International Business Machines Corporation

Gregory H Richardson

Dennis R Barringer

Harold M Toffler

John Charles Hilburn

Budy D Notohardjono

Scott Alan Shurson

Christopher Michael Marroquin

David George Lund

A pluggable cartridge for inserting a circuit card into an enclosure without operator access to the enclosure interior is provided. The cartridge includes a top portion and a first wall configured to secure the circuit card thereon for movement in unison therewith and a second wall. The first and second walls have a bottom edge and a top edge wherein the top edge of the first wall is movably secured to the top portion. The top edge of the second wall is removably secured to the top portion by snap-fit means. The circuit card is housed within and protected by the first and second walls so as to be moveable with respect to the bottom edge of the second wall. A tail stock bezel is removably secured by snap-fit means at one end of the second wall and top portion. A handle is movably connected to the top portion so as to be movable between a first position and a second position. A portion of the handle is operably attached to the first wall by an articulated mechanical linkage such that movement of the handle to the first position causes the printed circuit card secured to the first wall to move to a position proximate the bottom edge. Movement of the handle to the second position causes the printed circuit card to move to a position remote from the bottom edge.

Cassette housing for printed circuit cards

A handle having a handle body, a latching arm, and a pivot block is provided. The handle body has a release finger and a pivot leg. The latching arm is slideably secured to the handle body. The pivot block is connectable to a device having at least one movable component. The pivot block is also connected to a first portion of the pivot leg so as to allow the handle body to rotate in the pivot block about the first portion between a first position and a second position. The first position is a locked position and the second position is a latched position.

Latching and locking handles

A hot docking mechanism enables a PCI type card with an edge connector to be inserted into an enclosure and docked in a card socket on the motherboard without operator access to the enclosure interior. A card holder carries the card and is supported on a card guide for sliding motion into the enclosure to a position at which the edge connector is aligned with the socket secured to the device motherboard. A camming assembly includes a cam lever extending outside the enclosure to convert horizontal or pivoting motion of the cam lever to vertical motion of the card into and out of the socket. The camming assembly, mounted above and proximate the mother board surface, increases mechanical advantage during docking and undocking. The card is supported within the card holder and the camming connection between the card and camming assembly is disposed intermediate the longitudinal ends of the socket to maximize mechanical advantage and minimize misalignment during card docking and undocking.

Apparatus for auto docking PCI cards

Growing community of inventors

Sumner, WA, United States of America

Gregory H Richardson