Abstract:
An apparatus for installing and extracting a component on a printed circuit board includes an adjustable body having a first angled edge and a second angled edge. The first angled edge is formed with a flange engageable with a bottom surface of the component. The second angled edge is formed with a hook extending beyond the second angled edge. The hook is engageable with the bottom surface of the component. The adjustable body may include a first tab and second tab extending therefrom. The first and second tabs are moved toward each other to adjust the adjustable body within a range of positions.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is related to application Ser. No. ______, pending, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Installing and Extracting Components on a Printed Circuit Board” which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and filed concurrently herewith. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to components on a printed circuit board, and more specifically to installing and extracting such components.  
           [0004]    2. Background Information  
           [0005]    As computer systems become increasingly sophisticated, their internal components often become smaller and more densely situated. For example, a printed circuit board (PCB), such as a motherboard, for a computer system may have numerous integrated circuits disposed on the surface of the PCB. Adjacent integrated circuits are placed close to one another to take advantage of the entire surface area of the PCB. Although integrated circuits are often installed on a PCB by machines, some components may be installed by a user. However, because of the dense grouping of integrated circuits and other components on a PCB, it is difficult to manually install a component that is to be located adjacent another component. Furthermore, it may be necessary to remove the component if it is damaged or needs to be upgraded, and removing the component can be as problematic as installing the component because of the space constraints. Manually installing and extracting a component can also subject the component to undesirable forces.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    An apparatus for moving a component of a computer system comprises an adjustable body with a first angled edge and a second angled edge. The first angled edge has a flange which is engageable with a bottom surface of the component. The second angled edge has a hook which extends beyond the second angled edge. The hook is engageable with the bottom surface of the component. In one embodiment, a first tab and a second tab extend from the adjustable body. The first and second angled edges of the adjustable body are moved relative to each other when the first and second tabs are moved toward each other.  
           [0007]    Additional features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description, figures and claims set forth below.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings. The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an adjustable claw engaged with a component in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1B illustrates an exploded view of the adjustable claw shown in FIG. 1A.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of an adjustable claw engaged with a component in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of one part of an adjustable claw in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of another part of an adjustable claw in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of an adjustable claw engaged with a component in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    The description and accompanying drawings are for purposes of illustration and are not to be used to construe the invention in a restrictive manner. In the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be practiced without these specific details. In particular, the invention will be described with specific reference to memory modules, but it is appreciated that the invention is not limited to use with any one component.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a perspective view and an exploded view, respectively, of one embodiment of an adjustable claw engaged with a component according to the present invention. Adjustable claw  100  includes an adjustable body formed with a first claw member  102  and a second claw member  104 . The undersides of members  102  and  104  are formed with a recessed or hollow area to accommodate subcomponents or raised features on a top surface  151  of component  150  when claw  100  is engaged with component  150 . Component  150  may be a memory module or other component of a computer system.  
         [0017]    Claw  100  also includes an adjustable handle  106 . Members  102  and  104  and handle  106  are independently rotateable about a common axis which is the longitudinal axis of a pin  116 . Members  102  and  104 , handle  106  and spring  117  are held together by pin  116  which is inserted through through-holes of member  102 , member  104 , handle  106 , and spring  117 . Head  118  of pin  116  prevents pin  116  from slipping out of through-hole  107   b  once head  118  is pushed through through-hole  107   b.  Head  118  is tapered to facilitate pushing head  118  through through-holes  107   a  and  107   b,  which are slightly smaller than the widest part of the tapered area of head  118 . Members  102  and  104 , handle  106  and pin  116  may be made from plastic or any suitably rigid material.  
         [0018]    Member  102  has an angled edge  108  from which a flange (not shown) extends. Member  104  has an angled edge  110  from which hooks  112  and  114  extend. The flange of angled edge  108  and hooks  112  and  114  engage the bottom surface or underside of component  150  in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 2 (see flange  209  and hook  212 ). Thus, hooks  112  and  114  are placed through through-holes  152  and  154 , respectively, of component  150 . It is appreciated that through-holes  152  and  154  may need to be formed in component  150  to accommodate hooks  112  and  114  because preexisting holes in component  150  may not be positioned or sized appropriately. Alternatively, the hooks may be formed to fit preexisting holes in component  150 . When claw  100  engages component  150  using the flange of angled edge  108  and hooks  112  and  114 , angled edge  108  abuts edge  158  of component  150  and the bottom of angled edge  110  abuts top surface  151  of component  150 .  
