FR2527038A1 - UNIT CARD HANDLING DEVICE AND CARD PROVIDED WITH SUCH A DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

THE DEVICE OR HANDLE INCLUDES TWO COMPLEMENTARY HALVES 25, 26 RIGIDLY CONNECTED ALONG THEIR COMMON EDGES BY A SOFT ARTICULATION 23. SIDE ARMS 21, 22 OF THE BODY HAVE A THICKNESS REDUCED COMPARED TO THAT OF THE CONNECTED EDGES, IF ALTHOUGH WHEN WHEN 'THE COMPLEMENTARY HALVES ARE FOLDED AROUND THE JOINT, AN EXTENDED HANDLE IS OBTAINED THROUGH A THROAT 30 PARALLEL TO THE JOINT 23. A SIDE ARM 21 OF THE BODY CARRIES A FIXED AXLE 28, WHICH PENETTS IN A HOLE 29 OF THE HALF COMPLEMENTARY OPPOSITE 22 AND CROSSES THROAT 30. AXIS 28 PASSES INTO A HOLE OF A CARD-TYPE STRUCTURE NEAR A CORNER OF THIS ONE SO THAT THE UNIT BODY CAN SWIVEL AROUND THE CORNER OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE CARD TYPE. THE AXLE 28 IS PROVIDED WITH A NOTCH IN WHICH A STOPPING IS ENGAGED IN THE HOLE OF THE OPPOSITE HALF TO LOCK THE AXLE IN THE HOLE EFFECTIVELY.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for

  manipulation of card-like structures such as circuits

  printed boards, modular circuit boards and the like.

  It relates more particularly to a foldable unitary body constituting a lever or a pivoting handle to be fixed on these card-type structures to facilitate their introduction into housings provided for this purpose as well as their removal

of these dwellings.

  Different electronic devices such as equipment

  Telephone switching devices, electronic control panels, computers, and the like use a number of card-shaped printed circuit structures that electrically support and interconnect various assemblies.

  separate electronic devices to form circuits

  electrical circuits or circuit functions Usually, these card-type structures include pins or contact pads near one of their edges to create

  electrical interconnections with the corresponding housing

  dants, so that one can arrange parallel a

  a large number of cards and connect them electrically to each other using a common motherboard placed perpendicular to the

circuit maps plan.

  Conventionally, card-type structures are cir-

  printed cakes of the same dimensions which are mounted parallel-

  separated by small spaces inside a com-

  part or basket, the motherboard constituting the back or the bottom of this basket Like the pads or contact pins

  nest in housings on a remote motherboard

  from the open end of the compartment, and that the struc-

  card-type tures are not spaced apart, it is sometimes diúfici-

  remove a card from the basket without damaging the card, card components or motherboard slots

  remove a card from the compartment or basket, it is preferable to

  ble that it is pulled out smoothly in the support plane of the card without twisting or rotation te the card in the assembly plane In addition, if the card can rotate in the assembly plane during its insertion or its removal, it can no

  only be damaged, but still get stuck in the com-

  media part while pads or contact pins may be shifted. US Patent Nt 4,261,076 describes a unitary device which can be folded and fixed to the card-like structure by closing a pivoting handle which facilitates the handling of

  the card, in particular the exit of these cards from their ca-

  support siers The unitary handle comprises two complementary elements connected along their common edges by a

  flexible hinge T A pivot axis carried by one of the elements

  complementary elements through an opening formed in a

  suitable point in the map-shaped structure and fits

  te in an opening of the other complementary element for

  fix the handle to the card and hold the elements complete

  combined in the form of a unitary swivel handle

  re without the use of any mechanical mounting device or the like One end of the body of the handle extends beyond the edge of the card to bear on the rack or support basket and use the lever to exit smoothly locker card when the handle is rotated around the pivot axis You can rotate the handle so as to place its longest edge parallel to the front edge of

  the card and keep it in a position allowing exit

  immediate attachment of the card to its support locker.

