A retainer for retaining an electronic module, such as a printed circuit board, in the slot of a casing. Oppositely oriented wedge-shaped elements are slidingly received on a rail in a manner which prevents rotation of the wedge-shaped elements about the rail. A pivotable lever having a cam surface is provided such that rotation of the lever actuates the retainer by compressing the wedge-shaped elements. In one embodiment, the lever is provided with a projection which engages the casing to extract the module when the lever is pivoted to release the retainer.

Retainer for electronic modules

A floating guide device provides increased thermal conductivity between a printed wiring assembly and a heat sink chassis. The guide device includes an elongated thermally conductive rod and a wedgelock used in conjunction with the rod that can be attached to the rod. The guide device can be used in an electronic assembly comprising a chassis having at least one slot, and at least one printed wiring assembly with a printed wiring board disposed in the slot. At least one integrated circuit package is electrically attached to the printed wiring board. The printed wiring board provides a thermal path to the chassis. The guide device provides one or more additional thermal paths between the printed wiring board and the chassis.

Device for increased thermal conductivity between a printed wiring assembly and a chassis

A locking wedge apparatus for fastening a printed circuit board within an elongated slot in a rack. The apparatus includes an elongated center wedge having sloped surfaces at its opposite ends and two end wedges abutting against the center wedge's opposite sloped surfaces. A screw interconnects the two end wedges, threadedly engaging a threaded bore in the remote end wedge. A friction nut is positioned on a portion of the screw's remote end that projects beyond the remote end wedge, and the apparatus is configured to include a pair of low-friction, abutting surfaces between the nut and the remote end wedge. This ensures that when the screw is fully loosened, the frictional torque applied to the nut by the end wedge is exceeded by the frictional torque applied to the nut by the screw. Further unthreading of the screw is thereby effectively inhibited.

Locking wedge apparatus for printed circuit board

An apparatus for moving a module in a guide channel includes levers which cooperate with cams associated therewith and contacting edges extending from the guide channels to apply forces for positioning the module. These forces are coupled to movable wedges, guided by wedges fixed to the module, which contact the walls of the guiding channels to clamp the module. Clamping forces are maintained by compressible elements such as Belleville washers or suitable springs coupled to the wedges fixed on the module.

Insertion, extraction, and clamping apparatus for electrical modules

A retainer (10) mechanically and thermally couples an electronic cardboard (12) to a heatsink (14) between first and second continuous surfaces (30, 38) of walls (26, 28) on a base (22). Clamping is effected by moving a pair of wedges (54) and (56) and their slanted surfaces (58, 60) against corresponding slated surfaces (42, 44) of a clamping block (36). The clamping block has an oblique surface (40) which cooperates with a surface (32) on wall (28) to move the block and its surface (38) toward surface (30), thus clamping the card at both surfaces in tight mechanical and thermal contact.

Thermal conductance retainer for electronic printed circuit boards and the like

An improved electronic circuit module retainer apparatus having interlocking, wedge-shaped components which are slotted and keyed together to allow tightening using a single screw which can be turned from the module insertion side of a module enclosure. A module retainer has a minimum of three interlocking parts which are held together by a tightening screw. A center body of the module retainer has holes for attaching it to a module or a module enclosure; it has a U-shaped channel with a square cross section and sloped ends. Each end body has a keying guide extending from a sloped end. A screw extends through a clearance hole in an end-body, then through the center body U-shaped channel and finally into a threaded hole in an opposite end body. When the screw is tightened, the end bodies slide along the sloped ends of the center body causing them to wedge the module against the module enclosure walls. The end bodies are held in alignment with respect to the center body using keying guides which extend from the end bodies into slots in the base of the center body. The interlocking components of the module retainer apparatus also provide a good thermal transfer path.

Kai Jensen

Papers

Module retainer apparatus