Adapter card support for supporting connectors of an adapter card

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a riser card holder to support connectors of a riser card. A riser card assembly can include a riser card holder and a riser card. The riser card holder includes side walls, a base extending from the side walls, and mounting features to mount the riser card holder to a chassis of an electronic device. The base is coupled to a riser card positioned on a first side of the base. The base includes an opening to allow a connector to extend through the opening to partially protrude beyond the opening to a location on a second side of the base where the connector can be detachably connected to an expansion card mounted in the riser card holder between the side walls. The base contacts the connector around the opening to provide lateral support to the connector on an opposite face of the connector (e.g., the first side wall).

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Electronic devices such as computers and networking devices may include a system motherboard (e.g., a motherboard) containing hardware components that provide basic functions, such as a central processing unit (CPU), resistors, and capacitors. To achieve greater performance and / or expandability, additional hardware components, such as expansion cards (e.g., graphics cards), can be connected to the system motherboard. In some electronic devices, the system motherboard may include connectors that can directly accept expansion cards. However, in other electronic devices, the system motherboard may lack the appropriate number or type of connectors required to accept the desired (multiple) expansion cards, or the connectors may be present but in an inconvenient location. Therefore, in some electronic devices, another card (or intermediate card) carrying connectors suitable for expansion cards can be connected to the system motherboard to provide the necessary connection points for the expansion cards. This intermediate card is often called an adapter card. Attached Figure Description

[0002] Various examples will be described below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0003] Figure 1A A perspective view of an adapter card holder according to an example of this disclosure is shown.

[0004] Figure 1B An example according to this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 1A A 3D view of the base of the adapter card holder.

[0005] Figure 2A An exploded perspective view of an adapter card assembly according to an example of this disclosure is shown.

[0006] Figure 2B An example according to this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 2A A 3D view of the assembled adapter card components.

[0007] Figure 2C An example according to this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 2B Top view of the adapter card component.

[0008] Figure 2D The illustration shows an adapter card assembly along an example according to this disclosure. Figure 2B The cross-sectional view taken from line 1-1'.

[0009] Figure 3A An exploded perspective view of an electronic device having a housing, an adapter card assembly, and an expansion card according to an example of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 3B The illustration shows an example of an expansion card detachably connected to an adapter card assembly according to the present disclosure. Figure 3AA three-dimensional view of an assembled part of an electronic device.

[0011] Figure 3C It is an example of an expansion card detachably connected to an adapter card assembly according to this disclosure. Figure 3B The cross-sectional view taken from line 2-2'.

[0012] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an adapter card assembly having an adapter card holder and a plurality of adapter cards, according to another example of the present disclosure, is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 5 The illustration shows a cross-sectional view of an adapter card assembly having an adapter card holder and a plurality of adapter cards according to yet another example of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 6 The illustration shows an adapter card assembly having an adapter card holder and a plurality of adapter cards according to yet another example of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 7 The illustration shows a cross-sectional view of an adapter card assembly having an adapter card holder and a plurality of adapter cards according to yet another example of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. For illustrative purposes, refer to Figures 1 to 12. Figure 7 The components illustrated herein represent certain examples. However, the functions of the illustrated components may overlap and may be present in fewer or greater numbers of elements and components. Furthermore, the disclosed examples can be implemented in various settings and are not limited to the illustrated examples. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. However, it should be clearly understood that these drawings are for illustrative and descriptive purposes only. While several examples are described in this document, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosed examples. Rather, the appropriate scope of the disclosed examples may be defined by the appended claims.

[0017] As used herein, "adapter card" refers to an electronic card having a circuit board and connectors (e.g., electrical connectors) configured to connect to a system motherboard (e.g., motherboard) of an electronic device, and the connectors configured to removably receive a corresponding connector of an expansion card, such that the expansion card is electrically connected to the system motherboard via the adapter card. As used herein, "expansion card" refers to another electronic card having a circuit board and electrical connectors (e.g., electrical plugs or sockets) that can engage with the electrical connectors of the adapter card (e.g., inserted into the electrical connectors of the adapter card) or with connectors (e.g., expansion slots) on the system motherboard of an electronic device to add and / or expand the functionality of the electronic device.

[0018] An adapter card assembly, including an adapter card holder and an adapter card, allows for the inclusion of additional hardware components, such as expansion cards (e.g., graphics cards), in electronic devices to improve their performance or expand their functionality. For example, the adapter card is first installed in the adapter card holder, and then the assembly including the adapter card holder and the adapter card is installed in the electronic device (e.g., the adapter card holder can be connected to the chassis of the electronic device), such that the adapter card is electrically connected to the system motherboard of the electronic device. The expansion card is then installed in the adapter card holder, which further secures and supports the expansion card. When the expansion card is installed in the adapter card holder, the connector of the expansion card is electrically connected to the connector of the adapter card, and thus the expansion card is electrically connected to the system motherboard via the adapter card. Therefore, when the expansion card is connected to the connector of the adapter card, electrical signals from the expansion card can be transmitted to the system motherboard via the adapter card. This allows for the addition of connectors of types missing from the system motherboard, or an expansion of the number of such connectors, or the relocation of such connectors to a more convenient location.

[0019] In some use cases, when an adapter card holder is installed in an electronic device and an expansion card is subsequently connected to the adapter card, the weight of the expansion card may exert a load on the adapter card, and particularly on its connector. For example, in some cases, the adapter card and expansion card may be oriented such that the weight of the expansion card generates a relatively large torque at the connector. This can occur, for instance, in a scenario where the adapter card's connector is oriented to extend horizontally in one direction, while the expansion card, when connected to that connector, extends horizontally in a second direction away from the connector (where horizontal means a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, which coincides with the pulling force of gravity on the electronic device). In this state, gravity pulls the expansion card downwards, and the connector becomes a pivot point, thus generating torque at the connector. Consequently, the expansion card may exert a constant load (e.g., stress due to gravity) on the opposite side of the connector (e.g., the first sidewall), which could potentially damage the connector. For example, the load exerted on the connector by the expansion card could cause cracks in the first sidewall of the connector or cause the connector to break off from the circuit board. Furthermore, electronic devices may be subjected to shocks and vibrations, such as during transport or maintenance events. This could cause the expansion card to exert a load on the adapter card's connector (e.g., unpredictable forces due to shocks and vibrations), potentially damaging the connector. In some other use cases, the adapter card holder can be mounted such that the adapter card is oriented to extend vertically, and the expansion card rests vertically on the connector, thus potentially eliminating the torque caused by gravity or shocks and vibrations mentioned above. However, the problem of the expansion card damaging the adapter card's connector may still exist. For example, when the expansion card is inserted into the connector, in some cases, the insertion force may cause torque or other forces that could damage the connector. Consequently, an adapter card with such a damaged connector cannot establish a connection with the expansion card, forcing the electronic device to undergo a separate shutdown for maintenance and replacement of the adapter card with the damaged connector. Additionally, replacing a damaged adapter card with a new one can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive.

