Fastener assembly for removably fastening adapter cage assembly to electronic device

Abstract

A fastener assembly for removably securing an adapter cage assembly to an electronic device is disclosed. The adapter cage assembly has an adapter cage bracket and a fastener assembly coupled to the adapter cage bracket. The fastener assembly includes a housing, an actuator including a driver, a shaft, and a biasing member. The housing has a bore, guide teeth within the bore, and recesses defined between the guide teeth. The actuator is movably coupled to one end of the housing with the driver disposed within the aperture. The shaft has a vane disposed within the bore and a lock arm protruding from the other end of the housing beyond the bore. The actuator generates a biasing force urging the shaft toward the end of the housing. The shaft is translatable and rotatable along a vertical axis relative to the housing by the actuator and biasing member to removably secure the adapter cage bracket to the electronic device.

Description

Background Art

[0001] An electronic device (such as a computer, a networking device, etc.) includes electronic components (such as a power supply unit, a storage drive, a PCIe drive, and a main system board (e.g., a motherboard)) that have hardware components (such as a central processing unit, a resistor, a capacitor, etc.) to provide certain basic functions. However, in pursuit of greater performance and / or to expand the functionality of the electronic device, additional electronic components (such as an expansion card) may be removably connected to the main system board via an expansion connector on the main system board. In some electronic devices, the expansion card is directly connected to the expansion connector of the main system board. However, in other electronic devices, it may not be possible to directly connect the expansion card to the expansion connector (e.g., due to orientation or space constraints, and / or due to connector incompatibility), and therefore the expansion card may be coupled to another electronic component (such as a riser card), which in turn is connected to the expansion connector of the main system board. The riser card carries one electrical connector adapted to receive an expansion card and another connector adapted to removably connect to the expansion connector of the main system board, and the connectors are arranged so that when everything is connected, the expansion card fits as desired within the spatial constraints of the system.

[0002] For example, in some devices, the expansion connector of the main system board is oriented to receive an expansion card that extends perpendicular to the main system board, but in a low-profile device (e.g., a 1U or 2U server), there may not be sufficient vertical clearance for the expansion card to be oriented perpendicular to the main system board. Therefore, in some of these devices, the riser card may extend perpendicular to the main system board and have a connector arranged to receive the expansion card in an orientation parallel to the main system board, thus allowing the expansion card to be assembled in the low-profile device.

[0003] In an electronic device utilizing a riser card, a riser cage bracket may be used to provide support to the riser card and an expansion card coupled thereto, and a fastener may be used to couple the riser cage bracket to the electronic device. Thus, when the expansion card is disposed in the riser cage bracket and detachably connected to the riser card, the riser cage bracket coupled to the electronic device may fix and support the expansion card. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Various examples will be described below with reference to the following drawings.

[0005] Figure 1A A block diagram of a portion of an electronic device according to an example of the present disclosure is illustrated, the electronic device including a chassis, a main system board, a receptacle, and a transition cage assembly having a transition cage bracket and a fastener assembly in a first state.

[0006] Figure 1B The example according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1A A block diagram of a transition cage assembly having a fastener assembly in a second state.

[0007] Figure 2 A perspective view of a portion of an electronic device including a receptacle and a transition cage assembly having a transition cage bracket and a fastener assembly according to an example of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0008] Figure 3A The example according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the housing of the fastener assembly.

[0009] Figure 3B The example according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of an actuator of a fastener assembly.

[0010] Figure 3C The example according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of the shaft of a fastener assembly.

[0011] Figure 3D The example according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of a biasing element of a fastener assembly.

[0012] Figure 3E The example according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of a cover of a fastener assembly.

[0013] Figures 4A-4B The diagram shows a first state according to an example of the present disclosure. Figure 2 fastener components.

[0014] Figures 5A-5C The diagram shows a plurality of steps according to an example of the present disclosure, wherein the plurality of steps are used to Figures 4A-4B The fastener assembly transitions from a first state to a second state to secure the transition cage assembly to the receptacle.

[0015] Figure 6A-6B The diagram shows a second state according to an example of the present disclosure. Figures 5A-5C fastener components.

[0016] Figures 7A-7C The diagram shows a plurality of steps according to an example of the present disclosure, wherein the plurality of steps are used to Figure 6A-6B The fastener assembly is transitioned from the second state to the first state to release the transfer cage assembly from the receptacle.

[0017] Figures 8A-8BThe diagram shows a second state according to an example of the present disclosure. Figures 7A-7C fastener components.

[0018] Fig. 9 is a flow chart depicting a method of removably fastening a transition cage assembly to an electronic device using a fastener assembly according to an example of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of explanation, certain examples are described with reference to the components illustrated in Figures 1-9. However, the functions of the illustrated components may overlap and may be present in fewer or greater numbers of elements and components. In addition, the disclosed examples may be implemented in various environments 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 will be clearly understood that the drawings are only for illustration and description purposes. Although several examples are described in this document, modifications, adaptations and other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosed examples. On the contrary, the proper scope of the disclosed examples may be defined by the appended claims.

[0020] As used herein, a "riser card" refers to an electronic component configured to function as a middleware or adapter that electrically connects two other electronic components together, wherein the riser card has a circuit board and two connectors: a first connector configured to couple to a first electronic component of an electronic device, such as a main system board (e.g., a motherboard); and a second connector configured to removably receive a corresponding connector of a second electronic component, such as an expansion card. As used herein, an "adapter cage bracket" refers to a support element that is connected to a riser card and is configured to physically couple to an electronic device to support and physically secure a riser card in the electronic device (and in some cases, physically support and secure an expansion card when the expansion card is installed). As used herein, an "adapter cage assembly" may refer to an assembly of components, such as a riser card, an adaptor cage bracket, and fasteners.

[0021] The adapter cage assembly may be installed in an electronic device to allow additional electronic components, such as expansion cards (e.g., display cards, graphics processing units (GPUs), accelerator modules, networking interface modules (NICs), etc.), to be included in the electronic device and thereby improve the performance of the electronic device or expand its functionality. For example, a riser card and fasteners (e.g., screws) are first coupled to a transfer cage bracket to form the transfer cage assembly, and the transfer cage bracket is later coupled to a chassis of the electronic device via the fasteners so that the riser card is electrically connected to a main system board of the electronic device. The expansion card is further installed in the transfer cage bracket, which may additionally fix and support the expansion card and electrically connect the expansion card to the main system board via the riser card.

[0022] The chassis typically has space constraints due to the density of electronic components or due to the size constraints imposed by the rack (or cabinet) for accommodating the chassis within the rack. For example, certain electronic components (such as power supply units, storage drives, PCIe drives, etc.) are disposed adjacent to each other and coupled to the chassis. Therefore, such electronic components typically occupy a large amount of space in the chassis, thereby providing limited space to dispose and couple certain other electronic components (such as a transfer cage assembly in the chassis). Therefore, after the transfer cage assembly is installed in the chassis, coupling the transfer cage bracket to the chassis may be very difficult due to the limited space in the chassis. In particular, due to the space constraints in the chassis, the screw locations for fastening the transfer cage bracket to the chassis or releasing the transfer cage bracket from the chassis cannot be easily reached by appropriate tools (e.g., screwdrivers, etc.). Further, whenever an installation, maintenance, or replacement activity is planned for the transfer cage assembly in the electronic device, the user may conveniently need a screwdriver to loosen the screws and release the transfer cage bracket from the chassis or to tighten the screws and couple the transfer cage bracket to the chassis. Therefore, performing any of the installation, maintenance, or replacement activities for the transfer cage assembly in the electronic device may become extremely time-consuming and laborious.

