Expansion module, modular product and industrial personal computer

Abstract

Embodiments of this application provide an expansion module, a modular product, and an industrial personal computer. The expansion module includes: a housing having at least one clearance hole and at least one drive hole, with the drive hole and clearance hole disposed opposite each other on opposite sides of the housing; the expansion module further includes: at least one special screw, each of the at least one special screw including a threaded end, a drive head, and a rod between the threaded end and the drive head; at least one positioning guide, each of the at least one positioning guide being configured to be fixed to the inner wall of the housing and providing positioning and guidance for a special screw by providing a guide cavity for receiving the rod, such that the threaded end passes through the clearance hole and is aligned with an outer surface, and that the drive head is aligned with the drive hole; and at least one pressure spring, each of the at least one pressure spring being configured to be mounted and held between a positioning guide and the drive head to ensure that the corresponding special screw is fully unlocked after being unscrewed from the threaded hole on the housing of the base module. The technical solution of this application makes the modular product easy to assemble and maintain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to mechanical technology, and more specifically, to expansion modules, modular products, and industrial personal computers (IPCs). Background Technology

[0002] In the field of industrial personal computers (IPCs), new modular products have been designed to meet scalability requirements. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a modular product. For example... Figure 1 As shown, modular products typically consist of a compact base module 1 and a variable-sized expansion module 2. The base module has basic functionality, while the expansion module has additional equipment to achieve higher performance. Data or signals between the two modules are transmitted via electronic connectors 3, such as a connector from card edge 31 to connector 32, or a cable to connector. Due to the flexibility and fragility of these connectors, mechanical connectors 4 are always required to provide a more reliable structure to bear the load or force between the two modules.

[0003] In the application, the card edge in the expansion module connects to the connector in the base module to enable signal and electrical communication. Four pre-tightened screws are used to internally connect the housings of the two modules to form a reliable frame. However, some of the four screws are located in a very confined space and are not easily accessible, so special methods, such as magnetic screwdrivers or other additional tools, are required during assembly to align the screws with the threaded holes. It can be seen that assembling or disassembling the expansion module is inherently very inconvenient compared to the base module.

[0004] In another application, before inserting the add-on card into the expansion module, six screws are used to connect the expansion module housing to the base module housing from inside the expansion module housing. The add-on card is then installed into the expansion module, with some of the screws obstructed by the add-on card. It can be seen that assembling the expansion module into the base module is easy; however, when the expansion module needs to be removed from the base module for routine maintenance, the add-on card must be removed from the expansion module first to expose all the screws to maintenance personnel. Furthermore, the add-on card should always only be installed after the expansion module has been installed into the base module.

[0005] Therefore, those skilled in the art are dedicated to finding other solutions for the mechanical connection between the base module and the expansion module. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to embodiments of this application, an expansion module, a modular product, and an industrial personal computer (IPC) are provided to make the modular product easy to assemble and maintain.

[0007] An embodiment of this application provides an expansion module comprising: a housing having at least one clearance hole and at least one drive hole, the number of drive holes being the same as the number of clearance holes, and one drive hole and one clearance hole being disposed opposite each other on opposite sides of the housing; the expansion module further comprising: at least one special screw, each of the at least one special screw comprising a threaded end, a drive head, and a rod between the threaded end and the drive head, the threaded end being configured to be screwed into a threaded hole in the housing of a base module; at least one positioning guide, each of the at least one positioning guide being configured to be fixed to the inner wall of the housing of the expansion module, and providing positioning and guidance for a special screw by providing a guide cavity for receiving the rod, and causing the threaded end to pass through the clearance hole in the housing of the expansion module and be aligned with the outer surface of the housing of the expansion module, and causing the drive head to be aligned with the drive hole in the housing of the expansion module; at least one pressure spring, each of the at least one pressure spring being configured to be mounted and held between a positioning guide and the drive head to ensure that the corresponding special screw is fully unlocked after being unscrewed from the threaded hole.

[0008] In one example, each of the at least one positioning guide includes: a first mounting end, a second mounting end, and a guide structure between the first mounting end and the second mounting end, wherein the guide structure includes a guide hole, and each of the at least one positioning guide is mounted on the inner wall of the housing of the expansion module after a corresponding special screw is screwed into the guide hole; or the guide structure includes a guide groove with a lower opening, and each of the at least one positioning guide is mounted on the inner wall of the housing of the expansion module after a corresponding special screw is placed below the guide groove from the lower opening; or the guide structure includes a guide groove with an upper resilient opening, and each of the at least one special screw is pressed into the guide groove from the upper resilient opening after the corresponding positioning guide is mounted on the inner wall of the housing of the expansion module.

