height circuit board card within the slot when said intermediate card guide is selectively removed from the slot. The intermediate card guide of the vertical support is adapted to cooperate with at least one of the standard card guides to hold the smaller circuit board within the slot when the intermediate card guide is selectively located within the slot.
In another aspect of the invention, a circuit board slot adapted for selectively housing either a full vertical height circuit board or at least one smaller vertical height circuit board is provided. The slot includes a set of standard circuit board card guides located within the dimensions of the slot which are adapted to hold a full height circuit board, the circuit board slot also includes a set of vertical support member guides located within the dimensions of the slot which are adapted to hold a vertical support member having at least one intermediate card guide such that the at least one intermediate card guide is located to be in cooperative relationship with one of the set of standard circuit board card guides to enable the smaller circuit board to be held therebetween when said vertical support member is held by the set of vertical support member guides.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of adapting a circuit board slot to accommodate one or more smaller vertical height circuit boards is provided. The method includes the step of locating a set of standard circuit board card guides within the dimensions of the slot which are capable of holding a full height circuit board. The method also includes the step of locating a set of vertical support member guides within the dimensions of the slot which are capable of holding a vertical support member. The method further includes the step of locating the vertical support member within the dimensions of the slot and holding the vertical support member in place via the vertical support member guides. The method additionally includes the step of supporting, within the dimensions of the slot, at least one intermediate card guide on the vertical support member in cooperative relationship
Forkas Jay R.
Greenside Michael J.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Martin David
Tran Thanh Y.
LandOfFree
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