[0023] A technical solution to the above problem may include providing a fastener assembly that can be operated without tools to removably fasten or release an adapter cage assembly to or from an electronic device. In other words, the fastener assembly may be a tool-free device that can be operated by simply applying force to fasten or release an adapter cage bracket to or from an electronic device when the adapter cage assembly is in an installed state in the electronic device. More specifically, the fastener assembly may include an actuator that can be pushed (e.g., by applying force) to drive a shaft of the fastener assembly and cause the shaft to rotate relative to a vertical axis, thereby allowing a locking arm of the shaft to: i) engage with a receptacle coupled to a chassis of the electronic device to fasten the adapter cage bracket to the receptacle; or ii) disengage from the receptacle to release the adapter cage bracket from the receptacle. In particular, the fastener assembly can be pushed to: i) transition from a first state (e.g., a disengaged state) to a second state (e.g., an engaged state) to secure the transfer cage bracket to the receptacle; or ii) transition from the second state to the first state to release the transfer cage bracket from the receptacle. In some examples, the shaft can rotate approximately 90 degrees (e.g., a quarter turn) each time the actuator is pushed to transition the fastener assembly between the first state and the second state.

[0024] In one or more examples, the fastener assembly may include a housing, an actuator, a shaft, and a biasing element, all of which can be operated in conjunction to transform the fastener assembly between a first state and a second state. The housing may include a hole extending along a vertical axis, a guide tooth disposed in the hole, and a recess (bay) defined between the guide teeth. In such examples, each of the guide teeth may include a first vertical surface, a second vertical surface, and a ramp surface extending between the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface. The actuator may include a driver and may be movably coupled to the first end of the housing, wherein the drivers are disposed in the hole. The shaft may include a blade and a locking arm, wherein the blades may be disposed in the hole and the locking arm may protrude from the hole and exceed the second end of the housing. In one or more examples, the shaft may be translatable relative to the housing along the vertical axis and rotatable around the vertical axis. The biasing element may be configured to generate a biasing force, thereby urging the shaft toward the first end of the housing. In the first state of the fastener assembly, the shaft may be in a first rotational orientation, and the blade may be disposed in a first subset of the recess and abut the first vertical surface of the first subset of the guide teeth. Similarly, in a second state of the fastener assembly, the shaft may be in a second rotational orientation and the blade may be disposed within a second subset of recesses and abutting the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth.

[0025] In some examples, the fastener assembly may further include a cover having an opening, the cover coupled to the second end of the housing. In such examples, the locking arm of the shaft may extend beyond the second end of the housing via the opening in the cover. Similarly, the shaft may further include a flange disposed above the locking arm. In such examples, the biasing element is disposed around the shaft in a manner that contacts the cover and the flange. Therefore, when the shaft is pushed along the first direction by the actuator or when the biasing element is relaxed to push the actuator back along the second direction through the shaft, the biasing element may be compressed or expanded between the cover and the flange. In some examples, the biasing element may be a spring.

[0026] During operation, the fastener assembly can transition from a first state to a second state to removably fasten (e.g., couple) the transfer cage bracket to the receptacle of the electronic device. For example: the actuator can be pushed in a first direction so that the driver can push the blade in the first direction and compress the biasing element until the blade passes under the first vertical surface of the first subset of guide teeth. In such a case, the driver and the biasing force can cause the blade to move into the second subset of recesses. After the blade enters the second subset of recesses, the biasing element can push the shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the blade slides along the ramp surface of the first subset of guide teeth until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth. In such an example, the sliding of the blade along the ramp surface can cause the shaft to rotate from the first rotational orientation to the second rotational orientation, thereby allowing the locking arm to engage with the receptacle and couple the transfer cage assembly to the electronic device. In some examples, the locking arm includes a first set of protrusions. In such examples, in an installed state of the transfer cage assembly in the electronic device, the opening is aligned with the mounting hole of the transfer cage bracket to allow the locking arm to protrude into the receptacle through the opening and the mounting hole and to allow the first set of protrusions to engage with the second set of protrusions of the receptacle in the second state of the fastener assembly to removably fasten the transfer cage bracket to the electronic device.

[0027] Similarly, the fastener assembly can further transition from the second state to the first state to release the transfer cage bracket from the receptacle of the electronic device. For example, the actuator can be pushed in the first direction again so that the driver can push the blade in the first direction and compress the biasing element until the blade passes under the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth. In such a case, the driver and the biasing force can cause the blade to move into the first subset of recesses. After the blade enters the first subset of recesses, the biasing element can push the shaft in the second direction so that the blade slides along the ramp surface of the second subset of guide teeth until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the first subset of guide teeth. In such an example, the sliding of the blade along the ramp surface can cause the shaft to rotate from the second rotational orientation to the first rotational orientation, thereby allowing the locking arm to disengage from the receptacle and release the transfer cage assembly from the electronic device.

[0028] Since the fastener assembly can be transformed between the first state and the second state simply by applying a force, no separate tool is required to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device. Further, since only an application of force is required on the fastener assembly to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device, the transition cage assembly can be easily deployed in an electronic device chassis with space constraints. Therefore, performing maintenance or replacement activities on the transition cage assembly may not be a time-consuming and laborious activity as it was previously when screws and screwdrivers were used to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device.

[0029] Refer to the pictures, Figure 1A A block diagram of a portion of an electronic device 100 is depicted having a fastener assembly 114 in a first state. Figure 1B 1 depicts a block diagram of the portion of the electronic device 100 having the fastener assembly 114 in the second state. It should be understood that Figure 1A-1B It is not intended to illustrate specific shapes, sizes, or other structural details accurately or to scale, and implementations of the electronic device 100 may have different numbers and arrangements of the components illustrated, and may also include other parts not illustrated. Figure 1A and Figure 1B .

[0030] The electronic device 100 may be a computer (eg, a server, a storage device), a networking device (eg, a switch, an access point), etc. Figure 1A-1B In one or more examples, the electronic device 100 is a computer 100A. In one or more examples, the electronic device 100 includes a chassis 102, a main system board 104, a receptacle 106, and a transfer cage assembly 108.

[0031] The chassis 102 may be configured to support various electronic components of the electronic device 100. Additionally, the chassis 102 may be configured to mount the electronic device 100 to a rack (or cabinet, not shown) of a data center (not shown). The chassis 102 may include a base 116 and a plurality of spacers 118 disposed to be spaced apart from each other and coupled to the base 116.

[0032] The main system board 104 may be a motherboard of the electronic device 100. The main system board 104 may include through-holes 120 and connectors 122. In some examples, the main system board 104 is disposed on the base 116 and coupled to the base via the plurality of spacers 118 and one or more support elements 128.

[0033] The receptacle 106 includes an aperture 124 and a set of protrusions (e.g., a second set of protrusions 126). In some examples, the second set of protrusions 126 can be oriented along one direction (e.g., the third direction 30). The receptacle 106 is disposed on the chassis 102 and coupled to the chassis via the one or more support elements 128. In some examples, the receptacle 106 is positioned between the base 116 and the main system board 104 so that the aperture 124 in the receptacle 106 is aligned with the through hole 120 of the main system board 104.

