Card fasteners

Abstract

An example of a card fastener and assembly for fastening a card to a printed circuit board is discussed. The card fastener includes a frame including a first arm, a second arm, and a middle portion connecting the first arm and the second arm. A compression pad is attached to the middle portion. The first arm and the second arm are used to couple to hooks on a printed circuit board of a device, and the compression pad is used to contact the card.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Various installable components, such as expansion cards or add-on cards, can be used to enhance the capabilities of a computing device. Examples of such add-on cards may include memory, processing components, additional sound cards, and enhanced graphics cards, among others. These cards may be connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) using a designated slot. For example, one side of the card may be connected to a slot that forms an electrical connection with the PCB. The other side may be connected to a device chassis, such as a cover of a computing device, via a retainer that may be fixed to the card and the chassis. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary assembly of a card secured to a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter;

[0004] Figure 2A illustrates an exemplary card fastener for fastening a card to a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter;

[0005] Figure 2B An exemplary embodiment according to the present subject matter is shown. Figure 2A An exploded view of the card fastener;

[0006] Figure 3 illustrates an enlarged view of an exemplary card fastener coupled to a hook on a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter;

[0007] Figure 4 illustrates another exemplary assembly of a card secured to a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter; and

[0008] Figure 5 An exemplary printed circuit board having hooks for fastening a card is illustrated according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Add-on or expansion cards for computing devices such as desktop computers, notebook computers, and gaming systems provide them with enhanced functionality. Examples of expansion cards may be memory cards, graphics cards, sound cards, and the like. The card may be connected to a slot on a PCB on one side of the card. The adjacent side of the card may be coupled to a device chassis, such as a cover for a computing device. In order to couple the card to the device chassis, a retainer may be provided on the side of the card to be coupled to the device chassis, and may be connected to the device chassis using, for example, screws. When the card is connected to the PCB on one side and the adjacent side is connected to the device chassis, the other side is typically kept free and may be subject to vibrations.

[0010] An example of an add-in card is a graphics card, which provides enhanced graphics capabilities to a computing device, such as in a high-end gaming system. A graphics card may occupy one slot, or in the case of a large graphics card, may even occupy two slots on a PCB. Some graphics cards may be several inches long. In one example, the card may be approximately 12 inches long. A first side of the graphics card may be connected to a PCB slot, and a second side adjacent to the first side may be attached to a device chassis using a retainer mounted on the chassis and on a second side of the card.

[0011] When the graphics card is long, for example, more than 7 inches, or when the card occupies two slots, the free side of the card may vibrate or may become disconnected from the PCB during transportation or delivery of the device. As a result, additional retainers may be installed on the device chassis and the card to hold the card in place. This makes it difficult to assemble or disassemble the card, for example, in a production line, thereby increasing product production time and resulting in increased costs.

[0012] Various aspects of the subject matter relate to card fasteners, and fastening a card to a PCB of a computing device, for example, fastening an add-on card or expansion card to a motherboard of the device. The device may include a desktop computing device, a notebook computer, a gaming system, a workstation, etc. Although the following description is described with respect to a device motherboard, the card may be fastened to any PCB, and the specific description and examples should not be construed as limiting.

[0013] In one example, the assembly may include a card connected to a device circuit board, such as a motherboard. The device motherboard may be provided with a plurality of hooks attached to the motherboard, and the card fastener may be removably provided on the card and coupled to the plurality of hooks. The card fastener includes a first end portion that is removably coupled to the plurality of hooks on the motherboard to securely fasten the card to the motherboard. The card fastener includes a compression pad on a second end portion, wherein the compression pad contacts the card. In one example, the card fastener may be made of spring wire.

[0014] In one example, the card fastener includes a retaining portion. Manually deforming the retaining portion allows the card fastener to slide into place so that the first end portion engages the plurality of hooks on the mainboard when the retaining portion is released. When the card fastener is coupled to the hooks, manually deforming the retaining portion allows the card fastener to disengage from the hooks and be removed.

[0015] In one example, a plurality of hooks may be attached to the device mainboard to fasten the card to the mainboard. In one example, these hooks may have a substantially U-shaped shape and may be welded to the mainboard.

