Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-05
2004-10-12
Trinh, Minh (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S764000, C029S759000, C029S729000, C361S798000, C361S755000, C361S754000, C439S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802117
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatuses for facilitating the insertion and extraction of circuit boards into and from a card cage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Printed circuit (PC) boards or cards are well known and widely used in various electrical applications. Typically, a PC board comprises a flat rectangular sheet of insulating material, such as glass-fibre reinforced resin, with a number of circuit components mounted thereon and electrical contacts along one edge of the board. It is common to assemble a plurality of PC boards in a closely-spaced parallel relationship in an electronic chassis or card cage, which removably supports the PC boards in parallel slots. A card cage generally contains a backplane having a plurality of electric connectors and card guides or tracks for PC boards to be inserted into the card cage. Inserting a PC board into a card cage along a card guide so that the board's electrical contacts mate with a connector in the backplane of the card cage seats a PC board into the backplane. A plurality of PC boards become interconnected in a card cage when each PC board is fully seated into the backplane of the card cage.
Seating a PC board into and extracting it from a card cage can be difficult because of the tight board-to-board spacing. It is hard to apply the right amount of force in the typically small space available for grasping with a human hand. In addition, because of the small space, the force applied may deviate from the straight linearity, which may impose bending stresses on the board and cause damage to the board.
Various devices have been developed to assist insertion and extraction of PC boards into and from card cages. Many of these devices are developed only for insertion or extraction, but not both. U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,408 to Koppensteiner, et al. describes such a device. For those that are capable of assisting both the insertion and extraction of a PC board into and from a card cage, it is very often required to mount the device onto the PC board. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,758 to Cromwell. The mounting of a board inserter or extractor onto the board increases the width of the board, which renders fewer boards capable of being assembled in a card cage. Furthermore, these devices are not cost efficient because every board would require its own inserter or extractor.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a simple and low cost device for facilitating the insertion and extraction of a PC board into and from a card cage. The device should also be capable of facilitating the insertion and extraction of PC boards without being attached to the boards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for facilitating the insertion and extraction of circuit boards into and from a card cage.
Generally, a PC board insertion and extraction apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a mounting body, an engager, and an actuator. Preferably, the apparatus is rotatably mounted on a stationary object relative to the PC board such that the required insertion or extraction leverage is provided. In operation, the engager is positioned in physical contact with the PC board in a notch in the board such that when a force is applied to the actuator, the engager is effected to urge the board to move in the direction of the force. To insert a PC board into a card cage, therefore, the engager is positioned at least partially in a notch in the PC board, and a forward force is applied to the actuator toward the card cage, effecting the engager to urge the board into the card cage. The PC board is extracted from the card cage when an opposite force is applied to the actuator.
In one embodiment, the PC board insertion and extraction apparatus has a ring-shaped mounting body having a clearance hole therethrough. The apparatus is slidably and rotatably mountable on a cylindrical rod through the clearance hole such that the apparatus is slidably rotatable along the length of the cylindrical rod.
In a second embodiment, the mounting body is in the shape of the letter “C,” and has a clearance hole therethrough and an opening. The apparatus is slidably and rotatably mountable on a cylindrical rod through the clearance hole. Preferably, a support having an extension is mounted on the rod. The extension can be mounted on a front edge of the card cage, or on an assembly rack, or it can be extended downward to the ground. The apparatus is slidable along the length of the rod by using the opening of the mounting body to slide the apparatus through the support.
In a third embodiment, the PC board insertion and extraction device includes a first mounting arc, a second mounting arc, an engager, an actuator, and an interlocking mechanism. The interlocking mechanism interconnects and interlocks the mounting arcs, forming a ring-shaped mounting body having a clearance hole therethrough. The device is slidably and rotatably mountable on a cylindrical rod through the clearance hole. The device may be removed from the cylindrical rod by unlocking the interlocking mechanism and separating the mounting arcs.
In still another embodiments similar to the one immediately above, the mounting arcs interlock to form a “C” shaped mounting body having a clearance hole therethrough and an opening. This device operates similar to the device in the second and third embodiments.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4064551 (1977-12-01), Lightfoot
patent: 4197572 (1980-04-01), Aimar
patent: 4233646 (1980-11-01), Leung et al.
patent: 4403408 (1983-09-01), Koppensteiner et al.
patent: 4716495 (1987-12-01), Craker
patent: 4778401 (1988-10-01), Boudreau et al.
patent: 4996631 (1991-02-01), Freehauf
patent: 5506758 (1996-04-01), Cromwell
patent: 6008995 (1999-12-01), Pusateri et al.
patent: 6148506 (2000-11-01), Vermette
patent: 6160717 (2000-12-01), Desousa et al.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Trinh Minh
LandOfFree
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