CS210667B2 - Instrumental box for electrical or electronic apparatus mounted into frames - Google Patents

Abstract

In a cabinet for electrical or electronic equipment, of the type in which the components of the equipment are mounted on vertically disposed printed circuit boards carried by supports movable on slides within a metal casing so that the supports can be easily withdrawn from the casing, the usual rigid drawer forming the support is replaced by a horizontally disposed printed circuit board movable in slides in the casing which also form connectors making electrical connection with conducting tracks on the horizontal printed circuit board.. The horizontal board also carries a set of similar connectors to receive the vertically disposed printed circuit boards. The connectors are of the type whose contacts can be held open during insertion or extraction of a printed circuit board so that zero force is required for insertion or extraction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an enclosure for electrical or electronic devices mounted in frames, provided with a plurality of carriers above, mounted in horizontal sliding guides supported by the side walls of the enclosure and provided with second sliding guides facing each other on the sides adjacent to each other, for insertion, of a second order vertical printed circuit board, and secondly, of connectors between each second order card and its carrier and between each carrier and the instrument box.

As is known, frame mounting is a type of construction in which the electronic device-forming parts are mounted on printed circuit boards carried by carriers, designated as " drawers ", which can be inserted on rails or sliding guides within a metal housing. Each socket is equipped with one or several connectors, each providing a large number of connections. When the drawers are pulled out of the cabinet, the various elements of the device are easily accessible.

As will be explained in more detail below, the known instrument housings are of a complex design and consequently expensive, especially for difficult interconnections, and have only an insufficient number of connections for the printed circuit boards they contain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an instrument box in which the requirements of practice are better than hitherto met and in which the above-mentioned drawbacks are mainly eliminated.

This object is accomplished in a rack for an electrical or electronic device mounted in frames according to the invention in that at least one horizontal wall of each carrier is formed by a first order printed circuit board having lateral first outlets and one member of a pair of second slideways. the slideways and the second slideways are designed as connectors with force-free insertion, the second slideways are electrically connected to the second terminals on the horizontal sides of the second order cards in the second-order card insertion position, and the first slideways are electrically connected to the first terminals the first-order card inserted.

Connectors with force-free insertion are connectors provided with a mechanism that disconnects or has disconnected contact organs immediately before and during insertion of any printed circuit board into the connector and immediately before and during removal of such a card from the connector; the space through which the card passes to remove the force required to insert or withdraw the card, and to protect against any wear by friction, the protective coating of both the contact members and the card terminals. However, when the card reaches its operating position, the mechanism in question connects or has contact elements contacted, i.e., forces them to lean resiliently with their active bands on the corresponding card terminals, which terminals are typically provided on both sides of the card. These force-free connectors can be classified into three major categories: the category where the mechanism cited above acts to disconnect the contact organs and to connect them with their own flexibility; to the category where the mechanism operates in terms of the liaison of the liaison bodies and allows them to disengage under their own flexibility, and finally to the category where that mechanism operates alternately in terms of the liaison and liaison of the liaison bodies. The first two categories are known to specialists in the field of printed circuit board technology. Concerning the third category, it is explained in particular in the Czechoslovak application No. PV 1738-76 of March 17, 1976.

Whatever type of plug-in connector used here, we will successfully achieve the goal. After all, sliding guides designed as connectors and supported by the instrument box allow to increase the number of outputs, while sliding guides carried by first-order cards allow interconnection operations.

Accordingly, the expanded conceptual possibilities offered by the invention allow for multiple electrical connectors to be packed in the smallest space, allowing numerous electrical circuit outputs to be produced without the use of high precision techniques; · · whereas. Mainly the usual rigid socket is replaced by a first-order card routed in two row connectors. by force-less insertion. , ·

For easier connection creation. between the different levels of the instrument panel,. we create. · with benefit . of . cards zero. order. printed. circuits. vertical · side · walls of the instrument panel, which are equipped with zero sliding. lead for first order cards. .