[0009] In one instance, the at least one may be two, three, or four.

[0010] In one instance, after the special screw is positioned by the corresponding positioning guide, the drive head of the special screw is blocked by the housing of the expansion module.

[0011] In one example, the side of the housing that includes at least one clearance hole further includes at least two mounting holes, with one end of the mounting holes located away from the end of the at least one clearance hole; the expansion module further includes at least two mounting screws, each of the at least two mounting screws being configured to be screwed from inside the housing of the expansion module through the mounting hole into a corresponding threaded hole on the housing of the base module.

[0012] In one instance, the at least two refers to two, three, or four.

[0013] In one example, the mounting screw is a pan head screw, a countersunk screw, or a panel fastener.

[0014] The modular product provided by the embodiments of this application includes: a base module, the housing of which includes a plurality of threaded holes; and the aforementioned expansion module.

[0015] The IPC provided by the embodiments of this application includes: the above-described extension module or the above-described modular product.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the expansion module in the modular product includes a special screw. This special screw can be positioned on the housing of the expansion module via a positioning guide. It can be tightened from the outside of the expansion module's housing to the housing of the base module using a screwdriver, and can be completely unlocked after being unscrewed from the housing of the base module using a pressure spring located between the positioning guide and the special screw head. Therefore, the modular product is easy to assemble and maintain. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To better understand this application, reference should be made to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in all the drawings denote corresponding parts.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a modular product.

[0019] Figure 2 and 3 These are schematic diagrams showing modular products according to embodiments of this application from different views.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a special screw in a modular product according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 5 and 6 These are schematic diagrams showing the installation state of a special screw according to an embodiment of this application from different views.

[0022] The attached figures are labeled as follows: Detailed Implementation

[0023] To facilitate assembly and maintenance of modular products, at least one special long, lock-on screw is provided. This lock-on screw is positioned on the housing of the expansion module via a positioning guide, can be tightened from the outside of the expansion module housing to the housing of the base module using a screwdriver, and can be fully unlocked after being unscrewed from the housing of the base module using a pressure spring located between the positioning guide and the head of the long, lock-on screw. The special long, lock-on screw can be pre-installed in the housing of the expansion module, and all screws are not obstructed by removable components (such as add-on clips).

[0024] Detailed reference will now be made to the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. Furthermore, the drawings are illustrative of examples in which the assemblies shown are not necessarily essential for implementing the present application. In other instances, well-known assemblies, components, and circuits have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the examples.

[0025] Figure 2 and 3 These are schematic diagrams showing embodiments of a modular product according to this application from different views. The positioning guides in the modular product are mounted on the housing. Figure 3 It is hidden in the middle. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a special screw in a modular product according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 and 6 These are schematic diagrams showing the installation state of a special screw according to an embodiment of this application from different views. For example... Figures 2 to 6 As shown, the modular product may include a base module 1 and an expansion module 2.

[0026] In one embodiment, the housing of the base module 1 includes a plurality of threaded holes 11 (in this embodiment, six threaded holes 11 are used as an example).

[0027] In one embodiment, the housing of the expansion module 2 includes at least one gap hole 21 (three gap holes 21 are used as an example in this embodiment) and at least one drive hole 22 (three drive holes 22 are used as an example in this embodiment). The number of drive holes 22 is the same as the number of gap holes 21, and one drive hole 22 and one gap hole 21 are disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the housing of the expansion module 2. In another embodiment, the gap hole 21 and the drive hole 22 are located near the bottom of the housing of the expansion module 2.

[0028] In addition, the modular product 2 further includes: at least one special screw 41 (in the embodiment, three special screws 41 are used as an example), at least one positioning guide 42 (in the embodiment, three positioning guides 42 are used as an example), and at least one pressure spring 43 (in the embodiment, three pressure springs 43 are used as an example).

[0029] In the embodiment described, the special screw 41 is a special long, non-removable screw, and each of at least one special screw 41 includes a threaded end 411, a drive head 412, and a rod 413 between the threaded end 411 and the drive head 412. The threaded end 411 is configured to screw into a threaded hole 21 on the housing of the base module 1.

[0030] At least one of the positioning guides 42 is configured to be fixed to the inner wall 23 of the housing of the expansion module 2 and to provide positioning and guidance for a special screw 41 by providing a guide cavity for receiving a rod 413, and to pass the threaded end 411 through the gap hole 21 on the housing of the expansion module 2 and align it with the corresponding threaded hole 11 on the housing of the base module 1, and to align the drive head 412 with the drive hole 22 on the housing of the expansion module 2 so that a screwdriver can tighten the special screw 41 into the threaded hole 11 on the housing of the base module 1 by driving the drive head 412.

