International Business Machines Corporation

Newisys, Inc.

Newlsys, Inc.

Steven Michael Christensen

Bruce James Wilkie

Howard Victor Mahaney, Jr

Ciro Neal Ramirez

John Richard Pugley

Lonnie J Cannon

Richard A Coleman

Ronald Armand Roy

Brandon Joel Brocklesby

Michael Paul Pierce

In some embodiments, co-planar printed circuit boards (PCBs) are electrically connected by leveraging an applied external force to generate a higher in-plane PCB connection force. A crank-and-slider in-plane PCB translation assembly includes a pair of coupling arms parallel to a PCB plane and connected to the PCB, and a leveraging arm parallel to the PCB plane and coupled to the couplings arm and to a fixed support. A guide pin is connected to the PCB and to a first end of each coupling arm, and fits through a longitudinal guide slot defined in the fixed support. A drive pin is connected to an opposite end of each coupling arm and fits through a transverse drive slot defined in the fixed support. The leveraging arm moves the drive-pin end of the coupling arm transversely, e.g. linearly or along an arcuate trajectory, thus pushing the guide-pin end to move the PCB longitudinally.

Printed circuit board engagement systems and methods

In some embodiments, a heat sink is pressed down on a heat source such as an integrated circuit by rotating a cam to press down a set of springs over a loading arm, which is in turn positioned over a heat sink base. A cam shaft is placed in a hinge opening of a mounting frame secured to a printed circuit board (PCB). The mounting frame encloses a heat sink positioned over an IC. The hinge opening defines a hinge axis parallel to the PCB plane. A loading arm includes spring wells for holding coil springs, which are compressed between the mounting frame and the bottoms of the spring wells when the cam is rotated. The mounting frame and loading arm may include mating, self-locking sections including hinge protrusions having cross-sections shaped as a circle sectioned linearly off-center.

Heat sink mounting systems and methods

An alignment system has one or more paired tabs and slots. The tabs are located on one component and the slots are located in another component to provide alignment between the components in three dimensions even if the tabs and slots are beyond the view or not visible to the user. The tab is a flat protrusion having short side edges and tapered front edges that converge to a central tip. The slot is a large, generally diamond-shaped aperture with rectangular slits on two opposed corners. Initially, the tabs on the first component are misaligned in three dimensions relative to the slots in the second component. As the tips of the tabs move into the slots, the tips make contact with the diamond-shaped apertures. The large size and shape of the slots allow for a significant range of misalignment between the components. After initial capture, the tapered front edges of the tabs slide along the apertures to provide coarse deflection and centering. As the tabs plunge deeper into the slots, the width of the tabs exceeds the width of the apertures and eventually the tabs center in the rectangular slits.

Tab and slot design optimized for blind alignment of components

A cooling apparatus for a computer system includes a fan operable to provide convective cooling to contents of a computer system housing. The fan is at least partly surrounded by a fan housing. A handle is hinged to a top side of the fan housing operable to engage the computer system housing for levering the fan housing in and out of the computer system housing. The handle is foldable into a position lying along the top of the fan housing. A latch includes a movable latch portion which is operable to fasten the handle into the folded position. With the handle in the folded position, a distinctive marking on the latch portion is visible from above the top side of the fan housing so that it is apparent how to release the handle and the fan.

Apparatus for cooling a computer system

A computer system including a chassis of substantially rectangular cross section suitable for receiving a circuit board. A rear face of the chassis includes upper and lower exhaust ports. A CPU board including one or more processors may be housed within the chassis. The expansion board is suitable for receiving a plurality of expansion cards via connectors attached to the board. The expansion board includes at least one void for facilitating air flow and is housed within the chassis wherein a rear side of the board is proximal to the rear face of the chassis between the upper and lower exhaust ports. An air moving device is positioned within the chassis for directing air flow across the expansion board toward the rear face of the chassis and, via the at least one void in the expansion card, through the upper and lower exhaust ports. Preferably, at least one of the voids comprises a notch formed in the perimeter of the expansion board wherein the interior surface of the chassis together with the notched void cooperatively define a passage for facilitating air flow. In the preferred embodiment, the computer system further includes a plurality of expansion cards that are received by the expansion board via the connectors. The system may further include a sheet metal piece displaced below the expansion board. The sheet metal piece may be vertically displaced below the lower exhaust port of the rear face of the chassis. In another embodiment, the sheet metal piece is displaced above a portion of the lower exhaust port. In this embodiment, the sheet metal piece preferably includes one or more voids or screens corresponding to the voids in the expansion board.

Circuit board and computer system for enhanced cooling

A method and implementing system are described in which planar board or motherboard stiffness is provided through a support structure mounted to the planar. The support structure includes support bars connected together to form a stiffening structure for the motherboard. The support bars are mounted within planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the motherboard and in proximity to electrical connectors on the motherboard which are arranged to have circuit boards connected thereto. A board mounting apparatus is connected to the support structure to enable and guide the insertion and extraction of circuit boards to the motherboard with only enclosure side panel access. In one example, the circuit boards include guide pins which are inserted into slots of a mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is selectively moved to exert an insertion or extraction force on a pin connector attached to the circuit board relative to a corresponding connector on a motherboard.

Card stiffener optimized for connector engagement

A snap latch device has a handle with a pair of cam members extending from a lower end. The device also has a flexible snap which protrudes from the handle. The front end of the snap has a barbed lip. The device is designed to interlock a shuttle assembly to a stationary chassis. The device is pivotally mounted to the shuttle which carries a board with connectors. The device is movable between an engaged position and a retracted position. In the engaged position, the cam members engage an end wall on the chassis and the snap inserts through and engages a hole in the shuttle. The mechanical interlock between the cam members and the end wall rigidly secures the shuttle in the chassis. The device is moved to the retracted position by pulling back on the snap to dislodge the barbed lip. This release allows the device to rotate so that the cam members disengage the end wall. After the snap and cam members are clear of the hole and end wall, respectively, the shuttle may be completely removed from the chassis. The shuttle may be inserted and locked into the chassis by reversing these steps. The snap provides visual and audible feedback to the installer to insure a proper connection between the mating connectors on the shuttle and chassis.

Growing community of inventors

Leander, TX, United States of America

Steven Michael Christensen