The invention will in any case be possible. more readily apparent from the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments of an instrument box according to the invention, wherein FIG. . 1 is a perspective view of the main elements of the apparatus. prior art cabinets in an unfolded state. in FIG. 2, the main elements of the first are shown analogously to FIG. an embodiment of the instrument box according to the invention,. in FIG. 3, the main elements of the second are shown with parts cut off. The embodiment of the instrument box according to the invention and in Fig. 4 is a smaller front view of the instrument box of Fig. 3.

Giant. 1 illustrates the prior art in order to better demonstrate the novelty and advantages of the invention.

In the known construction, the instrument housing 1 has three vertical walls connected at right angles, i.e. a rear wall 2 and two side walls 3, one of which is shown.

Along each side wall 3, the instrument box 1 has several sets of two horizontal side guides above each other, each set having a lower side guide 4 and an upper side guide 5. In the two symmetrical lower side guides 4 and in the two symmetrical upper side guides 5, moving a rigid drawer 6 having a horizontal bottom wall 7, a horizontal top wall 8, a vertical transverse wall 9 and two vertical side walls 10; these vertical side walls 10, of which only one is shown, are parallel to the side walls 3 of the cabinet 1. The lower tongue 11 and the upper tongue 12 protrude from each vertical side wall 10 of the drawer 6 for insertion into the lower lateral guide 4 and the upper The side wall 5. The bottom wall 7 and the top wall 8 of the drawer 6 have the lower guide grooves 13 and the upper guide grooves 14, which are pairs open to each other so that each pair thereof can accept a printed circuit board 15 vertically. , which, except for electrical or electronic components, contains terminals 16 only on its rear vertical. an edge (i.e., on its vertical edge, which first slides into the lower guide groove 13 and the lower guide groove 14). When each printed circuit board 15 is fully plugged into its slot 6, the resilient connecting members (not shown), which belong to the connectors 17 belonging to the various printed circuit boards 15 and which are on the vertical transverse wall 9, touch each other, The connection members of these connectors 17 are connected by wires (not shown) to the terminals of the multiple connector 18 (pin or socket) which is also on the vertical transverse wall 9 of the socket 6 and which cooperates Such a mating multiple connector 19 has an instrument box · 1 at the height of each socket 6. on its rear wall · 2, which forms the bottom of the instrument box · 1.

As described in the known instrument box 1 generally satisfies, but its mechanical manufacture is complex and consequently expensive. In addition, all electrical connections originate only from the vertical transverse wall 9 of the bottom of the drawers 6 and the rear wall 2 of the housing 1. Therefore, in many applications, the number of these electrical connections is insufficient relative to the electrical circuits that are or printed circuits.

In order to overcome these disadvantages, an apparatus housing according to the invention has been provided, the first embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, the instrument box 1 has, as usual, three vertical walls (not shown) which are generally attached to four posts 20. Along each of these side walls, the instrument box 1 has a horizontal glide210667

6 guides, each consisting of one or more aligned connectors - the first sliding guides 21 with force-free insertion. These first slide guides 21 have a U-shaped cross-section and are located in pairs at the same height, with one first slide guide 21 of each pair being open relative to the other first slide guide 21 of the pair.

In the two first slide guides 21, single or folded, each pair can slide a carrier 22 whose bottom wall is formed by a first order card 23 with printed circuits. The width of this first order card 23, i.e. its horizontal dimension, measured at right angles to the insertion and withdrawal direction shown by the arrow F, is only slightly less than the distance between the days of the two first slide guides 21. On both sides parallel to the direction of arrow F, each first-order card 23 has first terminals 24 that contact the contact bodies (not shown) of the connectors of the first slide guides 21 when these contact bodies are connected as described in the introduction:

Parallel to the direction of arrow F, the first-order card 23 has second sliding guides 25 with plug-in connectors. These second slide guides 25 have a U-shaped cross section and their contact members are permanently connected to the printed circuits of the first order card 23 carrying them.

In the same vertical central plane, either preferably on the second sliding guide 25 or on the first-order card 23, the guide 26 of the second order cards 28 in the shape of a gallows is fastened. On its upper horizontal arm, the guide 26 has a groove 27 which plays the same role as each upper guide groove 14 in FIG. 1. Thus, a second card of the second card can be inserted into each groove 27 and into the groove of the second slide 25 below it. of the printed circuit board 28, which differs from the printed circuit board 15 of the previous embodiment in that its second terminals 29 are located not at its rear edge but at its lower horizontal edge.

