WO2020068112A1

WO2020068112A1 - Circuit board holders

Info

Publication number: WO2020068112A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/053407
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chao-wen CHENG; Chieh-Shen HUANG; Chien Fa Huang; Shun-Min Yang
Original assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority date: 2018-09-28
Filing date: 2018-09-28
Publication date: 2020-04-02

Abstract

Examples of a circuit board holder are described herein. In an example, the circuit board holder includes a circuit board case having a frame that has arms parallel to each other and a stopper connecting distal ends of the arms. Each arm has a rail facing the rail on the other to accommodate a circuit board. A proximal end of each arm has a latch. The circuit board holder further comprises a bracket to detachably couple the circuit board case thereto at the proximal end of the arms of the circuit board case. The bracket comprises a plurality of bracket latches, each to couple to the latch on an arm of the circuit board case

Description

CIRCUIT BOARD HOLDERS

BACKGROUND

[0001] A circuit board, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), mechanically supports various electronic components or electrical components. Conductive tracks may be etched onto the surface or within the circuit board to connect the various components. Such circuit boards are used widely in all electronic devices, such as computers, mobile phones, and network devices. In the electronic devices, in addition to a main circuit board, such as a motherboard, there may be provision for detachably connecting other circuit boards to the electronic device for various purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0002] The detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a circuit board assembly, according to an example;

[0004] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic of a circuit board holder of the circuit board assembly, according to an example;

[0005] Figure 3A and Figure 3B illustrate a perspective view of a circuit board case of the circuit board holder, according to an example;

[0006] Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of a proximal end of the circuit board case, according to an example.

[0007] Figure 5A and Figure 5B illustrate a bracket of the circuit board holder, according to an example.

[0008] Figure 6A and Figure 6B illustrate the circuit board holder in an assembled position with respect to a primary circuit component, according to an example;

[0009] Figure 7 A and Figure 7B illustrate a magnified view of the circuit board case in an assembled position with a circuit board, according to an example; [0010] Figure 8A and Figure 8B illustrate magnified views of the circuit board case, according to an example.

[0011] Figure 9 illustrates a method for assembling the circuit board holder, according to an example.

[0012] It should be noted that the description and the figures are merely examples of the present subject matter and are not meant to represent the subject matter itself. Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not identical, elements. The figures are not to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or examples consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or examples provided in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The main circuit board, such as a motherboard, of electronic devices may have provision for detachably connecting other circuit board elements to the main circuit board for various purposes. For example, a circuit board may be provided for memory expansion or to provide hardware for functions that may not be built in the electronic device, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and near field communication (NFC). In all such cases, the computing device can be provided with a slot for inserting the circuit board.

[0014] In recent times, given the impetus for smali-sized electronic devices, focus has been on providing slots for circuit boards that can accommodate the circuit boards in a vertical direction to save on space. However, when assembled in a vertical direction, the circuit board may be prone to being inadvertently detached from the slot leading to a malfunctioning of the circuit board as well as that of the electronic device. Accordingly, such circuit boards are provided with a chassis to which they are coupled using fasteners for support. In addition, the chassis is then fastened to a support member, such as the main circuit board or a body of the electronic device, so that the circuit board is not accidentally dislodged from the slot. As a result, the assembly of the circuit board to the slot is complex and time- consuming, in addition to involving multiple components.

[0015] Approaches for a circuit board holder and an assembly thereof are described. According to an aspect, the circuit board holder is provisioned in a manner that the assembly of the various components of the circuit board holder does not involve any tool or fasteners and can be done manually in a convenient manner. In an example, the circuit board holder can include a circuit board case having a frame that is provided with arms parallel to each other and has a stopper connecting distal ends of the arms. Each of the arms includes a rail, the two rails facing each other for accommodating the circuit board along a plane containing the arms. Further, at the proximal end of the arms, the frame is left open for receiving a circuit board, and the proximal end of each of the arms includes a latch. The latch allows the circuit board case to be detachably coupled to a bracket of the circuit board holder. In other words, the circuit board holder includes the bracket which can detachably couple to the proximal end of the arms of the circuit board case. The bracket can be provided with a plurality of bracket latches, each of which couples to the latch on the arm of the circuit board case. Therefore, the latch on the arm is formed in accordance with the bracket latch on the bracket so that the two can cooperate to lock the circuit board case with the bracket.

[0016] Further, in an example, the bracket can be designed to be fixed to a support, such as a body of an electronic device in which the circuit board is to be used, and can include a receptor window for receiving the circuit board case, such that the circuit board case is substantially perpendicular to a surface to which the bracket is fixed. For instance, the bracket can be fixed to a primary circuit component, such as the mother board, of a computing device such that the receptor window in the bracket surrounds a receptor interface in the primary circuit component into which the circuit board, such as an expandable memory, can be inserted.

