Connecting Device and Combination of the Same and Expansion Card

• US 20140106595A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Chong-Xing
• Granted Patent: US 8,961,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/345
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/186 Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62 Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement

Abstract

A connecting device includes a riser bracket, a positioning mechanism and a riser card. The positioning mechanism has a plurality of standoffs and a latch disposed on the riser bracket. Each standoff has a head, a shoulder and a neck interconnecting the head and the shoulder. The latch is movable between a locking position for locking the riser card and a releasing position. The riser card is formed with a plurality of through holes corresponding in position to the standoffs. Each through hole has a large hole portion for extension of the head of a respective standoff and a small hole portion having an inner diameter that is equal to an outer diameter of the neck of the respective standoff.

Claims

1. A connecting device comprising:

a riser bracket having a first side wall;

a positioning mechanism having a plurality of standoffs and a latch that are disposed on said first side wall, each of said standoffs having a head, a shoulder, and a neck that interconnects said head and said shoulder, said latch being movable relative to said first side wall between a locking position and a releasing position; and

a riser card including a card body and an electrical connector that is disposed on said card body, said card body having a plurality of through holes that are slidably and respectively engaged with said standoffs, each of said through holes having a large hole portion for extension of said head of a respective one of said standoffs and a small hole portion that has an inner diameter being equal to an outer diameter of said neck of the respective one of said standoffs, said large hole portion and said small hole portion being arranged to be in communication with each other in a sliding direction;

wherein, during assembling of said riser card, moving said riser card in the sliding direction after extension of said heads of said standoffs through said large hole portions of said through holes enables said necks of said standoffs to enter respectively said small hole portions of said through holes, so that a portion of said card body located around said small hole portion of each of said through holes is clamped between said head and said shoulder of a corresponding one of said standoffs, and moving said latch from the releasing position to the locking position prevents said riser card from moving reversely, thereby fixing said riser card.

2. The connecting device of claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of said head of each of said standoffs is smaller than that of said shoulder of a corresponding one of said standoffs, and the outer diameter of said neck of each of said standoffs is smaller than that of said head of a corresponding one of said standoffs.

3. The connecting device of claim 1, wherein said riser bracket further has a base wall, said first side wall extending perpendicularly from said base wall, said card body of said riser card being elongated and having a first end edge, a second end edge that is opposite to said first end edge, and a longitudinal edge that abuts slidably against said base wall, said large hole portion of each of said through holes being closer to said first end edge than said small hole portion of a corresponding one of said through holes, said latch being adjacent to said second end edge of said card body.

4. The connecting device of claim 3, wherein said positioning mechanism further has two slide grooves disposed on said base wall along an axis that is parallel to said first side wall and spaced apart from each other for engaging said longitudinal edge of said card body.

5. The connecting device of claim 4, wherein each of said slide grooves is defined by a pair of protruding portions of said base wall.

6. The connecting device of claim 5, wherein said longitudinal edge of said card body has a recess that is close to said second end edge of said card body and that has a dimension matching with said protruding portions that define one of said slide grooves close to said second end edge.

7. The connecting device of claim 1, wherein said latch is a spring plate having a securing portion that is fixed to said first side wall, a resilient portion that extends from said securing portion, and a stop portion that extends from said resilient portion, said stop portion of said spring plate abutting against an edge of said card body when said latch is at the locking position, said resilient portion being exerted by a force and having a resilient displacement and said stop portion being moved closer to said first side wall and being separated from said card body when said latch is at the releasing position.

8. The connecting device of claim 7, wherein said securing portion of said latch is U-shaped, is clipped on said first side wall, and has a coupling block protruding inwardly, said first side wall having a pair of positioning ribs that are spaced apart from each other and that clamp said securing portion therebetween, and a coupling hole that is located between said positioning ribs and that is engaged with said coupling block.

9. A combination of a connecting device and an expansion card, comprising:

an expansion card having a connecting side and a securing side that is connected to said connecting side; and

a connecting device including

a riser bracket that has a base wall, a first side wall that extends perpendicularly from said base wall and that corresponds in position to said connecting side of said expansion card, and a second side wall that extends perpendicularly from said base wall and that corresponds in position to said securing side of said expansion card, said base wall cooperating with said first side wall and said second side wall to define a receiving space for receiving said expansion card;

a positioning mechanism that has a plurality of standoffs and a latch disposed on said first side wall, each of said standoffs protruding into said receiving space and having a head, a shoulder, and a neck that interconnects said head and said shoulder, said latch being movable relative to said first side wall between a locking position and a releasing position; and

a riser card including a card body and an electrical connector that is disposed on said card body and that is electrically connected to said expansion card, said card body having a plurality of through holes that are slidably and respectively engaged with said standoffs, each of said through holes having a large hole portion for extension of said head of a respective one of said standoffs and a small hole portion that has an inner diameter being equal to an outer diameter of said neck of the respective one of said standoffs, said large hole portion and said small hole portion being arranged to be in communication with each other in a sliding direction, wherein, during assembling of said riser card, moving said riser card in the sliding direction after extension of said heads of said standoffs through said large hole portions of said through holes enables said necks of said standoffs to enter respectively said small hole portions of said through holes, so that a portion of said card body located around said small hole portion of each of said through holes is clamped between said head and said shoulder of a corresponding one of said standoffs, and moving said latch from the releasing position to the locking position prevents said riser card from moving reversely, thereby fixing said riser card.

10. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 9, wherein an outer diameter of said head of each of said standoffs is smaller than that of said shoulder of a corresponding one of said standoffs, and the outer diameter of said neck of each of said standoff is smaller than that of said head of a corresponding one of said standoffs.

11. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 9, wherein said card body of said riser card is elongated and has a first end edge, a second end edge opposite to said first end edge, and a longitudinal edge, said first end edge being close to said second side wall, said longitudinal edge abutting slidably against said base wall, said large hole portion of each of said through holes being closer to said first end edge than said small hole portion of a corresponding one of said through holes, the sliding direction being perpendicular to said second side wall, said latch being adjacent to said second end edge of said card body.

12. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 11, wherein said positioning mechanism further has two slide grooves disposed on said base wall along an axis that is parallel to said first side wall and spaced apart from each other for engaging said longitudinal edge of said card body.

13. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 12, wherein each of said slide grooves is defined by a pair of protruding portions of said base wall.

14. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 13, wherein said longitudinal edge of said card body has a recess that is close to said second end edge of said card body and that has a dimension matching with said protruding portions that define one of said slide grooves close to said second end edge.

15. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 11, wherein said latch is a spring plate having a securing portion that is fixed to an end of said first side wall distal from said second side wall, a resilient portion that extends from said securing portion towards said second side wall, and a stop portion that extends from said resilient portion towards said receiving space, said stop portion of said spring plate abutting against said second end edge of said card body when said latch is at the locking position, said resilient portion receiving a force and having a resilient displacement and said stop portion being moved closer to said first side wall and being separated from said card body when said latch is at the releasing position.

16. The combination of the connecting device and the expansion card of claim 15, wherein said securing portion of said latch is U-shaped, is clipped on said first side wall, and has a coupling block protruding inwardly, said first side wall having a pair of positioning ribs that are spaced apart from each other and that clamp said securing portion therebetween, and a coupling hole that is located between said positioning ribs and that is engaged with said coupling block.