TWM643760U - Secure structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A secure structure is provided for securing an electronic device to a circuit assembly. The secure structure includes a bottom and a connecting member. The bottom is fixedly disposed on the circuit assembly. The connecting member is connected to the electronic device and slidable relative to the bottom. The bottom includes a positioning element that corresponds to a positioning hole of the connecting member. When the connecting member is connected to the electronic device, the positioning element is located in the positioning hole.

Description

fixed structure

The present invention relates to a fixing structure, in particular to a screwless fixing structure.

In electronic devices (such as notebook computers, desktop computers, etc.), there is often a need to fix various electronic components (such as solid state drives, antenna modules, etc.) to circuit components (such as printed circuit boards, etc.). Generally speaking, in this technical field, the electronic components to be fixed often have corresponding screw holes, so that the operator uses screws to pass through the screw holes of the electronic components during the assembly process to fix the electronic components to the circuit assembly.

However, locking the screws requires labor costs and time costs, which has a negative impact on the yield of the manufacturing process. In addition, the screw itself is a separate component from the electronic components and circuit components. If the screw falls off during the assembly process or the subsequent use of the electronic device, it will be difficult to replace and affect the stability of the electronic device.

Therefore, there is a need for a fixing structure that can fix the electronic components to the circuit assembly without screws.

The disclosure provides a fixing structure for fixing an electronic component to a circuit assembly. The fixing structure includes: a base and a connecting piece. The base is fixedly arranged on the circuit assembly. The connecting piece is connected with the electronic component and can slide relative to the base. The base includes a positioning element corresponding to a positioning hole of the connecting piece. When the connector connects the electronic component, the positioning element is located in the positioning hole.

In some embodiments, the positioning element is an elastic piece. Moreover, the above-mentioned base further includes a bottom plate. The base plate is disposed on the circuit assembly, wherein the positioning element is movable relative to the base plate. The above connecting piece includes a main body. The above-mentioned main body is parallel to the above-mentioned bottom plate, wherein the above-mentioned positioning holes are arranged on the above-mentioned main body.

In some embodiments, the above-mentioned base further includes two protrusions. The protruding portion extends from two opposite sides of the bottom plate toward the circuit assembly, wherein the base is fixedly arranged on the circuit assembly through the protruding portion.

In some embodiments, the above-mentioned base further includes two guiding slots. The above-mentioned guiding grooves are arranged on two opposite sides of the above-mentioned bottom plate, and extend along the sliding direction of the above-mentioned connecting piece. The above-mentioned connecting piece further includes two guide elements. The guide element cooperates with the guide groove of the base, is disposed on two opposite sides of the main body of the connector, and also extends along the sliding direction of the connector.

In some embodiments, each of the above-mentioned guiding grooves has a limiting portion at one end thereof, which limits the sliding range of the above-mentioned guiding element.

In some embodiments, the connecting member includes a handle at a first end. The pull handle extends from the main body toward a direction away from the circuit assembly.

In some embodiments, the connecting member includes a clamping portion at a second end, wherein the second end is opposite to the first end.

In some embodiments, the clamping portion includes an upper clamping piece. The above-mentioned upper clamping part includes: a straight line part, a clamping part and a curved part. The straight line portion extends from the main body toward a direction away from the circuit assembly. The clamping portion is parallel to the main body and extends toward the direction of the electronic component. The curved portion connects the straight portion and the clamping portion.

In some embodiments, the clamping part further includes a lower clamping part. The lower clamping part is parallel to the clamping part of the upper clamping part and extends from the main body toward the electronic component. The electronic component is clamped between the upper clamp and the lower clamp.

In some embodiments, both the base and the above-mentioned connecting parts are made of metal materials.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples, and describes specific examples of various components and arrangements to implement different features of the disclosure. For example, if the specification describes that the first feature is formed "on" or "above" the second feature, it means that it may include an embodiment in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and may also include an embodiment in which an additional feature is formed between the first feature and the second feature so that the first feature and the second feature are not in direct contact. Besides, in different examples of the present disclosure, repeated symbols or letters may be used.

In the embodiments, relative spatial terms such as "below" and "above" may be used to describe the relationship between elements or features and other elements or features in the drawings. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device can be turned in different orientations (rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatially relative terms used herein can be interpreted accordingly.

First, please refer to Figure 1. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a fixing structure 1000 fixing an electronic component 2000 to a circuit assembly 3000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the electronic component 2000 may have a long plate structure extending along the X-axis in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the electronic component 2000 has a fixed rotation axis at an end close to the negative X-axis direction, so that the electronic component 2000 can rotate around the rotation axis relative to the circuit assembly 3000 . The opposite end of the electronic component 2000 near the positive X-axis direction can be fixed on the circuit assembly 3000 through the fixing structure 1000 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1 , the fixing structure 1000 mainly includes a connecting piece 1100 and a base 1200 . The detailed structure of the connector 1100 and the base 1200 will be described below.

