PC add-on board installation apparatus for industrial applications

Claim 1

A mounting mechanism for use in mounting an add-on board in a personal computer comprising: (a) a chassis which houses a motherboard, said motherboard having at least one vertically oriented bus connector installed thereon, said chassis having an opening on a rear wall thereof for receiving any external connector which may be present on the add-on board; (b) a movable card guide mechanism for slidably receiving an add-on board, said movable card guide mechanism being adapted for vertical movement, whereby an add-on board which has been received by said movable card guide mechanism when said movable card guide mechanism is in its highest vertical position will be clear of said bus connector and whereby an edge connector on an add-on board which has been received by said movable card guide mechanism when said movable card guide mechanism is in its lowest vertical position will be seated in said bus connector when said movable card guide mechanism is in its lowest vertical position; (c) linkage means for mounting said movable card guide mechanism to an upper wall of said chassis, said mounting means including pivoting means for raising and lowering said movable card guide mechanism; (d) latch means, external to said chassis, said latch means being attached to said hinge means by an actuator, whereby when said latch means is moved in a first direction, said actuator causes said movable card guide mechanism to be lowered, and when said latch means is moved in a second direction, said actuator causes said movable card guide mechanism to be raised.