  The present invention includes a device in which

  the pivot axis and the hole are changed so that

  wear an axis locking device in the hole a-

  end of keeping the handle securely closed once fixed on the card-type structure The handle of the invention can

  be carried out in an economical manner in any suitable material

  required such as plastic, nylon or the like and, as it takes up little space in its ready-to-use position and does not touch the mounting brackets while the card is in use, it can remain on the cards, ready to employment,

  to be used for the withdrawal of cards and their compar-

  mounting elements Since the handle acts as a lever exerting pressure on the mounting compartment on the two lateral edges of the card, the use of the pivoting handle of the invention helps to smoothly remove the cards from the compartment and therefore limits severe deformation or damage to the pads or contact pins during

  from the mounting compartment card outlet The provision

  locking device of the invention is also in one piece with the unitary body so as to durably and securely fix the handle on the card In addition, the handle of the invention being a unitary body, there is no need of

  mechanical device or mounting tool for fixing the poi-

  hindered on the card type structure.

  The characteristics and advantages of the invention stand out

  will derive from the detailed description below of the mode

  embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

  Fig 1 is a perspective view of the form of exe

  preferred version of the handle of the invention, shown or

  green; Fig 2 is a perspective view of the handle of Fig 1 in the folded closed position; FIG. 3 is a top view of part of a representative card-type structure placed in a support rack and using the card handle of the invention; Fig 4 is a top view of the assembly of Fig 3 showing the use of the handle of the invention to remove the card from the housing;

  Fig 5 is a partial sectional view of the poi-

  gné along the line 5-5 of figure 1; and FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the handle,

  along line 6-6 of Figure 1 to show clearly-

  ment the structure of the articulation axis.

  For clarity of illustration, the invention will be 2527038 l

  described here with particular reference to the use of

  tion of the card handle in conjunction with a card

  printed circuit However, it will be understood that the circuit card

  printed baked is only one example of the various structures to which the invention can be applied. Thus, the expression "card-type structure" is used here to describe any structure of roughly rectangular shape having main faces.

  opposite, which is mounted in a compartment, basket or similar

  gue, in use, its lateral edges being adjacent or under

  held by a structure that surrounds or supports it.

  Typically, printed circuit boards are about 0.15 mm thick and carry a number of separate semiconductor device packages, mounted on a

  face of the card or both, and electrically connected

  them by conductive printed circuits Usually, a certain number of these printed circuit boards can be arranged parallel to each other in a rack, a basket or a support drawer As shown in FIG. 3, a printed circuit board (10) is mounted horizontally in a vertical rack with vertical parallel sides (11)

  and (12) Guides, rails or other (not shown) support

  ted by the sides (11) and (12) can be used to support the card and align the rear edge (13) of the card (10) with

  housings for the electrical connection of a motherboard (not

  The rear edge (13) of the card (10) has a ring

  any number of contactors (14) which are suitable

  to fit into electrical housings on the motherboard

  re These card arrangements and interconnections are classified

  specialist and familiar to specialists; they will therefore

not described in detail here.

  It will be observed that when a certain number of these cards (10) are arranged in parallel and slightly spaced in a basket or the like, they can only be removed by pulling them out

  in the direction indicated by the arrow (15) Unless

  re very careful when taking out these cards, they may get

  twist in rails or guides and get stuck in the case

  Support sier In addition, if the cards are left to twist during their extraction from the case, the contact pads (14) or the corresponding housings may be damaged. It must be realized that in many cases, side pins

  can be used in place of contact pads (14).

  Consequently, when using pins, a twist of the card during its extraction or its introduction risks causing a misalignment or a rupture of the pins,

which makes the card unusable.

  According to the invention, a unitary body, generally desired

  hinged by 20 is suitable for folding over the edge of a printed circuit board and for fitting into a card opening (10) to serve as a lever or pivoting handle for extracting the card from the case mounting In

  the preferred embodiment, the handle (20) (as shown

  most clearly felt in FIG. 1) comprises two substantially rigid complementary halves (21) and (22), connected by a flexible articulation member (23) Each half (21) and

  (22) includes a body elongated in a first direction

  mant of relatively rigid opposite parallel beams (25) and (26) spaced from each other but connected by a portion of flexible hinge (23) Each half (21) and (22) comprises a portion of body which leaves laterally and the two halves (21) and (22) are complementary so that when these halves (21) and (22) are folded towards each other they form a substantially L-shaped structure, as the shows Fig 2 The first half (21) carries an axis

  articulation (28) starting perpendicular to the main face

  cipal of the body at a point quite distant from the beam (25).