[0016] In another example, a card fastener includes a frame having a first arm and a second arm and a middle portion connecting the first arm and the second arm. The frame is substantially U-shaped, and the middle portion forms a base of the U, and the first arm and the second arm form arms of the U. A compression pad for contacting a card connected to a motherboard is attached to the middle portion of the frame. The free ends of the first arm and the second arm include prongs having protrusions to couple to hooks attached to the motherboard.

[0017] Thus, the present subject matter provides a simple and inexpensive way to fasten a card to a device mainboard. The card fastener can be easily attached to or detached from the card and the device mainboard without the use of tools, such as screws and screwdrivers. This allows for easy assembly and disassembly of the card fastener, for example, during production or during transportation of the device. Using aspects of the present subject matter to fasten the card prevents the card from vibrating or disengaging from the slot. This ensures that the production line runs efficiently and that the device operates properly after transportation.

[0018] Furthermore, since multiple hooks can be placed on the mainboard in the direction along the length of the card, cards of different lengths can be easily accommodated without changing the design of the holder that connects the card to the device chassis. In addition, cards of different lengths or widths can be fastened to chassis of different designs without changing the holder design to correspond to the chassis design. This makes production simple, efficient and cheap. In various examples, the card fasteners can be removed after production or transportation and can be reused, thereby further saving costs.

[0019] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the following description to represent the same or similar parts. Although several examples are described in the specification, modifications, adaptations and other implementations are also possible. Therefore, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosed examples. On the contrary, the proper scope of the disclosed examples may be defined by the appended claims.

[0020] Figure 1 An exemplary assembly 100 of a card fastened to a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter is illustrated. Assembly 100 may include a card 110 connected to a device motherboard 120. Card 110 may be an add-on card or expansion card, such as a graphics card, a memory card, or a sound card. In various examples, the device may be a desktop computer, a gaming system, a workstation, or the like. Card 110 may be connected to motherboard 120 via a slot 130 disposed on motherboard 120. A first side of card 110 may be connected to slot 130. A retainer 140 may be attached to card 110 on one side of card 110 for attachment to a device chassis. In one example, the device chassis may be a housing or cover for a computing device. In one example, retainer 140 may be attached to card 110 on a second side of card 110 adjacent to the first side.

[0021] The card fastener 150 may be disposed on a third side of the card 110, the third side being opposite to the first side. The card fastener 150 may be disposed closer to a fourth side of the card 110, opposite to the second side, than the second side of the card 110. In one example, the card fastener 150 may be disposed on a side of the card 110 that is away from the device chassis. This allows the card 110 to be fastened to the device mainboard 120 on a side away from the device chassis, which ensures that the card does not move or vibrate during production or transportation.

[0022] In one example, the card fastener 150 includes a first end portion 152 and a second end portion 154. The first end portion 152 is used to removably couple with a plurality of hooks 160 (also referred to as hooks 160) on the mainboard 120. A compression pad 170 is present at the second end portion 154 of the card fastener 150. In various examples, the compression pad is in contact with the card 110 when assembled and can be made of materials such as rubber, foam, elastomer, etc. When the card fastener 150 contacts the card 110, the compression pad 170 can be deformed or compressed, and thereby, prevent any damage to the card 110 when the card 110 is fastened to the mainboard 120 using the card fastener 150. In one example, the card fastener 150 can be made of spring wire.

[0023] In one example, the card fastener 150 includes a retaining portion 180. The retaining portion 180 is manually deformable, which allows the first end portion 152 of the card fastener 150 to engage or disengage with the hook 160. In one example, the card fastener 150 can be placed on the card 110 so that the compression pad 170 contacts the card 110 on the third side of the card 110. The retaining portion 180 is manually deformable to allow the first end portion 152 to engage with the hook 160. Upon releasing the retaining portion 180, the card fastener 150 can engage with the hook 160 and, thus, fasten the card 110 to the motherboard 120. In another example, when the card fastener 150 is engaged with the hook 160, in order to release the card fastener 150, the retaining portion 180 can be manually deformed to allow the first end portion 152 of the card fastener 150 to disengage from the hook 160, which allows the card fastener 150 to be removed from the card 110.