[0017] Further, as mentioned previously, the present subject matter also relates to a circuit board assembly of which the circuit board holder, described above, is a part. In an example, the circuit board assembly includes the primary circuit component and the circuit board holder can be used to fix the circuit board in the receptor interface of the primary circuit component. For that purpose, the receptor window in the bracket of the circuit board holder is aligned with the receptor interface in the primary circuit component. In addition, frame of the circuit board case has parallel rails facing each other to accommodate the circuit board. Further, the arms each have a latch to cooperate and lock with the bracket latches on the bracket to assemble the circuit board case to the bracket in proximity of the receptor window. In an assembled position of the circuit board case with the bracket, the circuit board is engaged with the receptor interface in the primary circuit component through the receptor window in the bracket.

[0018] In addition, a method for assembling the circuit board holder is envisaged as part of the present subject matter. As explained above, for deploying the circuit board in the circuit board holder, the circuit board case can be detached from the bracket. The bracket can be coupled to the primary circuit component, whereas the circuit board can be inserted into the rails in the frame of the circuit board holder where the circuit board can be locked into the circuit board case. The circuit board may be inserted in a manner that an engaging portion of the circuit board is towards the proximal end of the arms of the circuit board case. Once the circuit board has been inserted into the circuit board case, the circuit board case can be brought in cooperation with the receptor window in the bracket, for example, in the direction of the proximal end of the arms. Therefore, an open end of the circuit board case can be brought to engage with the bracket at the receptor window, and at the same time, the engaging portion of the circuit board is inserted into the receptor interface in the primary circuit component to operationally engage the circuit board to the primary circuit component.

[0019] With the circuit board holder and assembly as described above, the circuit board can be deployed manually without the involvement of any tools or fasteners. In addition, the assembly of the various components is simple and easy, and therefore, may not involve considerable skills for assembling the components. In addition, the locking of the circuit board into the circuit board case, and then the locking of the circuit board case into the bracket prevents any accidental disassembly of the circuit board or the circuit board case from the bracket.

[0020] The above aspects are further described in conjunction with the figures, and in associated description below it should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. Therefore, various arrangements that encompass the principles of the present subject matter, although not explicitly described or shown herein, may be devised from the description and are included within its scope. Additionally, the word“coupled” is used throughout for clarity of the description and can include either a direct connection or an indirect connection.

[0021] Figure 1 illustrates a circuit board assembly 100, according to an example. The circuit board assembly 100 may be a part of to a device (not shown) and can provide for assembly of a circuit board 102 as an external component the device for adding certain capability to the device. For example, the circuit board 102 can be an external memory component, such as an expandable random -access- memory (RAM), for enhancing the memory of the device. The circuit board 102 can be an insertable-type of a component that can directly be coupled or plugged -in to the device. Accordingly, the circuit board 102 can have an engaging portion (not shown in Figure 1 ), for example, having etched circuit connections for allowing electrical connection between the circuit board 102 and the device when the circuit board 102 is plugged therein.

[0022] The circuit board assembly 100 can include a primary circuit component 104 (partially shown in Figure 1 ) to which the circuit board 102 can be coupled, and a circuit board holder 106 which can facilitate the coupling of the circuit board to the primary circuit component 104. For example, the primary circuit component 104 can be a motherboard of the device having expansion capability, and therefore, can receive the circuit board 102 for enhancing the device. In another example, the primary circuit component 104 may be a connection seat conforming to M.2 interface standard specification. M.2 is a transmission interface of a standard specification established by association of the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) and the Serial AT A International Organization (SATA-IO). M.2, originally known as the NGFF (Next Generation Form Factor), is an interface that can support the standard specifications of Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Universal Serial Bus (USB), and Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe). The M.2 interface can have a variety of dimensions and can provide for fast transmission speed, and can be applied to various kinds of expansion cards, such as solid-state disk (SSD), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and near field communication (NFC). For instance, to accommodate the circuit board 102, the primary circuit component 104 can include a receptor interface, for example, in the form of an adapter which can receive the engaging portion of the circuit board 102.

[0023] The circuit board holder 106 can, as mentioned above, serve as a supporting structure for the circuit board 102, for holding the circuit board 102 as well as for adequately bracing the circuit board 102 when coupled to the primary circuit component 104. In an example, the circuit board holder 106 can include a bracket 1 10 and a circuit board case 1 12. The bracket 108 may further include a receptor window 114 which aligns with the receptor interface 108 of the primary circuit component 104 when the bracket 110 is coupled to the primary circuit component 104. The circuit board case 1 12 can retain the circuit board 102 and can be further fixed to the bracket 1 10 at the receptor window 1 14 to engage the circuit board 102 to the primary circuit component 104. Therefore, when assembled to the primary circuit component 104, the circuit board holder 106 can support the circuit board 102 to maintain engagement of the circuit board 102 with the primary circuit component 104.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic of the circuit board holder 106, in accordance with an example of the present subject matter. As mentioned above, the circuit board holder 106 may include the bracket 110 and the circuit board case 1 12 to the detachably couplable to the bracket 1 10. In turn, the bracket 1 10 can be coupled, for instance, detachably, to the primary circuit component 104, and therefore, the bracket 1 10 serves to couple the circuit board case 112 to the primary circuit component 104. Accordingly, the bracket 1 10 can include a plurality of bracket latches 202 which can cooperate with the circuit board case 1 12 for detachably coupling the bracket 1 10 to the circuit board case 1 12.

