TWM627014U - Connector assembly and computer system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board is disclosed. The upper circuit board includes a series of fastener holes for a fastening device allowing attachment to the lower circuit board. The connector assembly has a support bracket with access holes aligned with the holes of the upper circuit board. The support bracket is configurable to be positioned over the upper circuit board. The connector assembly has a moveable cover bracket having a series of access holes. The cover bracket is suspended between the support bracket and the cover bracket. The cover bracket is moveable between an open position aligning the access holes with the access holes of the support bracket, and a closed position. In the closed position, the cover bracket blocks access between the access holes of the support bracket and the holes of the upper circuit board.

Description

Connector assembly and computer system therefor

The novel creation discloses a mechanism for connecting circuit boards, and particularly relates to a connecting mechanism that makes it easier to assemble two circuit boards.

The computer equipment in a computer server is usually designed for a specific function, and the server usually includes some common components such as processor, memory, cooling system and power supply system. Generally speaking, the chassis of the server has a certain height of the chassis walls, and this height can be standardized so that the components can be inserted into the racks of the data center. Inside a case is a motherboard that typically houses the basic components, such as a processor, dual in-line memories (DIMMs), storage, fans, and power supplies. Servers can be specially designed to enhance the performance of certain functions, for example, an application server can have relatively more processors to process applications, or a storage server can have more storage devices for more storage capacity. However, it is often necessary to augment the functionality of the server by adding additional components such as a network interface card, memory, or processor.

Modern servers are designed to allow users to more flexibly add or enhance functionality in a computer system by adding additional hardware boards with enhanced functionality. The add-on circuit board can be inserted into the chassis of the server on top of the existing circuit board, and the add-on circuit board can also be Functional components that have circuit boards that are electrically connected to other server components. The bottom of the case of a server usually has a horizontally oriented motherboard, and additional circuit boards can be plugged into connectors that extend from the motherboard.

For example, an additional upper circuit board may be placed over a lower circuit board, the lower circuit board may be a server motherboard, and the lower circuit board may include a plurality of rectangular board-to-board connectors . Each board-to-board connector can be electrically connected to a corresponding connector on the bottom side of the upper circuit board, wherein a plurality of spacer elements extending from each corner of the board-to-board connector help support the upper circuit board . Each spacer element is a cylinder with a hole for engagement with a fastening element, such as a screw. Therefore, if there are four board-to-board connectors, there will be 16 spacer elements in total, thus requiring 16 screws to connect the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board.

The connection between the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board is realized by lowering the upper circuit board, so that the connector is connected with the board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board. Once the board-to-board connectors of the lower circuit board are engaged with the connectors on the underside of the upper circuit board, a locking mechanism can be engaged to ensure that the upper and lower circuit boards are electrically connected. Various attachment mechanisms, such as latches and corresponding slots, can be connected using a rotating rod or other mechanism. Finally, insert the screws to secure the upper board to each spacer element of the lower board, so with four board-to-board connectors each with four spacer elements, 16 screws.

However, when removing the circuit board, it is difficult to ensure that the user completely removes all 16 screws to remove the upper and lower circuit boards before activating the unlocking mechanism. Moreover, when assembling or disassembling screws with complicated patterns on the upper circuit board, users often do not know which screws to install or disassemble. Although the user can refer to the manual or the instructions in the standard operating procedure (abbreviation: SOP) document of the circuit board, consulting such reference materials will increase the time of the disassembly operation. In addition, due to improper disassembly, removing the wrong screws may damage the structure of the circuit board, or make Failure by the user to remove one of the screws may result in damage to the upper circuit board when the user attempts to pull the upper circuit board away from the lower circuit board.

Therefore, a quick connect mechanism is needed to disconnect the two stacked circuit boards to ensure that all screws have been removed. The connector assembly also requires a mechanism that prevents actuation of the locking mechanism of the rotating lever until all screws are ensured to be removed. Additionally, connector assemblies require a connection mechanism for indicating whether one circuit board can be detached from another circuit board.