         [0019]    Because claw  100  grabs component  150  at an edge of component  150  and an interior area of component  150 , claw  100  is less likely to subject component  150  to potentially damaging bending forces during extraction of component  150 . If component  150  is a large memory module, then grabbing component  150  at edges  156  and  158  or edges  157  and  159  may subject component  150  to potentially damaging bending forces during extraction of component  150 .  
         [0020]    Members  102  and  104  engage each other to permit the insertion of pin  116  while limiting their range of rotation around pin  116 . Specifically, member  102  is formed with eyelets  120 ,  122  and  124  which are lined up with eyelets  134 ,  132  and  130  of member  104  in an alternating manner. Thus, eyelet  134  is located between eyelets  120  and  122 , eyelet  132  is located between eyelets  122  and  124 , and eyelet  130  is located adjacent eyelet  124 . Spring  117  is located between eyelets  122  and  132 . Eyelet  134  has a protrusion which engages a groove in eyelet  120 . Eyelet  124  has a protrusion which engages a groove in eyelet  130 . The grooves define the range of movement of the protrusions. Accordingly, members  102  and  104  have a limited range of rotation around pin  116 .  
         [0021]    Members  102  and  104  are formed with tabs  103  and  105 , respectively, which allow a user to open claw  100  by concurrently pushing tabs  103  and  105  toward each other. Opening claw  100  disengages claw  100  from component  150 . By concurrently pushing tabs  103  and  105  toward each other, claw  100  may be symmetrically adjustable. Spring  117  resists the movement of tabs  103  and  105  toward each other. Opposite ends of spring  117  press against tabs  103  and  105  to push tabs  103  and  105  away from each other. Thus, spring  117  forces claw  100  to a securing position (as limited by the grooves in eyelets  120  and  130 ) which securely engages component  150 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a claw  200  engaging a component  250 . Claw  200  may be viewed in FIG. 2 as completing installation of component  250  on printed circuit board  270  or beginning extraction of component  250 . In either situation, the space between components  274  and  276  on printed circuit board  270  is just large enough to accommodate component  250  coupled to socket  272  via connector  260 . The gaps between the edges of component  250  and components  274  and  276  may not be large enough for a user to grab component  250  with his or her fingers and install/extract component  250  without damaging neighboring components  274  and  276 . Grabbing component  250  by its edges is not a suitable alternative because doing so could subject component  250  to undesirable bending stresses.  
         [0023]    Claw  200  includes an adjustable body having a first claw member  202  and a second claw member  204 . Members  202  and  204  are formed with tabs  203  and  205 , respectively, which allow a user to open claw  200  by concurrently pushing tabs  203  and  205  toward each other. A spring having ends  217   a  and  217   b  resists the movement of tabs  203  and  205  toward each other. Spring ends  217   a  and  217   b  press against tabs  203  and  205  to push tabs  203  and  205  away from each other. Thus, claw  200  is biased to a securing position. The undersides of members  202  and  204  may be formed with a recessed or hollow area to accommodate subcomponents or raised features of component  250  when claw  200  is engaged with component  250 . Claw  200  also includes an adjustable handle  206 . Members  202  and  204  and handle  206  are independently rotateable about a common axis which is the longitudinal axis of a pin  216 . Members  202  and  204  and handle  206  are held together by pin  216 . Members  202  and  204 , handle  206  and pin  203  may be made from plastic or any suitably rigid material.  
         [0024]    Member  202  has an angled edge  208  from which a flange  209  extends. Angled edge  208  is positioned adjacent an edge of component  250  such that flange  209  may engage the underside of component  250 . Member  204  has an angled edge  210  from which a hook  212  extends. Angled edge  210  is positioned along a top surface  251  of component  250  such that hook  212  may be placed through a through-hole in component  250 . It is appreciated that angled edge  210  may have more than one hook and component  250  may be formed with a corresponding number of through-holes. In one embodiment, flange  209  is centered along the width of angled edge  208 . Additionally, flange  209  may extend orthogonally from angled edge  208  to better engage the underside of component  250 .  
