Baffle and expansion card comprising same and electronic device

Abstract

The application provides a baffle, an expansion card containing the baffle and an electronic device. The expansion card is suitable for a case of the electronic device and includes a circuit board and the baffle. The baffle includes a baffle part and an assembling part. The baffle part is fixed to the circuit board. The assembling part is detachably clamped to the baffle part and is suitable for being combined with the case, so that the expansion card is assembled to the electronic device through the assembling part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a baffle, and more particularly to a baffle having an adjustable length and an expansion card and electronic device comprising the baffle. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, server or computer mainframe circuit boards have multiple slots for various expansion cards to be inserted, in order to install or expand the required functions. An expansion card usually has a baffle on one side. This baffle serves two purposes: firstly, it allows the card to be mounted on the server or computer mainframe chassis to secure its position and electrical connections; secondly, it protects the card from external exposure while maintaining ventilation, thus addressing dust prevention and other needs.

[0003] Furthermore, to enable expansion cards to be used in server or computer chassis of various sizes, a common practice is to include multiple brackets of different lengths with the expansion card, allowing assemblers or users to select a bracket of a matching length based on the actual height of the chassis. However, existing expansion card brackets are all assembled to the expansion card using screws. Therefore, replacing the bracket involves a cumbersome procedure of assembling and disassembling the expansion card and bracket using hand tools. This not only makes the work time-consuming and laborious but also frequently results in screws falling out or being lost, impacting overall work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a baffle and an expansion card and electronic device including the baffle, which allows for tool-free adjustment of the baffle length, thereby helping to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0005] An expansion card disclosed according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for an electronic device and includes a circuit board and a baffle. The baffle includes a baffle portion and an assembly portion. The baffle portion is fixed to the circuit board. The assembly portion is detachably engaged with the baffle portion and is adapted to be combined with the electronic device so that the expansion card is assembled to the electronic device via the assembly portion.

[0006] An electronic device disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a chassis and at least one expansion card. The expansion card includes a circuit board and a baffle. The baffle includes a baffle portion and an assembly portion. The baffle portion is fixed to the circuit board. The assembly portion is detachably engaged with the baffle portion and detachably assembled to the chassis.

[0007] A baffle disclosed in another embodiment of the present invention is suitable for a circuit board and a chassis, and includes a baffle portion and an assembly portion. The baffle portion is used to fix to one side of the circuit board. The assembly portion is detachably engaged with the baffle portion and used to assemble into the chassis.

[0008] The baffle and the expansion card and electronic device containing it in the embodiments of the present invention are made of a baffle part and an assembly part that can be assembled without tools. Therefore, when the length needs to be adjusted according to the height of the corresponding chassis, the user only needs to replace the assembly part of different lengths without tools. This eliminates the tedious steps of disassembling and assembling the baffle and circuit board with hand tools in the traditional way, which helps to improve the overall work efficiency and avoids problems such as screws falling off or being lost.

[0009] The above description of the disclosure of this invention and the following description of the embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principle of this invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 A partially enlarged perspective view of an electronic device and an expansion card installed in its chassis, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2A Draw Figure 1 A magnified 3D diagram of a portion of the expansion card.

[0012] Figure 2B Draw Figure 2A An assembly diagram of the expansion card.

[0013] Figure 2C Draw Figure 2A A partially enlarged planar schematic diagram of the expansion card.

[0014] Figure 3 A partially enlarged perspective view of an electronic device with a chassis of different heights, illustrating another embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4A Draw Figure 3 A magnified 3D diagram of a portion of the expansion card.

[0016] Figure 4B Draw Figure 4A An assembly diagram of the expansion card. Attached image description:

[0018] 1,1': Expansion Card

[0019] 9,9': Electronic device

[0020] 11,11': Assembly Department

[0021] 10: Baffle section

[0022] 91,91': Chassis

[0023] 101: Plate section

[0024] 102: Protruding structure

[0025] 103: Penetration Department

[0026] 111: Insertion Structure

[0027] 112: Overlapping structure

[0028] 113, 113': Extension

[0029] 911, 911': Assembly slot

[0030] 1021: Inner wall surface

[0031] 1022: Edge

[0032] 1011: First Guiding Structure

[0033] 1012: Through hole

[0034] 1111: Flexible Arm

[0035] 1131: Second Guiding Structure

[0036] 11111: Arm

[0037] 11112: Card-connecting section

[0038] 111121: Guide ramp

[0039] 111122: Abutting plane

[0040] B, B': baffle

[0041] C: Connector

[0042] D: Maximum distance

[0043] MB: Motherboard

[0044] S: Slot

[0045] P: Circuit board

[0046] W: Maximum width Detailed Implementation

[0047] The following detailed description of the features and advantages of the present invention will be provided in terms of embodiments. The content of this description is sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and to implement it accordingly, but it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way.

