CN216980909U - Connector assembly and multi-circuit board system formed by same - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board, the upper circuit board including a locking hole connected to the lower circuit board by a fastening member. The connector assembly comprises a support frame and a cover bearing frame. The first penetrating hole of the support frame is aligned with the locking hole of the upper circuit board, and the support frame is arranged above the upper circuit board. The cover bearing frame is movable and is provided with a second penetrating hole which is suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board. The cover bearing frame moves between the opening position and the closing position, when the cover bearing frame is at the opening position, the first penetrating hole is aligned with the second penetrating hole, and when the cover bearing frame is at the closing position, the cover bearing frame blocks the through between the first penetrating hole of the supporting frame and the fastening hole of the upper circuit board.

Description

Connector assembly and multi-circuit board system formed by same

[ technical field ] A

The present invention relates to a mechanism for connecting circuit boards, and more particularly, to a mechanism for connecting two circuit boards.

[ background ] A method for producing a semiconductor device

Computer equipment within a computer server is typically designed for a specific function, and the server typically includes some common components such as a processor, memory, cooling system, and power system. Generally, the chassis of a server has chassis walls with a height that can be standardized so that components can be plugged into the racks of a data center. The chassis typically houses a motherboard of basic components such as a processor, dual in-line memory (DIMM), storage devices, fans, and power supplies. Servers may be specifically designed to enhance the performance of certain specific functions, for example, an application server may have relatively more processors to process applications, or a storage server may have more storage devices to obtain more storage capacity. However, it is often necessary to augment the functionality of the server by adding additional elements, such as network interface cards, memory, or processors.

Modern servers are designed to allow users to more flexibly add or enhance functionality in a computer system by adding circuit boards with additional hardware to enhance functionality. The additional circuit board can be inserted into the chassis of the server above the existing circuit board, and the additional circuit board further comprises a functional element which can be electrically connected to other server elements through the existing circuit board. The bottom of the server housing typically has a horizontally oriented motherboard into which additional circuit boards may be inserted into connectors extending from the motherboard.

For example, the additional upper circuit board may be disposed above the lower circuit board, the lower circuit board may be a server motherboard, and the lower circuit board includes a plurality of rectangular board-to-board connectors (board-to-board connectors). Each board-to-board connector may be electrically connected to a corresponding connector on the underside of the upper circuit board, wherein a plurality of spacer elements extend from each corner of the board-to-board connector, the spacer elements helping to support the upper circuit board. Each spacer element is a cylinder having a hole for engaging a fastening element, such as a screw. Thus, if there are four board-to-board connectors, there will be a total of 16 spacer elements, thus requiring 16 screws to connect the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board.

Connecting the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board is achieved by lowering the upper circuit board, thereby connecting the connector to the board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board. Once the board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board is engaged with the connector on the underside of the upper circuit board, a locking mechanism may be engaged to ensure that the upper circuit board is electrically connected to the lower circuit board. A rotating lever or other mechanism may be used to connect various connection mechanisms, such as a latch and corresponding slot. Finally, screws are inserted to secure the upper circuit board to each spacer element of the lower circuit board, thus, in the case of four board-to-board connectors, each connector having four spacer elements, 16 screws are required.

However, when disassembling the circuit board, it is difficult to ensure that the user completely removes all 16 screws before activating the unlocking mechanism to disassemble the upper and lower circuit boards. When assembling or disassembling the screws with complex patterns on the circuit board, users often do not know which screws to assemble or disassemble. Although the user may refer to a manual or specification in a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document, reference to such references increases the time required for the removal operation. In addition, the structure of the circuit board may be damaged when the wrong screws are removed due to improper removal operation, or the upper circuit board may be damaged when the user tries to pull the upper circuit board away from the lower circuit board if the user fails to remove one of the screws.

Therefore, a quick connect mechanism is needed to disconnect the two stacked circuit boards to ensure that all screws have been removed. The connector assembly also requires a mechanism that prevents actuation of the locking mechanism of the turn bar before ensuring that all screws are removed. In addition, the connector assembly also requires a connection mechanism for indicating whether a circuit board can be removed from another circuit board.

