Circuit card and cage arrangement with improved cooling
View Patent ↗A circuit card for a data processing system includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a carrier. The PCB includes opposing sides parallel to a mounting direction when the PCB is installed to a cage. The carrier is attached to the PCB and includes at least one guiding member offset from a normal direction of the PCB and guiding installation of the PCB in the cage. The cage includes a plurality of support plates extending along a first direction and aligned along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the cage to define a plurality of air flow channels. When the circuit card is mounted to one of the support plates by engaging the guiding member to the support plate, the PCB is offset from the support plate and located right in the air flow channel without being obstructed by the support plate.
1. A circuit card comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a PCB surface, a normal direction defined normal to the PCB surface, and including opposing sides parallel to a mounting direction when the PCB is installed to a cage; and
a carrier attached to the PCB and including at least one guiding member offset from the PCB in the normal direction, the guiding member defining a slot for guiding a support plate of a cage into the slot so as to mount the PCB to the support plate, the slot being parallel to and open in the mounting direction.
2. The circuit card of claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes a plate body and a mounting structure disposed between the plate body and the PCB, the mounting structure connecting the PCB to the plate body.
3. The circuit card of claim 2 , wherein the slot is defined between the plate body and the mounting structure.
4. The circuit card of claim 2 , wherein the plate body and the mounting structure define the at least one guiding member.
5. The circuit card of claim 2 , wherein the mounting structure includes a contact portion in contact with the plate body and a rail portion spaced from the plate body.
6. The circuit card of claim 5 , wherein the slot is defined between the rail portion and the plate body.
7. The circuit card of claim 6 , wherein the guiding member is defined by the rail portion and the plate body.
8. The circuit card of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of guiding members disposed along the opposing sides of the PCB, the carrier including a plate body extending between the opposing sides of the PCB, the plate body defining a part of the guiding members.
9. The circuit card of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is disposed adjacent to a front surface of the PCB on which at least one electronic component is mounted.
10. The circuit card of claim 9 , wherein the carrier has a recessed portion recessed toward the front surface of the PCB to contact the at least one electronic component.
11. A circuit card comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) having opposing sides parallel to a mounting direction when the PCB is installed to a cage;
a plate body disposed adjacent to a surface of the PCB to cover a portion of the PCB;
a pair of mounting structures disposed between the PCB and the plate body for connecting the PCB to the plate body, the mounting structures each include a rail portion spaced from the plate body and parallel to the plate body and the mounting direction to define a slot between the rail portion and the plate body, the slot being parallel to and open in the mounting direction and offset from the PCB for guiding a support plate of a cage into the slot so as to mount the PCB to the support plate.
12. A circuit card and cage assembly, comprising:
a cage including a plurality of support plates extending along a first direction of the cage, the plurality of support plates being aligned along a second direction of the cage to define a plurality of air flow channels between the plurality of support plates, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and
a plurality of circuit cards, each including a printed circuit board (PCB) and a carrier attached to the PCB, the carrier being offset from the PCB along a direction normal to the PCB and defining a slot parallel to and open in the mounting direction,
wherein the plurality of circuit cards are mounted to the support plates by inserting the support plates to corresponding ones of the slots and the PCBs are offset from the support plates along the second direction.
13. The circuit card and cage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the carriers each include at least one guiding member for guiding installation of the circuit cards to the support plates.
14. The circuit card and cage assembly of claim 13 , wherein the at least one guiding member is provided at one of the opposing sides of the PCB that are parallel to the mounting direction.
15. The circuit card and cage assembly of claim 12 , wherein at least two of the support plates are aligned along the first direction to define a card receiving space therebetween.
16. The circuit card and cage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the carriers are disposed adjacent to a front surface of the PCB on which at least one electronic component is disposed.
17. The circuit card and cage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the carriers each include a recessed portion recessed toward the PCB and contacting at least one heat-generating component on the PCB.
18. The circuit card and cage assembly of claim 12 , wherein the carriers each include a plate body and a mounting structure between the plate body and the PCB.