Printed circuit board component cover
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsAdolfo Gomez, Tom J. Searby, Andrew L. Wiltzius
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for protecting components on a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a polycarbonate sheet. The polycarbonate sheet is formed to match a gross contour of a number of components coupled to the PCB. The system further includes a number of a fasteners to couple the polycarbonate sheet to the PCB.
Claims18
A printed circuit board (PCB) component cover to protectively cover components on a printed circuit board (PCB), the cover comprising:
- an amount of non-conductive material, the non-conductive material formed to define a number of gross contours accommodating a number of components on the PCB,
- the non-conductive material comprising a number of apertures through each of which a respective component on the PCB extends when the cover is in place on the PCB,
- the non-conductive material additionally comprising a number of perforations, wherein the number and size of the perforations provide for cooling of components coupled to the PCB and covered by the PCB component cover, at least one of the apertures being completely surrounded by perforations of the number of perforations.
A system for protecting components on a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising:
- a number of slots for connecting add-in cards to the PCB;
- a number of electronic components on the PCB adjacent to the number of slots;
- a polycarbonate sheet, the polycarbonate sheet being formed to match a gross contour of the number of components coupled to the PCB adjacent to the number of slots;
- and
- a number of fasteners to couple the polycarbonate sheet to the PCB as a cover over the number of components having a gross contour matched to the polycarbonate sheet;
- wherein the polycarbonate sheet further comprises:
- a field of perforations to facilitate cooling of components on the PCB, the perforations arranged in a regular pattern over a surface of the polycarbonate sheet and
- a number of apertures through each of which a respective component on the PCB extends when the cover is in place on the PCB.
A method of protecting a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:
- determining a gross contour of a number of components coupled to the PCB;
- thermoforming a polycarbonate sheet based on the determined gross contour;
- and
- attaching the polycarbonate sheet to the PCB via an interference fit between the polycarbonate sheet and the components coupled to the PCB
- wherein attaching the polycarbonate sheet to the PCB comprises:
- die-cutting a number of holes in the polycarbonate sheet in positions where a corresponding number of PCB standoff screws are located on the PCB, the correspondence being based on a position the polycarbonate sheet is to be placed on the PCB;
- removing the PCB standoff screws from the PCB;
- and
- attaching the polycarbonate sheet to the PCB using the removed PCB standoff screws.
A system for protecting components on a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising:
- a polycarbonate sheet, the polycarbonate sheet being formed to match a gross contour of a number of components coupled to the PCB;
- and
- wherein the polycarbonate sheet attaches via interference fit at a slope relative to the PCB;
- and
- wherein the polycarbonate sheet further comprises:
- a field of perforations to facilitate cooling of components on the PCB, the perforations arranged in a regular pattern over a surface of the polycarbonate sheet;
- a number of apertures through each of which a respective component on the PCB extends when the polycarbonate sheet is in place as a cover on the PCB.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.