Please refer to Figure 2A and Figure 2B together. FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the connector 1100 of the fixing structure 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B shows a top view of the connector 1100 shown in FIG. 2A according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The connector 1100 of the fixing structure 1000 is mainly used for connecting the electronic component 2000 .

As shown in FIG. 2A , the connector 1100 includes a main body 1150 . The main body 1150 has a first end portion 1103 near the positive X-axis direction, and has a second end portion 1105 near the negative X-axis direction. That is, the second end portion 1105 is opposite to the first end portion 1103 .

At first end 1103 , connector 1100 includes a pull handle 1130 . In some embodiments, the pull handle 1130 extends from the main body 1150 toward a direction away from the circuit assembly 3000 (eg, a positive Y-axis direction). In some embodiments, the width of the pull handle 1130 in the Z-axis direction is smaller than or equal to the width of the main body 1150 in the Z-axis direction. The pull handle 1130 provides a grip for the operator to control the sliding direction of the connecting member 1100 during assembly, and the details of controlling the sliding of the connecting member 1100 will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the dimensions of the pull handle 1130 (eg, the width in the Z-axis direction, the height in the Y-axis direction, and the thickness in the X-axis direction) are not limited to those shown in the present disclosure, and may be any suitable size for the operator to hold.

At the second end portion 1105 , the connector 1100 includes a clamping portion 1190 . In some embodiments, the clamping part 1190 includes an upper clamping part 1191 and a lower clamping part 1195 . By clamping the electronic component 2000 between the upper clamping part 1191 and the lower clamping part 1195 , the electronic component 2000 can be connected to the connection part 1100 .

As shown in FIG. 2A , in some embodiments, the upper clamping member 1191 includes a straight portion 1192 , a clamping portion 1193 and a curved portion 1194 . The straight portion 1192 extends from the main body 1150 toward a direction away from the circuit assembly 3000 (for example, a positive Y-axis direction). The clamping portion 1193 is parallel to the main body 1150 and extends toward the direction of the electronic component 2000 (for example, the negative X-axis direction). Therefore, in these embodiments, the extending directions of the straight portion 1192 and the clamping portion 1193 are perpendicular to each other. The curved portion 1194 connects the straight portion 1192 and the clamping portion 1193 , and is located between the straight portion 1192 and the clamping portion 1193 .

In some embodiments, the lower clamping part 1195 is parallel to the clamping part 1193 of the upper clamping part 1191 , and extends from the main body 1150 toward the direction of the electronic component 2000 (eg, negative X-axis direction). In some embodiments, the distance between the lower clamping member 1195 and the clamping portion 1193 corresponds to the thickness of the clamped portion of the electronic component 2000 . For example, the distance between the lower clamping member 1195 and the clamping portion 1193 is slightly greater than the thickness of the clamped portion of the electronic component 2000 . By clamping the electronic component 2000 on the clamping portion 1190 of the connector 1100 , the movement of the electronic component 2000 in the Y-axis direction can be restricted to achieve a fixing effect.

Please refer to Figure 2A, Figure 2B, Figure 3A, Figure 3B and Figure 4 together. FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the base 1200 of the fixing structure 1000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B shows a top view of the base 1200 shown in FIG. 3A according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the fixing structure 1000 fixing the electronic component 2000 to the circuit assembly 3000 along the line A-A in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The base 1200 of the fixing structure 1000 includes a bottom plate 1250 . The bottom plate 1250 is fixedly disposed on the circuit assembly 3000 , and the main body 1150 of the connector 1100 is parallel to the bottom plate 1250 of the base 1200 . In some embodiments, the connecting member 1100 can slide relative to the base 1200 .

As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B , the connector 1100 further includes two guiding elements 1170 disposed on two opposite sides 1101 of the main body 1150 . The guiding elements 1170 respectively protrude from the main body 1150 along the positive Z-axis direction and the negative Z-axis direction, and extend along the sliding direction (eg, the X-axis direction) of the connecting member 1100 . Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , the base 1200 includes two guiding grooves 1270 disposed on two opposite sides 1201 of the bottom plate 1250 . The guide slots 1270 can be two opposite L-shaped structures, protruding from the bottom plate 1250 along the positive Y-axis direction, and extending along the sliding direction of the connecting member 1100 (eg, the X-axis direction). The guiding element 1170 of the connecting piece 1100 matches the guiding groove 1270 of the base 1200 so that the connecting piece 1100 can slide relative to the base 1200 along the X-axis direction.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B , each of the guiding grooves 1270 may have a limiting portion 1275 at one end portion 1271 thereof. The limiting portion 1275 can extend from the top surface (the surface parallel to the XZ plane) of the guiding groove 1270 toward the negative Y-axis direction, forming a limiting structure perpendicular to the X-axis direction, for limiting the sliding range of the guiding element 1170 . That is to say, the limiting portion 1275 can be used to limit the sliding range of the guiding element 1170 in the X-axis direction, so that when the connecting piece 1100 slides relative to the base 1200 , it will not exceed the end 1271 of the guiding groove 1270 , causing the problem that the connecting piece 1100 will fall off from the base 1200 .

