Guide and mounting support with positive means for captivating a printed circuit card disposed thereon

Claim 2

A sub-assembly for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: a generally planar base formed with a plurality of apertures and having two major opposed surfaces; a mounting flange affixed to one edge of said base, said flange being formed with at least one aperture for mounting the assembly; a plurality of elongated dividers extending from said base in a direction generally normal to the plane of the base providing a parallel planar array of first channels spaced apart, said channels being defined by pairs of adjacent dividers extending in a direction towards said flange for guiding and receiving an edge of a separate printed circuit card; a plurality of rigid projections, each extending from a different divider toward a projection from the adjacent divider of the adjacent channel for defining a parallel planar array of second channels parallel to and located intermediate said first channels for receiving an edge of a separate printed circuit card each one of said second channels spanning at least one of the apertures; a plurality of resilient detent means affixed to the base, wherein each detent means traverses at least a pair of adjacent first and second channels and includes an end extending towards the channels it traverses, and is affixed to said base for automatic pivotal movement in a direction normal to the plane of said base upon contact with a moving edge of a printed circuit card whenever the card is inserted or removed from one of its traversed channels, and a planar array of a plurality of ribs disposed along the front edge of said base forward of said plurality of detent means extending from said base in a direction generally normal to the plane of said base, defining therebetween a parallel planar array of openings, each of the openings being aligned with an individual one of said first and second channels.

Claim 3

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein: the angle between the base and the mounting flange is from 85* to 89*.

Claim 4

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 1 including: a resilient extension member mounted to said base and having a configuration wherein a portion of the surface of said resilient extension member is suitably formed to follow the contour of the surface of said base opposite the surface including the elongated dividers and is in abutting contact therewith, said resilient extension member extending beyond the front edge of said base and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of at least one of the channels of said base.

Claim 5

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein: the angle between the base and the mounting flange is from 85* to 89*.

Claim 6

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 1 including: a plurality of spaced longitudinal stiffening ribs affixed to the surface of said base opposite the surface including the elongated dividers.

Claim 7

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 5 including: at least one stiffening member joining said longitudinal mounting flange to said base.

Claim 8

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 1 including: a resilient extension member having a configuration wherein a portion of the surface of said resilient extension member is suitably formed to follow the contour of said base and is in abutting contact therewith, said resilient extension member extending beyond the front edge of said base and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of one of said channels of said base.

Claim 9

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 7 including: a generally U-shaped bend portion projecting upwardly from the top surface of said resilient extension support member.

Claim 10

A sub-assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said apertures comprise at least 25 percent of tHe area of each of the two major opposed surfaces of said base.

Claim 11

An assembly for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: a pair of generally planar bases, each formed with a plurality of apertures and having two major opposed surfaces; a pair of mounting flanges, each flange being affixed to one edge of separate ones of said bases, said flange being formed with at least one aperture for mounting the assembly; a plurlaity of elongated dividers on each of said bases extending from said bases in a direction generally normal to the plane of the base providing a parallel planar array of first channels spaced apart, said channels being defined by pairs of adjacent dividers extending in a direction towards said flange for guiding and receiving an edge of a separate printed circuit card; a plurality of rigid projections, each extending from a divider toward a projection from the adjacent divider of the adjacent channel from defining a parallel planar array of second channels parallel to and located intermediate said first channels for receiving an edge of a separate printed circuit card, each one of said second channels spanning at least one of the apertures; a plurality of resilient detent means affixed to each of said bases, wherein each detent means traverses at least a pair of adjacent first and second channels and includes an end extending towards the channels it traverses, and is affixed to the base for automatic pivotal movement in a direction normal to the plane of the base upon contact with a moving edge of a printed circuit card whenever the card is inserted or removed from one of its traversed channels; a planar array of a plurality of ribs disposed along the front edge of each of the bases forward of said plurality of detent means extending from each base in a direction generally normal to the plane of said base, defining therebetween a parallel planar array of openings, each of the openings being aligned with an individual one of said first and second channels, and wherein said pair of bases are mounted by said mounting flanges having the channels of the bases lying in corresponding parallel planes.

Claim 12

An assembly for mounting printed circuit cards comprising: a pair of generally planar bases, each formed with a plurality of apertures and having two major opposed surfaces; a pair of mounting flanges, each flange being affixed to one edge of separate ones of said bases, said flange being formed with at least one aperture for mounting the assembly; a plurlaity of elongated dividers on each of said bases extending from said bases in a direction generally normal to the plane of the base providing a parallel planar array of first channels spaced apart, said channels being defined by pairs of adjacent dividers extending in a direction towards said flange for guiding and receiving an edge of a separate printed circuit card; a plurality of rigid projections, each extending from a divider toward a projection from the adjacent divider of the adjacent channel from defining a parallel planar array of second channels parallel to and located intermediate said first channels for receiving an edge of a separate printed circuit card, each one of said second channels spanning at least one of the apertures; a plurality of resilient detent means affixed to each of said bases, wherein each detent means traverses at least a pair of adjacent first and second channels and includes an end extending towards the channels it traverses, and is affixed to the base for automatic pivotal movement in a direction normal to the plane of the base upon contact with a moving edge of a printed circuit card whenever the card is inserted or removed from one of its traversed channels; a planar array of a plurality of ribs disposed along the front edge of each of the bases forward of said plurality of detent means extending from each base in a direction generally normal to the plane of said base, defining therebetween a parallel planar array of openings, each of the openings being aligned with an individual one of said first and second channels, and wherein said pair of bases are mounted by said mounting flanges having the channels of the bases lying in corresponding parallel planes.

Claim 13

An assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein: the angle between the base and the mounting flange is from 85* to 89*.

Claim 14

An assembly as defined in claim 11 including: a resilient extension mmember mounted to at least one of said bases having a configuration wherein a portion of a surface of said resilient extension member is suitable formed to follow the contour of the surface of said base opposite the surface having the elongated dividers and is in abutting contact therewith, said resilient extension member extending beyond the front edge of said base and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of one of the channels on said base.

Claim 15

An assembly as defined in claim 10 including: a side panel affixed to, and joining together, the opposed ends of said pair of bases.

Claim 16

An assembly of claim 13 including: a resilient extension member having a configuration wherein a portion of a surface of said resilient extension member is suitably formed to follow the contour of the surface of said base opposite the surface having the elongated dividers and is in abutting contact therewith, said resilient extension support member extending beyond the front edge of said base and having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of one of the channels of said base.