Fastening assembly for memory riser card

Abstract

A fastening assembly for riser cards equipped with memory modules includes holders and latches. Each of the holders has bars and pillars to form a solid framework and couple to a mother board. The edges of the riser cards are held by holding grooves on the pillars to enable the riser cards sliding therein and insert towards riser sockets on the mother board. Meanwhile, the latches slip to latch the holding grooves to limit the movement of the riser cards. Thus, the fastening assembly improves the fixing strength of the riser cards and prevents from moving off while impacted, vibrated or crashed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing of a riser card in the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing according to the present invention, showing the fastening assembly couples the riser cards onto the mother board.

FIG. 3 is a decomposition drawing according to the present invention, showing the riser cards couples onto the mother board by the fastening assembly.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory drawing according to the present invention, showing the fixing pieces of the fastening assembly.

FIGS. 5A˜5D shows the configuration procedure of the fastening assembly for configuring the riser card according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a protection slice of the riser card according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Content

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3. An embodiment of a fastening assembly according to the present invention is applied to a mother board 20 that has plural communication ports 21 and plural riser sockets. Two riser sockets 22, 23 are dedicated to the riser cards for system memory. The communication ports 21 are for electrical connection with peripherals or input/output devices. The riser sockets 22, 23 are configured for the insertion of the riser cards 31, 32. On the riser cards 31, 32, several memory sockets 311, 321 are equipped for memory modules, such as DIMMs (Dual Inline Memory Modules) for expansibility of system memory.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the fastening assembly has two holders 41, 42, located opposite to each other and adjacent to the two lateral edges of the riser cards 31, 32. Each of the holders 41, 42 has one top bar 413/423 on the top, while the top bar 413(423) has two pillars 411, 412(421, 422) extended downwards to fix onto the mother board 20. Two thin, flat fixing pieces 415, 425 are utilized to couple with the pillars 411, 412(421, 422). Generally, the fixing piece and the corresponsive pillars are located at the opposite sides of the mother board. The fixing pieces 415,425 may be used to fasten the pillars 411, 412(421, 422) of the same holder 41 (42), or to fasten the pillar pairs 411-421 and the pillar pairs 412-422 as well. That means, the fixing piece 415(425) will be parallel to the top bars 413(423) when fastening the same holder 41(42). In the other hand, the fixing piece 415(425) will be perpendicular to the top bars 413(423) when fastening between the two holders 41 and 42. On the two ends of the top bar 413(423), two latches 51, 52 (53, 54) are configured for sliding and moving relatively to the top bar 413,423. The two latches 51, 52 (53, 54) may be practically combined as one for specific demands.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the pillar 421 of the holder 42 has a holding groove 4211. The latch 53 includes an opening 531 to allow the riser card 31 to pass through. At one end of the latch 53, the limiting slot 532 is utilized to limit the movement of the latch 53 by cooperating with a limiting member 533. The limiting member 533 may be a limiting screw, as shown in the drawings, or a positioning protrusion extended from the top bar 423. Other concave-protrusion structures varied by those skilled in the art will be helpful, too. The outer end of the latch 53 is bended as a hook 534 to hook on the terminal of the top bar 413. This design not only prevents the latch 53 from raising up at the terminal portion, but also provides the movement stability during the sliding operation, and helps to position the latch 53 by cooperating with the fixing screw 535.

Accordingly, the riser card 31 may pass the opening 531 of the latch 53 and slide in the holding groove 4211 of the pillar 421. Please refer to FIG. 5B, the other holder 41 at the other side has the same structure to form a width range between the two holding grooves, helping to hold and limit the sliding movement of riser card 31. Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, push the riser card 31 downwards along the holding groove 4211, until the bottom interface (not shown) of the riser card 31 is inserted in the riser socket 23 (FIG. 3). At the moment, the whole riser card 31 will be held in the holding groove 4211. Then the latch 53 may slide along the top bar 423, as shown in FIG. 5D, to make the opening 531 removed from the holding groove 4211, and latch the holding groove 4211 to prevent the riser card 31 from moving off. The fixing screw 535 will be used now to fasten the latch 53 at this position. Meanwhile, the hook 534 will hook completely on the terminal of the top bar 423 to provide the riser card 31 additional stability for protecting against impact, vibration or crash. At the central portion of the top bar 423, a T-shaped protrusion (shown but not marked in the drawings) allows one end of the latch 53 to insert therein and help to fasten the latch.

