Module retainer apparatus

Claim 2

A module retainer comprising: a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; and a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 3

The module retainer according to claim 1 wherein: said center body comprises a U-shape channel with upper side lips for facilitating movement of said screw during tightening as said sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body slide along adjacent faces of said sloping ends of said center body.

Claim 4

The module retainer according to claim 2 wherein: each of said center body sloping end faces comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees for minimizing coefficient of friction effects and the length of said sloping end faces.

Claim 5

The module retainer according to claim 3 wherein: said sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees.

Claim 6

The module retainer according to claim 1 wherein: said screw tightened first end body, said center body and said second end body provide a thermal transfer path between a module and a module enclosure.

Claim 7

A module retainer comprising: a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw; and holes in said center body for attaching said module retainer to a module or a module enclosure surface.

Claim 8

A module retainer comprising: a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw; and holes in said center body for attaching said module retainer to a module or a module enclosure surface.

Claim 9

The module retainer according to claim 6 wherein: said center body comprises a U-shape channel with upper side lips for facilitating movement of said screw during tightening as said sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body slide along adjacent faces of said sloping ends of said center body.

Claim 10

The module retainer according to claim 7 wherein: each of said center body sloping end faces comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees for minimizing coefficient of friction effects and the length of said sloping end faces.

Claim 11

The module retainer according to claim 8 wherein: said sloping end face of said first end body and said second end body comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees.

Claim 12

The module retainer according to claim 6 wherein: said screw tightened first end body, said center body and said second end body provide a thermal transfer path between a module and a module enclosure.

Claim 13

A pair of thermal transfer module retainers positioned on opposite sides of a module, each of said module retainers comprising: a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; and a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw; and holes in said center body for attaching said module retainer to said module.

Claim 14

A pair of thermal transfer module retainers positioned on opposite sides of a module, each of said module retainers comprising: a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; and a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw; and holes in said center body for attaching said module retainer to said module.

Claim 15

The module retainers according to claim 11 wherein: said center body comprises a U-shape channel with upper side lips for facilitating movement of said screw during tightening as said sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body slide along adjacent faces of said sloping ends of said center body.

Claim 16

The module retainer according to claim 12 wherein: each of said center body sloping end faces comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees for minimizing coefficient of friction effects and the length of said sloping end faces.

Claim 17

The module retainers according to claim 13 wherein: said sloping end face of said first end body and said second end body comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 11 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded insert.

Claim 19

The combination according to claim 11 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded hole.

Claim 20

The module retainers according to claim 11 wherein: said screw tightened first end body, said center body and said second body of each module retainer provide a thermal transfer path between said module and said module enclosure.

Claim 21

In combination: a module enclosure for holding a plurality of modules, one side of said enclosure capable of being opened to permit an insertion and removal of said modules; a plurality of flanges on two opposing walls of said module enclosure for providing conduction cooling for a plurality of said modules; a plurality of module retainers attached to said opposing walls of said module enclosure or to a module for securing said modules in said module enclosure and for providing a good thermal transfer path between said modules and said flanges of said module enclosure walls; each of said module retainers comprising a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; and a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 22

In combination: a module enclosure for holding a plurality of modules, one side of said enclosure capable of being opened to permit an insertion and removal of said modules; a plurality of flanges on two opposing walls of said module enclosure for providing conduction cooling for a plurality of said modules; a plurality of module retainers attached to said opposing walls of said module enclosure or to a module for securing said modules in said module enclosure and for providing a good thermal transfer path between said modules and said flanges of said module enclosure walls; each of said module retainers comprising a center body including a first sloping end and a second sloping end; a slot in each of said sloping ends of said center body; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said first sloping end slot of said center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said second sloping end slot of said center body; and a screw extending through said first end body, said center body and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 23

The combination according to claim 18 wherein: each module is secured in said module enclosure by tightening said module retainers on each side of said module.

Claim 24

The combination according to claim 18 wherein: said center body comprises a U-shape channel with upper side lips for facilitating movement of said screw during tightening as sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body slide along adjacent faces of said sloping end of said center body.

Claim 25

The combination according to claim 20 wherein: each of said center body sloping end faces comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees for minimizing coefficient of friction effects and the length of said sloping end faces.

Claim 26

The combination according to claim 21 wherein: said sloping end face of said first end body and said second end body comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thrity degrees to forty-five degrees.

Claim 27

The combination according to claim 18 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded insert.

Claim 28

The combination according to claim 18 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded hole.

Claim 29

The combination according to claim 18 wherein: said screw tightened first end body, said center body and said second end body of each module retainer provide said thermal transfer path between said module and said module enclosure.

