CN220858683U

CN220858683U - Locking mechanism and electronic system

Info

Publication number: CN220858683U
Application number: CN202321988522.8U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄鹏
Original assignee: Amphenol Commercial Products Chengdu Co Ltd
Current assignee: Amphenol Commercial Products Chengdu Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-07-26
Filing date: 2023-07-26
Publication date: 2024-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2033-07-26

Abstract

The application relates to a locking mechanism and an electronic system, the locking mechanism (1) comprising a fixed part (10) and a rotatable part (20) rotatably connectable to the fixed part (10), wherein the rotatable part (20) comprises a cylindrical part (230) extending in a vertical direction (Z) and a stop part (240) protruding from at least a part of an upper part of the cylindrical part (230), the fixed part (10) comprises a cylindrical part (110) formed extending in the vertical direction (Z), the cylindrical part (110) is sleeved outside the cylindrical part (230) of the rotatable part (20) such that the cylindrical part (230) can rotate relative to the cylindrical part (110), thereby enabling the locking mechanism (1) to switch between a locking position (A) and an unlocking position (B).

Description

Locking mechanism and electronic system

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of electronic systems, and in particular to a locking mechanism for a printed circuit board and an electronic system comprising such a locking mechanism.

Background

This section provides background information related to the application, but such information does not necessarily constitute prior art.

Electronic systems (e.g., smartphones, tablets, desktops, digital cameras) can be manufactured as a collection of individual electronic components that are connected together by electrical connectors. For example, known electronic systems have circuit boards commonly referred to as "motherboards. A number of electronic components are mounted on the motherboard. For example, in a server, the motherboard may contain a processor and support chips. Other electronic components, such as solid state memory, may be mounted on another circuit board separate from the motherboard, this circuit board commonly referred to as a "daughter card" or "subassembly. One end of the daughter card may be inserted into a slot of an electrical connector mounted on the motherboard to make electrical connection with the electronic components on the motherboard. The other end of the daughter card needs to be fixed relative to the motherboard, otherwise, the connection between the daughter card and the electrical connector is easy to loosen, so that the connection between the daughter card and the motherboard is unstable, and the performance of transmitting signals and/or power between the daughter card and the motherboard is affected.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a locking mechanism that is easy and reliable to operate to hold the other end of the daughter card stationary relative to the motherboard.

Disclosure of utility model

This section provides a general summary of the application, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In view of the problems with the conventional techniques described above, there is a need for an improved locking mechanism that overcomes or mitigates all or at least some of the above-described technical problems.

The present application provides a locking mechanism that may include a fixed member and a rotatable member rotatably connectable to the fixed member, wherein the rotatable member may include a columnar portion extending in a vertical direction and a stopper portion protruding from at least a part of an upper portion of the columnar portion, the fixed member may include a cylindrical portion formed to extend in the vertical direction, and the cylindrical portion may be sleeved outside the columnar portion of the rotatable member such that the columnar portion is rotatable with respect to the cylindrical portion, thereby enabling the locking mechanism to be switched between a locked position and an unlocked position.

The locking mechanism provided by the application has the advantages of small volume, simple and compact structure and easy operation, and a user can quickly install and detach the locking mechanism without using additional tools. Furthermore, the locking mechanism is reusable, cost-effective. The user can flexibly control the locking mechanism to enable the locking mechanism to be switched between the locking position and the unlocking position, and the operation efficiency is high.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the rotatable member may include a distal end portion provided with the stopper portion, a proximal end portion opposite to the distal end portion, and a connection flange portion provided between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, a guide portion may be provided at an upper portion of the connection flange portion, the guide portion including a guide surface extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction and first and second stopper portions extending in the vertical direction, and the guide portion may be formed as a semi-annular step portion; the cylindrical portion may include a protrusion portion that is movable along the guide surface between a first stop portion and a second stop portion during rotation of the cylindrical portion relative to the cylindrical portion, the protrusion portion abutting the first stop portion with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position; when the locking mechanism is in the locked position, the protruding portion abuts against the second stopper portion.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the first stopper and the second stopper may be spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the application, the connection flange portion may include a groove provided near the second stopper portion, the groove extending through the connection flange portion in a vertical direction.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the stopper of the rotatable member may protrude toward a side where the guide is located in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and be tapered in a direction away from the rotation axis of the rotatable member.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the cylindrical portion may be formed to have a substantially square shape, a central axis of the cylindrical portion may be coincident with a rotation axis of the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall in a lateral direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the protruding portion may be provided at a central portion of an upper edge portion of the first sidewall and protrude toward an inner side of the cylindrical portion.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the cylindrical portion may include a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall opposite the third sidewall in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the lateral direction, the third sidewall may be provided with a first cantilever portion and a second cantilever portion, each of the first cantilever portion and the second cantilever portion may extend along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction and be spaced apart from each other, and the first cantilever portion may be disposed above the second cantilever portion in the vertical direction.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the first and second cantilever portions may have the following sectional shapes in a section perpendicular to the vertical direction: semi-circular, trapezoidal, fan-shaped, square, or irregularly shaped.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the fixing member may further include a first elastic leg extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the first sidewall, and a second elastic leg extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the second sidewall, the first and second elastic legs being mirrored about a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction and passing through a lateral central axis of the fixing member, and the rotatable member may be provided with first and second engagement portions associated with the first and second elastic legs.

One of the first and second resilient legs is engaged with the first engagement portion and the other of the first and second resilient legs is engaged with the second engagement portion with the locking mechanism in the unlocked or locked position.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the first elastic leg may include a first end portion connected to the lower edge portion of the first side wall, a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, and an arch portion provided between the first end portion and the second end portion, the second end portion of the first elastic leg being engaged with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion of the rotatable member with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position or the locked position.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the application, the second end of the first resilient leg may be provided with a first concave portion and the second end of the second resilient leg may be provided with a second concave portion; and the first engagement portion of the rotatable member may include a first convex portion disposed near the proximal end, and the second engagement portion of the rotatable member may include a second convex portion disposed near the proximal end, the first convex portion and the second convex portion being disposed 180 degrees apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the rotatable member, wherein one of the first concave portion and the second concave portion engages with the first convex portion and the other of the first concave portion and the second concave portion engages with the second convex portion with the locking mechanism in the locked position or the unlocked position.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, a bar-shaped portion extending downward in the vertical direction may be formed at a lower edge portion of the fourth sidewall of the cylindrical portion, and a free end portion of the bar-shaped portion may be in contact with and slide past the first or second convex portion during rotation of the rotatable member relative to the fixed member.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, a plurality of protruding ribs are provided near the proximal end portion of the rotatable member, the plurality of protruding ribs being arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the columnar portion of the rotatable member and protruding outward in the radial direction, the plurality of protruding ribs being provided radially inward of the columnar portion in a projection of the lock mechanism perpendicular to the vertical direction.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the columnar portion may include a mounting portion disposed between the connection flange portion and the protruding rib in the vertical direction, and the connection flange portion and the protruding rib extend beyond an outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion in the radial direction.

According to some example embodiments of the application, the rotatable member may be configured to be electrically insulating and the stationary member may be configured to be electrically conductive.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, there is provided an electronic system, which may include: a first printed circuit board; a second printed circuit board; and a locking mechanism that may be configured to releasably retain the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board, wherein the first printed circuit board may include a recess provided at a first end of the first printed circuit board into which the locking mechanism is inserted, and the second printed circuit board may include an opening into which the locking mechanism is inserted. The locking mechanism is rotatably switchable between a locked position in which the locking mechanism can be inserted through the recess of the first printed circuit board and the opening of the second printed circuit board and is non-removable with respect to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board to hold the first end of the first printed circuit board fixed with respect to the second printed circuit board; in the unlocked position, the locking mechanism may be removably inserted through the recess of the first printed circuit board and the opening of the second printed circuit board, and the first end of the first printed circuit board is not fixed relative to the second printed circuit board.

