Frame structure for housing panel plates

Details Frame structure for housing panel plates Frame structure for housing panel plates

2000-09-27

2001-12-11

Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)

Supports: racks

Special article

Platelike

C211S175000, C361S758000, C361S752000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06328169

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to and claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, from Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-175737, filed on Jun. 12, 2000, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a frame structure for housing panel plates, such as printed circuit boards used in electrical and electronic devices, as well as panel plates for use in other industrial fields, such as panels used as construction materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a frame structure that is capable of readily accommodating variations in the width dimension of the panel plates to be housed.
2. Discussion of Background
A prior art frame structure will now be described with reference to FIG.
10
. The frame structure shown in the drawing comprises a top plate
91
that is spaced from a bottom plate
92
. The top plate
91
is fixed to the bottom plate
92
by four support columns
93
. The frame structure also has an immovable side frame board
94
that is erected on either the right or left side, and a movable side frame board
95
that is erected on the other side and can be moved horizontally toward the immovable side frame board
94
. In order to secure the movable side frame board
95
at a desired position, sliding frames
98
are disposed between the top plate
91
and the bottom plate
92
. The top and bottom plates are each provided with a pair of parallel slots
96
through which are inserted the fastening ends of fastening members
97
, such as hexagon-headed bolts or screws, protruded upwardly and downwardly from the sliding frames
98
on the outer side of the movable side frame board
95
, that can fasten the frames
98
by mating members
99
such as a nut or the like. The inner faces of the side frame boards
94
and
95
are provided with a plurality of horizontally extending lateral support grooves
100
. Each of a plurality of panel plates
101
can be individually supported in a horizontal position between the side frame boards
94
and
95
by the lateral grooves
100
.
The distance between the two side frame boards is adjusted in accordance with the width of the panel plates to be housed. Since if the board distance is the same as the width of the panel plates that are housed, it becomes difficult to smoothly insert or remove a plate, it is necessary to house the plates with a slight clearance. However, setting this clearance requires fine adjustment of the distance between the side frame boards
94
and
95
, which is time-consuming. Moreover, it is not easy to always set the same clearance.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a frame structure that does not have the above-described drawbacks, in which a distance between the side frame boards that includes a predetermined clearance can be set with high speed and high precision.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain this object, the present invention provides a frame structure that comprises: a pair of side frame boards, inner surfaces of the side frame boards that face each other being provided with a plurality of support grooves for receiving panel plates; means of adjusting spacing between the side frame boards; and an adjustment projection on at least one of the inner surfaces of the side frame boards that face each other, said projection being for setting said spacing to an amount that is a width of received panel plates plus a predetermined clearance.
Thus, on at least one of the inner surfaces of the side frame boards that face each other, there is formed a slight spacing adjustment projection to provide a clearance. A received panel plate is placed in contact with the projection to set the distance between the pair of side frame boards. This makes it possible to readily and precisely set the spacing to include an appropriate clearance for facilitating insertion and removal of panel plates.
Since the frame structure is also provided with means of effecting parallel movement of one of the side frame boards towards the other side frame board, the clearance adjustment projection only has to be provided at one point on the side frame board, enabling adjustment of the spacing to be implemented quickly and easily.
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: 4099623 (1978-07-01), Van Osdol
patent: 4385781 (1983-05-01), Welsch et al.
patent: 4563722 (1986-01-01), Maroney et al.
patent: 4600231 (1986-07-01), Sickles
patent: 4746015 (1988-05-01), Kaucic
patent: 4761044 (1988-08-01), Akama et al.
patent: 5168431 (1992-12-01), Moulton et al.
patent: 5593046 (1997-01-01), Katsuura et al.
patent: 5660122 (1997-08-01), Sickles et al.
patent: 6098808 (2000-08-01), Matsuda et al.

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