Guide Holders for Motherboard Sled Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanisms for engaging motherboard sleds with input-output sleds in electronic chassis lack effective locking mechanisms for easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining thermal performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of guide holders with specific slots and channels on the motherboard sled to direct the motion of guide pins on the input-output sled handle, allowing for secure locking and easy engagement/disengagement without obstructing airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking mechanism is implemented to secure the I/O sled to the motherboard sled, then the reliability of the stacked arrangement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pins automatically engage with the guide holder slots when the I/O sled is placed on the motherboard sled, creating a self-locking mechanism that secures the stacked arrangement without requiring additional locking components or complex assembly procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The guide pins act as intermediary elements that mediate between the I/O sled and motherboard sled, providing the locking function through the interaction between the pins and slots rather than through a direct complex locking mechanism
2Ease of operation
If guide holders with slots are used to direct guide pin motion, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide holder is segmented into multiple slots, each designed to receive and direct a specific guide pin, allowing the structure to provide complex guidance functionality through simple, modular slot geometries rather than a monolithic complex mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex mechanisms to constrain the guide pins, the patent uses simple slots that allow free motion in desired directions while naturally constraining motion in other directions, inverting the traditional approach of using active constraint elements
3Manufacturing precision
If the guide holders and slots are designed to direct pin motion, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide holder uses homogeneous slot structures with consistent geometrical features throughout, allowing for standardized manufacturing processes and ensuring uniform alignment characteristics across all guide pins without requiring complex varied components
Solution Approach 2:
The guide holder structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides alignment guidance, constrains motion to predetermined directions, and enables easy assembly and disassembly, all through a single unified slot-based design rather than multiple specialized components
Data Source
AI summary
Guide holders for engaging a motherboard sled with an input-output sled stacked thereon within an electronic chassis, are disclosed. The electronic chassis includes a motherboard sled having a housing having a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, a first guide holder and a second guide holder. The first guide holder is coupled to the first sidewall and includes a first plurality of slots for directing motion of a first plurality of guide pins of an input-output sled in a predetermined direction. The second guide holder is coupled to the second sidewall and includes a second plurality of slots for directing motion of a second plurality of guide pins of the input-output sled in the predetermined direction. The motion of the first plurality of guide pins and the second plurality of guide pins, upon completion, locks the input-output sled to the motherboard sled.