Component retention mechanism and method

1. A mechanism for attaching a first component to a second component, wherein the second component includes at least two mounting posts, the mechanism comprising:

a mounting block having at least two holes, through each of which a respective mounting post passes, and a retaining channel, whereby the at least two holes are located in the retaining channel; and

a screw actuator that is located in the retaining channel, wherein the screw actuator includes a attachment portion that is fixedly attached to the mounting block and at least two sliding portions, whereby the at least two sliding portions move to engage the at least two mounting posts against a side of the retaining channel.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first component comprises at least two holes, through each of which a respective mounting post passes.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the mounting block is attached to the first component.

4. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the screw actuator comprises:

a screw that passes through the attachment portion and the at least two sliding portions.

5. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein each of at least two sliding portions comprises:

a wedge;

wherein each wedge contacts a respective wedge face of the attachment portion, whereby rotation of the screw actuator moves each wedge along the wedge face such that each wedge moves laterally with respect to the screw actuator.

6. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the at least two mounting posts comprises four mounting posts, and the mechanism further comprises:

another mounting block; and

another retaining block;

wherein the mounting block and the retaining block are associated with one pair of mounting posts, and the another mounting block and the another retaining block are associated with the other pair of mounting posts.

7. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the second component is a board.

8. The mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first component is a daughter card which comprises:

a daughter board;

a processor that is attached to the daughter board; and

a heat sink that is in thermal contact with the processor and enhances heat dissipation from the processor.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the daughter card further comprises:

a thermal pad that is located between the processor and the heat sink, and provides a thermal conduction path from the processor to the heat sink.

10. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the processor is attached to the daughter board by a ball grid array.

11. The mechanism of claim 10 , wherein at least one ball in the ball grid array is subjected to no greater than 10 grams of compressive force.

12. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the heat sink is attached to the daughter card by a plurality of spring retainers.

13. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the heat sink and the daughter board each have at least two holes, through each of which a respective mounting post passes.

14. The mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the daughter card further comprises:

an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield that is located between the heat sink and the daughter board, and reduces the transmission of EMI between the processor and an external environment.

15. A method for attaching a first component to a second component comprising:

providing two mounting posts on the second component and two holes in the first component;

providing a mounting mechanism having two holes, and a retaining channel, whereby the two holes are located in the retaining channel;

placing the first component onto the second component such that each respective mounting post passes through a respective hole;

placing the mounting mechanism onto the first component such that a respective mounting post passes through a respective hole; and

operating the mounting mechanism thereby causing two sliding portions of the mounting mechanism to engage the two mounting posts against a side of the retaining channel.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

attaching the mounting mechanism to the first component.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operating the mounting mechanisms comprises:

rotating a screw that passes through the two sliding portions.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of at least two sliding portions comprises a wedge, and operating the mounting mechanism comprises:

moving each wedge along a respective wedge face of the mounting mechanism such that each wedge moves laterally to engage a respective mounting post against the side of the retaining channel.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the two mounting posts comprise a first pair of mounting posts, and two other mounting posts comprise a second pair of mounting posts, and the method further comprises

providing another mounting mechanism, wherein the mounting mechanism is associated with the first pair of mounting posts, and the another mounting mechanism is associated with the second pair of mounting posts;

placing the another mounting mechanism onto the first component such that each respective mounting post of the second pair of mounting posts passes through a respective hole; and

operating the another mounting mechanism thereby causing two sliding portions of the another mounting mechanism to engage the second pair of mounting posts against a side of the retaining channel.

20. A mechanism for attaching a first component to a second component, wherein the first component includes at least two holes and second component includes at least two mounting posts, whereby a respective mounting post passes through a respective hole, the mechanism comprising:

means for engaging a portion of the first component; and

means for engaging the at least two mounting posts to prevent movement of the first component along a direction of the mounting posts;

wherein the mechanism reduces movement of the first component with respect to the second component using a force applied in an orthogonal direction to the direction of the mounting posts; and

wherein the means for engaging the at least two mounting posts operates without exerting a compressive force on the first component.