[ Utility model ] content

The terms of the embodiments, such as implementations, configurations, aspects, examples, and options, are intended to broadly refer to all subject matter of the utility model and the claims that follow. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the claims that follow. The embodiments covered by the disclosure are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is an overview of various aspects of the disclosure and introduces some concepts that are further described in the detailed description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is the present disclosure intended to be used solely to limit the scope of the claims. The claims should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of the utility model, any or all of the drawings, and each claim.

A connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board is disclosed, the upper circuit board including a locking hole connected to the lower circuit board by a fastening member. The connector assembly includes a support frame and a cap bearing frame. The support frame is provided with a first penetrating hole aligned with the fastening hole of the upper circuit board and is arranged above the upper circuit board. The cover bearing frame is provided with a second penetrating hole and is suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board, the cover bearing frame can move between an opening position and a closing position, the first penetrating hole is aligned with the second penetrating hole in the opening position, and the cover bearing frame blocks the first penetrating hole of the support frame from being communicated with the fastening hole of the upper circuit board.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the upper circuit board further includes a connector, and the connector is connected to the board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the supporting frame includes a side plate, and the side plate contacts with the lower circuit board.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the side plate includes a rotating lever attached to a connecting mechanism to engage with a side bracket of the lower circuit board to rotate the rotating lever between a locked position and an unlocked position.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the cover rack includes a cover plate extending through the support frame, wherein when the cover plate is in the open position, the cover plate extends over the rotating bar to prevent the rotating bar from being rotated to the unlocked position.

According to another embodiment of the utility model, the fastening element comprises one or more screws.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the support comprises an indicating pin for indicating the open position and the closed position.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly further comprises a handle connected to the cover holder, and the handle extends through a handle slot in the support frame.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the connector element further comprises a gear and another cap bearing frame, the another cap bearing frame comprises a rack engaged with the gear, wherein the cap bearing frame comprises a rack engaged with the gear.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system including a lower circuit board, an upper circuit board and a connector assembly. A lower circuit board having a plurality of spacing elements. The upper circuit board has a plurality of fastening holes, each of which is aligned with one of the spacer elements of the lower circuit board. The connector assembly comprises a support frame, a first cover bearing frame and a second cover bearing frame. The supporting frame is arranged above the upper circuit board and is provided with a plurality of first penetrating holes. The first support frame and the second support frame are suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board and are provided with a plurality of second penetrating holes. The first cover bearing frame and the second cover bearing frame are provided with a closing position relative to the supporting frame, the first penetrating hole is aligned with the second penetrating hole, the first cover bearing frame and the second cover bearing frame are provided with an opening position, and the first cover bearing frame and the second cover bearing frame block the through between the first penetrating hole of the supporting frame and the locking hole of the upper circuit board.

The above summary is not intended to limit the implementations and features of the present invention. Rather, the foregoing novel disclosure provides only examples of some of the novel aspects and features set forth herein. The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the representative embodiments and modes for carrying out the utility model when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and appended claims, the brief description of which is provided below.

[ description of the drawings ]

The utility model, together with its advantages and illustrations, will be better understood from the following description of representative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which depict only representative embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the various embodiments or the scope of the claims. The following is a brief description of the drawings of the utility model:

FIG. 1A is an unassembled schematic view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of an assembly process of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a schematic view of an assembled stacked circuit board of the connector assembly of FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a schematic view of the connection of the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board of the connector assembly of FIG. 1A, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a bottom perspective schematic view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment of the utility model prior to attachment to an upper circuit board;

fig. 2C is a schematic bottom view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention engaged with an upper circuit board;

FIG. 2D is a schematic bottom view of a connector assembly in a locked position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic top view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in a closed position and allowing mounting screws to join the upper and lower circuit boards in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a schematic top perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in a closed position and allowing mounting screws to join the upper and lower circuit boards in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a side cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in a closed position and allowing mounting screws to engage the upper and lower circuit boards in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a schematic top view of the connector assembly of FIG. 3A in an open position and in a position that allows separation of the upper and lower circuit boards, according to one embodiment of the utility model;

