Abstract:
A single mounting apparatus for securing a number of expansion cards includes a resisting member rotatably attached to the chassis and a clamping buckle. The clamping buckle includes a pressing piece, a supporting portion, an operating portion, and a catching member. A securing space is defined in the resisting member for latching the catching member. When the catching member is caught in the securing space, the securing member is clamped between a flange of the chassis and the resisting member to stop the rotation of the resisting member. The pressing piece presses down on and secures the expansion cards. Lifting the clamping buckle upwards unlatches the catching member from the securing space and causes re-rotation of the resisting member to allow dismounting of the expansion cards.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a mounting apparatus for expansion cards and a mounting assembly. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Sound cards and network cards are widely used in various electronic devices as expansion cards. The expansion cards are inserted into PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots of the electronic devices by way of mounting apparatuses. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting apparatus for a plurality of expansion cards. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a securing member of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is another view of the securing member of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a resisting member of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  is an assembled view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the mounting apparatus taken along line VIII-VIII of  FIG. 6 , showing the securing member in a non-securing state. 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  is another cross-sectional view of the mounting apparatus taken along line VIII-VIII of  FIG. 6 , showing the securing member in a securing state. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0013]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an embodiment of a mounting apparatus for securing a plurality of expansion cards  50  to a circuit board  40  of an electronic device. In at least one embodiment, the electronic device is a computer. 
         [0014]    The circuit board  40  is located in a chassis  10  of the electronic device. A plurality of PCI slots  41  is mounted on the circuit board  40  for connecting the plurality of expansion cards  50 . Each of the expansion cards  50  includes an inserting portion  52  for inserting into a PCI slot  41 . A stopping piece  51  can be connected to a vertical edge of each expansion card  50 . The stopping piece  51  is substantially L-shaped, and comprises a main piece and a stopping tab  511  extending substantially perpendicularly from a top edge of the main piece. 
         [0015]    The chassis  10  comprises a bottom plate  16  and a rear plate  17  which connects to the bottom plate  16  perpendicularly. The circuit board  40  is located on the bottom plate  16 . A plurality of evenly-spaced expansion slots  11  is defined in the rear plate  17 . The rear plate  17  includes a supporting piece  12  connected to a top of each expansion slot  11  and substantially parallel to the bottom plate  16 . A pair of pivot mounting pieces  13  extends substantially perpendicularly from opposite ends of the supporting piece  12 . A pivot hole  130  is defined in each of the pair of pivot mounting pieces  13 . A pair of accommodating slots  14  is defined in the rear plate  17 . Each of the pair of accommodating slots  14  is located above the supporting piece  12 . A first flange  18  extends substantially perpendicularly from a top edge of the rear plate  17 . A second flange  15  extends downward and perpendicularly from the first flange  18 . The second flange  15  is parallel to the rear plate  17 . 
         [0016]    Referring to the  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the mounting apparatus includes a resisting member  30  pivotally mounted in the chassis  10 . The resisting member  30  comprises a pair of mounting members  31  and a resisting piece  32 . The resisting piece  32  includes a base piece  325  and a pair of securing pieces  323  extending vertically from opposite ends of the base piece  325 . The resisting piece  32  includes a latching piece  322  that is located between the pair of securing pieces  323  and substantially parallel to the base piece  325 . A rotating piece  321  extends horizontally from the base piece  325 . A pivot tab  3210  is located at each of the two ends of the rotating piece  321 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the mounting apparatus further includes a securing member  20  for securing the plurality of expansion cards  50 . The securing member  20  includes an arcuate mounting piece  21 . A through hole  210  is defined in the arcuate mounting piece  21 . A mounting portion  22  extends from a rear side of the arcuate mounting piece  21 , and top of the mounting portion  22  protrudes from the mounting piece  21 . A pair of protrusions  221  protrudes from a rear side of the mounting portion  22 . A pair of positioning portions  27  protrudes from the mounting piece  21  and abuts the top of the mounting portion  22 . A pair of cutouts  150  is defined in the second flange  15  corresponding to the pair of positioning portions  27 . 