[0034] The riser cage assembly 108 includes a riser cage bracket 110, a riser card 112, and a fastener assembly 114. In one or more examples, the riser cage assembly 108 can provide support to the riser card 112 and an expansion card (not shown) and allow the expansion card to be mounted to the main system board 104 via the riser card 112.

[0035] The transfer cage bracket 110 is the main structural support component of the transfer cage assembly 108. The transfer cage bracket 110 includes a transfer body 130 and a transfer window (not shown), which are coupled to each other to define a space therebetween, which allows an expansion card to be mounted to the transfer cage bracket 110. In particular, the transfer body 130 is configured to provide support to the transfer card 112, and the transfer window is configured to provide support to the expansion card. In some examples, the transfer body 130 includes: a mounting hole 132, which is aligned with the through hole 120 of the main system board 104; and a plurality of first transfer holes 134.

[0036] The riser card 112 may be an electronic card of the electronic device 100. In one or more examples, the riser card 112 may include a circuit board 136, a first connector 138, a second connector 140, a plurality of second transfer holes 142, and a plurality of fasteners 144. The first connector 138 is coupled to one end of the circuit board 136. The second connector 140 is coupled to a body (not labeled) of the circuit board 136. The second connector 140 may be configured to be detachably connected to an electrical connector (not shown) of an expansion card. The plurality of second transfer holes 142 may be disposed proximate to a plurality of peripheral sides of the circuit board 136 so that the plurality of second transfer holes 142 are aligned to the plurality of first transfer holes 134 of the transfer body 130 to allow the riser card 112 to be removably coupled to the transfer cage bracket 110. In some examples, the riser card 112 is first disposed on the transfer body 130 so that the plurality of second transfer holes 142 are aligned with the plurality of first transfer holes 134. Later, the fasteners 144 are fastened through the plurality of second transfer holes 142 and the plurality of first transfer holes 134 to removably couple the transfer card 112 to the transfer body 130. In such an example, the transfer cage assembly 108 is further disposed on the electronic device 100 so that the first connector 138 of the transfer card 112 is detachably connected to the connector 122 of the main system board 104.

[0037] The fastener assembly 114 may be a coupling element configured to fasten the transfer cage bracket 110 to the chassis 102 or release the transfer cage bracket 110 from the chassis 102. In some examples, the fastener assembly 114 may include a housing 146, an actuator 148, a shaft 150, a biasing element 152, and a cover 154. The housing 146 may include a hole 156 extending along the vertical axis 60, guide teeth (not shown) within the hole 156, and recesses (not shown) defined between the guide teeth. Each of the guide teeth may include a first vertical surface, a second vertical surface, and a ramp surface extending between the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface. Further, the actuator 148 may include a driver (not shown) and be movably coupled to the first end 158 of the housing 146, wherein the drivers are disposed within the hole 156. Further, the shaft 150 includes a blade (not shown), a locking arm 160 having a first set of protrusions 162, and a flange 164 disposed above the locking arm 160. In some examples, the first set of protrusions 162 may be oriented along another direction (e.g., the fourth direction 40) perpendicular to the third direction 30. The blade may be disposed within the hole 156, and the locking arm 160 protrudes from the hole 156 beyond the second end 166 of the housing 146. The shaft 150 may be configured to be driven by a driver of the actuator 148 to translate along the vertical axis 60 relative to the housing 146 and rotate about the vertical axis. Further, a cover 154 having an opening (not labeled) is coupled to the second end 166 of the housing 146. The cover 154 allows the locking arm 160 to extend beyond the housing 146 via the opening. Further, the biasing element 152 is disposed around the shaft 150 in a manner that contacts the cover 154 and the flange 164. The biasing element 152 is configured to generate a biasing force to urge the shaft 150 toward the first end 158 of the housing 146 .

[0038] The fastener assembly 114 may first partially protrude through the mounting hole 132 in the adapter body 130 to couple with the adapter cage bracket 110 and form the adapter cage assembly 108. Later, the adapter cage assembly 108 having the riser card 112 and the fastener assembly 114 may be installed in the electronic device 100 such that the fastener assembly 114 partially protrudes into the through hole 120 in the main system board 104 and the opening in the receptacle 106. In such an example, when the adapter cage assembly 108 is installed in the electronic device 100, the second set of protrusions 126 oriented perpendicular to the first set of protrusions 162 may not interfere with the first set of protrusions 162, thereby allowing the first set of protrusions 162 to protrude beyond the second set of protrusions 126.

[0039] In one or more examples, when the transfer cage assembly 108 is in an installed state in the electronic device 100, the fastener assembly 114 can be operated simply by applying force to fasten the transfer cage bracket 110 to the receptacle 106 or release the transfer cage bracket 110 from the receptacle 106. For example, the fastener assembly 114 can be pushed along the first direction 10 to fasten the transfer cage bracket 110 to the receptacle 106 or release the transfer cage bracket 110 from the receptacle 106. In particular, referring to Figure 1A When the fastener assembly 114 is pushed in the first direction 10, the actuator 148 can push the shaft 150 to move in the first direction 10, and later the biasing element 152 can push the shaft 150 in the second direction 20, thereby causing the actuator 148 and the housing 146 to guide the shaft 150 to rotate relative to the housing 146 in the clockwise direction 50 about the vertical axis 60 to move the fastener assembly 114 from the first state (see Figure 1A ) to the second state (see Figure 1B ), thereby securing the transfer cage assembly 108 to the electronic device 100. In some examples, when the shaft 150 is rotated relative to the vertical axis 60, the first set of protrusions 162 are arranged parallel to the second set of protrusions 126, thereby engaging the first set of protrusions 162 with the second set of protrusions 126 of the receptacle 106 and securing the transfer cage bracket 110 to the chassis 102. In other words, the shaft 150 causes the locking arm 160 to rotate and position the first set of protrusions 162 along the third direction 30 parallel to the second set of protrusions 126, thereby causing the first set of protrusions 162 to engage with the second set of protrusions 126. In some examples, when the actuator 148 is pushed along the first direction 10, the shaft 150 can rotate approximately 90 degrees.

[0040] Similarly, refer to Figure 1B When the fastener assembly 114 is pushed in the first direction 10, the actuator 148 can push the shaft 150 to move in the first direction 10, and later the biasing element 152 can push the shaft 150 in the second direction, thereby causing the actuator 148 and the housing 146 to guide the shaft 150 to rotate in the clockwise direction 50 about the vertical axis 60 to move the fastener assembly 114 from the second state (see Figure 1B ) to the first state (see Figure 1A), thereby releasing the transfer cage assembly 108 from the electronic device 100. In some examples, when the shaft 150 is rotated again relative to the vertical axis 60, the first set of protrusions 162 are disposed perpendicular to the second set of protrusions 126, thereby disengaging the first set of protrusions 162 of the locking arm 160 from the second set of protrusions 126 of the receptacle 106 and releasing the transfer cage bracket 110 from the chassis 102. In other words, the shaft 150 causes the locking arm 160 to rotate and position the first set of protrusions 162 again in the fourth direction 40 perpendicular to the second set of protrusions 126, thereby disengaging the first set of protrusions 162 from the second set of protrusions 126. In some examples, when the actuator 148 is pushed in the first direction 10, the shaft 150 may be rotated again by approximately 90 degrees. The fastener assembly 114 and the process of translating the fastener assembly 114 between the first state and the second state are discussed in detail below.

