Frame unit for electronic communication devices

This application discloses a frame unit for communication and other electronic devices including a pair of parallel side plates interconnected by upper and lower guide rails extending between and perpendicular to the side plates, and a plurality of guide members which are secured to the guide rails and which are adapted to guide therealong printed boards on which circuit elements of an electronic device are provided. The application also discloses a frame device composed of a number of such frame units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a frame unit for communication and other 
electronic devices, and also to a frame device constructed by a number of 
such frame units. 
A known conventional frame device for electronic communication devices is 
usually composed of a number of communication device units which are laid 
one on another in and secured to a single main frame. Each communication 
device unit includes a box-like casing in which are arranged and held a 
number of equidistantly spaced printed circuit boards which are provided 
with circuit elements of an electronic communication device thereon. Each 
communication device unit is secured to the main frame by means of set 
screws which are inserted in holes formed in flange portions of the casing 
and in holes formed in the main frame, corresponding to the first 
mentioned holes of the casing. After the installation of a predetermined 
number of communication device units in the main frame, necessary wiring 
of the units is effected with the help of cables, wires or the like, in 
accordance with the arrangement of the units. Further, the provision of 
heat radiation openings on at least a ceiling plate and a bottom plate of 
the casing is required for radiation of heat from the printed circuit 
boards into the atmosphere. Furthermore, in the above mentioned type of 
known frame device, when an increase of the capacity of the electronic 
communication device is expected in the future, it is necessary to prepare 
in advance a larger main frame having extra space in which additional 
communication device units, necessary to satisfy the requirement of the 
increase of the capacity, can be installed. On the other hand, once the 
size of the main frame is determined, the main frame is not adaptable to 
an optional increase of the capacity of the device, i.e., an optional 
increase of the number of units. Still further, since no conventional 
frame device is adaptable to different combinations or arrangements of the 
units, it is necessary to prepare a number of frame devices, the number of 
which corresponds to the number of the combinations or arrangements, 
resulting in various modifications of the arrangement of the wiring. This 
makes it difficult to make the wiring arrangement uniform. Furthermore, 
due to the fact that each unit includes a box-like casing, which is, in 
turn, installed in a main frame, the device is relatively large and heavy 
on the whole, and accordingly, is inconvenient, particularly when it is 
transported. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a frame unit which can 
be constructed without the provision of such a main frame. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a frame unit which can be 
freely and optionally constructed and assembled. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a frame unit which 
makes it possible to increase the capacity of the frame device. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a uniform frame unit. 
According to the invention, there is provided a frame unit for electronic 
communication devices comprising a pair of spaced parallel side plates 
which are interconnected by means of upper and lower guide rails extending 
between and perpendicular to the side plates, both ends of said guide 
rails projecting out of the side plates, and a plurality of guide members 
which are secured to the guide rails and which are adapted to guide 
therealong printed boards on which circuit elements of an electronic 
communication device are provided, when the printed boards are inserted 
into and out of the frame unit, said guide members being spaced a 
predetermined distance from one another between and parallel to the side 
plates. 
Further, according to the invention, there is also provided a frame device 
composed of a number of the above mentioned type frame units, in a matrix 
arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
The invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the 
preferred embodiments presented below, with reference to the accompanying 
drawings. 
A frame unit 1 according to the invention includes a pair of parallel side 
plates 3a and 3b, and three pairs of U shaped upper and lower guide rails 
5a, 5b; 7a, 7b; and 9a, 9b (FIG. 1). The upper guide rails 5a, 7a and 9a 
have a U shaped guide channel of the same width L.sub.1 while the lower 
guide rails 5b, 7b and 9b have a U shaped guide channel of the same width 
L.sub.2 (FIG. 2B). The width L.sub.1 is different from the width L.sub.2. 
In the illustrated embodiment, L.sub.2 is larger than L.sub.1 (L.sub.2 
&gt;L.sub.1), but L.sub.2 may be smaller than L.sub.1. It is important that 
the widths L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 are not equal to each other. The outer 
dimension of the smaller guide rail must be substantially equal to or 
slightly less than the inner dimension of the other guide rail, so that 
former guide rail can be fitted in latter guide rail. Preferably, the 
guide rails 9a, 9b and 7a, 7b have the same length, which is slightly 
longer than the distance between the two side plates 3a and 3b, so that 
the two ends of each of these guide rails project outward from the side 
plates. Although the intermediate guide rails 5a and 5b may be of same 
length as the guide rails 9a, 9b and 7a, 7b, they preferably have the same 
length as the distance between the two side plates 3a, 3b for the purpose 
mentioned hereinafter. The number of pairs of upper and lower guide rails 
is not limited to three, and a pair, two pairs or more than three pairs of 
guide rails may be provided. Essentially, only one pair of upper and lower 
guide rails is necessary. Each of the guide rails can be secured to the 
side plates 3a and 3b, for example, by means of set screws (not shown). 
