WO2007046789A1

WO2007046789A1 - Electronic packages for peripheral devices

Info

Publication number: WO2007046789A1
Application number: PCT/US2005/037039
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Chao
Original assignee: Duel Systems
Priority date: 2005-10-17
Filing date: 2005-10-17
Publication date: 2007-04-26
Also published as: TW200718329A

Abstract

The present invention relates to packages for peripheral devices such as memory media and input/output (I/O) devices. The package contains a top cover (2) and a bottom cover (4) secured to each other through a locking mechanism. The top cover (2) contains one or more hooks (18) on its lateral sides (12, 14) and a male latch (26) at one end. The bottom cover (4) contains a one or more recesses corresponding to the hooks (18) and a female latch (32) at one end corresponding to the male latch (26). When assembled, the (hooks18) engage the recesses to secure the package in the X- and Z-axis; and the male latch (26) engages the female latch (32) to secure the package in the Y-axis.

Description

ELECTRONIC PACKAGES FOR PERIPHERAL DEVICES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to packages for peπpheral devices such as memory media and input/output (I/O) devices Typically the package holds a printed circuit board (PCB), where the device conforms to standards set by Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA), Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), etc for peπpheral devices

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The current trend in the computing hardware, telecommunications and electronics industnes is to miniaturize components and devices and to place as many of the components and devices next to each other to provide quality technical performance in a small package In order to expand a portable, laptop, or any other type of computer's capacity and functioning capability, manufacturers have devised "plug-m" peπpheral cards in the form of pπnted circuit boards (PCB's) contained within an exteπor package These devices are termed "PCMCIA style penpheral devices" Such packages have typically been formed from steel with plastic molded frames However, such packages usually require special assembly machmeπes, such as welding equipment, glue bonding fixtures, or laser welding equipment

Certain Personal Computer (PC) card, compact flash or small form factor cards are needed that provide a πgid, accurate structure support for applications such as mini disk dπves The current steel covers with plastic molded frames do not provide enough torsional resistance to external forces, for instance, for such precision PC card applications, liquid crystal diode (LCD) displays, hmges, security devices, personal digital assistants (PDA), digitization of analog information scanners, internet connections, and other wireless communication applications Also, traditional molding methods result in too much shrinkage, thus forming surfaces not having accurate dimensions Therefore, it is desired to provide the manufacture of components such as PC cards using mateπals and compounds that may provide an accurate datum plane due to accurately manufactured parts that are stiff and strong

Pπor art PCMCIA cards typically have two sheet metal covers that are joined together by plastic frames molded around each cover, as disclosed in U S Pat Nos

5,397,857 and 5,475,919, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference The plastic frames are welded together using ultrasonic welding or resistance welding The electrically conductive, sheet metal of the top and bottom covers provide a shielding effect against the transmission of electromagnetic radiation through the top and bottom covers A drawback of this system is that the ultrasonic welding process may result in damage to components on the PCB due to ultrasonic energy transfer to the PCB

Other pπor art packages include U S Patent No 5,398,157 to Paul, U S Patent No 5,207,586 to MacGregor, et al , U S Patent No 6,877,995 to Chen, and U S Patent No 6,735,075 to Lm, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference These patents disclose electronic packages and methods of assembly therefor, particularly the use of hooks to assemble the packages A drawback of the hooks, however, is that they can only stably hold the package in two directions (X- and Y-axis), while a second component must be added to stabilize the package in the third direction (Z-axis) Once assembled with the two components (hooks and a second component), however, the package cannot not be easily disassembled and/or reused Therefore, there remains a need for a secured, stiff electronic package that can be disassembled and/or reused

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a package for peripheral devices The package contains a top cover and a bottom cover secured to each other through a locking mechanism The top cover contains one or more hooks on its lateral sides and a male latch at one end The bottom cover contains a one or more recesses corresponding to the hooks and a female latch at one end corresponding to the male latch When assembled, the hooks engage the recesses to secure the package in the X- and Z-axis, and the male latch engages the female latch to secure the package in the Y-axis The covers, when assembled, are capable of encapsulating a (printed circuit board) PCB and affixing it m a proper position Although the male latch is described as being located on the top cover and the female latch is descπbed as being located on the bottom cover, their positions can be switched without affecting the essence of the invention For example, the female latch can easily be associated with the top cover and the hooks, and conversely, the male latch can be associated with the bottom cover and the recesses A further object of the present invention is to provide methods of making a package for peπpheral devices The package has mechanical locking mechanisms that resists opening forces along all three axes and requires no welding or gluing

