WO2002049402A1

WO2002049402A1 - Personal computer card extraction tool and method

Info

Publication number: WO2002049402A1
Application number: PCT/IL2001/001139
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Mandelzweig; Daniel Schodl
Original assignee: David Mandelzweig; Daniel Schodl
Priority date: 2000-12-13
Filing date: 2001-12-11
Publication date: 2002-06-20
Also published as: AU2002222467A1; IL140279A0

Abstract

A personal computer card extraction tool (1) comprising a gripper (6, 8) designed to grip the standard flange of a personal computer card.

Description

PERSONAL COMPUTER CARD EXTRACTION TOOL AND METHOD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tool designed to facilitate the extraction of a printed circuit

card from a holder, and to a method of extracting of a printed circuit card from a holder.

The PC Card Extraction Tool (CET) is a mechanical device that easily removes Personal

Computer (herein after referred to as PC) cards from any PC compatible computer. It is

aimed at any one who has to remove PC cards from a PC computer. Usually cards are

removed from their slots by gripping the cards with the fingers, and rocking the card while

pulling it out. The disadvantages of this method are that the fingers can damage components either mechanically by the gripping force, or electrically by transmitting static electricity, and further, in many instances the component leads actually hurt the fingers. With the help of the

CET, the card can be removed without touching any part of the card, and without requiring

any force from the hand using the tool.

US 4,385,438 relates to a manipulator for facilitating the extraction of a printed circuit card

from a holder the latter having top and bottom parallel card guides, each card guide including

at least one transversely oriented guide track having respective lateral card edges resting

therein, said circuit card including, a handle mounted perpendicular to a transverse edge of

said circuit card said manipulator comprising: a first member having a shaft projecting

outwardly perpendicular to said first member and said shaft terminating in a hooked end, said

hooked end arranged to engage said circuit card handle; plunger means slideably mounted to said shaft and moveable along said shaft including a retainer member extending outward from

said plunger means and arranged to rest against said bottom card guide. However the

manipulator of this patent suffers a number of disadvantages, inter alia, the need to be designed for a specific sized card held in a specific type of card cage or holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a PC card extraction tool comprising a gripper designed to grip

the standard flange of a personal computer card.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a PC card extraction tool comprising a gripper

designed to grip the standard flange of a personal computer card, and makes use of the computer

chassis to provide contra-support to the force being used to remove the card from the personal

computer board socket.

designed to grip the standard flange of a personal computer card socket, by using the computer

chassis to provide contra-support to the force being used to remove the card; said tool designed to

be operated by one hand.

According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of extracting a PC card

from a PC board using a tool designed to grip the standard flange of a personal computer card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the card extraction tool of the present, invention. FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of the card extraction tool of the present invention being used to extract a PC card.

FIG. 3 represents a side elevation view of the card extraction tool of the present invention.

FIG. 4 represents an exploded side perspective view of the card extraction tool of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The multitude of PC compatible cards in existence gives rise to many variations in the physical

size and properties of the cards. Differing lengths and heights, connector types (ISA, PCI, AGP

etc) and varying component placing and density all contribute to the variations, these variations making it impossible to design an extraction tool that would work with all the variations. Further,

PC cards are manufactured by a great number of manufacturers, so that trying to establish a standard modification and/or addition to every new card to enable the use of a common extraction

tool is also close to impossible. Even if it were possible, a tool designed to be used on such

modifications and/or additions would not work on all the cards already in use and being put into

use at present. There is one specification that is however common to all cards in present use, and

will be common to all cards designed for the PC compatible computer, and that is the metal

bracket with flange which is used to fix the cards to the computer chassis. This flange is defined

throughout this document as "the standard flange of a personal computer card".

According to a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a PC card extraction tool (Figs. 1-4) comprising a first handle (1); a second handle (2); a pivoted fulcrum (3); two fasteners

(4); two L-shaped slots (5); a coil spring (7); two sharp wedge-shaped teeth (8) a lever spring (9);

and a tongue (6); said first handle is connected to said second handle using said pivoted fulcrum; said fulcrum is connected to said two handles in such a manner that said handles are free to pivot

around the axis of the joint of the fulcrum to the respective handle; said first handle is also

connected on both sides to said second handle using said fasteners fitted through a hole in said first handle and said L-shaped slot in said second handle on .either side; said fasteners are fixed in such a way that the handles are held snugly together, but still allows said first handle to move

with respect to said second handle as said fasteners slide in said L-shaped slots; said lever spring

is fitted between the curved handles to keep them apart, and at the same time, keep said fasteners

in the short legs of said L-slots; the result of this construction being two handles normally held apart, and with the lower end of said first handle higher than the end of said second handle, and

also held more apart from said first handle, due to the position of said fasteners in said L-slots;

the components of the present tool designed in such a way that when the handles are squeezed

together, the action of said fulcrum forces said first handle down with respect to said second handle, but the lower end of said second handle can only move in the direction dictated by said