FIG. 4B is a schematic top perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 3A in an open position and in a position that allows separation of the upper and lower circuit boards in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4C is a side cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 3A in an open position and in a position that allows separation of the upper and lower circuit boards, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a side view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in an open position and with the pivot lever in an unlocked position for connection to a circuit board in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a side view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in an open position and with the pivot lever in an unlocked position for connection to a circuit board in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5C is a side view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in an open position with the pivot lever in an unlocked position for connection to a circuit board in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a close-up perspective schematic view of a screw engaging upper and lower circuit boards of the connector assembly of FIG. 2A in a closed position according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a close-up perspective schematic view of the screw with the upper and lower circuit boards removed when the connector assembly of FIG. 2A is in the closed position, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 6C is a close-up perspective schematic view of the connector assembly of fig. 2A in a closed position with screws of the upper and lower circuit boards removed and moved to an open position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[ notation ] to show

100 multi-circuit system

102 circuit board

104 lower circuit board

106 board-to-board connector

108 spacer element

110 connector assembly

120 support frame

122. 124 side surface

126. 128 side plate

130 penetration hole

132 handle groove

134. 136 handle

138. 140 cover plate

142. 144 rotating rod

160. 162 side bracket

164. 166L-shaped groove

200 top surface

202 bottom surface

210 gear penetration hole

212 semi-circular groove

214 indicating bolt

220 cover plate groove

222 side plate

230 bolt

240. 242 cover bearing frame

244 engaging groove

246 through the hole

250. 260 side edge portion

252. 262 opposite side edge parts

254. 264 rack extension

256. 266 rack

270 gear wheel

272 screw hole

280 installation bolt

282 mounting groove

286 rounded end

288 narrow end

510 connector

512 locking holes or screw holes

514. 516 latch

610 screw

612 holes of spacer elements

[ detailed description ] embodiments

The utility model provides a board-to-board connector assembly, which comprises a supporting frame and a group of movable cover bearing frames capable of moving between a closed position and an open position. The connector assembly is mounted on a circuit board and stacked on another circuit board. The support frame has side swivel rods that allow physical connection of the two sides. In addition, the support frame includes through holes for corresponding spacer elements extending from the lower circuit board, the through holes of the support frame and the through holes of the cover frame being aligned when the cover frame is in the closed position to allow entry of screws, and the cover plate is positioned over the pivot rods so that the screws can pass through the through holes to engage and secure the upper and lower circuit boards together when the cover frame is in the closed position. When the upper circuit board needs to be detached, the connector assembly can ensure that the rotating rod cannot rotate before all the screws are detached from the support frame, and then the bearing cover plate is moved to the opening position to enable the rotating rod to release the upper circuit board, so that the upper circuit board can be detached without the risk of damage caused by detaching the upper circuit board because all the screws are not loosened.

Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the drawings and the description. The drawings attached are not necessarily to scale and are merely provided to illustrate various features of the utility model. Wherein numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the features of the utility model, so as to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the utility model. In some instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail for purposes of illustration. The examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the utility model and still fall within the scope of the claims of the utility model. Moreover, not all of the operations or uses of the figures may be required to implement the features of the present invention.

For purposes of describing the utility model in detail, the singular includes the plural and vice versa, unless specifically stated otherwise, and where appropriate. The term "including" means "including but not limited to". Moreover, approximating language such as "about," nearly, "" substantially, "" about, "and the like may be used herein to connote" being "on," "near," "nearly on," "within 3-5%," within acceptable manufacturing tolerances, or any other logical combination. Similarly, the terms "vertical" or "horizontal" are intended to additionally include within "3-5% of the vertical or horizontal direction, respectively. Furthermore, directional words such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "above," and "below" are intended to relate to equivalent directions as described in the referenced drawings, as understood from the context of the referenced object or element, e.g., from the general location of the referenced object or element, or as otherwise described herein.