Terms of an embodiment, such as implementation, configuration, aspect, example, and option, are intended to refer broadly to all subjects of the present invention and the claims below. Statements containing these terms should be construed as not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the following claims. The embodiments covered by this disclosure are defined by the following claims and not by this disclosure. This Summary is a summary of various aspects of this disclosure and introduces some concepts that are further described in the following Embodiments paragraph. This novel is not intended to clarify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. The contents of the present invention are not intended to be used solely to limit the scope of the patent application. The scope of the claims should be understood by reference to the appropriate portions of the entire specification of the invention, any or all drawings, and each claim.

The present invention discloses a connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board. The upper circuit board includes a locking hole connected to the lower circuit board through a fastening element. The connector assembly includes a support frame and a cover frame. The support frame has a first penetration hole aligned with the fastening hole of the upper circuit board, and the support frame is arranged above the upper circuit board. The cover frame has a second penetration hole and is suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board. The cover frame can be moved between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position, the first A penetration hole is aligned with the second penetration hole, and the cover frame blocks the penetration between the first penetration hole of the support frame and the fastening hole of the upper circuit board.

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

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the support frame includes a side plate, and the side plate is in contact with the lower circuit board.

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

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

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fastening element includes one or more screws.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the support frame includes an indicating pin for indicating the opening position and the closing position.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly further includes a handle, the handle is connected with the cover frame, and the handle extends through the handle groove in the support frame.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly further includes a gear and another cover frame, the other cover frame includes a rack engaged with the gear, wherein the aforementioned cover frame includes a Rack with gear meshing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system including a lower circuit board, an upper circuit board and a connector assembly. The lower circuit board has a plurality of spacer elements. The upper circuit board has A plurality of fastening holes, each of which is aligned with one of the spacer elements of the lower circuit board. The connector assembly includes a support frame, a first cover frame and a second cover frame. Wherein, the support frame is arranged above the upper circuit board and has a plurality of first penetration holes. The first support frame and the second support frame are suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board, and have a plurality of second penetration holes. The first cover frame and the second cover frame have a closed position relative to the support frame, the first penetration hole is aligned with the second penetration hole, the first cover frame and the second cover frame have an open position, and the first cover frame and the second cover frame have an open position. A cover frame and a second cover frame block the penetration between the first penetration hole of the support frame and the locking hole of the upper circuit board.

The above novel contents are not intended to limit the implementation and features of the present invention. Rather, the foregoing novel disclosure provides only examples of some of the novel aspects and features set forth herein. The foregoing features and advantages, as well as other features and advantages of the present invention, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of representative embodiments and modes for carrying out the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the scope of the claims. , a brief description is provided below.

