초록 ▼

A one-piece expansion card retainer may be installed in either of two positions to accommodate both full-height and low-profile expansion cards. The bi-positional expansion card retainer exerts flexional force on an expansion card to help maintain the expansion card in its proper position during shi

A one-piece expansion card retainer may be installed in either of two positions to accommodate both full-height and low-profile expansion cards. The bi-positional expansion card retainer exerts flexional force on an expansion card to help maintain the expansion card in its proper position during shipment of an electronic device.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An expansion card retainer, comprising: a one-piece, chassis-mountable arm comprising an attachment end, a distal end, and a flexing portion between the attachment end and the distal end; wherein the attachment end attaches to a chassis in one of a first position and a

The invention claimed is: 1. An expansion card retainer, comprising: a one-piece, chassis-mountable arm comprising an attachment end, a distal end, and a flexing portion between the attachment end and the distal end; wherein the attachment end attaches to a chassis in one of a first position and a second position to accommodate first height and second height expansion cards, respectively, and the distal end exerts force produced by the flexing portion on an edge of an expansion card with which the distal end is in contact, when the attachment end is attached to the chassis; and wherein the attachment end comprises opposing first and second hooks and a flexible spring portion configured to hook a lip in the chassis to secure the attachment end to the chassis via the first hook or the second hook. 2. The expansion card retainer of claim 1, wherein the first hook engages with a cutout in the chassis when the attachment end is attached to the chassis in the first position, and the second hook engages with the cutout when the attachment end is attached to the chassis in the second position. 3. The expansion card retainer of claim 2, wherein the attachment also comprises a rigid portion toward which the flexible spring portion can be flexed, and the flexible spring portion has a finger tab that is laterally offset with respect to the rigid portion. 4. The expansion card retainer of claim 3, wherein the flexible spring portion and the finger tab are configured such that the expansion card retainer is attachable to the chassis adjacent to like expansion card retainers. 5. The expansion card retainer of claim 1, wherein the expansion card retainer bears indicia indicating that the first hook is associated with full-height expansion cards and that the second hook is associated with low-profile expansion cards. 6. The expansion card retainer of claim 1, wherein the distal end has a set of substantially parallel ridges that define a set of substantially parallel slots and the edge of the expansion card contacts the distal end within one of the substantially parallel slots. 7. The expansion card retainer of claim 1, wherein the expansion card retainer can be attached to the chassis and detached from the chassis without tools. 8. The expansion card retainer of claim 1, wherein the one-piece, chassis-mountable arm comprises molded plastic. 9. An electronic device, comprising: a chassis; an expansion slot mounted in the chassis; an expansion card electrically connected with the expansion slot, the expansion card having one of a first height and a second height; and an expansion card retainer, comprising: a one-piece, chassis-mountable arm comprising an attachment end, a distal end, and a flexing portion between the attachment end and the distal end; and wherein the attachment end is attached to the chassis in one of a first position and a second position to accommodate the height of the expansion card and the distal end exerts force produced by the flexing portion on an edge of the expansion card with which the distal end is in contact to bias the expansion card in its position in which it is electrically connected with the expansion slot; and wherein the attachment end comprises a rigid portion and a flexible spring portion that can be flexed toward the rigid portion, the flexible spring portion has a finger tab that is laterally offset with respect to the rigid portion. 10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the rigid portion has first and second hooks and wherein the first hook engages with a cutout in the chassis when the attachment end is attached to the chassis in the first position, and the second hook engages with the cutout when the attachment end is attached to the chassis in the second position, and the flexible spring portion being adapted to hook a lip in the chassis to secure the attachment end to the chassis. 11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the expansion card retainer bears indicia indicating that the first hook is associated with first height expansion cards and that the second hook is associated with second height expansion cards. 12. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the rigid portion has a plurality of hooks, each hook adapted to engage in a cutout in the chassis while the expansion card retainer is in each of different positions. 13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the distal end has a set of substantially parallel ridges that define a set of substantially parallel slots and the edge of the expansion card contacts the distal end within one of the substantially parallel slots. 14. An expansion card retainer, comprising: a one-piece, chassis-mountable arm comprising an attachment end, a distal end, and a connecting portion between the attachment end and the distal end; wherein the attachment end attaches to a chassis in one of a first position and a second position to accommodate first height and low-profile second height expansion cards, respectively, and the distal end exerts force produced by said connecting portion on an edge of an expansion card with which the distal end is in contact, when the attachment end is attached to the chassis; and wherein the attachment end comprises a rigid portion and a flexible portion configured to hook into the chassis to secure the attachment end to the chassis, and that can be flexed toward the rigid portion, the rigid portion having first and second hooks. 15. The expansion card retainer of claim 14, wherein the first hook engages with a cutout in the chassis when the attachment end is attached to the chassis in the first position, and the second hook engages with the cutout when the attachment end is attached to the chassis in the second position. 16. The expansion card retainer of claim 14, wherein the flexible spring portion has a finger tab that is laterally offset with respect to the rigid portion. 17. The expansion card retainer of claim 14, wherein the distal end has a set of substantially parallel ridges that define a set of substantially parallel slots and the edge of the expansion card contacts the distal end within one of the substantially parallel slots. 18. The expansion card retainer of claim 14, wherein the expansion card retainer can be attached to the chassis and detached from the chassis without tools.