Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Patent
1997-02-24
1998-03-31
Paumen, Gary F.
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
439256, 411433, 411386, 403342, 403343, 294322, H01R 13627
Patent
active
057331375
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic systems which include mounting racks and plug-in assemblies for insertion and removal from said mounting racks. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for inserting plug-in assemblies into mounting racks and for removal of plug-in assemblies from mounting racks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the case of electronic systems, particularly for data and information technology, it must be possible to replace or to add individual electronic assemblies which, in general, are designed as plug-in assemblies which are held in a mounting rack. For this purpose, it is necessary to end ongoing programs correctly and to protect the data. A new system start re-boot is then required after switching on. This results in long delays in which the system is not available although the actual replacement or retrofitting of a plug-in assembly lasts only a few moments.
The object of the invention is thus to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned initially, by means of which replacement or the addition of a plug-in assembly is possible without having to switch the electronic system off and consequently without having to re-start or re-boot the electronic system.
The object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.
An apparatus of the type mentioned has already been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,855,454. In this document, one threaded element on a push-in unit is designed as a sleeve having a groove which is introduced in its circumference, is open at its end pointing in the direction of the other threaded element, starts with its axis parallel to the sleeve and then merges into a region which is wound around the sleeve. The other threaded element is formed by a hole in a housing back plane, into which a pin projects radially. The sleeve can be rotated about its longitudinal axis by means of a handle.
In order to insert the plug-in assembly into the mounting rack, the groove must first of all be moved such that it is aligned with the pin. The plug-in assembly can then be pushed in further until the pin reaches the wound region of the groove. It is not possible to push the plug-in assembly into the mounting rack by manual rotation of the sleeve until this situation is reached.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the idea that an unpredictable time is required for the previously normal replacement or insertion of plug-in assemblies by hand. If these operations were carried out with the system running, then the configuration of the system would be changed for an indeterminate time, and access by the system computer to a plug-in assembly which has just been withdrawn would lead to operating system running errors.
The present invention includes an apparatus for attaching a front edge of a plug-in assembly to a front insertion side of a mounting rack. The apparatus comprises a combination of a male threaded element and a female threaded element. One of the threaded elements is associated with a mounting rack and one of the threaded elements is associated with the plug-in assembly. Further, one of the threaded elements, preferably the threaded element associated with the mounting rack, is connected to a motor which, when activated, rotates the threaded element. The female threaded element threadably receives the male threaded element without the need for any rotation of either element. In this way, the threads are "started" or the two elements are threadably engaged merely upon the insertion of the male threaded element into the female threaded element.
More specifically, the female threaded element comprises a threaded nut having a front opening or front end that further comprises a threaded elastic sleeve for threadably receiving the male threaded element without rotation of either the female threaded element or the male threaded element. The threaded elastic sleeve is sufficiently resilient so as to permit the threads disposed on the front end of the thr
REFERENCES:
patent: 2855454 (1958-10-01), Alden
patent: 4318157 (1982-03-01), Rank et al.
patent: 4679457 (1987-07-01), Nishikawa et al.
Paumen Gary F.
Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme Aktiengesellschaft
Ta Tho Dac
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