Lever unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730356-B2
Application number	US-201314901346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2013
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An assembly to connect two electronic components is provided herein. The assembly includes a lever unit with a lever and a base. The lever includes a primary cam member and a secondary cam member connected thereto. The lever also includes a hook member extending therefrom. The base includes a guide structure to engage with a drive pin. Rotation of the lever to move a first electronic component along a y-axis towards, a backplane. The secondary cam member to move the drive pin along the guide structure, and the hook member to engage with a second electronic component and mate the first electronic component and the second electronic component along the second axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly to connect a first and a second electronic component, the assembly comprising:
a lever unit including:
a lever including a primary cam member and a secondary cam member connected thereto and a hook member extending therefrom, the primary cam member, the secondary cam member, and the hook member to rotate with the lever; and
a base connected to a first electronic component, the base includes a limiter to control movement of the first electronic component along a first axis,
rotation of the lever to move the first electronic component along a y-axis towards a backplane until the primary cam member engages with a fixed pin and stops rotating, the secondary cam member to control movement along a second axis, the hook member to engage with a second electronic component and mate the first electronic component and the second electronic component along the second axis.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the secondary cam member comprises guide structure formed to engage with a drive pin to control movement of at least one electronic component selected from the first electronic component and the second electronic component along the second axis.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic component comprises an electronic module and the second electronic component comprises a thermal module,
as the lever rotates between a first angular position and a second angular position, the drive pin moves along the guide structure, which moves the electronic module from a first longitudinal position to a second longitudinal position along the first axis; and
as the lever rotates between the second angular position and a third angular position, the fixed pin prevents movement of the primary cam member, the drive pin moves along the guide structure and the hook member engages with a rail unit connected to the second electronic module, the hook member moves the rail unit along the y-axis between a first rail position and a second rail position, movement of the rail unit to mate the first electronic component and the second electronic component along the second axis.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein in the second angular position, an electrical connection forms between the electronic module and the backplane;
and in the third angular position, a thermal connection forms between the thermal module and the electronic module.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the limiter comprises a pair of clutch plates and a limiter spring between the pair of clutch plates, the lever to displace the limiter spring after the primary cam member engages with the fixed pin.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the rail unit comprises:
a guide member including a flange and a guide rail, the hook member to engage with the flange to move the guide rail along a first axis; and
an engagement member including a spring member and an engagement mechanism, the spring member to control the mating of at least one electronic component selected from the first electronic component and the second electronic component along a second axis using a spring force, the engagement mechanism connected to the spring member, the engagement mechanism to move along the guide rail, movement of the guide rail to displace the rail unit and mate the first electronic component and the second electronic component along the second axis.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the engagement mechanism further comprises a roller.

8. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the spring member comprises a cantilever spring.

9. A system to connect an electronic module and a thermal module, the system comprising:
an electronic module to perform computing operations;
a lever unit including:
a lever including a primary cam member and a secondary cam member connected thereto and a hook member extending therefrom, the primary cam member, the secondary cam member, and the hook member to rotate with the lever,
a base connected to the electronic module, the base includes a guide structure to engage with a drive pin,
rotation of the lever to move electronic module along a y-axis towards a backplane until a fixed pin restricts rotation of the primary cam member, the secondary cam member to move the drive pin along the guide structure, the hook member to engage with a thermal module and mate the electronic module and the thermal module along the second axis:

the thermal module to remove heat from the electronic module; and
a rail unit including:
a guide member including a flange and a guide rail, the hook member to engage with the flange to move the guide rail along a first axis, and
an engagement member including a spring member to control the mating of at least one electronic component selected from the electronic module and the thermal module along a second axis using a spring force, the engagement member to move along the guide rail, movement of the guide rail to displace the rail unit and to maintain the mating of the electronic module and the thermal module along the second axis and to form a thermal connection therebetween.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the lever unit connects to the electronic module and the rail unit connects to the thermal module.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the thermal nodule moves towards the electronic module to mate.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the electronic module moves towards he thermal module to mate.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising the engagement mechanism including the spring member formed therebetween, the spring member to provide a mating force between the engagement mechanism and the guide rail, the guide rail to displace the spring member to enable movement along the second axis.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising an engagement mechanism connected to the spring member, the engagement mechanism to engage with the guide rail as the lever rotates.

15. A method to connect a first electronic component and a second electronic component, the method comprising:
providing a lever unit and a rail unit to engage with one another,
the lever unit includes:
a lever including a primary cam member and a secondary cam member connected thereto and a hook member extending therefrom, the primary cam member, the secondary cam member, and the hook member to rotate with the lever, and
a base connected to a first electronic component, the base includes a guide structure to engage with a drive pin; and

the rail unit includes:
a guide member including a flange and a guide rail, the hook member to engage with the flange to move the guide rail along a first axis, and
an engagement member including a spring member to control the mating of at least one electronic component selected from the first electronic component and the second electronic component along a second axis using a spring force, the engagement member to move along the guide rail, movement of the guide rail to displace the rails unit and enable the first electronic component and the second electronic component to mate along the second axis and to form a thermal connection therebetween,

rotating the lever between a first angular position and a second angular position, rotation of the lever moves the drive pin along the guide structure, which moves the first electronic component from a first longitudinal position to a second longitudinal position along the first axis, and
rotating the lever between the second angular position and a third angular position, rotation of the lever moves the drive pin along the guide structure and the hook member engages with a rail unit connected to the second electronic component, t

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp
• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Franz John P
• Sabotta Michael L
• Moore David A
• Cader Tahir
• Doerr Alan B

Classifications

• H05K7/1487 Primary

  Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade · CPC title

• G11B33/128

  of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis · CPC title

• H05K7/1489

  characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays (H05K7/1491 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B33/1426

  by cooling plates, e.g. fins · CPC title

• G11B33/122

  Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches · CPC title