The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 27, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 21, 1999
Brian T. Whitman, Seattle, WA (US);
Susan F. Smith, Olympia, WA (US);
Mark W. Anderson, Olympia, WA (US);
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Disclosed are a hot plug method and a hot plug cartridge assembly for a card component (e.g., peripheral component interconnect compliant card). The cartridge assembly includes a carrier, a holder for the card component and a lever, the holder and lever being movably retained on the carrier. The lever has a camming surface, and the carrier has a protrusion following on the camming surface. Due to the configuration and positioning of the camming surface, lateral motion of the lever causes vertical movement of the lever and holder, to cause vertical movement of the card component. Lateral motion of the lever after introduction of the cartridge assembly into a system causes the card component to move vertically to cause connector structure of the card component to enter into contact with connectors of a circuit board of the system. The camming surface can be configured and positioned such that connector structure along the edge of the card component progressively enters into electrical contact with electrical connectors of a circuit board of the system. The cartridge assembly includes a lock, for preventing accidental removal of the card component, which is activated and de-activated upon lateral motion of the lever. The holder includes an adjustable bracket system which can retain card components of different form factor (size of shape) on the holder.