The advantages of the present invention are numerous Because the assembly does not require special welding or gluing equipment, the manufacturing time and assembly costs are reduced. The multiple locks and tight tolerances result in high rigidity and enclosure strength which are stronger, faster to assemble and more reliable than bonded packages. The mechanical locks do not require ultrasonic welding that can damage components on the PCB And lastly, the packaged can readily be engineered for easy disassembly and/or reuse

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing background and summary, as well as the following detailed descπption of the drawings, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown In the drawings

Figure 1 is a drawing of the package showing details of the bottom cover Figure 2 is a drawing of the package showing details of the top cover

Figure 3 is a drawing showing details of the female latch Figure 4 is a drawing showing details of the male latch

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Throughout the drawings like reference numerals refer to like elements The terms "top" and "bottom" are used to distinguish between the two covers The use of the terms does not mean that the package will always be oπented with the "top" cover above the "bottom" cover Either position of these covers is considered to be within the scope of the invention

A typical package of the present invention is depicted in Figures 1 and 2 The package contains a top cover 2 and a bottom cover 4 The top and bottom covers 2 and 4 are attached to each other through a novel locking mechanism to be descπbed later in detail The package is substantially rectangular, and preferably contains and fixes in place a PCB between the two covers.

The top cover 2 is preferably a substantially rectangular containing a front end 8, a back end 10, and lateral sides 12 and 14 The top surface 16 of the top cover 2 is preferably raised in relation to the lateral sides 12 and 14 and the back end 10 m order to accommodate a PCB and/or other components The lateral sides have a plurality of hooks 18 The hooks are preferably L-shaped hooks as shown m Figures 1 and 2 Each hook has a first leg 20 extending perpendicularly from the lateral side 12 or 14 of the top cover 2 toward the bottom cover 4, and a second leg 22 extending from the distal end of the first leg 20, substantially paralleling the lateral side 12 or 14 The portion of the lateral sides not containing a hook, referred henceforth as flaps 24, preferably folds toward the bottom cover 4

The back end 10 of the top cover 2 preferably contains a male latch 26 shown in

Figures 1 and 4 The male latch 26 locates at the back end 10 of the top cover 2 and protrudes toward the center of the cover The male latch preferably forms from a wall 28 that extends perpendicularly from the top surface 16 toward the bottom cover 4 As best seen in Figure 4, the male latch 26 is generally finger shaped having a stalk 30 extending from rear wall 28 and a head 32 extending toward the center of the cover The head 32 contains a notchs 34, on each of its lateral sides, for locking with the female latch 32. The head 32 is arcuately shaped to facilitate insertion into the female latch 32 The bottom cover 4 is preferably substantially rectangular having the approximately the same dimensions as the top cover 2 and containing a front end 34, a back end 36, and lateral sides 38 and 40 The lateral sides 38 and 40 have sidewalls 42 and 44, respectively, which extend toward the top cover 2 perpendicularly from the bottom surface 46 The inner wall of the sidewalls 42 or 44 contains features to allow mating of the hooks 18 of the top cover 2 These features include alignment pockets 48 and protrusions 50, matching the locations of the hooks 18 Each alignment pocket 48 has a width wider than the length of the second leg 22 of the hook 18, so that the hook 18 can be completely inserted into the alignment pocket 48 Once the hooks 18 are inserted into the pocket 48, the top cover can be slid in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis) to allow the hooks 18 to engage the protrusions 50, thereby holding the two covers 2 and 4 together, particularly resisting the covers from pulling apart along the Z-axis and sliding against each other along the X-axis