By the electronic system provided by the application, a user can keep the first printed circuit board fixed relative to the second printed circuit board in a releasable manner through the locking mechanism, no additional tools and/or processes are needed, and the operation process is simple and reliable. The locking mechanism can be conveniently installed and disassembled, can be reused, saves manufacturing materials and reduces cost. In addition, the connection stability and efficient signal transmission between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board can be ensured by the locking mechanism.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the locking mechanism may include a rotatable member, the rotatable member may include a column portion extending in a vertical direction and a stopper portion protruding from at least a portion of an upper portion of the column portion, the rotatable member may be rotatable such that at least a portion of the stopper portion extends beyond the notch in a horizontal direction on an upper surface of the first printed circuit board to prevent the first end of the first printed circuit board from moving in the vertical direction, thereby placing the locking mechanism in the locked position, and the rotatable member may be rotatable such that the stopper portion is away from the upper surface of the first printed circuit board, thereby placing the locking mechanism in the unlocked position.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the locking mechanism may include a fixing member, the fixing member may include a cylindrical portion formed to extend in a vertical direction, the cylindrical portion may be sleeved outside the cylindrical portion of the rotatable member such that the cylindrical portion is rotatable with respect to the cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion is disposed between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board with the locking mechanism inserted through the recess of the first printed circuit board and the opening of the second printed circuit board.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the rotatable member may include a distal end portion provided with the stopper portion, a proximal end portion opposite to the distal end portion, and a connection flange portion provided between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, a guide portion may be provided at an upper portion of the connection flange portion, the guide portion may include a guide surface extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction and first and second stopper portions extending in the vertical direction, and the guide portion is formed as a semi-annular step portion. The cylindrical portion may include a protrusion that is movable along the guide surface between a first stop and a second stop during rotation of the cylindrical portion relative to the cylindrical portion, the protrusion being abuttable against the first stop when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position and the protrusion being abuttable against the second stop when the locking mechanism is in the locked position.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the first stopper and the second stopper may be spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in a circumferential direction of the pillar portion.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the connection flange portion may include a groove provided near the second stopper portion, the groove extending through the connection flange portion in a vertical direction.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the stopper portion of the rotatable member protrudes toward a side where the guide portion is located in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and is tapered in a direction away from the rotation axis of the rotatable member.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the cylindrical portion may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall in a lateral direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the protrusion may be disposed at a central portion of an upper edge portion of the first sidewall and protrude toward an inner side of the cylindrical portion.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the cylindrical portion may include a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall opposite the third sidewall in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the lateral direction, the third sidewall may be provided with a first cantilever portion and a second cantilever portion, each of which extends along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction and is spaced apart from each other, and the first cantilever portion may be disposed above the second cantilever portion in the vertical direction, wherein the first cantilever portion may include a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the second cantilever portion may include a third surface opposite the second surface of the first cantilever portion, and a fourth surface opposite the third surface, and the first surface of the first cantilever portion may abut against a lower surface of the first printed circuit board and the fourth surface of the second cantilever portion may abut against an upper surface of the second printed circuit board with the locking mechanism inserted through the notch of the first printed circuit board and the opening of the second printed circuit board.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the first and second cantilever portions may have the following sectional shapes in a section perpendicular to the vertical direction: semi-circular, trapezoidal, fan-shaped, square, or irregularly shaped.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the fixing member may further include a first elastic leg extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the first side wall, and a second elastic leg extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the second side wall, the first and second elastic legs being mirror images with respect to a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction and passing through a lateral center axis of the fixing member, the rotatable member may be provided with first and second engaging portions associated with the first and second elastic legs, one of the first and second elastic legs being engaged with the first engaging portion and the other of the first and second elastic legs being engaged with the second engaging portion with the locking mechanism in the unlocked or locked position.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the first elastic leg may include a first end portion connected to the lower edge portion of the first sidewall, a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, and an arch portion disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion, and the second end portion of the first elastic leg may be engaged with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion of the rotatable member with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position or the locked position.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the second end of the first elastic leg may be provided with a first concave portion, and the second end of the second elastic leg may be provided with a second concave portion; the first engagement portion of the rotatable member may include a first male portion disposed at the proximal end, the second engagement portion of the rotatable member may include a second male portion disposed at the proximal end, the first and second male portions may be disposed 180 degrees apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the rotatable member, wherein one of the first and second female portions engages the first male portion and the other of the first and second female portions engages the second male portion with the locking mechanism in the locked or unlocked position.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, a bar-shaped portion extending downward in the vertical direction may be formed at a lower edge portion of the fourth sidewall of the cylindrical portion, and a free end portion of the bar-shaped portion may be capable of contacting and sliding past the first or second convex portion during rotation of the rotatable member with respect to the fixed member.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, a plurality of protruding ribs may be provided near the proximal end portion of the rotatable member, the plurality of protruding ribs being arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the columnar portion of the rotatable member and protruding outward in the radial direction, an upper surface of the protruding ribs in the vertical direction being at least partially in contact with a lower surface of the second printed circuit board with the locking mechanism inserted through the opening of the second printed circuit board.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the pillar portion may include a mounting portion corresponding to the opening of the second printed circuit board, the mounting portion may be disposed between the connection flange portion and the protruding rib in a vertical direction, an inner surface of the opening of the second printed circuit board may include a plurality of rotation limiting portions capable of contacting an outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion, at least one of the rotation limiting portions may be formed to have an arc shape, and a dimension of the mounting portion in the vertical direction may be disposed to correspond to a thickness of the second printed circuit board.

In the electronic system according to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, the opening of the second printed circuit board may have a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion perpendicular to the first elongated portion, and in a case where the locking mechanism is inserted through the opening of the second printed circuit board and is in the unlocking position or the locking position, a dimension of the locking mechanism in the lateral direction may correspond to a dimension of the first elongated portion in the lateral direction, and in a projection of the electronic system perpendicular to the vertical direction, the strip-shaped portion of the fixing member is arranged in the second elongated portion of the opening.

In an electronic system according to some example embodiments of the application, the rotatable component may be configured to be electrically insulating and the stationary component configured to be electrically conductive; the first printed circuit board may include a first conductive portion disposed on a lower surface of the first printed circuit board and adjacent to the recess, and with the locking mechanism inserted through the recess of the first printed circuit board and the opening of the second printed circuit board, the first surface of the first cantilever portion of the securing member engages with and establishes electrical contact with the first conductive portion.

The second printed circuit board may include a second conductive portion disposed on an upper surface of the second printed circuit board and adjacent to the opening, and the fourth surface of the second cantilever portion of the securing member may engage and establish electrical contact with the second conductive portion with the locking mechanism inserted through the recess of the first printed circuit board and the opening of the second printed circuit board.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the application taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The same or corresponding technical features or elements will be denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals throughout the drawings. The dimensions and relative positioning of the various elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a first printed circuit board of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a schematic top view of an electronic system in an unlocked position according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a schematic top view of an electronic system in a locked position according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the application.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a locking mechanism of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a locking mechanism of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a fixed part of a locking mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a fixing member of the locking mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

Fig. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a rotatable component of a locking mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view from another perspective of a rotatable component of a locking mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 13 is a schematic side view of an electronic system in a locked position, wherein only a portion of a second printed circuit board and a locking mechanism are shown, according to an exemplary embodiment of the application.

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, taken along section line C-C in fig. 13, wherein only a portion of the second printed circuit board and the locking mechanism are shown.