Fig. 1A and 1B illustrate exploded and assembled views of a multi-circuit board system 100, such as a computer server. The multiple circuit board system 100 includes an upper circuit board 102 that may be attached to a lower circuit board 104. In the present embodiment, the lower circuit board 104 is a motherboard for a computer server, and the lower circuit board 104 includes four rectangular board-to-board connectors 106 extending from a top surface of the lower circuit board 104, each board-to-board connector 106 being electrically connectable to a corresponding connector on a bottom side of the upper circuit board 102. Each corner of each board-to-board connector 106 is provided with a spacer element 108, the spacer elements 108 helping to support the upper circuit board 102, and each spacer element 108 is a cylinder with a hole to receive a fastening element, such as a screw.

A connector assembly 110 is attached to the upper circuit board 102 to facilitate attachment of the upper circuit board 102 to the lower circuit board 104. The connector assembly 110 includes a support bracket 120, the support bracket 120 being suspended above the upper surface of the upper circuit board 102, the support bracket 120 being a rectangular plate and having two opposing sides 122, 124. The two sides 122, 124 of the support bracket 120 include two side panels 126, 128, respectively, that extend vertically downward. The upper circuit board 102 is supported by the two side plates 126, 128 of the connector assembly 110, and when the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 are assembled together, the bottom sides of the two side plates 126, 128 rest on the top surface of the lower circuit board 104.

The supporting frame 120 has a through hole 130, and the position of the through hole 130 corresponds to the spacing element 108 of the lower circuit board 104. In this embodiment, a total of 16 through holes 130 correspond to the four spacing elements 108 of each board-to-board connector 106 of the lower circuit board 104. It will be appreciated that any number of through-holes may be provided in any pattern on the support 120 to accommodate any number of connectors and connection points of any spacing element. In addition, the supporting frame 120 further includes a plurality of handle slots 132, two movable handles 134 and 136 extending from the handle slots 132, and two movable cover plates 138 and 140 disposed adjacent to the two sides 122 and 124, respectively.

Each side plate 126, 128 supports a corresponding pivot rod 142, 144, respectively, and the pivot rods 142, 144 are identical and can pivot between an open position and a locked position to help secure the upper circuit board 102 to the lower circuit board 104. As shown in fig. 1A and 1B, the rotating rods 142 and 144 are in the open position.

The lower circuit board 104 is mounted with two side brackets 160, 162, respectively, and the side brackets 160, 162 are positioned to correspond to the side plates 126, 128 adjacent the connector assembly 110. Therefore, when the upper circuit board 102 is lowered onto the lower circuit board 104, the side plates 126, 128 are inserted between the side brackets 160, 162, and the two side brackets 160, 162 have two L-shaped slots 164, 166, respectively, which allow the pins connected to the rotating rods 142, 144 to be locked into the L-shaped slots 164, 166.

As shown in fig. 1B, assembly of upper circuit board 102 to lower circuit board 104 is completed by lowering upper circuit board 102 so that the connectors on the bottom side of upper circuit board 102 mate with board-to-board connectors 106 of lower circuit board 104. The pins connected to the pivot rods 142, 144 are inserted into the L-shaped slots 164, 166 of the corresponding side brackets 160, 162 and the bottom side edges of the side plates 126, 128 rest against the top surface of the lower circuit board 104. The board-to-board connector 106 electrically connects the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104, and when the board-to-board connector 106 of the lower circuit board 104 is mated with the connector on the bottom side of the upper circuit board 102, the rotating rods 142, 144 can be rotated to the locking position, as shown in fig. 1C.

Each of the rotating rods 142, 144 is connected to a gear mechanism. When the rotating rods 142 and 144 are rotated to the locking position, as shown in fig. 1C, the pins are pushed into the L-shaped slots 164 and 166 of the side brackets 160 and 162 shown in fig. 5A by the gear mechanism, so that the connector assembly 110 and the upper circuit board 102 are locked with the lower circuit board 104. It will be appreciated that other mechanisms may be used to lock the upper circuit board 104 to the lower circuit board 104 in addition to using a rotating lever and latch mechanism.