[0025] The circuit board case 1 12 can include a frame 204 can have two parallel arms 206 and a stopper 208 connecting distal ends of the arms 206. Each arm 206 can be provided with a rail 210. Therefore, the two arms 206 can each have rail 210, the rails 210 on both the arms 206 facing each other and can accommodate the circuit board 102 along a plane containing the arms 206. In other words, edges of the circuit board 102, when assembled, can be accommodated in the rails 210 in the circuit board case 112, and the rails 210 and the circuit board 102 can be contained in substantially the same plane. Further, at a proximal end of the arms 206, opposite to the distal end where the stopper 208 is provided, each arm 206 can have a latch 212 to lock with the corresponding bracket latch 202 on the bracket 1 10. In other words, the latches 212 on the arms 206 can cooperate and lock with the bracket latches 202 on the bracket 1 10 to assemble the circuit board case 1 12 to the bracket 110, in proximity of the receptor window 1 14 as mentioned previously. Therefore, in an assembled position of the circuit board case 112 with the bracket 110, the engaging portion of the circuit board 102 is inserted into the receptor interface 108 in the primary circuit component 104 through the receptor window 1 14 in the bracket 110.

[0026] Figure 3A and Figure 3B illustrate a perspective view of the circuit board case 112 of the circuit board holder 106, in accordance with an example of the present subject matter. While Figure 3A illustrates simply illustrates the circuit board case 1 12, Figure 3B illustrates the circuit board case 1 12 with the circuit board 102 assembled therein. For the sake of brevity and ease of understanding, Figure 3A and Figure 3B are described, henceforth, in conjunction with each other.

[0027] As mentioned previously, the circuit board case 112 can accommodate the circuit board 102 and is detachably couplable to the bracket 110. For the former, the circuit board case 1 12 can include the frame 204 which is formed as being open from all but one side. Accordingly, the frame 204 is formed as having two parallel arms 206 along a major dimension and the end of the frame 204 opposite to the open end, referred to as the distai end 302 of the arms 206, is closed by the stopper 208 which is formed as a linking arm. in addition, to accommodate the circuit board 102, the rail 210 is provided on each 206 arm such that the rails 210 on the two arms 206 face each other and the circuit board 102 can be slidably disposed on the rails 210.

[0028] For assembly, as shown in Figure 3B, the circuit board 102 can be inserted from an open end of the frame 204, opposite to the distal end of the arms 206, and slid along the rails 210 from the open end towards the stopper 208. The stopper 208 can, thus, act as a barricade for the circuit board 102 to prevent the circuit board 102 from sliding out of the frame 204 from the opposite end. As mentioned previously, a plane containing the arms 206, for instance, the rails 210, also contains the circuit board 102 in the assembled condition.

[0029] Further, to detachably couple the circuit board case 1 12 to the bracket 1 10, at the end of the arm 206 opposite to the distal end, referred to as the proximal end 304, the arm 206 can be provided with the latch 212. The latch 212, as mentioned previously, can cooperate with the bracket latch 202 on the bracket 1 10. The latches 212 are explained in detail with reference to Figure 4 and the bracket latches 202 are explained in detail with reference to Figure 5A and Figure 5B.

[0030] Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the proximal end 304 of the arms 206 of the circuit board case 112, according to an example of the present subject matter. As can be seen in Figure 4, the latch 212 is provided on the proximal end of each of the arms 206. In said example, the latch 212 can be formed as a part of a snap-fit lock mechanism. Accordingly, the latch 212 can be formed as having a notch 402 that can serve to lock with the bracket latch 202 by accommodating the bracket latch 202 therein in the assembled position of the bracket 110 and the circuit board case 1 12. In other examples, the latch 212 can be designed as any other type of coupling mechanism to facilitate the engagement with the bracket latches 202.

[0031] Figure 5A and Figure 5B illustrate the bracket 1 10 and the bracket latches 202 of the bracket 1 10, according to an example of the present subject matter. While Figure 5A illustrates a perspective view of the bracket 1 10 showing the bracket latches 202, Figure 5B illustrates a cross-sectional front view of the bracket 110. As can be seen, Figure 5A and Figure 5B illustrate the bracket 1 10 in an unassembled position. For the sake of brevity and conciseness, Figure 5A and Figure 5B are described in conjunction with each other.

[0032] As mentioned previously, the bracket 1 10 can be coupled, for instance, detachably, to the primary circuit component 104 and can include the receptor window 1 14 which can align with the receptor interface 108 of the primary circuit component 104 when assembled thereto. In addition, the bracket 110 can, as part of the circuit board holder 106, be detachably couplable to the circuit board case 1 12 to fix the circuit board case 1 12 to the primary circuit component 104 in a vertical direction with respect to the primary circuit component 104.