Detailed Description

The application will be described in detail below with the aid of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the exemplary embodiments of the present application are intended to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to readily implement the application, and that the embodiments of the present application may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Accordingly, the following detailed description of the application is for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limiting of the application in any way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same parts throughout the various figures. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

It should also be noted that, for the sake of clarity, not all features of an actual specific implementation are described and shown in the specification and drawings, and, in order to avoid unnecessary detail from obscuring the technical solutions of interest to the present application, only device structures closely related to the technical solutions of the present application are described and shown in the drawings and the specification, and other details not greatly related to the technical content of the present application and known to those skilled in the art are omitted.

Next, exemplary embodiments of the electronic system and the locking mechanism thereof according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and conciseness of description, the lateral direction Y, the horizontal direction X, and the vertical direction Z are labeled in the figures. The transverse direction Y, the horizontal direction X and the vertical direction Z are mutually perpendicular. The vertical direction Z generally refers to the insertion direction of the locking mechanism through the first and second printed circuit boards. The horizontal direction X generally refers to the lengthwise direction of the first printed circuit board or the second printed circuit board.

It should be understood that the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "front," "rear," and the like indicate or are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are merely for convenience in describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present application.

The locking mechanism according to exemplary embodiments of the present application may be used to hold and release a subassembly to and from an electronic system without the need for additional tools and/or processes. The subassembly (also referred to herein as a first printed circuit board) may include an Add-in Card (Add-in Card) that may be used for various functions, such as a Solid State Drive (SSD) Card, a wireless communication Card, a radio frequency module, and the like. One end of the card may be inserted into an electrical connector mounted on a second printed circuit board (e.g., motherboard) and the other end of the card is on the distal side of the electrical connector. The technical aspects described herein may allow for retaining and releasing cards of various sizes without the need for additional tools and/or processes.

Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are not meant to limit the application in any way.

Fig. 1-6 schematically illustrate an electronic system 100 according to some example embodiments of the application. As shown in fig. 1 to 6, the electronic system 100 includes a first printed circuit board 3, a second printed circuit board 5, an electrical connector 7, and a locking mechanism 1.

The first printed circuit board 3 may also be referred to as "first printed circuit board" or "first PCB", which may be, for example, a daughter card or a plug-in card such as a Solid State Drive (SSD) card, a wireless communication card, a radio frequency module, or the like. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first printed circuit board 3 may include a first end 31, a second end 32 opposite to the first end 31, an upper surface 3a, and a lower surface 3b. The upper surface 3a and the lower surface 3b may be opposite to each other and substantially parallel. The first printed circuit board 3 may further include a conductive portion (e.g., a conductive pad) 33 disposed at or near an edge of the first printed circuit board 3 at the second end 32, and may include a recess 301 disposed at a substantially central position of the first end 31. The recess 301 may extend through the first printed circuit board 3 from the upper surface 3a to the lower surface 3b.

The second printed circuit board 5 may also be referred to as "second printed circuit board" or "second PCB", which may be a motherboard, for example. As shown in fig. 2, the second printed circuit board 5 may include an upper surface 5a and a lower surface 5b. The upper surface 5a and the lower surface 5b may be opposite to each other and substantially parallel. The second printed circuit board 5 may further include a conductive portion provided on the upper surface 5 a. The conductive portion may be, for example, a conductive pad or a conductive via. As will be described in detail below, the conductive portions are configured for connection with an electrical connector 7. The second printed circuit board 5 may further comprise at least one opening 501.

In fig. 1 and 2 two openings 501, 502 are shown. It should be understood that the number of openings may be provided as one, two or more openings may be provided, and the structure of the plurality of openings may be the same but at different distances from the electrical connector. As will be described in more detail below, providing the second printed circuit board 5 with a plurality of openings may enable the second printed circuit board 5 to mate with daughter cards of different lengths. Each opening 501 may extend through the second printed circuit board 5 from the upper surface 5a to the lower surface 5b. That is, each opening 501 extends through the second printed circuit board 5.

The electrical connector 7 may be configured to connect the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5 to enable signal and/or power transmission between the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5 are configured to be disposed in an orientation substantially parallel to each other such that an upper surface 5a of the second printed circuit board 5 and a lower surface 3b of the first printed circuit board 3 face each other and are substantially parallel, and such that the lower surface 5b of the second printed circuit board 5 and the upper surface 3a of the first printed circuit board 3 face each other and are substantially parallel.

As shown in fig. 2, the electrical connector 7 may include a housing 71, a plurality of conductive terminals 72 disposed in the housing 71, a mounting engagement 73, and a mating engagement 74. The electrical connector 7 may be configured to be mounted on the upper surface 5a of the second printed circuit board 5 at the mounting interface 73 such that the plurality of conductive terminals 72 establish electrical connection with conductive portions on the upper surface 5a at the mounting interface 73. For example, in the case where the conductive portion of the second printed circuit board 5 is a conductive pad, the plurality of conductive terminals 72 may be soldered on the conductive pad by a surface mounting technique. Further, in the case where the conductive portion of the second printed circuit board 5 is a conductive through hole, the plurality of conductive terminals 72 may be press-fitted in the conductive through hole.

The electrical connector 7 may also be configured to mate with the first printed circuit board 3 at the mating interface 74 such that the plurality of conductive terminals 72 establish electrical connection with the conductive portions 33 of the first printed circuit board 3 at the mating interface 74. In some embodiments, the housing 71 of the electrical connector 7 may include a slot 71a at the mating interface 74, and the contact portions of the plurality of conductive terminals 72 may be exposed in the slot 71 a. The second end 32 of the first printed circuit board 3 may be inserted into the slot 71a of the electrical connector 7 such that the contact portions of the plurality of conductive terminals 72 establish electrical contact with the conductive portions 33 of the first printed circuit board 3. In this way, the electrical connector 7 is able to mechanically and electrically connect the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5 to enable signal and/or power transmission between the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5. The electrical connector 7 is capable of holding the second end 32 of the first printed circuit board 3 relative to the second printed circuit board 5.

It should be understood that although the electrical connector 7 is shown as a single piece connector, the particular form of the electrical connector 7 is not limited thereto. For example, the electrical connector 7 may be a two-piece connector including a plug connector and a receptacle connector. Furthermore, it should be understood that the electrical connector 7 may include any suitable mechanism or feature that facilitates securing the electrical connector 7 to the second printed circuit board 5 and/or any suitable mechanism or feature that facilitates connecting the first printed circuit board 3 to the electrical connector 7.

The locking mechanism 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application may be configured to hold the first printed circuit board 3 to the second printed circuit board 5 and release the first printed circuit board 3 from the second printed circuit board 5. Such a locking mechanism 1 can help to reliably hold the first printed circuit board 3 to the second printed circuit board 5 to improve the connection stability between the first printed circuit board 3, the electrical connector 7, and the second printed circuit board 5, and can realize the assembly of the first printed circuit board 3 to the second printed circuit board 5 and the disassembly of the first printed circuit board 3 from the second printed circuit board 5.

The locking mechanism 1 enables the first end 31 of the first printed circuit board 3 to be releasably held to the second printed circuit board 5, and the second end 32 of the first printed circuit board 3 is electrically connected to the second printed circuit board 5 through the electrical connector 7, thereby improving the connection reliability and stability of the first printed circuit board 3, the electrical connector 7, and the second printed circuit board 5.