The back end 36 of the bottom cover 4 preferably contains a female latch 32 shown in Figures 2 and 3 The female latch 32 locates at the back end 36 of the bottom cover 4 and protrudes toward the center of the cover The male latch preferably forms from a raised portion that folds perpendicularly from the bottom surface 46 toward the top cover 2 The female latch 32 contains two substantially parallel deflection arms 54, which are spaced apart so that the male latch 26 fits snugly between the two deflection arms 54, when the two covers are assembled The two deflection arms 54 are preferably mirror images of each other Each deflection arm 54 contains a stem 56 and a head 58 at the distal end of the stem 56. Each of the heads 58 contains a locking tab 60 that faces each other The deflection arms 54 are generally parallel, but are flexible and can be deflected laterally when a force is applied to the arm 54 toward the lateral sides 38 and 40 from the center of the bottom cover 4 When assembled, the male latch 26 is inserted through opening 27 between the two deflection arms 54 and moved forward to that the head 32 is forced against the lower surface of the locking tab 60 The arcuate shape of the head 32 causes the deflection arms 54 to deflect laterally until male latch 24 rests between the two deflection arms 54 with the locking tabs 60 inserted into the notches 34 of the male latch 26 to hold the covers together by presenting them from sliding against each other along the Y-axis

In some embodiments the top cover 2 also contains protruded tabs 62 that mates with the channel pockets 64 of the bottom cover 4 to further secure the package

Both the top and bottom covers 2 and 4 may be constructed of stamped metal, such as aluminum or stainless steel, and/or plastic Stamping provides lower manufactuπng cost than forged or die cast parts, and metal is preferable in order to provide strength and conductivity for shielding of the PCB

While the mateπal for the covers is chosen to be stamped metal, there is no requirement that it be so Any πgid mateπal will suffice. However, if the cover is of a conductive mateπal, it will serve to reduce EMI, RF and ESD problems, these being factors which electronic devices seek to minimize It should be further noted that conductive mateπal cannot be eliminated completely as PCMCIA requires a grounding point

An optional addition to the present invention is to coat the mtenor of the covers 2 and 4 with a thin layer of a non-conductive mateπal This allows the finished product to have a conductive exteπor with a non-conductive interior, thus isolating the conductivity of the interior of the package Shielding can also be achieved by metallized, metal- plated, or conductive plastic mateπal In a preferred embodiment, the covers are made of metal with plastic injection molded around the circumference of the metal to form structures, such as hooks 18, male latch 26, female latch 32, alignment pockets 48, protrusions 50, etc The plastic material can be, but is not limited to polycarbonate or any thermal plastic In other embodiments, conductive polymer can also be used by itself or in conjunction with non-conductive plastic hi this embodiment, the structures on the peripheries that allow the package to be assembled are made of plastic while only the top and bottom surfaces 16 and 46 are made of metal The metal parts preferably have fingers on the lateral sides and back end that are embedded in the plastic duπng molding Once the plastic solidifies, the plastic and metal parts are mechanically integrated and held together by the embedded fingers to form a cover The method of molding plastic around a metal part having fingers is disclosed in U S Patent No 5,490,891 to Farquhar et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference

When the package is assembled, the hooks 18 are inserted into their respective alignment pockets 48 At the same time, the male latch 26 is inserted between the deflection arms 54 of the female latch 32 The top cover 2 is then slid longitudinally relative to the bottom cover 4 to allow the hooks 18 to engage its corresponding protrusions 50, by tucking the second legs 22 of the hooks 18 under the protrusions 50 Simultaneously, when the top cover 2 is slid longitudinally, the head 32 of the male latch 26 deflects the deflection arms 54 of the female latch 36 laterally, allowing the locking tabs 60 to insert into the notches 34, when the head 32 moves past the tabs 58 of the female latch 32 In this configuration, the hooks 18 and protrusions 50 resist forces in the X- and Z- axes, while the male and female latches 26 and 32 resist forces m the Y-axis In a preferred embodiment, the assembly can easily be disassembled for reuse In this embodiment, an opening 68 is placed in the bottom surface 46, between the heads 58 of the female latch 32 To disassemble the package, a tool is place into the opening 68 to exert a force to push the heads 58 of the deflection arms 54 laterally toward the lateral sides 38 and 40, which releases the locking tabs 60 on the female latch from the notches 34 on the male latch to allow the covers to slide longitudinally (along the Y-axis) relative to each other The sliding movement disengages the hooks 18 from its corresponding protrusions 50 to allow the two covers 2 and 4 to separate