100: Multiple Circuit Systems

102: Upper circuit board

104: Lower circuit board

106: Board-to-board connectors

108: Spacer element

110: Connector Assembly

120: Support frame

122, 124: side

126, 128: side panels

130: Through hole

132: Handle slot

134, 136: handle

138, 140: cover plate

142, 144: Rotary lever

160, 162: side bracket

164, 166: L-slot

200: top surface

202: Underside

210: Gear penetration hole

212: semicircular groove

214: Indicating pin

220: Cover slot

222: Side panels

230: latch

240, 242: Cover frame

244: Engagement slot

246: Through hole

250, 260: side part

252, 262: opposite sides

254, 264: rack extension

256, 266: rack

270: Gear

272: Screw holes

280: Install the latch

282: Mounting slot

286: rounded ends

288: narrow end

510: Connector

512: Lock holes or screw holes

514, 516: latch

610: Screws

612: Holes for spacer elements

The present invention and its advantages and illustrations will be better understood from the following description of representative embodiments and the accompanying drawings to which reference is made, which depict only representative embodiments and should not be construed as Various examples or limitations of the claimed scope. The following is a brief description of the various drawings of the new invention: FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of an unassembled connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is an assembly process of the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1C is a schematic diagram of an assembled stacked circuit board of the connector assembly of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2A is a schematic diagram of the connection between the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board of the connector assembly of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2B shows the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to the upper circuit board 2C is a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention when it is engaged with the upper circuit board; FIG. 2D is a locked position of the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a schematic top view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 in a closed position and allowing screws to be installed to join the upper and lower circuit boards according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3B is an implementation according to the present invention. 2 is a schematic top perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 in a closed position and allowing installation of screws to join upper and lower circuit boards; FIG. 3C is a closed position of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention and Figure 4A is a schematic top view of the connector assembly of Figure 3 in an open position and allowing separation of the upper and lower circuit boards according to an embodiment of the present invention; According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly of FIG. 3 is in an open position and is in a top perspective view that allows the upper and lower circuit boards to be separated; FIG. 4C shows the connector assembly of FIG. 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A schematic side cross-sectional view of an open position and allowing the upper and lower circuit boards to be separated; FIG. 5A is a schematic side view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 in an open position and the rotating lever in an unlocked position to connect the circuit boards according to an embodiment of the present invention. ; 5B is a schematic side view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 in an open position and the rotation lever is in an unlocked position to connect to the circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5C is a schematic view of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention The connector assembly of FIG. 2 is in an open position and the rotating lever is in the unlocked position to connect the circuit boards; FIG. 6A is a schematic view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 in the closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the upper and lower circuit boards are engaged FIG. 6B is a close-up perspective view of the screw with the upper and lower circuit boards removed when the connector assembly of FIG. 2 is in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 6C is according to the present invention. A close-up perspective schematic view of the connector assembly of FIG. 2 in the closed position, after the screws of the upper and lower circuit boards are removed, and then moved to the open position.

The novel creation provides a board-to-board connector assembly, the board-to-board connector assembly includes a support frame and a set of movable cover frames that can move between a closed position and an open position. The aforementioned connector assembly is mounted over a circuit board and stacked on another circuit board. The support frame has side swivel bars that allow the two sides to be physically connected. In addition, the support bracket includes through holes with corresponding spacer elements extending from the lower circuit board, and when the aforementioned cover bracket is in the closed position, the through holes of the support bracket and the through holes of the cover bracket are aligned to allow the screws It is possible to enter and place the cover plate over the swivel lever so that, when the cover frame is in the closed position, screws can pass through the holes to engage the upper and lower circuit boards together. When the upper circuit board needs to be removed, the connector assembly ensures that the swivel lever cannot be turned until all screws are removed from the support frame, and then the cover plate is moved to the open position to release the swivel lever Put on the circuit board so that the upper circuit board can be removed without risk of damage if the upper circuit board is removed without all screws being loosened.

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and are merely provided to illustrate various features of the novel creation. Among them, many specific details, connection relationships and methods are described so as to fully understand each feature of the novel creation, so that those skilled in the art can understand the novel creation. In some instances, well-known structures or operations have not been described in detail for the purpose of illustration. The examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, various changes or modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. within the scope of the patent application of this utility model. Furthermore, not all operations or uses of the drawings are necessary to implement the features of the novel creation.

For the purpose of describing the present invention in detail, unless specifically stated otherwise, and where appropriate, the singular includes the plural and vice versa. The word "including" means "including but not limited to". In addition, approximate words such as "about", "almost", "substantially", "approximately" and the like may be used herein to mean "at," "close to," "almost at," "within 3-5%," "within acceptable manufacturing tolerances" or any other logical combination. Similarly, the terms "vertical" or "horizontal" are intended to additionally include "within 3-5%" of the vertical or horizontal direction, respectively. Furthermore, directional words such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "above," and "below" are intended to be relative to the equivalent directions described in the referenced figures, from the referenced object or element is understood in the context of the referenced object or element, for example, from the common location of the referenced object or element, or as otherwise specified herein.

1A and 1B illustrate exploded and assembled views of a multi-circuit board system 100, such as a computer server. The multiple circuit board system 100 includes an upper circuit board 102 that may be attached to a lower circuit board 104 . In this embodiment, the lower circuit board 104 is a motherboard for a computer server, and the lower circuit board 104 includes Four rectangular board-to-board connectors 106 extend from the top surface of the lower circuit board 104 , each of which can be electrically connected to a corresponding connector on the bottom side of the upper circuit board 102 . Each corner of each board-to-board connector 106 is provided with a spacer element 108 that helps support the upper circuit board 102, and each spacer element 108 is a cylinder with a hole to receive a fastening element, the aforementioned The fastening elements are, for example, screws.

