JP5224378B2 - Electronic device and switching method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device having a circuit board that is mounted on a mounting portion and electrically connected to a power supply, and a switching method for switching a supply state of power supplied from the power supply to the circuit board.

  As an electronic device, a blade server, which is an information communication device including a circuit board on which a communication processing circuit unit is mounted, is known. This type of blade server is detachable from a blade storage device, that is, a mounting portion of a so-called server chassis, and includes an eject lever for pulling out the blade server from the blade storage device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  This eject lever has an operation piece as a power point and an abutment piece as an action point that abuts against the blade storage device, and is provided to be supported rotatably on a rotation shaft as a fulcrum. . The eject lever moves and operates the operation piece, so that the contact piece abuts against the blade storage device, and the blade server is pulled out from the mounting portion of the blade storage device.

  As a hardware standard for such a blade server, the ATCA (Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture) standard is known, and the blade storage device is turned on while the blade storage device is turned on. There is a need for a hot-swap function that allows blade servers to be removed and installed. For this reason, the eject lever described above also serves as an operation lever for operating a switch member for switching the power supply state of the blade server by the power source between the on state and the off state.

  In this blade server configuration, a mechanical push button type switch is used as a switch member. The eject lever is rotatably provided on a face plate that closes the insertion / removal opening of the mounting portion, and has a pushing piece for pushing the switch. When the blade server is attached to the attachment portion, the eject lever is rotated, and the push button of the switch is pushed by the pushing piece of the eject lever to be turned on. Further, when the blade server is removed from the mounting portion, the eject lever is rotated, the pushing piece of the eject lever is released from the push button of the switch, the push button is released, and the blade server is turned off. In conjunction with the operation of switching the power supply state of the blade server, the contact piece of the eject lever is abutted against the mounting portion, and the blade server is pulled out from the mounting portion.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-269003 (FIG. 1)

  By the way, in the above-mentioned ATCA standard, the mounting area on the circuit board of the blade server is defined, and it is necessary to arrange various mounting parts that have increased with the recent multifunctionalization within the limited mounting area. . Therefore, the mounting area has a very narrow area that can be divided to arrange the push button type switch. For this reason, in a blade server compliant with the ATAC standard, it is necessary to use a very small switch as a push button type switch. Therefore, such a push button type switch has an effective stroke length of 1 mm or less that can be secured as a movement amount of the push button.

  In a blade server using a push button type switch with a short effective stroke length, when the face plate is distorted, the ejector lever pushing piece does not reach the position of the switch push button, and the switch is turned on. There is a problem that it becomes impossible.

  Also, in a blade server using a push button type switch, the push button is damaged due to wear of the push button due to the contact between the push-in piece and the push button, or the pressure applied when operating the eject lever, and the switch is There is also a problem that it cannot be turned on.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a switching method capable of solving the above-described problems and improving the reliability of the operation of switching the power supply state of a circuit board.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, an electronic device according to the present invention includes a circuit board that is electrically connected to a power source and is detachable from the mounting part when the electronic apparatus is attached to the mounting part. And an eject member that is movably provided for taking out the circuit board from the mounting portion. The electronic device also includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that receives reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting unit, and the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are provided on the same surface side of the circuit board. An optical switch for switching the power supply state between an on state and an off state is provided. The electronic device includes a cover member that is provided on the same surface side of the circuit board and covers the optical switch. Further, the circuit board is provided with a through hole through which the outgoing light emitted from the light emitting portion and the reflected light from which the outgoing light is reflected pass. The eject member is disposed on the surface of the circuit board opposite to the surface on which the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the optical switch are provided so as to be movable with respect to the through hole, and emits light emitted from the light emitting portion. A reflection surface that reflects toward the light receiving unit is provided.

  Further, the switching method according to the present invention includes a first step in which emitted light emitted from the light emitting part of the optical switch mounted on the circuit board passes through the through hole of the circuit board, and a power source attached to the attachment part. A second step in which the ejecting member for removing the electrically connected circuit board from the mounting portion is moved and the reflecting surface of the ejecting member is opposed to the through hole to reflect the emitted light by the reflecting surface; A third step in which the reflected light that has been reflected passes through the through hole, and a fourth step in which the optical switch switches the power supply state of the circuit board by the power source by receiving the reflected light that has passed through the through hole by the light receiving unit of the optical switch. Steps.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure a sufficient amount of movement during the operation of the eject member by optically switching the power supply state of the circuit board by the power source, and to improve the reliability of the switching operation. Can do. Further, according to the present invention, since the optical switch is covered with the cover member, it is possible to prevent the influence of external light and to prevent dust from adhering to the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit.