[0033] According to an aspect, the bracket 110 can be provided with a coupler to detachably couple the bracket 110 to the primary circuit component 104. In an example, the coupler can be provided in the form of an attachment surface 502 on which an adhesive can be provided to fix the bracket 1 10 to the primary circuit component 104. For instance, the attachment surface 502 can be a lateral wall of the receptor window 1 14 that abuts a lateral wall of the receptor interface 108, in an assembled position of the bracket 110 and the primary circuit component 104. In another example, however, the adhesive can be provided on lateral walls of the receptor window 1 14 to couple the receptor window 1 14 of the bracket 110 at the receptor interface 108 of the primary circuit component 104. In other words, in both above examples, the lateral walls of the receptor window 1 14 can abut against and couple to the lateral walls of the receptor interface 108.

[0034] In yet another example, the bracket 110 and the primary circuit component 104 can be provided with a coupling mechanism, such as a snap-fit locking mechanism. In said example, as part of the coupling mechanism, the coupler on the bracket 1 10 can be a snap-fit lock that can engage with a cooperating snap-fit hole in the primary circuit component 104 to attach the bracket 1 10 to the primary circuit component 104. F!owever, in the same example in which the coupling mechanism is the snap-fit locking mechanism, the snap-fit lock can, instead, be provided on the primary circuit component 104 and the hole to engage the snap-fit lock can be provided in the bracket 110. As an example, one manner of coupling the bracket 110 to the primary circuit component 104 is described in detail later, with reference to Figure 10 to Figure 12C.

[0035] Further, to detachably couple the bracket 1 10 to the circuit board case 1 12, the bracket 110 can be provided with the bracket latches 202 which can cooperate with the latches 212 on the arms 206 of the circuit board case 1 12. The bracket latches 202, accordingly, can be positioned on the bracket 1 10 to be on opposite edges of the bracket 1 10 to correspond to the latches 212 on the circuit board case 1 12, so that one bracket latch 202 can cooperate with one latch 212 on the arm 206.

[0036] According to one example, the bracket latch 202 can be designed to have an elastic, snap-fitting design. Accordingly, in said example, the bracket latch 202 can have a locking arm 504 pivoted at a body 506 of the bracket 1 10. The locking arm 504 can, at a first end from a point of pivoting P, have a locking portion 508 to cooperate with the proximal end 304 of the arm 206 of the circuit board case 112, for instance, to cooperate with the latch 212. At a second end from the point of pivoting P, the locking arm 504 can have a release handle 510 which can be used to actuate the locking arm 504 for latching and unlatching the bracket latch 202 from the latch 212. When actuated, the locking arm 504 can pivot about the point of pivoting P and disengage the locking portion 508 from the latch 212.

[0037] In an example, the bracket 1 10 can be formed as single moulded piece, for instance, of plastic. Accordingly, the locking arms 504 are formed integrally with the body 506 of the bracket and the point of pivoting P is designed to be a point about which the integrated locking arms 504 can pivot. According to an aspect, the bracket 110 can be designed in a way that the locking arm 504 has sufficient flexural ability and strength to be able to withstand the pivoting motion about the point of pivoting P without undergoing failure either at any point on the locking arm 504, or the body 506, or the point of pivoting P. In an example, a thickness of the locking arm 504 at the point of pivoting P and in proximity to the point of pivoting P can be designed in order to achieve the adequate flexural ability as well as strength for effective operation of the bracket latch 202.

[0038] Figure 6A and Figure 6B illustrate the circuit board holder 106 in an assembled position with respect to the primary circuit component 104, according to an example of the present subject matter. Accordingly, Figures 6A and 6B illustrate the circuit board case 1 12 assembled to the bracket 1 10 and the bracket 1 10 assembled to the primary circuit component 10, according to said example. While Figure 6A illustrates a perspective view of the circuit board holder 106 in the assembled position, Figure 6B illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the circuit board holder 106 in the assembled position. For the sake of brevity and for ease of understanding, Figure 6A and Figure 6B are described in conjunction with each other.

[0039] As has been described above, in the assembled position of the bracket 1 10 with respect to the primary circuit component 104, the receptor window 1 14 of the bracket 1 10 can be aligned with the receptor interface 108 of the primary circuit component 104 that can receive the circuit board 102 disposed in the circuit board case 1 12. As part of aligning with the receptor interface 108, when the bracket 110 is coupled to the primary circuit component 104, the receptor window 1 14 can surround the receptor interface 108. Accordingly, when the circuit board case 1 12 is coupled to the bracket 1 10 at the receptor window 1 14, the circuit board 102 disposed in the circuit board case 1 12 can engage with the receptor interface 108. In an example, as mentioned above, the abutting lateral walls of the receptor interface 108 and the receptor window 1 14 can be fixed to each other by an adhesive.

