Supports: racks – Special article – Platelike
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-27
2001-11-27
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Platelike
C361S801000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321919
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a frame structure for housing panel plates such as printed circuit boards used in electrical and electronic devices and equipment, panels used in construction, and so forth. More particularly, the invention relates to a frame structure for housing panel plates that includes means for preventing the housed panel plates from breaking loose.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to prevent housed panel plates from breaking loose, housing frames have been provided with plate or rod shaped stops bolted in place, or with compression springs located at end portions to make the stops removable. Prior art stops have to be removed each time a panel plate is removed. As well as being inconvenient, the stops that have been removed can be lost, or it can be forgotten to affix the stops, allowing panel plates to fall and break.
To eliminate such drawbacks, JP-A-Sho 50-7068 discloses an apparatus, shown in
FIG. 13
, that prevents panel plates from coming out without involving removal of stops. As shown, the apparatus includes side plates
62
, each of which is provided with a V-shaped guide groove
63
. Each of the ends
65
of a stop rod
64
fits into the groove
63
. A spring
66
is provided so that each end
65
of the stop rod
64
can stop at either one end of the V-shaped groove
63
. The spring
66
urges the stop rod
64
towards the lower end of the groove, or towards the horizontal portion. When the stop rod
64
is at the lower end of the guide groove
63
, the rod
64
abuts against the housed printed circuit boards
61
, preventing the boards
61
from coming out of the apparatus. The boards
61
can be removed by moving the stop rod
64
, against the tension of the spring
66
, to the horizontal portion of the guide groove
63
. The above configuration eliminates having to remove a stop rod each time a board was to be removed or inserted.
In the case of the above apparatus, however, it can readily happen that a non-uniform application of force to move the stop rod can result in a failure to keep the stop rod horizontal during the operation. A further drawback is that the size of the apparatus is increased by the need to provide enough space to provide the side plates with the V-shaped grooves and the springs. Also, since the springs project beyond the side plates, the springs are prone to being moved and dislodged by outside force.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a frame structure for housing panel plates that includes stop means for retaining the housed panel plates that can be moved for operation smoothly and securely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain this object, the frame structure of the present invention comprises:
a box structure having openings at opposite ends, the box structure comprising a pair of side plates, inner surfaces of the side plates being provided with a plurality of grooves for supporting panel plates, two pairs of bases, one pair being affixed to upper portions of the pair of side plates and a remaining pair being affixed to lower portions of the pair of side plates, and two pairs of connecting plates, one pair connecting the one pair of bases at the upper portions and a remaining pair connecting the remaining pair of bases at the lower portions;
a pair of stop members provided at the openings at the opposite ends to prevent housed panel plates from coming out; and
stop member support means having one end affixed to one base and another end that has a stop member support portion and which uses a cam mechanism to move the stop members between a first position at which the stop members are in contact with the panel plates, and a second position at which the stop members are not in contact with the panel plates.
The stop member support means comprises a first cam affixed to the base; a second cam having at one end the stop member support portion, the second cam rotating together with the stop member thus supported; and a spring member that urges the two cams towards each other; the stop members being moved between a first position at which the stop members are in contact with the panel plates, and a second position at which the stop members are not in contact with the panel plates.
As described above, the cam mechanism moves the stop members between open and closed positions. The movement of the stop members is smooth and the stop members are fixed at the open or closed position, preventing stop members being moved by mistake. The stop members can be formed of square bar or square pipe, one face of which contacts the housed panel plates, making the end faces of the panel plates less subject to damage.
The box structure can include a center partition stop structure that can be moved along the inside and outside of the panel plate support grooves on the side plates, making it possible to accommodate long and short panel plates. Also, the frame structure can be provided with connecting members to connect the pair of side plates in a way that allows the width of the accommodation space to be adjusted. Combining this with means for setting the width of the space used to accommodate the panel plates makes it possible to readily set the width between the side plates to provide a desired clearance.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3902603 (1975-09-01), Wilson
patent: 3926490 (1975-12-01), Bertellotti
patent: 4051549 (1977-09-01), Fiege
patent: 4067444 (1978-01-01), Wilson
patent: 4418820 (1983-12-01), Nagle et al.
patent: 4761044 (1988-08-01), Akama et al.
patent: 4964810 (1990-10-01), Malotke et al.
patent: 5128833 (1992-07-01), Lin et al.
patent: 5317483 (1994-05-01), Swindler
patent: 5797487 (1998-08-01), Young
Hasegawa Sumito
Katsuura Nobuo
Takano Hitoshi
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Nikko Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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