[0041] Since the fastener assembly 114 can be transformed between the first state and the second state simply by applying a force, no separate tool is required to fasten the transition cage assembly 108 to the electronic device 100 or release the transition cage assembly 108 from the electronic device 100. Further, since only the application of force is required on the fastener assembly 114 to fasten the transition cage assembly 108 to the electronic device 100 or release the transition cage assembly 108 from the electronic device 100, the transition cage assembly 108 can be easily deployed in the chassis 102 with space constraints. Therefore, performing maintenance or replacement activities on the transition cage assembly 108 may not be a time-consuming and laborious activity as it was previously when screws and a screwdriver were used to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device.

[0042] Furthermore, in addition to being easier to operate than tool-actuated fasteners, in some cases, the fastener assembly 114 may also be easier to operate than other tool-free fasteners. In particular, in some electronic devices, there may be little free space around the fastener assembly, making it difficult for a user to manually manipulate the fastener, even if it is a tool-free fastener. For example, a fastener actuated by manually twisting a knob, handle, or other similar structure may be difficult to actuate in a device in which there is little lateral free space around the fastener, because the user's fingers may be prevented from being positioned around the lateral side of the knob or handle, and thus the user may not be able to obtain a firm grip on the knob or handle. As another example, a fastener actuated by manually vertically pivoting a lever or other similar structure may be difficult to actuate in a device in which there is little lateral free space around the fastener, because the user may not be able to position their fingers under the lever handle to pull the lever upward. In contrast, in some examples disclosed herein, the force required to actuate the fastener assembly 114 may be applied even when there is little or no free space on the lateral side of the fastener assembly. For example, force may be applied by a user moving their finger in a vertical direction and pushing down on the top of the actuator 148, which may be relatively easy to perform even in situations where there is little free space around the fastener because the user does not need to position their finger along any lateral side of or under any portion of the fastener assembly 114. Thus, the fastener assembly 114 may be easily manually actuated even in electronic devices with very tight space constraints where tool-less fasteners may be difficult or impossible to manually actuate.

[0043] Figure 2 A perspective view of a portion of an electronic device 200 is depicted having a fastener assembly 214 in a first state. Figure 3A depicts a perspective view of the housing 246 of the fastener assembly 214; Figure 3B depicts a perspective view of the actuator 248 of the fastener assembly 214; Figure 3B depicts a perspective view of the shaft 250 of the fastener assembly 214; Figure 3D depicts a perspective view of the biasing element 252 of the fastener assembly 214; and Figure 3E A perspective view of the cover 254 of the fastener assembly 214 is depicted. In the following description, for ease of illustration, the Figure 2 and Figures 3A-3E In some examples, the electronic device 200 is a computer. As discussed herein, the electronic device 200 includes a chassis 202 , a main system board 204 , a receptacle 206 , and a transfer cage assembly 208 .

[0044] The chassis 202 may be a sheet metal housing that may be configured to support various electronic components of the electronic device 200 and to mount the electronic device 200 to a rack (not shown) of a data center (not shown). The main system board 204 may be a motherboard of the electronic device 200. In one or more examples, the main system board 204 may include hardware components (such as a central processing unit, resistors, capacitors, etc. (not shown)) to provide certain basic functions to the electronic device 200. The main system board 204 includes a through hole 220 and a connector 222 that is oriented along the first direction 10. In some examples, the main system board 204 is disposed on and coupled to a base (not shown) of the chassis 202, such as Figure 1A-1B The receptacle 206 is a circular receiver member having an aperture 224 and a set of protrusions (e.g., a second set of protrusions 226) oriented along the third direction 30. The receptacle 206 is disposed on and coupled to the chassis 202, such as Figure 1A-1B In some examples, the receptacle 206 can be positioned between the chassis 202 base and the main system board 204 such that the aperture 224 in the receptacle 206 is aligned with the through hole 220 of the main system board 204 .

[0045] The riser cage assembly 208 includes a riser cage bracket 210, a riser card 212, and a fastener assembly 214. In one or more examples, the riser cage assembly 208 provides support to the riser card 212 and the expansion card 268, and further allows the expansion card 268 to be electrically connected to the main system board 204 via the riser card 212. In some examples, the expansion card 268 can be a PCIe card (such as a display card, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerator module, a networking interface module (NIC), etc.).

[0046] The adapter cage bracket 210 is the main structural support component of the adapter cage assembly 208. The adapter cage bracket 210 includes an adapter body 230 and an adapter window 270, which are coupled to each other to define a space 272 therebetween, which allows the expansion card 268 to be installed in the adapter cage bracket 210. In some examples, the adapter body 230 includes: a mounting hole 232, which is aligned with the through hole 220 of the main system board 204; and a plurality of first adapter holes 234. In such examples, the adapter body 230 can provide support to the riser card 212.

[0047] The riser card 212 is an electronic card that includes a circuit board 236, a first connector 238, a second connector (not shown), a plurality of second riser holes 242, and a plurality of fasteners 244. The plurality of second riser holes 242 may be disposed proximate to a plurality of peripheral sides of the circuit board 236 so that the plurality of second riser holes 242 are aligned to the plurality of first riser holes 234 of the riser body 230 to allow the riser card 212 to be removably coupled to the riser cage bracket 210. The first connector 238 of the riser card 212 is oriented along a first direction 10 and is coupled to one end of the circuit board 236 when the riser card 212 is removably coupled to the riser cage bracket 210. The second connector of the riser card 212 may be oriented along a third direction 30 and coupled to a body (not labeled) of the circuit board 236. The second connector of the riser card 212 can be configured to be detachably connected to an electrical connector (not shown) of the expansion card 268 when the expansion card 268 is installed in the riser cage bracket 210, so that the expansion card 268 is electrically connected to the main system board 204 via the riser card 212. In such an example, when the expansion card 268 is installed in the space 272 defined in the riser cage bracket 210, the riser window 270 can support the expansion card.

[0048] Fastener assembly 214 may be a coupling element configured to fasten or release transfer cage bracket 210 to chassis 202. In some examples, fastener assembly 214 may include housing 246, actuator 248, shaft 250, biasing element 252, and cover 254.

[0049] refer to Figure 3A , the housing 246 is a hollow cylindrical member having a thickness "T" and a length "L". It may be noted herein that Figure 3AThe housing 246 in the figure is shown as transparent to depict various internal features of the housing 246, and such illustration of the housing 246 should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure. The housing 246 has a first end 258, a second end 266, and a hole 274 extending between the first end 258 and the second end 266 along the vertical axis 60. The housing 246 further includes a guide tooth 276 located in the hole 274 and a recess 278 defined between the guide teeth 276. The guide teeth 276 and the recess 278 are formed by etching out some portions of the thickness "T" from the inner surface (not marked) of the housing 246, so that the outer surface (not marked) of the housing 246 still has a planar geometry. Therefore, the guide teeth 276 and the recess 278 are defined within the thickness "T" of the housing 246 from the inner surface of the housing 246. In some examples, the guide teeth 276 and the recess 278 are located between the first end 258 and the midplane "M" of the housing 246. Further, each of the guide teeth 276 includes a first vertical surface 280, a second vertical surface 282, and a ramp surface 284 extending between the first vertical surface 280 and the second vertical surface 282. For example, each of the first vertical surface 280 and the second vertical surface 282 has a plane surface, and the ramp surface 284 has a curved surface. In such an example, the first vertical surface 280 has a first height "H1", and the second vertical surface 282 has a second height "H2" that is less than the first height "H1". Therefore, the ramp surface 284 extending between the first vertical surface 280 and the second vertical surface 282 has a curved surface that is inclined at an angle of about "135" degrees.

