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:
Oct. 16, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1999
Michael Wortman, Roseville, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An assembly comprising a housing and a circuit board is designed to facilitate a simplified method of assembling the circuit board into the housing, along with a simplified method of coupling the signals on the circuit board to other circuits. The circuit board is guided into place by a pair of slots, with each slot located proximate an end of the housing. The housing includes a support member that has a deflection/retention feature that extends above a plane formed by the circuit board after the board has been assembled to the housing. The assembly is assembled by first partially inserting one end of the board into a slot and pressing the other end of the board toward another slot, with a curved guide deflecting the board downward and into the other slot. When both ends of the circuit board are inserted into the slots, the deflection/retention feature is in contact with the board and flexes the board upward. As the board is pressed forward, a second curved guide engages the board and urges the board downward toward its final position. As the board clears the deflection/retention feature, it snaps into place. When the assembly is attached to the system that it will eventually be a part of (such as a computer system), tapered alignment posts on one connector are aligned with corresponding holes proximate the another connector, thereby simplifying the process of coupling electrical signals to the circuit board.