[0040] Further, as has been mentioned previously, the bracket latches 202 can cooperate with the latches 212 on the arms 206 for assembling the circuit board holder 106. As can be seen in Figure 6B, the locking portion 508 of the locking arm 504 of the bracket latch 202 on the bracket 1 10 can sit in the notch 402 in the latch 212 in the arm 206 on the circuit board case 1 12. Accordingly, in said example, the notch 402 and the locking portion 508 can be designed to correspond to one another. [0041] !n an example, during assembly, the assembled circuit board case 112, i.e., the circuit board case 1 12 having the circuit board 102 locked therein, can be inserted in the receptor window 1 14 or brought in towards the general direction of the receptor window 1 14 as well as the receptor interface 108. The assembled circuit board case 1 12 can be brought with the proximal end 304 of the arms 206 and also the engaging portion of the circuit board 102 towards the bracket 1 10, with the engaging portion of the circuit board 102 in line with the receptor interface 108 in the primary circuit component 104. In the process of being brought together, when the circuit board case 1 12 is in the vicinity of the bracket 110, the bracket latches 202 can first cooperate with exterior walls of the arms 206 and the locking arms 504 can pivot about the point of pivoting P to move the locking portions 508 away from each other and allow the circuit board case 1 12 to be brought further close to the bracket 110 for coupling. As the notches 402 on the arms 206 of the circuit board case 1 12 align with the respective locking portion 508 on the locking arms 504 of the bracket 1 10, the elastically distended locking portions 508 snap into the respective notch 402, thereby creating a coupling between the bracket 1 10 and the circuit board case 112.

[0042] In addition, in order to facilitate assemblage of the circuit board case 112 with the bracket 1 10, the circuit board holder 106 can have provisions for ease of assembly. According to an example, the locking arm 504 can include a plurality of locator limbs 512 on either side of the locking arm 504, and therefore, on either side of the locking portion 508, and the locator limbs 512 can facilitate in locating the circuit board case 1 12 with respect to the bracket 110 during assembly. In addition, in said example, the circuit board case 112 can include, at the proximal end 304 of the arms 206, a locator pin 514 to cooperate with the locator limb 512 of the locking arm 504 for facilitating in the locating during assembly. For instance, one locator pin 514 can be provided for one locator limb 512 and positioned correspondingly on the respective component. Accordingly, in said example, the locator pins 514 can be provided on either edge of the arm 206 on the sides of the edge having the rail 210. [0043] During assembly, when the circuit board case 112 is brought towards the bracket 110 for engaging the circuit board 102 to the receptor interface 108, the locator pins 514 can cooperate with the locator limbs 512 to direct the engaging portion of the circuit board 102 directly and in line towards the receptor interface 108. Further, in an example, the locator limbs 512 can be designed to have flexural ability or elasticity and are biased towards the direction of the locator pins 514. Accordingly, in addition to locating, the locator limbs 512 can maintain a bias force on the locator pins 514 in the assembled position, and ensure that the circuit board case 112 is securely coupled to the bracket 110. in other words, the bias force due to the locator limbs 512 can create an interference fit between the locator limbs 512 and the respective locator pin 514, thereby securing the circuit board case 112 with the bracket 110.

[0044] In addition to the above, in another example, the release handle 510 of the locking arm 504 of the bracket 110 can have a locator channel 516 which can further facilitate in locating the circuit board case 112 with respect to the bracket 110 during assembly. For instance, the arms 206 of the circuit board case 112 can slide in the locator channel 516 during assembly and can be assisted in conveniently locating the circuit board case 112 with respect to the bracket. At the same time, the circuit board 102 can be located with respect to the receptor interface 108 and aligned for effective and convenient engagement therebetween. In addition, once the assembly is completed, the locator channels 516 on the locking arms 504 can provide for supporting the circuit board case 112 in an assembled position with the bracket 110, again, ensuring a secure coupling of the two components.

[0045] In addition, the circuit board case 112 can have provisions for effectively securing the circuit board 102 thereto. Such provisions are discussed in detail with reference to Figure 7A, Figure 7B, Figure 8A, and Figure 8B.

[0046] Figure 7 A and Figure 7B illustrate a magnified view of the circuit board case 112 in an assembled position with the circuit board 102, according to an example of the present subject matter. In said example, the Figure 7 A and Figure 7B show the proximal end 304 of the arms 206 of the circuit board case 112. While Figure 7A illustrates a perspective view of the circuit board case 1 12 with the circuit board 102, Figure 7B illustrates a cross-sectional front view of the circuit board case 112 in the assembled position with the circuit board 102. For the sake of brevity and succinctness, Figure 7A and Figure 7B are described in conjunction with each other.

[0047] As mentioned previously, the circuit board case 1 12 can have provisions to securely hold the circuit board 102 therewith so that during engagement or disengagement of the circuit board case 112 from the bracket 1 10 or of the circuit board 102 from the receptor interface 108, there is not damage to any of the components involved. Accordingly, in the example illustrated in Figures 7 A and 7B, the circuit board case 1 12 can be provided with a board stopper 702 that locks the circuit board 102 with the circuit board case 1 12. In said example, one board stopper 702 can be provided in each arm 206 of the circuit board case 1 12 at the rail 210, at the proximal end 304 of the arm 206.