[0050] exist Figure 3AIn the example of , the housing 246 includes four guide teeth 276. In such an example, each of two mutually opposing guide teeth 276 may form a subset of the guide teeth. Therefore, the housing 246 has a first subset 276A of guide teeth and a second subset 276B of guide teeth. Similarly, the housing 246 includes four recesses 278. In such an example, each of two mutually opposing recesses 278 may form a subset of recesses 278. Therefore, the housing 246 has a first subset 278A of recesses and a second subset 278B of recesses. Each of the recesses 278 has a vertical groove 286 defined between a first vertical surface 280 of one of the guide teeth 276 and a second vertical surface 282 of another adjacent guide tooth 276. In such an example, the housing 246 further includes a blocker 288 disposed in the vertical groove 286A of the second subset 278B of the recesses. The housing 246 further includes a pair of through holes 290 disposed between the second end 266 and the midplane “M” and extending along a thickness “T” between the inner and outer surfaces of the housing 246. The pair of through holes 290 may allow the cover 254 to be coupled to the housing 246.

[0051] Steering Figure 3B , the actuator 248 includes a head portion 292 and a body portion 294. The diameter of the head portion 292 is greater than the diameter of the body portion 294 and the hole 274 of the housing 246. The diameter of the body portion 294 of the actuator 248 is substantially equal to the diameter of the hole 274 so as to allow the body portion 294 to be movably coupled to the first end 258 of the housing 246. The body portion 294 has a driver 296 defined at an end portion thereof and a guide 298 defined on an outer surface (not labeled) thereof. In some examples, each of the drivers 296 has a "V" shaped profile defined by an endpoint 300, an inclined surface 296A extending from the endpoint 300 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and a first inclined surface 296B extending from the endpoint 300 at an angle of approximately 135 degrees. The width of each guide 298 is substantially equal to the width of the vertical groove 286 of the housing 246. Figure 3B In the example shown, the body portion 294 includes four drivers 296 and four guides 298, such as a first set of guides 298A and a second set of guides 298B.

[0052] refer to Figure 3C , the shaft 250 includes a blade 302, a locking arm 260, and a flange 264. The blade 302 has a planar shape extending from an outer surface 308 of a body 317 of the shaft 250 along the first direction 10. Figure 3BIn the example of the embodiment of the present invention, the shaft 250 includes two blades, such as a first blade 302A and a second blade 302B. Each blade 302 has a first end portion (not labeled) positioned close to the first end 310 of the body 317 of the shaft 250, and a second end portion (not labeled) positioned close to the midplane "M2" of the body 317 of the shaft 250. In such an example, the first end portion of each blade 302 has a second inclined surface 314A. In particular, the second inclined surface 314A is formed on the first surface 316A of the corresponding blade 302. In some examples, the first inclined surface 296B of the corresponding driver 296, the second inclined surface 314A of the corresponding blade 302, and the ramp surface 284 of the housing 246 are complementary surfaces. The locking arm 260 extends from the second end 319 of the body 317 of the shaft 250. The locking arm 260 includes a first set of protrusions 262 (e.g., first protrusions 262A, 262B), each of which extends from the outer surface 304 of the locking arm 260. In some examples, the two first protrusions 262A, 262B are positioned opposite to each other at the end portion of the locking arm 260. The flange 264 is disposed above the locking arm 260 and connected to the blade 302. The diameter of the flange 264 is larger than the body 317 of the shaft 250. The width of the shaft 250 is smaller than the diameter of the hole 274 of the housing 246, thereby allowing the shaft 250 to move along the vertical axis 60 and rotate about the vertical axis 60 relative to the housing 246.

[0053] Steering Figure 3D , the biasing element 252 is a spring, such as a compression spring. In some other examples, the biasing element 252 can be a bellows, etc., without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The biasing element 252 has a wire 314 that is wrapped into a coil shape similar to a thread. The biasing element 252 has end portions, such as a first end 316 and a second end 318 disposed in opposite directions from each other. The biasing element 252 can be designed to carry, pull, or push a load.

[0054] refer to Figure 3E , the cover 254 is a circular member having an opening 320 and a pair of snapping arms 322. The opening 320 is provided at the center of the cover 254 and is configured to allow the locking arm 260 to protrude through the cover 254. The pair of snapping arms 322 are provided to the outer periphery of the cover 254 and are configured to engage with the pair of through holes 290 of the housing 246.

[0055] The fastener assembly 214 is assembled by first movably coupling the body portion 294 of the actuator 248 to the first end 258 of the housing 246 so that the driver 296 is disposed within the hole 274 of the housing 246, each of the guides 298 is slidably disposed in a corresponding first vertical groove 286 of the recess 278, and the head portion 292 is located outside the first end 258 of the housing 246. In particular, each of the first set of guides 298A is disposed in a corresponding vertical groove in the first set of vertical grooves 286A, and each of the second set of guides 298A is disposed in a corresponding vertical groove in the second set of vertical grooves 286B. Further, the body 317 of the shaft 250 is disposed from the second end 266 of the housing 246 so that the blade 302 is disposed in the hole 274 and the locking arm 260 protrudes from the hole 274 beyond the second end 266 of the housing 246. In particular, each of the blades 302 is disposed in the first set of recesses 278A in a manner that contacts the corresponding first vertical surface of the first set of guide teeth 276A. Later, the biasing element 252 is disposed around the shaft 250 from the second end 266 of the housing 246 so that the first end 316 of the biasing element 252 contacts the flange 264 of the shaft 250. Finally, the cover 254 is disposed from the second end 266 of the housing 246 so that the second end 318 of the biasing element 252 contacts the cover 245, the locking arm 260 protrudes through the opening 320, and the pair of snap arms 322 engage with the pair of through holes 290 of the housing 246 to retain the cover 254 to the housing 246, and thereby complete the assembly of the fastener assembly 214, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 In some examples, when the cover 254 is disposed at the second end 266 of the housing 246, the cover 254 pushes the biasing element 252 and the shaft 250 toward the first end 258 of the housing 246, thereby causing a portion of each of the blades 302 to extend into the vertical grooves 286A of the first subset 278A of the recesses and contact the first set of guides 298A. Figure 2In the examples, the fastener assembly 214 is in a first state. It is noted herein that the term "first state" can refer to a state of the fastener assembly 214 in which the shaft 250 is in a first rotational orientation and the blade 302 is disposed within the first subset 278A of the recesses and abuts the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of the guide teeth. In other words, in the first state, the fastener assembly 214 can release the transfer cage bracket 210 from the receptacle 206. Therefore, in the first state, the blade 302 located within the vertical groove 286A of the first subset 278A of the recesses prevents the shaft 250 from rotating in any direction. In one or more examples, the shaft 250 is translatable and rotatable about the vertical axis 60 relative to the housing 246 to transition from the first state (e.g., the released state) to the second state (the secured state). It may be noted herein that the term "second state" may refer to another state of the fastener assembly 214, wherein the shaft 250 is in a second rotational orientation and the blade 302 is disposed within the second subset 278B of the recess and abuts the first vertical surface 280B of the second subset 276B of the guide teeth. In other words, in the second state, the fastener assembly 214 may secure the transfer cage bracket 210 to the receptacle 206. In one or more examples, the shaft 250 may be rotated approximately 90 degrees clockwise to transition the fastener assembly 214 between the first state and the second state.