A connector assembly 110 is attached to the upper circuit board 102 to facilitate attachment of the upper circuit board 102 to the lower circuit board 104 . The connector assembly 110 includes a support frame 120 , and the support frame 120 is suspended above the upper surface of the upper circuit board 102 . The support frame 120 is a rectangular plate and has two opposite sides 122 and 124 . The two side surfaces 122 and 124 of the support frame 120 respectively include two side plates 126 and 128 extending vertically downward. The upper circuit board 102 is supported by the two side boards 126 and 128 of the connector assembly 110 . When the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 are assembled together, the bottom sides of the two side boards 126 and 128 will abut against the top surface of the lower circuit board 104 . superior.

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

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

Two side brackets 160 and 162 are respectively installed on the lower circuit board 104 , and the positions of the side brackets 160 and 162 are corresponding to the two side plates 126 and 128 close to the connector assembly 110 . Therefore, when the upper circuit board 102 is lowered onto the lower circuit board 104, the side plates 126, 128 will be inserted between the side brackets 160, 162, and the two side brackets 160, 162 respectively have two L-shaped grooves 164, 166, L-shaped The slots allow the latches connected to the rotating rods 142 , 144 to be locked into the L-shaped slots 164 , 166 .

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

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

As explained later, when the rotation levers 142, 144 are rotated to the locked position, the second handles 134, 136 are used to move the cover plates 138, 140 over the rotation levers 142, 144 to prevent the rotation levers 142, 144 from the locked position Rotate to unlocked position. Once the cover plates 138, 140 are moved, the penetration of the support frame 120 Holes 130 may allow screws to pass through upper circuit board 102 and into spacer elements 108 . The final step in rotating the rotation levers 142 , 144 to lock the upper circuit board 102 is to insert screws into the penetration holes 130 to secure the upper circuit board 102 to each spacer element 108 .

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the connection between the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board of the connector assembly of FIG. 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B shows the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board. The bottom perspective schematic diagram before the circuit board, wherein the corresponding elements in FIGS. 2A and 2B and FIGS. 1A to 1C are marked with the same numerals. In this embodiment, the support frame 120 is a rectangular plate, and has a top surface 200 and a bottom surface 202 corresponding to the top surface 200 , and the through holes 130 of the top surface 200 of the support frame 120 are marked with numbers to indicate The user is aided in comparing the screws that need to be inserted to attach the upper circuit board 102 to the spacer elements 108 of the lower circuit board 104 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C . The top surface 200 of the support frame 120 further includes a gear penetrating hole 210 disposed near the center of the top surface 200, and the semicircular groove 212 enables the indicator pin 214 to move laterally between the open position and the closed position, wherein the The position indicates whether the connector assembly 110 is in the open or closed position. The two cover plate grooves 220 are disposed near the two side surfaces 122 and 124 of the support frame 120 , and the cover plates 138 and 140 are both suspended by pins passing through the cover plate grooves 220 . The cover plates 138 , 140 include support elements attached to the latches, the support elements are attached to the side plates 222 , and the side plates 222 are shaped to extend over the corresponding rotating rods 142 , 144 .

The bottom surface 202 of the support frame 120 includes a plurality of latches arranged in a specific arrangement. The right cover frame 240 and the left cover frame 242 are suspended between the support frame 120 and the upper circuit board 102 , and the right cover frame 240 and the left cover frame 242 can be suspended by inserting the latch 230 into the engaging groove 244 . The cover frames 240 and 242 each include a penetration hole 246 with the same thread as the penetration hole 130 of the support frame 120 . The right cover frame 240 includes a side portion 250 that supports the handle 134 and the latch attached to the cover plate 138 , and the opposite side portion 252 includes a rack extension 254 that supports a rack 256 . The left cover frame 242 includes a side portion 260 , and side portion 260 supports handle 136 and latch attachment to cover plate 138 , and opposite side portion 262 includes rack extension 264 that supports rack 266 .

