GB2138221A

GB2138221A - Interlock connector for computer system

Info

Publication number: GB2138221A
Application number: GB08408887A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Mallory Sherlock
Original assignee: GAVILAN COMPUTER CORP
Current assignee: GAVILAN COMPUTER CORP
Priority date: 1983-04-08
Filing date: 1984-04-06
Publication date: 1984-10-17
Also published as: GB8408887D0; DE3413058A1; IT8467346A1; IT8453240V0; IT8467346A0; IT1180038B; JPS59195723A; FR2544027A1

Abstract

The surfaces (14, 16) of the housing of two units (10,12) with mating electrical contacts (18, 20) are releasably connected by plates (48, 62) which are attached to a respective surface and have a respective connecting portion (50, 68) at an acute angle to that surface forming therewith a jaw (52, 70). Plate (62) is spring-loaded for sliding movement on surface (16) so that, on abutment of the two surfaces, it is released to retain plate (50) in jaw (70) thereby connecting the housings. The plate may be released by depressing button (102). The connector may be used for interconnecting a computer and printer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An interlock connector apparatus for computer systems This application relates generally to an interlock connector apparatus for connecting together the housings of two units of a system, such as a computer system.

Different types of known connectors have been used in computer systems mechanically to connect the computer and a peripheral unit such as a printer.

One such type of connector is the thumb screw consisting of a manually rotatable screw head and two threaded screw stems, one on each side. The two stems may be screwed into the two surfaces of the computer and the peripheral unit to connect the two surfaces. Screwing the thumb screw into the two surfaces requires time. To connect the computer and the peripheral unit more than one thumb screw may be required. Thus, the thumb screw type of connector may be inefficient because of the amount of time required for connection.

Another conventional connector used is the mushroom head-slot connecter. One of the surfaces to be connected is provided with a pin with an enlarged head in the shape of a mushroom. The other surface to be connected is provided with a slot large enough for the mushroom head to enter. The slot is extended on one side into a narrow slit, which is large enough to accomodate the stem portion of the mushroom pin connector but small enough to prevent the mushroom head from passing. To connect the two surfaces, the mushroom head pin is inserted into the slot through the larger portion of the slot. The stem portion of the mushroom head pin is then pushed into the narrow slit part of the slot, thereby connecting the two surfaces. The mushroom head-slot connector may have low mechanical tolerance and consequently may be expensive.

According to the present invention, there is provided an interlock connector apparatus for securely connecting two housings of two individual units of a system, such as a computer system, in abutting relationship, wherein the two housing surfaces in abutment define a first and a second abutment surface, said interlock apparatus comprising: a first plate so attached to the first abutment surface that it may slide for a selected distance on the first abutment surface, said first plate having a connecting portion at an acute angle to the first abutment surface forming with it 3 first jaw; a second plate attached to the second abutment surface, said second plate having a connecting portion at an acute angle with the second abutment surface so that said portion and the second abutment surface form a second jaw for engagement with the first jaw to connectthetwo abutment surfaces; a locking spring connected to the first abutment surface and the first plate for urging the first plate to slide on the first abutment surface, causing the connecting portion of the first plate to enter the second jaw when the two abutment surfaces are brought close to each other, until the connecting portions of the first and second plates abut; and a male and a female connector with the male connector protruding from one of the two abutment surfaces and the female connector being a receptacle in the other abutment surface adapted to mate with the male connector, said male and female connectors being located, when connected, in the line of sliding motion of the first plate so that the urging action of the spring against the male and female connection one one side and against the connection between the abutting connection portions of the two plates on the other side securely connects the two housings.

In orderthatthe invention may be readily understood, an embodiment thereof wiil now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a computer housing, a housing for a peripheral unit and two interlock connectors for connecting the two housings to illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 2A is a perspective view of one portion of the computer housing and one part of an interlock connector; Figure 2B is a perspective view of one portion of the peripheral unit housing and a part of the interlock connector complementary to that in Figure 2A, a slidable plate forming a component of such connector part being shown in the cocked position;; Figure 2C is a partially cross-sectional and partially elevational view of the interlock connector part shown in Figure 2B with the slidable plate in an uncocked position; Figure 3A is a partially cross-sectional and partially elevational view of the interlock connector part in Figure 2A; Figure 3B is a partially cross-sectional and partially elevational view of the interlock connector part of Figure 2B; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of an interlock connector, the two parts of which are shown in Figures 3A and 3B; the two parts having been interlocked to connect the computer housing and the peripheral unit housing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a computor housing 10, a housing 12 of a peripheral unit and two interlock connectors illustrating the preferred embodiment of this invention. The two surfaces of the computer housing and the peripheral unit housing to be connected are surfaces 14 and 16 respectively, which will abut each other when they are connected.

