Abstract:
A circuit board mounting assembly includes a chassis with a securing hole, a circuit board attached to the chassis, a drive bracket mounted in the chassis, and a latch member configured to latch the circuit board. The drive bracket comprises at least one clamp engaged with the circuit board for preventing the circuit board from moving along a first direction. The latch member comprises a retractable post movable between a latched position and an unlatched position along the first direction. When the retractable post is in the latched position, the retractable post is received through the securing hole for preventing the circuit board from moving along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, thereby locking the circuit board to the chassis. When the retractable post is in the unlatched position, the retractable post is removed from the securing hole for unlocking the circuit board.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a circuit board mounting assembly. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Computer systems usually include a circuit board mounted in a computer case. However, installation of the circuit board in the computer case usually involves the use of screws, which is inconvenient. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references 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. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an embodiment of a circuit board mounting assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a latching member of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view of a cylindrical casing of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a rotatable member of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled view of the latching member of  FIG. 2 , showing the latching member in an unlocked state. 
         FIG. 6  is an assembled view of the latching member of  FIG. 2 , showing the latching member in a locked state. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the latching member taken along line VII-VII of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is an assembled view of the circuit board assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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.” 
       FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a mounting assembly, which includes a chassis  10 , a disk drive bracket  30 , and a latching member  40 . The mounting assembly is configured to secure a circuit board  20  to the chassis  10 . 
     The chassis  10  includes a base plate  12  and a pair of side plates  14  extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of the base plate  12 . A mounting piece  16  extends upwardly from the base plate  12 . A securing hole  161  is defined in the mounting piece  16 . 
     Two pairs of mounting slots  22  and a mounting hole  24  are defined in the circuit board  20 . The mounting hole  24  is located adjacent to a central lower portion of the circuit board  20 . 
     The disk drive bracket  30  includes a bottom panel  32  and a pair of side panels  34  extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of the bottom panel  32 , respectively. A protruding piece  36  protrudes from a front side of the bottom panel  32 . Two pairs of tabs  361  extend substantially perpendicularly from opposite edges of the protruding piece  36 . A gap  363  is defined between each pair of tabs  361 . Each pair of tabs  361  is substantially parallel to the pair of side panels  34 . A clamp  341  protrudes from a front edge of each side panel  34 . The clamps  341  correspond to one pair of mounting slots  22 . 
       FIGS. 2 to 4  show that the latching member  40  includes a cylindrical casing  410 , a pressing member  420 , a rotatable member  430 , a retractable post  440 , a spring  450 , and a mounting member  460 . 
     The cylindrical casing  410  includes a wide cylinder  416  and a narrow cylinder  418  connected to a top portion of the wide cylinder  416 . A diameter of the wide cylinder  416  is greater than a diameter of the narrow cylinder  418 . The wide cylinder  416  and the narrow cylinder  418  are substantially hollow and substantially coaxial. A height of the wide cylinder  416  is greater than a height of the narrow cylinder  418 . The wide cylinder  416  includes a plurality of first sliding slots  412 , a plurality of first protruding blocks  413 , a plurality of second sliding slots  414 , and a plurality of second protruding blocks  415 . The plurality of first sliding slots  412  and the plurality of second sliding slots  414  are alternately defined around an inner circumference of the wide cylinder  416 , and the plurality of first protruding blocks  413  and the plurality of second protruding blocks  415  are alternately formed around the inner circumference of the wide cylinder  416  (see  FIG. 3 ). Screw threads  411  are formed around an inner circumference of the wide cylinder  416  and adjacent to a bottom end of the cylindrical casing  410 . Each of the first protruding blocks  413  and the second protruding blocks  413  includes a slanted base surface facing a bottom opening of the cylindrical casing  410 . A height of the first protruding block  413  is greater than a height of the second protruding block  415 . Each first sliding slot  412  is defined between an adjacent first protruding block  413  and an adjacent second protruding block  413 . Each second sliding slot  414  is defined in a corresponding second protruding block  415 . 
     The pressing member  420  is substantially hollow. A top end of the pressing member  420  is closed, and a bottom end of the pressing member  420  is open. The pressing member  420  includes a main body  422 . An outer diameter of the main body  422  is equal to or less than an inner diameter of the narrow cylinder  418 . A plurality of sliding blocks  424  protrudes around a circumference of a lower portion of an outer surface of the main body  422 . The plurality of sliding blocks  424  is slidable along the plurality of first sliding slots  412  and the plurality of second sliding slots  414 . The main body  422  forms a plurality of substantially V-shaped wedges  426  around a bottom circumference of the main body  422 . In one embodiment, a total number of the plurality of first sliding slots  412 , a total number of the plurality of second sliding slots  414 , a total number of the plurality of first protruding blocks  413 , and a total number of the plurality of second protruding blocks  415  are the same. A total number of the plurality of sliding blocks  424  is equal to the total number of the plurality of first sliding slots  412  plus the total number of the plurality of second sliding slots  414 . 
