Retention mechanism for an electrical assembly

• US 20030096524A1
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: David J. Llapitan, Michael Crocker, Peter Davison
• Inventors: Davison, Peter, Llapitan, David J., Crocker, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,722,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/327
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4093 Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7047 with a fastener through a screw hole in the coupling device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1405 by clips or resilient members, e.g. hooks

Abstract

A retention mechanism for an electronic assembly which has a substrate and a heat sink. The retention mechanism includes a substrate slot that receives the substrate and a heat sink slot that receives the heat sink. There may be two retention mechanisms that are attached to a printed circuit board adjacent to an electrical connector. There may be two heat sink slots symmetrically located about the substrate slot so that the mechanism can be mounted to a left side or a right side of the connector. The symmetric slots eliminate the need for a left side mechanism and a right side mechanism. The retainer mechanism may also have a nut retainer that captures a nut that is used to attach the mechanism to the printed circuit board. The nut retainer allows the nut to be transported with the retainer mechanism during an assembly process.

Claims

1. A retention mechanism for an electronic assembly which includes a substrate and a heat sink, comprising:

a plurality of walls that create a heat sink slot that can receive the heat sink and a substrate slot that allows the substrate to extend through said substrate slot.

2. The mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein said walls create a pair of heat sink slots located adjacent to said substrate slot.

3. The mechanism as recited in claim 1, further comprising a backwall that is attached to said walls.

4. The mechanism as recited in claim 3, wherein said backwall has a first latch aperture.

5. The mechanism as recited in claim 4, wherein said backwall includes a latch arm.

6. The mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein said heat sink slot is further defined by a base portion which is connected to a pair of walls.

17. The mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein said walls create a pair of heat sink slots located adjacent to a substrate slot that allows the substrate to extend through said substrate slot.

7. An electrical assembly, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a retention mechanism mounted to said printed circuit board, said retention mechanism including a plurality of walls that create a heat sink slot and a substrate slot; and

,

an electronic assembly that is coupled to said printed circuit board, said electronic assembly includes a substrate that is inserted into said substrate slot and a heat sink that is inserted into said heat sink slot.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 7, further comprising a connector that is mounted to said printed circuit board and which receives said substrate of said electronic assembly.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said walls create a pair of heat sink slots located adjacent to said substrate slot.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 7, further comprising a backwall that is attached to said walls.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said backwall has a first latch aperture.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said backwall includes a latch arm.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 7, further comprising a stud that mounts said retention mechanism to said printed circuit board.

14. A method for installing an electronic assembly which includes a substrate and a heat sink, comprising:

a) inserting the substrate into a substrate slot of a retention mechanism that is mounted to a printed circuit board and the heat sink into a heat sink slot of said retention mechanism.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a tab of the heat sink is inserted into a latch aperture of said retention mechanism in step (a).

16. A retention mechanism for an electronic assembly which includes a substrate and a heat sink, wherein the electronic assembly is coupled to a printed circuit board and secured by a nut that is attached to a stud, comprising:

a plurality of walls that create a heat sink slot that can receive the heat sink; and

,

a nut retainer that can retain the nut.

18. An electrical assembly, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a stud that extends from said printed circuit board;

a retention mechanism mounted to said printed circuit board, said retention mechanism including a plurality of walls that create a heat sink slot, said retention mechanism further having a nut retainer; and

,

a nut that is captured by said nut retainer and is attached to said stud.

19. The electrical assembly as recited in claim 18, further comprising an electronic assembly which has a substrate that extends through a substrate slot of said retention mechanism and a heat sink that extends into said heat sink slot.

20. A method for installing an electronic assembly, comprising:

a) inserting a nut into a nut retainer of a retainer mechanism that retains the electronic assembly.