         [0025]    Because angled edge  208  of claw  200  has a thin profile, it can be positioned adjacent component  274  to engage the underside of component  250  with flange  209 . When claw  200  is engaged with component  250 , there is clearance between claw  200  and component  274  to move claw  200  laterally during installation/extraction of component  250 . Thus, claw  200  may be used to provide safer installation/extraction of component  250 .  
         [0026]    To install component  250  on printed circuit board  270  using claw  200 , component  250  is engaged by claw  200  and then positioned over printed circuit board  270  such that connector  260  is positioned over socket  272 . Once component  250  is properly positioned, claw  200  is pushed down until connector  260  mates securely with socket  272 . Claw  200  is then disengaged from component  250 . To extract component  250  from printed circuit board  270  using claw  200 , component  250  is engaged by claw  200  and then pulled out of socket  272  by pulling on handle  206 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a claw member which may be used in conjunction with claw member  302  shown in FIG. 3B to form an adjustable claw according to the present invention. Claw member  304  is integrally formed with eyelets  330 ,  332  and  334  which have through-holes  331   a,    331   b  and  331   c,  respectively. Through-holes  331   a,    331   b  and  331   c  are aligned with one another. Eyelet  330  may be formed with a groove, such as the groove in eyelet  130  shown in FIG. 1A, and eyelet  334  may be formed with a protrusion, such as the protrusion of eyelet  134 . Hooks  312  and  314  extend from an angled edge  310  of claw member  304 . It should be noted that hooks  312  and  314  extend beyond the bottom of angled edge  310  such that they may be placed through through-holes in a component and engage the underside of the component.  
         [0028]    Partitions  313  and  315  extend from an inner surface  305  of claw member  304 . The area bounded by partitions  313  and  315  and inner surface  305  provides room to accommodate a subcomponent or other raised feature on the surface of the component being engaged. Panels  311   a  and  311   b  maybe sized such that the bottom edges of panels  311   a  and  311   b  press down on a component when the component is being installed. The bottom of angled edge  310  may also press down on the component during installation. Furthermore, partitions  313  and  315  may be used, in addition to or alternatively to panels  311   a  and  311   b,  to press down on the component during installation.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a claw member which may be used in conjunction with claw member  304  shown in FIG. 3A to form an adjustable claw according to the present invention. Claw member  302  is integrally formed with eyelets  320 ,  322  and  324  which have through-holes  321   a,    321   b  and  321   c,  respectively. Through-holes  321   a,    321   b  and  321   c  are aligned with one another. Eyelet  320  may be formed with a groove, such as the groove in eyelet  120  shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and eyelet  324  may be formed with a protrusion, such as the protrusion of eyelet  124 . A flange  309  extends from an angled edge  308  of claw member  302 . In one embodiment, flange  309  is integrally formed with angled edge  308 . It is appreciated that flange  309  may be longer or shorter as necessary to securely engage the underside of a component.  
         [0030]    Partitions  317  and  319  extend from an inner surface  303  of claw member  302 . The area bounded by partitions  317  and  319  and inner surface  303  provides room to accommodate a subcomponent or other raised feature on the surface of the component being engaged. Panels  316   a  and  316   b  may be sized such that the bottom edges of panels  316   a  and  316   b  press down on a component when the component is being installed. Furthermore, partitions  317  and  319  may be used, in addition to or alternatively to panels  316   a  and  316   b,  to press down on the component during installation.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of an adjustable claw according to the present invention. Adjustable claw  400  is similar to adjustable claw  100  shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Member  402  is formed with a flange  410 . Flange  410  helps prevent member  402  from inadvertently shifting its position along edge  458  of component  450  once claw  400  is engaged with component  450 . For example, if member  402  shifts toward edge  459  of component  450 , flange  410  contacts subcomponent  412  and prevents any further movement of member  402  toward edge  459 . A second flange may be formed on the side of member  402  opposite flange  410 . This second flange may prevent movement of member  402  away from edge  459 .  
         [0032]    In the foregoing detailed description, the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. However, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the broader scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, an adjustable claw according to the present invention may have a flexible one-piece body rather than a two-piece body which is rotateable about a pin. The present specification and figures are accordingly to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.