Patent Application
20110141710
Some cards in computer systems, e.g. high-end gaming systems, are long and contain heavy cooling elements. In a computer chassis, the weight of the cooling elements unfortunately contributes to shaking the card out of its socket during shipping or even causes the cards to flex or bend. As such, card retention mechanisms are employed to keep the card in place. However, cards and cooling solutions are not static. The dimensions of cards change over time, and the cooling solutions on, e.g., video cards may change with each revision of the card, whereas the computer chassis remains the same. For example, some cooling solutions physically extend beyond the card. Such cooling solutions cannot be used if a card retention mechanism blocks the space beyond the card, but elimination of the card retention mechanism would eliminate the stability provided by the card retention mechanism. Computer manufacturers who ship computer systems with bulky, heavy cooling solutions are especially vulnerable to these problems.
For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .”
The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.
To overcome the aforementioned obstacles, an apparatus is disclosed. Preferably, the apparatus comprises a rail and a securing member. The rail is preferably coupled to a computer chassis, and the securing member is slidably coupled to the rail. The securing member holds a stacked arrangement of cards in place by contacting the edges of the cards in the computer chassis, but the securing member can be repositioned by sliding or rolling along the rail, thus contacting the cards in a different location. As such, should the securing member impede implementation of a cooling solution, the securing member can be repositioned along the rail such that the securing member contacts the cards in other locations where the securing member will not impede the cooling solution. Similarly, should a new card of different dimensions than the other cards be added to the stacked arrangement of cards, and should the original position of the securing member not allow for contact with the new card, the securing member can be repositioned along the rail such that all the cards in the stacked arrangement of card are contacted and secured.
In at least one embodiment, the rail 200 and the groove 202 extend commensurate with the edge of the cards 104 that the securing member 300 secures. Because, the securing member 300 is slidably coupled to the rail 200, the securing member 300 is positioned and repositioned along the rail 200 to contact any point along the edges of the cards 104 as desired. Preferably, the edges that are contacted are the edges opposite the edge coupled to the card sockets.
In at least one embodiment, at the point of contact, the securing member 300 preferably comprises an elastic or flexible portion 304, e.g. a spring, to reduce strain on the securing member 300 and provide a cushion to a card 104. As pictured, three elastic portions 304 are disposed evenly along the second portion 305 of the securing member 300. In at least one embodiment, any number of elastic portions secure any number of cards 104 in a one-to-one ratio. Preferably, when contact is made with a card 104, the elastic portion 304 is depressed such that the elastic portion 304 exerts pressure on the card in the direction indicated by the arrow 320. The amount of pressure is preferably sufficient to secure the card 104 in a socket, but not to damage the card 104, securing member 300, or socket.
In at least one embodiment, the slidable coupling between the securing member 300 and the rail 200 is implemented as the rail 200 comprising a track along which a portion of the securing member 300 rolls. Preferably, the securing member 300 comprises wheels 302 that roll within the groove 202 and allow for motion of the securing member 300 along the rail 200. The wheels 302 are disposed on either side of the first portion 303 of the securing member 300, and the wheels 302 turn about axis “a” allowing the securing member 300 to move along the rail 200. The wheels 302 are removably coupled to the rail 200. In order to decouple the wheels 302, and hence the entire securing member 300, from the rail 200, the securing member 300 is rolled towards an end of the rail 200. In at least one embodiment, the securing member 300 has a length (0, a width (w), and a depth (d) that is, for example, six inches, half of an inch, and half of an inch, respectively. The wheels 302 are small enough to fit within the groove 202, and are preferably made of a durable material ideal for repetitive rolling along the rail 200.
As mentioned, the securing member 300 is adapted to secure one or more cards 104 in respective sockets by contacting any point along the edges of the cards 104. In various embodiments, the cards 104 comprise any type of card such as a video card, a sound card, a peripheral component interconnect (“PCI”) card, a PCI Express card, a network card, a tuner card, an expansion card, an accelerated graphics port (“AGP”) card, an industry standard architecture (“ISA”) card, a micro-channel architecture (“MCA”) card, a video electronics standards association (“VESA”) card, a physics card, a power-on self test (“POST”) card, a modem card, a host adapter card, an interface adapter card, a disk controller card, a memory card, a flash card, a computer add-in card, or a modem card. If multiple cards 104 are secured in place by the securing member 300, each card 104 can be the same as, or different from, another card 104. That is, the stacked arrangement of cards 104 may be the same cards or a mixed group of cards 104. Preferably, the securing member 300 contacts the edge of the card 104 opposite the edge electrically coupled to the socket to apply pressure efficiently.
Preferably, the securing member 300 comprises a fastening mechanism 308 adapted to prevent the securing member 300 from sliding when engaged. As pictured, the fastening mechanism 308 is a latch 308 adapted to engage the chassis 102 at an indentation in the chassis 102; however, all fastening mechanisms are within the scope of the disclosure. The tip 322 of the latch 308 preferably comprises a gripping material such that the securing member 300 will only decouple from the chassis 102 when desired. When the fastening mechanism 308 is engaged, each card 104 should contact different elastic portions 304 of the securing member 300 such that the securing member 300 secures the cards in their respective sockets. Also, when the fastening mechanism 308 is engaged, the securing member 300 should not slide along the rail 200. However, when the fastening mechanism 308 is not engaged, the securing member 300 should be free to slide along the rail 200 and even decouple from the rail 200.
The above disclosure is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiment of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all variations and modifications.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2008/051895 | 1/24/2008 | WO | 00 | 3/2/2011 |