[0020] A technical solution to the aforementioned problem includes providing an adapter card holder with connector support features that provide support to the connector of an adapter card coupled to the adapter card holder. In some examples, these connector support features are arranged to contact the lateral surface of the adapter card's connector, thereby helping to absorb some of the forces exerted on the connector by the expansion card coupled to it and helping to resist deformation (e.g., bending) of the connector in response to such forces. Accordingly, the connector support features of the adapter card holder and the connector supporting the adapter card can prevent damage to the connector due to loads exerted on the adapter card by the expansion card (e.g., in a state where the expansion card is mounted in the adapter card holder and connected to the connector). In one or more examples, the adapter card holder includes a pair of sidewalls facing each other and a base extending from one end of the pair of sidewalls, wherein the base extends between the two sidewalls and joins the two sidewalls together. The pair of sidewalls may define a receiving portion therebetween to allow the expansion card to be mounted between the sidewalls and detachably connected to the adapter card's connector. The base of the adapter card holder is configured to attach to an adapter card positioned on a first side of the base. The base includes an opening to allow a connector, in the attached state of the adapter card and base, to partially protrude beyond the opening to a position on a second side of the base where, with the expansion card mounted between the sidewalls of the adapter card holder, the connector can be detachably attached to the expansion card. In other words, when the circuit board of the adapter card is attached to the first side of the base, the connector extends through the opening and partially protrudes beyond the opening to reach the second side of the base. In such an example, the connector support features include portions of the base that, in the attached state of the adapter card and base, contact lateral surfaces of the connector surrounding the opening to provide lateral support to the connector on at least two opposite sides (e.g., longitudinal walls), thereby preventing damage to the connector due to loads applied to it by the expansion card.

[0021] In one or more examples, the base includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being at a first height relative to the connector and the second portion being at a second height relative to the connector. The first and second portions are integrally joined together via one or more curved portions. In some examples, at least one of the first portion, the second portion, or the curved portion may serve as a connector support feature of the connector. In some examples, the first and second portions of the base are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction of the adapter card holder. In such examples, the second portion may have: i) a flat edge that extends along the length of the connector at a constant height and contacts the connector; or ii) a skewed edge that extends along the length of the connector at different heights and contacts the connector. In some other examples, the first and second portions of the base are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the adapter card holder. In such examples, the first portion has a first flat edge, the second portion has a second flat edge, and each of the one or more curved portions has a skewed edge, wherein the first flat edge, the second flat edge, and the skewed edge contact the lateral surface of the connector. Accordingly, the base of the adapter card holder and the contact connector can provide lateral support to the connector on at least two opposite sides of the connector (e.g., the first sidewall) and prevent damage to the connector due to the load applied to the connector by the expansion card. Furthermore, the adapter card holder may include a compressible material disposed along the opening and contacting the connector to provide cushioning to the connector.

[0022] In some examples, the adapter card holder with connector support features can correspond to a modified version of an existing adapter card holder design. In other words, in some examples, an existing adapter card holder design can be modified to add connector support features, for example, by modifying the base of the adapter card holder to contact the first sidewall of the adapter card's connector and provide support to the connector. Therefore, because no additional components are needed to provide such support to the adapter card's connector, and existing processing or manufacturing processes can remain substantially unchanged, the manufacture and maintenance of adapter card assemblies with such adapter card holders and adapter cards can be more economical, and electronic devices with such adapter card assemblies can avoid being forced to undergo separate shutdowns for maintenance and / or replacement of damaged adapter cards with new ones.

[0023] Refer to the attached diagram. Figure 1A A perspective view of the adapter card holder 100 of the electronic device 300 is depicted (e.g., Figure 3A (as shown), and Figure 1B Depicting Figure 1A A perspective view of the base 106 of the adapter card holder 100. In the following description, for ease of explanation, [the following will also be described]. Figures 1A to 1BThe adapter card holder 100 is used to hold one or more adapter cards 210 (such as...). Figure 2A As shown) the housing 302 of the electronic device 300 is fixed and mounted on it. Figure 3A The adapter card holder 100 may be made of a metallic material, a polymeric material, or the like without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In one or more examples, the adapter card holder 100 includes one or more mountable features 102, a pair of sidewalls 104, and a base 106.

[0024] In some examples, one or more mountable features 102 include a first flange 102A and a second flange 102B. The first flange 102A and the second flange 102B act as reinforcements to provide strength to the adapter card holder 100 and also facilitate mounting the adapter card holder 100 to the housing 302. The first flange 102A may further support one or more peripheral ports, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports (not shown), such that the port socket of such a peripheral port protrudes beyond the housing 302 via a cutout 103 in the first flange 102A to allow one or more external electronic devices (not shown) to connect to the peripheral port. In some examples, the first flange 102A is coupled to a first peripheral side portion 104-1 of the pair of sidewalls 104 via a first fastener 108A, and the second flange 102B is coupled to a second peripheral side portion 104-2 of the pair of sidewalls 104 via a second fastener 108B. In some other examples, the first flange 102A and the second flange 102B may be integrally connected to the first peripheral side portion 104-1 and the second peripheral side portion 104-2 of the pair of sidewalls 104, respectively. As used herein, "integrally connected" means an integral structure of components such as the first flange 102A and the second flange 102B of the adapter card holder 100 and the sidewall 104. The adapter card holder 100 further includes mounting fasteners 108C (such as...). Figure 2A As shown), the first flange 102A and the second flange 102B are detachably connected to the housing 302.