When surfaces 14 and 16 are mechanically connected in abutting relationship, electrical connectors 18 and 20 will also be in a connected condition to connect the computer and the peripheral unit together electrically. As shown in Figure 1, two similar interlock connectors 22,24 are used to connect the two surfaces 14,16. Connector 22 comprises parts 26,28 on surfaces 14, 16 respectively. Connector 24 comprises parts 30, 32 on surfaces 14, 16 respectively. While one connector located in the centre of surfaces 14,16 may be sufficient for connecting the computer and the peripheral unit housings, two such connectors are employed in the preferred embodiment to ensure that the two housings are securely connected. Since the two connec tors are of similar construction, only connector 22 comprising parts 26 and 28 will be described below.

Figure 2A is a perspective view of a portion of computer housing 10 and part 26 of the interlock connector 22 illustrating the preferred embodiment of this invention. As shown in Figure 2A, surface 14 of the computer housing has a generally rectangular recess 42. Recess 42 is bounded by recessed surface 44 substantially parallel to surface 14 and edges 46.

Part 26 of the interlock connector comprises a plate 48 connected to the recessed surface 44 of the computer housing. Plate 48 has a connecting portion 50 lying at an acute angle to surface 44, so that portion 50 and surface 44 form a jaw 52 for engagement with part 28 so as to connect the two parts 26,28 of the interlock connector. In the preferred embodiment, plate 48 is larger in area than recessed surface 44 and is attached to housing 10 by screw 54 which screws into a hole 56 in surface 14 and a portion of plate 48 in housing 10 which is underneath surface 14. While in the preferred embodiment, plate 48 is connected to the recessed surface 44, it will be understood that plate 48 may be connected to other non-recessed portions of surface 14 for connecting parts 26 and 28 where jaw 52 will be formed by portion 50 and surface 14.

Figure 2B is a perspective view of a portion of the peripheral unit housing 12 and part 28 of the connector 22 of Figure 1. A portion of the connector part 28 is cut away to illustrate its construction more clearly. Part 28 of the interlock connector 22 comprises a plate 62 so connected to surface 16 that it may slide for a selected distance thereon. In the preferred embodiment this is accomplished by enclosing plate 62 within a housing 64 which is attached to and protrudes from surface 16. Housing 64 defines a chamber 66 therein shaped slidably to receive plate 62. For convenience in description, the surfaces 14 and 16 are taken as vertical planes. The vertical dimension of chamber 66 defines the distance which plate 62 may slide into the chamber. Other means of slidably connecting plate 62 to surface 16 may be used and are within the scope of this invention.The plate has a portion 68 at an acute angle to surface 16 and forms with it a jaw 70. Figures 2C and 3B are cross-sectional views of part 28 shown in Figure 2B which more clearly illustrate the configuration of the jaw 70. As described below, jaw 70 is adapted to engage jaw 52 of part 26 of the interlock connector to connect the two housings.

In reference to Figures 2B and 38, a locking spring 72 is connected to surface 16 and plate 62 for urging plate 62 to slide on surface 16. In the preferred embodiment, a locking coil spring 72 is connected to surface 16through housing 64. Plate 62 has an arm 74 which may be inserted into coil spring 72. The lower end of coil spring 72 is placed inside housing 64 and rests on the bottom side of the housing. The length of the arm 74 is less than the length of the spring 72 so that the spring exerts an upward force on plate 62. As shown in the cut away view of Figure 2B, coil spring 72 and arm 74 are placed in a receptacle 66a which is an extension of chamber 66 at the lower end.

In the preferred embodiment, the connector part 28 includes a cocking mechanism similar in function to that of the hammer of a gun. Through this mechanism, plate 62 may be cocked so that, when surface 16 of the peripheral unit is brought close to surface 14 of the computer, portion 50 of part 26 will enter the jaw 70, thereby unlocking the cocking mechanism and releasing plate 62 for connecting the parts 26 and 28. Such cocking mechanism is illustrated in Figures 2C and 38. As shown in the two Figures, the cocking mechanism comprises a leaf spring 82. One side 84 of leaf spring 82 is attached to housing64,andthustosurface16throughthe housing.The edge 86 of leaf spring 82 opposite to side 84 defines two bent flange sections 90 and 92 so located with respect to connecting portion 68 that, when plate 62 is in the uncocked or released position (as shown in Figure 2C), edge 86 is inside jaw 70 and bent flanges 90 and 92 touch the inside surface 68a of portion 68. To cock plate 62, it is pushed downwards against the urging of spring 72 so that portion 68 moves downwards relative to edge 86 until the bent flanges 90 and 92 have scaled the inside surface 68a to abut the edge 68b of portion 68 as shown in Figures 2 and 3B. When plate 62 and portion 68 are pushed to this position, bent flanges 90 and 92 will prevent plate 62 from sliding upwards as urged by spring 72. This position of plate 62 is defined as the cocked position.

