Dual-sided expansion card with offset slot alignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12262471-B2
Application number	US-202217935190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2022
Priority date	Sep 26, 2022
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

A data storage card insertable into a peripheral slot of host system is provided that houses storage devices on both sides of the data storage card. A heat sink member establishes a skewed offset stackup among a primary circuit board and a secondary circuit board, and a circuit interconnect element couples across the skewed offset stackup between the circuit boards. The primary circuit board comprises an edge connector insertable into a peripheral slot connector and is configured to carry host signaling for the computer peripheral device. The secondary circuit board comprises a first set of data storage device connectors on a first side and a second set of data storage connectors on a second side. The skewed offset stackup allows for a thickness of storage devices inserted on both the first side and the second side to fit within a slot width of the peripheral slot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer peripheral device, comprising:
a heat sink member that establishes a skewed offset stackup between a primary circuit board and a secondary circuit board coupled thereto;
a circuit interconnect element configured to communicatively couple across the skewed offset stackup between the primary circuit board and the secondary circuit board;
the primary circuit board comprising an edge connector insertable into a slot connector of a host system and configured to carry host signaling for the computer peripheral device;
the secondary circuit board comprising a first set of data storage device connectors on a first side and a second set of data storage connectors on a second side;
subassembly connection features established on at least one among the heat sink member, the primary circuit board, and the secondary circuit board, and configured to couple to storage subassemblies that carry data storage devices;
a first storage subassembly coupled to a first portion of the subassembly connection features and configured to carry first data storage devices cantilevered from and connected into the first set of the data storage device connectors; and
a second storage subassembly coupled to a second portion of the subassembly connection features and configured to carry second data storage devices cantilevered from and connected into the second set of the data storage device connectors.

2. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the skewed offset stackup accommodates, within a chassis slot width associated with the slot connector, corresponding data storage devices installed onto the first set of the data storage device connectors on the first side and the second set of the data storage connectors on the second side; and
wherein when the first circuit board is inserted into the slot connector via the edge connector, the secondary circuit card is not aligned with the slot connector.

3. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , comprising:
the secondary circuit board comprising a first additional data storage device connector on the first side and a second additional data storage connector on the second side; and
wherein additional storage devices mount to the secondary circuit board when coupled to the first additional data storage device connector and second additional data storage connector.

4. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , comprising:
the heat sink member forming a structural support coupled to at least the primary circuit board, the secondary circuit board, the first storage subassembly, and the second storage subassembly.

5. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , comprising:
the circuit interconnect element comprising a flexible circuit interconnect having connections to the primary circuit board and the secondary circuit board and flexibly spanning across the skewed offset stackup.

6. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) expansion card, and wherein the host signaling comprises PCIe signaling.

7. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , comprising:
a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch circuit disposed on the primary circuit board that interworks PCIe signaling among the edge connector and corresponding data storage device connectors; and
the heat sink member thermally coupled to the PCIe switch circuit.

8. The computer peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of the data storage device connectors and the second set of the data storage connectors each comprise at least one among an EDSFF E1.S device connector and M.2 device connector.

9. A data storage card, comprising:
an interface circuit board having an edge connector insertable into a slot connector of a host system and comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch circuit configured to interwork host PCIe signaling with data storage devices carried by the data storage card;
a carrier circuit board comprising data storage device connectors, with a first set of the data storage device connectors positioned on a first side and a second set of the data storage device connectors positioned on a second side;
a circuit interconnect element configured to communicatively couple across a skewed offset stackup established between the interface circuit board and the carrier circuit board;
a heat sink element that maintains the skewed offset stackup and thermally couples to the PCIe switch circuit;
subassembly connection features established on at least one among the heat sink element, the interface circuit board, and the carrier circuit board, and configured to couple to storage subassemblies that carry the data storage devices;
a first storage subassembly coupled to a first portion of the subassembly connection features and comprising a first structural element configured to hold first data storage devices cantilevered from and connected into the first set of the data storage device connectors;
a second storage subassembly coupled to a second portion of the subassembly connection features and comprising a second structural element configured to hold second data storage devices cantilevered from and connected into the second set of the data storage device connectors.

10. The data storage card of claim 9 , wherein the skewed offset stackup accommodates, within a chassis slot width associated with the slot connector, corresponding storage devices installed onto the first set of the data storage device connectors on the first side and the second set of the data storage connectors on the second side; and
wherein when the carrier circuit board is inserted into the slot connector, the carrier circuit board is not aligned with the slot connector.

11. The data storage card of claim 9 , comprising:
the carrier circuit board comprising a first additional data storage device connector on the first side and a second additional data storage connector on the second side; and
wherein additional storage devices mount to the carrier circuit board independent of the storage subassemblies when coupled to the first additional data storage device connector and second additional data storage connector.

12. The data storage card of claim 9 , comprising:
the heat sink element comprising the subassembly connection features forming a structural support coupled to at least the interface circuit board, the carrier circuit board, the first storage subassembly, and the second storage subassembly.

13. The data storage card of claim 9 , comprising:
the circuit interconnect element comprising a flexible circuit interconnect having connections to the interface circuit board and the carrier circuit board and flexibly spanning across the skewed offset stackup.

14. The data storage card of claim 9 , wherein the data storage device connectors each comprise at least one among an EDSFF E1.S device connector and M.2 device connector.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a circuit interconnect element configured to communicatively couple across a skewed offset stackup between a first circuit board and a second circuit board;
the first circuit board comprising an edge connector insertable into a slot connector of a host system and configured to carry host signaling for data storage devices; and
the second circuit board comprising data storage device connectors, with a first set of the data storage device connectors on a first side and a second set of the data storage device connectors on a second side;
a first storage subassembly comprising a first structural element holdin

Assignees

• Liqid Inc

Inventors

• Heyd Andrew Rudolph
• Rust Brenden M
• Long Christopher R
• Puri Sumit
• Schramm Bryan

Classifications

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• H05K1/0201

  Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating · CPC title

• H05K2201/066

  Heatsink mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board [PCB] · CPC title

• H05K2201/10159

  Memory · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title