Inject/eject mechanism for circuit boards

• US 7,251,145 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Reznikov, Naum
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard; Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Semenenko; Yuriy
• Application Number:
  US10/920,663
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 361/727, 361/728, 361/731, 361/735, 361/736, 361/741, 361/748, 361/798, 361/726, 361/825, 361/801, 439/368, 439/327
• US Class Current: 361/825
• 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

Abstract

A mechanism may couple an electrical assembly with circuit boards in a computer system. The mechanism may include injectors on the electrical assembly and a receptacle on each of the circuit boards. The injectors may engage the receptacles to couple header connector parts on the electrical assembly with receptacle connector parts on the receptacles. The electrical assembly may include a latch device that holds the injectors in a closed position after injection of the electrical assembly.

Claims

1. A mechanism for coupling an electrical assembly with a plurality of circuit boards mounted in a chassis, the electrical assembly comprising a bridgeboard configured to electrically connect a first circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards with a second circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards, the mechanism comprising:

a first receptacle on the first circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards;

a second receptacle on the second circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards; and

a pair of injectors on the electrical assembly on substantially opposing sides of the electrical assembly;

wherein one of the pair of injectors comprises a first lever pivotally coupled with the bridgeboard on one side of the bridgeboard, wherein the first lever is configured to, on one side of the bridgeboard, substantially simultaneously engage with both the first receptacle on the first circuit board and the second receptacle on the second circuit board, wherein the other of the pair of injectors comprises a second lever pivotally coupled with the bridgeboard on other side of the bridgeboard, wherein the second lever is configured to, on the other side of the bridgeboard, substantially simultaneously engage with both the first receptacle on the first circuit board and the second receptacle on the second circuit board; and

wherein the pair of injectors are simultaneously operable to couple the bridgeboard with both the first circuit board and the second circuit board simultaneously.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the injectors are configurable to engage at least one of the receptacles to decouple the header connector parts from the respective receptacle connector parts.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a base coupled to the injectors.

4. The mechanism of claim 3, further comprising a latch device coupled to the base, wherein the latch device is configured to hold the injectors in a closed position relative to the base.

5. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising at least one guide pin configured to couple with the electrical assembly, wherein at least one of the receptacles comprises a guide hole configured to receive the guide pin when the electrical assembly is coupled with the receptacle.

6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein both of the pair of injectors are simultaneously operable to couple the header connector parts with the receptacle connector parts by pressing with one hand on portions of both injectors simultaneously.

7. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a latch coupled to a base of the electrical assembly and a catch on at least one of the injectors, wherein the latch is configured to couple with the catch to inhibit movement of at least one of the injectors when the header connector part and receptacle connector part are coupled; and

a latch release coupled to the base, wherein the latch release is configured to release all of the injectors simultaneously.

8. An electrical assembly, comprising:

a base;

a first header connector part coupled to the base;

a second header connector part coupled to the base; and

a pair of injectors movably coupled to the base;

wherein one of the injectors is configured to substantially simultaneously engage both a first receptacle on a first circuit board and a second receptacle on a second circuit board on one side of the electrical assembly and wherein the other of the injectors is configured to substantially simultaneously engage both the first receptacle on the first circuit board and second receptacle on the second circuit board on the other side of the electrical assembly, at least one of the injectors being configurable to engage both the first receptacle on the first circuit board and the second receptacle on the second circuit board to couple the first header connector part with a first receptacle connector part on the first circuit board and to couple a second header connector part on the electrical assembly with a second receptacle connector part on the second circuit board;

a latch coupled to the base and a catch on at least one of the injectors, wherein the latch is configured to couple with the catch to inhibit movement of at least one of the injectors when the header connector part and receptacle connector part are coupled; and

a latch release coupled to the base, wherein the latch release is configured to release all of the injectors simultaneously.

9. The electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the injectors are configurable to engage at least one of the receptacles to decouple the header connector parts from the respective receptacle connector parts.

10. The electrical assembly of claim 8, further comprising a guide pin coupled to each of the header connector parts, wherein each of the guide pins is configured to couple with a guide hole in one of the receptacles.

11. The electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the latch comprises a resilient member.

12. The electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the latch comprises a wire spring.

13. The electrical assembly of claim 8, further comprising a spring coupled to the injector, wherein the spring is configured to rotate at least one of the injectors away from the latch when the latch is released.

14. The electrical assembly of claim 8, further comprising a stop configured to inhibit rotation of the injector beyond a predetermined amount.

15. The electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the latch is configured to hold both of the pair of injectors in a closed position.

16. A system, comprising:

a first circuit board;

a first receptacle coupled to the first circuit board, the first receptacle comprising a first receptacle connector part;

a second circuit board;

a second receptacle coupled to the second circuit board, the second receptacle comprising a second receptacle connector part; and

an electrical assembly comprising a base, first and second header connector parts coupled to the base, and a pair of injectors coupled to base;

wherein one of the injectors is configured to substantially simultaneously engage both the first receptacle coupled to the first circuit board and the second receptacle coupled to the second circuit board on one side of the electrical assembly and wherein the other of the injectors is configured to substantially simultaneously engage both the first receptacle coupled to the first circuit board and second receptacle coupled to the second circuit board on the other side of the electrical assembly, at least one of the injectors being configured to engage both the first receptacle and the second receptacle to couple the first header connector part to the first receptacle connector part and to couple the second header connector part to the second receptacle connector part;

wherein the electrical assembly comprises a bridgeboard, wherein the bridgeboard is configured to electrically connect the first circuit board with the second circuit board,

wherein one of the pair of injectors comprises a first lever pivotally coupled with the bridgeboard on one side of the bridgeboard, wherein the first lever is configured to, on one side of the bridgeboard, substantially simultaneously engage with both the first receptacle coupled to the first circuit board and the second receptacle coupled to the second circuit board, wherein the other of the pair of injectors comprises a second lever pivotally coupled with the bridgeboard on other side of the bridgeboard, wherein the second lever is configured to, on the other side of the bridgeboard, substantially simultaneously engage with both the first receptacle coupled to the first circuit board and the second receptacle coupled to the second circuit board, and

wherein the pair of injectors are simultaneously operable to couple the bridgeboard with both the first circuit board and the second circuit board simultaneously.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a chassis, wherein the circuit boards are coupled to the chassis in a substantially parallel spaced relationship.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a chassis and a second electrical assembly, wherein the circuit boards are coupled to the chassis, wherein the electrical assemblies are configured to allow cooling air to flow over the circuit boards between the electrical assemblies.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the circuit boards are configured in a substantially coplanar relationship when the header connector parts are coupled to the receptacle connector parts.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the circuit boards form a composite circuit board, wherein the composite circuit board is mountable in a chassis.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a structural member coupled between the circuit boards.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second levers are simultaneously operable by a user by pressing on both the levers with the same hand.