In this way we obtain an instrument box 1, the assembly of which is as follows. We begin by assembling the first slide guides 21 by attaching the flags 30 of their contact members to the usual insulated projections of the instrument boxes 1, then, after disconnecting these contact members, insert the complete carrier 22, i.e. the first order card 23, on the one hand, second slide guides 25, in which the contact organ flags are connected to the first terminals 24 of the first-order card 23, and on the other hand, the guides 26, whereupon the contact members are connected.

Then, after disconnecting the contact members of the second slide guides 25, insert as many second-order cards 28 as necessary into each of these second slide guides 25 as necessary, inserting their horizontal edges into one second slide guide 25 and the groove 27 which The contact members of these second slide guides 25 contact.

If we wish to remove one second order card 28 for inspection or to replace it with another, it is sufficient to disconnect the contact elements of the respective second slide guides 25 to release it, thereby allowing it to be withdrawn in the sense opposite to that of arrow F.

In another embodiment (not shown), each guide 26 may be replaced by upper slide guides symmetrical to one of the lower second slide guides 25 and fasten all upper slide guides to a second first order card 23 symmetrical to the first first order card 23, both first card 23 Or, they can be connected to one another or not, for example by means of vertical walls similar to the vertical wall 9 and the vertical side wall 10 in the previous embodiment. Of course, in this case, it would be necessary to associate with the second first-order card 23 (not shown) the two first sliding guides 21 and carried in the desired amount by the instrument box 1.

In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4, the housing has three vertical walls, namely two side walls, which will be discussed in more detail later, and one bottom; 31.

These vertical walls are generally attached to four posts 20. Along each of these side walls, the instrument housing 1 has horizontal guides, consisting of one or more zero slide guides 41 with level-less force-insert connectors. These zero slide guides 41 have a U-shaped cross-section and are located in pairs at the same height, the members of each pair being open to each other. FIG. 3 schematically depicts a sliding or pivoting control member 32 that allows the disconnection or connection of all electrical contact members that are part of the zero slide 41 or equivalent connectors at a level.

On both the zero sliding guides 41, single or collapsed, each pair may slide a first order card carrier 23 printed circuit. The width of each first-order card 23, i.e. its horizontal dimension measured at right angles to the insertion and withdrawal direction indicated by the arrow F in Fig. 3, is only slightly less than the distance between the days of the two zero slide guides 41. The first order cards 23 have terminals (not shown) that contact the contact organs (not shown) of the zero slide 41 when these contact organs are connected according to the principle set out in the introduction.

Parallel to the direction of arrow F, each first order card has a guide which is formed by a second force-free sliding guide 25 whose contact members are still connected to the printed circuits of the first order card 23.

The second slide guides 25 may be located only on one side of the first order cards 23, as shown in Fig. 3, or, as shown on the three lowest first order cards 23 in Fig. 4, or on both sides of the first order cards 23, This is illustrated in the two highest first order cards 23 in FIG. 4. These second slide guides 25 have a U-shaped cross-section and are located in pairs in the same vertical plane parallel to the direction of arrow F, the second slide guides 25 of each pair open towards together. Therefore, a second printed circuit board 28 having a lead intended to cooperate with the respective contact members of the second slide 25 can be inserted into the second slide guides 25 of such a pair.

In the upper part of FIG. 4, second order cards 28 are shown, only the lower edges of which are inserted into the second slide guides 25 carried by the underlying first order card 23. In this case, the upper edges of the second order cards 28 are guided in grooves 27 of the guides 28, which may be mounted on said underlying first order card 23 in the manner described with reference to FIG. 2.

The apparatus housing 1 just described is similar to the apparatus housing 1 of the preceding embodiment.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the printed circuit board 33 is provided with vertical side walls of the housing having zero slide guides 41 formed as force-free connectors as well as 1 first-order card guides 23, wherein the contact slides of the zero slide guides 41 are still connected to the printed circuits of said cards 33. zero order. Depending on the height of the cabinets, each of its side walls may consist of either a single zero-order card 33 or at least two zero-order cards 33 superposed and suitably electrically connected.

