Abstract:
A bracket device for securing a mezzanine board assembly includes a brace including a rigid bar and a plurality of connector portions connected to the bar. Each of the plurality of connector portions has a hole. A plurality of pins each configured to respectively pass through the hole in each of the plurality of connector portions and engage an attachment part of the mezzanine board assembly. The bracket device also includes a plurality of mounting brackets movably attached to the plurality of connector portions, each having a guide configured to engage a holder for the mezzanine board assembly. A method for securing a mezzanine board assembly includes inserting a pin into a hole at a connector portion of a brace and movably attaching a mounting bracket to the connector portion. The pin passes through an opening of the connector portion. The method also includes installing a guide of the mezzanine board assembly to a holder for the mezzanine board assembly, engaging a pin with attachment part of the mezzanine board assembly, and extracting the mezzanine board assembly using a bar of the brace.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a typical computer where a top cover (not shown) of a chassis is removed. As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , various kinds of electronic parts  102  are disposed on a main board  103  of the computer  100 . The main board  103  is disposed on a bottom surface of the chassis  101  via supports  105 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the computer in  FIG. 1  where a mezzanine board assembly is installed. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mezzanine board assembly  201  supports a mezzanine board having various kinds of electronic parts  202 . Mezzanine boards are used to add computing power and memory density to the computer. Thus, mezzanine assemblies are often included and, for ease of installation, mezzanine board assemblies are typically secured to the chassis via latches (not shown). 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a bracket device for securing a mezzanine board assembly, comprising: a brace comprising: a rigid bar, and a plurality of connector portions connected to the bar, wherein each of the plurality of connector portions has a hole, a plurality of pins each configured to respectively pass through the hole in each of the plurality of connector portions and engage an attachment part of the mezzanine board assembly; and a plurality of mounting brackets movably attached to the plurality of connector portions each having a guide configured to engage a holder for the mezzanine board assembly. 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for securing a mezzanine board assembly, comprising: inserting a pin to a hole at a connector portion of a brace; movably attaching a mounting bracket to the connector portion, wherein the pin passes through an opening of the connector portion; installing a guide of the mezzanine board assembly to a holder for the mezzanine board assembly; engaging a pin with attachment part of the mezzanine board assembly; and extracting the mezzanine board assembly using a bar of the brace. 
     Other aspects and advantageous of the invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a typical computer where a top cover of a chassis is removed. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the computer in  FIG. 1  where a mezzanine board assembly is installed. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a bracket device for securing a mezzanine board assembly. 
         FIG. 4  shows an enlarged view of the bracket device before the mounting bracket is installed to the connector portion of the brace. 
         FIG. 5  shows an enlarged view of the bracket device when the projections are fully inserted to the rectangular openings of the connector portions. 
         FIG. 6  shows an enlarged view of the bracket device when the projections are fully inserted to the rectangular openings of the connector portions and the hooks are bent. 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of the mezzanine board assembly. 
         FIG. 8  shows an enlarged perspective view of the mezzanine board assembly where the mezzanine board assembly is installed to a mezzanine board assembly holder before the bracket device is installed. 
         FIG. 9  shows an enlarged perspective view of the mezzanine board assembly where the mezzanine board assembly is installed to a mezzanine board assembly holder after the bracket device is installed. 
         FIG. 10  shows a flow diagram of installing the mezzanine board to the main board. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency. 
     In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description. 
     In general, latches are used to secure a mezzanine board assembly to the chassis of a computer. However, the weight of the mezzanine board assembly together with shock experienced during shipping and installation may exceed the strength of these latches. Accordingly, one or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a non-positional, high-load support bracket for securing mezzanine board assemblies. 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a bracket device for securing a mezzanine board assembly. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bracket device  300  has a brace  301 , two pins  302 , and two mounting brackets  303 . The brace  301  has a bar  304  and two connector portions  305  that are laterally connected to the bar  303  at both ends thereof. The bar  304  and two connector portions  305  may be integral. The bracket device  300  may be made of a rigid material such as iron, stainless steel, or any other suitable material known in the art. 
     The bar  304  is a thin rectangular plane in shape, and the length of the bar  304  in the longitudinal direction is approximately the same as a width of a mezzanine board assembly (not shown) to which the bracket device  300  is installed. The bar  304  is rigid enough to carry the mezzanine board assembly (not shown) after the bracket device  300  is installed to. 
     A longitudinal edge  307  of the bar  304  may be bent to provide more strength to the bar  304  in this embodiment. One skilled in the art will appreciate that one or both longitudinal edges of the bar  304  are bent downwardly or upwardly. Also, one skilled in the art will appreciate that different shapes of the bar  304  could be used in accordance with the design of a computer or a server (not shown) to which the bracket device  300  is installed to as long as the bar  304  is rigid enough to carry the mezzanine board assembly (not shown) and the bracket device  300  does not impact an air flow of the computer or server (not shown) substantially when the mezzanine board assembly (not shown) is left in the computer or server (not shown) as explained in details below. In addition, the bar  304  may have a concave portion  306  around the middle thereof. 