[0025] Sidewall 104 has a first sidewall (or sidewall 104A) and a second sidewall 104B, the first sidewall and the second sidewall being positioned parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other to define a receiving portion 112 (e.g., ...) between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. Figure 2A(As shown). In some examples, the sidewall 104 has a first peripheral side portion 104-1, a second peripheral side portion 104-2, a bottom portion 104-3, and a top portion 104-4. As discussed herein, a first flange 102A is coupled to the first peripheral side portion 104-1, and a second flange 102B is coupled to the second peripheral side portion 104-2 of the sidewall 104. The base 106 is integrally coupled to the bottom portion 104-3 of the sidewall 104. The top portion 104-4 of the sidewall 104 remains open to allow the expansion card 304 to enter the receiving portion 112.

[0026] The base 106 includes a first portion 114, a second portion 116, one or more curved portions 118, a plurality of openings 120 (e.g., elongated openings), and a first fastener hole 138. In some examples, each of the one or more curved portions 118 interconnects the first portion 114 with the second portion 116. In other words, the first portion 114 and the second portion 116 are integrally joined together via each curved portion 118. As used herein, "integrally joined" can refer to an integral structure of components such as the sidewall 104 of the adapter card holder 100 and the base 106. Further, each curved portion 118 is angled (or tilted) such that the second portion 116 is positioned lower than the first portion 114 in the radial direction 10 along the adapter card holder 100. For example, a first set of curved portions 118A of the curved portions 118 is tilted relative to the first portion 114 in a first range from about -30 degrees to about -60 degrees. Similarly, the second set of curved portions 118B in the curved portion 118 is inclined relative to the first portion 114 in a second range from about -210 degrees to about -240 degrees. Accordingly, the curved portion 118 having the first set of curved portions 118A and the second set of curved portions 118B allows the second portion 116 of the base 106 to be positioned below the first portion 114 of the base 106 in the radial direction 10. As used herein, "elongated opening" refers to a recess in the connector where i) the length of the recess exceeds the width of the recess, and ii) the length and width of the recess are equal to the length and width of the expansion card connector.

[0027] The opening 120 has a first opening (or opening 120A) and a second opening 120B, which are spaced apart from each other along the width "W1" of the base 106. Furthermore, each opening 120 extends along the length "L1" of the base 106. Figures 1A to 1B In the example, the width “W1” is defined along the lateral direction 20 of the adapter card holder 100, and the length “L1” is defined along the longitudinal direction 30 of the adapter card holder 100. Figure 1AIn the example, the adapter card holder 100 is shown as including two openings 120. In some other examples, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the adapter card holder 100 may have only one opening 120. The number of openings 120 formed in the base 106 of the adapter card holder 100 may depend on the connector 214 in each of the one or more adapter cards 210 (e.g., ...). Figure 2A The quantity shown.

[0028] In some examples, opening 120A is positioned adjacent to sidewall 104A, and second opening 120B is positioned adjacent to second sidewall 104B. The width “W2” and length “L2” of each of the first opening 120A and the second opening 120B can be substantially equal to the width “W3” and length “L3” of connector 214A of adapter card 210A and the second connector 214B of adapter card 210B, respectively (e.g., Figure 2A (As shown). It can be noted that, compared to the connector's width "W3" and length "L3", the width "W2" and length "L2" of each opening can have a positive tolerance of approximately 0.5 mm to 1 mm to allow the connector to partially protrude through the corresponding opening.

[0029] exist Figure 1B In the illustrated example, the base 106 is divided into three sections by a plurality of openings 120, such as a first section 106-1, a second section 106-2, and a third section 106-3. The first section 106-1, the second section 106-2, and the third section 106-3 are arranged adjacent to each other along the lateral direction 20. For example, the first section 106-1 extends laterally from the sidewall 104A and is positioned facing the opening 120A; the second section 106-2 extends laterally from the second sidewall 104B and is positioned facing the second opening 120B; and the third section 106-3 is positioned between the first section 106-1 and the second section 106-2 and faces both the first opening 120A and the second opening 120B.

[0030] In some examples, the first portion 114-1, the second portion 116-1, and the curved portion 118-1 corresponding to the first segment 106-1 of the base 106 are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction 20 of the adapter card holder 100. In such an example, the second portion 116-1 has a flat edge 126-1 facing the opening 120A. Similarly, the first portion 114-2, the second portion 116-2, and the curved portion 118-2 corresponding to the second segment 106-2 of the base 106 are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction 30 of the adapter card holder 100. In such an example, the first portion 114-2 and the second portion 116-2 have flat edges 126-2 facing the second opening 120B, and the curved portion 118-2 has a skewed edge 128 facing the second opening 120B. Furthermore, a second portion 116-3 corresponding to the third segment 106-3 of the base 106 is correspondingly disposed between i) the second portion 116-1 and ii) the first portion 114-2, the second portion 116-2, and the curved portion 118-2. In such an example, the second portion 116-3 has a flat edge 126-3 facing the opening 120A and a flat edge 126-4 facing the second opening 120B.

