PC board cartridge for a computer terminal

• US 5,446,622 A
• Filed: 08/06/1993
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chapin, Bradford G., Lou, Jin-Bond, Tsai, Tzong-Bin, Landry, Christian C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald p.
• Application Number:
  US08/103,510
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 211/41, 439/59, 439/62, 439/64, 439/76, 439/78, 439/79, 312/331.2, 312/333, 361/608, 361/610, 361/622, 361/684, 361/724-728, 361/736, 361/737, 361/740-742, 361/747, 361/752, 361/754, 361/758, 361/759, 361/807, 361/809, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/026 having standardized interfaces flash memory cards G06K19/077

Abstract

A PC board cartridge for a computer terminal, the cartridge including a casing for holding a PC board with a connector mounted thereon. A handle is pivotally mounted on the casing along an axis extending in a plane that extends perpendicular to a major surface of the board and intersects the board at the connector. The PC board cartridge preserves electrical and mechanical connector integrity by providing a handle for removal which applies generally equal forces across the connector during removal. In addition, no additional hardware is required for assembly, installation, or removal of the cartridge.

Claims

1. A PC board cartridge for a computer terminal, the cartridge comprising:

a PC board having two parallel major surfaces and four minor surfaces;

a connector on one major surface of the PC board;

a casing enclosing and carrying the PC board and connector, the casing having an opening at the side of the connector to be mated externally of the casing; and

a planar handle pivotally mounted on the casing on an axis lying parallel to a major surface of the board and said handle lying in a plane extending perpendicular to a major surface of the board when pivoted to the horizontal position and intersecting the board at the connector.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the plane intersects the connector.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the plane bisects the connector.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the axis is spaced from the side of the PC board opposite the side with the connector.

5. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the axis intersects the connector.

6. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the axis bisects the connector.

7. A PC board cartridge for a computer terminal, the cartridge comprising:

a casing open on one side and comprising;

a back wall having an inner surface comprising standoffs extending normally from the inner surface, the standoffs having an end region and a base region wider than the end region;

end walls extending normally from the inner surface of the back wall, one end wall having a greater width than the other end wall, said one end wall having a slot therein;

two elongated sidewalls extending normally from the inner surface of the back wall, the sidewalls having inner surfaces, one end of each sidewall being of the width of the one end wall, each

sidewall having a line of snap tabs on its inner

surface along its length;

a PC board in the casing, the PC board having a connector mounted thereon, the PC board having a tab extending through the slot and holes through which the end regions of the standoffs extend, the board resting on the base regions of the standoffs and being held in place by the snap tabs, the connector being positioned on the board such that it lies between the wider ends of the sidewalls.

8. The cartridge of claim 7 further comprising a handle pivotally mounted on the casing at locations along an axis extending in a plane, the plane extending perpendicular to a major surface of the PC board and intersecting the board at the connector.

9. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the sidewalls of the cartridge include detents on their taller ends for cooperation with fingertabs on the sidewalls of a recess in the terminal for holding the cartridge in place.

10. The cartridge of claim 8, wherein the sidewalls of the cartridge include indentations on their taller ends near the back wall, and wherein the handle includes projections at one end on either side, the projections including protrusions on their facing surfaces for engaging the indentations in the sidewalls to hold the handle in place.