       FIG. 4  shows an enlarged view of the bracket device before the mounting bracket is installed to the connector portion of the brace. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the connector portion  305  is laterally connected to the end of the bar  304 . Specifically, the connector portion  305  has a plane portion  402 , and one edge  411  of the plane portion  402  may be bent approximately perpendicular to the plane portion  402  so as to integrally connect the connector portion  305  to the bar  304 . 
     Further, an edge  403  of the plane portion  402 , which is perpendicular to the end  411  of the plane portion  402  that the bar  304  is connected to, may be bent approximately perpendicular to the plane portion  402  so that the connector portion  305  is more rigid. The other edge of the plane portion  402  may also be bent in the same way. Further, an edge  412  of the plane portion  402 , which is parallel to the plane portion  402  that the bar  304  is connected to, may be bent twice so that the connector portion  404  may have a projected portion  404  that are approximately parallel to the plane portion  402  and the bar  304 . 
     The pin  302  has a threaded portion  405  and a thumb screw  406 . The thumb screw  406  may have a cylindrical top portion having an indentation  407  such that the pin  302  is able to be fastened without using a driver (not shown). Although  FIG. 4  shows that the pin  302  has the thumb screw  406  and the cylindrical top portion having an indentation  407 , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the pin  302  has either thumb screw  406  or an indentation  407 . Also, one skilled in the art will appreciate that a different shape of a top portion of the pin  302  could be used as long as the pin  302  is fastened using the top portion. 
     The plane portion  402  of the connector portion  305  has a hole (not shown) at the center thereof and two rectangular openings  401  at both sides of the pin  302 . The diameter of the hole (not shown) is approximately the same as the diameter of the threaded portion  405  of the pin  302  such that the pin  302  passes through the hole (not shown). On the other hand, the diameter of the thumb screw  406  is wider than the diameter of the hole (not shown). Therefore, the thumb screw  406  is rotatably disposed on the top surface of the plane portion  402  when the threaded portion  405  of the pin  302  is inserted into the hole (not shown). 
     The mounting bracket  303  has a mounting portion  412  and a guide  407 . The guide  407  is connected to the mounting portion  412  approximately perpendicular to the mounting portion  412 . The mounting portion  412  may be integral with the guide  407 . The size of the mounting portion  412  is approximately the same as the plane portion  402  of the connector portion  305 . Thus, the mounting portion  412  is tangent to the plane portion  402  when the mounting bracket  303  is movably attached to the connector portion  305  of the brace  301  as explained below. 
     The mounting portion  412  has an opening  408  around the center thereof and two projections  409  at both sides of the opening  408 . The diameter of the opening  408  is wider than the diameter of the threaded portion  405  of the pin  302  such that the position of the brace  301  is adjustable relative to the mounting bracket  303  after the mounting bracket  303  is installed to the connector portion  305 . The projections  409  are approximately perpendicular to the top surface of the mounting portion  412  and disposed around both ends of the mounting portion  412 . Each of the projection  409  has two hooks  410  at both top side ends thereof. The hooks  410  may be integral with the projection  409 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an enlarged view of the bracket device when the projections are fully inserted to the rectangular openings of the connector portions.  FIG. 6  shows an enlarged view of the bracket device when the projections are fully inserted to the rectangular openings of the connector portions and the hooks are bent. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the projections  409  are inserted to the rectangular openings  401  of the connector portions  305 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the hooks  410  are bent so that the mounting bracket  303  is movably attached to the bottom surface of the plane portion  402 . Specifically, as can be seen from  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the width and the length of the rectangular opening  401  is wider than those of the projection  409  such that the position of the brace  301  relative to the mounting bracket  303  is adjustable after the mounting bracket  303  is installed to the connector portion  305 . 
     Although the hooks  402  are bent toward the outside of the connector portions  305  in  FIG. 6 , the hooks  402  may be bent in different directions as long as the mounting bracket  303  is hold by the connector portion  305  as explained above. Also, one skilled in the art will appreciate that different positions and/or numbers of rectangular openings  401  and the projections  409  could be used in accordance with the design and/or the desired strength of the bracket device  300  as long as the mounting bracket  303  is hold movably by the connector portion  305  as explained above. Further, one skilled in the art will appreciate that any other shapes and numbers of the hooks could be used so long as the mounting bracket  303  is movably held by the connector portions  305  as described above. 
       FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of the mezzanine board assembly. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the mezzanine board assembly  701  has many and various kinds of electronic parts  705  thereon. The mezzanine board assembly  701  has two attachment parts  702  projecting from two corners of the mezzanine board assembly  701 . Each of the attachment parts  702  has a threaded hole  703  to engage with the threaded portion  405  of the pin  302 . Further, the mezzanine board assembly  701  has supports  704  at the side thereof. The mezzanine board assembly  701  may have a perpendicular panel  706  at the edge thereof and between the attachment parts  702 . 
