Fastening device

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a fastening device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fastening device for easily operating and firmly buckling and adopted for mounting a component on a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] As computer components develop and electronic devices improve by, for example, increasing of a frequency of a central processing unit (CPU), or enlarging a volume of a heat sink relative to the CPU, a fastening device that is used for firmly mounting the computer components to keep the CPU tight or containing heat dissipation of the heat sink is needed.

[0006] Referring to FIG. 1, T.W. Patent No 500244 discloses a first prior art fastening device for mounting an attached component 2atightly on a PCB 3a. The first prior art includes a buckling member 1a, a positioning 20aformed on the attached component 2a, and a through hole 30aformed in the PCB 3a.

[0007] The buckling member 1aincludes a posting body 10a, a cap 11adisposed at an end of the posting body 21 and a clip 12adisposed at an opposite end of the posting body 10a. The cap 11ais cylindrical in shape. A diameter of the cap 11ais larger than a diameter of the posting body 10aand thus the cap 11ais retained against the attached component 2awhile the buckling member 1apenetrates through the positioning hole 20aof the attached component 2a. The clip 12ais in an inverted cone in shape. A diameter of a root of the clip 12ais larger than the diameter of the posting body 21 and thus the clip 12ais retained against the PCB 3awhile the buckling member 1apenetrates through a through hole 30aof the PCB 3a. The buckling member 1afurther has a longitudinal crevice formed in each middle of the posting body 10aand the clip 12afor increasing the resilience of the buckling member 1a.

[0008] However, the first prior art fastening device cannot effectively buckle the CPU or the heat sink thereto, and the clip 12abecomes loose and disengages when vibrated or impacted.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 2, T.W. Patent No 511738 discloses a second prior art fastening device for mounting an attached component 2btightly on a PCB 3b. The second prior art includes a buckling member 1b, a positioning 20bformed on the attached component 2b, and a through hole 30bformed on the PCB 3ba.

[0010] The buckling member 1bincludes an elongated body 10bpenetrating the positioning hole 20bof the attached component 2band the through hole 30bof the PCB 30, an operating member 11bpivotally connected to a top of the elongated body 10band a spring 14bsleeved on the elongated body 10b. The elongated body 10bhas a head 13bconnected at a bottom thereof and a flange 12bhorizontally extending outwards from a predetermined position adjacent to the: bottom thereof, respectively, for avoiding the buckling member 1bfalling off. The fastening device further includes a supporting plate 4bbelow the PCB 3bfor increasing a supporting strength of the PCB 3b. The supporting plate 4bhas a through hole 40brelative to the through hole 30bof the PCB 3bfor further fastening with the head 13bof the elongated body 10b.

[0011] But the second prior art fastening device is complex and difficult to assemble because of the elongated body 10bfirst penetrating the positioning hole 20bof the attached component 2bfrom a bottom of the attached component 2bto a top thereof; the spring 14bsecond sleeved on the positioning hole 20b, which protrudes out above and from the top of the attached component 2band the operating member 11bfurther pivotally connecting to a top of the elongated body 10b.

[0012] A primary object of the present is to provide a fastening device for firmly connecting an attached component to a PCB, and includes an elongated body, an operating member and a resilient member. The elongated body penetrates through the attached component and the PCB. The protruding portion is consequently uplifted to force a clipping portion of the resilient member to support horizontally a bottom of the PCB while the pressing arm is pushed downwardly, such that the attached component is connected to the PCB. The objects of firmly connecting the attached component to the PCB, simplifying assembly steps, cutting down costs, and improving manufacturing efficiency are achieved at the same time.

[0013] A fastening device according to the present invention is used to connect firmly an attached component to a PCB. The attached component and the PCB each has hole, and the fastening device includes an elongated body, an operating member, a spring and a resilient member. The elongated body penetrates through the attached component and the PCB, and has a reducing section disposed at a lower half thereof and a protruding portion positioned on a free end thereof. The operating member eccentrically pivots on the elongated body, and has an eccentric body and a pressing arm outwardly extending from the eccentric body. The spring and the resilient member respectively sleeve at an upper half of the elongated body. The resilient member has a clipping portion disposed at an end thereof and tightly contacting the reducing section. The present invention utilizes the protruding portion consequently uplifted to force the clipping portion to support horizontally a bottom of the PCB while the pressing arm is pushed downwardly, such that the objects of firmly connecting the attached component to the PCB, cutting down costs, and improving manufacturing efficiency are achieved. Further, the fastening device consequently penetrates the attached component and the PCB to connect directly to achieve another object of simplifying assembly steps at the same time.

[0014] To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention. Examples of the more important features of the invention thus have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto.