[0056] Return to reference Figure 2, the receptacle 206 is disposed below the main system board 204 and coupled to the chassis 202 of the electronic device 200 such that the aperture 224 of the receptacle 206 is aligned to the opening 320 of the through hole 220 in the main system board 204. Further, the riser card 212 is disposed on the adapter body 230 such that the plurality of second adapter holes 242 are aligned with the plurality of first adapter holes 234. The fastener 244 is fastened through the plurality of second adapter holes 242 and the plurality of first adapter holes 234 to removably couple the riser card 212 to the adapter body 230. Later, the fastener assembly 214 is coupled to the adapter cage bracket 210 to form the adapter cage assembly 208. In particular, the fastener assembly 114 may partially protrude through the mounting hole 232 in the adapter body 230 to couple with the adapter cage bracket 210 and form the adapter cage assembly 208. Later, the transfer cage assembly 208 having the riser card 212 and the fastener assembly 214 is installed in the electronic device 200 such that the fastener assembly 214 partially protrudes into the opening 320 in the receptacle 206, the through hole 220 in the main system board 204, and the aperture 224 in the receptacle 206. In such an example, when the transfer cage assembly 208 is installed in the electronic device 200, the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206, which are oriented perpendicular to the first set of protrusions 262 of the locking arm 260, may not interfere with each other, thereby allowing the first set of protrusions 262 to protrude beyond the second set of protrusions 226. Further, the transfer cage assembly 208 installed in the electronic device 200 may be removably coupled to the electronic device 200 via the fastener assembly 214, as described below in Figures 4A-4B , Figures 5A-5C and Figure 6A-6B discussed in the example of .

[0057] After the transfer cage assembly 208 is secured (e.g., removably coupled) to the chassis 202, the expansion card 268 can be disposed in the space 272 defined by the transfer cage bracket 210 to mount the expansion card 268 to the electronic device 200. In such an example, the transfer window 270 of the transfer cage bracket 210 can include a mounting feature that engages with a complementary engagement feature of the expansion card 268 to removably couple the expansion card 268 to the transfer window 270. Further, when the expansion card 268 is mounted in the transfer cage bracket 210, the electrical connector of the expansion card 268 can be connected to the second connector of the riser card 212, thereby electrically connecting the expansion card 268 to the main system board 204 via the riser card 212.

[0058] Figure 4A-4B Depicts the first state Figure 2 The fastener assembly 214. With particular reference to Figure 4A, with the transfer cage assembly 208 in an installed state in the electronic device 200, the fastener assembly 214 is in a first state, wherein the shaft 250 is in a first rotational orientation, and the blade 302 is disposed within the first subset 278A of recesses and abuts the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of guide teeth. In such an example, the biasing element 252 causes the driver 296 and the blade 302 to be disposed within the first vertical recess 286A in contact with each other. In particular, the first inclined surface 296B of each of the drivers 296 in the first subset 278A of recesses engages the second inclined surface 314A of the corresponding blade 302. With particular reference to Figure 4B , the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206 are oriented along the third direction 30, and the first set of protrusions 262 of the locking arm 260 are oriented along the fourth direction 40. In other words, the first set of protrusions 262 and the second set of protrusions 226 are oriented perpendicular to each other, thereby allowing the first set of protrusions 262 to protrude beyond the second set of protrusions 226. Therefore, the first set of protrusions 262 of the locking arm 260 may not engage with the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206, thereby allowing the transfer cage bracket 210 to be released from the receptacle 206. In such examples, the fastener assembly 214 may be operated simply by applying a force to transition the fastener assembly 214 from the first state to the second state, thereby fastening the transfer cage assembly 208 to the electronic device 200, as discussed below.

[0059] Figures 5A-5C Depicted are multiple steps for Figures 4A-4B The fastener assembly 214 of the electronic device 200 is changed from the first state to the second state to fasten the transfer cage assembly 208 to the receptacle 206 of the electronic device 200. With particular reference to Figure 5A , the actuator 248 can be pushed in the first direction 10 by applying a force 350, so that the driver 296 slidably disposed in the first set of recesses 278A pushes the blade 302 in the first direction 10 and compresses the biasing element 252 until the blade 302 passes under the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of guide teeth. In particular, the driver 296 pushes the blade 302 until the blade 302 passes under the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of guide teeth.

[0060] refer to Figure 5BWhen the blade 302 passes under the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of the guide teeth, the housing 246, the driver 296, and the biasing element 252 cause the blade 302 to slide (move) into the second subset 278B of the recesses. In particular, the ramp surface 284A of the housing 246, the first inclined surface 296B of the driver 296, and the second inclined surface 314A of the blade 302 engage with each other in a manner that causes the shaft 250 to rotate about the vertical axis 60, and thereby slidably move into the second subset 278B of the recesses.

[0061] refer to Figure 5C When the actuator 248 is further pushed along the first direction 10, the first inclined surface 296B of the driver 296 and the second inclined surface 314A of the blade 302 cause the shaft 250 to continue to rotate about the vertical axis 60 until the actuator 248 stops pushing along the first direction and the biasing element 252 begins to expand backward to push the actuator 248 back along the second direction 20 opposite to the first direction 10 through the shaft 250.

[0062] Figure 6A-6B Depicts the second state Figures 5A-5C With particular reference to the fastener assembly Fig. 6A , after the actuator 248 stops pushing in the first direction 10, the biasing element 252 begins to push the actuator 248 back in the second direction 20 via the shaft 250, so that the blade 302 further moves slidably along the ramp surface 284A of the first subset 276A of the guide teeth until the first vertical surface 280B of the second subset 276B of the guide teeth abuts the blade 302. In some examples, the blocker 288 is configured to block the movement of the blade 302 within the vertical groove 286B of the second subset 278B of the recess without blocking the guide member 298 (e.g., Figure 5C 278B) within the vertical groove 286B of the second subset of recesses 278B, thereby locking the fastener assembly 214 in the second state. In other words, in the second state of the fastener assembly 214, the shaft 250 is in the second rotational orientation, and the blade 302 is disposed within the second subset of recesses 278B and abuts the first vertical surface 280B of the second subset of guide teeth 276B. With particular reference to Figure 6B, the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206 are oriented along the third direction 30, and the first set of protrusions 262 of the locking arm 260 are also oriented along the third direction 30. In other words, the first set of protrusions 262 and the second set of protrusions 226 are oriented parallel to each other, thereby engaging the first set of protrusions 262 with the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206 and fastening the transfer cage bracket 210 to the receptacle 206. In such an example, the fastener assembly 214 can be operated again by applying a force 360 ​​along the first direction 10 to transition the fastener assembly 214 from the second state to the first state, thereby releasing the transfer cage assembly 208 from the electronic device 200, as described below in Figures 7A-7C and Figures 8A-8B discussed in the example of .

