Electronic equipment module apparatus and method

• US 6,927,983 B1
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited), Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Rollheiser, Paul J., Klein, Jared S., Beseth, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E.
• Application Number:
  US10/746,740
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 361728-731, 361/752, 361/785, 361/786, 361/788, 361/796, 361/797, 174/50, 211/41.17, 439/680, 439/681
• US Class Current: 361/796
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1412 hold down mechanisms, e.g. avionic racks

Abstract

An electronic equipment module includes a symmetrical casting with two chassis units. Each unit includes a mounting recess to receive a circuit assembly, separated by a cover applied to either unit, or both. The module is normally mounted to a unit rack, and typically has a removably attachable, re-orientable keyed surface which mates with another keyed surface on the rack. A mounting system includes a unit rack coupled to at least one electronic equipment module and a mounting frame. A method of mounting an electronic equipment module includes inserting the module into an open end of a unit rack, electrically coupling connectors attached to the module and the rack, securing the module to the rack, and attaching the rack to a mounting frame. The module can be secured to the rack by engaging a cam lever attached to the module.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first removable re-orientable keyed surface to mount to a face of an electronic equipment module;

a second removably re-orientable keyed surface to mount to a rack and to engage the first removably re-orientable keyed surface; and

wherein the removably re-orientable keyed surfaces are not located within a connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first removably re-orientable keyed surface is constructed as a shape selected from a circle, an equilateral triangle, a square, and a hexagon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting fastener to attach the first removably re-orientable keyed surface to the face.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-symmetric protrusion coupled to the first removably re-orientable keyed surface, and to be received by the second removably re-orientable keyed surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a symmetric protrusion coupled to the first removably re-orientable keyed surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first removably re-orientable keyed surface is a mirror image of the second removably re-orientable keyed surface.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic equipment module;

a first removably re-orientable keyed surface to mount to a face of the electronic equipment module and to engage a second removably re-orientable keyed surface to mount to a rack;

wherein the electronic equipment module includes a connector opening located on the face;

wherein a connector is mounted in the connector opening; and

wherein the first removably re-orientable keyed surface is not located within the connector.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electronic equipment module further comprises:

a mounting recess to receive a circuit assembly;

an exterior surface bounded by a perimeter; and

a cover to attach to the perimeter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuit assembly includes monitoring circuitry.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the monitoring circuitry includes engine monitoring circuitry.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the monitoring circuitry includes airframe monitoring circuitry.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the monitoring circuitry includes a data acquisition system.

13. A system, comprising:

a mounting frame to mount to a mounting surface;

a plurality of electronic equipment modules, wherein at least one of the electronic equipment modules includes a first chassis unit having a mounting recess to receive a circuit assembly, and a first removably re-orientable keyed surface to mount to a face of the at least one of the electronic equipment modules; and

a unit rack to couple to the at least one of the electronic equipment modules and to the mounting frame, wherein the unit rack includes a second removably re-orientable keyed surface to engage the first removably re-orientable keyed surface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mounting surface includes a cockpit instrument panel.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the electronic equipment modules further comprises:

a second chassis unit to removably attach to the first chassis unit.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a cover to attach to the first chassis unit and to be disposed between the first chassis unit and the second chassis unit when the second chassis unit is removably attached to the first chassis unit.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second chassis unit is identical to the first chassis unit.

18. A method, comprising:

inserting an electronic equipment module into an open end of a unit rack, wherein the electronic equipment module includes a first removably re-orientable keyed surface to mount to a face of the electronic equipment module and to engage a second removably re-orientable keyed surface attached to the unit rack; and

mating the first removably re-orientable keyed surface to the second removably re-orientable keyed surface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

securing the electronic equipment module to the unit rack.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein securing the electronic equipment module to the unit rack includes:

rotating a cam lever rotatably attached to the electronic equipment module into an engaged position from a non-engaged position.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

attaching the unit rack to a mounting frame.