For practical applications, in a compact computer system with large amount of other components equipped on the mother board 20, the riser cards 31, 32 include several handles 611,612,621,622, as shown in FIG. 2 for simplifying the configuration operation of the riser cards 31, 32. The user may hold the handles 611,612,621,622 by hands, helping to insert the riser card 31, 32 into the riser sockets 22, 23 on the mother boards. Please refer to FIG. 6; a protection slice 70 is pasted on the rear surface of the riser card 32 to cover the pin terminals of the riser sockets 22(23) for operation safety, and meanwhile helping the precision of the sliding operation.

A simple variation of the above embodiments according to the present invention is to move the position of the latch from the bar of the holder to the riser card. The structure and composition of the latch may remain the same, including all elements such as the thin and flat body, the limiting slot with the limiting member, the fixing screw and the hook. The only difference is these elements are configured on the edges of the riser card. The latch may be capable of sliding or not. Possibly the latch may need a twist for the hook to hook the top bar of the holder. The fixing screw may be coupled to the top bar to fasten the riser card between the riser socket, and the holders. The handle may be fastened on the top of the riser card or on the latch.

Basically, the amount of the grooves includes in one holder depends on the amount of the riser cards. One pillar may have more than one groove, if necessary. For example, a wider pillar may have two or three grooves. So the amount and the shape of the pillar should not be limited. Furthermore, in specific cases with strong mechanical strength, one holder will be enough for fastening two or more said riser cards, with the assistance of the riser sockets.

Similarly, at the bottom of the pillar the holder may be configured with one (or more) bottom bar (shown but not marked in the drawings) to make the holder a solid framework. The triangle supports around the bottom of the pillar further provides more fastening strength. In addition, the holders disclosed in the embodiments are made of aluminum extrusion. But it is still practical for variations that meet the structural features of the holders.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A fastening assembly for a plurality of riser cards, each of the riser cards having a plurality of memory sockets for configuring with a plurality of memory modules, and the riser cards being inserted into corresponsive riser sockets of a mother board respectively, the fastening assembly comprising: at least one holder configured adjacent to the riser cards, having a top bar and at least one pillar, the pillar being extended from the top bar to couple to the mother board and having at least one holding grooves holding the edges of the corresponsive riser cards and enabling the riser cards to slid therein and insert towards the riser sockets; andat least one latch configured on the top bar of the holder for moving relatively to the top bar and blocking the holding grooves, thereby preventing the riser cards from moving off.

2. The fastening assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one handle configured on the top of each of the riser cards.

3. The fastening assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one fixing piece to fasten the pillar with the mother board, the fixing piece being parallel or perpendicular to the top bar.

4. The fastening assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a limiting slot to cooperate with a limiting member of the top bar for limiting the movement of the latch.

5. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the limiting member is a positioning protrusion extended from the top bar.

6. The fastening assembly of claim 4, wherein the limiting member is a limiting screw.

7. The fastening assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a fixing screw for fastening the latch on the top bar.

8. The fastening assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch comprises a hook for hooking a terminal of the top bar.

9. The fastening assembly of claim 1, wherein the holder further comprises a bottom bar at the bottom of the pillar.

10. The fastening assembly of claim 1, wherein the top bar further comprising a T-shaped protrusion to allow one end of the latch to insert therein and help to fasten the latch.

11. The fastening assembly of claim 1, wherein the holder further comprises at least one triangle support around the bottom of the pillar.

12. A fastening assembly for a plurality of riser cards, each of the riser cards having a plurality of memory sockets for configuring with a plurality of memory modules, and the riser cards being inserted into corresponsive riser sockets of a mother board respectively, the fastening assembly comprising: at least one holder configured adjacent to the riser cards, having a top bar and at least one pillar, the pillar being extended from the top bar to couple to the mother board and having at least one holding grooves holding the edges of the corresponsive riser cards and enabling the riser cards to slid therein and insert towards the riser sockets; andat least one latch configured on the riser cards to couple with the top bar of the holder and prevent the riser cards from moving off.

13. The fastening assembly of claim 12 further comprising at least one handle configured on the top of each of the riser cards.

14. The fastening assembly of claim 12 further comprising at least one handle configured on the latch.

15. The fastening assembly of claim 12 further comprising at least one fixing piece to fasten the pillar with the mother board, the fixing piece being parallel or perpendicular to the top bar.

16. The fastening assembly of claim 12, wherein the latch comprises a limiting slot to cooperate with a limiting member of the top bar for limiting the movement of the latch.

17. The fastening assembly of claim 16, wherein the limiting member is a positioning protrusion extended from the top bar.

18. The fastening assembly of claim 16, wherein the limiting member is a limiting screw.

19. The fastening assembly of claim 12, wherein the latch comprises a fixing screw for fastening the latch on the top bar.

20. The fastening assembly of claim 12, wherein the latch comprises a hook for hooking the top bar.