It should be understood that the locking mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application may be used to lock two first and second plates arranged parallel to each other, which are not limited to the printed circuit board described in the exemplary embodiment.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 6, the locking mechanism 1 is rotatable between a locking position a (shown in fig. 5) in which the locking mechanism 1 is inserted through the recess 301 of the first printed circuit board 3 and the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5 and is non-removable with respect to the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5 to hold the first end 31 of the first printed circuit board 3 fixed with respect to the second printed circuit board 5, and an unlocking position B (shown in fig. 4); in the unlocking position B, the locking mechanism 1 can be inserted in a removable manner through the recess 301 of the first printed circuit board 3 and the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5, and the first end 31 of the first printed circuit board 3 is not fixed relative to the second printed circuit board 5.

As shown in fig. 7, 8, 11 and 12, the lock mechanism 1 includes the rotatable member 20, the rotatable member 20 includes the columnar portion 230 extending in the vertical direction and the stopper 240 protruding from at least a part of the upper portion of the columnar portion 230, and the rotatable member 20 can be rotated such that at least a part of the stopper 240 extends beyond the notch 301 in the horizontal direction on the upper surface of the first printed circuit board 3 to prevent the first end 31 of the first printed circuit board 3 from moving in the vertical direction Z, thereby bringing the lock mechanism 1 into the lock position a. The rotatable member 20 can be rotated such that the stopper 240 is away from the upper surface of the first printed circuit board 3, thereby bringing the locking mechanism 1 to the unlocking position B.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first printed circuit board 3 may be fixed to the second circuit board 5 and the first printed circuit board 3 (e.g., a sub-assembly) may be removed from the second printed circuit board 5 (e.g., a motherboard) by rotating the rotatable component 20 of the locking mechanism 1 without additional tools and/or processes. The locking mechanism according to exemplary embodiments of the present application is compact and small in footprint, and generally has a low profile, such as a profile of approximately 4.3mm X4.3mm X6.7mm.

In the related art, the locking mechanism 1 is generally fixed to a second printed circuit board (e.g., a main board) by, for example, screwing or soldering, and is fixed to the main board using a tool occupying a large space, the fixing operation is complicated and is not easily detachable after the fixing, and the locking mechanism in the related art cannot be reused and cannot be adapted to sub-assemblies having different lengths. Compared with the related art, the locking mechanism is convenient for a user to operate, can be mounted and dismounted efficiently, can be reused, fully utilizes production resources and reduces cost. The locking mechanism 1 ensures a stable connection and efficient signal transmission between the first printed circuit board 3, the electrical connector 7 and the second printed circuit board 5. In addition, the locking mechanism of the present application may be adapted to retain first printed circuit boards of different lengths secured to second printed circuit boards.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 7 to 10, the locking mechanism 1 includes a fixing member 10, the fixing member 10 includes a cylindrical portion 110 formed to extend in a vertical direction Z, the cylindrical portion 110 is sleeved outside a cylindrical portion 230 of the rotatable member 20 such that the cylindrical portion 230 can rotate relative to the cylindrical portion 110, and the cylindrical portion 110 is disposed between the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5 with the locking mechanism 1 inserted through a notch 301 of the first printed circuit board 3 and an opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 11 and 12, the rotatable member 20 includes a distal end 202 provided with a stopper 240, a proximal end 204 opposite to the distal end 202, and a connection flange portion 207 provided between the distal end 202 and the proximal end 204, a guide portion 21 is provided at an upper portion of the connection flange portion 207, the guide portion 21 includes a guide surface 270 extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, and first and second stoppers 210 and 211 extending in the vertical direction, and the guide portion 21 is formed as a semi-annular step.

The cylindrical portion 110 comprises a protruding portion 111, which protruding portion 111 is movable along the guiding surface 270 between the first stop portion 210 and the second stop portion 211 during rotation of the cylindrical portion 230 relative to the cylindrical portion 110, the protruding portion 111 being engaged with the first stop portion 210 in case the locking mechanism 1 is in the unlocked position B, and the protruding portion 111 being engaged with the second stop portion 211 in case the locking mechanism 1 is in the locked position a.

In some exemplary embodiments, the first stopper 210 and the second stopper 211 are spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in the circumferential direction of the pillar 230.

In some exemplary embodiments, the connection flange portion 207 includes a groove 29 (see fig. 11) provided near the second stopper 211, the groove 29 extending through the connection flange portion 207 in the vertical direction. During assembly of the rotatable part 20 with the stationary part 10, the recess 29 of the rotatable part 20 is arranged for insertion of the protrusion 111 therethrough, i.e. the protrusion 111 moves from a lower part of the recess 29 towards an upper part of the recess 29 and then into the guiding surface 270 of the guiding part 21. With this configuration, damage to the outer peripheral surface of the rotatable member 20 by the protrusion 111 during assembly and separation of the rotatable member 20 from the fixed member 10 is avoided.

In some exemplary embodiments, the stop 240 of the rotatable member 20 protrudes in the horizontal direction X toward the side on which the guide 21 is located, and is tapered in a direction away from the rotational axis of the rotatable member 20. For example, in one example, the stopper 240 has a drop-shaped shape in a cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction. The configuration of the stop takes up less space and facilitates manual operation by the operator.

It should be understood that the structure of the stopper 240 is not limited to the illustrated structure, but may be adjusted according to circumstances, for example, the stopper may be formed as a sector knob, a polygonal knob, a pointer-shaped knob, a profile knob, or the like.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 to 12, the cylindrical portion 110 is formed to have a substantially square shape, and a central axis of the cylindrical portion 110 coincides with the rotation axis E of the columnar portion 230. The cylindrical portion 110 includes a first side wall 11 and a second side wall 12 opposed to the first side wall 11 in a lateral direction Y perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, and a protruding portion 111 is provided at a central portion of an upper edge portion of the first side wall 11 and protrudes toward an inside of the cylindrical portion 110.

Further, the cylindrical portion 110 includes a third side wall 15 and a fourth side wall 16 opposed to the third side wall 15 in a horizontal direction X perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and the lateral direction Y, the third side wall 15 is provided with a first cantilever portion 17 and a second cantilever portion 19, the first cantilever portion 17 and the second cantilever portion 19 each extend along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and are spaced apart from each other, and the first cantilever portion 17 is disposed above the second cantilever portion 19 in the vertical direction.

As shown in fig. 9, the first cantilever portion 17 includes a first surface 171 and a second surface 173 opposite to the first surface, the second cantilever portion 19 includes a third surface 191 opposite to the second surface of the first cantilever portion 17, and a fourth surface 193 opposite to the third surface 191, the first surface 171 of the first cantilever portion 17 abuts against the lower surface 3b of the first printed circuit board 3 and the fourth surface 193 of the second cantilever portion 19 abuts against the upper surface 5a of the second printed circuit board 5 with the locking mechanism 1 inserted through the notch 301 of the first printed circuit board 3 and the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the first cantilever portion 17 and the second cantilever portion 19 have a semicircular shape in a cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction Z. The distance between the first cantilever portion 17 and the second cantilever portion 19 may be set equal to the distance between the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first cantilever portion 17, the second cantilever portion 19, and the third sidewall 15 may be formed as one piece, for example, by punching and bending a metal blank. It should be understood that the two cantilever portions and the third sidewall 15 may be formed independently of each other and the two cantilever portions may be detachably connected with the third sidewall 15. In addition, the interval between the first cantilever portion 17 and the second cantilever portion 19 may be set to be adjustable.

It should be understood that the size, spacing, location and arrangement of the first and second cantilever portions 17 and 19 are not limited to the particular embodiment illustrated and may be adjusted as practical. For example, the first cantilever portion 17 and the second cantilever portion 19 of the present application have the following sectional shapes in a section perpendicular to the vertical direction Z: trapezoid, sector, square or irregular shape.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, the fixing member 10 further includes a first elastic leg 112 extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the first sidewall 11, and a second elastic leg 114 extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the second sidewall 12, the first elastic leg 112 and the second elastic leg 114 being mirrored about a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction Y and passing through a lateral center axis of the fixing member 10. In some examples, the first resilient leg 112 is formed as one piece with the first sidewall 11 and the second resilient leg 114 is formed as one piece with the second sidewall 12.