[0031] Furthermore, the base 106 has a first side 122 and a second side 124 disposed opposite to the first side 122 (e.g., Figure 2D (as marked in the text). In such an example, one or more adapter cards 210, such as circuit board 212 (e.g., ... Figures 2A to 2D The adapter 124 (as shown) can be positioned on and connected to a first side 122 of the base 106. The second side 124 of the base 106 can be positioned facing the receiving portion 112. In one or more examples, each of the plurality of openings 120 allows the connector 214 of a corresponding adapter 210 in one or more adapter cards 210 to extend through the corresponding opening 120, partially protruding beyond the corresponding opening 120 to a position on the second side 124 of the base 106, while the adapter card 304 is mounted between the sidewalls 104 in the adapter card holder 100. In such an example, with the expansion card 304 mounted between the sidewalls 104 in the adapter card holder 100, the connector 214 of one or more adapter cards 210 positioned on the second side 124 can be detachably connected to the expansion card 304 (as shown). Figure 3CAs used herein, “detachable connection” means connecting a first component to a second component in a manner that allows the two components to be nondestructively separated when needed; for example, a detachable connection can be established via fasteners that allow loosening (e.g., tightening / loosening), friction couplings, latches that can be unlocked, or other types of connections that can be reversed without damaging or destroying the components involved. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise or is not possible in the context, terms such as connection or connect can be used broadly to refer to the establishment of a physical connection, an electrical connection, or both. In some examples, base 106 may include connector support features for contacting the lateral surfaces of connector 214 surrounding the corresponding opening 120 in the coupled state of one or more adapter cards 210 and base 106, to at least two opposite surfaces of such connector 214 (e.g., a pair of first sidewalls 222, such as...). Figure 2D (As shown) lateral support is provided to this connector 214. Specifically, the flat edge 126-1 of the first segment 106-1 and the flat edge 126-3 of the third segment 106-3 in the base 106 can contact the first connector 214A of the adapter card 210A to provide lateral support to the first connector 214A. Similarly, the flat edge 126-2 and the skewed edge 128 of the second segment 106-2 and the flat edge 126-4 of the third segment 106-3 in the base 106 can contact the second connector 214B of the second adapter card 210B to provide lateral support to the second connector 214B. Accordingly, the base 106 supporting the first connector 214A and the second connector 214B can prevent damage to the first connector 214A and the second connector 214B caused by the loads applied by the first expansion card 304A and the second expansion card 304B to the first connector 214A and the second connector 214B of the corresponding adapter cards 210A and 210B, respectively.

[0032] Figure 2A An exploded perspective view of the adapter card assembly 200 is depicted. Figure 2B Depicting Figure 2A A 3D view of the assembled adapter card component 200. Figure 2C Depicting Figure 2B A top view of the adapter card assembly 200, and Figure 2D The adapter card assembly 200 is depicted along... Figure 2B The cross-sectional view taken from line 1-1'. In the following description, for ease of explanation, and also... Figures 2A to 2D It has been described.

[0033] Adapter card assembly 200 can be electronic device 300 (such as...) Figure 3AThe adapter card assembly 200, when installed in the electronic device 300, allows the addition of one or more additional hardware components, such as one or more expansion cards (e.g., a display card), to the electronic device 300 to meet / expand further requirements or functionality of the electronic device 300. In some examples, the adapter card assembly 200 includes an adapter card holder 100, one or more adapter cards 210, and a plurality of fasteners 216. In some other examples, the adapter card assembly 200 may have a single adapter card, depending on the requirements of the electronic device 300.

[0034] As in Figure 1A As discussed in the example, the adapter card holder 100 includes one or more mountable features 102, a pair of sidewalls 104, and a base 106. For the sake of brevity, Figures 2A to 2D The examples will not be discussed in further detail regarding one or more mountable features 102, the pair of sidewalls 104, and the base 106, and this omission of description of each of these components of the adapter card holder 100 should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. As discussed herein, one or more mountable features 102 may allow the adapter card assembly 200 to be mounted to the housing 302 of the electronic device 300 (e.g., Figure 3A (As shown). The base 106 includes a first portion 114, a second portion 116, and one or more curved portions 118. In one or more examples, the first portion 114 and the second portion 116 are integrally connected together via one or more curved portions 118.

[0035] In some examples, multiple adapter cards 210 include a first adapter card (or adapter card 210A) and a second adapter card 210B. In such an example, adapter card 210A includes a first circuit board 212A (or a first circuit board) and a connector 214A (or a first connector). Similarly, the second adapter card 210B includes a second circuit board 212B and a second connector 214B. It may be noted herein that circuit board 212A and the second circuit board 212B may be collectively referred to as circuit board 212, and connector 214A and the second connector 214B may be collectively referred to as connector 214. In some examples, at least one of the one or more adapter cards 210 is a Peripheral Component Interconnect High Speed ​​(PCI-e) card.

[0036] In some examples, each board 212 may be an electronic board, such as a printed circuit board having conductive traces (not shown). Board 212 further includes connector holes (not shown), second fastener holes 218, and a power port 220. In such examples, the conductive traces of board 212 may be electrically connected (e.g., soldered) to port pins (not shown) of power port 220.

[0037] In some examples, at least one of the connectors 214 may be a PCI-e card connector. In one or more examples, each connector 214 includes a pair of first sidewalls 222 (or the opposite side of the connector) and a pair of second sidewalls 224, the pair of second sidewalls being connected to each other to define a connector interface (e.g., a socket 226) between the pair of second sidewalls. In such an example, each connector 214 further includes conductive pins 228 disposed in the socket 226 and protruding beyond the bottom portion 230 of the corresponding connector 214. Further, the top portion 232 of each connector 214 remains open to allow an expansion card 304 to connect to the socket 226 of the corresponding connector 214. Further, each connector 214 is mounted on a first side 234 of a corresponding circuit board 212 such that the conductive pins 228 protrude through connector holes in the corresponding circuit board 212 to a second side 236 of the corresponding circuit board 212. In such an example, the conductive pins 228 protruding to the second side 236 of the corresponding circuit board 212 are connected (e.g., soldered) to traces and data cables 306A in the corresponding circuit board 212. Figure 3A (As shown). For example, the data pin (unlabeled) in conductive pin 228 is soldered to the data cable 306A, and the power pin (unlabeled) in conductive pin 228 is soldered to a trace to create a data path and an electrical path from the adapter card 210, respectively. In such an example, the trace may be further soldered to a port pin of the power port 220 disposed on the circuit board 212. As used herein, “mounted on” means to place the first component on the second component and to connect the first component to the second component.