       FIG. 8  shows an enlarged perspective view of the mezzanine board assembly where the mezzanine board assembly is installed to a mezzanine board assembly holder before the bracket device is installed.  FIG. 9  shows an enlarged perspective view of the mezzanine board assembly where the mezzanine board assembly is installed to a mezzanine board assembly holder after the bracket device is installed. As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the mezzanine board assembly holder  801  is disposed approximately perpendicular to a mother board  802  of a computer or a server  804 . The supports  704  of the mezzanine board assembly  701  engage with guides (not shown) provided at the inside surface of the mezzanine board assembly holder  801  so that the mezzanine board assembly  701  is installed to the mezzanine board assembly holder  801 . In addition, the mezzanine board assembly holder  801  may be positioned at the side of a chassis (not shown) of the computer or server  804 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that any other designs of the guides and supports known in the art to install the mezzanine board assembly  701  to the mezzanine board assembly holder  801 . 
     The mezzanine board assembly holder  801  has a recess  803  at the top end outside surface thereof. The size and the shape of the recess  803  is approximately the same as those of the guide  407  so that the guide  407  is slidably inserted to the recess  803  and tightly held by the recess  803  when the bracket device  300  is installed to the mezzanine board assembly  701 . Also, due to the recess  803  and the guide  407 , the bracket device  300  is automatically positioned properly while installing the mezzanine board assembly  701 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that any other shapes, designs, the positions of the recess  803  and the guide  407  as long as the bracket device  300  is automatically positioned properly while installing the mezzanine board assembly  701  as described above. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when the bracket device  300  is installed to the mezzanine board assembly  701  in the computer or server  804 , the threaded portion  405  of the pin  302  engages with the threaded hole  703  of the attachment parts  702 , and, at the same time, the guide  407  engages with the recess  803 . The perpendicular panel  706  may be positioned at the concave portion  306  of the bar  304 . Here, because the brace  301  is movably held by the mounting bracket  303  as described above, the threaded portion  405  of the pin  302  engages with the threaded hole  703  of the attachment parts  702  without affecting the alignment of the mezzanine board assembly  701 . Also, the mezzanine board assembly  701  is extracted without affecting the alignment of the mezzanine board assembly  701 . 
     In one or more embodiments, the bracket device  300  may be left in the computer or server  804  because, during operation of the computer or server  804 , the bracket device  300  does not substantially affect the thermal performance or the air flow within the computer or server  804  due to the design of the bracket device  300  as described above. On the other hand, in one or more embodiments, the bracket device  300  may be removed. 
       FIG. 10  shows a flow diagram of installing the bracket device to the mezzanine board assembly. In one or more embodiments of the invention, one or more steps described below may be omitted, repeated, and/or performed in a different order. 
     First, the threaded portion  405  of the pin  301  is inserted to the hole of the connector portion  305  as shown in  FIG. 4  (Step  151 ). Second, the mounting bracket  303  is attached to the connector portion  305  of the bracket device  300  (Step  152 ). Specifically, the projection  409  is inserted to the rectangular opening  401  as shown in  FIG. 5 , and, then, the hook  410  is bent so as to movably attach the mounting bracket  303  to the connector portion  305  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Next, the guide  407  of the mounting bracket  303  is installed to the recess  803  of the mezzanine board holder  801  as shown in  FIG. 9  (Step  153 ). At this time, because of the engagement of the recesses  803  and the guide  407 , the position of the threaded portions  405  are roughly adjusted relative to the threaded holes  703  of the attachments parts  702 . Then, the threaded portion of the pin  302  is engaged with the threaded hole of the pin  702  (Step  154 ). Specifically, after the position of the bracket device  300  is adjusted to engage the threaded portions  405  of the pins  302  with the threaded holes  703  of the attachment parts  702 , the threaded portions  405  of the pins  302  are engaged with the threaded holes  703  of the pins  302 . Because the mounting bracket  303  is movably attached to the connecter portions  305 , the position of the bracket device  300  is able to be adjusted. 
     Thus, the mezzanine board assembly is secured and supported within the chassis  304  (Step  155 ). In addition, after installing the mezzanine board assembly  701 , the bracket device  300  may be left in the computer or server  804 . When removing the bracket device  300 , the above steps are performed in the opposite order. 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention may have one or more of the following advantages. The bracket device  300  provides an additional strength and retention to the mezzanine board assembly  701  during the shipment and the transport of the mezzanine board assembly  701 . That is, the bracket device  300  prevents a mechanism of the mezzanine board assembly  701  from coming loose. Further, the bracket device  300  does not substantially impact the air flow of the computer or the server  804  if the bracket device  300  is left in the computer or server  804 . 
     The bracket device  300  can be removed from the mezzanine board assembly  701  before the mezzanine board assembly  701  is removed from the computer or the server  804 . Also, the bracket device  300  can be installed to the mezzanine board assembly  701  after the mezzanine board  701  is installed to the computer or the server  804 . Thus, the bracket device  300  and the process for installing the bracket device  300  are simple. 
     Further, because the bracket device  300  is non-positional in that the mounting brackets  303  is movably attached to the brace  301 , the bracket device  300  provides secure retention of the mezzanine board assembly  701  without affecting the precise alignment of the mezzanine board assembly  701 . 
     While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be advised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed therein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.