Claim 30

A module retainer comprising: at least three center bodies including a first center body having sloping end faces with a slot extending into each of said sloping end faces; a second center body having sloping end faces, each one of said sloping end faces including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of said sloping end faces for insertion into adjacent center bodies; a third center body having sloping end faces, with a slot extending into each one of said sloping end faces; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said slot of said first center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said slot of said third center body; and a screw extending serially through said first end body, said first center body, said second center body, said third center body, and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 31

A module retainer comprising: at least three center bodies including a first center body having sloping end faces with a slot extending into each of said sloping end faces; a second center body having sloping end faces, each one of said sloping end faces including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of said sloping end faces for insertion into adjacent center bodies; a third center body having sloping end faces, with a slot extending into each one of said sloping end faces; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said slot of said first center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said slot of said third center body; and a screw extending serially through said first end body, said first center body, said second center body, said third center body, and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 32

The module retainer according to claim 26 wherein: at least one of said first, second and third center bodies comprises holes for attaching said module retainer to a module or a module enclosure surface.

Claim 33

The module retainer according to claim 26 wherein: each of said center bodies comprises a U-shape channel with upper side lips for facilitating movement of said screw during tightening as said sloping end faces of each of said end bodies and said center bodies slide along adjacent sloping end faces of said end bodies and said center bodies.

Claim 34

The module retainer according to claim 28 wherein: each of said first, second and third center body sloping end faces comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees for minimizing coefficient of friction effects and the length of said sloping end faces; and each of said sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees.

Claim 35

The module retainer according to claim 26 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded insert.

Claim 36

The module retainer according to claim 26 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded hole.

Claim 37

The module retainer according to claim 26 wherein: said screw tightened end bodies and center bodies provide a thermal transfer path between a module and a module enclosure.

Claim 38

In combination: a module enclosure for holding a plurality of modules, one side of said enclosure capable of being opened to permit an insertion and removal of said modules; a plurality of flanges on two opposing walls of said module enclosure for providing conduction cooling for a plurality of said modules; a plurality of module retainers attached to said opposing walls of said module enclosure or to a module for securing said modules in said module enclosure and for providing a good thermal transfer path between said modules and said flanges of said module enclosure walls; each of said module retainers comprising at least three center bodies including a first center body having sloping end faces with a slot extending into each of said sloping end faces; a second center body having sloping end faces, each one of said sloping end faces including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of said sloping end faces for insertion into adjacent center bodies; a third center body having sloping end faces, with a slot extending into each one of said sloping end faces; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said slot of said first center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said slot of said third center body; and a screw extending serially through said first end body, said first center body, said second center body, said third center body, and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 39

In combination: a module enclosure for holding a plurality of modules, one side of said enclosure capable of being opened to permit an insertion and removal of said modules; a plurality of flanges on two opposing walls of said module enclosure for providing conduction cooling for a plurality of said modules; a plurality of module retainers attached to said opposing walls of said module enclosure or to a module for securing said modules in said module enclosure and for providing a good thermal transfer path between said modules and said flanges of said module enclosure walls; each of said module retainers comprising at least three center bodies including a first center body having sloping end faces with a slot extending into each of said sloping end faces; a second center body having sloping end faces, each one of said sloping end faces including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of said sloping end faces for insertion into adjacent center bodies; a third center body having sloping end faces, with a slot extending into each one of said sloping end faces; a first end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said first end body for insertion into said slot of said first center body; a second end body including a keying guide extending from a lower portion of a sloping end face of said second end body for insertion into said slot of said third center body; and a screw extending serially through said first end body, said first center body, said second center body, said third center body, and said second end body, said second end body comprising a threaded means for tightening said screw.

Claim 40

The combination according to claim 33 wherein: at least one of said first, second and third center bodies comprises holes for attaching said module retainer to a module or a module enclosure surface.

Claim 41

The combination according to claim 33 wherein: each of said center bodies comprises a U-shape channel with upper side lips for facilitating movement of said screw during tightening as said sloping end faces of each of said end bodies and said center bodies slide along adjacent sloping end faces of said end bodies and said center bodies.

Claim 42

The combination according to claim 35 wherein: each of said first, second and third center body sloping end faces comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees for minimizing coefficient of friction effects and the length of said sloping end faces; and each of said sloping end faces of said first end body and said second end body comprises an optimum angle preferably in a range of thirty degrees to forty-five degrees.

Claim 43

The combination according to claim 33 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded insert.

Claim 44

The combination according to claim 33 wherein: said threaded means of said second end body comprises a threaded hole.

Claim 45

The combination according to claim 33 wherein: said screw tightened end bodies and center bodies provide a thermal transfer path between a module and a module enclosure.