[0048] For instance, the board stopper 702 can be provided as a wedge at the end of the rail 210 in the vicinity of the proximal end 304 of the arm 206. In said example, the circuit board 102 can have a complementary notch 704 in the edges in the proximity of the engaging portion. In other words, the edges of the circuit board 102 which is towards the proximal end 304 of the arms 206 is provided with the complementary notch 704. The complementary notches 704 can cooperate with the respective board stopper 702 in the rail 210 to lock the circuit board 102 with the circuit board case 112, when the circuit board 102 is inserted into rail 210 of the circuit board case 1 12 and is to be assembled thereto.

[0049] In addition to the board stoppers 702, the circuit board case 1 12 can be provided with contraptions that facilitate in securing the circuit board 102 to the circuit board case 1 12. Figure 8A and Figure 8B illustrate magnified views of the circuit board case 1 12 with the aforementioned contraptions, according to an example of the present subject matter. Figure 8A illustrates a perspective view of the circuit board case 1 12, and Figure 8B illustrates a cross sectional top view of the circuit board case 112. In addition, for describing the contraption referred to above, reference is made to Figures 3A and 3B described above. For the sake of brevity and ease of understanding, Figure 8A and Figure 8B are described herein in conjunction with each other and in conjunction with Figures 3A and 3B.

[0050] According to said example, the circuit board case 1 12 can be provided with a strap 802 connecting the arms 206 to each other at the proximal ends 304 of the arms 206 or in vicinity of the proximai ends 304, for instance, as shown in Figure 3B. According to an aspect, the strap 802 can include a strap post 804 to create an interference fit with the circuit board 102 when the circuit board 102 is assembled to the circuit board case 112. In an example, the circuit board case 1 12 can accommodate circuit boards 102 of various lengths and the provision of the strap 802 at the proximai ends 304 ensures that irrespective of the length of the circuit board 102, the strap 802 and the strap post 804 are able to create the interference fit to securely hold the circuit board 102 assembled with the circuit board case 112.

[0051] The strap 802 can be designed to have a length, measured between the two arms 206, considering the depth of the strap post 804 measured in a direction perpendicular to the strap 802. For instance, the design of the strap 802 and the strap post 804 can be to ensure that a predefined force is applied on the circuit board 102 in the assembled position. Accordingly, when the circuit board 102 is inserted on the rails 210 in the circuit board case 112, the strap post 804 makes contact with the surface of the circuit board 102 and is pushed away from the circuit board 102, thereby creating a tension in the strap 802. In turn, the tension in the strap 802 causes a reaction force to be applied on the circuit board 102 which securely maintains the circuit board 102 in position in the circuit board case 1 12.

[0052] Further, as mentioned above, the circuit board case 112 can accommodate circuit boards 102 of different lengths. Accordingly, the circuit board case 1 12 can further include a supplementary strap 806, as shown in Figure 3B as well as Figure 8B. The design and construction of the supplementary strap 806, in an example, can be the same as that of the strap 802. Accordingly, in said example, the supplementary strap 806 can connect the parallel arms 206 to each other at an accommodating length along the arms 206. For instance, the accommodating length can be a length of the circuit board 102 that the circuit board case 1 12 can accommodate. Similar to the strap 802, the supplementary strap 806 can have the strap post 804 which can act as a stopper for the circuit board 102 having a length substantially equal to the accommodating length. In other words, the strap post 804 can stop further insertion of the circuit board 102 when a length of the circuit board 102 is substantially equal to the accommodating length. In addition, the supplementary strap 806 can create an interference fit with a circuit board 102 which has a length greater than the accommodating length. For instance, as explained above, the strap post 804 can create an interference fit against a lateral surface of the circuit board 102. Accordingly, when the circuit board 102 is longer than the accommodating length, i.e., extends beyond the supplementary strap 806 when locked into the board stopper 702, the strap post 804 can push against the lateral surface of the circuit board 102 to create the interference fit. For a circuit board 102 which is shorter than the accommodating length, the strap post 804 can act as a stopper but may not be able to create the interference fit.

[0053] Further, in other examples, the circuit board case 1 12 can include a plurality of supplementary straps 806 in order to accommodate circuit boards 102 of various lengths in the same circuit board case 1 12. Accordingly for a circuit board 102 of a length substantially same as the longest accommodating length that the circuit board case 1 12 can accommodate, the strap 802 and the supplementary straps 806 at lengths shorter than the accommodating length can create an interference fit with the circuit board 102. The longest accommodating length, in an example, can be substantially equal to the length of the arms 206 from the board stopper 702 to the inner edge of the stopper 208.