[0063] Figure 7A-7C Depicted are multiple steps for Figure 6A-6B The fastener assembly 214 of the electronic device 200 is changed from the second state to the first state to release the transfer cage assembly 208 from the receptacle 206 of the electronic device 200. With particular reference to Fig. 7A , the actuator 248 can be pushed again in the first direction 10 by applying a force 360, so that the driver 296 slidably disposed in the second set of recesses 278B pushes the blade 302 in the first direction 10 and compresses the biasing element 252 until the blade 302 passes under the first vertical surface 280B of the second subset 276B of the guide teeth. In particular, the driver 296 pushes the blade 302 until the blade 302 passes under the first vertical surface 280B of the second subset 276B of the guide teeth.

[0064] refer to Figure 7B When the blade 302 passes under the first vertical surface 280B of the second subset 276B of the guide teeth, the housing 246, the driver 296, and the biasing element 252 cause the blade 302 to slide (move) into the first subset 278B of the recesses. In particular, the ramp surface 284B of the housing 246, the first inclined surface 296B of the driver 296, and the second inclined surface 314A of the blade 302 engage with each other in a manner that causes the shaft 250 to rotate about the vertical axis 60, and thereby slidably move into the first subset 278A of the recesses.

[0065] refer to Figure 7C When the actuator 248 is further pushed along the first direction 10, the first inclined surface 296B of the driver 296 and the second inclined surface 314A of the blade 302 cause the shaft 250 to continue to rotate about the vertical axis 60 until the actuator 248 stops pushing along the first direction 10, and the biasing element 252 begins to expand backward to push the actuator 248 back along the second direction 20 opposite to the first direction 10 through the shaft 250.

[0066] Figure 8A-B Depicts the first state Figures 7A-7C With particular reference to the fastener assembly Fig. 8A , after the actuator 248 stops pushing along the first direction 10, the biasing element 252 begins to push the actuator 248 back along the second direction 20 through the shaft 250, so that the blade 302 further moves slidably along the ramp surface 284A of the second subset 276B of the guide teeth until the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of the guide teeth abuts the blade 302. In some examples, the blade 302 and the guide 298 may be allowed to move within the vertical groove 286A of the first subset 278A of the recesses. Therefore, in the first state of the fastener assembly 214, the shaft 250 is in the first rotational orientation, and the blade 302 is disposed within the first subset 278A of the recesses and abuts the first vertical surface 280A of the first subset 276A of the guide teeth. With particular reference to Figure 8B , the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206 are oriented along the third direction 30, and the first set of protrusions 262 of the locking arm 260 are oriented along the fourth direction 40. In other words, the first set of protrusions 262 and the second set of protrusions 226 are oriented perpendicular to each other, thereby disengaging the first set of protrusions 262 from the second set of protrusions 226 of the receptacle 206 and releasing the transfer cage bracket 210 from the receptacle 206.

[0067] Since the fastener assembly 214 can be transformed between the first state and the second state simply by applying a force, no separate tool is required to fasten the transition cage assembly 208 to the electronic device 200 or release the transition cage assembly 208 from the electronic device 200. Further, since only the application of force is required on the fastener assembly 214 to fasten the transition cage assembly 208 to the electronic device 200 or release the transition cage assembly 208 from the electronic device 200, the transition cage assembly 208 can be easily deployed in the chassis 202 with space constraints.

[0068] Fig. 9 A flow chart is depicted that illustrates a method 800 of removably fastening a transfer cage bracket to an electronic device using a fastener assembly. It may be noted herein that, for example, in conjunction with Figure 1A-1B , Figure 2 and Figure 3A-3E The method 900 is described below. The method 900 starts at block 902 and continues to block 904.

[0069] At block 904 , the method 900 includes positioning a riser cage bracket supporting the riser card on a chassis of the electronic device such that a mounting hole of the riser cage bracket is aligned with a receptacle of the electronic device. The method 900 continues to block 906 .

[0070] At block 906, method 900 includes positioning a fastener assembly on a transfer cage bracket such that an opening in the fastener assembly is aligned with a mounting hole of the transfer cage bracket and a locking arm of the fastener assembly protrudes into a receptacle through the opening and the mounting hole. In some examples, the fastener assembly includes a housing, an actuator, a shaft, and a biasing element. The housing includes a hole extending along a vertical axis, guide teeth within the hole, and recesses defined between the guide teeth, wherein each of the guide teeth includes a first vertical surface, a second vertical surface, and a ramp surface extending between the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface. The actuator includes a driver and is movably coupled to a first end of the housing, wherein the drivers are disposed within the hole. The shaft includes a blade and a locking arm, wherein the blades are disposed within the hole and the locking arm protrudes from the hole beyond a second end of the housing, wherein the shaft is translatable along the vertical axis and rotatable about the vertical axis relative to the housing. The biasing element is configured to generate a biasing force to urge the shaft toward the first end of the housing. In one or more examples, each driver includes a first inclined surface and each blade includes a second inclined surface, wherein the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the ramp surface of each guide tooth are complementary surfaces. Method 900 continues to block 908 .

[0071] At block 908, method 900 further includes: driving the fastener assembly from the first state to the second state to removably fasten the transfer cage bracket to the electronic device. In some examples, driving the fastener assembly includes: i) pushing the actuator in a first direction so that the driver pushes the blade in the first direction and compresses the biasing element until the blade passes under the first vertical surface of the first subset of guide teeth, whereupon the driver and the biasing force cause the blade to move into the second subset of recesses; and ii) after the blade enters the second subset of recesses, the biasing element pushes the shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the blade slides along the ramp surface of the first subset of guide teeth until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth.

[0072] In some examples, when the fastener assembly transitions from the first state to the second state: i) the driver pushes the blade in the first direction until the blade passes under the first vertical surface of the first subset of guide teeth; ii) the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface engage with each other in a manner that causes the shaft to rotate about the vertical axis; and iii) the biasing force pushes the driver in the second direction to retract the blade from the driver and allow the second inclined surface and the ramp surface to engage in a manner that further causes the shaft to rotate about the vertical axis until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth. In one or more examples, the shaft rotates about 90 degrees to transition the fastener assembly between the first state and the second state. Method 900 ends at block 910.

[0073] Since the fastener assembly can be transformed between the first state and the second state simply by applying a force, no separate tool is required to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device. Further, since only an application of force is required on the fastener assembly to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device, the transition cage assembly can be easily deployed in an electronic device chassis with space constraints. Therefore, performing maintenance or replacement activities on the transition cage assembly may not be a time-consuming and laborious activity as it was previously when screws and screwdrivers were used to fasten the transition cage assembly to the electronic device or release the transition cage assembly from the electronic device.

[0074] In the foregoing description, numerous details are 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 following claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A transfer cage assembly for an electronic device, comprising: an adapter cage bracket configured to support an adapter card; as well as a fastener assembly coupled to the transfer cage bracket and configured to removably fasten the transfer cage bracket to the electronic device when the transfer cage assembly is in an installed state in the electronic device, the fastener assembly comprising: a housing comprising a bore extending along a vertical axis, guide teeth within the bore, and recesses defined between the guide teeth, wherein each of the guide teeth comprises a first vertical surface, a second vertical surface, and a ramp surface extending between the first and second vertical surfaces; an actuator, the actuator comprising a driver, wherein the actuator is movably coupled to the first end of the housing, wherein the driver is disposed within the aperture; a shaft including a blade and a locking arm, wherein the blade is disposed within the aperture and the locking arm protrudes from the aperture beyond the second end of the housing, wherein the shaft is translatable along the vertical axis and rotatable about the vertical axis relative to the housing; and a biasing element configured to generate a biasing force to urge the shaft toward the first end of the housing, wherein, in a first state of the fastener assembly, the shaft is in a first rotational orientation and the blades are disposed within a first subset of the recesses and abut a first vertical surface of a first subset of the guide teeth; wherein, in a second state of the fastener assembly, the shaft is in a second rotational orientation and the blades are disposed within a second subset of the recesses and abut a first vertical surface of a second subset of the guide teeth; The fastener assembly can be transformed from the first state to the second state in the following manner: urging the actuator in a first direction so that the driver urges the blade in the first direction and compresses the biasing element until the blade passes below the first vertical surface of the first subset of the guide teeth, whereupon the driver and the biasing force cause the blade to move into the second subset of the recesses; and After the blade enters the second subset of recesses, the biasing element pushes the shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction so that the blade slides along the ramp surface of the first subset of guide teeth until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth.

2. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the recesses includes a vertical groove defined between the first vertical surface of one of the guide teeth and the second vertical surface of another of the guide teeth, and wherein the first vertical surface has a first height and the second vertical surface has a second height that is less than the first height.

3. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 2, wherein: In the first state, the vanes are positioned within the vertical grooves of the first subset of the recesses.

4. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 3, wherein: In the first state, the vanes located within the vertical grooves of the first subset of the recesses prevent rotation of the shaft in any direction.

5. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The actuator comprises guide members, each of which is disposed in the vertical groove of one of the recesses and is movable along the vertical groove.

6. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The housing includes a blocker disposed within the vertical groove of the second subset of the recesses, and wherein the blocker is configured to block movement of the blade within the vertical groove of the second subset of the recesses without blocking movement of the guide within the vertical groove.

7. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 1, in, In the installed state of the adapter cage assembly and the second state of the fastener assembly, the locking arm engages with the receptacle of the electronic device to removably secure the adapter cage bracket to the electronic device; and Wherein, in the installed state of the adaptor cage assembly and the first state of the fastener assembly, the locking arm does not fasten the adaptor cage bracket to the electronic device.

8. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The fastener assembly further includes a cover having an opening, the cover coupled to the second end of the housing, wherein the shaft includes a flange disposed above the locking arm, and wherein the biasing element is disposed around the shaft in contact with the cover and the flange.

9. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The locking arm includes a first set of protrusions, wherein the opening is aligned with the mounting hole of the transfer cage bracket in the installed state of the transfer cage assembly in the electronic device to allow the locking arm to protrude into the receptacle through the opening and the mounting hole and to allow the first set of protrusions to engage with the second set of protrusions of the receptacle in the second state of the fastener assembly to removably fasten the transfer cage bracket to the electronic device.

10. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The shaft is rotated approximately 90 degrees to transition the fastener assembly between the first state and the second state.

11. The transfer cage assembly according to claim 1, in, Each driver includes a first inclined surface and each blade includes a second inclined surface, wherein the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the ramp surface of each guide tooth are complementary surfaces, and Wherein, when the fastener assembly changes from the first state to the second state: the driver urges the blade in the first direction until the blade passes below the first vertical surface of the first subset of the guide teeth; the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface engage one another in a manner that causes the shaft to rotate about the vertical axis; and The biasing force urges the driver in the second direction to retract the blade from the driver and allow the second inclined surface and the ramp surface to engage in a manner that further causes the shaft to rotate about the vertical axis until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of the guide teeth.

12. An electronic device comprising: Chassis; a receptacle coupled to the chassis; as well as The transfer cage assembly of claim 1, the transfer cage assembly being disposed on the electronic device such that the mounting hole of the transfer cage bracket and the opening in the cover coupled to the fastener assembly are aligned with the receptacle to allow the locking arm to protrude into the receptacle through the opening and the mounting hole and to allow the first set of projections of the locking arm to engage the second set of projections of the receptacle in the second state of the fastener assembly to removably secure the transfer cage bracket to the electronic device.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: Each of the recesses includes a vertical groove defined between the first vertical surface of one of the guide teeth and the second vertical surface of another of the guide teeth, and wherein the first vertical surface has a first height and the second vertical surface has a second height that is less than the first height.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: In the first state, the vanes are positioned within the vertical grooves of the first subset of the recesses to prevent rotation of the shaft in any direction.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The actuator includes guide members, each of which is disposed in the vertical groove of one of the recesses and is capable of moving along the vertical groove, wherein the housing includes a blocker disposed in the vertical groove of the second subset of the recesses, and wherein the blocker is configured to block movement of the blade in the vertical groove of the second subset of the recesses without blocking movement of the guide member in the vertical groove.

16. The electronic device according to claim 12, in, In the installed state of the adaptor cage assembly and in the second state of the fastener assembly, the locking arm engages the receptacle to removably secure the adaptor cage bracket to the electronic device; and Wherein, in the installed state of the adaptor cage assembly and the first state of the fastener assembly, the locking arm does not fasten the adaptor cage bracket to the electronic device.

17. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein: The shaft is rotated approximately 90 degrees to transition the fastener assembly between the first state and the second state.

18. A method comprising: Arrange an adapter cage bracket supporting the adapter card on a chassis of the electronic device so that a mounting hole of the adapter cage bracket is aligned with a receptacle of the electronic device; placing a fastener assembly on the transfer cage bracket such that an opening in the fastener assembly is aligned with the mounting hole of the transfer cage bracket and a locking arm of the fastener assembly protrudes into the receptacle through the opening and the mounting hole, Wherein, the fastener assembly comprises: a housing comprising a bore extending along a vertical axis, guide teeth within the bore, and recesses defined between the guide teeth, wherein each of the guide teeth comprises a first vertical surface, a second vertical surface, and a ramp surface extending between the first and second vertical surfaces; an actuator, the actuator comprising a driver, wherein the actuator is movably coupled to the first end of the housing, wherein the driver is disposed within the aperture; a shaft including a blade and the locking arm, wherein the blade is disposed within the aperture and the locking arm protrudes from the aperture beyond the second end of the housing, wherein the shaft is translatable along the vertical axis and rotatable about the vertical axis relative to the housing; and a biasing element configured to generate a biasing force to urge the shaft toward the first end of the housing; and Actuating the fastener assembly from a first state to a second state to removably fasten the transfer cage bracket to the electronic device, wherein actuating the fastener assembly comprises: urging the actuator in a first direction so that the driver urges the blade in the first direction and compresses the biasing element until the blade passes below the first vertical surface of the first subset of the guide teeth, whereupon the driver and the biasing force cause the blade to move into a second subset of the recesses; and After the blade enters the second subset of recesses, the biasing element pushes the shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction so that the blade slides along the ramp surface of the first subset of guide teeth until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of guide teeth.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: Each driver includes a first inclined surface and each blade includes a second inclined surface, wherein the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface, and the ramp surface of each guide tooth are complementary surfaces, and Wherein, when the fastener assembly changes from the first state to the second state: the driver urges the blade in the first direction until the blade passes below the first vertical surface of the first subset of the guide teeth; the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface engage one another in a manner that causes the shaft to rotate about the vertical axis; and The biasing force urges the driver in the second direction to retract the blade from the driver and allow the second inclined surface and the ramp surface to engage in a manner that further causes the shaft to rotate about the vertical axis until the blade abuts the first vertical surface of the second subset of the guide teeth.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The shaft is rotated approximately 90 degrees to transition the fastener assembly between the first state and the second state.

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