L-slots; thus the lower end of said first handle first moves towards said second handle until said ■

fasteners reach the ends of the short legs of the slots, and then said lower end of said first handle

continues to move down towards the end of said second handle; the components of the present

tool further designed in such a way that when the handles are released, said curved handles move

apart, said fasteners move up said L-slots causing said first handle to first move up with respect to said second handle and then away from said second handle, as said fasteners move into the

short leg of said L-slots; said tongue is also fitted between the two handles; and is fastened to said

second handle so that it is free to move about the point where it is fastened; and is kept pressed

against the inside of said first handle by said coil spring; the face of said tongue that presses

against said first handle is slightly curved in a concave fashion; the components of the present tool designed in such a way that when the handles are squeezed, said first handle first moves

towards said second handle forcing said tongue also to move towards said second handle, and

then moves down with respect to said second handle as described above; the components of the

present tool further designed in such a way that at the same time, the inside of said first handle

slides along the curved part of the said tongue, further applying pressure to the said tongue to

keep it pressed in the direction of said second handle; said sharp, wedge-shaped teeth being

positioned at the bottom end of said second handle; the components of the present tool designed

in such a way that when the tool is placed in position above said card flange, and the handles are

squeezed, the movement of said tongue towards said second handle forces said tongue and said

teeth to move towards each other; said teeth sliding under the top edge of said flange, and said

teeth and said tongue grip the flange; as said first handle continues to move down, cams that are part of said first handle touch and rest on the PC Computer chassis on either side of said flange;

since said first handle can now no longer move downwards, said second handle moves upwards

instead, moving said teeth upwards as well, and said teeth in turn pull said flange upwards, thus

pulling the card out of the socket; once the card is released from the socket, the tool is lifted up,

removing the card from the chassis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the screw holding the flange of the mounting plate of the

card to the computer chassis is removed in the normal manner. The CET is placed over the flange

from above, and when seated properly, is gently squeezed. The action of the CET is such that the

CET forces two teeth under the flange, grips the flange and mounting plate, and by forcing a cam

against the computer chassis, which acts as a contra-force, lifts the card out of the socket. The CET of the present invention has been found to be advantageous over the prior art

methods as it is simple to use, it is useful in removing all PC compatible cards, as it is

independent of either the size of the card or of the bus type (ISA, PCI, AGP, etc), it reduces

the force required of the hand, and it prevents fmger damage to the card.

Claims

1) A personal computer card extraction tool comprising a gripper designed to grip the standard

flange of a personal computer card.

2) A personal computer card extraction tool comprising a gripper designed to grip the standard flange of a personal computer card and using the computer chassis to provide contra-support to

the force being used to remove the card from the personal computer board socket.

3) A personal computer card extraction tool comprising a gripper designed to grip the standard

flange of a personal computer card to remove it from the personal computer board socket, by

using the computer chassis to provide contra-support to the force being used to remove the card;

said tool designed to be operated by one hand.

4) A personal computer card extraction tool comprising a first curved handle, a second curved

handle, a pivoted fulcrum, two fasteners, two L-shaped slots, a spring, two sharp, wedge-shaped teeth, and a tongue; said first handle is connected to said second handle using said pivoted

fulcrum; said fulcrum is connected to said two handles in such a manner that said handles are free

to pivot around the axis of the joint of the fulcrum to the respective handle; said first handle is

also connected on both sides to said second handle using said fasteners fitted through a hole in

said first handle and said L-shaped slot in said second handle on either side; said fasteners are

fixed in such a way that the handles are held snugly together, but still allows said first handle to

move with respect to said second handle as said fasteners slide in said L-shaped slots; said lever

spring is fitted between the curved handles to keep them apart, and at the same time, keep said fasteners in the short legs of said L-slots; the result of this construction being two handles

normally held apart, and with the lower end of said first handle higher than the end of said second

handle, and also held more apart from said first handle, due to the position of said fasteners in

said L-slots; the components of the present tool designed in such a way that when the handles are

squeezed together, the action of said fulcrum forces said first handle down with respect to said

second handle, but the lower end of said second handle can only move in the direction dictated by

said L-slots; thus the lower end of said first handle first moves towards said second handle until

said fasteners reach the ends of the short legs of the slots, and then said lower end of said first handle continues to move down towards the end of said second handle; the components of the

present tool further designed in such a way that when the handles are released, said curved

handles move apart, said fasteners move up said L-slots causing said first handle to first move up

with respect to said second handle and then away from said second handle, as said fasteners move

into the short leg of said L-slots; said tongue is also fitted between the two handles; and is fastened to said second handle so that it is free to move about the point where it is fastened; and

is kept pressed against the inside of said first handle by said coil spring; the face of said tongue

that presses against said first handle is slightly curved in a concave fashion; the components of

the present tool designed in such a way that when the handles are squeezed, said first handle first

moves towards said second handle forcing said tongue also to move towards said second handle,

and then moves down with respect to said second handle as described above; the components of

the present tool further designed in such a way that at the same time, the inside of said first

handle slides along the curved part of the said tongue, further applying pressure to the said tongue

to keep it pressed in the direction of said second handle; said sharp, wedge-shaped teeth being

positioned at the bottom end of said second handle; the components of the present tool designed -«< ^; \

- 9 - in such a way that when the tool is placed in position above the card said flange, and the handles

are squeezed, the movement of said tongue towards said second handle forces said tongue and

said teeth to move towards each other; said teeth sliding under the top edge of said flange, and

said teeth and said tongue grip the flange; as said first handle continues to move down, cams that

are part of said first handle touch and rest on the PC Computer chassis on either side of said

flange; since said first handle can now no longer move downwards, said second handle moves upwards instead, moving said teeth upwards as well, and said teeth in turn pull said flange

upwards, thus pulling the card out of the socket; once the card is released from the socket, the

tool is lifted up, removing the card from the chassis.

5) A method of extracting a PC card from a PC board using a tool designed to grip the standard flange of a personal computer card.