Retention bracket/collar for circuit cards

Details Retention bracket/collar for circuit cards Retention bracket/collar for circuit cards

2002-03-14

2003-02-11

Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 3629)

Electrical connectors

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

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

Reexamination Certificate

active

06517369

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of mounting circuit cards onto boards, and more particularly relates to a retention bracket/collar for removable circuit cards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic processing devices are becoming smaller and smaller, faster and faster, with lower operating voltages. Thus, while the standard for portable computability used to be the laptop computer, it is now becoming the handheld computer. Handheld computers, because of their portability, are exposed to more environmental changes, including being dropped by the user. One of the consequences of this “shock/drop” is that the memory and other integrated circuit cards often come out of their connectors within the computer. The standard connectors used for memory cards in these handheld computers have spring loaded arms to hold the memory cards on opposite sides and these arms simply do not have enough strength to prevent the memory card from springing out of its connector under shock/drop conditions. This malfunction may not even be immediately noticed. Therefore the computer may be used as intended but the data may not necessarily be stored. There is thus a need in the industry for a retention bracket/collar for integrated circuit cards mounted on boards that are subject to shock/drop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These needs and other are met by an embodiment of the present invention, herein disclosed as a retention bracket/collar for a circuit card comprising: a semi-rigid collar having an inner edge shaped to mate with at least one edge of the circuit card; the semi-rigid collar having a hook to connect to a connector; and the shape of the collar to provide a force to the circuit card into the connector. An outer edge of at least one side of the collar opposite the inner edge mating with the circuit card is concave. At least one inner edge of a least one mating side of the collar may have grooves to hold the circuit card, either along an edge of the circuit card and/or the corners of a circuit card. There may be a plurality of grooves alternating on a top and a bottom side of the inside perimeter to hold the edge of the circuit card.
The bracket/collar may be manufactured by thermoplastic injection molding, and as such, may be made from polycarbonate. Alternatively, the bracket/collar may be made from metal.
The invention is further envisioned as a retention bracket/collar for a circuit card comprising: a semi-rigid collar having an inner edge with at least one groove to mate with at least one edge of the circuit card wherein the semi-rigid collar may Page
2
have a hook to connect to a connector into which the circuit card is connected; and the semi-rigid collar may have a concave shape on an outer edge of the collar whose inner edge mates with the circuit card and is opposite the hook to provide a load to the circuit card against the connector.
The invention may also be considered a collar for a circuit card, comprising a means to circumscribe a plurality of sides of the circuit card, the plurality of sides not mating with a connector; a means to retain at least one of the sides of the circuit card not mating with the connector in the collar; a means to apply a spring force to secure the circuit card into the connector; and means to secure the collar to the connector. The retaining means may be at least one groove in a side of the collar opposite the connector and/or the retaining means may further comprise a corner indentation to retain a corner of the circuit card. The applying means may comprise the concavity of at least one of the plurality of sides of the circuit card not mating with a connector. The securing means may be a notched hook on the collar to connect into a hollow in the connector.
The recitation herein of a list of inventive features which are met by various embodiments of the present invention is not meant to imply or suggest that any or all of these features are present as essential or necessary features, either individually or collectively, in the most general embodiment of the present invention or in any of its more specific embodiments.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5462440 (1995-10-01), Rothenberger
patent: 5943218 (1999-08-01), Liu
patent: 6007357 (1999-12-01), Perino et al.
patent: 6236573 (2001-05-01), Gundlach et al.
patent: 6319037 (2001-11-01), Lai
patent: 6370036 (2002-04-01), Boe

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