[0015] The drawings included herein provide a further understanding of the invention. A brief introduction of the drawings is as follows:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a decomposed view of a first prior art fastening device;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a decomposed view of a second prior art fastening device;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a decomposed view according to a first embodiment of the present invention fastening device;

[0019] FIG. 3A is an enlarged view according to a second embodiment of the present invention fastening device;

[0020] FIG. 3B is an enlarged view according to a third embodiments of the present invention fastening device;

[0021] FIG. 4 is a buckling perspective view according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device;

[0022] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first application according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device;

[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second application according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device; and

[0024] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third application according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, which is a decomposed view according to a first embodiment of the present invention fastening device, the present invention provides a fastening device 1 adopted for connecting an attached component 2 to a printed circuit board (PCB) 3. The attached component 2 has a positioning hole 20 relative to the fastening device 1, and the PCB 3 has a through hole 30 relative to the positioning hole 20. The fastening device 1 includes an elongated body 10 penetrating through the positioning hole 20 and the through hole 30, an operating member 11 eccentrically pivoted on a top of the elongated body 10, a spring 12 and a resilient member 13 sequently sleeved on an upper half of the elongated body 10. The present invention utilizes pressing the operating member 11 to consequently uplift the elongated body 10, so as to a bottom of the elongated body 10 forces the resilient member 13 in a condition for the resilient member 13 to retain and support horizontally a bottom of the PCB 3 from a condition for the resilient member 13 to contact vertically the elongated body 10, and firmly fastens the attached component 2 to the PCB 3.

[0026] The elongated body 10 includes a pivoted connecting portion 101 arranged on the top thereof, a reducing section disposed at a lower half thereof, penetrating the through hole 30 and having a reducing cross-sectional area, and a protruding portion 103 positioned on a free end thereof, wherein the pivoted connecting portion 101 is located above the positioning hole 20 and the protruding portion 103 is located below the through hole 30.

[0027] The pivoted connecting portion 101 includes an aperture downwards inclined from the top of the elongated body 10.

[0028] The operating member 11 has an eccentric body 111, an eccentric shaft 112 arranged in the eccentric body 111 and connecting the pivoted connecting portion 101 of the elongated body 10, a pressing arm 113 outwardly extending from the eccentric body 111, and a retaining face 114 formed at an outer face of the eccentric body 111.

[0029] The eccentric body 111 includes an eccentric cylinder or an eccentric sphere. The eccentric shaft 112 and the eccentric body 111 are made integrally in a piece or are combined to be a piece. The pressing arm has a tail inclined outwards for easy manipulation.

[0030] The spring 12 is located below the attached component 2.

[0031] The resilient member 13 has an inversed U-shaped profile and is sleeved on the upper half of the elongated body 10 below the spring 12. The resilient member 13 has two clipping portions 131 deflecting inwardly, each disposed on an end of the resilient member 13, and penetrating the through hole 30 for tightly retaining against the reducing section 162 of the elongated body 10, wherein the two clipping portions 131 are arranged symmetrically.

[0032] The retaining face 114 is used for increasing a frictional force relative to a frictional area while the retaining face 114 is retained against the attached component 2 in a buckling condition.

[0033] As the fastening device 1 is assembled, the elongated body 10 penetrates consequently through the positioning hole 20 and the through hole 30 first. The fastening device 1 is then rotated a predetermined angle and the pressing arm 113 thus is downwardly pushed to fasten the attached component 2 to the PCB 3. The present invention fastening device 1 therefore achieves one object of simplifying manufacturing steps.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 3A, which is the enlarged view according to a second embodiment of the present invention fastening device, the pivoted connecting portion 101 includes a through hole formed on the top of the elongated body 10.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 3B, which is the enlarged view according to a third embodiment of the present invention fastening device, the pressing arm 113 further includes a plurality of patterns 115 protruding from an outer surface thereof for easy manipulation.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 4, which is the buckling perspective view according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device 1, when the pressing arm 113 is downwardly pushed, the elongated body 10 is consequently uplifted because of the variation of the eccentric shaft 112, such that the protruding portion 103 consequently uplifted relative to the elongated body 10 to force the two clipping portions 131 of the resilient member 13, the two clipping portions 131 thus in a condition for horizontally retaining and supporting the bottom of the PCB 3 in the original condition for vertically contacting the reducing section 102. The present invention fastening device 1 therefore achieves one object of firmly fastening the attached component 2 to the PCB 3.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 5, which is the perspective view of a first application according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device, the attached component 2 includes a protecting frame of a CPU 4. The protecting frame 2 of the first application protects the CPU 4, and the fastening device 1 penetrates the positioning hole 20 and the through hole 30 for firmly fastening the protecting frame 2.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 6, which is the perspective view of a second application according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device, the attached component 2 includes a heat sink 5. The fastening device 1 penetrates the positioning hole 50 of the heat sink 5 and the through hole 30 of the PCB 3 for firmly fastening the heat sink 5.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 7, which is the perspective view of a third application according to the first embodiment of the present invention fastening device, the attached component 2 includes a suppressing member 6 of the heat sink 5. The fastening device 1 penetrates the positioning hole 60 of the suppressing member 6 and the through hole 30 of the PCB 3 for firmly fastening the suppressing member 6.

[0040] The present invention utilizes the two clipping portions 131 of the resilient member 13 tightly retaining against the bottom of the PCB 3 to achieve one object of firmly fastening the attached component 2 to the PCB 3, and further utilizes simple assembly steps for cutting down manufacturing costs and improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0041] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.