It is a top view which shows the blade server of embodiment from the one surface side of a motherboard. It is a top view which shows the blade server of embodiment from the other surface side of a motherboard. It is a top view which shows a blade server when an eject lever has made an optical switch into an OFF state. It is a top view which shows a blade server when an eject lever has turned on an optical switch. It is sectional drawing which shows a blade server when an eject lever has turned on an optical switch. It is a top view which shows the eject lever with which the blade server of other embodiment is provided. It is a top view which shows the blade server of other embodiment when an eject lever makes an optical switch an OFF state. It is a top view which shows the blade server of other embodiment when an eject lever has turned on the optical switch.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1A shows the blade server of the embodiment from one side of the motherboard. FIG. 1B shows the blade server of the embodiment from the other side of the motherboard.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the blade server 1 according to the embodiment is electrically connected to the power supply 5 when mounted on the mounting unit 4 of the blade storage device (not shown) and is connected to the mounting unit 4. A mother board 6 as a circuit board configured to be detachable, an eject lever 7 as an eject member for taking out the mother board 6 from the mounting portion 4, and a power supply state of the mother board 6 by the power source 5 are switched between an on state and an off state. An optical switch 8 and a cover member 9 that covers the optical switch 8 are provided. As the optical switch 8 provided in the blade server 1, a so-called reflection type photosensor having a light emitting unit 8a and a light receiving unit 8b that receives reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 8a is used.

  FIG. 2A shows the blade server when the eject lever 7 turns off the optical switch 8. FIG. 2B shows the blade server when the eject lever 7 turns on the optical switch 8. FIG. 3 shows the blade server when the eject lever 7 turns on the optical switch 8.

  On one mounting surface 6a of the mother board 6, although not shown, for example, a CPU, a memory element, a communication processing circuit for communicating information via a blade storage device, and a supply state of power supplied from the power source to the mother board 6 are shown. Various electronic components such as a power supply control circuit for controlling are mounted. Further, although not shown, a support frame for supporting a hard disk drive, a hard disk drive, or the like is assembled on the mounting surface 6a of the mother board 6.

  Although not shown, one end of the mother board 6 is provided with a connection terminal that is electrically connected to the connector of the mounting portion 4, and the mounting portion 4 is provided at the other end as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. A face plate 11 is provided to close the insertion / removal opening. 2A and 2B, the face plate 11 is not shown for convenience.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3, the mother board 6 is provided with a through hole 12 through which the emitted light emitted from the light emitting portion 8a of the optical switch 8 and the reflected light reflected from the emitted light pass. It has been. As shown in FIG. 3, the optical switch 8 includes a light emitting unit 8 a and a light receiving unit 8 b provided on the mounting surface 6 a side, which is the same surface side of the mother board 6, and is disposed at a position corresponding to the through hole 12. ing. In this embodiment, the light emission part 8a and the light-receiving part 8b are each arrange | positioned inside the through-hole 12 formed in circular shape.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the eject lever 7 is disposed on the rear surface 6b of the mother board 6 opposite to the mounting surface 6a on which the light emitting portion 8a and the light receiving portion 8b of the optical switch 8 are provided. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the eject lever 7 is rotatably supported by the face plate 11 via a rotation shaft 13 and moves in a direction in which the eject lever 7 approaches and separates from the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6. It is provided as possible.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the eject lever 7 includes an operation piece 15 for moving with a fingertip or the like, a contact piece 16 abutted against the mounting portion 4, and a switching piece 17 for switching the optical switch 8. Have. That is, the eject lever 7 has an operation piece 15 as a power point and an abutment piece 16 as an action point, and performs the operation of the lever with the rotating shaft 13 as a fulcrum, so that the mounting portion 4 can move to the motherboard. 6 is drawn.

  The switching piece 17 of the eject lever 7 has a reflecting surface 18 that reflects the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit 8a toward the light receiving unit 8b. The reflecting surface 18 is configured by, for example, applying a mirror finish to the switching piece 17 or providing a reflecting film or a reflecting member on the switching piece 17.

  The cover member 9 is provided on the mounting surface 6 a side of the mother board 6. Since the optical switch 8 is covered with the cover member 9 by the cover member 9, the influence of external light on the optical switch 8 is prevented, and dust is prevented from adhering to the light emitting portion 8a and the light receiving portion 8b. .