The bottom surface 202 of the support frame 120 includes a gear 270 that engages with the rack 256 of the right cover frame 240 and the rack 266 of the left cover frame 242 . Therein, the gear 270 is attached to the indicator pin 214 so that the gear rotates the indicator pin 214 . Additionally, the gear 270 includes screw holes 272 that allow screws to pass through the gear penetrating holes 210 to lock the gear 270 to the support bracket 120 . Moving the handle 136 or 134 causes the corresponding rack 256 or 266 to rotate the gear 270 , which in turn moves the other rack 256 or 266 . The cover brackets 240, 242 can be moved to a closed position to align the through holes 246 with the through holes 130 of the support bracket 120, thereby allowing the insertion or removal of screws. The cover brackets 240 , 242 can also be moved to an open position to block the penetration hole 130 , preventing screws from being inserted through the upper circuit board 102 .

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

2C is a schematic bottom view of the connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention when the connector assembly is engaged with the upper circuit board. As shown in the enlarged partial view 284, the mounting slot 282 has a rounded end 286 and an opposite narrow end 288 that allow the head of the mounting pin 280 to enter. When the mounting pins 280 are inserted into the corresponding mounting slots 282, the connector assembly 110 can move, and the mounting pins 280 move from the rounded end 286 to the narrow end 288, so that the mounting pins 280 are locked in the mounting slots 282 , as shown in the enlarged partial view 290 . By moving the connector assembly 110 such that the mounting pins 280 are moved into the rounded ends 286 of the mounting slots 282, the connector assembly 110 can be separated from the upper circuit board 102.

3A to 3C detail the closed position. 3A to 3C are respectively a top view, a top perspective view and a side cross-sectional view of the connector assembly in a closed position and allowing screws to be installed to join the upper and lower circuit boards according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein in FIGS. 3A to 3C The same elements as in Figure 2 are marked with the same numerals. The closed position allows the final assembly of the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 in FIGS. 1A-1C . As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C , the left and right cover frames 240 and 242 face the corresponding two sides 122 and 124 of the support frame 120 . Therefore, the side plate 222 of the cover plate 138 is located above the rotating rod 142 , so the side plate 222 of the cover plate 138 The rotation lever 142 can be prevented from rotating so that the rotation lever 142 is held in the locked position and cannot be rotated to the unlocked position. Similarly, the side plate 222 of the side cover 140 is located above the rotating rod 144, so the side plate 222 of the side cover 140 can prevent the rotating rod 144 from rotating, then the rotating rod 144 will be kept in the locked position and cannot be rotated to the unlocked position .

To engage in the closed position, a user can grasp either handle 134 or 136 and push handle 134 or 136 to the outer end of handle slot 132, causing corresponding cover bracket 240 or 242 to rotate gear 270, thereby rotating gear 270. The other cover frame 242 or 240 is moved through the gear mechanism. Once in the closed position, the indicator pin 214 moves through the gear 270 in the semicircular slot 212 to place the connector assembly 110 in the closed position, and the screw holes 272 of the gear 270 are aligned with the gear penetration holes 210 of the support bracket 120, and then, A screw can then be inserted through the gear penetrating hole 210 and the screw hole 272 to lock the gear with the cover brackets 240, 242 locked in the closed position.

In this way, the penetration holes 246 of the cover frames 240, 242 are aligned with the penetration holes 130 of the support frame 120, so that the screws can pass through the penetration holes 130 and 246 to connect the upper circuit board 102 to the spacer element 108, That is, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C.

If the user wants to disassemble the upper circuit board 102 from the lower circuit board 104 , the user can remove all the screws that lock the upper circuit board 102 to the spacer 108 of the lower circuit board 104 , and the screws The nails can be removed through the first penetration holes 130 and the locking holes 210 of the top surface 200 of the support frame 120 . Once the screws are removed, the connector assembly 110 can be moved to the open position via the handles 134 and 136, so that the board-to-board connector 106 is disconnected, as shown in Figures 1A-1B.

