Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-04
2003-09-09
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S732000, C361S801000, C361S825000, C211S041170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06618263
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of releasably securing PCI/AGP cards into their connectors within a computer. More particularly, the present invention relates a single hold down member that is quickly releasable, quickly re-secured, and capable of simultaneously securing a plurality of expansion cards within their respective connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
PCI/AGP cards, or “expansion” cards are used by computers to interface with some external device. Common expansion cards include SCSI ports, serial ports, parallel ports, external drive ports, modems, and video cards. Because such expansion cards often allow coupling an external device to the expansion card, there is typically an opening in the computer chassis from within the computer to outside the computer. When no expansion card is installed, a protective cover, typically sheet metal, covers the opening. This protective cover serves a variety of functions, including the prevention of electromagnetic noise from escaping the chassis, the prevention of dust and debris from accumulating within the computer, and shielding the electronic componentry from outside objects, and protecting consumers from electrical shock through contact with exposed componentry.
FIG. 1
schematically illustrates protective metal covers
100
adjacent to the connectors
104
in which expansion cards are electrically coupled to an electronic system, such as a personal computer. The metal covers
100
typically comprise a flange
108
for engaging a surface of a chassis (not shown) in the usual manner. The flange
108
typically includes a slot
102
or screw hole where a screw
106
secures an individual cover
100
to the computer chassis.
FIG. 2
shows an expansion card
204
mounted in a connector
206
. A protective cover
202
dimensionally similar to the protective cover
100
of
FIG. 1
is coupled with the expansion card
204
, thereby forming a face piece
202
of the expansion card
204
. The protective cover or face piece
202
comprises a flange
212
and an upright member
214
. Like the protective covers
100
used in shielding an unused slot, the face piece
202
of an expansion card
204
is typically made from sheet metal. Again, it is noted that the expansion card is secured by means of a screw
210
inserted through a hole or slot
208
in the flange
212
of the face piece
202
.
Prior art uses of metal covers
100
and expansion cards that include an integral metal face piece
202
suffered from a number of limitations. The process of installation and/or removing the such metal covers
100
and/or expansion cards
204
was labor intensive. An installer must loosen, remove and/or install screws
106
,
200
,
210
. Such a practice undesirably increases the cost of manufacturing a computer system and also the cost of upgrading a system by adding an expansion card
204
in an after market improvement of the personal computer. These and other problems are exacerbated owing to the relative tiny size of the screw
106
,
210
.
The steps typically required in the installation of a screw according to the prior art is illustrated in FIG.
3
. According to the step
302
, the worker must locate the tiny screw among components in his work area. In an assembly line environment with a bowl of screws in front of a worker, this step may require minimal time or concentration. In a repair environment where numerous screws, nuts, washers and other components may be spread about a work area, the delay may run from several seconds to a minute or more. According to steps
304
and
306
, the worker picks up the screw and orients it in his fingers. In the step
308
, the worker lines up the screw with the hole or notch in which it is to be inserted. In the step
310
, the screw is inserted into the hole. In the steps
312
and
314
, the worker picks up the screw driver with his free hand and inserts it into the screw driver head. In the step
316
, the screw is tightened into place. If the worker is installing a PCI/AGP card, as a result of the connector, the card may stand upright on its own during the installation of the screw. In the installation of a protective cover, the worker may have to secure the protective cover with a few fingers, while holding the screw with several more, and using the other hand to wield the screw driver.
For each computer, the delay involved in inserting a screw is multiplied by the number of slots that are being loosened or tightened to install, remove, replace or inspect expansion cards. When multiplied by the assembly or repair of millions of computers, this represents a significant amount of time and a corollary loss of profits. Moreover, unscrewing and tightening screws requires a proper tool, and proper lighting. Although this may not be a problem on an assembly line environment where a worker is equipped with proper tools, for consumers adding or replacing expansion cards at home, locating a screwdriver and proper lighting may take anywhere from several minutes to a trip to the hardware store. For factory workers and consumers alike, the prospect of dropping a screw into the computer simply exacerbates the delays, particularly if the screw is difficult to retrieve. Occasionally, damage to a mother board may result from attempts to retrieve a lost screw. Further, the repetitive action of unscrewing and screwing can also result in a repetitive motion injury to an installer.
An attempt to address some of the problems inherent in the prior art was made by Micron technology in the development of a hold-down mechanism for multiple PCI/AGP cards, illustrated in
FIG. 4. A
tension arm
402
made from a rigid and flexible material is attached to a press plate
408
. Typically, the tension arm is made from a rigid and flexible material such as sheet metal. The tension arm includes a bent flanged tab
404
which includes a hole
412
and a thumb screw
414
for locking the tension arm
402
in place. When in place, a pressing plate
408
portion of the construction is advantageously positioned against a free edge of one or more PCI/AGP cards. The tension arm
402
is ideally flexed through compression, thereby securing the pressing plate
408
against PCI/AGP cards. For structural integrity, a rigid support member
406
typically couples the press plate
408
to the tension arm
402
. The rigid support member
406
is seen to extend across the lateral front edge of the press plate
408
, providing strength and rigidity to the press plate
408
when engaging PCI/AGP cards, as further illustrated in subsequent drawings. As can be seen from
FIG. 4
, the tension arm
404
, rigid support member
406
and press plate
408
are advantageously constructed from a single sheet of metal, thereby minimizing costs associated with manufacturing. When the thumb screw
414
is loosened, releasing the tab
404
from the computer chassis, the hold-down
400
pivots around a fixed point as further illustrated below.
FIGS. 5A and 5B
show the operation of the Micron hold-down mechanism for securing multiple PCI/AGP cards. In
FIG. 5A
the Micron hold-down
400
is seen swivelled to the release position. In the released position, a user may remove and install PCI/AGP cards
204
or protective covers
100
. In
FIG. 5B
, the tab of the hold down
400
is secured to the computer chassis
602
by means of the thumb screw
414
. When the thumb screw
414
is screwed into a threaded hole
606
in the computer chassis
602
, the press plate
408
is pressed against the flange
212
of the face piece
202
on the PCI/AGP card
204
, thereby holding the PCI/AGP card
204
securely in the connector
206
.
Although the thumb-screw hold down afforded some advantages over the prior art in terms of speed, it nevertheless retains numerous shortcomings. For a thumb screw
414
to be useful, it typically must have a knurled or tooled finish around the outer diameter of screw head, providing a texture which allows a user to grip the screw head. Because of the quality of machining,
Chebeleu Livius D.
Kin-Wing Ko (Kevin)
Koerselman Andrea
Toor John W.
Flextronics Design
Gandhi Jayprakash N.
Haverstock & Owens LLP
LandOfFree
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