Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Sun Microsoft, Inc.

Timothy M Holland

Robert S Antonuccio

James M Carney

William A Izzicupo

Daniel D Gonsalves

Joseph J Montagna

Joseph M Spano

Lewis B Sheen

Yvetta D Pols

A card retention mechanism securely holds a card within a slot on a circuit board. The retention mechanism may include a carrier and a retainer. The carrier mounts to a chassis of the computer system adjacent to the card slot. The retainer may be pivotally mounted to the carrier. When the retainer is in a closed position, at least one surface of the retainer engages an endplate of the card, and the retainer engages the carrier. The engagement of the retainer and the carrier inhibits rotation of the retainer from the closed position to an open position. When the retainer is in the closed position, the retainer securely holds the card to the chassis of the computer system.

Card retention mechanism

An insulating guard is mounted over a backplane or motherboard in an electronic system that accepts hot pluggable circuit cards. The insulating guard has openings that expose only the connectors and allow a hot pluggable circuit card to be inserted without the possibility of shorting the backplane. In order to prevent contact between a card being inserted and adjacent cards that have already been connected to the system, the invention provides for insulating card dividers which are connected to the insulating guard and fit between adjacent cards. The card dividers can be attached to the insulating guard by parts which snap together, fasteners or adhesives.

Hot pluggable printed circuit board insulating system and method

A method and apparatus relating to a support bracket ( ) enabling hot-swapping of component trays ( ) in component racks ( ) is disclosed. A bracket ( ) is provided for removably mounting a tray ( ) in a component rack ( ). The bracket ( ) has two guide channels ( ) extending substantially from a front end of the bracket ( ) through to a back end. The guide channel ( ) is adapted for sliding engagement with the component carrying tray ( ). In addition, there is at least one stop guide ( ) that projects from each of the front and back ends of the bracket ( ). This stop guide ( ) aids in positioning the bracket ( ) during installation. On a backside of the bracket ( ), there is a detent ( ) that projects outward. The detent ( ) serves as an aid in positioning and releasably holding the bracket ( ) in place during installation. The configuration of the bracket ( ) allows it to be used as either a bottom bracket ( ) or a top bracket ( ) for mounting a tray ( ), without any additional modifications.

Hot swap fan mounting support bracket

A test fixture which holds multiple circuit boards in an edge-to-edge configuration for testing includes a sliding interconnect mechanism which is located between the circuit boards under test. The interconnect mechanism includes an interconnect board on which are mounted pairs of inter-wired frame connectors which mate with the connectors on each of the printed circuit boards to be tested and electrically interconnect the boards. The interconnect mechanism includes guide pins on which the interconnect mechanism slides to accurately align the frame and board connectors and an actuating mechanism to move the interconnect mechanism into position to securely mate the aligned connectors. The actuating mechanism can also be reversed to unmate the connectors and release the boards under test after the tests are completed.

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West Boylston, MA, United States of America

Timothy M Holland