Between the side plates 3a and 3b, are arranged pairs of upper and lower 
guide members 11a and 11b, which extend parallel to the side plates. The 
guide members 11a and 11b are secured to the guide rails 5a, 7a and 9a, 
and 5b, 7b and 9b, respectively. Pairs of guide members 11a, 11b are 
spaced at a predetermined distance. The number of pairs of guide members 
corresponds to the number of printed circuit boards 10 which are to be 
guided along the guide members. Each of the guide members 11a and 11b is 
also in the form of a U shaped guide rail in the illustrated embodiment. 
The printed circuit boards 10 are guided by and slide in a corresponding 
pair of guide rails 11a and 11b when the printed circuit boards 10 are 
inserted in and out of the unit 1. The printed circuit boards 10 are 
provided with predetermined circuit elements, such as electronic circuit 
components (not shown). 
As can be seen from FIGS. 2A and 2B, the projecting ends of each of the 
guide rails 7b and 9b are provided with mounting holes 15b (one of which 
is shown in FIG. 2A), while the projecting ends of each of the guide rails 
7a and 9a are provided with mounting holes in the form of threaded holes 
15a (one of which is shown in FIG. 2B) corresponding to the holes 15b. 
When fixtures, such as set screws 17b, are inserted in the mounting holes 
15b and screwed in the threaded holes 15b, two adjacent upper and lower 
units 1 are immovably connected together. That is, in order to 
interconnect two vertically adjacent units 1, which are laid one on top of 
the other, the upper unit is put on the lower unit in such a way that the 
upper guide rails 5a, 7a and 9a of the lower unit are fitted in the lower 
guide rails 5b, 7b and 9b of the upper unit, respectively. After that, the 
four set screws 17b are inserted in the four mounting holes 15b of the 
upper unit and screwed in the four threaded holes 15a of the lower unit, 
so that the two units can be rigidly interconnected at four points. The 
above mentioned operation can be repeated every time a unit is laid on the 
lower unit to form a frame device which is constructed of a plurality of 
units successively laid on one another. It should be noted that spaces 13 
defined between the guide rails 11a and between the guide rails 11b serve 
as heat radiation openings through which heat from the printed circuit 
boards 10 radiates into the atmosphere. 
In FIG. 3 are illustrated frame units which are also electrically 
independent of one another. In FIG. 3, each frame unit further includes a 
back panel 21 which is secured to the rear portions of the side plates 3a 
and 3b. On the front face of the back panel 21 are provided a group of 
connectors (not shown), with which are engaged, in plug-in manner, 
connectors (not shown) provided on the rear portions of the printed 
circuit boards 10. Each back panel 21 is also provided, on its rear or 
back face, with a group of connectors 23 to which other connectors (not 
shown) are to be connected. A part or all of the connectors 23 can be 
connected, if necessary, to connectors 27 provided on one of the ends of 
cables or leads 25, which have at their other ends connectors 29, which 
are in turn secured to the outer side faces of the side plates 3a and 3b. 
The connectors 23, 27 and 29, may be female connectors or male connectors. 
The units 1 are thus electrically separated from one another. The 
electrical connection between the electrically independent units 1 can be 
established, for example, by means of connection cables 33, each having, 
at both ends, connectors 31. The units 1 can be also connected to an 
external apparatus (not shown) by means of connection cables 37 having 
connectors 35. 
The projecting ends of the guide rails 7a, 7b, 9a, 9b provide a lateral 
gap, between two laterally adjacent units which are interconnected in the 
horizontal direction. Due to the presence of the lateral gap between two 
laterally adjacent units, the connectors 29 can be also provided on the 
outer side faces of the side plates 3a and 3b. Due to the fact that the 
intermediate guide rails 5a and 5b have no projecting end, that is, the 
length thereof is substantially equal to the distance between the two side 
plates 3a and 3b, the connectors 35 can be easily connected to the 
corresponding connectors 29 and the connection cables 37 can pass through 
spaces defined between the projecting ends of upper guide rails 9a and 7a, 
and between the projecting ends of lower guide rails 9b and 7b, 
respectively. 
