Removable expansion card cage

• US 6,618,260 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Willis, Clifford B., Hileman, Vincent P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/040,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/684, 361/686, 361/725, 361/728-730, 361/752, 361/753, 361/759, 361/796, 361/797, 361/756, 361/801-802
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/186 Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1429 for circuits carrying a CPU and adapted to receive expansion cards

Abstract

An expansion enclosure allows additional expansion cards to be used with a computer system. The enclosure exhibits a small footprint (e.g., one rack unit, or 1¾ inches) for installation in a rack or other area in which space is limited. The enclosure accepts one or more (e.g., four) expansion cards, which are connected to a removable expansion card cage. The removable cage forms part of the structure of the enclosure and provides strength and rigidity. A stabilizer may be removably but securely installed in the enclosure to stabilize or hold the removable cage as a card is installed in or removed from the cage.

Claims

1. An expansion card assembly for removable installation in an enclosure no more than one rack unit in height, comprising:

a central member comprising a plurality of expansion card slots and an aperture configured to releasably engage a guide prong installed on a base of the enclosure;

a first cross-member comprising guides corresponding to each of said expansion card slots; and

a second cross-member comprising apertures configured to facilitate electrical connection to expansion cards installed in said expansion card slots, wherein said second cross-member comprises a portion of a first wall of the enclosure.

2. The expansion card assembly of claim 1, wherein said first cross-member comprises one or more fans.

3. The expansion card assembly of claim 1, further comprising a releasable power connector for coupling the expansion card assembly to a power supply.

4. The expansion card assembly of claim 1, further comprising means for releasably securing the expansion card assembly to the enclosure.

5. The expansion card assembly of claim 4, wherein said means comprises a captive screw.

6. The expansion card assembly of claim 1, wherein said second cross-member comprises an opening configured to releasably engage a guide prong.

7. The expansion card assembly of claim 6, wherein said central member provides rigid vertical support between a base and a top of the enclosure.

8. The expansion card assembly of claim 1, wherein said aperture comprises a bore through a bottom surface of the expansion card assembly.

9. The expansion card assembly of claim 1, wherein said aperture comprises a slot located on a bottom surface of said second cross-member.

10. The expansion card assembly of claim 9, wherein said guide prong is located at an edge of said base.

11. A removable apparatus for operating expansion cards in a computer equipment enclosure, the apparatus comprising:

a central member comprising multiple expansion card slots;

a first cross-support comprising;

guides for facilitating manipulation of expansion cards in said slots; and

one or more fans;

a second cross-support forming a portion of a wall of the enclosure and comprising access apertures configured to enable access to signal connectors of said expansion cards; and

one or more receptacles for releasably engaging enclosure guides for guiding the removable installation of the apparatus within the enclosure.

12. The removable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said central member provides internal support within the enclosure between a bottom and a top of the enclosure.

13. The removable apparatus of claim 11, wherein a first said receptacle comprises a slot in said second cross-support configured to engage a prong extending from a bottom of the enclosure.

14. The removable apparatus of claim 11, wherein a first said receptacle comprises a first aperture in a bottom of said central member, wherein said first aperture is configured to receive a protrusion extending from a bottom of the enclosure.

15. An enclosure for removably housing multiple computer expansion cards, comprising:

a removable expansion card assembly comprising;

multiple expansion card slots for accepting computer expansion cards; and

an aperture configured to releasable engage a guide for guiding placement of said removable expansion card assembly within the enclosure;

one or more status indicators, visible external to the enclosure, configured to indicate a status of the enclosure;

a removable power supply; and

one or more fans coupled to said removable expansion card assembly;

wherein the enclosure is no more than one rack unit in height.

16. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein said removable expansion card assembly provides vertical support between a bottom and a top of the enclosure.

17. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein the enclosure comprises a plurality of walls, and said removable expansion card assembly forms a portion of one or more of said walls.

18. The enclosure of claim 15, further comprising means for releasably installing said removable expansion card assembly within the enclosure.

19. The enclosure of claim 15, further comprising an interface module for releasably interfacing said removable expansion card assembly with said power supply.

20. The enclosure of claim 15, further comprising a signal connector for electrically coupling the enclosure to a computer system.