Printed circuit card assembly connectable to a server chassis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973157-B2
Application number	US-201816173172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2018
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A cassette for insertion and removal of an edge-connected printed circuit card connectable to a server chassis is disclosed. The cassette includes a housing comprising a bottom wall having at least one elongated slot and a catch formed thereon. The cassette further includes a connector sub-assembly overlying the bottom wall having an edge connector socket formed thereon and configured to receive the edge-connected printed circuit card. The cassette further includes a guide sub-assembly underlying the bottom wall having a spring latch formed thereon. The spring latch is operable in a first state to engage the catch to prevent movement of the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly relative to the housing. The spring latch is operable in a second state to clear the catch to permit the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly to slide in unison in the at least one elongated slot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cassette for insertion and removal of an edge-connected printed circuit card connectable to a server chassis, comprising:
a housing comprising a bottom wall having an elongated slot and a catch formed thereon;
a connector sub-assembly overlying the bottom wall and comprising a base having a first end, a central section, and a second end, wherein the connector sub-assembly includes a first fastener hole formed in the connector sub-assembly and configured to receive a fastener, and the second end of the connector sub-assembly includes a second fastener hole;
a guide sub-assembly underlying the bottom wall having a spring latch formed thereon, the spring latch operable in a first state to engage the catch to prevent movement of the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly relative to the housing; and
a spacer sub-assembly underlying the connector sub-assembly and overlying the bottom wall of the housing, the spacer sub-assembly having a third fastener hole and a locating pin extending therefrom, wherein the third fastener hole is configured to receive the fastener, wherein the locating pin is configured to align the connector sub-assembly with the spacer sub-assembly, and wherein the spring latch is operable in a second state to clear the catch to permit the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly to slide in unison in the elongated slot.

2. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the guide sub-assembly further comprises one fastener hole formed in the guide sub-assembly for being secured to the fastener through the first fastener hole and the fastener passing through the elongated slot in the housing.

3. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fastener threaded through the first hole in the connector sub-assembly and the at least one hole in the spacer sub-assembly, the elongated slot in the bottom wall, and in at least one fastener hole in the guide sub-assembly define a combined height that is greater than a height of the connector sub-assembly and the spacer sub-assembly overlying the guide sub-assembly alone, the combined height providing a clearance for the housing to slide freely relative to the connector sub-assembly, the spacer sub-assembly, and the guide sub-assembly.

4. The cassette of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fastener threaded through the first fastener hole in the connector sub-assembly, the elongated slot in the bottom wall, and secured in at least one fastener hole in the guide sub-assembly,
wherein, when the spring latch is operated, the spring latch clears the catch to permit connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly to slide in unison in the elongated slot relative to the housing and guided by the at least one fastener.

5. A cassette for insertion and removal of an edge-connected printed circuit card to and from a server chassis, comprising:
a housing comprising a bottom wall having a first end, a second end, and a central section between the first end and the second end, wherein a first slot is formed in the first end of the housing and a second slot is formed in the second end of the housing, and wherein a catch is formed in the central section of the housing;
a connector sub-assembly overlying the bottom wall and comprising a base having a first end, a central section, and a second end, the first end of the connector sub-assembly having a first fastener hole formed in the connector sub-assembly for receiving a first fastener, the second end of the connector sub-assembly having a second fastener hole formed in the connector sub-assembly for receiving a second fastener, the connector sub-assembly further comprising an edge connector socket located on the base of the connector sub-assembly within the central section of the connector sub-assembly, the edge connector socket configured to receive the edge-connected printed circuit card; and
a guide sub-assembly disposed underlying the bottom wall and comprising a base having a first end, a central section, and a second end, the first end of the guide sub-assembly having a first fastener hole formed in the guide sub-assembly for securing the first fastener, the second end of the guide sub-assembly having a second fastener hole formed in the guide sub-assembly for securing the second fastener, and the central section of the guide sub-assembly having a spring latch formed in the guide sub-assembly, the spring latch operable in a first state to engage the catch in a closed position to prevent movement of the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly relative to the housing,
wherein the spring latch is operable in a second state to clear the catch to permit the connector sub-assembly and the guide sub-assembly to slide in the first and second slots of the base of the housing from the closed position to an open position that permits access to the edge connector socket.

6. The cassette of claim 5 , further comprising a spacer sub-assembly underlying the connector sub-assembly and overlying the bottom wall of the housing, the spacer sub-assembly having a first fastener hole formed in the spacer sub-assembly and a second fastener hole formed in the spacer sub-assembly, and at least one locating pin formed in the spacer sub-assembly and extending therefrom, the first fastener hole formed in the spacer sub-assembly and the second fastener hole formed in the spacer sub-assembly configured to receive the first fastener and the second fastener, the at least one locating pin formed in the spacer sub-assembly to align the connector sub-assembly with the spacer sub-assembly.

7. The cassette of claim 5 , wherein the guide sub-assembly further comprises an elongated female rough guidance slot located along a length of a bottom side of guide sub-assembly to provide rough guidance of the cassette along a corresponding male rough guidance fin located on a motherboard of the server chassis.

8. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a bottom wall having a first end, a second end, and a central section between the first end and the second end, wherein the elongated slot is formed in the first end of the housing, a second slot is formed in the second end of the housing, and the catch is formed in the central section of the housing.

9. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the connector sub-assembly includes an edge connector socket.

10. The cassette of claim 9 , wherein edge connector socket is positioned on the base of the connector sub-assembly.

11. The cassette of claim 9 , wherein the edge connector socket is positioned within the central section the connector sub-assembly.

12. The cassette of claim 9 , wherein the edge connector socket is configured to receive an edge-connected printed circuit card.

13. The cassette of claim 1 , wherein the guide sub-assembly includes a first end having a first guide assembly fastener hole.

14. The cassette of claim 13 , wherein the guide sub-assembly includes a second end having a second guide assembly fastener hole.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Elsasser Ryan
• Peets Michael T
• Bolde Lannie R
• Olson David C

Classifications

• H05K9/0016

  having a spring contact · CPC title

• H05K7/1461

  Slidable card holders; Card stiffeners; Control or display means therefor · CPC title

• H05K7/1427

  Housings · CPC title

• H05K9/0062 Primary

  Structures of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19" rack, chassis for servers or telecommunications · CPC title