[0038] Adapter cards 210 are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction 20 of adapter card holder 100 and are coupled to the base 106 of adapter card holder 100. For example, circuit boards 212A and 212B are arranged to contact each other along the longitudinal direction 30 of adapter card holder 100, such that connectors 214A and 214B are spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction 20. In such an example, the second fastener hole 218 of each circuit board 212 is aligned with the first fastener hole 138 of the base 106 along the radial direction 10 of adapter card holder 100 (e.g., ...). Figure 1A(As marked in the image) Alignment. Subsequently, the circuit board 212 of the adapter card 210 is coupled to the first side 122 of the base 106 via a plurality of fasteners 216. In some examples, one or more fasteners 216 may include bushings 238 for adjusting the height of the corresponding fastener 216 according to the height of the connector 214 to align the circuit board 212 relative to the base 106. In other words, bushings 238 may allow one or more fasteners 216 to maintain a gap between the circuit board 212 and the base 106 while allowing the connector 214 to partially protrude beyond the opening 120. In one or more examples, when the circuit board 212 is coupled to the first side 122 of the base 106, the connector 214 extends through the opening 120 and partially protrudes beyond the opening 120 to reach the second side 124 of the base 106. In such an example, the base 106 includes connector support features that contact the connector 214 surrounding the opening 120 to provide lateral support to the connector 214 on at least two opposite sides of each connector 214 (e.g., the pair of first sidewalls 222). Specifically, connector support features (such as the second portion 116 of base 106) contact connector 214A of adapter card 210A to provide support to connector 214A, and other connector support features (such as the first portion 114, the second portion 116, and the bent portion 118 of base 106, respectively) contact the second connector 214B of second adapter card 210B to provide support to the second connector 214B. More specifically, the flat edge 126-1 in the first segment 106-1 of base 106 and the flat edge 126-3 in the third segment 106-3 of base 106 contact connector 214A to provide lateral support to connector 214A on at least two opposite surfaces (e.g., the first sidewall 222A) of connector 214A. Similarly, the flat edge 126-2 and the skewed edge 128 in the second section 106-2 of the base 106 and the flat edge 126-4 in the third section 106-3 of the base 106 contact the second connector 214B to provide lateral support to the second connector 214B on at least two opposite surfaces (e.g., the first sidewall 222B).

[0039] In some examples, the first portion 114 of the base 106 is positioned at a first height “H1” relative to the bottom portion 230 of the connector 214, and the second portion 116 of the base 106 is positioned at a second height “H2” relative to the bottom portion 230 of the connector 214. In one or more examples, the first height “H1” is greater than the second height “H2”. Therefore, the second portion 116 is positioned radially downward relative to the first portion 114. Further, the flat edges 126-1, 126-3 of the second portion 116 extend along the length “L3” of the connector 214A at a constant height (e.g., “H2”) from the bottom portion 230 of the connector 214A. Figure 2A (As shown) extends and contacts connector 214A to provide lateral support to connector 214A. Similarly, the flat edge 126-4 of the second portion 116 extends along the length "L3" of the second connector 214B at a constant height (e.g., "H2"). Figure 2A The first portion 114 (as shown) extends and contacts the second connector 214B to provide lateral support to one of the faces of the second connector 214B (e.g., one of the sidewalls in the pair of first sidewalls 222B). Further, the flat edges 126-3 of the first portion 114 and the second portion 116, and the skewed edges 128 of the curved portion 118, extend intermittently along the length “L3” of the second connector 214B and contact the second connector 214B to provide lateral support to the opposite side of the second connector 214B (e.g., the other sidewall in the pair of first sidewalls 222B). Accordingly, when the connector 214 of one or more adapter cards 210 is detachably connected to an expansion card 304 carried between the sidewalls 104 by the adapter card holder 100, the base 106 supports the connector 214, thereby preventing damage to the connector 214 due to the load exerted on it by the expansion card 304. In other words, these connector support features of the base 106 of the adapter card holder 100 are arranged to contact the first sidewall 222 of the connector 214, thereby helping to absorb some of the forces exerted on the connector by the expansion card 304 coupled to the connector 214 and helping to resist deformation (e.g., bending) of the connector 214 in response to such forces. Accordingly, in one or more examples, the adapter card holder 100 of this disclosure withstands the load exerted on the connector 214 by the expansion card 304 in the lateral direction 20 due to gravity, impact and vibration or due to the insertion of the expansion card 304 into the connector 214. Therefore, the adapter card holder 100 prevents cracks from forming in the first sidewall 222 of the connector 214, or prevents the connector 214 from disconnecting from the circuit board 212, etc.

[0040] In some examples, the adapter card holder 100 with such connector support features may correspond to a modified version of an existing adapter card holder design. In other words, in some examples, an existing adapter card holder design can be modified to add connector support features, for example, by modifying the base 106 of the adapter card holder 100 to contact the first sidewall 222 of the connector 214 of the adapter card 210 and provide support to the connector 214. Therefore, since no additional components are required to provide such support to the connector 214 of the adapter card 210, the manufacture and maintenance of the adapter card assembly 200 with such an adapter card holder 100 and such an adapter card 210 can be more economical. Furthermore, the electronic device 300 with the adapter card assembly 200 may not be forced to undergo separate shutdowns for maintenance and / or replacement of damaged adapter cards with new adapter cards.

[0041] Figure 3A An exploded perspective view of electronic device 300 is depicted. Figure 3B Depicting Figure 3A A three-dimensional view of a portion of the assembled electronic device 300, and Figure 3C A portion of the electronic device 300 is depicted along Figure 3B The cross-sectional view taken from line 2-2'. In the following description, for ease of explanation, and also... Figures 3A to 3C It has been described.

[0042] Electronic device 300 can be a computer (e.g., a server, storage device, etc.), a networking device (e.g., a transceiver, wireless access point, router, switch, etc.), etc. In the example of Figure 3, electronic device 300 is a server. In some examples, electronic device 300 includes a housing 302 and electronic components such as one or more expansion cards 304 (e.g., a graphics card), multiple cables 306, a system motherboard 308 (e.g., a motherboard), and an adapter card assembly 200. As used herein, “electronic device” means a device having a system motherboard that enables an adapter card to be electrically connected to the system motherboard, such as a computer, networking device, power conversion device, etc. As used herein, “system motherboard” means a printed circuit board of an electronic device in which circuitry (e.g., conductive strips disposed on or within a dielectric sheet) is integrated, and one or more integrated circuits (ICs), one or more input / output ports, power ports, electronic components, etc., are attached to the printed circuit board.