[0024] In one example, the card 110 may be first connected to the motherboard 120, and then the card fastener 150 may be coupled to the card 110 and the motherboard 120. In another example, the card fastener 150 may be first provided on the card 110, and then the card 110 together with the card fastener 150 may be connected to the slot 130.

[0025] The hook 160 can be attached to the motherboard 120 using various methods, such as by welding, using adhesives, etc. In one example, the hook 160 can be substantially U-shaped, where the two arms of the U are attached to the motherboard. The hook 160 can be made of materials such as metal, plastic, etc. In one example, the hook 160 can be formed by bending a wire and passing it through the motherboard tray.

[0026] In one example, there may be a pair of hooks 160 to engage with the card fastener 150. The pair of hooks may engage with the first end portion 152 of the card fastener 150 and may be disposed on either side of the card 110 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the length of the card 110 extends. In some examples, more than one pair of hooks 160 may be disposed on the motherboard 120. The pair of hooks 160 may be disposed on the motherboard 120 at a first distance from the slot 130 in a first direction indicated by arrow BA, the first direction being the direction in which the length of the card 110 is to extend. In one example, the hooks 160 may be disposed on a portion of the motherboard 120 that is away from the device chassis. In examples where there may be more than one pair of hooks 160, the hooks 160 may be placed along the first direction such that the hooks 160 are disposed along a straight line parallel to the direction in which the length of the card 110 extends. In another example, the hooks 160 may be disposed on one or more lines parallel to the direction in which the length of the card 110 extends such that the one or more lines are spaced a certain distance apart from each other.

[0027] The hook 160 may be disposed on the mainboard 120 at a second distance from the card 110 in a second direction indicated by arrow BC, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the length of the card 110 extends. Thus, the pair of hooks 160 are spaced apart from each other by a certain spacing distance to allow the card 110 to pass between the hooks 160. In various examples, the hook 160 may be placed about 3-5 mm away from the card 110 in the second direction. In other examples, the hook 160 may be placed on the mainboard 120 away from connectors present on the mainboard 120 to prevent interference or short circuit with these connectors. In one example, the pair of hooks 160 may be disposed on the mainboard 120 such that the two hooks 160 are spaced apart from the slot 130 by substantially the same first distance.

[0028] Figure 2A An exemplary card fastener 200 for fastening a card to a PCB is illustrated in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. Figure 2B An exemplary embodiment according to the present subject matter is shown. Figure 2A FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a card fastener 200. In one example, the card fastener 200 may correspond to the card fastener 150 discussed above. For ease of discussion, the card fastener 200 will be described together. Figure 2A and 2B .

[0029] In one example, the card fastener 200 includes a frame 210 including a first arm 220, a second arm 230, and a middle portion 240 coupling the first arm 220 and the second arm 230. In one example, the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 together may include the first end portion 152 of the card fastener 150, and the middle portion 240 may be the second end portion 154 of the card fastener 150. A compression pad 170 may be attached to the middle portion 240. The compression pad 170 is used to contact the card 110 when assembled. In various examples, the compression pad 170 may be made of rubber, foam, elastomer, and other such materials, and may be attached to the frame 210 using various methods, such as by adhesive. When the compression pad 170 is disposed on the card 110, the compression pad 170 is deformed, thereby preventing the card 110 from being damaged by the frame 210. The first arm 220 and the second arm 230 are coupled to the hook 160 on the device motherboard 120 to fasten the card 110 to the motherboard 120.

[0030] In one example, the frame 210 is substantially U-shaped. The middle portion 240 forms the base of the U-shape, and the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 form the arms of the U-shape. The frame 210 may include a first wire element 250 and a second wire element 260 that are coupled together to form alternating spaced portions 262 and connecting portions 264 along the length of the frame 210. In one example, the frame 210 may include four spaced portions 262 and three connecting portions 264. In various examples, the frame 210 may include different numbers of spaced portions 262 and connecting portions 264.

[0031] In one example, the frame 210 can be made of spring wire, piano wire, etc. to allow the wire elements 250 and 260 to be manually deformable and return to their original position when released. In one example, the compression pad 170 can be attached to the connecting portion 264 and the two spaced apart portions 262 at the middle portion 240 of the frame 210. In one example, the compression pad 170 can be attached using an adhesive.