[0031] In the embodiment, each positioning guide 42 includes a first mounting end 421, a second mounting end 422, and a guide structure 423 between the first mounting end 421 and the second mounting end 422. Each positioning guide 42 is mounted on the inner wall 23 of the housing of the expansion module 2 via the first mounting end 421 and the second mounting end 422.

[0032] In the embodiment, the guide structure 423 includes a guide hole 4231, and after the corresponding special screw 41 is screwed into the guide hole 4231, each of at least one positioning guide 42 is mounted on the inner wall 23 of the housing of the expansion module 2.

[0033] In another embodiment, the guide structure 423 may include a guide groove having a lower opening (now shown in the figure), after the corresponding special screw 41 is placed below the guide groove from the lower opening, each of at least one positioning guide 42 may be mounted on the inner wall 23 of the housing of the expansion module 2.

[0034] In another embodiment, the guide structure 423 may also include a guide groove (now shown in the figure) with an upper resilient opening, after the corresponding positioning guide 42 is mounted on the inner wall 23 of the housing of the expansion module 2, each of at least one special screw 41 can be pressed into the guide groove from the upper resilient opening.

[0035] In the embodiment, each of at least one pressure spring 43 is configured to be mounted and held between a positioning guide 42 and the drive head 412 of a corresponding special screw 41 to ensure that the corresponding special screw 41 is fully unlocked after being unscrewed from the threaded hole 11 on the housing of the base module 1.

[0036] Before each special screw 41 is assembled with its corresponding positioning guide 42, the pressure spring 43 is first assembled onto the special screw 41.

[0037] In the described embodiment, after the pressure spring 43, the special screw 41 and the positioning guide 42 are assembled onto the inner wall 23 of the housing of the expansion module 2. This allows the threaded end 411 of the special screw 41 to pass through the clearance hole 21 on the housing of the expansion module 2 and align it with the outer surface of the housing. The pressure spring 43 pushes the special screw 41 until the drive head 412 of the special screw 41 aligns with the drive hole 22 on the housing of the expansion module 2 and is blocked by the housing of the expansion module 2. At this point, the special screw 41 is held in the intended position and will not fall out. It can be seen that none of the special screws 41 are blocked by removable components (e.g., add-on clips). When the special screw 41 is tightened at the drive head 412 with a screwdriver, the positioning guide 42 also holds the special screw 41 in a position inaccessible to human hands.

[0038] In the embodiment described, the gap hole 21, the positioning guide 42, and the housing assembly enclosure will be enclosed by a special screw 41 that is a non-detachable fastener.

[0039] In the embodiment, when there is a reinforcing rib 25 on the housing of the expansion module 2, the reinforcing rib 25 in the tightening direction of the special screw 41 may have a notch 251 to accommodate the special screw 41.

[0040] In the described embodiment, the mechanical connector 4 includes three special screws 41, three positioning guides 42, and three pressure springs 43. In other embodiments, the number of special screws 41, positioning guides 42, and pressure springs 43 may be two, four, or other integers.

[0041] In an embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the side of the housing including at least one gap hole 21 may further include at least two mounting holes 24 (three mounting holes 24 are exemplified in this embodiment), with one end of the mounting holes 24 located away from the end of the at least one gap hole 21. That is, the mounting holes 24 are located near the top of the housing of the expansion module 2. Correspondingly, the expansion module 2 further includes at least two mounting screws 44 (three mounting screws 44 are exemplified in this embodiment), each of which is configured to pass through the mounting hole 24 from inside the housing of the expansion module 2 and be screwed into a corresponding threaded hole 11 on the housing of the base module 1. In this embodiment, the mounting screws 44 are pan head screws. In other embodiments, the mounting screws 44 may be countersunk screws or panel fasteners. It can be seen that none of the mounting screws 44 are obstructed by removable components (e.g., add-on clips).

[0042] In one embodiment, the mechanical connector 4 further includes three mounting screws 44. In other embodiments, the number of mounting screws 44 may be two, four, or other integers.

[0043] Embodiments of this application also provide an industrial personal computer (IPC) that includes the above-described modular product or the above-described expansion module.

[0044] In this embodiment, after removing the top cover of the expansion module 2, the expansion module 2 is locked to the base module 1 using six screws 41 and 44. Three mounting screws 44 are located near the top of the housing of the expansion module 2 (accessible by hand without removing any additional cards or other components), and three special screws 41 are located near the bottom of the housing of the expansion module 2. The special screws 41 can be driven from the outside of the housing of the expansion module 2 without removing any additional cards or other components.

