IP Library Granted Patent US 10,488,893
Granted Patent B1
US 10,488,893 · App. 15/987,752 · Granted Nov 26, 2019

Expansion module system

Inventors: Cyril Adair Keilers (Georgetown, TX); Shawn Paul Hoss (Georgetown, TX); Christopher Michael Helberg (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/185G06F1/186G06F1/189H05K7/1402H01R12/732
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,488,893
App. No.
15/987,752
Granted
Nov 26, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

An expansion module system includes a board having a plurality of expansion modules connectors mounted to the board. A shared expansion module coupling feature is provided on the board and includes a coupling member. A respective expansion module is connected to each of the plurality of expansion module connectors, and the coupling member engages each of the respective expansion modules to secure each of the respective expansion modules in their respective expansion module connectors. The shared expansion module coupling feature may includes a standoff that is mounted to the board immediately adjacent a single hole defined by the board, and the coupling member may be provided by a single screw that engages each of the respective expansion modules and at least one of: the shared expansion module coupling feature and the portion of the board that defines the hole.

Claims (27)

1. An expansion module system, comprising:

a board;

a plurality of expansion modules connectors mounted to the board, wherein the plurality of expansion module connectors include a first expansion module connector defining a first expansion module connector slot, and a second expansion module connector defining a second expansion module connector slot that faces the first expansion module connector slot;

a shared expansion module coupling feature provided on the board and including a coupling member, wherein the shared expansion module coupling feature is located between the first expansion module connector and the second expansion module connector; and

a respective expansion module connected to each of the plurality of expansion module connectors, wherein the coupling member that is included on the shared expansion module coupling feature engages each of the respective expansion modules to secure each of the respective expansion modules in their respective expansion module connectors.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the shared expansion module coupling feature includes a standoff that is mounted to the board and that engages each of the respective expansion modules.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the board defines a hole immediately adjacent the shared expansion module coupling feature.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the coupling member engages each of the respective expansion modules and at least one of: the shared expansion module coupling feature and the portion of the board that defines the hole.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the respective expansion modules is an expansion module configured according to the M.2 specification.

6. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a board;

a plurality of expansion modules connectors mounted to the board, wherein the plurality of expansion module connectors include a first expansion module connector defining a first expansion module connector slot, and a second expansion module connector defining a second expansion module connector slot that faces the first expansion module connector slot; and

a shared expansion module coupling feature provided on the board and including a coupling member that is configured to engage each of a plurality of expansion modules when those expansion modules are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of expansion module connectors, wherein the shared expansion module coupling feature is located between the first expansion module connector and the second expansion module connector.

7. The IHS of claim 6 , wherein the shared expansion module coupling feature includes a standoff that is mounted to the board and that is configured to engage each of the plurality of expansion modules when those expansion modules are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of expansion module connectors.

8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the coupling member is configured to engage each of the plurality of expansion modules when those expansion modules are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of expansion module connectors, and engage the shared expansion module coupling feature.

9. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the board defines a hole immediately adjacent the shared expansion module coupling feature.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the coupling member is configured to engage each of the plurality of expansion modules when those expansion modules are each connected to a respective one of the plurality of expansion module connectors, and engage at least one of: the shared expansion module coupling feature and the portion of the board that defines the hole.

11. The IHS of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of expansion module connectors is an expansion module connector configured according to the M.2 specification.

12. A method for coupling expansion modules to a board, comprising:

connecting a respective expansion module to each of a plurality of expansion modules connectors that are mounted to a board, wherein the plurality of expansion module connectors include a first expansion module connector defining a first expansion module connector slot, and a second expansion module connector defining a second expansion module connector slot that faces the first expansion module connector slot; and

positioning a portion of each of the respective expansion modules that are connected to the expansion module connectors adjacent a shared expansion module coupling feature that is provided on the board, wherein the shared expansion module coupling feature is located between the first expansion module connector and the second expansion module connector; and

engaging the portion of each of the respective expansion modules adjacent the shared expansion module coupling feature with a coupling member on the shared expansion module coupling feature in order to secure each of the respective expansion modules in the expansion module connectors.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the shared expansion module coupling feature includes a standoff that is mounted to the board and that engages each of the respective expansion modules.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the coupling member is configured to engage each of the respective expansion modules and the shared expansion module coupling feature.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the board defines a hole immediately adjacent the shared expansion module coupling feature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the coupling member engages each of the respective expansion modules and at least one of: the shared expansion module coupling feature and the portion of the board that defines the hole.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein each of the respective expansion modules is an expansion module configured according to the M.2 specification.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (047648/0422) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060160/0862 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 047648 FRAME 0346 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058298/0510 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Oct 12, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047648/0422 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (CREDIT) Recorded Oct 12, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047648/0346 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2018
From: KEILERS, CYRIL ADAIR; HOSS, SHAWN PAUL; HELBERG, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 045898/0213 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,249,793 US 12,267,959