Mounting apparatus for expansion card

An exemplary mounting apparatus includes a connector and two latching mechanisms connected to two opposite ends of the connector. The connector defines a slot in a top surface thereof, and two sliding grooves in two opposite side surfaces thereof. Each sliding groove extends though the two side surfaces. Each latching mechanisms includes a guide pin and a latching member. The guide pin is slidably received in a corresponding sliding groove. The latching member includes a latching portion for engaging with an expansion card, two feet connected to two ends of the guide pin, and two connecting arms each connected between one end of the latching portion and a corresponding foot. When the guide pin is pulled by the latching member to move from a bottom end to a top end of the sliding groove, the expansion card is pushed out of the slot of the connector by the guide pin.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to mounting apparatuses; and more particularly to a mounting apparatus for an expansion card.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, an expansion card such as a memory card is fixed on a circuit board of an electronic device by a mounting apparatus. The electronic device may for example be a computer or a server. The mounting apparatus includes an electrical connector, and two plate-shaped locking members disposed at two opposite ends of the connector for clamping two opposite ends of the expansion card. However, the plate-shaped locking members may block airflow to the expansion card. In particular, a circuit board may have a plurality of expansion cards fixed thereon, with the expansion cards parallel and adjacent to each other. In this arrangement, the locking members of the mounting apparatuses block air from flowing into and out of a space between each two adjacent expansion cards. This reduces the efficiency of dissipation of heat from the expansion cards.

What is needed, therefore, is a means to overcome the described limitations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-2, a mounting apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The mounting apparatus is used for mounting an expansion card10thereon. The mounting apparatus includes an electrical connector20, and two latching mechanisms30respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the connector20. The connector20is installed on a mainboard (not shown) to electrically connect the expansion card10with the mainboard.

The expansion card10includes an elongated main body11, and a plurality of chips12mounted on the main body11. The main body11of the expansion card10has two opposite ends, and two spaced arc-shaped recesses111defined in each end thereof. A plurality of horizontally spaced electrical pins112are provided on a bottom portion of the expansion card10.

The connector20is elongated, and includes two long sidewalls (not labeled) parallel to each other. The connector20includes a top surface21, and two opposite side surfaces22extending downwardly from two opposite sides of the top surface21. The side surfaces22are parts of the sidewalls, respectively. A slot23is defined in the top surface21of the connector20, and extends along a longitudinal direction of the connector20. A block231is formed in the slot23to divide the slot23into two portions. The bottom portion of the expansion card10defines a cutout113therein corresponding to the block231. The bottom portion of the expansion card10can be inserted into the slot23of the connector20only when the cutout113is aligned with the block231in a correct orientation. The connector20has a plurality of electrical terminals (not shown) in the slot23, corresponding to the pins112of the expansion card10. When the bottom portion of the expansion card10is inserted into the slot23of the connector20, the terminals of the connector20contact the pins112of the expansion card10to electrically connect the expansion card10with the mainboard. Two receiving grooves232are defined in the top surface21of the connector20, and are respectively located at two opposite ends of the slot23. A transverse width of each receiving groove232is broader than that of the slot23.

Referring also toFIG. 3, two elongated sliding grooves24are defined in the opposite ends of the connector20, corresponding to the two receiving grooves232. Each sliding groove24perpendicularly extends through both the side surfaces22. The two sliding grooves24intersect the two receiving grooves232, respectively. Each sliding groove24has a top end adjacent to the top surface21, and a bottom end far from the top surface21. The connector20forms a first blocking portion241at the top end of each sliding groove24, and a second blocking portion242at the bottom end of the sliding groove24. Each sliding groove24extends downwardly and inwardly from the first blocking portion241towards the second blocking portion242. The sliding groove24has a substantially uniform transverse width. However, the bottom end of the sliding groove24is somewhat enlarged. Each sidewall of the connector20defines two V-shaped recesses25therein, corresponding to the two sliding grooves24, respectively. Each recess25has a small end adjacent to a corresponding sliding groove24, and extends up from the sliding groove24to the top surface21of the connector20.

