Patent Application
20150031232
This disclosure generally relates to electronic components, and in particular, to securing electronic components in an interface slot.
Modern electronic devices, such as computer systems, use electronic components. Often these components are made to fit into specific interface slots. Such electronic components may allow the electronic device to operate or be used to improve or expand on the capabilities of the electronic device. Securing these electronic components in the interface slots may be required to prevent loss of these capabilities or prevent system failures.
An apparatus and method are provided for securing an electronic component in an interface slot. In an embodiment of the apparatus, a pivoted latch may be provided, that in a first position retains the electronic component in an interface slot. The apparatus may further include a push point on the latch for movement of the latch to a second position. The apparatus may further include a guide at the push point of the latch for receiving a tool.
In another embodiment, a method is provided for releasing an electronic component from an interface slot. The method may include, placing a tool in a guide at a push point of a latch in a first position, the latch in the first position retaining the electronic component in the interface slot. The method may further include, applying pressure to the tool, the pressure sufficient to move the latch to a second position. In the second position the latch may allowing the electronic component to be removed from the interface slot.
Embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements or steps.
In many systems such as electronic devices, for example a computer system, electronic components (herein after component) may be attached or retained using latches. These latches may be pivoted such that they may move to engage the component to be retained by them. The pivoting movement of the latches may be rotational or sideways to engage or disengage the components. A common component that uses a latch for retention is memory. For example, a type of memory, a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), may be inserted into interface slot and one or more latches may be used to retain the DIMM in place. The latches may insure the DIMM does not lose electronic connection with elements in the interface slot and prevent the DIMM from shifting if the electronic device containing the DIMM is moved around. The use of latches for retaining components is common and these latches may be designed to be engaged by a human finger. The finger may apply pressure on a specific point of the latch to move the latch or cause the latch to engage or disengage with the component.
As electronic devices have grown in complexity and power they have also often been designed to be reduced in size. These demands on the electronic devices and computer systems have made real estate within them a luxury. With more components often installed into a smaller space accessing latches for retaining components, either to install, remove, or access may be difficult. The latch may be designed to interact with a human finger that may not be able to reach between other elements or components inside the electronic device to interact with the latch. Embodiments of the presented disclosure may make it possible for a user to interact with the latch, such as engaging the latch in a first position or disengaging the latch in a second position, without the direct contact of a human finger and thus, possibly reducing space concerns inside the electronic device for accessibility.
The illustrated embodiment of the electronic component 10 may include a multiplicity of electronic devices 2a through 2h (collectively hereafter referred to as 2) which are mounted on a circuit board 30. The circuit board 30 may have a connector 35. In various embodiments, the circuit board 30 may be a printed circuit board (PCB), printed wiring board (PWB), etched wiring board, or other body for mounting and electrically connecting electronic devices. In various embodiments, the electronic device mounted to the circuit board 30 may include, but is not limited to, any of the following: microprocessors, capacitors, resistors, inductors, semi-conductor elements, integrated circuits, chip carriers, or any electric devices designed or modified for mounting on a circuit board 30.
Connector 35 may be used to interface the electronic component 10 with other electronics, allowing for the transfer of information, and may optionally provide a conduit for electric power to the electronic component 10. In one embodiment, the connector 35 may be a computer bus interface connector, one example of which is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) style edge connector. In another embodiment, the connector 35 may be a computer memory edge connector, communication socket, or a board-to-board connector. In another embodiment, the connector 35 may be of an optical type. One embodiment of the electronic component 10 may be a memory module. In other embodiments, this electronic component 10 may be a graphics card, network card, expansion card, adaptor card, interface card, server component, server blades, or other electronic component. It is contemplated that additional forms of connector 35 or electronic component 10 may be employed and still remain within the scope and spirit of the presented embodiments of the invention. In the various embodiments, the interface slot may match the connector type of the component. These interface slot types may include, but are not limited to, computer bus interface slots, memory module slots, DIMM memory module slots, or PCI interface slots.
In the illustrated embodiment, a proximal end of the electronic component 10 is the end with the connector 35. A distal end of the electronic component 10 is the side opposite proximal end. In various embodiments, the distal end of the electronic component 10 is the end of the component that may have force applied to it for installing the electronic component 10 into an installed position.
The illustrated embodiment may also have a guide 225 located at the push point 221 of the latch 220. The guide 225 may be of a size or shape to allow for an object, or tool, to be inserted into it such that pressure or force used on the tool may be transferred to the push point 221 of the latch 220 and thus the latch 220 may be moved or released using the object. In various embodiments, a different pressure amount, direction, or angle may be used to reverse the movement of the latch. In such embodiments, sufficient pressure may be added to a tool in the guide 225 to move the latch 220 from the second position of release to the first position of retaining the electronic component 10 in the interface slot 110.
The guide 225 may be of a size and shape to match the anticipated tool used to apply pressure to the push point 221 of the latch 220. For example the guide 225 may be designed to accept the end of a pen. In such embodiments, the guide 225 may be circular and have an opening width W2 of 5 mm and a depth of 1 mm or more. This opening width W2 may be large enough to accept the end, or tip, of a pen used by an individual to exert pressure on the push point 221 of the latch 220 to change position or release the latch 220. In other embodiments, the guide 225 may be “X” shaped with an opening width W2 of only 2 mm to accept the end of a P0 size Philips screwdriver. In various embodiments, the opening width W2 may be between 1 mm, the size of a small rigid wire, and less than 13 mm, the size of a small finger. In various embodiments, the guide 225 may be squared off at the bottom or may be concave depending on the tool designed to be accepted by the guide 225. Some guides 225 may be designed to handle a variety of possible generic tools, such as, but not limited to pens, small screwdrivers, or rigid metal wires.
In various embodiments, the latch 220 moving to the second position may include displacement of the electronic component 10 from the interface slot 110 such that electronic communication may discontinue. In various embodiments, the pressure sufficient to move the latch 220 to the second position may include the pressure on the push point 221 that may release connectors locking the latch 220 into position either on the electronic component 10 being retained by the latch 220 or in elements of the electronic device the latch 220 is in contact with. In various embodiments, the method may be reversed such that sufficient pressure may be added to a tool in the guide 225 to move the latch 220 from the second position of release to the first position of retaining the electronic component 10 in the interface slot 110.
While this disclosure has described the details of various embodiments shown in the drawings, these details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.