As will be explained later, the handles 134, 136 are used to move the covers 138, 140 over the rotation levers 142, 144 to prevent the rotation levers 142, 144 from rotating from the locked position to the unlocked position when the rotation levers 142, 144 are rotated to the locked position. Upon removal of the cover plates 138, 140, the through-holes 130 of the support bracket 120 may allow screws to pass through the upper circuit board 102 and be inserted into the spacer elements 108. The final step in rotating the rotating rods 142, 144 to lock the upper circuit board 102 is to insert screws into the through holes 130 to secure the upper circuit board 102 to each of the spacer elements 108.

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of connection between an upper circuit board and a lower circuit board of the connector assembly of fig. 1A according to an embodiment of the utility model, and fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the utility model before being attached to the upper circuit board, wherein corresponding elements of fig. 2A and 2B and fig. 1A-1C are labeled with the same numerals. In this embodiment, the support frame 120 is a rectangular plate having a top surface 200 and a bottom surface 202 corresponding to the top surface 200, and the through holes 130 of the top surface 200 of the support frame 120 are numbered to assist the user in aligning the screws that need to be inserted to attach the upper circuit board 102 to the spacer elements 108 of the lower circuit board 104 shown in fig. 1A-1C. The top surface 200 of the support bracket 120 further includes a gear through hole 210 disposed near the center of the top surface 200, and a semi-circular slot 212 allows the indicator pin 214 to move laterally between an open position and a closed position, wherein the position of the indicator pin 214 indicates whether the connector assembly 110 is in the open position or the closed position. Two cover slots 220 are disposed near the two sides 122, 124 of the support frame 120, and the covers 138, 140 are suspended by pins passing through the cover slots 220. The cover plates 138, 140 include support elements attached to the latches, the support elements being attached to the side covers 222, and the side covers 222 being shaped to extend over the corresponding swivel rods 142, 144.

The bottom surface 202 of the support bracket 120 includes a plurality of pins arranged in a particular array. The right and left cover bearing frames 240 and 242 are suspended between the support frame 120 and the upper circuit board 102, and the right and left cover bearing frames 240 and 242 are suspended by inserting the latch 230 into the engaging groove 244. The cap holders 240 and 242 each include a through hole 246 that is identically threaded to the through hole 130 of the support bracket 120. The right cap frame 240 includes a side portion 250 with the side portion 250 supporting the handle 134 and the latch attached to the cover plate 138 and an opposite side portion 252 including a rack extension 254 supporting a rack 256. The left cap frame 242 includes a side portion 260 with the side portion 260 supporting the handle 136 and the latch attached to the cover plate 138 and an opposite side portion 262 including a rack extension 264 supporting a rack 266.

The bottom surface 202 of the support frame 120 includes a gear 270, and the gear 270 is engaged with the rack 256 of the right cap holder 240 and the rack 266 of the left cap holder 242. Wherein the gear 270 is attached to the indicator latch 214, and thus, the gear causes the indicator latch 214 to rotate. In addition, the gear 270 includes screw holes 272 that allow screws to pass through the gear through holes 210 to lock the gear 270 to the support bracket 120. Moving the handle 136 or 134 causes the corresponding rack 256 or 266 to rotate the gear 270, which in turn moves the other rack 256 or 266. The cap holders 240, 242 may be moved to a closed position such that the through-holes 246 are aligned with the through-holes 130 of the support bracket 120, thereby allowing insertion or removal of screws. The cap holders 240, 242 may also be moved to an open position blocking the through-holes 130, preventing screws from being inserted through the upper circuit board 102.

The bottom surface 202 of the support frame 120 further comprises a plurality of mounting pins 280, wherein the mounting pins 280 are located in various regions of the bottom surface 202, such that the plurality of mounting pins 280 do not affect the movement of the cover frames 240, 242. In addition, the upper circuit board 102 has mounting slots 282 corresponding to the mounting latches 280, and when the support bracket 120 is attached to the upper circuit board 102, the mounting slots 282 and the mounting latches 280 are aligned.