  Likewise, the corresponding half (22) has a hole (29) which fits on the hinge pin (28) and receives it when the

  halves of the body are folded over each other as illus-

  tré on Fig 2 The laterally extending parts of the two halves have a reduced thickness compared to the beams (25) and (26) so that when the body (20) is folded in the closed position shown on the Pig 2 , the parts

  sides of the body define between them a groove (30)

  that the handle (20) must be used in combination with a card-type struncture having a thickness of approximately 15 mm,

  the width of the groove (30) must likewise be at least 15 mm.

  Thus, when the handle (20) is fixed to the card (10), the a-

  xed (2 S) is introduced into a hole in the card located near its corner and the body (20) is then folded back so that the pin (28) fits into the hole (29) The handle (20 ) can thus rotate around the pivot axis (28) as shown in Fig 4 l We will understand that the pivot axis

  (28) should be placed relatively close to the outer end

  of the first half (21) and that the groove (30) must be deep enough to allow the axis (28) to pass through a hole suitably placed in the card (10) when the latter is engaged in the groove (30) Preferably, the hole in the card (10) is equidistant from the front edge and a side edge of the latter so that the handle (20) can rotate around the corner of the card for about 90 in

the planl of the card (10).

  As shown in Figs 3 and 4, the beams (25) and (26) form the base of the groove (30) and are longer than the side parts of the body Also, one end of the handle (20) protrudes it the lateral edge of the card (10) roughly parallel to the front edge of the card (10) When the card is inserted into the basket, as shown in Fig 3, the beams (25) and (26), which form the base of the groove (30), lie in a plane roughly parallel to the

  front edge of the card (10) So the handle (20) does not interfere

  it does not fully introduce the card (10) in the case

  However, when the handle (20) is turned, the outer ends of the beams (23) and (26) pivot towards

  and come into contact with the edges (11) and (12) of the rack.

  So when you rotate the end outward

2527038 ô

  inside of the handle (20), the outer ends of the beams (25) and (26) are pressed against the edges of the sides (11) and (12) and uniformly extract the card (10) from the rack in the direction indicated by the arrow (15) It will be observed that once the handles (20) have removed the card over a sufficient distance to allow the contacts (14) to disengage from

  their accommodations, one can easily grab the card and re-

pull the locker by hand.

  In the preferred embodiment of the invention,

  the handle (20) is formed by conventional methods of

  plastic injection molding The unitary body (20) is formed by its parallel beams (25) and (26), one separated

  on the other by a distance equal to the sum of their thick-

  The articulation member (23) is a plastic sheet.

  relatively thin, fixed between the outer edges of the beams Thus the width of the articulation band (23) is equal to twice the thickness of a beam We will therefore observe

  only when the interior faces of the parts of the body which

  tend laterally are folded towards each other, the fac-

  these internals of the beams (25) and (26) are brought into contact with each other and the axis (28) is pushed into the hole (29) In the preferred embodiment, the hinge (23) overlaps the entire back of the device of the outer edge of the beam (25)

  at the outer edge of the beam (26) as shown in Fig 1.

  Alternatively, the connecting part can connect the inner edges

laughing.

  The axis (28) is an almost rigid member perpendicular to

  the part of the body which extends laterally and is long enough to pass through the groove (30) and enter the hole (29) The outside diameter of the axis (28) is about the same as the inside diameter of the hole (29) Thus the axis (28) adapts perfectly in the hole (29) The articulation member (23) being bent therefore deformed compared to its initial state, tends to regain its shape first unless the axis (28) is securely locked inside the hole (29) To retain the axis (28) in the hole (29), this axis is provided with a notch or a groove (40) near

  its free end and the hole (29) comprises a means of

  screwing, for example a tab (41) The key is embedded in the notch (40) and the body (20) is thus locked in the folded position due to the engagement of the key (41)

  and the notch (40) when the body halves are applied

  suddenly snapped against each other.