[0043] The housing 302 may be a box-shaped enclosure formed by multiple panels, such as a pair of peripheral sidewalls 310, a front panel 312, a rear panel 314, a base 316, and a cover 319. It may be noted that, for the sake of illustration of the electronic components of the electronic device 300, one of the sidewalls 310 and a portion of the base 316 are not shown. The multiple panels are connected to each other to define the internal volume 320 of the housing 302. Figure 3A In the example, electronics 300 is shown positioned on sidewall 310A of the pair of peripheral sidewalls 310 to illustrate mounting the adapter card assembly 200 to the housing 302. However, electronics 300 is typically positioned on the base 316 of the electronics when deployed in a rack or cabinet (not shown) in a data center or during transport or maintenance events. In one or more examples, system motherboard 308 is positioned within internal volume 320 and mounted on one of the sidewalls 310A. System motherboard 308 includes a central processing unit (not shown), a data port 322, and a power port 324.

[0044] As this article states Figures 1A to 1B as well as Figures 2A to 2D As discussed in the example, the adapter card assembly 200 includes an adapter card holder 100 and one or more adapter cards 210. The adapter card holder 100 includes a pair of sidewalls 104 and a base 106 extending from the pair of sidewalls 104. The pair of sidewalls 104 define a receiving portion 112 therein. The base 106 includes one or more openings 120, such as a first opening 120A and a second opening 120B. Each of the one or more adapter cards 210 includes a first adapter card (or adapter card 210A) and a second adapter card 210B. In such an example, adapter card 210A includes a first circuit board (or circuit board 212A) and a first connector (or connector 214A), and the second adapter card 210B includes a second circuit board 212B and a second connector 214B.

[0045] Adapter card 210 is detachably connected to the base 106 of adapter card holder 100 (e.g.) Figure 3C (As shown) to form an adapter card assembly 200. For example, the circuit board 212 of the adapter card 210 is coupled to a first side of the base 106 such that the connector 214 of the adapter card 210 extends through a corresponding opening 120 and partially protrudes beyond the corresponding opening 120 to reach a second side of the base 106. In such an example, the base 106 includes connector support features that contact the connector 214 surrounding the corresponding opening 120 to provide lateral support to the connector 214 on at least two opposite faces or a first sidewall 222.

[0046] Furthermore, the adapter card assembly 200 is positioned within the internal volume 320 of the housing 302 and mounted to the housing 302. For example, the first flange 102A of the adapter card holder 100 (e.g.) Figure 1A (As shown) is mounted to the rear panel 314 of the housing 302, and the second flange 102B of the adapter card holder 100 (as shown) Figure 1A (As shown) is mounted to the center panel 326 of the housing 302. Further, the first flange 102A and the second flange 102B are connected via mounting fasteners 108C (such as...). Figure 2A (As shown) is connected to housing 302.

[0047] Multiple cables 306 are then connected to the adapter card 210. In one or more examples, the multiple cables 306 include a data cable 306A and a power cable 306B. In such an example, a first end of the data cable 306A is coupled (e.g., soldered) to a data pin of connector 214, and a second end of the data cable 306A is connected to a data port 322. Therefore, the adapter card 210 is electrically connected to the system motherboard 308 via one or more cables 306, such as the data cable 306A, rather than being directly mounted on the system motherboard 308. Similarly, a first end of the power cable 306B is connected to the power port 220 of the adapter card 210 (e.g., ...). Figure 2A As shown), and the second end of the power cable 306B is connected to the power port 324 of the system motherboard 308 to provide power to the adapter card 210. As used herein, "electrical connection" means connecting a first component to a second component via a conductive path (e.g., a wire, a trace, etc.) to allow the transfer of data and power between the first component and the second component.

[0048] In some examples, each expansion card 304 is a PCI-e expansion card that includes a graphics card. In such examples, each expansion card 304 includes a connector (e.g., a plug 328) for establishing a connection with a corresponding socket 226 of the connector 214. In one or more examples, the expansion card 304 is disposed in the adapter card assembly 200 via a receiving portion 112 formed between a pair of sidewalls 104 of the adapter card holder 100, such that the plug 328 of the expansion card 304 is detachably connected to the socket 226 of the corresponding connector 214, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the expansion card 304 and the system motherboard 308 via the adapter card 210.

[0049] According to some examples of this disclosure, when the expansion card 304 is detachably connected to the connector 214 of one or more adapter cards 210, the base 106 supports the connector 214. Therefore, the adapter card holder 100 prevents damage to the connector 214 due to loads (e.g., gravity, impact and vibration, or insertion force) exerted on the connector 214 by the expansion card 304 in the lateral direction 20. Specifically, the base 106 contacts the connector 214 surrounding the corresponding opening 120 to provide lateral support to the connector 214 on at least two opposite sides (e.g., first sidewalls 222). Therefore, the adapter card holder 100 prevents cracks from forming in the first sidewalls 222 of the connector 214, or prevents the connector 214 from detaching from the circuit board 212, etc.

[0050] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view is depicted of a portion of an adapter card assembly 400 having an adapter card holder 402 and one or more adapter cards 410. The adapter card assembly 400 is substantially similar to... Figures 2A to 2D The example discussed includes an adapter card assembly 200 having an adapter card holder 100 and one or more adapter cards 410. For example, the pair of sidewalls 404 and base 406 included in the adapter card holder 402 are substantially similar to... Figures 1A to 1B The example describes a pair of sidewalls 104 and a base 106 of the adapter card holder 100. Similarly, the circuit board 412 and connector 414 included in one or more adapter cards 410 are substantially similar to those described above. Figures 2A to 2D The example describes one or more adapter cards 210, including a circuit board 212 and a connector 214. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, in... Figure 4 The examples will not be discussed in further detail regarding the pair of sidewalls 404, base 406, circuit board 412, and connector 414, and such omission of description of each of these components of the adapter card assembly 400 should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

[0051] exist Figure 4 In one example, the adapter card holder 402 further includes a compressible material 490 disposed along the opening 420 and contacting the connector 414 to provide cushioning to the connector 414. In some examples, the compressible material 490 is one of foam, rubber, silicone, plastic, etc. In one or more examples, the compressible material 490 is coupled to the flat edge 426 and the beveled edge 428 of the base 406. Thus, the compressible material 490 abuts between the connector 414 and the base 406, thereby preventing frictional contact between the connector 414 and the base 406 and damage caused by such frictional contact between these components.