[0032] The free ends of the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 include a prong 270, also individually referred to as a prong 270, which has a protrusion for coupling to the hook 160. In one example, the free ends of the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 are located on the separated portions 262 of the wire elements 250 and 260, so that the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 each include two prongs. In other examples, one prong 270 or more than two prongs 270 may be provided on the first arm 220 and the second arm 230.

[0033] The spaced apart portion 262 of the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 above the prong 270 may each include a retaining portion 180. In one example, the retaining portion 180 may be formed by a curved portion provided on each of the first wire element 250 and the second wire element 260. The retaining portion 180 may be manually deformed to allow the first arm 220 and the second arm 230 to approach each other and to allow the protrusion on the prong 270 to avoid the hook 160. When the retaining portion 180 is released, the first arm 220 moves apart from the second arm 230, and the prong 270 may engage with the hook 160, thereby fastening the card 110 to the main board 120. In order to release the card 110, the retaining portion 180 may be manually deformed to allow the prong 270 to disengage from the hook 160.

[0034] Figure 3 An enlarged view of an exemplary card fastener 200 coupled to a hook 160 on a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter is illustrated. The card fastener 200 may be disposed on the card 110, and the prong 270 of the card fastener 200 may be coupled to the hook 160 attached to the main board 120. To this end, the prongs 270a and 270b on the first and second line elements 250 and 260 include protrusions 310a and 310b, respectively. When the retaining portion 180 of the first and second line elements 250 and 260 is manually deformed, the protrusions 310a and 310b may avoid the hook 160. The protrusions 310a and 310b may be collectively referred to as protrusions 310. When the retaining portion 180 is released, the prongs 270a and 270b move toward the hook 160, thereby allowing the protrusion 310 to be locked in the hook 160. When the protrusion 310 is locked, the retaining portion 180 may be manually deformed, which allows the protrusion 310 to be released from the hook 160 .

[0035] Figure 4 Another exemplary assembly 400 of a card fastened to a PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter is illustrated. The assembly 400 includes a card 110 attached to a motherboard 120 via a slot 130. In one example, two card fasteners 200a and 200b are attached to the card 110. The card 110 may be long, such as 12 inches long, and therefore, one card fastener 200 may not be sufficient to fasten the card 110 to the motherboard 120 to prevent vibration or movement of the card 110. The card fasteners 200a and 200b may be coupled to the card 110 at a spacing distance from each other along a first direction extending along the length of the card 110. In one example, the card fastener 200b may be disposed closer to a side of the card away from the device chassis, and the fastener 200a may be disposed at a distance from the card fastener 200b. The card fasteners 200a and 200b may each be engaged to the motherboard 120 via a pair of hooks 160.

[0036] Figure 5An exemplary printed circuit board 500 having a hook 160 for fastening a card is illustrated according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. In one example, the printed circuit board 500 may be a motherboard of a desktop computer, a gaming system, a workstation, etc. The printed circuit board 500 may include a slot 130 to receive a card 110 (not shown here). In various examples, the printed circuit board 500 may include multiple slots 130 to receive multiple cards 110. These cards may be expansion cards, such as graphics cards, sound cards, memory cards, etc.

[0037] The printed circuit board 500 may include a pair of hooks 160 disposed on opposite sides of the slot 130 to allow the card 110 to be fastened to the printed circuit board 500. The number of pairs of hooks 160 disposed on the printed circuit board 500 may correspond to the number of card fasteners 200 that can be used to fasten the card 110. In one example, the printed circuit board 500 may be provided with two pairs of hooks 160, and two card fasteners 200 may be used. Each card fastener 200 may be coupled to a pair of hooks 160. In another example, the number of pairs of hooks 160 may be more than the number of card fasteners 200 for being able to fasten cards of different sizes at different times. Therefore, sometimes, some pairs of hooks 160 may not have a card fastener 200 engaged therewith.

[0038] In one example, the pair of hooks 160 may be disposed on opposite sides of the slot 130 and spaced apart from each other at a spacing distance to allow the card 110 to pass between the hooks. The pair of hooks 160 may be disposed on either side of the card 110 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the length of the card 110 extends, as indicated by arrow BC. In various examples, each hook in the pair of hooks may be placed 3-5 mm from the card 110, the distance being measured in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the card 110 extends.