It should be understood that the number, location and arrangement of the resilient legs of the fixing element 10 are not limited to the specific embodiment shown and may be adapted to the actual situation.

The rotatable member 20 is provided with first and second engagement portions associated with the first and second elastic legs 112, 114, with one of the first and second elastic legs 112, 114 engaged with the first engagement portion and the other of the first and second elastic legs 112, 114 engaged with the second engagement portion with the locking mechanism in the unlocked or locked position. With this configuration, the rotatable member 20 can be held stationary relative to the stationary member 10 when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked or locked position to avoid undesired rotation of the rotatable member 20.

In some exemplary embodiments, the first resilient leg 112 includes a first end connected to the lower edge portion of the first sidewall 11, a second end opposite the first end, and an arch disposed between the first end and the second end, the second end of the first resilient leg 112 mating with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion of the rotatable member 20 with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position or the locked position. The second elastic leg 114 may have substantially the same structure as the first elastic leg 112. The arch provided on each resilient leg facilitates shock and vibration absorption, facilitates secure engagement of the resilient leg with the rotatable member 20, and improves structural stability of the locking mechanism.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 7-12, the second end of the first resilient leg 112 is provided with a first concave portion 102 and the second end of the second resilient leg 114 is provided with a second concave portion 104. The first engagement portion of the rotatable member 20 includes a first male portion 205 disposed at the proximal end 204, the second engagement portion of the rotatable member 20 includes a second male portion 206 disposed at the proximal end 204, and the first male portion 205 and the second male portion 206 may be disposed 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the rotatable member 20. With the locking mechanism in the unlocked or unlocked position, one of the first and second female portions 102, 104 is engaged with the first male portion 205 and the other of the first and second female portions 102, 104 is engaged with the second male portion 206.

It should be appreciated that the manner in which the resilient legs of the present application engage the rotatable member 20 is not limited thereto, and that the first resilient leg and the second resilient leg may cooperate with the rotatable member 20 to hold the rotatable member 20 in place relative to the stationary member 10 when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked or unlocked position in any other suitable manner.

In some exemplary embodiments, a bar 161 extending downward in the vertical direction is formed at the lower edge portion of the fourth sidewall 16 of the cylindrical portion 110, and during rotation of the rotatable member 20 relative to the fixed member 10, a free end portion of the bar 161 may contact the first convex portion 205 or the second convex portion 206 and slide past the first convex portion 205 or the second convex portion 206.

For example, in switching the locking mechanism 1 from the unlocking position B to the locking position a, when the locking mechanism 1 is initially in the unlocking position B, the protruding portion 111 of the fixing member 10 abuts against the first stopper portion 210 of the guide portion 21, the first concave portion 102 of the first elastic leg portion 112 engages with the second convex portion 206, and the second concave portion 104 of the second elastic leg portion 114 engages with the first convex portion 205. When the operator begins to rotate the rotatable member 20 relative to the stationary member 10 in the counterclockwise direction F (see fig. 4), the first stop 210 moves away from the protrusion 111, the first female portion 102 disengages from the second male portion 206, and the second female portion 104 disengages from the first male portion 205. When the rotatable member 20 is rotated 90 degrees with respect to the fixed member 10, the free end of the bar 161 is in contact with the first convex portion 205 and generates a small amount of resistance so that the operator receives information that the rotatable member 20 is switching positions. The strip 161 slides past the first male portion 205 under continued applied force by the operator. The rotatable member 20 continues to rotate counterclockwise relative to the fixed member 10 until the protrusion 111 abuts against the second stopper 211 of the guide portion 21 (rotated about 180 degrees relative to the unlock position), thereby bringing the locking mechanism into the lock position. In this locked position a, the first female portion 102 of the first resilient leg 112 engages the first male portion 205 and the second female portion 104 of the second resilient leg 114 engages the second male portion 206 (as shown in fig. 7). The bar 161 provides the operator with rotational status information about the rotatable member 20 during switching of the locking mechanism 1 from the unlocked position B to the locked position a. If the operator does not feel that the strip 161 is touching the corresponding male portion, the operator may determine that: the rotatable member 20 may disengage from the mounting member 10. In this case, the operator can adjust the operation in time and make additional checks on the locking mechanism 1. It will be appreciated that the process of operating the locking mechanism 1 from the locked position a towards the unlocked position B is reversed from the locking process described above.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 6, 8, 11, and 12, a plurality of protruding ribs 209 are provided near the proximal end 204 of the rotatable member 20, the plurality of protruding ribs 209 being arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the columnar portion 230 of the rotatable member 20 and protruding outward in the radial direction. With the lock mechanism 1 inserted through the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5, the upper surfaces of the plurality of protruding ribs 209 in the vertical direction are at least partially in contact with the lower surface of the second printed circuit board 5, thereby tightly holding the lower surface of the second printed circuit board 5 to the protruding ribs 209. In some exemplary embodiments, in a cross section of the lock mechanism 1 perpendicular to the vertical direction Y, a plurality of protruding ribs 209 are provided radially inside the cylindrical portion 110. In other words, the outer contour shape of the plurality of protruding ribs 209 does not extend beyond the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 110 in the radial direction.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 11 and 12, three protruding ribs 209 are shown, two of the three protruding ribs 209 being disposed on opposite sides of the columnar portion 230 in the transverse direction Y and being mirrored about a plane perpendicular to the transverse direction Y and passing through the rotational axis E of the columnar portion 230. It should be understood that the size, number, location and arrangement of the protruding ribs are not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and may be adapted as the case may be.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 11 and 12, the pillar portion 230 includes a mounting portion 208 corresponding to the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5, the mounting portion 208 being disposed between the connection flange portion 207 and the protruding rib 209 in the vertical direction. As shown in fig. 13 and 14, the inner surface of the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5 includes a plurality of rotation limiting portions 53 in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion 208, at least one of the rotation limiting portions 53 is formed to have an arc shape, and the size of the mounting portion 208 in the vertical direction is set to correspond to the thickness of the second printed circuit board 5, for example, to be approximately equal to the thickness of the second printed circuit board 5.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 14, the inner surface of the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5 includes three rotation limiting portions that define the range of motion of the post 230 of the rotatable member 20 so that the post 230 of the rotatable member 20 does not shift during rotation. It should be understood that the number, location and arrangement of the rotation limiting portions of the opening 501 are not limited to the illustrated embodiment and may be adjusted according to actual conditions.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in fig. 14, the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5 is formed to have a substantially T-shape, and has a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion perpendicular to the first elongated portion. In the case where the locking mechanism 1 is inserted through the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5 and is in the unlocked position or the locked position, the dimension of the locking mechanism 1 in the lateral direction Y corresponds to the dimension of the first elongated portion in the lateral direction Y, and in a projection of the electronic system 100 perpendicular to the vertical direction Y, the strip 161 of the fixing member 10 is arranged in the second elongated portion of the opening 501.

In some exemplary embodiments, the rotatable member 20 is configured to be electrically insulating and the stationary member 10 is configured to be electrically conductive. For example, the fixing member 10 may be formed of a conductive material such as copper or stainless steel. The rotatable member 20 may be made of an insulating material. Suitable insulating materials from which the rotatable member 20 may be fabricated include, but are not limited to, plastic, nylon, liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylene oxide (PPO), or polypropylene (PP).