[0052] Figure 5A cross-sectional view is depicted of a portion of an adapter card assembly 500 having an adapter card holder 502 and one or more adapter cards 510. The adapter card holder 502 includes a pair of sidewalls 504 and a base 506 extending from the pair of sidewalls 504. The one or more adapter cards 510 include a circuit board 512 and connectors 514, which are mounted on the circuit board 512 and electrically connected to the circuit board.

[0053] exist Figure 5 In one example, the base 506 includes a first portion 534, a second portion 536, and one or more curved portions 538. In some examples, the first portion 534 and the second portion 536 are integrally joined together via one or more curved portions 538. The first portion 534 and the second portion 536 are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction 20 of the adapter card holder 502. The second portion 536 has a flat edge 526 that extends along the length of the adapter card holder 502 along the radial direction 10 of the adapter card holder 502 at a constant height “H” of the connector 514. One or more adapter cards 510 are coupled to a first side 592 of the adapter card holder 502 such that the connector 514 extends through the opening 520 and partially protrudes beyond the opening 520 to reach a second side 594 of the base 506. In such an example, the base 506, for example, the second portion 536, contacts the connector 514 surrounding the opening 520 to provide lateral support to the connector 514 on at least two opposite surfaces 522 (e.g., the first sidewalls) of the connector 514.

[0054] Figure 6 A portion of an adapter card assembly 600 is depicted, having an adapter card holder 602 and one or more adapter cards 610. The adapter card holder 602 includes a pair of sidewalls 604 and a base 606 extending from the pair of sidewalls 604. The one or more adapter cards 610 include a circuit board 612 and connectors 614, which are mounted on and electrically connected to the circuit board 612.

[0055] exist Figure 6In one example, the base 606 includes a first portion 634, a second portion 636, and one or more curved portions 638. In some examples, the first portion 634 and the second portion 636 are integrally joined together via one or more curved portions 638. The first portion 634, the second portion 636, and the one or more curved portions 638 are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction 30 of the adapter card holder 602. The first portion 634 and the second portion 636 have flat edges 626 that extend discontinuously along the length “L” of the adapter card holder 602 along the radial direction 10 of the adapter card holder 602 at a first height and a second height (unmarked), respectively. Further, the one or more curved portions 638 have skewed edges 628. One or more adapter cards 610 are coupled to a first side 692 of the adapter card holder 602 such that the connector 614 extends through an opening 620 and partially protrudes beyond the opening 620 to reach a second side 694 of the base 606. In such an example, the base 606, such as the first portion 634, the second portion 636, and one or more curved portions 638 contact the connector 614 around the opening 620 to provide lateral support to the connector 614 on at least two opposite surfaces 622 (e.g., the first sidewalls) of the connector 614.

[0056] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view is depicted of a portion of an adapter card assembly 700 having an adapter card holder 702 and one or more adapter cards 710. The adapter card holder 702 includes a pair of sidewalls 704 and a base 706 extending from the pair of sidewalls 704. The one or more adapter cards 710 include a circuit board 712 and connectors 714, which are mounted on the circuit board 712 and electrically connected to the circuit board.

[0057] exist Figure 7 In one example, the base 706 includes a first portion 734, a second portion 736, and one or more curved portions 738. In some examples, the first portion 734 and the second portion 736 are integrally joined together via one or more curved portions 738. The base 706 is divided into three segments by an opening 120 in the base 706, such as a first segment 706-1, a second segment 706-2, and a third segment 706-3. The first portion 734-1 and the second portion 736-1 corresponding to the first segment 706-1 are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction 20 of the adapter card holder 702. The first portion 734-2, the second portion 736-2, and one or more curved portions 738-2 corresponding to the second segment 706-2 are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction 30 of the adapter card holder 702. The second portion 736-3 corresponding to the third segment 706-3 is disposed between the first segment 706-1 and the second segment 706-2.

[0058] The second portion 736-1 corresponding to the first segment 706-1 and the second portion 736-3 corresponding to the third segment 706-3 have skewed edges (unmarked) extending along the length of connector 714A and contacting connector 714A. Further, the first portion 734-2 corresponding to the second segment 706-2 has flat edges (unmarked), and the second portion 736-2 corresponding to the second segment 706-2 and one or more curved portions 738-2 have skewed edges (unmarked) extending discontinuously along the length of connector 714B and contacting connector 714B. Further, the second portion 736-3 of the third segment 706-3 has skewed edges (unmarked) that extend along the length of connector 714 and contact connector 714 at different heights (unmarked) of connector 714. One or more adapter cards 710 are coupled to a first side 792 of the adapter card holder 702, such that the connector 714 extends through the opening 720 and partially protrudes beyond the opening 720 to reach a second side 794 of the base 706. In such an example, the skewed edge of the base 706 contacts the connector 714 around the opening 720 to provide lateral support to the connector 714 on at least two opposite surfaces 722 (e.g., the first sidewalls) of the connector 714.

[0059] The various features illustrated in the examples described herein can be implemented in an adapter card holder for providing adapter card mounting for electronic devices, to additionally have a connector support feature that provides support to the adapter card's connector. Accordingly, the adapter card holder of this disclosure prevents damage to the connector from loads applied to the adapter card by the expansion card (i.e., in the state where the expansion card is mounted in the adapter card holder and connected to the connector). An adapter card holder having such a connector support feature can correspond to a modified version of an existing adapter card holder design. In other words, in some examples, an existing adapter card holder design can be modified to add the connector support feature, for example, by modifying the base of the adapter card holder to contact the first sidewall of the adapter card's connector and provide support to the connector. Therefore, since no additional components are needed to provide such support to the adapter card's connector, and existing processing or manufacturing processes can remain largely unchanged, the manufacture and maintenance of adapter card assemblies with such adapter card brackets and adapter cards can be more economical, and electronic devices with such adapter card assemblies can be freed from being forced to undergo separate shutdowns for maintenance and / or replacement of damaged adapter cards with new ones.