[0048] The following embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of neatness, some commonly known structures and components may be shown in a simplified schematic manner in the drawings. Furthermore, some features in the drawings may be slightly enlarged or their scale or size may be altered to facilitate understanding and viewing of the technical features of the present invention, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, for ease of viewing, some structural lines in some drawings may be represented by dashed lines.

[0049] Furthermore, terms such as “end,” “section,” “part,” “region,” and “location” may be used below to describe specific elements and structures or specific technical features thereon or therebetween, but these elements and structures are not limited by these terms. Terms such as “substantially,” “about,” and “probably” may also be used below to describe reasonable or acceptable deviations from the modified situation or event that may still achieve the expected results.

[0050] Additionally, the term "at least one" may be used below to describe the quantity of the element referred to, but unless otherwise expressly stated, it should not be limited to the case where the quantity is "only one". The term "and / or" may also be used below, which should be understood to include any of the listed items and all combinations of one or more of them.

[0051] Some other embodiments of the present invention will be referred to. Figures 1 to 4B The following paragraphs describe this. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the various details of the figures described herein or hereinafter are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0052] First, please refer to Figure 1 One embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device 9, which may be, but is not limited to, the entirety or part of a computer host or server host, and may include a chassis 91 and at least one expansion card 1 detachably housed in the chassis 91. Furthermore, the chassis 91 may house a mainboard (MB), which may have at least one slot S for the expansion card 1 to be inserted and connected. The chassis 91 and its mainboard (MB) may, of course, also house or accommodate other electronic components, frames, modules, and components that perform various functions, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for the sake of brevity, these have been omitted from the drawings.

[0053] The expansion card 1 may include a circuit board P and a baffle 10 connected to one side of the circuit board P. The circuit board P may carry or arrange various electronic / non-electronic components for realizing the required functions, but the present invention is not limited to the circuit board P and its specifications and the components it can carry, and for the sake of simplicity, the components on the circuit board P are simply shown in dashed frames.

[0054] The baffle portion 10 may be connected and fixed to the circuit board P by any suitable means such as screws or adhesives, but the present invention is not limited to the connection method between the baffle portion 10 and the circuit board P.

[0055] On the other side of the circuit board P, a connector C may be provided for mating with the slot S of the motherboard MB, thereby enabling the expansion card 1 to be electrically connected to the motherboard MB; or, in other embodiments, the connector C on the circuit board P may also be electrically connected to the motherboard MB via an adapter card (not shown) inserted into the slot S. However, the present invention is not limited to the connector C on the circuit board P, its number, and specifications.

[0056] While one side of the expansion card 1 is fixed to the motherboard MB via the connector C slot S, the other side of the expansion card 1 can be securely maintained in its current position and electrical connection state by being assembled and fixed to the chassis 91 of the electronic device 9 via the baffle 10. Therefore, please continue... Figure 1 Further reading Figures 2A to 2C The figures shown are a partially enlarged three-dimensional schematic diagram, an assembly schematic diagram, and a partially enlarged planar schematic diagram of the expansion card 1, respectively. In this embodiment, the expansion card 1 may also include an assembly part 11, which is detachably assembled to one end of the baffle part 10, so that together with the baffle part 10, it forms a form similar in appearance to a common baffle. Therefore, the whole formed by the baffle part 10 and the assembly part 11 can also be called "baffle B".

[0057] The baffle portion 10 can be, but is not limited to, a single-piece structure integrally formed from any suitable material. One end can be inserted into the chassis 91, and the other end can be fixed to the chassis 91 via the assembly portion 11 using a hand-turned screw or any suitable method, thereby ensuring that the baffle portion 10 is securely positioned in one of the externally open assembly slots 911 of the chassis 91. In particular, the assembly portion 11 is assembled to the baffle portion 10 without tools. Specifically, in this embodiment, the baffle portion 10 may have a plate portion 101 and a protruding structure 102. The plate portion 101 may be a strip-shaped portion of the baffle portion 10; the protruding structure 102 may protrude from the inside of the plate portion 101 toward the circuit board P or the components on the circuit board P, thereby defining a through portion 103. The "inside" refers to the side of the plate portion 101 facing the circuit board P or the components on the circuit board P. Hereinafter, the protruding structure 102 may have an inner wall surface 1021, which is the surface of the protruding structure 102 facing the inside of the plate portion 101 or facing away from the circuit board P or the components on the circuit board P, and can be used to surround the through portion 103. The through portion 103 is, for example, a through hole with openings at both ends extending along the long side of the plate portion 101.