[0054] Figure 9 illustrates a method 900 for assembling the circuit board assembly 100, in accordance with an example of the present subject matter. The order in which the blocks in the method(s) 900 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blocks can be combined in any order to employ the method(s) 900, or an alternative method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method (s) without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method (s) 900 can be employed in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof. For the sake of brevity, the components and details associated with the method 900 described in Figures 1 to 8B are not repeated.

[0055] Referring to the method 900, at block 902, the bracket 110 of the circuit board holder 106 is coupled, for instance, detachably, to the primary circuit component 104 by aligning the receptor window 1 14 of the bracket 1 10 with the receptor interface 108 in the primary circuit component 104. As part of aligning with the receptor interface 108, when the bracket 1 10 is coupled to the primary circuit component 104, the receptor window 114 can surround the receptor interface 108. Accordingly, when the circuit board case 112 is coupled to the bracket 1 10 at the receptor window 1 14, the circuit board 102 disposed in the circuit board case 112 can engage with the receptor interface 108. In an example, as mentioned above, the abutting lateral walls of the receptor interface 108 and the receptor window 1 14 can be fixed to each other by an adhesive.

[0056] At block 904, the circuit board 102 is inserted into the circuit board case 112 of the circuit board holder 106. The circuit board case 1 12 can include a frame 204 can have two parallel arms 206 and a stopper 208 connecting distal ends of the arms 206. Each arm 206 can be provided with a rail 210. Therefore, the two arms 206 can each have rail 210, the rails 210 on both the arms 206 facing each other and can accommodate the circuit board 102 along a plane containing the arms 206. In other words, edges of the circuit board 102, when assembled, can be accommodated in the rails 210 in the circuit board case 1 12, and the rails 210 and the circuit board 102 can be contained in substantially the same plane.

[0057] Further, at block 906, the circuit board case 1 12 having the circuit board 102 inserted therein is latched or locked to the bracket 1 10 at the receptor window 114 by engaging the circuit board 102 with the receptor interface 108 in the primary circuit component 104. Accordingly, the circuit board case 1 12 having the circuit board 102 can be connected to the primary circuit component 104 in a vertical direction with respect to the primary circuit component 104. [0058] Therefore, the circuit board 102 can be deployed manually without the involvement of any tools or fasteners. In addition, the assembly of the various components is simple and easy, and therefore, does not involve any skill for assembling the components in addition, the locking of the circuit board 102 into the circuit board case 1 12, and then the locking of the circuit board case 1 12 into the bracket 1 10 prevents any accidental disassembly of the circuit board 102 or the circuit board case 1 12 from the bracket 1 10. In addition, the circuit board assembly 100 can include various provisions which provide for quick assembly of the components, facilitating in an efficient assembly and high production rate.

[0059] Figure 10 illustrates a method 902 for coupling the bracket 110 to the primary circuit component 104, in accordance with an example of the present subject matter. As mentioned previously, the order in which the blocks in the method(s) 902 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blocks can be combined in any order to employ the method(s) 902, or an alternative method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method(s) without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method(s) 902 can be employed in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

[0060] Further, Figure 1 1 A, 1 1 B, 1 1 C and Figure 12A, 12B, 12C illustrate the components of the circuit board assembly 100 in various steps of the method 902. While Figure 1 1 A, 1 1 B, and 1 1C, illustrate the bracket 110 and the primary circuit component 104 of the circuit board assembly 100 in a perspective view, Figure 12A, 12B, and 12C illustrate the front cross-sectional views of the bracket 110 and the primary circuit component 104. As mentioned previously, the bracket 1 10 can be provided with a coupler, for example, in the form of the attachment surface 502 which can be a lateral wall of the receptor window 1 14 of the bracket 1 10 that can abut with the lateral wail of the receptor interface 108 of the primary circuit component 104. The method 902, as an example, describes the coupling of the bracket 1 10 to the primary circuit component 104 using the coupler. [0061] Referring to the method 902, at block 1002, the bracket 1 10 is moved relative to the receptor interface 108 to insert the receptor interface 108 in the receptor window 1 14 in the bracket 1 10. The bracket 110 and the primary circuit component 104 can be moved towards each other to insert the receptor interface 108 into the receptor window 114. This is illustrated in Figure 1 1A and Figure 12A.

[0062] At block 1004, a relief tape 1102 (shown in Figure 1 1A,11B and Figure 12A, 12B) is removed from over the attachment surface 502 of the bracket 1 10 to expose an adhesive on the attachment surface 502. The relief tape 1 102 can serve as a barrier that prevents the adhesive from being exposed and, therefore, from being spoiled, before the adhesive is brought in use. In an example, the relief tape 1102 can, simply, be a tab made of a polymeric sheet that can be stripped off the adhesive to expose the adhesive. As had been explained earlier, the attachment surface 502 of the bracket 1 10 can be a wall or surface that can come in contact with the receptor interface 108 to couple the bracket 110 to the receptor interface 108. This is also illustrated in Figure 11 B and Figure 12B.

