Claims
- 1. A lockout apparatus for a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots, the lockout apparatus comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one lockout mechanism for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open.
- 2. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lockout the next sequential lockout mechanism is moved from its first position to its second position upon installation of an add-on card into the first expansion slot.
- 3. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein when an add-on card is installed into an expansion slot, the lockout mechanism of the next lockout mechanism in the next sequential expansion slot is moved from its first position to its second position
- 4. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein each expansion slot has a lockout channel, and each lockout mechanism comprises:
a lockout disk rotatable about a central point, the lockout disk having:
a lockout member fixedly rigidly attached to the lockout disk, the lockout member extending into its respective expansion slot; a lockout opening aligned with the lockout channel when the lockout member is in its first position; a lockout rod rotatably mounted to the lockout disk, the lockout rod extending into the lockout channel and lockout opening of the adjacent expansion slot when the lockout member is in its first position, and movable out of the lockout opening of the adjacent expansion slot when the lockout member moves to its second position.
- 5. The lockout apparatus of claim 4, wherein each lockout mechanism further comprises a biasing means biasing the lockout mechanism toward its first position
- 6. The lockout apparatus of claim 5, wherein the biasing means is a spring.
- 7. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number of expansion slots is four.
- 8. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lockout mechanism comprises:
a body having a first end and a second end; a displacement tab extending from the first end; an add-on card opening positioned between the first end and the second end.
- 9. The lockout apparatus of claim 8, wherein the add-on card opening is a slot extending from one edge into the body.
- 10. The lockout apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displacement tab is disposed at an angle to the body.
- 11. The lockout apparatus of claim 8, wherein the number of expansion slots is four.
- 12. The lockout apparatus of claim 8, wherein each lockout mechanism further comprises a biasing means biasing the lockout mechanism toward its first position.
- 13. The lockout apparatus of claim 12, wherein the biasing means is a spring.
- 14. The lockout apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for retaining an add-on card in the expansion slot when a next add-on card is placed in the next expansion slot.
- 15. The lockout apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for retaining comprises a member moveable by the next add-on card into a slot in the previous add-on card.
- 16. The lockout apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displacement tab engages a slot in the add-on card to retain the add-on card in the expansion slot.
- 17. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lockout mechanism comprises:
a power supply; a switch with a contact disposed in a first expansion slot a lockout member disposed in a second expansion slot; and a lockout solenoid in a second expansion slot, the switch connected between the power supply and the lockout solenoid, wherein actuation of the switch actuates the lockout solenoid to retract the lockout member from the second expansion slot.
- 18. The lockout apparatus of claim 17, wherein the expansion slot solenoid connections are sequential.
- 19. The lockout apparatus of claim 17, wherein the expansion slot solenoid connections are non-sequential.
- 20. The lockout apparatus of claim 17, each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the first expansion slot further comprising:
a retention solenoid having a retention member movable from a first non-retaining position to a second retaining position for retaining the previous add-on card in the first expansion slot upon installation of an add-on card in the second expansion slot.
- 21. The lockout apparatus of claim 20, wherein each of the retention solenoids is operatively connected to the switch of the next expansion slot to actuate a retention member of the retention solenoid upon installation of a next add-on card into the next expansion slot.
- 22. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lockout mechanism comprises:
a body having a cover arm at one end and a lockout member at the other end, the body rotatable between its first and second positions about a pivot point between the one end and the other end.
- 23. The lockout apparatus of claim 1, wherein each lockout mechanism comprises:
a lockout member having a plurality of openings therein; a gear having teeth, the gear rotatable about a pivot point, the teeth engaging the plurality of lockout member openings; and a cover arm fixedly, rigidly attached to the gear.
- 24. A lockout apparatus for a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots, comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one of the plurality of lockout mechanisms for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising:
a lockout disk rotatable about a central point, the lockout disk having:
a lockout member movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open, the lockout member fixedly rigidly attached to the lockout disk, the lockout member extending into its respective expansion slot; a lockout opening aligned with the lockout channel when the lockout member is in its first position; and a lockout rod rotatably mounted to the lockout disk, the lockout rod extending into the lockout channel and lockout opening of the adjacent expansion slot when the lockout member is in its first position, and movable out of the lockout opening of the adjacent expansion slot when the lockout member moves to its second position.