Referring also toFIGS. 4-5, the two latching mechanisms30are connected to the two opposite ends of the connector20. Each latching mechanism30includes a guide pin31and a latching member32. The guide pin31is substantially columniform. The guide pin31includes a middle positioning section311, and two pivot sections312at two ends of the positioning section311, respectively. A length of the positioning section311is slightly shorter than the width of the corresponding receiving groove232. Each pivot section312defines an indent plane3121in an outer peripheral surface thereof. Thereby, a positioning protrusion3111is formed on the positioning section311, between the indent planes3121of the two pivot sections312. In a direction perpendicular to the indent plane3121of the pivot section312, a maximum diameter of the positioning section311is larger than that of the pivot section312. The positioning section311further forms a protruding bar3112thereon. The protruding bar3112has an abutting plane3113, which is perpendicular to the indent planes3121of the pivot sections312. Further, the guide pin31defines two axial receiving holes313in two opposite ends thereof, respectively.

The latching member32includes a U-shaped latching portion321, two feet323, and two elongated connecting arms322respectively connecting the two feet323with two ends of the latching portion321. The two connecting arms322extend perpendicularly (downwardly) from the two ends of the latching portion321, respectively. That is, the connecting arms322are perpendicular to a plane in which the latching portion321is located. Each foot323extends perpendicularly inwardly (horizontally) from a bottom end of the corresponding connecting arm322. That is, the feet323extend towards each other. In this embodiment, the latching member32is made of a single metal wire. When the two latching members32engage the opposite ends of the expansion card10, the two latching members32may block airflow thereat only a little, thereby greatly enhancing dissipation of heat from the expansion card10.

In assembly of the mounting apparatus, the guide pin31of each latching mechanism30is inserted in a corresponding sliding groove24of the connector20, with the positioning section311of the guide pin31being received in the receiving groove232of the connector20to prevent the guide pin31from moving along an axial direction thereof. In this embodiment, the guide pin31is made of plastic. The positioning section311of the guide pin31can be inserted to the receiving groove232of the connector20by pressing. In other embodiments, the connector20can define an inserting hole therein for inserting the positioning section311of the guide pin31into the receiving groove232of the connector20. Then, bottom ends of the two connecting arms322of the latching member32are pulled outwardly to make a distance between the two feet323greater than a length of the guide pin31. Thus, the two feet323of the latching member32are firmly inserted into the receiving holes313of the guide pin31when the pulling force is released. Bottom ends of the connecting arms322of the latching member32are receiving in the recesses25of the connector20, thereby limiting a range of rotation angles of the latching member32.

Referring toFIGS. 6-8, before the expansion card10is attached to the connector20, the guide pin31of each latching mechanism30is located at the top end of the corresponding sliding groove24and abuts the first blocking portion241of the connector20. The indent planes3121of the guide pin31are parallel to a long side of the sliding groove24. At this time, the guide pin31cannot rotate relative to the connector20(FIG. 6).

In assembly of the expansion card10to the connector20, the bottom portion of the expansion card10is aligned with the slot23of the connector20. Then, the expansion card10is depressed. The guide pin31of each latching mechanism30is pushed by the expansion card10to move from the top end of the sliding groove24along the sliding groove24to the bottom end of the sliding groove24(FIG. 7). After the guide pin31of each latching mechanism30has reached the bottom end of the sliding groove24, the latching portion321of the latching mechanism30is rotated (pushed) inwardly. This causes the guide pin31to rotate relative to the connector20, and the latching portion321is rotated till the latching portion321is received in the recess111of the expansion card10(FIG. 8). At this time, the guide pin31abuts against the second blocking portion242of the connector20. The indent planes3121of the guide pin31are oriented vertically. The abutting plane3113is oriented horizontally, and abuts against a bottom end of the expansion card10. A maximum diameter of each pivot section312of the guide pin31as measured along a transverse width direction of the sliding groove24is greater than the transverse width of the sliding groove24. Thereby, the guide pin31is prevented from moving upwardly along the sliding groove24, unless the guide pin31is first rotated. Thus, the expansion card10is firmly mounted to the connector20by the two latching mechanisms30.

When taking the expansion card10out from the slot23of the connector20, the latching portion321of the latching member32of each latching mechanism30is rotated (pulled) outwardly, causing the guide pin31to rotate relative to the connector20till the indent planes3121of the guide pin31rotate to orientations parallel to the long side of the sliding groove24. Then, the latching member32is pulled obliquely upwardly, causing the expansion card10move upwardly together with the guide pin31. When the guide pin31of the latching mechanism30has reached the top end of the sliding groove24, the bottom portion of the expansion card10has been substantially pulled out of the slot23of the connector20. The expansion card10can then be easily taken out of the slot23of the connector20.