  Although not shown, a support base for supporting a hard disk drive or the like disposed on the mounting surface 6a side is attached to the back surface 6b of the motherboard 6, and the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6 is formed by this support base. Covered. For this reason, from the back surface 6b side of the mother board 6, there is almost no possibility that external light and dust will affect the optical switch through the through hole. However, another cover member (not shown) for preventing external light and dust from entering from the through hole may be provided on the back surface 6b side of the mother board 6 as necessary. With this configuration, the operational reliability of the optical switch 8 against external light and dust can be further improved.

  With regard to the blade server 1 configured as described above, the switching operation of the optical switch 8 by the eject lever 7 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, when the blade server 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 4 of the blade storage device, the reflection surface 18 of the eject lever 7 is separated from the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6 as shown in FIG. Is turned off. Next, the blade server 1 is inserted into the mounting portion 4, the terminal portion of the mother board 6 is electrically connected to the connector of the mounting portion 4, and the eject lever 7 is rotated. When the eject lever 7 is rotated, the reflecting surface 18 of the switching piece 17 is moved to a position facing the through hole 12 of the mother board 6 as shown in FIG. 2B.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the emitted light L emitted from the light emitting portion 8a of the optical switch 8 is reflected by the reflecting surface 18 of the eject lever 7, and the light receiving portion 8b receives this reflected light. When the light receiving unit 8b receives the reflected light, the optical switch 8 is turned on. Therefore, the optical switch 8 outputs a signal to the power supply control circuit, and the power supply control circuit turns on the power supply state of the motherboard 6 by the power supply 5.

  When the blade server 1 is removed from the mounting portion 4, as shown in FIG. 2B, the reflecting surface 18 of the eject lever 7 is opposed to the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6, and the optical switch 8 is turned on. ing. Next, the eject lever 7 is rotated, and the reflecting surface 18 of the switching piece 17 is moved to a position away from the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6.

  At this time, since the emitted light L emitted from the light emitting part 8a of the optical switch 8 is not reflected by the eject lever 7, the light receiving part 8b does not receive the reflected light, and the optical switch 8 is switched to the off state. For this reason, the optical switch 8 outputs a signal to the power supply control circuit, and the power supply control circuit turns off the power supply state of the motherboard 6 by the power supply 5.

  Further, the eject lever 7 switches the optical switch 8 to the OFF state in this way, and the abutment piece 16 is abutted against the mounting portion 4, whereby the mother board 6 is pulled out from the mounting portion 4. Therefore, when the power supply state of the mother board 6 is in the off state, the blade server 1 is pulled out from the mounting portion 4 and the electrical connection between the terminal portion of the mother board 6 and the connector of the mounting portion 4 is released.

  As described above, the blade server 1 according to the embodiment secures a relatively large amount of movement of the eject lever 7 by optically switching the power supply state of the motherboard 6 by the optical switch 8 compared to the mechanical switch. It becomes possible to do. For this reason, according to the embodiment, it is possible to prevent a physical failure and improve the reliability of the operation of switching the power supply state of the mother board 6.

  Further, since the optical switch 8 is covered with the cover member 9, the blade server 1 can prevent the influence of external light and can prevent dust from adhering to the light emitting unit 8a and the light receiving unit 8b. For this reason, the blade server 1 can prevent the optical switch 8 from malfunctioning and improve the reliability of the switching operation.

  Further, when the blade server 1 receives the reflected light reflected by the reflecting surface 18 of the eject lever 7 by the light receiving unit 8b, the power supply state by the power source 5 is turned on via the power control circuit. . Therefore, when the power supply state of the motherboard 6 is on, the through hole 12 is blocked by the reflecting surface 18 of the eject lever 7, and dust enters the inside of the cover member 9 that covers the optical switch 8 from the through hole 12. Can be prevented. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the sensitivity of the optical switch 8 and the malfunction due to dust entering from the outside into the optical transmission path between the light emitting unit 8a and the light receiving unit 8b are prevented depending on the years of use and the usage environment. In addition, durability against dust can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
The switching piece 17 of the eject lever 7 included in the blade server 1 of the above-described embodiment is configured to include the reflective surface 18, but further includes a non-reflective surface that does not reflect the light emitted from the optical switch 8. May be. The blade server of this embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except for the eject lever. Therefore, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. To do.

