Patent ID: 9727127
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: G06F,H01R,H04Q,H05K

Claim:
1. A network device comprising: a mounting rail of the network device having at least a pair of opposed mounting locations on opposite sides of the mounting rail, each of the mounting locations defined by one or more device reference locators that define a mounting direction relative to that mounting location, and each mounting location including a device connector attached to a device printed circuit board (PCB) and positioned to have a device connecting direction parallel to the mounting direction of that mounting location, wherein the mounting direction for each of the opposed mounting locations on the opposite sides of the mounting rail is towards that side of the mounting rail, wherein the mounting directions of the opposed mounting locations are in opposite directions from one another; at least one module for mounting to one of the mounting locations, wherein the module includes corresponding one or more module reference locators each adapted to engage one of the one or more device reference locators when the module is positioned to be mounted to the one of the mounting locations, and wherein the module includes a module connector electrically attached to a module PCB and positioned to have a module connecting direction parallel to the mounting direction of the one of the mounting locations; wherein the module connector and the device connector are positioned such that when the one or more module reference locators are each engaged with the corresponding one or more device reference locators of the one of the mounting locations, and the module is advanced in the mounting direction of the one of the mounting locations towards the one of the mounting locations, the module connector and the device connector connect as the module mounts to the one of the mounting locations to connect the module to the mounting rail of the network device, wherein the device connector of each of the opposed mounting locations is attached to the device PCB with the device connecting direction approximately orthogonal to a surface of the device PCB, wherein the module connector is attached to the module PCB with the module connecting direction approximately orthogonal to a surface of the module PCB, and wherein each of the mounting directions of the opposed mounting locations is approximately orthogonal to the surface of the device PCB and the surface of the module PCB when the one or more module reference locators are each engaged with the corresponding one or more device reference locators.