[0058] On the other hand, the assembly part 11 may be, but is not limited to, a single-piece structure integrally formed from any suitable material, and a portion thereof may pass through the through part 103 and engage with the protruding structure 102. Specifically, the assembly part 11 may include an insertion structure 111 and an overlapping structure 112, the insertion structure 111 and the overlapping structure 112 may be at an angle to each other (such as being substantially perpendicular in this embodiment), the insertion structure 111 may be used to assemble onto the baffle part 10, and the overlapping structure 112 may be fixed to the chassis 91 by any suitable means such as hand-turning screws.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the assembly part 11 may also include an extension 113 connected between the overlapping structure 112 and the insertion structure 111. The extension 113 and the overlapping structure 112 may be at an angle to each other. The insertion structure 111 may include two elastic arms 1111. The elastic arms 1111 are connected to the overlapping structure 112 via the extension 113 and are located on opposite sides of the extension 113 at a distance from each other. The elastic arms 1111 may deform when subjected to force to realize the operation of the insertion part 103 of the baffle part 10 and engaging with the protrusion structure 102.

[0060] In detail, each of the elastic arms 1111 may include an arm portion 11111 and an engaging portion 11112. The engaging portion 11112 may be connected to the extension portion 113 via the arm portion 11111. The arm portion 11111 is adapted to pass through the through portion 103 of the baffle portion 10 and abut against the inner wall surface 1021 of the protruding structure 102 so that the engaging portion 11112 engages with the edge 1022 of the protruding structure 102 of the baffle portion 10. However, when the arm portions 11111 are deformed under force and move closer to each other, the engaging portion 11112 can disengage from the protruding structure 102 and be withdrawn from the through portion 103. For this purpose, as follows: Figure 2A As shown, W refers to the maximum width of the through-hole 103, and D refers to the maximum distance between the two relatively far ends of the engaging parts 11112 when the arm 11111 is not under force. D is at least greater than W, thereby ensuring that the elastic arm 1111 can be securely engaged with the protruding structure 102 when relaxed. The edge 1022 refers to one or more end edges or surfaces of the overlapping structure 112 on the protruding structure 102 that are substantially not parallel or perpendicular to the inner wall surface 1021 and face away from the assembly part 11. In addition, since the arm 11111 can abut against the inner wall surface 1021 of the protruding structure 102 when it passes through the through-hole 103, the arm 11111 can be securely clamped between the plate part 101 of the baffle part 10 and the protruding structure 102, thereby helping to improve the combination stability and strength of the assembly part 11 and the baffle part 10.

[0061] Under this configuration, such as Figure 2BFor example, force can be applied to the engaging portion 11112 to deform the arm portion 11111, so that the engaging portions 11112 are brought closer together and can be inserted into the through portion 103 of the baffle portion 10 in the direction shown by the arrow. It can be understood that when the engaging portion 11112 enters from one end opening of the through portion 103 and passes through the other end opening, the arm portion 11111 can be elastically reset so that the engaging portion 11112 engages with the edge 1022 of the protrusion structure 102. To facilitate the insertion of the engaging portion 11112 into the through portion 103, the engaging portion 11112 may have a guide slope 111121 on the side relatively away from the other engaging portion 11112. This guide slope 111121 is at an angle to the extension direction of the arm portion 11111 when no force is applied, so that during the insertion of the elastic arm 1111 into the through portion 103, it abuts against the protruding structure 102 and generates a component force that brings the engaging portions 11112 closer to each other, thereby helping the engaging portion 11112 to enter the through portion 103.

[0062] Conversely, when the engaging part 11112 of the insertion structure 111 has passed through the insertion part 103 and engaged with the protruding structure 102, the user only needs to apply force to squeeze the engaging part 11112 to deform the arm part 11111, so that the engaging part 11112 can disengage from the protruding structure 102 and be pulled out of the insertion part 103 in the opposite direction.

[0063] However, to ensure that the insertion structure 111 will not be disengaged from the protruding structure 102 of the baffle portion 10 due to external force when the engaging part 11112 is not operated, the engaging part 11112 may have an abutting plane 111122 on the side relatively away from the guide slope 111121. The abutting plane 111122 is the surface of the engaging part 11112 that abuts against the edge 1022 of the protruding structure 102. This abutting plane 111122 is at an angle to the extension direction of the arm portion 11111 when no force is applied (such as being substantially perpendicular in this embodiment). This is so that when the engaging part 11112 engages with the protruding structure 102, the contact force between the engaging part 11112 and the edge 1022 of the protruding structure 102 is substantially orthogonal to the abutting plane 111122, thereby preventing the engaging part 11112 from disengaging from the protruding structure 102 when the assembly portion 11 is pulled outward.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plate portion 101 of the baffle portion 10 may have a first guide structure 1011. Correspondingly, the extension portion 113 of the assembly portion 11 may be provided with a second guide structure 1131. One of the first guide structure 1011 and the second guide structure 1131 may be a groove extending substantially parallel to the long side of the plate portion 101, while the other of the first guide structure 1011 and the second guide structure 1131 may be a protrusion structure adapted to slide within this groove. The combination of the first guide structure 1011 and the second guide structure 1131 allows the assembly portion 11 to move in a predetermined direction during the process of assembling the assembly portion 11 onto or removing it from the baffle portion 10.

[0065] Furthermore, it should be noted that, depending on the type and function of the expansion card 1, in this embodiment or other embodiments, the plate portion 101 of the baffle portion 10 may selectively be provided with one or more through holes 1012. The through holes 1012 may be, but are not limited to, openings on the plate portion 101 that expose the connection ports (not shown) on the circuit board P, and / or vents that allow air circulation between the inside and outside of the plate portion 101. In this case, the protruding structure 102 on the baffle portion 10 for assembly with the assembly portion 11 can avoid the arrangement area of ​​the through holes 1012 and be located on the same side as the through holes 1012. However, it is understood that the through holes 1012 are optional and not intended to limit the present invention, and their number, shape, and arrangement in the illustrations are merely illustrative. Any suitable modifications and adjustments can be made according to actual needs, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0066] Therefore, it can be seen that one side of the expansion card 1 is composed of two single-unit structures (i.e., the baffle part 10 and the assembly part 11) that can be assembled and fixed to the chassis 91 without tools. In other words, the baffle B is not a one-piece molded single-unit structure, or rather, the lengths of both the baffle part 10 and the assembly part 11 are shorter than the length of the assembly slot 911 of the chassis 91. However, due to their interchangeable nature, users only need to replace one of the baffle part 10 and the assembly part 11 with a similar or identical structure of the required length according to the length of the desired assembly slot to quickly adapt to chassis of different heights. For further information, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 The diagram illustrates a partially enlarged perspective view of an electronic device 9' with a chassis 91' of different heights according to another embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the difference between the following embodiments and the aforementioned embodiments lies only in the length of the assembly section and the height of the chassis. Therefore, for the purpose of brief explanation, the following description focuses only on the differences between the two embodiments. Similar or identical parts can be understood by referring to the corresponding paragraphs above and will not be repeated here.

[0067] like Figure 3As shown, the chassis 91' is taller than the chassis 91 in the previous embodiment, and its assembly slot 911' is longer. Correspondingly, the baffle B' of the expansion card 1' needs to have a matching length. Therefore, in this embodiment, the expansion card 1' can use an assembly part 11' to work with the baffle part 10. The structure of the assembly part 11' is essentially the same as that of the assembly part 11 in the previous embodiment, except that its extension part 113' is longer, so that the overall length of the baffle B' can match the height of the chassis 91', allowing the baffle B' to still be assembled at the opposite ends of the assembly slot 911' via the baffle part 10 and the assembly part 11' respectively.

[0068] In summary, the baffle and the expansion card and electronic device including it disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, since the baffle is composed of a baffle part and an assembly part that can be assembled without tools, when the length needs to be adjusted according to the height of the corresponding chassis, the user only needs to replace the assembly part of different lengths without tools, thereby eliminating the tedious steps of disassembling and assembling the baffle and circuit board with hand tools in the traditional way, which helps to improve the overall work efficiency and avoids problems such as screws falling off or being lost.

[0069] It should be further noted that the baffle in the foregoing embodiments is merely one exemplary embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Without departing from the foregoing spirit, those skilled in the art can make adaptive adjustments according to various practical needs. For example, in another embodiment, the length of the extension of the baffle's insertion structure can of course be adapted to the required height of other chassis specifications; for example, in yet another embodiment, the protruding structure of the baffle portion can also be formed on the side of its plate portion relatively away from the circuit board. In this configuration, the assembly portion of the baffle is instead disposed on the outside of the baffle portion; for example, in yet another embodiment, the first guide structure of the baffle portion's plate portion and the second guide structure of the assembly portion's insertion structure can also be any suitable structure with other matching protrusions and recesses.

