COMPONENT RETENTION MECHANISM

• US 20100088450A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: RUSSELL-CLARKE, Peter, SATTERFIELD, Phillip, DIEP, Vinh H., LOWE, Giles Matthew, YEUNG, Alex Chun lap, WATERFALL, Clark Everett
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A component retention mechanism facilitates improved installation, retention and removal of hardware components (e.g., PCI cards) on a personal computer. The retention mechanism includes a locking component, support member, and release mechanism coupled to each other. The locking component can be a steel bar or other stiff item positioned proximate to multiple socket connectors on a circuit board. The locking component moves between unlocked and locked positions that mechanically and simultaneously unlock or lock in place multiple add-in cards inserted into the socket connectors. The support member moves and thereby facilitates movement of the locking component between locked and unlocked positions. The release mechanism facilitates movement of the support member and is actuated when a force is exerted by a user thereto. An associated slider housing coupled to the release mechanism and support member includes a fan, support shelves and a door that provides additional support to oversized PCI cards.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of socket connectors coupled to a circuit board in a substantially parallel pattern, wherein each of said plurality of socket connectors is adapted to mate with a computer add-in card;

a locking component positioned proximate to said pattern of socket connectors, said locking component having a first locked position that simultaneously mechanically locks in place a plurality of computer add-in cards that are inserted into said plurality of socket connectors by using a notch on each of said plurality of computer add-in cards and a second unlocked position that simultaneously unlocks each of said computer add-in cards inserted into said plurality of socket connectors;

a support member coupled to said locking component, said support member adapted to move and thereby facilitate the movement of said locking component between said first locked position and said second unlocked position;

a slider housing coupled to said support member, said slider housing being adapted to slide and thereby facilitate the movement of said support member, wherein said slider housing is further adapted to provide additional support to one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted into one of said plurality of socket connectors when said locking component is in said first locked position; and

a release mechanism coupled to said slider housing, said release mechanism adapted to facilitate the locking of said slider housing in a locked position when said locking component is in said first locked position, and to release said slider housing to be movable to an unlocked position that also results in said locking component being in said second unlocked position when a force is exerted by a user thereto.

2. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer add-in cards comprise peripheral component interconnect cards.

3. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said circuit board comprises a motherboard for an associated personal computer.

4. The computer apparatus of claim 3, further including said motherboard.

5. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said locking component comprises a rigid bar that engages simultaneously said notch on each of said plurality of computer add-in cards.

6. The computer apparatus of claim 5, wherein said rigid bar is metallic.

7. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of socket connectors and said locking component are located on one side of said circuit board, and wherein said support member is located on an obverse side of said circuit board from the socket connectors and locking component.

8. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a cooling fan located within said slider housing, said cooling fan being adapted to cool at least one of said plurality of computer add-in cards while said at least one computer add-in card is inserted into one of said socket connectors and is operational with one or more associated circuit board components thereby.

9. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further including:

one or more support shelves located within said slider housing, wherein said one or more support shelves is adapted to provide further support to said one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted into one of said socket connectors.

10. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said slider housing includes a front portion that provides said additional support to said one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted into one of said plurality of socket connectors when said locking component is in said first locked position, and wherein said front portion provides no support to said one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted into one of said plurality of socket connectors when said locking component is in said second unlocked position.

11. A computer add-in card locking apparatus, comprising:

a locking component adapted to be positioned proximate to a plurality of socket connectors coupled to a computer circuit board, said locking component having a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein said locked position allows said locking component to lock in place mechanically and simultaneously a plurality of computer add-in cards that are inserted into two or more of said plurality of socket connectors, and wherein said unlocked position allows said locking component to unlock mechanically and simultaneously each of said computer add-in cards from said two or more socket connectors such that each of said computer add-in cards can be removed therefrom;

a support member coupled to said locking component, said support member adapted to move and thereby facilitate the movement of said locking component between said locked position and said unlocked position; and

a release mechanism coupled to said support member, said release mechanism adapted to facilitate the movement of said support member that results in the movement of said locking component between said locked and unlocked positions, wherein said release mechanism is actuated when a force is exerted by a user thereto.

12. The computer add-in card locking apparatus of claim 11, wherein said computer add-in cards comprise peripheral component interconnect cards.

13. The computer add-in card locking apparatus of claim 12, wherein said locking component mechanically locks said plurality of peripheral component interconnect cards by simultaneously engaging a standardized retaining notch on each of said plurality of peripheral component interconnect cards.

14. The computer add-in card locking apparatus of claim 11, further including:

a slider housing coupled to said support member, said slider housing adapted to slide and thereby facilitate the movement of said support member, wherein said slider housing is further adapted to provide additional support to one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted within one of said plurality of socket connectors when said locking component is in said first locked position.

15. The computer add-in card locking apparatus of claim 14, further including:

a cooling fan located within said slider housing, said cooling fan being adapted to cool at least one of said plurality of computer add-in cards while said at least one computer add-in card is inserted into one of said socket connectors; and

one or more support shelves located within said slider housing, wherein said one or more support shelves are adapted to provide further support to said one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted into said socket connectors.

16. A personal computing device, comprising:

an outer housing adapted to contain one or more internal operational components therein;

a plurality of internal operational components located within said outer housing and adapted to provide processing for a user thereof;

a processor located within said outer housing and in communication with at least one of said plurality of internal operational components;

a plurality of socket connectors arranged in a substantially parallel pattern and coupled to a circuit board located within said outer housing, wherein each of said plurality of socket connectors is adapted to mate with a computer add-in card to facilitate communications between said computer add-in card and said processor;

a locking component positioned proximate to said pattern of socket connectors, said locking component having a locked position that simultaneously mechanically locks in place a plurality of computer add-in cards that are inserted into said plurality of socket connectors by using a notch on each of said plurality of computer add-in cards and an unlocked position that simultaneously unlocks each of said computer add-in cards inserted into said plurality of socket connectors; and

a release mechanism coupled to said locking component, said release mechanism adapted to facilitate the movement of said locking component between said locked and unlocked positions, wherein said release mechanism is actuated when a force is exerted by a user thereto.

17. The personal computing device of claim 16, wherein said personal computing device comprises a desktop computer, and wherein at least one of said plurality of computer add-in cards comprises a peripheral component interconnect card.

18. The personal computing device of claim 16, further including:

a support member coupled to said locking component, said support member adapted to move and thereby facilitate the movement of said locking component between said locked position and said unlocked position; and

a slider housing coupled to said support member and said release mechanism, said slider housing being adapted to slide and thereby facilitate the movement of said support member, wherein said slider housing is further adapted to provide additional support to one or more oversized computer add-in cards inserted into one of said plurality of socket connectors when said locking component is in said locked position.

19. The personal computing device of claim 16, wherein said locking component comprises a rigid bar that engages simultaneously said notch on each of said plurality of computer add-in cards.

20. The personal computing device of claim 17, wherein said notch on each of said plurality of computer add-in card comprises a standardized retaining notch.