[0039] The pair of hooks 160 may be arranged at a first distance from the slot 130 in the first direction indicated by the arrow BA, and the length of the card 110 is to be extended along the first direction. In one example, the hook 160 may be arranged on a portion of the motherboard 120 away from the device chassis. In an example where there may be more than one pair of hooks 160, these hooks may be placed along the first direction BA so that the hooks 160 are arranged along a straight line parallel to the direction in which the length of the card extends. In another example, the hook 160 may be arranged on one or more lines parallel to the direction in which the length of the card extends, so that the one or more lines are at a certain distance from each other. In other examples, the hook 160 may be placed on the motherboard 120 away from any connector to prevent interference or short circuit with these connectors. In one example, the pair of hooks 160 may be arranged on the motherboard 120 so that the two hooks 160 are at substantially the same first distance from the slot 130.

[0040] In various examples, the hook 160 can be substantially U-shaped and can be soldered to the printed circuit board 500. In another example, the hook 160 can be attached to the printed circuit board 500 using an adhesive. The arms of the U-shape can be attached to the printed circuit board 500, with the bent portion of the U-shape protruding from the printed circuit board 500. In one example, the hook 160 can be formed by bending a wire and passing it through a tray of the printed circuit board 500.

[0041] The foregoing description has been given to illustrate and describe examples of the principles described. This description is not intended to be exhaustive. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.

Claims

1. A card fastener, comprising: a frame comprising a first arm, a second arm, and a middle portion connecting the first arm and the second arm; as well as a compression pad attached to the intermediate portion, wherein the first arm and the second arm are coupled to hooks on the printed circuit board and the compression pad contacts the card; Wherein, the frame includes a first thread element and a second thread element, the first thread element and the second thread element are coupled to each other to form alternating spaced portions and connected portions along the length of the frame.

2. The card fastener according to claim 1, wherein: The frame is substantially U-shaped, wherein the middle portion forms a base of the U-shape and the first arm and the second arm form arms of the U-shape.

3. The card fastener according to claim 1, wherein: Free ends of the first arm and the second arm include forks having protrusions to couple to the hook.

4. A printed circuit board, comprising: Slot for receiving card; as well as A pair of hooks are arranged on opposite sides of the slot to allow the card to be fastened to the printed circuit board, wherein the pair of hooks are arranged at a first distance from the slot in a first direction extending in the length of the card, and wherein the pair of hooks are configured to be coupled to a card fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The printed circuit board according to claim 4, wherein: The pair of hooks has a substantially U-shape.

6. The printed circuit board according to claim 4, wherein: The pair of hooks are soldered to the printed circuit board.

7. The printed circuit board according to claim 4, wherein: The hooks of the pair of hooks are spaced apart from each other to allow the card to pass between the hooks.

8. A component comprising: A card connected to the motherboard; a plurality of hooks attached to the main board; as well as A card fastener removably disposed on the card, wherein the card fastener is the card fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a first end portion of the card fastener is removably coupled to the plurality of hooks to fasten the card to the mainboard.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The card fastener includes a compression pad at a second end portion of the card fastener, wherein the second end portion is on an opposite side from the first end portion.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The compression pad is in contact with the card.

11. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein The card fastener is made of spring wire.

12. The assembly of claim 8, wherein: The card fastener includes a retaining portion, wherein: the retaining portion is manually deformable to allow the first end portion to engage with the plurality of hooks to secure the card to the mainboard, and When the card fastener is engaged with the plurality of hooks, the retaining portion is manually deformable to allow the first end portion to be disengaged from the plurality of hooks to remove the card.

13. The assembly of claim 8, wherein: A plurality of card fasteners are disposed on the card and coupled to the plurality of hooks on the main board.

14. The assembly of claim 8, wherein: The card is connected to the motherboard at a first side of the card and to a device chassis at a second side of the card, the second side being adjacent to the first side, and The card fastener is disposed on the card on a third side of the card opposite the first side, and wherein the card fastener is disposed closer to a fourth side of the card than the second side, wherein the fourth side is opposite the second side.

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