  FIG. 4 shows an eject lever provided in a blade server according to another embodiment. FIG. 5A shows a blade server of another embodiment when the eject lever turns the optical switch off. FIG. 5B shows a blade server of another embodiment when the eject lever turns on the optical switch.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the blade server of the present embodiment includes an eject lever 21 for taking out the mother board 6 from the mounting portion 4. The eject lever 21 has a switching piece 22 for switching the optical switch 8. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the switching piece 22 of the eject lever 21 is formed in an arc shape with the position of the rotation shaft 13 as the center of curvature, and receives the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit 8a. It has a reflecting surface 23 that reflects toward 8b and a non-reflecting surface 24 that does not reflect outgoing light. The non-reflective surface 24 is configured by applying a matte film or applying a matte process, and is formed at a position adjacent to the reflective surface 23.

  According to the present embodiment, when the optical switch 8 is in the ON state as shown in FIG. 5B, the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6 is blocked by the reflecting surface 23 of the eject lever 21, and the optical as shown in FIG. 5A. When the switch 8 is in the OFF state, the through hole 12 is blocked by the non-reflecting surface 24 of the eject lever 21. Therefore, in the eject lever 21, the through hole 12 is blocked by the switching piece 22 of the eject lever 21 even when the blade server is detached from the mounting portion 4. For this reason, this embodiment prevents external dust from entering through the through hole 12, and can further improve the durability against dust.

  Further, the switching method in the present embodiment is the first step in which the emitted light emitted from the light emitting portion 8a of the optical switch 8 mounted on the motherboard 6 passes through the through hole 12 of the motherboard 6, and the mounting portion 4 is mounted. Then, the eject lever 7 (21) for taking out the mother board 6 electrically connected to the power source 5 from the mounting portion 4 is moved, and the reflecting surface 18 (23) of the eject lever 7 (21) is opposed to the through hole 12. And the second step in which the emitted light is reflected by the reflecting surface 18 (23). In this switching method, the third step in which the reflected light reflected by the reflecting surface 18 (23) passes through the through hole 12, and the reflected light that has passed through the through hole 12 is received by the light receiving unit 8b of the optical switch 8. Thus, the optical switch 8 includes a fourth step of switching the power supply state of the mother board 6 by the power source 5.

1 Blade server (electronic equipment)
4 Mounting part 5 Power supply 6 Motherboard (circuit board)
6a Mounting surface 6b Back surface 7 Eject lever (eject member)
8 Optical switch 8a Light emitting part 8b Light receiving part 9 Cover member 12 Through hole 18 Reflecting surface

Claims (5)

A circuit board that is electrically connected to a power source when mounted on the mounting portion and configured to be detachable from the mounting portion;
An eject member provided movably with respect to the circuit board, for removing the circuit board from the mounting portion;
The circuit board by the power source, having a light emitting part and a light receiving part for receiving reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting part, the light emitting part and the light receiving part provided on the same surface side of the circuit board An optical switch for switching the power supply state between an on state and an off state;
A cover member that is provided on the same surface side of the circuit board and covers the optical switch,
The circuit board is provided with a through hole through which the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit and the reflected light reflected from the emitted light pass,
The eject member is disposed on a surface of the circuit board opposite to the surface on which the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the optical switch are provided so as to be movable with respect to the through hole, and is emitted from the light emitting portion. An electronic device having a reflection surface that reflects the emitted light toward the light receiving unit.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the optical switch turns on the power supply state of the circuit board when the light receiving unit receives the reflected light.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a non-reflective surface that does not reflect the emitted light emitted from the light emitting unit is provided at a position adjacent to the reflective surface of the eject member.   The eject member has an operation piece for moving operation, a contact piece abutted against the mounting portion, and a switching piece provided with the reflection surface, and is rotatably supported by the circuit board. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A first step in which emitted light emitted from the light emitting portion of the optical switch mounted on the circuit board passes through the through hole of the circuit board;
An eject member for taking out the circuit board mounted on the mounting portion and electrically connected to the power source from the mounting portion is moved, and the emitted light is made to face the through hole by making the reflecting surface of the eject member face the through hole. A second step of reflecting on the reflecting surface;
A third step in which reflected light reflected by the reflecting surface passes through the through hole;
And a fourth step in which the optical switch switches the power supply state of the circuit board by the power source by receiving the reflected light that has passed through the through hole with a light receiving unit of the optical switch.

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