- 25. A lockout apparatus for a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots, comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one of the plurality of lockout mechanisms for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising:
a lockout member movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open, and wherein each lockout member comprises:
a body having a first end and a second end; a displacement tab extending from the first end; an add-on card opening positioned between the first end and the second end.
- 26. A lockout apparatus for a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots, comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one of the plurality of lockout mechanisms for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising:
a power supply; a switch with a contact disposed in a first expansion slot; a lockout member movable between a first position in which it blocks a second expansion slot, and a second position in which the second expansion slot is open; a lockout solenoid in the second expansion slot, the switch connected between the power supply and the lockout solenoid, wherein actuation of the switch actuates the lockout solenoid to retract the lockout member from the second expansion slot.
- 27. A lockout apparatus for a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots, comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one of the plurality of lockout mechanisms for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising:
a lockout member movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open, and wherein each lockout mechanism comprises:
a body movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open, the body having a cover arm at one end and a lockout member at the other end, and wherein the body is rotatable between its first and second positions about a pivot point between the one end and the other end.
- 28. A lockout apparatus for a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots, comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one of the plurality of lockout mechanisms for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising:
a lockout member movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open, the lockout member having a plurality of openings therein; a gear having teeth, the gear rotatable about a pivot point, the teeth engaging the plurality of lockout member openings; and a cover arm fixedly, rigidly attached to the gear.
- 29. An add-on card for a printed circuit board, the add-on card having a slot therein for retention of the add on card in an expansion slot having a retention means.
- 30. A computer system, comprising:
a computer having a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot, a last expansion slot, and a plurality of intermediate expansion slots; and a lockout apparatus for the plurality of expansion slots, the lockout apparatus comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one lockout mechanism for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising a lockout member movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open.
- 31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein each lockout mechanism further comprises:
a lockout disk rotatable about a central point, the lockout disk having:
the lockout member fixedly rigidly attached to the lockout disk, the lockout member extending into its respective expansion slot; a lockout opening aligned with the lockout channel when the lockout member is in its first position; a lockout rod rotatably mounted to the lockout disk, the lockout rod extending into the lockout channel and lockout opening of the adjacent expansion slot when the lockout member is in its first position, and movable out of the lockout opening of the adjacent expansion slot when the lockout member moves to its second position.
- 32. The computer system of claim 30, wherein each lockout member comprises:
a body having a first end and a second end; a displacement tab extending from the first end; an add-on card opening positioned between the first end and the second end.
- 33. The computer system of claim 30, wherein each lockout member comprises:
a power supply; a switch with a contact disposed in a first expansion slot; and a lockout solenoid in a second expansion slot, the switch connected between the power supply and the lockout solenoid, wherein actuation of the switch actuates the lockout solenoid to retract a lockout member from the second expansion slot.
- 34. A printed circuit board having a plurality of expansion slots comprising a first expansion slot and a plurality of remaining expansion slots, and a lockout apparatus, the lockout apparatus comprising:
a plurality of lockout mechanisms, one lockout mechanism for each of the plurality of intermediate expansion slots and the last expansion slot, each lockout mechanism comprising a lockout member movable between a first position in which its respective expansion slot is blocked, and a second position in which its respective expansion slot is open.
- 35. A method of sequential access to a plurality of expansion slots of a printed circuit board, the method comprising:
blocking access to all but the first of the plurality of expansion slots; and opening access to the next of the plurality of expansion slots upon installation of an add-on card into the first of the expansion slots.
- 36. The method of claim 35, and further comprising:
retaining the first add-on card in the first expansion slot upon installation of a second add-on card in the second expansion slot.
- 37. The method of claim 36, and further comprising:
allowing removal of the first add-on card upon removal of the second add-on card.
- 38. The method of claim 35, wherein the expansion slots are accessed sequentially.
- 39. The method of claim 35, wherein the expansion slots are accessed non-sequentially.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/378,316 filed Aug. 20, 1999, which application is incorporated herein by reference.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09378316 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
10171217 |
Jun 2002 |
US |