  In the preferred embodiment, the notch (40) is defined by two intersecting walls The first wall is approximately perpendicular to the geometric axis of the axis (28) and the second wall is inclined relative to this geometric axis, as shown in Fig 6 The first wall is closer to the free end of the axis The device

  keying is preferably a tab (41) forming an integral part

  integral with the body and starting from the inner wall of the hole

  (29) The tab (41) extends in the general direction of the ex-

  free shaft of the axis (28) when it is housed in the hole Thus the end of the lug (41) abuts against the first wall of the notch to securely lock the axis in the hole The lug being flexible, one can push the end of the axis (28) beyond the tab (41) until this tab (41) is opposite the notch The tab (41)

  then enters the notch (40) by effectively locking-

  the pin (28) in the hole (29).

  Although the invention has been described with more reference

  particularly to a molded plastic body for use

  tion with printed circuit boards, it will be easy to design-

  ment that the invention is not limited to this model The unitary body of the invention can be produced by various others

  methods from different other materials and be used

  dried with various other card-like structures

  of, the dimensions of the body, of the axis (28) and of the groove (30) may vary as necessary to adapt to the dimensions of the card-type structure with which they will be used. It must also be recognized that when the body of the handle (20) is made from a suitable elastic plastic, the keying (41) and the notch (40) lock the assembly in the closed position, since the tab (41) abuts against the wall of the notch However, the handle can be removed from the

  simply by reversing the installation process without damaging

  manage the body (20) or the card-type structure, although disassembly may be more difficult. We can thus reuse the body (20) if desired. Of course, the use of the handle (20) is not limited at the introduction and the exit of card-type structures in their compartments at the beginning and at the end of use The handles can also be used to handle these card-type structures during their manufacture, their checks or their repair It must therefore be understood that although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, this form presented and described in detail must be considered simply as a

  preferred embodiment Various changes and modifications

  tions can be brought without departing from the framework of linven

tion.

DREAM N D I C A T I O N S

  1 Device for handling structures of the car type

  tes comprising a unitary body which comprises two parts of body, caplè-tenantaies and rcyens of joint articulation connecting these two parts of the body along opposite parallel edges, the first and second complementary parts of the body defining between them a groove (30) when they are folded around the

  articulation means, characterized in that the first part

  tie (21) of the body carries an axis (28) perpendicular to one of its main faces and provided with a notch (40), while

  that the second part of the body (22) has a hole (29) which

  perceived to receive the axis when the two parts of the body are folded around the articulation means (23) and when the axis (28) crosses the gorae, the hole (29) having internally

  a member (41) which engages in the notch (40) in order to ver-

  solidly rust the axle in the hole.

  2 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the latching member in the notch (40) comprises a tab (41) extending from the side wall of the hole (29), in

  the direction of the free end of the axis (28).

  3 Device according to one of claims

  1 and 2, characterized in that the notch (40) of the axis is delimited

  mitée by a first wall roughly perpendicular to the a-

  geometric axis (28) and a second wall inclined with respect to this geometric axis, the first wall being more

  near the free end of the axis.

  4 Card characterized in that it comprises in combination

  naison (a) a card-type structure (10) of roughly rectangular dimensions, and having first and second opposite main faces, and a hole passing through it at a point roughly equidistant from the first and second edges which intersect;

  (b) a pivoting handle comprising a single body

  shutter (20) comprising two almost rigid complementary parts (21, 22), with opposite parallel edges, connected by a 2527038 i flexible articulation element (23) and delimiting a groove (30) between the two complementary parts of the body, an axis (28) starting from the first complementary part (21) of the body and crossing the hole of the card-type structure to enter a corresponding hole (29) of the second

  complementary part (22) of the body, the structure of the car-

  te (10) being housed in the groove (30); and (c) an axis locking device (28) in the corresponding hole (29); which allows the handle

  swivel (20) to rotate about 900 around this axis.

  Card according to claim 4, characterized in that the axis locking device (28) in the corresponding hole (29) comprises a notch (40) in the axis and a flexible stop member (41) arranged at inside the hole

  way to snap into the notch.

  6 Card according to claim 5, characterized in that the notch (40) is delimited by a first wall roughly perpendicular to the geometric axis of the axis (28) and a second wall inclined relative to this geometric axis , the first wall being closer to the free end of the axis; while the flexible stop member is a tab (41) extending

  of the inner wall of the corresponding hole (29), generally

  in the direction of the free end of the axis (28) when

  that this axis is housed in the corresponding hole, the free end of the tab abutting against the first wall of the notch.