In FIG. 4, which illustrates a modification of FIG. 3, each of the side 
plates is in the form of a frame plate 3a' having a rectangular opening 
41. Flexible flat cables 25' connected at their one end to the connectors 
23 provided on the back panel 21 extend through the openings 41. 
Preferably, on the frame plate 3a' there are provided guide plates 45 
secured thereto for guiding the flexible flat cables 25' in order to 
prevent the cables 45 from undesirably hanging down. Each of the flexible 
cables 45 is provided, at its two ends, with a connector (not shown) 
similar to the connector 27 (FIG. 3) and a connector 29' (FIG. 4). The 
frame plate 3a' is provided with a connector mounting plate 47, which is 
slidably guided by guide plates 43 secured to the frame plate 3a'. 
Connector mounting plate 47, which has a substantially L-shaped cross 
section, includes flange portion 47a which can be withdrawn to the 
position shown by the dot and dash line in FIG. 4. That is, the stop 49 
limits the outward movement of the plate 47, so that the plate 47 can be 
prevented from accidentally coming out from the frame plate 3a' during the 
outward movement of the plate 47. On the two faces of each of the 
connector mounting plates 47 there are provided groups of connectors (not 
shown). The connectors provided on the inner face of the plate 47 are 
connected to the connectors 29' of the cables 25' and the connectors 
provided on the outer face of the plate 47 are connected in a plug-in 
manner, for example, to connectors 35 of connection cables 37 to be 
connected to an external apparatus (not shown). Although the above 
discussion has been directed only to the plate 3a', of the two side 
plates, it is, of course, adaptable to the other side plate (not shown). 
According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, connections and 
disconnections between the connectors provided on the connector mounting 
plates 47, and the connectors 29' and/or 35, can be more easily effected 
in comparison with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, in which such 
operations must be effected in the limited space between two laterally 
adjacent units. This is because the plates 47 can be drawn outward from 
the respective side plates in the first mentioned embodiment when the 
connecting and disconnecting operations mentioned above are effected. 
When a number of units 1 are connected horizontally, coupling members 51, 
as illustrated in FIG. 6, can be used. The coupling member 51 may be a 
strip having a U shaped cross section. The inner width of the U shaped 
channel of the coupling member 51 is substantially equal to or slightly 
larger than the outer width of the U shaped channel of the guide rails 7b, 
9b, so that the guide rails 7b or 9b can be fitted into the coupling 
member 51. The coupling member 51 has two mounting holes 53, 53 
corresponding to the mounting holes 15b, 15b of the guide rails 7b, 7b or 
9b, 9b of the two horizontally adjacent units 1, as shown in FIG. 6. 
Four frame units, comprising two horizontally adjacent upper units and two 
horizontally adjacent lower units, on which the two upper units are laid, 
can be rigidly interconnected to one another by means of the coupling 
members 51, in such a way that the lower guide rails 5b, 7b, 9b of the 
upper units 1, which are aligned in a horizontal direction are engaged 
with the corresponding upper guide rails 5a, 7a, 9a of the lower units 1, 
which are similarly aligned in a horizontal direction. After that the 
coupling members 51 are disposed on the adjacent and horizontally aligned 
lower rails 9b, 9b and 7b, 7b of the upper units, in which are fitted the 
upper rails 9a, 9a and 7a, 7a of the lower units, respectively. Finally, 
set screws 55 are inserted into the holes 53 of the coupling members 51 
and in the holes 15b of the lower rails 9b and 7b, and are then screwed in 
the threaded holes 15a of the upper rails 9a and 7a. It will be noted 
that each hole 53, 15b and 15a is aligned in a vertical direction. By 
repeating the above mentioned operation, a predetermined number of units 
can be assembled in a matrix arrangement to form a finished frame device 
as shown in FIG. 5. 
A frame device may be assembled, for example, on a base 2 (FIGS. 1 and 5) 
or a box (not shown) in which an electric power unit (not shown) is 
installed. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a cabinet (not 
shown) in which a frame device is housed to protect it from dust or the 
like. 
As will be apparent from the above discussion, according to the invention, 
since a communication device unit itself constitutes a frame device unit, 
and since a number of frame device units can be directly and easily 
assembled to form a frame device, the disadvantages mentioned above can be 
eliminated. Furthermore, according to the invention, frame device units 
can be electrically independent from one another and electrical 
connections between the units can be easily effected in an optional 
arrangement.