Card guide for mounting printed circuit boards and the like to electronic equipment housings

• US 20060215378A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Origami, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Industrial Origami, LLC.
• Inventors: Cardona, Joseph C., Lam, Chein (Ryan), Durney, Max W., Schnoebelen, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,355,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/756
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1418 Card guides, e.g. grooves H05K7/1425 takes precedence

Abstract

A card guide for mounting printed circuit boards, electronic pathway or component carrying cards, or the like, to an electronic equipment housing having a wall with a pair of openings formed to receive mounting feet provided on the card guide. The card guide body includes a card-receiving guideway on an inwardly facing side of the body and a card mounting structure on the outwardly facing side of the body. The card mounting structure preferably includes L-shaped posts or feet having longitudinally extending portions which enable the card guide to be inserted through an opening in a housing wall to a position in which the L-shaped feet interlock with the housing wall adjacent to the openings. Most preferably the card guide body is resiliently flexible and can be bowed to allow insertion into pairs of mounting openings and will spring back once inserted to secure the card guide to the housing wall. Embodiments suitable for mounting the card guide to a single housing wall or a sandwich of two abutting housing walls are disclosed.

Claims

1. A card guide for mounting printed circuit boards and the like to an electronic equipment housing, said card guide comprising:

an elongated card guide body having a card-receiving guideway on an inwardly facing side of the card guide body; and

a card guide mounting structure on an outwardly facing side of the card guide body, the card guide mounting structure including a pair of spaced apart mounting feet dimensioned to be inserted through spaced apart mating openings in a wall of the electronic housing;

wherein the mounting feet are formed to cooperate with the openings in the housing so as to positively secure the guide to the housing wall.

2. A card guide according to claim 1, wherein

wherein the length and width dimensions of the mounting feet are no greater than the length and width dimensions of the mating openings.

3. A card guide according to claim 1, wherein

the card guide body is resiliently flexible so that the card guide body can be bowed about a vertical axis and allowing the mounting feet to be inserted into the spaced apart openings in the wall of the housing, wherein, once inserted, the card guide body resiliently springs to an extended position thereby trapping the mounting feet behind the wall of the housing.

4. A card guide according to claim 1, wherein

the card guide is bowed inwardly in a relaxed state and whereby is flexed outwardly for insertion, after which it resiliently springs inwardly to trap the mounting feet behind the wall of the housing.

5. A card guide according to claim 1, wherein

the mounting feet are L-shaped feet having ends extending substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the card guide body, wherein the ends are dimensioned to be inserted through spaced apart mating openings in a wall of the housing.

6. A card guide according to claim 5, wherein

the ends extend in the same direction.

7. A card guide according to claim 5, wherein

the ends extend in opposite directions.

8. A card guide according to claim 5, wherein

the card guide body is resiliently flexible so that the card guide body can be bowed about a vertical axis and inserted into spaced apart openings in the wall of the housing, wherein, once inserted, the card guide body resiliently springs to an extended position thereby trapping the mounting feet behind the wall of the housing.

9. A card guide according to claim 5, wherein

the card guide is bowed inwardly in a relaxed state and whereby is flexed outwardly for insertion, after which it resiliently springs inwardly to trap the mounting feet behind the wall of the housing.

10. A card guide according to claim 5, wherein

the card guide body includes indexing projections located intermediate the mounting feet

11. An electronic equipment chassis for supporting printed circuit boards and the like thereon, said chassis comprising:

an inner wall;

a pair of spaced apart inner openings in the inner wall; and

a card guide for mounting printed circuit boards and the like to the electronic equipment chassis, the card guide including

an elongated card guide body having a card-receiving guideway on an inwardly facing side of the card guide body, and

a card guide mounting structure on an outwardly facing side of the card guide body, the card guide mounting structure including a pair of spaced apart mounting feet dimensioned to be inserted through the spaced apart openings in the inner wall of the electronic chassis;

wherein the mounting feet are formed to cooperate with the inner openings in the chassis so as to positively secure the guide to the inner wall.

12. The chassis according to claim 11, wherein

wherein the length and width dimensions of the mounting feet are no greater than the length and width dimensions of the inner openings.

13. The chassis according to claim 11, wherein

the card guide body is resiliently flexible so that the card guide body can be bowed about a vertical axis and allowing the mounting feet to be inserted into the inner openings in the wall of the chassis, wherein, once inserted, the card guide body resiliently springs to an extended position thereby trapping the mounting feet behind the inner wall of the chassis.

14. The chassis according to claim 11, wherein

the card guide is bowed inwardly in a relaxed state and whereby is flexed outwardly for insertion, after which it resiliently springs inwardly to trap the mounting feet behind the inner wall of the chassis.

15. The chassis according to claim 11, wherein

the mounting feet are L-shaped feet having ends extending substantially parallel to the inner wall, wherein the ends are dimensioned to be inserted through spaced apart mating openings in the inner wall of the chassis.

16. The chassis according to claim 15, wherein

the card guide body is resiliently flexible so that the card guide body can be bowed about a vertical axis and inserted into spaced apart inner openings in the wall of the chassis, wherein, once inserted, the card guide body resiliently springs to an extended position thereby trapping the mounting feet behind the inner wall of the chassis.

17. The chassis according to claim 15, wherein

the card guide is bowed inwardly in a relaxed state and whereby is flexed outwardly for insertion, after which it resiliently springs inwardly to trap the mounting feet behind the inner wall of the chassis.

18. The chassis according to claim 15, further comprising:

an inwardly extending projection extending from at least on of the ends; and

a projection opening located adjacent a respective one of the inner openings;

wherein the inwardly extending projection is dimensioned and configured to engage the projection opening to resiliently latch the card guide to the inner wall.

19. A card guide according to claim 11, further comprising:

an indexing projection on the card guide body located intermediate the mounting feet; and

an indexing opening on the inner wall dimensioned and configured to receive the indexing projection;

wherein the indexing projection engages the indexing opening once the mounting feet have been inserted through the inner openings thereby limiting relative movement between the card guide and the inner wall.

20. The chassis according to claim 11, further comprising:

an outer wall adjacent and parallel to the inner wall, the outer wall being longitudinally shiftable to the inner wall; and

a pair of spaced apart outer openings the outer wall, the outer openings having substantially the same dimensions and configuration as the inner openings;

wherein the mounting feet are trapped between the longitudinally shifted inner and outer openings in the inner and outer walls so that the feet hold the card guide between a sandwich configuration between the inner and outer walls.