[0063] At block 1006, the attachment surface 502 is fixed with a lateral wall 1 104 (shown in Figure 12A) of the receptor interface 108 using the adhesive to couple the bracket 110 to the primary circuit component 104. In an example, a compressive force can be applied on the bracket 1 10 towards the receptor interface 108 in order to ensure that the bracket 1 10 is adequately fixed to the receptor interface 108. This is illustrated in Figure 1 1 C and Figure 12C.

[0064] Although aspects for circuit board holder and assembly thereof have been described in a language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the subject matter is not limited to the features or methods described. Rather, the features and methods are disclosed as examples for circuit board holder and assembly thereof.

Claims

I/We claim:

1. A circuit board holder comprising: a circuit board case comprising a frame having arms parallel to each other and a stopper connecting distai ends of the arms, each of the arms comprising a rail facing each other to accommodate a circuit board along a plane containing the arms, wherein a proximal end of each of the arms comprises a latch; and a bracket to detachably couple the circuit board case thereto at the proximal end of the arms of the circuit board case, wherein the bracket comprises a plurality of bracket latches, each bracket latch is to couple to the latch on an arm of the circuit board case.

2. The circuit board holder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bracket comprises: a coupler to couple the bracket to a primary circuit component, wherein the circuit board is to couple to the primary circuit component; and a receptor window to align with a receptor interface in the primary circuit component.

3. The circuit board holder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rail on each of the arms comprises a board stopper at the proximal end thereof to lock with the circuit board.

4. The circuit board holder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the circuit board case further comprises a strap connecting the arms to each other at the proximal ends of the arms, the strap comprising a strap post to create an interference fit with the circuit board.

5. The circuit board holder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the circuit board case further comprises a supplementary strap connecting the arms to each other at an accommodating length of the arms, the supplementary strap comprising a strap post to create an interference fit with the circuit board when the circuit board is longer than the accommodating length and to stop further insertion of the circuit board when a length of the circuit board is substantially equal to the accommodating length.

6. The circuit board holder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of bracket latches comprises a locking arm pivoted at a body of the bracket, the locking arm having a locking portion at a first end to cooperate with the proximal end of an arm of the circuit board case and a release handle at a second end.

7. The circuit board holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein the locking arm comprises a plurality of locator limbs on either side of the locking portion to locate the circuit board case with respect to the bracket during assembly.

8. A circuit board assembly comprising: a primary circuit component comprising a receptor interface to receive a circuit board; and a circuit board holder to fix the circuit board in the receptor interface of the primary circuit component, the circuit board holder comprising, a bracket to couple to the primary circuit component, the bracket comprising a receptor window to align with the receptor interface of the primary circuit component, wherein the bracket further comprises a plurality of bracket latches; and a circuit board case comprising a frame having arms parallel to each other and a stopper connecting distal ends of the arms, each of the arms comprising a rail facing each other to accommodate the circuit board along a plane containing the arms, wherein a proximal end of each of the arms comprises a latch to cooperate and lock with one of the plurality of bracket latches on the bracket to assemble the circuit board case to the bracket in proximity of the receptor window, wherein, in an assembled position of the circuit board case with the bracket, the circuit board is engaged with the receptor interface in the primary circuit component through the receptor window in the bracket.

9. The circuit board assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rail on each of the arms comprises a board stopper at the proximal end thereof to lock with the circuit board.

10. The circuit board assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the circuit board case further comprises a strap connecting the arms to each other at the proximal ends of the arms, the strap comprising a strap post to create an interference fit with the circuit board.

11. The circuit board assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of bracket latches comprises a locking arm pivoted at a body of the bracket, the locking arm having a locking portion to cooperate with the proximal end of an arm of the circuit board case at a first end and a release handle at a second end, wherein the locking arm comprises a plurality of locator limbs on either side of the locking portion to locate the circuit board case with respect to the bracket during assembly.

12. The circuit board assembly as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the circuit board case comprises, at the proximal end of each arm, a locator pin to cooperate with each locator limb of the locking arm to locate the circuit board case with respect to the bracket during assembly.

13. The circuit board assembly as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the release handle comprises a locator channel to locate the circuit board case with respect to the bracket during assembly and to support the circuit board case in an assembled position with the bracket.

14. A method comprising: coupling a bracket of a circuit board holder to a primary circuit component, the coupling comprising aligning a receptor window in the bracket with a receptor interface in the primary circuit component; inserting a circuit board into a circuit board case of the circuit board holder, the circuit board case comprising a frame having arms parallel to each other and a stopper connecting distal ends of the arms, each of the arms comprising a rail facing each other to accommodate the circuit board along a plane containing the arms; and

latching the circuit board case having the circuit board inserted therein to the bracket at the receptor window, wherein the latching comprises engaging the circuit board with the receptor interface in the primary circuit component.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coupling comprises:

moving the bracket relative to the receptor interface to insert the receptor interface in the receptor window in the bracket;

removing a relief tape from over an attachment surface of the bracket to expose an adhesive on the attachment surface; and

fixing the attachment surface with a lateral wall of the receptor interface using the adhesive to couple the bracket to the primary circuit component.