Electrical apparatus with plug-in modules
First Claim
1. Electrical apparatus including an enclosure, at least one circuit module adapted to be inserted and removed from the enclosure, said circuit module and said enclosure having cooperating first guide means for constraining the circuit module to move along a prescribed in-and-out path for installation in the enclosure and removal, said circuit module having a plurality of module contacts at a side thereof, and a terminal assembly having a plurality of companion contacts at a side thereof disposed for mating with said module contacts, respectively, said apparatus having second guide means for constraining said terminal assembly to be moved along an in-and-out path that slants at an acute angle to the in-and-out movement of said circuit module such that, when the circuit module and the terminal assembly are in their operative positions, the module contacts are engaged by said companion contacts of the terminal assembly and, as said terminal assembly is drawn from its operative position outward along said slant angle, it attains a forward position wherein its companion contacts are separated from said module contacts and the circuit module can be removed from the enclosure and/or installed therein along its in-and-out path without engagement of the module contacts with the terminal assembly contacts.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed apparatus involves circuit modules paired with companion terminal assemblies alongside each other in an enclosure. The circuit modules are operable along front-to-back paths for installation in the enclosure and removal. The terminal assemblies are also operable along front-to-back paths but at a slant angle to the paths of the circuit modules. The sides of each circuit module and its companion terminal assembly have mating contacts that are in engagement in the operative condition of the terminal assembly and the adjacent circuit module. As a terminal assembly is moved forward or raised from its installed or operative condition, its contacts have a sidewise component of movement that carry them out of the paths of the module contacts, so that the module can be removed and installed with ease. The apparatus can be wired from the front when each terminal assembly is in its raised condition. Interlock means enforces certain sequential operations of the circuit modules and the terminal assemblies.
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Citations
19 Claims
- 1. Electrical apparatus including an enclosure, at least one circuit module adapted to be inserted and removed from the enclosure, said circuit module and said enclosure having cooperating first guide means for constraining the circuit module to move along a prescribed in-and-out path for installation in the enclosure and removal, said circuit module having a plurality of module contacts at a side thereof, and a terminal assembly having a plurality of companion contacts at a side thereof disposed for mating with said module contacts, respectively, said apparatus having second guide means for constraining said terminal assembly to be moved along an in-and-out path that slants at an acute angle to the in-and-out movement of said circuit module such that, when the circuit module and the terminal assembly are in their operative positions, the module contacts are engaged by said companion contacts of the terminal assembly and, as said terminal assembly is drawn from its operative position outward along said slant angle, it attains a forward position wherein its companion contacts are separated from said module contacts and the circuit module can be removed from the enclosure and/or installed therein along its in-and-out path without engagement of the module contacts with the terminal assembly contacts.
- 11. Electrical apparatus including an enclosure, at least one circuit module adapted to be installed in said enclosure and removed therefrom via the front of the enclosure and having a plurality of contacts at a side thereof, said enclosure having first guide means for constraining the circuit module to move along a prescribed path during installation and removal, a terminal assembly alongside said circuit module in their operative positions in the enclosure, said terminal assembly having a plurality of companion contacts releasably mating with said circuit module contacts in said operative positions and being accessible from the front of the enclosure and movable forward of the circuit module while the latter remains fully installed, second guide means for constraining said terminal assembly to move bodily between said operative position and a position projecting forward of said circuit module when the latter is in its operating position, said terminal assembly including plural screw terminals accessible for wiring while the terminal assembly is in its forward position, means for connecting at least some of said screw terminals to said circuit module, and releasable means for holding said terminal assembly stably in its forward position to facilitate wiring the screw terminals.
Specification