Although it is preferred that the top cover is associated with the hooks and male latch, while the bottom cover is associated with the alignment pockets and female latch, any combination of hooks and latches are appropπate for the present invention For example, the top cover may contain hooks and the female latch, while the bottom cover may contain alignment pockets and male latch The hooks and the male latch do not have to be on the same cover, and the same is true for the female latch and the alignment pockets However, the hooks and alignment pockets must always be on different covers for the present invention to function properly Likewise, the male and female latches must also be on different covers One skilled in the art will be able to modify the assembly method to accommodate the locations of the hooks and latches without deviating from the scope of the present invention Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that vaπations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spiπt and scope of the invention Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law

Claims

What is claimed is: 1 A peripheral device package composing a top cover having at least one hook extending from each of its lateral sides and a male latch on its back end, and a bottom cover having at least one alignment pocket and protrusion on each of its lateral sides and a female latch on its back end, such that when assembled, the hooks of the top cover engage the protrusions of the bottom cover and the male latch engages the female latch forming a lock to hold the covers in place

2 The peπpheral device package of claim 1, wherein the male latch contains locking tabs that insert into notches on the female latch to lock the two latches together

3 The peπpheral device package of claim 1, wherein the female latch contains two deflection arms and the male latch fits between the deflection arms when the latches are engaged

4 The peπpheral device package of claim 3, wherein the bottom cover contains a hole proximate to the female latch to disengage the female latch from the male latch using a tool inserted into the hole to spread the deflection arms laterally

5 The peπpheral device package of claim 1, wherein the hooks are L-shaped 6 A peπpheral device package compnsing a top cover having one or more hooks extending from its lateral sides and a female latch on its back end, and a bottom cover having one or more alignment pockets and protrusions on its lateral sides and a male latch on its back end, such that when assembled, the hooks of the top cover engage the protrusions of the bottom cover and the male latch engages the female latch forming a lock to hold the covers in place.

7 The peπpheral device package of claim 6, wherein the male latch contains locking tabs that inserts into notches on the female latch to lock the two latches together

8 The peπpheral device package of claim 6, wherein the female latch contains two deflection arms and the male latch fits between the deflection arms when the latches are engaged

9 The peπpheral device package of claim 8, wherein the top cover contains a hole proximate to the female latch to disengage the female latch from the male latch using a tool inserted into the hole to spread the deflection arms laterally

10 The peπpheral device package of claim 1, wherein the hooks are L-shaped

11 A method of making a penpheral device package, said method compπsmg providing a top cover having one or more hooks extending from its lateral sides and a male latch on its back end, providing a bottom cover having one or more alignment pockets and protrusions on its lateral sides and a female latch on its back end, inserting the hooks of the top cover into respective alignment pockets in the frame, and sliding the top cover along the length of the frame to engage the hooks and the protrusions and to engage the male and female latches

12 The method of claim 11, wherein the male latch contains locking tabs that inserts into notches on the female latch to lock the two latches together

13 The method of claim 11, wherein the female latch contains two deflection arms and the male latch fits between the deflection arms when the latches are engaged

14 The method of claim 13, wherein the bottom cover contains a hole proximate to the female latch to disengage the female latch from the male latch using a tool inserted into the hole to spread the deflection arms laterally

15 The method of claim 11, wherein the hooks are L-shaped

16 A method of making a penpheral device package, said method comprising providing a top cover having a plurality of hooks extending from its lateral sides and a female latch on its back end, providing a bottom cover having a plurality of alignment pockets and protrusions on its lateral sides and a male latch on its back end, inserting the hooks of the top cover into respective alignment pockets m the frame, and sliding the top cover along the length of the frame to engage the hooks and the protrusions and to engage the male and female latches

17 The method of claim 16, wherein the male latch contains locking tabs that inserts into notches on the female latch to lock the two latches together

18 The method of claim 16, wherein the female latch contains two deflection arms and the male latch fits between the deflection arms when the latches are engaged

19 The method of claim 18, wherein the top cover contains a hole proximate to the female latch to disengage the female latch from the male latch using a tool inserted into the hole to spread the deflection arms laterally

20 The method of claim 16, wherein the hooks are L-shaped