Lockable latch and switch actuator assembly for a circuit card

• US 6,266,248 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Liang, Hanas, Christopher PJ
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US09/436,852
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 361/752, 361/800, 361/801, 361/802, 361/816, 361/818, 361/754, 361/759, 361/756, 439/116-120, 439/136, 439/137, 243/66, 243/71, 243/13, 242/94
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1409 by lever-type mechanisms

Abstract

A lockable latch and switch actuator assembly for a circuit card includes a spring clip having a slot cooperating with a tab on a latch handle to lock the latch in its closed position. A release portion on the spring clip may be pushed to release the tab from the slot and unlock the latch. The other end of the spring clip is formed with an actuating portion which engages the actuator of a proximity switch mounted to the circuit card when the latch is in its locked position. This actuating portion is spring loaded so that when the latch is released from the locked position, the latch is pushed to an ajar position from which it can be moved to its fully open position.

Claims

1. A faceplate assembly including a printed circuit card insertable into a shelf unit, the circuit card including a switch having an actuator movable to a predetermined position when the circuit card is fully inserted in the shelf unit, the assembly comprising:

a bracket member secured to an edge of the circuit card;

a latch member pivotably mounted relative to the circuit card, the latch member having a latch hook portion adjacent the circuit card and engagable with cooperating structure of the shelf unit to releasably retain the circuit card within the shelf unit, and the latch member further having a handle portion extending through a first opening of the bracket member and terminated by a user engagable portion to allow a user to pivot the latch member; and

a resilient clip secured to the bracket member, the clip having a first portion engagable with the latch member handle portion to yieldably bias the latch member toward a position where the latch hook portion is disengaged from the shelf unit cooperating structure, and the clip having a second portion extending through a second opening of the bracket member to engage the switch actuator and move the switch actuator to the predetermined position when the latch member is pivoted to a position where the latch hook portion engages the shelf unit cooperating structure.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

the user engagable portion of the latch member further includes a tab having a distal end extending away from the pivotable mounting of the latch member; and

the clip further includes a retainer portion having an abutment for holding the latch member tab when the latch member is pivoted to the position where the latch hook portion engages the shelf unit cooperating structure.

3. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein the clip is formed with an opening, with a peripheral edge of the clip opening functioning as the abutment.

4. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein the clip further includes a user engagable resilient release portion extending away from the bracket member and arranged to release the latch member tab from the clip abutment when the release portion is moved toward the bracket member.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the distal end of the latch member tab is formed as a camming surface to move the clip retainer portion to allow the tab to pass the abutment as the latch member is pivoted to the position where the latch hook portion engages the shelf unit cooperating structure.

6. A lockable latch assembly for a printed circuit card insertable into a shelf unit, the assembly comprising:

a bracket member secured to an edge of the circuit card;

a latch member pivotably mounted relative to the circuit card, the latch member having a latch hook portion adjacent the circuit card and engagable with cooperating structure of the shelf unit to releasably retain the circuit card within the shelf unit, and the latch member further having a handle portion extending through a first opening of the bracket member and terminated by a user engagable portion to allow a user to pivot the latch member, wherein the user engagable portion of the latch member includes a tab having a distal end extending away from the pivotable mounting of the latch member; and

a resilient clip secured to the bracket member, the clip having a retainer portion including an abutment for holding the latch member tab when the latch member is pivoted to the position where the latch hook portion engages the shelf unit cooperating structure.

7. The assembly according to claim 6 wherein the clip is formed with an opening, with a peripheral edge of the clip opening functioning as the abutment.

8. The assembly according to claim 6 wherein the clip further includes a user engagable resilient release portion extending away from, the bracket member and arranged to release the latch member tab from the clip abutment when the release portion is moved toward the bracket member.

9. The assembly according to claim 8 wherein the distal end of the latch member tab is formed as a camming surface to move the clip retainer portion to allow the tab to pass the abutment as the latch member is pivoted to the position where the latch hook portion engages the shelf unit cooperating structure.