         [0018]    A supporting portion  23  extends from the mounting piece  21 . The supporting portion  23  includes a first portion  231  which is connected to the mounting piece  21 , and a second portion  232  which extends upward from the first portion  231 . An acute angle is formed between the first portion  231  and second portion  232 . An angle of the arcuate mounting piece  21  is less than  90  degrees. A joint  233  is formed between the first portion  231  and second portion  232 . A plurality of catching members  26  extends downward from the joint  233 , and the joint  233  and the plurality of catching members  26  are substantially aligned to the downside of mounting portion  22 . A securing space  324  between the base piece  325  and the latching piece  322  is configured to latch the plurality of catching members  26 . In one embodiment, each of the plurality of catching members  26  is a hook. 
         [0019]    An operating portion  25  extends from the second portion  232 . The operating portion  25  is exposed out of the through hole  210  and extended from the through hole  210 . An arcuate pressing piece  24  is connected to a joint between the mounting piece  21  and first portion  231 . The degree of curvature of the pressing piece  24  is not the same as the degree of curvature of the mounting piece  21 . A plurality of spaced positioning teeth  241  is located at a downside of the pressing piece  24 . The plurality of positioning teeth  241  and the mounting portion  22  are located at opposite ends of the securing member  20 . A distance between two adjacent positioning teeth  241  is substantially equal to a thickness of each expansion card  50 . 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the securing member  20  is integrally formed and is a resilient member. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 6 to 8  illustrate assembly of mounting apparatus for securing the plurality of expansion cards  50  to the circuit board  40 , in which the pair of mounting members  31  is securing to the pair of securing pieces  323  by fastening, riveting, or any other means. The pair of pivot tabs  3210  extends into the pivot holes  130  to rotatably mount the resisting member  30  in the chassis  10 . The pair of mounting members  31  extends into the pair of accommodating slots  14 . The resisting piece  32  can be rotated between a first position and a second position about the pair of pivot tabs  3210 . 
         [0022]    When the resisting piece  32  is rotated to the second position along a first direction, the resisting piece  32  is distanced from the supporting piece  12 . The plurality of expansion cards  50  can be mounted to the circuit board  40 , and when the plurality of inserting portions  52  is inserted in the PCI slots  41 , the stopping piece  51  of each expansion card  50  is received in an expansion slot  11  with the stopping tab  511  abutting the supporting piece  12 . When the resisting piece  32  is rotated to the first position along a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, the resisting piece  32  abuts the supporting piece  12 . The stopping tab  511  resists between the resisting piece  32  and supporting piece  12 , thereby securing the stopping tab  511  on the supporting piece  12 . 
         [0023]    The securing member  20  is located above the plurality of expansion cards  50  in a non-securing state (see  FIG. 7 ). The top of the mounting portion  22  is latched by the second flange  15 . The pair of positioning portions  27  is aligned to the pair of cutouts  150 . 
         [0024]    When the mounting piece  21  is pressed down, the securing member  20  is deformed (see  FIG. 8 ). The plurality of catching portions  26  are caught in the securing space  324 . The top of the mounting portion  22  is latched between the rear plate  17  and second flange  15 , and the pair of protrusions  221  abuts the rear plate  17 . At the same time, the mounting portion  22  is clamped between the first flange  18  and the base piece  325 . Each of the expansion cards  50  is gripped between two adjacent positioning teeth  241 . The pressing piece  24  presses and further secures the plurality of expansion cards  50  onto the chassis  10 . 
         [0025]    In disassembly, the operating portion  25  is moved, the second portion  232  moves relative to the first portion  231  together with the operation portion  25 . The joint  233  is deformed by the movement of the second portion  232 . The catching portion  26  is detached from the securing space  324 . The mounting portion  22  is detached from the space between the second flange  15  and rear plate  17 , because of the decompression of the securing member  20 . The pressing piece  24  moves away from the plurality of expansion cards  50 . The securing member  20  moves away from the chassis  10  and rotates the resisting member  30  to the second position. The resisting piece  32  releases the stopping tab  511  of each expansion card  50  and allows dismounting of the plurality of expansion cards  50  from the chassis  10 . 
         [0026]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.