4A to 4C illustrate the open position in detail, and FIGS. 4A to 4C are respectively a top view, a top perspective view and a side view of the connector assembly in an open position and allowing the upper and lower circuit boards to be separated according to an embodiment of the present invention, The same elements in FIGS. 4A to 4C as in FIG. 2 are marked with the same numerals. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C , the right cover frame 240 and the left cover frame 242 are removed from the two sides 122 and 124 of the support frame 120 through the handle 134 or 136 . Therefore, the side cover 222 of the cover plate 138 is disposed away from the rotation rod 142 , and the rotation rod 142 can be rotated to the unlocked position as the side cover plate 138 moves away from the rotation rod 142 . At the same time, the side cover 222 of the cover plate 140 is positioned away from the rotation lever 144, and the side cover plate 140 is moved inward to allow the rotation lever 144 to be rotated to the unlocked position. As a result, the rotating levers 142 and 144 are rotated to the unlocked position, and the latches in the L-shaped slots 164 and 166 of the side brackets 160 and 162 are moved so that the connectors on the bottom of the upper circuit board 102 and the boards of the lower circuit board 104 are paired with each other. The board connector 106 is disconnected, as shown in Figures 1A-1B.

In order for all screws to be engaged to the open position after all screws are removed from the penetration hole 130 and the gear penetration hole 210 , the user may grasp either of the handles 134 or 136 to move the handle 134 or 136 to the position of the handle slot 132 . The inner end, so that the cover frame 240 or 242 rotates the gear 270, and then moves the other cover frame 240 or 242 through the gear mechanism. Once in the open position, the indicator pin 214 moves in the semicircular slot 212 to place the connector assembly 110 in the open position, all positioning holes 130 are blocked by the cover brackets 240 or 242, and when the connector assembly 110 is in the open position , preventing screw insertion through the upper circuit board 102 .

5A-5C are side cross-sectional views illustrating the initial sequence of locking and unlocking the rotation levers 142 and 144 for attaching the upper circuit board 102 to the lower circuit board 104 through the connector assembly 110, wherein the Identical elements in 1C are marked with the same numerals. As shown in FIG. 5A , the rotating lever 144 of the connector assembly 110 is rotated to the unlocked position, so that the handle 136 and cover plate 140 attached to the cover frame 242 have been oriented toward the center of the support frame 120 to the open position.

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

As shown in FIG. 5B, once the upper circuit board 102 is lowered onto the lower circuit board 104, the rotation lever 144 can be rotated. The rotating rod 144 is rotationally moved and connected to the gear mechanism of the side plate 128 which moves the latches 514, 516 to the locked position in the L-shaped slots 164, 166. As shown in FIG. 5C , when the rotating lever 144 is rotated to the fully locked position, the side plate 128 is secured to the side bracket 162 with the latches 514 , 516 , thereby ensuring that the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 are connected together. Then, screws can be inserted to attach the spacer element 108 to the upper circuit board 102 . Another swivel lever 142 operates in a similar manner to connect the side plate 126 with the side bracket 160 .

6A to 6C illustrate perspective views of the sequence of closed and open positions of the connector assembly 110 allowing removal of the screws when the upper circuit board 102 is detached from the lower circuit board 104. FIG. 6A illustrates the connector assembly 110 in a closed position and allowing the screw 610 to be inserted into or removed from the first position of the support bracket 120 The screw is removed from the penetration hole 130 . In the closed position, the through holes 130 of the support bracket 120 are aligned with the second through holes 246 of the cover bracket 242 so that the screws 610 can pass through the locking holes 512 in the upper circuit board 102 and into the spacer member 108 in the corresponding hole 612 . Wherein, each spacer element 108 includes a pin 514 that can be fixed to a pin hole 620 of the lower circuit board 104 , and the board-to-board connector 106 mates with the connector 510 on the bottom surface of the upper circuit board 102 .

With the penetration holes 130, 246 aligned in the closed position, the screws 610 can be removed from the upper circuit board 102. Alternatively, after the upper circuit board 102 is returned to the locked position shown in FIG. 2 after the upper circuit board 102 is engaged with the lower circuit board 104 by the rotation of the rotation levers 142 and 144 , the screws can be inserted into the penetration holes 130 , 246 . Figure 6B illustrates the removal of the screws 610 from the penetration holes 130, 246 and the holes 612 of the spacer elements. Once all the screws 610 are removed, the cover frame 242 can be moved to the open position.

