Module rack for connection boxes of printed-circuit cards

Claim 1

An improved module rack for mounting a plurality of connection boxes that may be of non-uniform widths, and that may have lower lateral edges which protrude below the lower faces of the boxes, comprising: two vertical side plates which are disposed parallel to but spaced from each other, each of the vertical side plates having a front edge and a rear edge; a set of front bars, each of which having a length equal to the distance between the two vertical side plates and which extend between the two vertical side plates, with the ends of each of the front bars being fastened to the front edges of the two vertical side plates such that the front bars are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to the two vertical side plates; a set of rear bars, each of which having a length equal to the distance between the two vertical side plates and which extends between the two vertical side plates, with the ends of each of the rear bars being fastened to the rear edges of the two vertical side plates such that the rear bars are substantially parallel to each other and are substantially perpendicular to the two vertical side plates and with the number of rear bars in the set of rear bars being equal to the number of front bars in the set of front bars, each of the front bars being associated with one of the rear bars so as to form a pair of bars and so that the planes defined by these pairs of front and rear bars are substantially perpendicular to the two vertical side plates and are substantially parallel to the horizontal; a plurality of slideways, each adapted to be removably mounted between front and rear bars of a pair of bars, each having a front end, a rear end and body portion which extends between the front and rear ends and each having a length substantially equal to the distance between the front and rear bars of a pair of bars; each slideway also including a groove which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slideway and which has a width slightly larger than twice of the thickness of the lower lateral edge of the connection boxes so that the adjoining lower lateral edges of two adjacent connection boxes can fit within the groove when the two connection boxes are placed side by side in the module rack; means for mounting the slideways to and between the front and rear bars of a pair of bars, the mounting means including: a first series of identical, first openings formed in the front and rear bars and regularly spaced along lines parallel to the longitudinal axes of the front and rear bars; at least one second opening formed in each of the front ends of the slideways; at least one second opening formed in each of the rear ends of the slideways, with the second openings in the front ends of the slideways being identical to the second openings in the rear ends of the slideways; and fastening means adapted to cooperate with aligned first and second openings in an adjacent bar and end of a slideway so as to prevent relative movement therebetween, one of the first and second openings having an oblong shape, with the major axes of these oblong shaped openings being parallel to the longitudinal axes of the front and rear bars of a pair of bars and the other of the openings having a circular shape, the first openings being spaced along the bars so that regardless of the position of the ends of a slideway along the bars, a first opening and a sEcond opening will always be aligned so that a fastening means can cooperate with these aligned first and second openings to prevent relative movement therebetween.