Computer hardware installation and removal tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025133648-A1
Application number	US-202318491015-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2023
Publication date	Apr 24, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a circuit board includes a substrate including a slot, electronic components connected to the substrate, a board connector connected to the substrate and communicatively connected to the electronic components, and an installation tool including a lug and a pedestal. The pedestal is positioned through the slot and the lug is positioned in the slot to slidably connect the installation tool to the substrate, and the installation tool extends beyond an end of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A circuit board comprising:
a substrate including a slot; a plurality of electronic components connected to the substrate; a board connector connected to the substrate and communicatively connected to the plurality of electronic components; and an installation tool including a lug and a pedestal; wherein
the pedestal is positioned through the slot and the lug is positioned in the slot to slidably connect the installation tool to the substrate; and
the installation tool extends beyond an end of the substrate.

2 . The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein:
the installation tool is movable between an insertion position and an extraction position; the installation tool further includes a detent; and the substrate further includes a detent feature configured to engage the detent when the installation tool is in the insertion position.

3 . The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein:
the installation tool comprises a bar; and the pedestal and the lug extend from a same side of the bar.

4 . The circuit board of claim 3 , wherein:
the installation tool further comprises a tab extending from the same side of the bar as the pedestal and the lug; the tab is configured for a user to grasp; and the pedestal is positioned between the tab and the lug.

5 . The circuit board of claim 3 , wherein the bar is curved such that the same side of the bar is concave.

6 . The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein the installation tool extends alongside the substrate.

7 . The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein:
the pedestal includes a shaft and a head; and the head is wider than a width of the slot in a first direction and narrower than the width of the slot in a second direction that is different than the first direction.

8 . A computing system comprising:
a server comprising a card connector; and a circuit board connected to the card connector, the circuit board comprising an installation tool slidably connected to the circuit board in a sliding direction that is parallel to a connecting direction that the card connector connects to and disconnects from the board connector; wherein:
the installation tool is movable between an insertion position and an extraction position; and
the installation tool is configured to solely contact the circuit board when the installation tool is moved between the insertion position and the extraction position.

9 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the circuit board comprises a substrate; and the installation tool extends beyond an end of the substrate.

10 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the server further comprises a motherboard to which the card connector is connected, wherein the installation tool does not extend beyond a side of the motherboard.

11 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the installation tool comprises:
a bar; a pedestal extending from a side of the bar; a lug extending from the side of the bar; and a detent extending from the side of the bar.

12 . The computing system of claim 11 , wherein the circuit board comprises:
a slot configured to receive the pedestal and the lug; and a detent feature configured to receive the detent.

13 . The computing system of claim 12 , wherein:
the lug contacts a first end of the slot when the installation tool is in the insertion position; and the pedestal contacts a second end of the slot when the installation tool is in the extraction position.

14 . The computing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the circuit board comprises a substrate; and the installation tool extends alongside the substrate.

15 . A circuit board comprising:
a substrate including a slot and a detent feature; a plurality of electronic components connected to the substrate; a board connector connected to the substrate and communicatively connected to the plurality of electronic components; and an installation tool including a pedestal and a detent; wherein
the pedestal is positioned through the slot to slidably connect the installation tool to the substrate;
the installation tool is movable between an insertion position and an extraction position;
the detent engages the detent feature when the installation tool is in the insertion position; and
the installation tool extends beyond an end of the substrate.

16 . The circuit board of claim 15 , wherein the installation tool further includes a lug that is positioned in the slot.

17 . The circuit board of claim 16 , wherein:
the lug contacts a first end of the slot when the installation tool is in the insertion position; and the pedestal contacts a second end of the slot when the installation tool is in the extraction position.

18 . The circuit board of claim 16 , wherein:
the installation tool comprises a bar; and the pedestal and the lug extend from a same side of the bar.

19 . The circuit board of claim 18 , wherein:
the bar is curved such that the same side of the bar is concave; and the bar is less concave when the installation tool is slidably connected to the substrate.

20 . The circuit board of claim 19 , wherein the detent feature is a void in the substrate into which the detent extends.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barringer Wayne A
• Mckeever Eric James
• Graybill David P
• Seminaro Edward J

Classifications

• H05K2201/09063

  Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections · CPC title

• H05K1/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title