[0060] In the foregoing description, numerous details have been set forth to provide an understanding of the subject matter disclosed herein. However, embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these details. Other embodiments may include modifications, combinations, and variations of the details discussed above. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An adapter card holder, comprising: A pair of sidewalls; A base that extends from the pair of sidewalls; as well as One or more mounting features configured to mount the adapter card holder to the housing of an electronic device; The base is configured to connect to an adapter card, which is positioned on a first side of the base. The base includes an opening to allow the adapter card's connector to extend through the opening, partially protruding beyond the opening and reaching a position on a second side of the base, in the connected state of the adapter card and the base, such that the expansion card is detachably connected to the connector when the expansion card is mounted in the adapter card holder between the sidewalls. The base contacts the connector surrounding the opening when the adapter card is connected to the base, and provides lateral support to the connector on at least two opposite surfaces of the connector. The base includes a first part and a second part, the first part being at a first height relative to the connector, the second part being at a second height relative to the connector, and wherein the first part and the second part are integrally connected together via one or more curved portions.

2. The adapter card holder of claim 1, further comprising a compressible material disposed along the opening and contacting the connector to provide cushioning to the connector.

3. The riser card holder of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners coupling the base to a circuit board of the riser card, wherein, The connector is mounted on and electrically connected to the circuit board, and wherein the height of each of the plurality of fasteners is adjustable to align the circuit board relative to the base according to the height of the connector.

4. The adapter card bracket as described in claim 1, wherein, The mounting features include a first flange and a second flange, the first flange extending from a first peripheral portion of the pair of sidewalls, the second flange extending from a second peripheral portion of the pair of sidewalls, and wherein the adapter bracket is mountable on the housing via the first flange and the second flange.

5. The adapter card bracket as described in claim 1, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the second portion has a flat edge that extends along the length of the connector at a constant height of the connector and contacts the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

6. The adapter card bracket as described in claim 1, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the second portion has a skewed edge that extends along the length of the connector at different heights of the connector and contacts the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

7. The adapter card bracket as described in claim 1, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the first portion has a first flat edge, the second portion has a second flat edge, and each of the one or more curved portions has a skewed edge, and wherein the first flat edge, the second flat edge and the skewed edge contact the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

8. An adapter card assembly for an electronic device, comprising: An adapter card, comprising a circuit board and a connector, wherein the connector is mounted on the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; as well as An adapter card holder, the adapter card holder being mountable on the housing of the electronic device via one or more mounting features, wherein the adapter card holder comprises: A pair of sidewalls; and The base includes an opening extending from the pair of sidewalls. The circuit board is coupled to a first side of the base such that the connector extends through the opening and partially protrudes beyond the opening to reach a second side of the base, where the connector is detachably connected to an expansion card carried between the sidewalls by the adapter card holder, and wherein the base contacts the connector surrounding the opening to provide lateral support to the connector on at least two opposite surfaces. The base includes a first part and a second part, the first part being at a first height relative to the connector, the second part being at a second height relative to the connector, and wherein the first part and the second part are integrally connected together via one or more curved portions.

9. The adapter card assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein, The adapter card assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners that connect the base to the circuit board of the adapter card, and wherein the height of each of the plurality of fasteners is adjustable to align the circuit board relative to the base according to the height of the connector.

10. The adapter card assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein, The mounting features include a first flange and a second flange, the first flange extending from a first peripheral portion of the pair of sidewalls, the second flange extending from a second peripheral portion of the pair of sidewalls, and wherein the adapter bracket is mountable on the housing via the first flange and the second flange.

11. The adapter card assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein, The adapter card is electrically connected to the system motherboard of the electronic device via one or more cables, wherein the adapter card is a peripheral component interconnect high-speed card, and wherein the expansion card is a peripheral component interconnect high-speed expansion card including a display card.

12. The adapter card assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the second portion has: i) a flat edge that extends along the length of the connector at a constant height of the connector and contacts the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector; or ii) a skewed edge that extends along the length of the connector at different heights of the connector and contacts the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

13. The adapter card assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the first portion has a first flat edge, the second portion has a second flat edge, and each of the one or more curved portions has a skewed edge, and wherein the first flat edge, the second flat edge and the skewed edge contact the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

14. An electronic device comprising: chassis; A system motherboard, which is connected to the chassis; Expansion card; as well as Adapter card assembly, the adapter card assembly comprising: An adapter card, comprising a circuit board and a connector, the connector being mounted on and electrically connected to the circuit board, and the adapter card being electrically connected to the system motherboard; and An adapter card holder, which is mounted on the housing via one or more mounting features, wherein the adapter card holder includes: A pair of sidewalls, the expansion card being carried between the adapter card holder; and The base includes an opening extending from the pair of sidewalls. The circuit board is coupled to a first side of the base such that the connector extends through the opening and partially protrudes beyond the opening to reach a second side of the base, where the connector is detachably connected to the expansion card to electrically connect the expansion card to the system motherboard, and wherein the base contacts the connector surrounding the opening to provide lateral support to the connector on at least two opposite surfaces. The base includes a first part and a second part, the first part being at a first height relative to the connector and the second part being at a second height relative to the connector, wherein the first part and the second part are integrally connected together via one or more curved portions.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein, The adapter card is electrically connected to the system motherboard of the electronic device via one or more cables, wherein the adapter card is a peripheral component interconnect high-speed card, and wherein the expansion card is a peripheral component interconnect high-speed expansion card including a display card.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the lateral direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the second portion has: i) a flat edge that extends along the length of the connector at a constant height of the connector and contacts the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector; or ii) a skewed edge that extends along the length of the connector at different heights of the connector and contacts the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein, The first portion and the second portion are positioned adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction of the adapter bracket, wherein the first portion has a first flat edge, the second portion has a second flat edge, and each of the one or more curved portions has a skewed edge, and wherein the first flat edge, the second flat edge and the skewed edge contact the connector to provide the lateral support to the connector.

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