Fig. 2C is a schematic bottom view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the utility model engaged with an upper circuit board. As shown at partial enlargement 284, the mounting slot 282 has a rounded end 286 that allows entry of the head of the mounting latch 280 and an opposite narrow end 288. When the mounting latches 280 are inserted into the corresponding mounting slots 282, the connector assembly 110 is moved and the mounting latches 280 are moved from the rounded end 286 into the narrow end 288, causing the mounting latches 280 to be locked into the mounting slots 282, as shown at 290 in FIG. 2D, which is partially enlarged. The connector assembly 100 may be separated from the circuit board 102 by moving the connector assembly 100 such that the mounting latches 280 are moved into the rounded end 286 of the mounting slots 282.

Fig. 3A to 3C show the closed position in detail. Fig. 3A to 3C are a top view, a top perspective view and a side sectional view of a connector assembly in a closed position allowing screws to be installed for joining upper and lower circuit boards according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the same elements in fig. 3A to 3C as those in fig. 2A to 2D are labeled with the same numerals, respectively. The closed position allows the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 of fig. 1A-1C to be finally assembled. As shown in fig. 3A to 3C, the left and right cover bearing frames 240 and 242 face the corresponding two side surfaces 122 and 124 of the supporting frame 120, so that the side cover 222 of the cover plate 138 is located above the rotating rod 142, and the side cover 222 of the cover plate 138 can prevent the rotating rod 142 from rotating, and thus the rotating rod 142 is kept at the locking position and cannot be rotated to the unlocking position. Similarly, the side cover 222 of the side cover plate 140 is located above the rotating rod 144, so that the side cover 222 of the side cover plate 140 can prevent the rotating rod 144 from rotating, and the rotating rod 144 is kept at the locking position and cannot be rotated to the unlocking position.

To engage to the closed position, a user may grasp either of the handles 134 or 136 and push the handle 134 or 136 to the outer end of the handle slot 132, causing the corresponding cap bearing bracket 240 or 242 to rotate the gear 270 and, in turn, move the other cap bearing bracket 242 or 240 through the gear mechanism. Once in the closed position, the indicator latch 214 is moved by the gear 270 in the semi-circular slot 212 to place the connector assembly 110 in the closed position with the screw holes 272 of the gear 270 aligned with the gear through holes 210 of the support bracket 120, and then screws may be inserted through the gear through holes 210 and screw holes 272 to lock the gears, with the cover brackets 240, 242 locked in the closed position.

In this manner, the through holes 246 of the cover bearing frames 240, 242 are aligned with the through holes 130 of the support frame 120, so that screws can be passed through the through holes 130 and 246 to connect the upper circuit board 102 to the spacer element 108, as shown in fig. 1A to 1C.

If the user wants to detach the upper circuit board 102 from the lower circuit board 104, the user can remove all the screws of the upper circuit board 102 locked to the spacer elements 108 of the lower circuit board 104, and the screws can be removed through the first through holes 130 and the locking holes 210 of the top surface 200 of the supporting frame 120. Once the screw is removed, the connector assembly 110 may be moved to the open position by the handles 134 and 136 such that the connector 106 is disconnected, as shown in fig. 1A-1B.

Fig. 4A to 4C illustrate the open position in detail, and fig. 4A to 4C are a schematic top view, a schematic top perspective view and a schematic side view respectively illustrating the connector assembly in an open position and in a state allowing the upper and lower circuit boards to be separated according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the same elements in fig. 4A to 4C as those in fig. 2A to 2D are labeled with the same numerals. As shown in fig. 4A-4C, the right and left cap stock 240, 242 are removed from the sides 122, 124 of the support bracket 120 by the handle 134 or 136. Therefore, the side cover 222 of the cover plate 138 is disposed away from the rotating rod 142, and the rotating rod 142 can be rotated to the unlocking position as the lateral cover plate 138 moves away from the rotating rod 142. Meanwhile, the side cover 222 of the cover plate 140 is disposed away from the rotating lever 144, and the side cover plate 140 is moved inward to allow the rotating lever 144 to be rotated to the unlocking position. As a result, the rotating levers 142 and 144 are rotated to the unlocked position and the latches in the L-shaped slots 164, 166 of the side brackets 160, 162 are moved, such that the connectors at the bottom of the upper circuit board 102 are disconnected from the board-to-board connectors 106 of the lower circuit board 104, as shown in fig. 1A-1B.