In some embodiments, base 1200 includes a positioning element 1210 . The positioning element 1210 corresponds to a positioning hole 1110 of the connecting member 1100 . As shown in FIG. 3A , the positioning element 1210 can be an elastic piece integrally formed with the bottom plate 1250 , and the positioning element 1210 can move relative to the bottom plate 1250 . As shown in FIG. 2A , the positioning hole 1110 of the connector 1100 is disposed on the main body 1150 . The positioning hole 1110 and the positioning element 1210 are used to fix the position of the connecting member 1100 relative to the base 1200 . For example, when the connector 1100 is connected to the electronic component 2000, the protruding portion of the positioning element 1210 (as shown in FIG. 3A ) can be located in the positioning hole 1110 to limit the sliding of the connector 1100 in the X-axis direction to achieve a fixed effect, as shown in FIG. 4 .

As shown in FIG. 3A , in some embodiments, the base 1200 further includes two protrusions 1230 . The protruding portion 1230 extends from two opposite sides 1201 of the bottom plate 1250 toward the electronic component 2000 (for example, in a negative Y-axis direction). The electronic component 2000 may have openings at positions corresponding to the protrusions 1230 for the protrusions 1230 to be inserted thereinto. The base 1200 can be fixedly disposed on the electronic component 2000 through the protruding portion 1230 . In some embodiments, the protruding part 1230 can be integrally formed with the bottom plate 1250 and both are made of metal materials. In these embodiments, the protruding portion 1230 can be soldered to the electronic component 2000 through surface mount technology (SMT).

It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the bottom plate 1250 , the positioning element 1210 , the protruding portion 1230 and the guiding groove 1270 of the base 1200 can be integrally formed and made of metal materials. In addition, in some embodiments, the connecting member 1100 can also be made of metal material. In the embodiment where both the connecting member 1100 and the base 1200 are made of metal materials, debris generated by friction between the connecting member 1100 relative to the base 1200 can be reduced, thereby reducing interference to electronic devices. Moreover, each element made of metal material can also have higher strength. For example, the positioning element 1210 made of metal can achieve high strength with a relatively small thickness, which contributes to the stability and thinning of the overall structure.

Then please refer to Figure 1 and Figures 5A to 5C together. FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement process of the fixing structure 1000 fixing the electronic component 2000 to the circuit assembly 3000 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 5A shows the position of the fixing structure 1000 when the electronic component 2000 is not connected. At this time, the relative position of the connector 1100 and the base 1200 in the fixing structure 1000 is the same as that shown in FIG. 4 . FIG. 5B shows the position when the fixing structure 1000 is about to be connected to the electronic component 2000 . FIG. 5C shows the position when the fixing structure 1000 is connected to the electronic component 2000 , which is the same as that shown in FIG. 4 .

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the electronic component 2000 has a rotation axis at the end near the negative X-axis direction, so that the electronic component 2000 can rotate around the rotation axis relative to the circuit assembly 3000 before being fixed by the fixing structure 1000 . Before the electronic component 2000 is connected to the fixing structure 1000, the relative positions of the connector 1100 and the base 1200 are shown in FIG. 5A. At this time, the protruding portion of the positioning element 1210 is located in the positioning hole 1110, as shown in FIG. 4 .

If the operator wants to engage the electronic component 2000 with the fixing structure 1000, the handle 1130 can be pulled along the sliding direction S1, so that the connecting member 1100 can slide relative to the base 1200 to the position shown in FIG. 5B. At this time, the positioning element 1210 is compressed to be substantially flush with the bottom plate 1250 of the base 1200, so that the connecting piece 1100 can slide toward the positive X-axis direction until the guiding element 1170 of the connecting piece 1100 touches the stopper 1275 of the base 1200 and stops at the position shown in FIG. 5B. At this time, the electronic member 2000 may be rotated to a position parallel to the circuit assembly 3000 . As shown in FIG. 5B , the fixing hole 2100 of the electronic component 2000 originally used for screw locking may correspond to the position of the clamping portion 1190 of the connector 1100 .

Then, the operator can pull the handle 1130 along the sliding direction S2, so that the connecting member 1100 slides relative to the base 1200 to the position shown in FIG. 5C, that is, returns to the position shown in FIG. 5A. At this time, the protruding portion of the positioning element 1210 is located in the positioning hole 1110 . Moreover, the clamping portion 1190 of the connector 1100 engages with the fixing hole 2100 of the electronic component 2000 to restrict the movement of the electronic component 2000 in the Y-axis direction, thereby achieving the purpose of fixing the electronic component 2000 .