To further strengthen the hold of leaf spring 82 on the edge 68b of portion 68 which prevents plate 62 from sliding upwards, edge 86 has a portion 94 in between flanges 90, 92, which extends downwardly in a direction substantially parallel to surface 68a.

This portion 94 contacts the inside surface 68a of portion 68 when plate 62 is in the cocked position, thereby strengthening the hold of bent flanges 90 and 92 on the edge 68b of portion 68. To facilitate manual pushing of plate 62 to cock the plate, plate 62 is provided with an arm 100 connected to button 102 which protrudes from the top surface of the peripheral unit housing 12 when plate 62 is in the uncocked position (as shown in Figure 2C). Arm 100 and button 102 pass through a channel 104 in housing 64. Thus plate 62 may be pushed downwards manually th rough button 102.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the interlock connector 22 where the two parts of the connector are shown connected. To connect the peripheral unit and the computer, surface 16 of the peripheral unit housing is brought close to surface 14 of the computer housing. A good way to visualize the connecting action is to move surface 16 of Figure 3B towards surface 14 of Figure 3A. The end result is illustrated by Figure 4. As part 28 of the interlock connector approaches part 26, the edge 50a of portion 50 of part 26 will enter jaw 70 of part 28. If plate 62 is in the cocked position, jaw 70 is blocked by leaf spring 82. As the edge 50a of portion 50 is pushed against leaf spring 82, twill cause the leaf spring to bend towards surface 16 and bent flanges 90 and 92 to move inside jaw 70, thereby releasing portion 68 of plate 62. The locking spring 72 will cause plate 62 to slide upwards to enter into jaw 52 between surface 44 and portion 50. Connecting portions 50 and 68 will then abut each other to connect parts 26 and 28 of the interlock connector 22. The positions of the various parts of the interlock connector parts 26 and 28 after they are connected are shown in Figure 4.

As surface 16 of the peripheral unit approaches surface 14, the housing 64 protruding from surface 16 enters the recess 42 in surface 14. Housing 64 is shaped to fit into the recess 42 in surface 14 so that the vertical surface of housing 64 will abut plate 48 while surface 16 abuts surface 14 and edges 106 of housing 64 about edges 46 of recess 42. Housing 64, in essence, forms a male connector shaped to fit into the recess 42, which in essence forms a female connector. The mating of the male and female connectors (in particular, the abutment between edges 46 and 106) restrains movement of surface 14 relative to surface 16 in directions parallel to surfaces 14, 16. The abutting connection between plate portions 50 and 68 substantially restrains movements of surface 14 relative to surface 16 in a horizontal plane.Spring 72 applies a force pushing against the connection between housing 64 and recess 42 on one side and against the connection between plate portions 50 and 68 on the side to connect surfaces 14 and 16 securely.

The interlock connector embodying this invention is not sensitive to close mechanical tolerances. Thus, even if plates 48,62 and plate portions 50,68 are not precision made, portions 50,68 will still abut to connect the two housings. In addition, even if the male connector is a bit smaller than recess 42 leaving a small gap between their edges 46, 106, spring 72 will force the edges to abut and the functions of the interlock connector are not significantly affected. Because of its insensitivity to close tolerances, the interlock connector is inexpensive.

In the preferred embodiment, leaf spring 82 is provided so that plate 62 may be cocked and parts 26 and 28 connected more conveniently as described above. It will be understood, however, that leaf spring 82 is not essential to the functioning of the interlock connector. Thus, if leaf spring 82 is omitted from part 28, substantially the same connection may be accomplished by manually pressing plate 62 downwards through button 102 so that when housing 64 enters the recess 42, portion 68 is positioned to enter the jaw 52. Releasing the button 102 will then cause plate 62 to slide upwards as urged by spring 72, causing portion 68 to abut portion 50 and to connect the computer housing and the peripheral unit housing as before.

