Connecting assembly for securing two expansion cards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564712-B1
Application number	US-201514949027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A connecting assembly for mounting a first expansion card and a second expansion card in a motherboard. The connecting assembly includes at least one fixing member, a first locking member and a second locking member. Each fixing member includes a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion, the fixing member is detachably assembled on the motherboard. The motherboard is held between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, the fixing member fixes the first expansion card and the second expansion card with the motherboard through the first locking member and the second locking member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connecting assembly for mounting a first expansion card and a second expansion card in a motherboard, the connecting assembly comprising:
at least one fixing member;
a first locking member and a second locking member;
a first connector configured to secure a first end of the first expansion card to the motherboard; and
a second connector configured to secure a first end of the second expansion card to the motherboard;
wherein each fixing member comprises a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion, the fixing member is detachably assembled on the motherboard; and
wherein the motherboard is held between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, the first locking member is secured to the fixing member and secures a second end of the first expansion card to the motherboard and positions the first expansion card on an upper side of the motherboard, and the second locking member is secured to the fixing member and secures a second end of the second expansion card to the motherboard and positions the second expansion card on a bottom side of the motherboard, opposite to the upper side of the motherboard.

2. The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first expansion card comprises a first stepped hole, the second expansion card comprises a second stepped hole, the fixing member comprises a first upper surface and a bottom surface, a first fixing hole is defined extending from the first upper surface to the bottom surface, the first locking member extends through the first stepped hole and is engaged in the first fixing hole of the first upper surface to fix the first expansion card with the fixing member, the second locking member extends through the second stepped hole and is engaged in the first fixing hole of the bottom surface to fix the second expansion card with the fixing member.

3. The connecting assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fixing member further comprises a second upper surface, and a second fixing hole is defined extending from the second upper surface to the bottom surface.

4. The connecting assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first upper surface and the second upper surface are step-shaped.

5. The connecting assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first upper surface is substantially parallel to the second upper surface and the bottom surface, the second upper surface is located between the first upper surface and the bottom surface.

6. The connecting assembly of claim 5 , wherein the fixing member further comprises a first limiting groove, a second limiting groove, and a third clamping portion, the first limiting groove is located between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, the second limiting groove is located between the second clamping portion and the third clamping portion.

7. The connecting assembly of claim 6 , wherein a distance between the first upper surface to the bottom end of the first limiting groove is equal to a distance between the second upper surface to the bottom end of the second limiting groove.

8. The connecting assembly of claim 3 , wherein each of the first fixing hole and the second fixing hole is a screw hole, each of the first locking member and the second locking member is a screw.

9. The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second fixing member is turned 180 degrees relative to the first fixing member about a horizontal axis.

10. The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member extends in a first direction from the upper side towards the bottom side of the motherboard, and the second locking member extends in a second direction from the bottom side towards the upper side of the motherboard.

11. A connecting assembly for mounting a first expansion card and a second expansion card, shorter than the first expansion card, in a motherboard, the connecting assembly comprising:
a first fixing member and a second fixing member; and
a first locking member and a second locking member;
wherein each of the first fixing member and the second fixing member comprises a first clamping portion, a second clamping portion, and a third clamping portion, the two fixing members are detachably assembled on the motherboard; and
wherein the motherboard is held between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion of the first fixing member and further held between the second clamping portion and the third clamping portion of the second fixing member, the first locking member is secured to the first fixing member and secures the first expansion card to an upper side of the motherboard, and the second locking member is secured to the second fixing member and secures the second expansion card to a bottom side of the motherboard, opposite to the upper side of the motherboard;
wherein both the first fixing member and the second fixing member comprise a first upper surface, a second upper surface, and a bottom surface, a first fixing hole is defined to extend from the first upper surface to the bottom surface, a second fixing hole is defined to extend from the second upper surface to the bottom surface, the first locking member is engaged in the first fixing hole, and the second locking member is engaged in the second fixing hole.

12. The connecting assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first expansion card comprises a first stepped hole, the second expansion card comprises a second stepped hole the first locking member extends through the first stepped hole to fix the first expansion card with the first fixing member, and the second locking member extends through the second stepped hole to fix the second expansion card with the second fixing member.

13. The connecting assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first upper surface and the second upper surface are step-shaped.

14. The connecting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first upper surface is substantially parallel to the second upper surface and the bottom surface, the second upper surface is located between the first upper surface and the bottom surface.

15. The connecting assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the first fixing member and the second fixing member further all comprises a first limiting groove, a second limiting groove, and a third clamping portion, the first limiting groove is located between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, the second limiting groove is located between the second clamping portion and the third clamping portion.

16. The connecting assembly of claim 15 , wherein a distance between the first upper surface to the bottom end of the first limiting groove is equal to a distance between the second upper surface to the bottom end of the second limiting groove.

17. The connecting assembly of claim 12 , wherein each of the first fixing hole and the second fixing hole is a screw hole, each of the first locking member and the second locking member is a screw.

18. The connecting assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first locking member extends in a first direction from the upper side towards the bottom side of the motherboard, and the second locking member extends in a second direction from the bottom side towards the upper side of the motherboard.

19. The connecting assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second fixing member is turned 180 degrees relative to the first fixing member about a horizontal axis.

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shih Tung-Ho

Classifications

• H01R12/00

  Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures (printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11) · CPC title

• G06F1/185 Primary

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• H01R12/52

  connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R12/523

  by an interconnection through aligned holes in the boards or multilayer board · CPC title

• H01R12/7076

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title