     The rotatable member  430  includes a shaft  432 , a mounting post  434  connected to a lower portion of the shaft  432 , and a base  438  connected to a lower portion of the mounting post  434 . A diameter of the mounting post  434  is greater than a diameter of the shaft  432 , but less than a diameter of the base  438 . The shaft  432 , the mounting post  434 , and the base  438  are substantially hollow and substantially coaxial. The diameter of the shaft  432  is slightly less than an inner diameter of the pressing member  420 . The diameter of the mounting post  434  is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the pressing member  420 . A plurality of resisting blocks  436  protrudes around an outer circumference of the mounting post  434 , and the resisting blocks  436  are spaced apart substantially the same distance. Each resisting block  436  forms a slanted surface  4361  at a top thereof. A height of each resisting block  436  is greater than a height of the mounting post  434 . 
     The retractable post  440  includes a main post  442  and a blocking portion  444  protruding around an outer circumference of the main post  442 . The blocking portion  444  is located adjacent to an upper end of the main post  442 . 
     The mounting member  460  includes a connecting portion  462 , a first mounting portion  464  connected to a bottom of the connecting portion  462 , and a second mounting portion  466  connected to a top of the connecting portion  462 . The second mounting portion  466  includes screw threads corresponding to the screw threads  411  of the cylindrical casing  410 . Each of the connecting portion  462 , the first mounting portion  464 , and the second mounting portion  466  is substantially hollow and substantially cylindrical. Diameters of the first mounting portion  464  and the second mounting portion  466  are less than a diameter of the connecting portion  462 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 through 8 , in assembly, the disk drive bracket  30  is secured in the chassis  10  to abut one of the side plates  14 . The pair of clamps  341  is received in a corresponding pair of mounting slots  22  of the circuit board  20 . A bottom of the circuit board  20  is received in the pair of gaps  363  and abuts the protruding piece  36 . The first mounting portion  464  of the latching member  40  is securely received in the mounting hole  24 . The mounting hole  24  is aligned with the securing hole  161 . The spring  450  is received in the mounting member  460 , such that a bottom of the spring  450  abuts an inner surface of the connecting portion  462 . The spring  450  sleeves the retractable post  440 , such that the blocking portion  444  resists a top of the spring  450 . An upper portion of the retractable post  440  is received through a bottom opening of the rotatable member  430 , such that the blocking portion  444  abuts a bottom surface of the rotatable member  430 . The shaft  432  is received in the pressing member  420  via a bottom opening of the pressing member  420 , such that each slanting surface  4361  abuts a surface of a corresponding V-shaped wedge  426 . The second mounting portion  466  is screwed into the cylindrical casing  410  via engagement between the screw threads  411  of the cylindrical casing  410  and the screw threads of the mounting member  460 . An outer diameter of the wide cylinder  416  is substantially equal to the diameter of the connecting portion  462 . The pressing member  420 , the rotatable member  430 , the retractable post  440 , and the spring  450  are accommodated in the cylindrical casing  410 . The plurality of sliding blocks  424  are slidably received in the plurality of first sliding slots  412  and the plurality of second sliding slots  414 . 
     When the latching member  40  is in an unlocked position (see  FIGS. 5 and 7 ), a top portion of the pressing member  420  protrudes out from a top of the cylindrical casing  410 . The plurality of resisting blocks  436  is slidably received in the plurality of first sliding slots  412 . The retractable post  440  does not protrude out from the mounting member  460 . 
     To set the latching member  40  in a locked position, the pressing member  420  is pressed down, so that a lower end of the retractable member  440  protrudes out from the mounting member  460 . When the pressing member  420  is pushed, the plurality of V-shaped wedges  426  presses the slanting surface  4361 , and the spring  450  is compressed. The rotatable member  430  is simultaneously pushed outward and rotated by the pressing member  420  being pressed as a result of the slanting surfaces  4361  sliding across the first protruding blocks  413 . When the pressing member  420  is released, the spring  450  elastically restores to push the rotatable member  430  inward. The rotatable member  430  is rotated along the base slanting surfaces of the second blocking pieces  415  by the spring force. The slanting surfaces  4361  resist against the second blocking pieces  415 . The lower portion of the retractable post  440  protrudes out from the mounting member  460  and extends through the securing hole  161  for securing the circuit board  20 . 
     To detach the circuit board  20 , the pressing member  420  is pressed down. The rotatable member  430  is moved outward and is rotated away from the base slanting surface of the second protruding blocks  415 , and the spring  450  is compressed. When the pressing member  420  is released, the spring  450  elastically restores to push the rotatable member  430  inward. The rotatable member  430  rotates while moving inward. The slanting surfaces  4361  rotate away from the second protruding blocks  415 . The resisting blocks  436  are rotated to be received in the first sliding slots  412 . Thus, the latching member  40  returns to the unlocked position, the retractable post  440  is disengaged from the securing hole  161 , and the circuit board  20  is detachable from the disk drive bracket  30 . 
     While the present disclosure has been illustrated by the description of preferred embodiments thereof, and while the preferred embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described.