[0045] As can be seen, the special screws and mounting screws are not obstructed by other removable components (such as add-on clips that typically require frequent replacement). Furthermore, all screws are easily accessible with a screwdriver and are visible during tightening. Additionally, the special screw 41 can be easily aligned with the threaded hole 11 via the positioning guide 42. Finally, the expansion module 2 can be assembled or disassembled relative to the base module 1 without removing almost all components and parts except the top cover; that is, it is a truly modular product, saving significant time when the entire expansion module needs to be replaced or the base module needs maintenance.

[0046] Therefore, the modular product is easy to assemble and maintain, has reduced cost, and offers good connection strength.

[0047] It should be understood that, as configured herein, the singular form “a” (“a(a)”, “a(an)”, “the”) is intended to include the plural form unless the context clearly supports an exception. It should also be understood that “and / or” configured herein is intended to include any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0048] The number of embodiments in this application is only configured for description and does not imply any advantage of the implementation.

[0049] For illustrative purposes, the foregoing description has been described with reference to specific examples. However, the illustrative arguments above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this application to the precise form disclosed. In view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible. Examples were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of this application and its practical application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to best utilize this application and various examples with various modifications suitable for the particular intended use.

Claims

1. An extension module (2) comprising: A housing; characterized in that the housing includes at least one gap hole (21) and at least one drive hole (22), the number of drive holes (22) being the same as the number of gap holes (21), and one drive hole (22) and one gap hole (21) being disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the housing; the expansion module (2) further includes: At least one special screw (41), each of the at least one special screw including a threaded end (411), a drive head (412) and a rod (413) between the threaded end (411) and the drive head (412); the threaded end (411) is configured to be screwed into a threaded hole (11) on the housing of the base module (1); At least one positioning guide (42), each of which is configured to be fixed to the inner wall (23) of the housing of the expansion module (2) and to provide positioning and guidance for a special screw (41) by providing a guide cavity for receiving the rod (413), and to allow the threaded end (411) to pass through a gap hole (21) on the housing of the expansion module (2) and be aligned with the outer surface of the housing of the expansion module (2), and to align the drive head (412) with a drive hole (22) on the housing of the expansion module (2); At least one pressure spring (43), each of which is configured to be mounted and held between a positioning guide (42) and the drive head (412) to ensure that the corresponding special screw (41) is fully unlocked after being unscrewed from the threaded hole (11).

2. The extension module of claim 1, wherein, Each of the at least one positioning guide (42) includes: a first mounting end (421), a second mounting end (422), and a guide structure (423) between the first mounting end (421) and the second mounting end (422), wherein The guide structure (423) includes a guide hole (4231), and each of the at least one positioning guide (42) is mounted on the inner wall (23) of the housing of the expansion module (2) after a corresponding special screw (41) is screwed into the guide hole (4231); or The guide structure (423) includes a guide groove with a lower opening, and each of the at least one positioning guide (42) is mounted on the inner wall (23) of the housing of the expansion module (2) after a corresponding special screw (41) is placed below the guide groove from the lower opening; or The guide structure (423) includes a guide groove with an upper elastic opening, after the corresponding positioning guide (42) is installed on the inner wall (23) of the housing of the expansion module (2), each of the at least one special screw (41) is pressed from the upper elastic opening into the guide groove.

3. The extension module of claim 1, wherein, The at least one can be two, three, or four.

4. The extension module of claim 1, wherein, After the special screw (41) is positioned by the corresponding positioning guide (42), the drive head (412) of the special screw (41) is blocked by the housing of the expansion module (2).

5. The expansion module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The side of the housing that includes at least one gap hole (21) further includes at least two mounting holes (24), and the end where the mounting holes (24) are located is away from the end where the at least one gap hole (21) is located; The expansion module (2) further includes at least two mounting screws (44), each of which is configured to be screwed from inside the housing of the expansion module (2) through the mounting hole (24) into a corresponding threaded hole (11) on the housing of the base module (1).

6. The expansion module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The "at least two" can refer to two, three, or four.

7. The extension module of claim 5, wherein, The mounting screw (44) is a pan head screw, a countersunk screw, or a panel fastener.

8. A modular product, characterized in that include: The base module (1) has a housing with multiple threaded holes (11). as well as The extension module (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An industrial personal computer, characterized by include: The extension module (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7; or the modular product according to claim 8.

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