The posts 20 are provided with first fastening holes 34, regularly spaced by a constant length, or "module", according to the height of the post 20, and each zero order card 33 is provided with second fastening holes 35 spaced vertically by a length equal to that module. or a multiple thereof, wherein a pin 36 is disposed in each pair of first fastening holes 34 and second fastening holes 35 at a level.

The instrument panel 1 therefore has three printed circuit board sets:

1) two vertical zero-order cards 33 provided with printed circuits 37 that serve to establish a connection between two or more first-order cards 23;

(2) two or most commonly more than two first-order horizontal maternity cards 23 provided with printed circuitry 37 (typically on both sides thereof) that serve to establish a connection between two or more second-order cards 28;

3) a large number of vertical second order cards 28 parallel to the zero order cards 33 carrying conventional electrical and electronic components 38 (capacitors, resistors, transistors and so on) on one or both sides.

However, it is not excluded that first order cards 23 and zero order cards 33 also carry some components, nor that certain second order cards 28 carry (on one or both sides) printed circuitry 37 to form extra connections 39, or instead of electrical or electronic components.

3 and 4, it is possible to prefabricate all electrical connections during the production of the zero, first and second order printed circuit cards 33, 23, 28 using conventional techniques. Adapting the zero and second sliding guides 41 and 25 to the zero and first order cards 33 and 23 and creating second fastening holes 35 in the zero order cards 33 does not cause any difficulties.

When these printed circuit board and chasis cards, formed by the cabinet bottom 31 and the pillars 20, are made available to installers, they only perform the following operations:

Attaching the zero order cards 33 'to the chasis;

Introducing 23 first-order cards into the zero slide guides 41 and joining the slide slides 41 by means of the control bodies 32;

Introducing second order cards 28 into second slide guides 25 and joining said second slide guides 25;

- connecting the supply conductors 52 to one or more connecting members 51, ordinary or force-less, mounted at the bottom of the zero-order cards 33.

Due to the large number of electrical connections that can be made between the different circuitry floors 1 of the printed circuit boards 37 and the printed circuit board connections 39 of the zero-order and second-order cards 33, simple printed circuit cards can be used without the need for many layers that are very expensive.

Further, the invention allows:

—- suppress racks or drawers of conventional cabinets;

- shorten the electrical connection between the various circuits, which is particularly important for computer applications where the duration of the electrical pulse is important;

- suppress all link operations in

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in its own sense, and consequently the risk of error due to such operations;

- make changes to the connection after installation either by replacing one of the zero and first order cards 33, 23 with a modified card or by nullifying the connection, in particular one of the printed circuits 37, and the first order card 33 by replacing it with a replacement wire 53 mounted and soldered instead the printed circuit joint 37a (see FIG. 3).

Claims (5)

SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION 1. A rack mounted electrical or electronic device having a plurality of racks mounted one above the other in the horizontal first sliding guides supported by the side walls of the apparatus enclosure and having second sliding guides facing each other in pairs and open to each other adjacent to the insertion of a second-order vertical printed circuit board and connectors between each second-order card with its carrier and between each carrier and the instrument housing, characterized in that at least one horizontal wall of each carrier (22) is formed by a card (23) a first order printed circuit board having side first outlets (24) and one member of a pair of second sliding guides (25), the first sliding guides (21) and second sliding guides (25) being formed as 'force-free' connectors; the second slideways (25) are in electrical connection with the second terminals (29) on the horizontal sides of the second-order cards (28) in the inserted position of the second-order card (28) and the first sliding members (21) are in electrical connection with the first terminals (24) in the inserted position of the card (28) 23) first order. The instrument panel according to claim 1, wherein each carrier (22) has a single first-order card (23) and has a guide (26) for a second-order card (28) in the same vertical plane in which the second sliding guide is provided. (25). The instrument box according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide (26) is mounted directly on the second slide guide (25) associated therewith. Instrument panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical walls of the instrument panel (1) provided with force-free connectors as the zero slide (41) for first-order cards (23) are formed by zero-order cards (33). with printed circuits. Instrument panel according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first-order card (23) is provided on at least one of its two sides with parallel sliding guides (25) arranged in parallel.