Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Dave Desilets

James M Carney

Clifford B Willis

Alan Lee Winick

Christopher E Chiodo

William A Izzicupo

Quentin J Lewis

Steve Peart

Lee Winick

Chris Chiodo

Dan Albano

Computers are manufactured with connectors in which are inserted at least one PCI expansion card to increase the capacity of the computer. A computer enclosure panel is formed with an opening for insertion and withdrawal of the card. The card has a cover which blocks the opening after the card has been plugged in. The invention provides a retainer mounted on the rear panel which, when projected, engages the cover to assist in holding the card in place. The slide has a detent which is manually disengaged in order to slide the cover to retracted position. It further provides room for the tab conventionally extending outward of the card so that the card may be located closer to the side panel, thereby conserving space within the enclosure. Computers as shipped from the factory many times are not provided with PCI cards and the opening is blocked by a removable blanking cover. The slide also holds the blanking cover in position.

PCI expansion card slide-type retainer

Motherboards and cards (herein 'boards') mounted in computer enclosures must be supported on X, Y and Z axes to resist shock and vibration. This requires that four edges of the board be supported. Because of the high cost of such boards their lengths are made as small as possible, and this dimension is the direction of insertion of the board. A guide is attached to the leading edge of the board having a depending foot which engages fasteners formed on the base of the chassis of the enclosure. Thus the inner edge of the board is supported along two axes. Two side edges of the board are held in tracks and the outer edge is held at the point of insertion.

Support for electronic cards and boards of varying lengths

An edge of a long PCI card plugs into a connector at one end of a computer enclosure. The opposite end extends into the enclosure and may be superimposed over a component such as a disk drive. The support of the present invention is rigidly mounted on the enclosure to fit under the inner end of the card. A slide on the support grips the inner end of the card. The slide is adjustably positioned on the support to accommodate cards of different lengths.

Support for long PCI card in computer enclosure

Computers are manufactured with connectors in which are inserted at least one PCI expansion card to increase the capacity of the computer. A computer enclosure panel is formed with first opening for insertion and withdrawal of the card. The card has a cover which blocks the first opening after the card has been plugged in. The invention provides a retainer mounted on the rear panel which engages the cover to hold one end of the card in place. The invention further provides room for the tab conventionally extending outward of the card to extend outward of the enclosure so that the card may be located closer to the side panel, thereby conserving space within the enclosure. The retainer has an apertured first door pivotally mounted on the exterior of the panel which in closed position surrounds a second opening through which the card tab protrudes and engages one face of the tab. A second door is pivotally mounted on the first door and in closed position covers the aperture in the first door. The second door has a latch which extends into the second opening and engages the cover to hold a second end of the cover in place. Computers as shipped from the factory many times are not provided with PCI cards and the opening in the panel is blocked by a removable blanking cover. The retainer also holds the blanking cover in position.

PCI expansion card double-door retainer

Computers are manufactured with connectors in which are inserted at least one PCI expansion card to increase the capacity of the computer. A computer enclosure panel is formed with an opening for insertion and withdrawal of the card. The card has a cover which blocks the opening after the card has been plugged in. The invention provides a retainer clip mounted on the rear panel which, when in operative position, attaches to the panel and engages the cover to assist in holding the card in place. The clip has a bent spring which may be compressed to install and remove the clip. The invention further provides room for the tab conventionally extending outward of the card to extend outward of the enclosure so that the card may be located closer to the side panel, thereby conserving space within the enclosure. Computers as shipped from the factory many times are not provided with PCI cards and the opening in the panel is blocked by a removable blanking cover. The clip also holds the blanking cover in position.

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Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Dave Desilets