In some exemplary embodiments, the first printed circuit board 3 may include a first conductive portion 320 (see fig. 3) disposed on a lower surface of the first printed circuit board 3, the first conductive portion 320 being disposed adjacent to the recess 301. As shown in fig. 6, with the locking mechanism 1 inserted through the recess 301 of the first printed circuit board 3 and the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5, the first surface 171 of the first cantilever portion 17 of the fixing member 10 engages with the first conductive portion 320 and establishes electrical contact with the first conductive portion 320.

In some exemplary embodiments, the second printed circuit board 5 includes a second conductive portion 520 (see fig. 2) disposed on an upper surface of the second printed circuit board 5 and adjacent to the opening 501. With the locking mechanism 1 inserted through the recess 301 of the first printed circuit board 3 and the opening 501 of the second printed circuit board 5, the fourth surface 193 of the second cantilever portion 19 of the securing member 10 engages with the second conductive portion 520 and establishes electrical contact with the second conductive portion 520. In some examples, one of the first conductive portion 320 and the second conductive portion 520 may be formed to have a trapezoid, sector, square, semicircle, or ring shape.

In this way, the conductive portion 320 of the first printed circuit board 3 and the second conductive portion 520 of the second printed circuit board 5 can be electrically connected together by the fixing member 10. The first and second cantilever parts 17 and 19 of the fixing member 10 are designed to have a large contact area with the corresponding circuit board, improving connection reliability. In addition, this configuration may provide a ground path between the first printed circuit board 3 and the second printed circuit board 5 to achieve a design (EMI DESIGN) that avoids electromagnetic interference.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present application, a method for operating a locking mechanism is provided, which may include: providing a first plate, providing a recess 301 at a first end of the first plate; providing a second plate in which an opening 501 is provided; providing a locking mechanism 1, the locking mechanism 1 being rotatable switchable between a locking position a and an unlocking position B; aligning the locking mechanism 1 with the recess 301 of the first plate, the opening 501 of the second plate in the vertical direction Z; the locking mechanism 1 is rotated to the unlocked position B and the locking mechanism 1 is inserted through the recess 301 of the first plate and the opening 501 of the second plate, and the locking mechanism 1 is rotated to the locked position a such that the locking mechanism 1 is not removable with respect to the first plate and the second plate, thereby keeping the first end 31 of the first plate fixed with respect to the second plate.

In some exemplary embodiments of the present application, providing the locking mechanism 1 may include: the lock mechanism 1 is configured to include the rotatable member 20, the rotatable member 20 including a columnar portion 230 extending in the vertical direction and a stopper 240 protruding from at least a part of an upper portion of the columnar portion 230.

Rotating the locking mechanism 1 to the locking position a may include: rotating the rotatable member 20 such that at least a portion of the stop 240 extends beyond the recess 301 in a horizontal direction on the upper surface of the first plate to prevent the first end 31 of the first plate from moving in the vertical direction Z, thereby placing the locking mechanism 1 in the locked position, and rotating the locking mechanism 1 to the unlocked position B may include: the rotatable part 20 is rotated such that the stop 240 is away from the upper surface of the first plate member, thereby bringing the locking mechanism 1 into the unlocked position.

In some exemplary embodiments of the present application, providing the locking mechanism 1 may include: configuring the locking mechanism 1 to include the fixing member 10, the fixing member 10 including the cylindrical portion 110 formed to extend in the vertical direction Z, fitting the cylindrical portion 110 over the outside of the columnar portion 230 of the rotatable member 20, and inserting the locking mechanism 1 through the recess 301 of the first plate member and the opening 501 of the second plate member includes: the cylindrical portion 110 is disposed between the first plate and the second plate.

In some exemplary embodiments of the present application, providing the locking mechanism 1 may include: configuring the rotatable member 20 to include a guide portion 21 provided along an outer circumferential portion of the rotatable member 20, the guide portion 21 including a guide surface 270 extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, the guide portion 21 including a first stopper portion 210 and a second stopper portion 211 extending in the vertical direction; and configuring the fixing member 10 to include a protrusion 111 protruding toward the inside of the fixing member 10; and rotating the locking mechanism 1 to the locking position may include: the rotatable member 20 is rotated relative to the stationary member 10 such that the protrusion 111 moves away from the first stop 210 along the guide surface 270 until the protrusion 111 abuts the second stop 211.

In some exemplary embodiments of the present application, providing a locking mechanism may include: the cylindrical portion 110 of the lock mechanism 1 is configured to include a first side wall 11 and a second side wall 12 opposed to the first side wall 11 in a lateral direction Y perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, the protruding portion 111 being provided at a central portion of an upper edge portion of the first side wall 11; and configuring the cylindrical portion 110 of the fixing member 10 to include a third side wall 15 and a fourth side wall 16 opposite to the third side wall 15 in the horizontal direction X, the third side wall 15 being provided with a first cantilever portion 17 and a second cantilever portion 19 each extending along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and spaced apart from each other, the first cantilever portion 17 being provided above the second cantilever portion 19 in the vertical direction, the first cantilever portion 17 including a first surface 171 and a second surface 173 opposite to the first surface, the second cantilever portion 19 including a third surface 191 opposite to the second surface of the first cantilever portion 17 and a fourth surface 193 opposite to the third surface; and inserting the locking mechanism 1 through the recess 301 of the first plate and the opening 501 of the second plate comprises: the first surface 171 of the first cantilever portion 17 is abutted against the lower surface of the first plate member; and abutting the fourth surface 193 of the second cantilever portion 19 against the upper surface of the second plate member.

In some exemplary embodiments of the application, the method may include: with the first end 31 of the first plate member held stationary relative to the second plate member, the locking mechanism 1 is rotated to the unlocked position B to remove the locking mechanism 1 from the recess 301 of the first plate member and the opening 501 of the second plate member.

In some exemplary embodiments of the application, the method may include: the first plate is configured as a first printed circuit board 3 and the second plate is configured as a second printed circuit board 5.

In some exemplary embodiments of the application, the method may include: providing a first conductive portion 320 on a lower surface of the first printed circuit board 3, the first conductive portion 320 being disposed adjacent to the recess 301; providing a second conductive part 520 on the upper surface of the second printed circuit board 5, the second conductive part 520 being disposed adjacent to the opening 501; wherein inserting the locking mechanism 1 through the recess 301 of the first plate and the opening 501 of the second plate comprises: engaging the first surface 171 of the first cantilever portion 17 of the securing member 10 with the first conductive portion 320 and establishing electrical contact with the first conductive portion 320; and engaging the fourth surface 193 of the second cantilever portion 19 of the stationary member 10 with the second conductive portion 520 and establishing electrical contact with the second conductive portion 520.

By the method for operating the locking mechanism, a user can keep the first plate fixed relative to the second plate in a releasable manner through the locking mechanism without additional tools and/or processes, and the operation process is simple and reliable. The locking mechanism can be conveniently mounted and dismounted, and can be made reusable. For example, the locking mechanism can be easily removed from one opening of the second plate and installed into another opening of the second plate, thereby enabling engagement with first plates of different lengths.

It should be understood that the method of operating the locking mechanism described in the present application is not limited to the method described in the above embodiments, and that the various steps described are merely a non-exhaustive list and do not have a particular order, and that the order of the steps may be adjusted by those skilled in the art according to the actual circumstances.

While the present application has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the application is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated herein. Various changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the application as defined in the following claims.

