US3603845A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Expandable enclosure for printed circuit cards and the like
Assignee: Wescom Inc
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Filing: 1970-07-09
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Granted: 1971-09-07
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Expires: 1990-07-09
Abstract
Abstract An expandable enclosure to house from one to several printed circuit cards and the like is assembled from a left- and a righthand end section and, for multiple circuit cards, one or more center sections. Adjacent sections of the enclosure are interlocking, so that the only mechanical connectors required in the assembly are those that are required at any rate to mount the necessary electrical connectors. For over-and-under mounting of the enclosure on a conventional instrument or relay rack there are brackets which are horizontally adjustable relative to the rack but fixed relative to the enclosure, whereas for endwise mounting there are brackets that are fixed relative to the rack but vertically adjustable relative to the enclosure. Further for endwise mounting of the enclosure there are aligning pins extending laterally from either end of the enclosure and locating sockets on the brackets, such that the enclosure may be mounted without any skew relative to the rack by adjusting the vertical positions of the ends of the enclosure so that the aligning pins are received in corresponding ones of the locating sockets.
Inventors
- 👤 Howard L Beers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 18:47
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K7/00; H05K7/14; H05K7/1422; H05K7/1435
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
An expandable enclosure for housing printed circuit cards and the like, said enclosure comprising a plurality of joined sections including at least one adjacent pair, each adjacent pair including first and second sections and defining a corresponding compartment for a printed circuit card, the first and second sections of each pair having respective pluralities of spacedapart mounting ears extending laterally rearwardly of said corresponding compartment into overlapping and aligned relationship for mounting an electrical connector and respective upper and lower walls with free lateral edges which respectively comprise first and second members of an interlock between said adjacent pair.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
99 words
An expandable enclosure for housing printed circuit cards and the like, said enclosure comprising a plurality of joined sections including at least one adjacent pair, each adjacent pair including first and second sections and defining a corresponding compartment for a printed circuit card, the first and second sections of each pair having respective pluralities of spacedapart mounting ears extending laterally rearwardly of said corresponding compartment into overlapping and aligned relationship for mounting an electrical connector and respective upper and lower walls with free lateral edges which respectively comprise first and second members of an interlock between said adjacent pair.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 1 wherein said mounting ears are bored to receive mechanical connectors which are used for mounting electrical connectors and comprise the only fastening means required for joining said sections.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the first member of each interlock comprises a longitudinally extending flange seat which is terminated at its forward end by a reentrant end wall, and the second member comprises a longitudinally extending flange which is terminated at its forward end by a matching face which is the substantial compliment of said reentrant end wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 3 wherein said mounting ears are bored to receive mechanical connectors which are used for mounting electrical connectors and comprise the only fastening means required for joining of said sections.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower walls of each of said sections have inner faces which are inwardly stepped at a predetermined lateral distance from the free lateral edge thereof, whereby the stepped inner faces of the upper and lower walls of the sections of each adjacent pair respectively define upper and lower tracks for guiding a printed circuit card into said corresponding compartment in alignment for electrical contact with an electrical connector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 5 wherein said mounting ears are bored to receive mechanical connectors which are used for mounting electrical connectors and comprise the only fastening means required for joining of saiD sections.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 6 wherein the first member of each interlock comprises a longitudinally extending flange seat which is terminated at its forward end by a reentrant end wall, and the second member comprises a longitudinally extending flange which is terminated at its forward end by a matching face which is the substantial compliment of said reentrant end wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 1 wherein said enclosure comprises only three differently configured sections.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 8 wherein said three sections are a right-hand end section, a left-hand end section, and at least one center section, whereby said enclosure has a plurality of adjacent pairs and a corresponding plurality of compartments.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
79 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 9 further including respective electrical connectors mounted at the rear of said compartments and secured to said mounting ears by mechanical connectors and wherein the sections of said enclosure, together with the electrical connectors mounted thereon, provide a housing which is open at one side for the insertion and removal of circuit cards but substantially closed at all other sides, and said mechanical connectors are the only fastening means used for joining said sections.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 1 further including first and second brackets for rack mounting of said enclosure, said brackets being positioned at opposite sides of said enclosure and each having a first leg secured to said enclosure and a second leg extending outwardly away therefrom.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
167 words
The expandable enclosure of claim 11 wherein each of the first legs of said brackets has a plurality of elongated slots therethrough and is secured to said enclosure by mechanical connectors driven through said slots and into said enclosure whereby the position of said brackets relative to said enclosure is adjustable, and further including at least one pair of axially aligned aligning pins each extending outwardly from a respective one of the opposite sides of said enclosure, and for each of said pins a corresponding set of spaced-apart locating sockets formed on the first legs of said brackets, said locating sockets being positioned on said first and second brackets so that for each socket on said first bracket there is a substantially identically positioned corresponding socket on said second bracket, whereby the opposite sides of said enclosure may be aligned by adjusting them relative to the brackets so that their aligning pins are received in corresponding ones of the locating sockets on said first and second brackets.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-06 | 1975-03-08 | 1975-09-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-06 | 1979-03-08 | 1979-09-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-06 | 1983-03-08 | 1983-09-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |