Captive latch mechanism for use with an expansion card cage in a personal computer

Abstract

In a computer chassis having a wall, an interiorly-positioned card cage associated with the wall, and the card cage having a card guide slot therein, a card guide retaining device. In a preferred embodiment, the card guide retaining device has a retainer having (1) a first end extending to within the computer chassis through a retainer aperture in the wall, the retainer aperture corresponding to the card guide slot, and (2) a second end extending to without the retainer aperture exterior to the computer chassis. The first end includes a gripping surface to engage and retain a card guide positioned about the card guide slot. The gripping surface may be a generally rectangular planar member extendable over a retaining tab portion of the card guide to thereby secure the card guide against a card guide ledge of the card cage. The second end has a flanged portion to contact an exterior surface of the wall. The retainer may be moved between an engaged position and a disengaged position from the exterior of the computer chassis via the flanged portion. The retainer is configured to provide a retaining force from the wall to the card guide when in the engaged position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed, in general, to personal computers, and more specifically to a personal computer having a captive latch mechanism associated therewith.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWithin the interiors of their housings, modem personal computers are customarily provided with sheet metal cage structures adapted to receive and removably support a plurality of option or expansion cards which, when operatively installed in their associated cage structure, upgrade the operating capabilities of the computer. These expansion cards may be installed in the computer during its original manufacture or subsequently installed by the computer purchaser. Typical types of expansion cards include network, sound, graphics accelerator and multi-media cards.An expansion card is basically a relatively small rectangular printed circuit board having, along one side edge, a connector edge portion that plugs into a corresponding socket portion of the cage struc...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

creating what may be a difficult retrieval problem.

Several seconds are required to install each screw, thereby appreciably increasing the overall assembly time for each computer in which expansion cards are to be factory installed.

The use of individual card bracket tab retaining screws also creates potential problems and inconveniences for the purchaser of the computer or technicians that subsequently work on the expansion card portion of the computer.

Each fine this task is carried out, there is the potential for dropping one or more of the individual retaining screws into the computer system.

Additionally, when the computer system is being analyzed for a problem, it is often necessary to remove all of the expansion cards to isolate the problem.

This, of course, reduces the amount of time spent in the manufacturing process to attach the blank brackets or expansion cards and also decreases the amount of aggravation for the computer user who adds or removes additional expansion cards or blanket brackets after the purchase of the computer.

While this system has certainly improved the conventional problem of dealing with a multiplicity of screws it does not address fully the problem which remains; that is the problem associated with the fact that when the cross bar is removed the blank brackets have very little support to stay in their proper position.

As such, they have a tendency to fall off during the manufacturing process and during the repair or expansion operations.

While this device eliminates the use of screws completely, it too suffers from the disadvantages.

Additionally, once the bar is removed, all of the card guides are susceptible to falling off.

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