[0070] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any modifications and refinements made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention are within the scope of patent protection of the present invention. For the scope of protection defined by the present invention, please refer to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An expansion card, characterized in that, Suitable for an electronic device, comprising: A circuit board; and A baffle includes a baffle portion and an assembly portion, wherein the baffle portion is an integrally formed single structure and is fixed to the circuit board, the assembly portion is an integrally formed single structure and includes an overlapping structure, an extension portion and an insertion structure, the overlapping structure is fixed to the electronic device, the extension portion is at an angle to the overlapping structure and connects between the overlapping structure and the insertion structure, and the insertion structure is parallel to the extension portion and detachably snaps directly onto the baffle portion.

2. The expansion card according to claim 1, characterized in that, The baffle portion includes a plate portion and a protruding structure. The protruding structure protrudes from the plate portion and surrounds a through portion. A portion of the assembly portion passes through the through portion and engages with the protruding structure.

3. The expansion card according to claim 2, characterized in that, The insertion structure passes through the insertion part and engages with the protruding structure.

4. The expansion card according to claim 3, characterized in that, The insertion structure includes two elastic arms, which are located on opposite sides of the extension at a distance from each other, for passing through the insertion portion and engaging with the protrusion structure.

5. The expansion card according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each of the two elastic arms includes an arm portion and a locking portion. The locking portion is connected to the extension portion via the arm portion. The arm portion passes through the through portion of the baffle portion and abuts against an inner wall surface of the protruding structure, so that the locking portion engages with the protruding structure of the baffle portion.

6. The expansion card according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each of the two elastic arms has a guide slope on the side of its engagement portion that is far away from each other, forming an angle with the extension direction of the arm portion.

7. The expansion card according to claim 6, characterized in that, The engaging portion of each of the two elastic arms has an abutting plane on the side opposite to the guide slope, which is perpendicular to the extension direction of the arm.

8. The expansion card according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plate portion of the baffle portion is provided with a first guide structure, and the extension portion of the assembly portion may be provided with a second guide structure. One of the first guide structure and the second guide structure is a groove extending substantially parallel to the long side of the plate portion, and the other of the first guide structure and the second guide structure is a protrusion structure adapted to slide within the groove.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: One chassis; as well as At least one expansion card, including: A circuit board; as well as A baffle includes a baffle portion and an assembly portion, wherein the baffle portion is an integrally formed single structure and is fixed to the circuit board, the assembly portion is an integrally formed single structure and includes an overlapping structure, an extension portion and an insertion structure, the overlapping structure is fixed to the chassis, the extension portion is at an angle to the overlapping structure and connects between the overlapping structure and the insertion structure, and the insertion structure is parallel to the extension portion and detachably snaps directly into the baffle portion.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The baffle portion includes a plate portion and a protruding structure. The protruding structure protrudes from the plate portion to surround a through portion. A portion of the assembly portion passes through the through portion and engages with the protruding structure.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The insertion structure passes through the insertion part and engages with the protruding structure.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The insertion structure includes two elastic arms, which are located on opposite sides of the extension at a distance from each other, for passing through the insertion portion and engaging with the protrusion structure.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, characterized in that, Each of the two elastic arms includes an arm portion and a locking portion. The locking portion is connected to the extension portion via the arm portion. The arm portion passes through the through portion of the baffle portion and abuts against an inner wall surface of the protruding structure, so that the locking portion engages with the protruding structure of the baffle portion.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, characterized in that, Each of the two elastic arms has a guide slope on the side of its engagement portion that is far away from each other, forming an angle with the extension direction of the arm portion.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The engaging portion of each of the two elastic arms has an abutting plane on the side opposite to the guide slope, which is perpendicular to the extension direction of the arm.

16. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The plate portion of the baffle portion is provided with a first guide structure, and the extension portion of the assembly portion may be provided with a second guide structure. One of the first guide structure and the second guide structure is a groove extending substantially parallel to the long side of the plate portion, and the other of the first guide structure and the second guide structure is a protrusion structure adapted to slide within the groove.

17. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The chassis has at least one assembly slot, and the baffle portion of the baffle and the assembly portion are respectively assembled at opposite ends of the at least one assembly slot.

18. A baffle, characterized in that, Suitable for a circuit board and a chassis, including: A baffle portion, which is an integrally molded single structure and fixed to one side of the circuit board; and An assembly part is a single-piece structure, and the assembly part includes an overlapping structure, an extension part and an insertion structure. The overlapping structure is fixed to the chassis. The extension part is at an angle to the overlapping structure and is connected between the overlapping structure and the insertion structure. The insertion structure is parallel to the extension part and is detachably and directly engaged with the baffle part.

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