Patent ID: 6285564
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: H05K,Y10T

Abstract:
A retainer assembly adapted to attach to a panel wherein the panel is reversibly mountable within a housing slot, the retainer assembly comprising:a) an elongated guide rail, the guide rail comprising a slot abutment wall having a continuous external surface and an opposed internal surface;b) an expansion assembly comprising a forward wall and a rearward wall, the forward wall being spaced apart from the rearward wall by a width, the forward wall being disposed proximate to the internal surface of the guide rail;c) the rearward wall of the expansion assembly including means for attaching the rear wall in abutment with a panel; andd) an expansion actuator for alternatively expanding and contracting the width between the forward wall and the rearward wall of the expansion assembly;whereby, when the retainer assembly is attached to a panel with the rearward wall of the expansion assembly disposed in abutment with the panel and when the panel is disposed within a housing slot with the external surface of the guide rail disposed proximate to the housing slot, the panel can be firmly retained within the housing slot by expanding the width between the forward wall and the rearward wall of the expansion assembly until the external surface of the slot abutment wall of the guide rail is pressed tightly against the housing slot.