System and method for tool-less mounting of a bezel with an electronic device

• US 20070279858A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Franz, John P., Grady, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a blade server and blade server components. Specifically, one embodiment is directed to a server comprising a server chassis, a system board coupled to the server chassis, the system board comprising a first electrical connector, and a bezel assembly coupled to the server chassis and the system board, the bezel assembly comprising a printed circuit assembly comprising a second electrical connector communicatively mated to the first electrical connector.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a server chassis;

a system board coupled to the server chassis, the system board comprising a first electrical connector; and

a bezel assembly coupled to the server chassis and the system board, the bezel assembly comprising a printed circuit assembly comprising a second electrical connector directly mated to the first electrical connector.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the blade bezel assembly comprises a retention flange extending outward along a perimeter of the bezel assembly.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the server chassis comprises a latch removably coupled to the retention flange, the latch comprising a bezel lock configured to rotate about an alignment pin disposed through a hole in a central portion of the latch.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the latch comprises a quick release latch that is spring-loaded.

5. The server of claim 3, wherein the bezel lock comprises a retention feature on a first side of the hole and an ejector feature on a second side of the hole.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the retention feature is disposed over the retention flange to retain the bezel assembly in a coupled position with respect to the server chassis and the system board.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the bezel assembly comprises a bezel body having an ejector tab extending from the bezel body and, the ejector tab is aligned with a position that the ejector feature of the bezel lock is configured to rotate through.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical connectors are blind mate connectors.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit assembly comprises circuitry for a status indicator.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the status indicator comprises light emitting diodes.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit assembly comprises circuitry for a control feature.

12. The server of claim 1, wherein the bezel assembly comprises a spool receptacle disposed about a spool extending from the server chassis.

13. The server of claim 1, wherein the bezel assembly is coupled to the server chassis along a rail structure of the server chassis.

14. A server system comprising:

a bezel assembly configured to slide into a coupled configuration with a server assembly having a system board with a first electrical connector, the bezel assembly comprising a printed circuit assembly including a second electrical connector configured to directly mate to the first electrical connector when the server assembly and the bezel assembly are in the coupled configuration.

15. The server system of claim 14, comprising the server assembly.

16. The server system of claim 15, wherein the server assembly comprises a server chassis including a set of bezel guide rails configured to guide the bezel assembly into the coupled configuration with the server assembly.

17. The server system of claim 16, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are configured to align with each other to facilitate mating as the bezel guide rails guide the bezel assembly into the coupled configuration with the server assembly.

18. The server system of claim 14, wherein the bezel assembly comprises a retention flange that projects outward along a perimeter of the bezel assembly.

19. The server system of claim 18, wherein the server assembly comprises a latch, the latch comprising a bezel lock configured to rotate about an alignment pin disposed through a hole in a central portion of the latch.

20. The server system of claim 19, wherein a retention feature of the bezel lock is disposed over the retention flange to retain the bezel assembly in a coupled position with respect to the server assembly.

21. The server system of claim 19, wherein the bezel assembly comprises an ejector tab and the ejector tab is aligned with a position that an ejector feature of the bezel lock is configured to rotate through.

22. A method, comprising:

receiving a bezel assembly into a server assembly, the bezel assembly comprising a printed circuit assembly and the server assembly comprising a system board;

aligning a first electrical connector disposed on the bezel assembly with a second electrical connector disposed on the system board; and

mating the first electrical connector directly with the second electrical connector to establish a communicative coupling between the printed circuit assembly and the system board.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising retaining the blade bezel assembly and the server assembly in a coupled configuration by engaging a bezel lock and a retention flange.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising ejecting the bezel assembly from the server assembly by biasing an ejector tab disposed on the bezel assembly with a bezel lock.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein mating the first electrical connector directly with the second electrical connector occurs automatically when the bezel assembly and server assembly are coupled.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the server assembly linearly receives the bezel assembly.