In order that all screws may be engaged to the open position after being removed from the through holes 130 and the gear through hole 210, a user may grasp either of the handles 134 or 136 to move the handle 134 or 136 to the inner end of the handle slot 132 to cause the cap housing 240 or 242 to rotate the gear 270 and, in turn, move the other cap housing 240 or 242 through the gear mechanism. Once in the open position, the indicator pin 214 moves within the semi-circular slot 212 to place the connector assembly 100 in the open position, with all of the alignment holes 130 blocked by the cap holder 240 or 242, thereby preventing screws from being inserted through the upper circuit board 102 when the connector assembly 110 is in the open position.

Fig. 5A-5C are side cross-sectional views illustrating an initial sequence of locking and unlocking rotation levers 142 and 144 for attaching upper circuit board 102 to lower circuit board 104 via connector assembly 110, wherein like elements in fig. 5A-5C are labeled with like numerals as in fig. 1A-1C. As shown in fig. 5A, the rotating lever 144 of the connector assembly 110 is rotated to the unlocked position, and thus, the handle 136 and the cover plate 140 attached to the cover bracket 242 have been moved toward the center of the support bracket 120 to the open position.

The upper circuit board 102 and attached connector assembly 110 may be lowered to the lower circuit board 104, the bottom of the upper circuit board 102 includes a plurality of connectors 510, and the connectors 510 may mate with the board-to-board connectors 106 of the lower circuit board 104. The upper circuit board 102 has a plurality of locking holes or screw holes 512, each locking hole or screw hole 512 being aligned with a position of a spacer element 108 extending from the lower circuit board 104, and the side plates 128 of the support bracket 120 are inserted to align with the side brackets 162 of the lower circuit board 104 when the board-to-board connector 106 is mated with the connector 510. Two movable latches 514, 516 extending from the side plate 128 are inserted into the L-shaped slots 164, 166 corresponding to the side brackets 162.

As shown in fig. 5B, once the upper circuit board 102 is lowered onto the lower circuit board 104, the rotating lever 144 may be rotated. The rotating rod 144 rotates and is connected to a gear mechanism of the side plate 128 that moves the latches 514, 516 to a locked position in the L-shaped slots 164, 166. As shown in fig. 5C, when the rotating lever 144 is rotated to the full locking position, the side plates 128 are fixed to the side brackets 162 by the latches 514, 516, thereby ensuring that the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 are connected together. Screws may then be inserted to attach the spacer element 108 to the upper circuit board 102. The other pivot bar 142 operates in a similar manner to connect the side plate 126 with the side bracket 160.

Fig. 6A to 6C illustrate a perspective view of a sequence of closed and open positions of the connector assembly 110 that allows removal of screws when the upper circuit board 102 is detached from the lower circuit board 104. Fig. 6A illustrates the connector assembly 110 in a closed position and allows the screw 610 to be inserted into or removed from the first through hole 130 of the support bracket 120. In the closed position, the through-holes 130 of the support bracket 120 are aligned with the second through-holes 246 of the cover bearing frame 242 so that the screws 610 can be inserted through the locking holes 512 in the upper circuit board 102 and into the corresponding holes 612 of the spacer element 108. Wherein each spacer element 108 includes a pin 614 that can be secured to a pin hole 620 of the lower circuit board 104 and the board-to-board connector 106 mates with the connector 510 on the bottom side of the upper circuit board 102.