The features that are mentioned and/or shown in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the application may be combined in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments in combination with or instead of the corresponding features of the other embodiments. Such combined or substituted solutions should also be considered to be included within the scope of the application.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism (1) comprising a fixed part (10) and a rotatable part (20) rotatably connectable to the fixed part (10), wherein the rotatable part (20) comprises a columnar portion (230) extending in a vertical direction (Z) and a stopper portion (240) protruding from at least a part of an upper portion of the columnar portion (230), the fixed part (10) comprises a cylindrical portion (110) formed to extend in the vertical direction (Z), the cylindrical portion (110) is sleeved outside the columnar portion (230) of the rotatable part (20) such that the columnar portion (230) is rotatable relative to the cylindrical portion (110), thereby enabling the locking mechanism (1) to be switched between a locking position (a) and an unlocking position (B).

2. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable member (20) includes a distal end (202) provided with the stopper (240), a proximal end (204) opposite to the distal end (202), and a connection flange portion (207) provided between the distal end (202) and the proximal end (204), a guide portion (21) is provided at an upper portion of the connection flange portion (207), the guide portion (21) includes a guide surface (270) extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and first and second stoppers (210, 211) extending in the vertical direction, and the guide portion (21) is formed as a semi-annular stepped portion;

The cylindrical portion (110) comprises a protruding portion (111), the protruding portion (111) being movable along the guiding surface (270) between the first stop portion (210) and the second stop portion (211) during rotation of the cylindrical portion (230) relative to the cylindrical portion (110), the protruding portion (111) abutting the first stop portion (210) with the locking mechanism (1) in the unlocked position (B); when the locking mechanism (1) is in the locking position (A), the protruding part (111) is in contact with the second stopper (211).

3. The locking mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the first stopper (210) and the second stopper (211) are spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in a circumferential direction of the columnar portion (230).

4. A locking mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the connection flange portion (207) comprises a groove (29) provided in the vicinity of the second stopper portion (211), the groove extending through the connection flange portion (207) in the vertical direction.

5. The locking mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the stop (240) of the rotatable member (20) protrudes in a horizontal direction (X) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) towards a side where the guide (21) is located and is tapered in a direction away from the rotational axis (E) of the rotatable member (20).

6. The locking mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cylindrical portion (110) is formed to have a substantially square shape, a central axis of the cylindrical portion (110) is coincident with a rotation axis of the cylindrical portion (230), the cylindrical portion (110) includes a first side wall (11) and a second side wall (12) opposite to the first side wall (11) in a transverse direction (Y) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z), and the protruding portion (111) is provided at a central portion of an upper edge portion of the first side wall (11) and protrudes toward an inner side of the cylindrical portion.

7. The locking mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the cylindrical portion (110) includes a third side wall (15) and a fourth side wall (16) opposite the third side wall (15) in a horizontal direction (X) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and the transverse direction (Y), the third side wall (15) is provided with a first cantilever portion (17) and a second cantilever portion (19), both the first cantilever portion (17) and the second cantilever portion (19) extend along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and are spaced apart from each other, and the first cantilever portion (17) is provided above the second cantilever portion (19) in the vertical direction.

8. The locking mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the first cantilever portion (17) and the second cantilever portion (19) have the following cross-sectional shape in a cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z): semi-circular, trapezoidal, fan-shaped, square, or irregularly shaped.

9. The locking mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the fixed member (10) further comprises a first elastic leg (112) extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the first side wall (11), and a second elastic leg (114) extending downward in the vertical direction at a central portion of the second side wall (12), the first elastic leg (112) and the second elastic leg (114) being mirrored about a plane perpendicular to the transverse direction (Y) and passing through a transverse central axis of the fixed member (10), the rotatable member (20) being provided with a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion associated with the first elastic leg (112) and the second elastic leg (114),

With the locking mechanism (1) in the unlocked position or the locked position, one of the first elastic leg (112) and the second elastic leg (114) is engaged with the first engagement portion, and the other of the first elastic leg (112) and the second elastic leg (114) is engaged with the second engagement portion.

10. The locking mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the first resilient leg (112) comprises a first end connected to a lower edge portion of the first side wall (11), a second end opposite the first end, and an arch provided between the first end and the second end, the second end of the first resilient leg (112) cooperating with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion of the rotatable member (20) with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position or the locked position.

11. The locking mechanism of claim 10, wherein a second end of the first resilient leg (112) is provided with a first concave portion (102) and a second end of the second resilient leg (114) is provided with a second concave portion (104); and

The first engagement portion (231) of the rotatable member (20) comprises a first male portion (205) provided near the proximal end portion (204), the second engagement portion (233) of the rotatable member (20) comprises a second male portion (206) provided near the proximal end portion (204), the first and second male portions being provided spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in a circumferential direction of the rotatable member (20), wherein one of the first and second female portions (102, 104) is engaged with the first male portion (205) and the other of the first and second female portions (102, 104) is engaged with the second male portion (206) with the locking mechanism in the locked or unlocked position.

12. The locking mechanism according to claim 11, wherein a strip portion (161) extending downward in the vertical direction is formed at a lower edge portion of the fourth side wall (16) of the cylindrical portion (110), a free end portion of the strip portion (161) being contactable with and slidable past the first convex portion (205) or the second convex portion (206) during rotation of the rotatable member (20) relative to the fixed member (10).

13. The locking mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a plurality of protruding ribs (209) are provided near the proximal end portion (204) of the rotatable member (20), the plurality of protruding ribs being arranged in a circumferential direction on an outer peripheral portion of the columnar portion (230) of the rotatable member (20) and protruding outward in a radial direction, the plurality of protruding ribs being provided radially inside the cylindrical portion (110) in a projection of the locking mechanism perpendicular to the vertical direction.

14. The locking mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the columnar portion (230) includes a mounting portion (208) provided between the connection flange portion (207) and the protruding rib (209) in the vertical direction, and the connection flange portion (207) and the protruding rib (209) extend beyond an outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion (208) in the radial direction.

15. The locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotatable member (20) is configured to be electrically insulating and the stationary member (10) is configured to be electrically conductive.

16. An electronic system, the electronic system (100) comprising:

A first printed circuit board (3);

a second printed circuit board (5); and

A locking mechanism (1),

Wherein the locking mechanism (1) is configured for releasably holding a first printed circuit board (3) to a second printed circuit board (5), wherein the first printed circuit board (3) comprises a recess (301) provided at a first end (31) of the first printed circuit board (3) into which the locking mechanism (1) is inserted,

-The second printed circuit board (5) comprises an opening (501) into which the locking mechanism (1) is inserted, characterized in that the locking mechanism (1) is rotatable switchable between a locked position (a) in which the locking mechanism (1) is inserted through the recess (301) of the first printed circuit board (3) and the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5) and is non-removable with respect to the first printed circuit board (3) and the second printed circuit board (5) to hold the first end (31) of the first printed circuit board (3) fixed with respect to the second printed circuit board (5); in the unlocking position (B), the locking mechanism (1) is removably insertable through the recess (301) of the first printed circuit board (3) and the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5), and the first end (31) of the first printed circuit board (3) is not fixed relative to the second printed circuit board (5).

17. The electronic system according to claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism (1) comprises a rotatable part (20), the rotatable part (20) comprising a column (230) extending in a vertical direction and a stop (240) protruding from at least a part of an upper portion of the column (230), the rotatable part (20) being rotatable such that at least a part of the stop (240) extends beyond the recess (301) in a horizontal direction on an upper surface of the first printed circuit board (3) to block the first end (31) of the first printed circuit board (3) from moving in a vertical direction (Z) such that the locking mechanism (1) is in the locked position (a), and the rotatable part (20) being rotatable such that the stop (240) is away from the upper surface of the first printed circuit board (3) such that the locking mechanism (1) is in the unlocked position (B).

