Electronic circuit card cage

Claim 2

A card cage for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: first and second generally planar spaced apart end members; first and second generally planar spaced apart side members, each being relatively thick walled and having a plurality of apertures, extending between said first and second end members in a longitudinal direction and forming a hollow rectangular structure with said end members, said side members each having a base edge and a plurality of oppositely positioned pairs of longItudinally spaced apart transverse grooves in facing sides thereof, said grooves extending from an upper edge to a position near but not communicating with an opposite base edge; a generally planar, relatively thick walled and internally apertured internal guide member having a base member disposed to extend longitudinally between the first and second end members, said base member having a base edge aligned with the base edges of the first and second side members, said internal guide member having an integral web portion extending from at least one end member part way toward the opposite end member with a discontinuity therein permitting a printed circuit card to be slidably inserted between a facing pair of said oppositely positioned transverse grooves in the first and second side members, said web portion having transverse grooves in opposite sides thereof extending from an upper edge to a position near but not communicating with the lower edge, said grooves being longitudinally spaced along the web portion with each groove being opposite a facing groove in one of said side members.

Claim 3

A card cage as set forth in claim 1 above, further comprising connector block means including a plurality of electrical connector blocks extending between the planes of the first side member and the internal member and a plurality of electrical connector blocks extending between the planes of the second side member and the internal member, said connector blocks being positioned near the base edges of said side and internal guide members and longitudinally spaced for alignment with an opposing pair of grooves.

Claim 4

A card cage for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: first and second generally planar spaced apart end members; first and second generally planar spaced apart side members, each being relatively thick walled and having a plurality of apertures, extending between said first and second end members in a longitudinal direction and forming a hollow rectangular structure with said end members, said side members each having a base edge with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart bosses having a surface lying in a common plane integral therewith and a plurality of oppositely positioned pairs of longitudinally spaced apart transverse grooves in facing sides thereof, said grooves extending from an upper edge to a position near but not communicating with an opposite base edge; a generally planar, relatively thick walled and internally apertured internal guide member having a base member and disposed longitudinally between the first and second end members, said base member having a base edge aligned with the base edges of the first and second side members and a plurality of longitudinally spaced bosses having a surface lying in the common plane of the side member boss surfaces integral therewith, said internal guide member having an integral web portion extending from at least one end member at least part way toward the opposite end member, said web portion having transverse grooves in opposite sides thereof extending from an upper edge to a position near but not communicating with the lower edge, said grooves being longitudinally spaced along the web portion with each groove being opposite a facing groove in one of said side members; an elongated longitudinally extending internal mounting bracket having a web member abutting the bosses on the base edge of the internal member supporting thin, planar flanges on either side thereof lying in a plane parallel to and spaced apart from the common plane; and first and second elongated longitudinally extending side mounting brackets having a web member abutting the bosses on the base edges of the first and second side members respectively, each having a thin planar flange on the side thereof facing the internal mounting bracket and lying in the plane of the flanges of the internal mounting bracket.

Claim 5

A card cage for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: first and second generally planar spaced apart end members; first and second generally planar spaced apart side members, each being relatively thick walled and having a plurality of apertures, extending between said first and second end members in a longitudinal direction and forming a hollow rectangular structure with said end members, said side members each having a base edge with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart bosses having a surface lying in a common plane integral therewith and a plurality of oppositely positioned pairs of longitudinally spaced apart transverse grooves in facing sides thereof, said grooves extending from an upper edge to a position near but not communicating with an opposite base edge; a generally planar, relatively thick walled and internally apertured internal guide member having a base member and disposed longitudinally between the first and second end members, said base member having a base edge aligned with the base edges of the first and second side members and a plurality of longitudinally spaced bosses having a surface lying in the common plane of the side member boss surfaces integral therewith, said internal guide member having an integral web portion extending from at least one end member at least part way toward the opposite end member, said web portion having transverse grooves in opposite sides thereof extending from an upper edge to a position near but not communicating with the lower edge, said grooves being longitudinally spaced along the web portion with each groove being opposite a facing groove in one of said side members; an elongated longitudinally extending internal mounting bracket having a web member abutting the bosses on the base edge of the internal member supporting thin, planar flanges on either side thereof lying in a plane parallel to and spaced apart from the common plane; and first and second elongated longitudinally extending side mounting brackets having a web member abutting the bosses on the base edges of the first and second side members respectively, each having a thin planar flange on the side thereof facing the internal mounting bracket and lying in the plane of the flanges of the internal mounting bracket.

Claim 6

The card cage as set forth in claim 3 above, further comprising a plurality of electrical connector blocks haviNg first and second ends and a pair of springs for each connector block, one securing a first end to a flange of a side mounting bracket in alignment with one groove, and the other securing the second end to a flange of the internal mounting bracket in alignment with a plane extending between said one groove and an opposing groove.

Claim 7

The card cage as set forth in claim 4 above, wherein said side members and the web portion of said internal members each have pairs of apertures therethrough located between adjacent pairs of grooves, one first aperture of each pair extending from a location near the upper edge to a location above a longitudinal center line, the other extending from a location below the center line to a location near the base edge.

Claim 8

A card cage for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: first and second generally planar spaced apart end members; first and second generally planar spaced apart side members extending between said first and second end members in a longitudinal direction and having opposite upper and base edges, the base edges having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart bosses integral therewith, each of the bosses having a surface lying in a common plane, said side members having a plurality of oppositely positioned pairs of longitudinally spaced apart transverse grooves in facing sides thereof, said grooves extending from the upper edge to a location near but not communicating with the base edge; first and second elongated mounting brackets having web members fastened to the surfaces of the bosses of the first and second side members respectively, said web members supporting generally coplanar flanges in facing relationship; and a plurality of electrical connector blocks mounted to extend between the facing flanges, each aligned to receive a printed circuit card slidably inserted between an opposing pair of grooves.

Claim 9

A card cage for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: first and second generally planar spaced apart end members; first and second generally planar spaced apart side members extending between said first and second end members in a longitudinal direction and having opposite upper and base edges, the base edges having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart bosses integral therewith, each of the bosses having a surface lying in a common plane, said side members having a plurality of oppositely positioned pairs of longitudinally spaced apart transverse grooves in facing sides thereof, said grooves extending from the upper edge to a location near but not communicating with the base edge; first and second elongated mounting brackets having web members fastened to the surfaces of the bosses of the first and second side members respectively, said web members supporting generally coplanar flanges in facing relationship; and a plurality of electrical connector blocks mounted to extend between the facing flanges, each aligned to receive a printed circuit card slidably inserted between an opposing pair of grooves.