To sum up, the present disclosure provides a fixing structure 1000 for fixing the electronic component 2000 to the circuit assembly 3000 without screws. Before assembly, the fixing structure 1000 can be pre-fixed on the circuit assembly 3000 to reduce the risk of falling off and improve stability. Moreover, during the assembly process, compared with the time required for conventional locking screws, the operator only needs to control the sliding of the connector 1100 relative to the base 1200 through the handle 1130, and then clamp the electronic component 2000, saving labor costs and time costs. In addition, the fixing hole 2100 originally used for screw locking on the electronic component 2000 does not need to be changed, and can be directly applied to the fixing structure 1000 provided by the present disclosure, further reducing the manufacturing cost.

Although the embodiments of the invention and its advantages have been disclosed above, it should be understood that anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can make changes, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, the protection scope of this creation is not limited to the process, machine, manufacturing, material composition, device, method and steps in the specific embodiments described in the specification. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can understand the current or future development of the process, machine, manufacturing, material composition, device, method and steps from the disclosure content of this creation. Therefore, the protection scope of this creation includes the above-mentioned process, machine, manufacture, material composition, device, method and steps. In addition, each patent application scope constitutes an individual embodiment, and the protection scope of the present invention also includes the combination of each patent application scope and the embodiments.

1000: fixed structure 1100: connector 1101: side 1103: first end 1105: second end 1110: positioning hole 1130: pull handle 1150: subject 1170: guiding element 1190: clamping part 1191: Upper clamping piece 1192: Straight line part 1193: clamping part 1194: curved part 1195: Lower clamping piece 1200: base 1201: side 1210: positioning element 1230: protrusion 1250: bottom plate 1270: guide groove 1271: end 1275: limit part 2000: Electronic components 2100: Fixing hole 3000: circuit components A-A: line segment S1: sliding direction S2: sliding direction X: X-axis Y: Y-axis Z: Z-axis

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not necessarily drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity of illustration. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a fixing structure fixing an electronic component to a circuit assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of a connector of a fixing structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B illustrates a top view of the connector shown in FIG. 2A according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of a base of a fixing structure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3B illustrates a top view of the base shown in Figure 3A, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the fixing structure fixing the electronic component to the circuit assembly along the line A-A in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement process of the fixing structure fixing the electronic component to the circuit assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

1000: fixed structure

1100: connector

1200: base

2000: Electronic components

3000: circuit components

A-A: line segment

X: X-axis

Y: Y-axis

Z: Z-axis

Claims (10)

A fixing structure for fixing an electronic component to a circuit assembly, the fixing structure includes: a base fixedly arranged on the circuit assembly; and a connector, connected to the electronic component and slidable relative to the base; Wherein the base includes a positioning element corresponding to a positioning hole of the connector; Wherein when the connector is connected to the electronic component, the positioning element is located in the positioning hole. The fixing structure of claim 1, wherein the positioning element is a shrapnel, and the base further includes: A bottom plate is arranged on the circuit assembly, wherein the positioning element is movable relative to the bottom plate; Wherein the connector includes: A main body is parallel to the bottom plate, wherein the positioning hole is arranged on the main body. Such as the fixed structure of claim 2, wherein the base further includes: Two protruding parts extend from two opposite sides of the bottom plate towards the circuit component, wherein the base is fixedly arranged on the circuit component by the protruding parts. Such as the fixed structure of claim 2, wherein the base further includes: Two guide grooves are arranged on two opposite sides of the bottom plate and extend along the sliding direction of the connecting piece; Wherein the connector further includes: The two guiding elements, matched with the guiding grooves of the base, are arranged on two opposite sides of the main body of the connecting piece, and also extend along the sliding direction of the connecting piece. The fixing structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the guiding grooves has a limiting portion at one end thereof to limit the sliding range of the guiding elements. The fixing structure according to claim 2, wherein the connector includes a handle at a first end extending from the main body in a direction away from the circuit assembly. The fixing structure according to claim 6, wherein the connector includes a clamping portion at a second end, wherein the second end is opposite to the first end. The fixing structure of claim 7, wherein the clamping part includes an upper clamping part, and the upper clamping part includes: a straight part extending from the main body in a direction away from the circuit component; a clamping part parallel to the main body and extending toward the electronic component; and a curved part connecting the straight line part and the clamping part. As in the fixing structure of claim 8, wherein the clamping part further includes a lower clamping part, parallel to the clamping part of the upper clamping part, extending from the main body toward the electronic component; wherein the electronic component is clamped between the upper clamping part and the lower clamping part. The fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein both the base and the connector are made of metal materials.

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