FIG. 6C illustrates the connector assembly 110 in the open position, and the insertion of the screw into the first penetration hole 130 of the support frame 120 is prevented. As shown in FIG. 6C , the cover frame 242 has been moved so that the penetration holes 246 of the cover frame 242 are not aligned with the penetration holes 130 of the support frame 120 . In order to move the cover frame 242 to the open position, all screws connecting the upper circuit board 102 to the lower circuit board 104 must be removed.

The advantage of the connector assembly 110 of the embodiment of the present invention is that the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 can be separated only when all the screws connecting the upper circuit board 102 and the lower circuit board 104 are removed, In this way, damage to the circuit board caused by an incorrect disassembly process can be prevented. Additionally, when assembling or disassembling the upper and lower circuit boards 102 and 104, the connector assembly 110 makes it clear to the user which screws should be installed or removed, so that the user does not have to read the instructions and accidentally damage the circuit board structure. The movement of the cover frames 240 and 242 is limited by the use of screws locked on the upper circuit board 102 to ensure that the cover frames 240 and 242 cannot move until all the screws have been removed, therefore, only after the removal of all the The upper circuit board 102 can be removed from the lower circuit board 104 only after the screws are removed.

Although the disclosed embodiments have been illustrated and described with respect to one or more embodiments, after reading and understanding this specification and the drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that Various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations may be made to these embodiments under circumstances. Furthermore, although certain features of the invention may be disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, these features may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, as may be possible for any given or particular application. desired and favorable.

It should be understood that although various embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the embodiments described herein are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the present invention. Change. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments. Instead, the scope of the present invention should be defined in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.

100: Multiple Circuit Systems

102: Upper circuit board

104: Lower circuit board

120: Support frame

126: Side panel

134, 136: handle

138, 140: cover plate

142, 144: Rotary lever

Claims (10)

A connector assembly is used to connect an upper circuit board and a lower circuit board, the upper circuit board includes a locking hole connected to the lower circuit board through a fastening element, the connector assembly includes: a support frame with a first penetration hole aligned with the fastening hole of the upper circuit board, and the support frame is arranged above the upper circuit board; a cover frame with a second penetration hole suspended on the support Between the frame and the upper circuit board, the cover frame can move between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position, the first penetration hole is aligned with the second penetration hole, and wherein the The cover frame blocks the penetration between the first penetration hole of the support frame and the fastening hole of the upper circuit board. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper circuit board includes a connector mateable with a board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the support frame includes a side plate that contacts the lower circuit board. The connector assembly of claim 3, wherein the side plate includes a pivot lever attached to a connection mechanism to engage a side bracket of the lower circuit board with the pivot lever in a locked position and an unlocked position. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the cover bracket includes a cover plate extending through the support bracket, wherein the cover plate is rotated during the rotation when the cover plate is in the open position The lever extends above to prevent the rotation lever from being rotated to the unlocked position. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the fastening element comprises one or more screws. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the support bracket includes an indicator pin for indicating the open position and the closed position. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a handle, the handle is connected with the cover frame, and the handle extends through a handle slot in the support frame. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a gear; and another cover frame including a rack meshing with the gear, wherein the cover frame includes a rack meshing with the gear. A computer system, comprising: a lower circuit board with a plurality of spacers; an upper circuit board with a plurality of locking holes, each of the locking holes being aligned with one of the spacers of the lower circuit board; A connector assembly includes a support frame disposed above the upper circuit board, a first cover frame and a second cover frame suspended between the support frame and the upper circuit board, wherein the support frame has A plurality of first penetration holes, the first cover frame and the second cover frame have a plurality of second penetration holes, the first cover frame and the second cover frame have a relative to the support frame In the closed position, the first through holes are aligned with the second through holes, each of the first cover frame and the second cover frame has an open position, the first cover frame and the second cover frame The cover frame blocks the penetration between the first penetration holes of the support frame and the locking holes of the upper circuit board.

Images