In the preferred embodiment, housing 64 serves as a male connector and recess 42 a female connector shaped to mate with the male connector. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, housing 64 serves a dual purpose: as a male connector to fit into recess 42 and as a housing for sliding plate 62. It will be understood, however, that a separate pair of male and female connectors may be provided apart from the housing for plate 62 which would serve a similar function for connecting the two housings provided that such pair of connectors is in line along which plate 62 slides. For example, electrical connectors 18,20 in the form of a pair of male and female connectors will serve the purpose.Connectors 18,20 in such shape are located on a line along which plate 62 slides (such would be the case if connector 22 is moved to the centre of surfaces 14, 16 with plate 62 sliding vertically) so that spring 72 will push against the connectors 18,20 on one side and abutting plate portions 50,68 to securely connect surfaces 14, 16.

While in the Figures and the above description part 28 of the interlock connector 22 is connected to surface 16 of the peripheral unit housing and part 26 to surface 14 of the computer housing, it will be understood that parts 26,28 may be switched in position so that part 28 is connected to surface 14 and part 26 to surface 16. With parts 26, 28 in their new positions, surfaces 14, 16 are connected by the parts 26,28 in substantially the same manner as described above. An interlock connector embodying this invention may be used to connect not only the computer housing and the housing for a peripheral unit, but may be used to connect, in the same way, the housings of any two individual units of a computer system, or in fact, of any system.

In the preferred embodiment, plates 48, 62 including portions 50,68 and arms 74, 100 are made of a metal such as steel. Plate housing 64 may be made of plastics material and, in the preferred embodiment, forms one body with peripheral unit housing 12 which is made of injection moulded plastics. For convenience, housing 12 may be moulded in a top and a bottom part connected together by a conventional means, such as screws. The top and bottom parts abut along a surface by indicated line 200 in Figure 2B. Then receptacle 66a may be moulded in the bottom part. Plate 62 may be placed in chamber 66 in the top part before the top and bottom parts are assembled. Coil spring 72 is conventional and may be made from a number of materials: spring, steel, phosphor bronze or beryllium copper.

The above description of method and construction used is merely illustrative thereof and various changes in shape and sizes, materials or other details of the method and construction may be within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An interlock connector apparatus for securely connecting two housings of two individual units of a system, such as a computer system, in abutting relationship, wherein the two housing surfaces in abutment define a first and a second abutment surface, said interlock apparatus comprising: a first plate so attached to the first abutment surface that it may slide for a selected distance on the first abutment surface, said first plate having a connecting portion at an acute angle to the first abutment surface forming with it a first jaw; a second plate attached to the second abutment surface, said second plate having a connecting portion at an acute angle with the second abutment surface so that said portion and the second abutment surface form a second jaw for engagement with the first jaw to connect the two abutment surfaces; a locking spring connected to the first abutment surface and the first plate for urging the first plate to slide on the first abutment surface, causing the connection portion of the first plate to enter the second jaw when the two abutment surfaces are brought close to each other, until the connecting portions of the first and second plates abut; and a male and a female connector protruding from one of the two abutment surfaces and the female connector being a receptacle in the other abutment surface adopted to mate with the male connector, said male and female connectors being located, when connected, in the line of sliding motion of the first plate so that the urging action of the spring against the male and female connection one one side and against the connection between the abutting connection portions of the two plates on the other side securely connects the two housings.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the first plate has an actuating arm extending beyond the first abutment surface in the direction of its sliding movement so that two housings connected by the apparatus are disconnectable by manually pushing the first plate through the arm against the urging of the locking spring, causing its connecting portion to withdraw from the second jaw and then by manually pulling part the male and female connectors.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the actuating arm extends upwards in the vertical direction.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the actuating arm extends in a horizontal direction.

5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a leaf spring attached to the first abutment surface, the leaf spring having one end extending into the first jaw to touch the connecting portion of the first plate, the end side of said leaf spring having a bent flange, so thatwhen the first plate is pushed to slide against the urging of the locking spring to a predetermined location the bent flange will catch the edge of the connecting portion of the first plate, substantially preventing the first plate from sliding back and thereby cocking the first plate, the leaf spring being so positioned that when the connecting portion of the second plate enters the first jaw it will push the end of the leaf spring into the first jaw, thereby releasing the first plate from the bent flange so that the locking spring will urge the connecting portions of the two plates to abut to connect the two housings.

6. An apparatus according to any preceding, claim wherein the male connector is a housing surrounding either one of the two plates with a window allowing passage of the connecting portion of the other plate and wherein the other plate is in the receptacle forming the female connector, so that when the male and female connectors mate each connecting portion will enter the jaw formed on one side by the other portion and the two abutment surfaces will contact each other.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein one of the individual units is a computer, and the other individual unit is a peripheral unit.

8. An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein the peripheral unit is a printer.

9. An interlock connector apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.