With the through holes 130, 246 aligned in the closed position, the screw 610 may be removed from the upper circuit board 102. Alternatively, the screws may be inserted into the penetrating holes 130, 246 after the upper circuit board 102 is engaged with the lower circuit board 104 by the rotation of the rotating rods 142 and 144 to return to the locked position as shown in fig. 2A. Fig. 6B illustrates the removal of the screws 610 from the through holes 130, 246 and the holes 612 of the spacer elements, and once all of the screws 610 have been removed, the cap bearing frame 242 may be moved to the open position.

Fig. 6C illustrates the connector assembly 110 in an open position and prevents screws from being inserted into the first through holes 130 of the support bracket 120. As shown in fig. 6C, the cap holder 242 has been moved such that the through-holes 246 of the cap holder 242 are not aligned with the through-holes 130 of the support bracket 120. To move the cap holder 242 to the open position, all screws connecting the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 must be removed.

An advantage of the connector assembly 110 of embodiments of the present invention is that the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 can be separated only when all of the screws connecting the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 are removed, thereby preventing damage to the circuit boards caused by an improper disassembly process. In addition, the connector assembly 110 allows the user to clearly know which screws should be installed or removed when assembling or disassembling the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104, and therefore, the user does not have to look at the specifications and inadvertently damage the circuit board structure. Screws locked to the upper circuit board 102 are utilized to limit the movement of the cap holders 242 and 244 to ensure that the cap holders 242 and 244 can only be moved after all screws have been removed, so that the upper circuit board 102 can only be removed from the lower circuit board 104 after all screws have been removed.

Although the disclosed embodiments have been illustrated and described with respect to one or more embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the utility model upon reading and understanding this specification and the drawings. In addition, while a particular feature of the utility model may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

It is to be understood that while various embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention, as many variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model as defined in the appended claims. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the utility model should be defined in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (10)

1. A connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board, the upper circuit board including a locking hole connected to the lower circuit board by a fastening member, the connector assembly comprising:

a supporting frame, which is provided with a first penetrating hole aligned with the fastening hole of the upper circuit board and is arranged above the upper circuit board;

a cover frame having a second through hole suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board, the cover frame being movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the first through hole is aligned with the second through hole, and wherein the cover frame blocks communication between the first through hole of the support frame and the fastening hole of the upper circuit board.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper circuit board includes a connector that is mateable with a board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the support bracket includes a side plate, the side plate contacting the lower circuit board.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3, wherein the side plate includes a pivot bar attached to a connection mechanism for engaging a side bracket of the lower circuit board to pivot the pivot bar between a locked position and an unlocked position.

5. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the cover bracket includes a cover plate that extends through the support bracket, wherein the cover plate extends over the pivot bar when the cover plate is in the open position to prevent the pivot bar from being rotated to the unlocked position.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastening element comprises one or more screws.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the support includes an indicator pin for indicating the open position and the closed position.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a handle connected to the carrier and extending through a handle slot in the carrier.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a gear;

and the other cover bearing frame comprises a rack meshed with the gear, wherein the cover bearing frame comprises a rack meshed with the gear.

10. A multiple circuit board system, comprising:

a lower circuit board having a plurality of spacing elements;

an upper circuit board having a plurality of locking holes, each of the plurality of locking holes being aligned with one of the plurality of spacer elements of the lower circuit board;

the connector assembly comprises a supporting frame arranged above the upper circuit board, a first cover bearing frame and a second cover bearing frame suspended between the supporting frame and the upper circuit board, wherein the supporting frame is provided with a plurality of first through holes, the first cover bearing frame and the second cover bearing frame are provided with a plurality of second through holes, the first cover bearing frame and the second cover bearing frame are provided with a closed position relative to the supporting frame, the plurality of first through holes are aligned with the plurality of second through holes, each first cover bearing frame and each second cover bearing frame are provided with an open position, and the first cover bearing frame and the second cover bearing frame block the through connection between the plurality of first through holes of the supporting frame and the plurality of locking holes of the upper circuit board.

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