18. The electronic system according to claim 17, wherein the locking mechanism (1) comprises a fixed part (10), the fixed part (10) comprising a cylindrical portion (110) formed to extend along the vertical direction (Z), the cylindrical portion (110) being sleeved outside the cylindrical portion (230) of the rotatable part (20) such that the cylindrical portion (230) is rotatable with respect to the cylindrical portion (110), and the cylindrical portion (110) is arranged between the first printed circuit board (3) and the second printed circuit board (5) with the locking mechanism (1) inserted through the recess (301) of the first printed circuit board (3) and the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5).

19. The electronic system according to claim 18, wherein the rotatable member (20) includes a distal end (202) provided with the stopper (240), a proximal end (204) opposite to the distal end (202), and a connection flange portion (207) provided between the distal end (202) and the proximal end (204), a guide portion (21) is provided at an upper portion of the connection flange portion (207), the guide portion (21) includes a guide surface (270) extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and first and second stoppers (210, 211) extending in the vertical direction, and the guide portion (21) is formed as a semi-annular stepped portion; and

The cylindrical portion (110) comprises a protrusion (111), the protrusion (111) being movable along the guiding surface (270) between the first stop (210) and the second stop (211) during rotation of the cylindrical portion (230) relative to the cylindrical portion (110),

The protruding part (111) abuts against the first stopper part (210) when the locking mechanism (1) is in the unlocking position (B), and the protruding part (111) abuts against the second stopper part (211) when the locking mechanism (1) is in the locking position (a).

20. The electronic system according to claim 19, wherein the first stopper (210) and the second stopper (211) are spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in a circumferential direction of the columnar portion (230).

21. The electronic system according to claim 19, wherein the connection flange portion (207) comprises a groove (29) provided in the vicinity of the second stopper portion (211), the groove extending through the connection flange portion (207) in the vertical direction.

22. The electronic system according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the stop (240) of the rotatable member (20) protrudes in a horizontal direction (X) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) towards a side where the guide (21) is located and is tapered in a direction away from the rotational axis of the rotatable member (20).

23. The electronic system according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the cylindrical portion (110) includes a first side wall (11) and a second side wall (12) opposite to the first side wall (11) in a lateral direction (Y) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z), the protruding portion (111) being provided at a central portion of an upper edge portion of the first side wall (11) and protruding toward an inner side of the cylindrical portion.

24. The electronic system according to claim 23, wherein the cylindrical portion (110) includes a third side wall (15) and a fourth side wall (16) opposite the third side wall (15) in a horizontal direction (X) perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and the lateral direction (Y), the third side wall (15) is provided with a first cantilever portion (17) and a second cantilever portion (19), the first cantilever portion (17) and the second cantilever portion (19) each extend along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and are spaced apart from each other, and the first cantilever portion (17) is provided above the second cantilever portion (19) in the vertical direction,

Wherein the first cantilever portion (17) includes a first surface (171) and a second surface (173) opposite to the first surface, the second cantilever portion (19) includes a third surface (191) opposite to the second surface of the first cantilever portion (17), and a fourth surface (193) opposite to the third surface, the first surface (171) of the first cantilever portion (17) abutting against a lower surface of the first printed circuit board (3) and the fourth surface (193) of the second cantilever portion (19) abutting against an upper surface of the second printed circuit board (5) with the locking mechanism (1) inserted through the recess (301) of the first printed circuit board (3) and the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5).

25. The electronic system according to claim 24, wherein the first cantilever portion (17) and the second cantilever portion (19) have the following cross-sectional shape in a cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z): semi-circular, trapezoidal, fan-shaped, square, or irregularly shaped.

26. The electronic system according to claim 24, wherein the stationary part (10) further comprises a first resilient leg (112) extending downwards in the vertical direction at a central portion of the first side wall (11), and a second resilient leg (114) extending downwards in the vertical direction at a central portion of the second side wall (12), the first resilient leg (112) and the second resilient leg (114) being mirrored about a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction (Y) and passing through a lateral central axis of the stationary part (10),

The rotatable member (20) is provided with first and second engagement portions associated with the first and second resilient legs (112, 114),

27. The electronic system according to claim 26, wherein the first resilient leg (112) comprises a first end connected to a lower edge portion of the first side wall (11), a second end opposite the first end, and an arch disposed between the first end and the second end, the second end of the first resilient leg (112) cooperating with the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion of the rotatable member (20) with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position or the locked position.

28. The electronic system of claim 27, wherein a second end of the first resilient leg (112) is provided with a first concave portion (102) and a second end of the second resilient leg (114) is provided with a second concave portion (104); the first engagement portion of the rotatable member (20) comprises a first male portion (205) provided at the proximal end (204), the second engagement portion (233) of the rotatable member (20) comprises a second male portion (206) provided at the proximal end (204), the first and second male portions being provided spaced apart from each other by 180 degrees in a circumferential direction of the rotatable member (20), wherein one of the first and second female portions (102, 104) is engaged with the first male portion (205) and the other of the first and second female portions (102, 104) is engaged with the second male portion (206) with the locking mechanism in the locked or unlocked position.

29. The electronic system according to claim 28, wherein a strip portion (161) extending downward in the vertical direction is formed at a lower edge portion of the fourth side wall (16) of the cylindrical portion (110), a free end portion of the strip portion (161) being contactable with and slidable past the first convex portion (205) or the second convex portion (206) during rotation of the rotatable member (20) relative to the fixed member (10).

30. The electronic system according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein a plurality of protruding ribs (209) are provided near the proximal end (204) of the rotatable member (20), the plurality of protruding ribs being arranged in a circumferential direction on an outer peripheral portion of the columnar portion (230) of the rotatable member (20) and protruding outward in a radial direction, an upper surface of the protruding ribs (209) in the vertical direction being at least partially in contact with a lower surface of the second printed circuit board (5) with the locking mechanism (1) inserted through the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5).

31. The electronic system according to claim 30, wherein the columnar portion (230) includes a mounting portion (208) corresponding to the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5), the mounting portion (208) being disposed between the connection flange portion (207) and the protruding rib (209) in the vertical direction, an inner surface of the opening of the second printed circuit board (5) includes a plurality of rotation limiting portions (53) contactable with an outer circumferential surface of the mounting portion (208), at least one of the rotation limiting portions (53) is formed to have an arc shape, and a dimension of the mounting portion (208) in the vertical direction is set to correspond to a thickness of the second printed circuit board (5).

32. The electronic system according to claim 29, wherein the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5) has a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion perpendicular to the first elongated portion, and wherein the dimension of the locking mechanism (1) in the lateral direction (Y) corresponds to the dimension of the first elongated portion in the lateral direction (Y) with the locking mechanism (1) inserted through the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5) and in the unlocked or locked position, and wherein the strip (161) of the securing member (10) is arranged in the second elongated portion of the opening (501) in a projection of the electronic system perpendicular to the vertical direction.

33. The electronic system of claim 24, wherein,

The rotatable part (20) is configured to be electrically insulating and the stationary part (10) is configured to be electrically conductive;

The first printed circuit board (3) comprises a first conductive portion (320) provided on a lower surface of the first printed circuit board (3) and adjacent to the recess (301), and a first surface (171) of the first cantilever portion (17) of the fixing member (10) engages with the first conductive portion (320) and establishes electrical contact with the first conductive portion (320) with the locking mechanism (1) inserted through the recess (301) of the first printed circuit board (3) and the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5);

The second printed circuit board (5) comprises a second conductive portion (520) provided on an upper surface of the second printed circuit board (5) and adjacent to the opening (501), and the fourth surface (193) of the second cantilever portion (19) of the fixing member (10) engages with and establishes electrical contact with the second conductive portion (520) with the locking mechanism (1) inserted through the recess (301) of the first printed circuit board (3) and the opening (501) of the second printed circuit board (5).