Rack-mounted module access

A modular electronic circuit is described wherein circuit boards extending across the width of circuit module are removable through an access opening substantially coextensive with the front face of the module. A hinge component for mounting an access door and a grip for extracting a module from a mounting rack is also described.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to modular assemblies for housing electronic circuitry, and is particularly concerned with an assembly wherein a supporting structure or rack may receive one or more electronic modules, and wherein each module comprises a housing containing a number of circuit boards which are removable from the housing through an access door.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In a rack-mounted modular circuit device, individual circuit boards may be made removable from a circuit module by providing the module with a removable access panel or an openable door on the front face of the module, and configuring the interior of the module housing with a number of guides for accepting circuit boards so that the boards may be slid into and out of the module through the access opening.

Rack-mounted modules are also conventionally provided with side flanges adjacent their front face, for securing the modules in place in the supporting structure or rack. The modules are provided with runners along their side surfaces which cooperate with guides in the rack so that the module may be slid horizontally into the rack until the side flanges at its front face contact uprights of the rack to prevent further rearward movement. The side flanges may then be attached to the uprights to secure the module in place. The modules are also conventionally provided with handles on their front faces, to enable the modules to be slid into and removed from the rack. Since the handles are required to be mounted to the module structure itself, the handles are conventionally placed at end regions of the front face of the module, so that the area between the handles is available for the provision of access doors. The provision of fixed areas of the front face of the module for the mounting of handles however results in areas of the interior of the module adjacent the side walls being inaccessible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide rack-mounted electronics modules wherein one or more hinged access doors are openable to afford substantially uninterrupted access to the entire width of the interior of the module.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a modular assembly for housing electronic circuitry comprises a supporting structure or rack, and a number of electronics modules mountable to the rack by engaging runners on the modules with horizontal guides in the rack. At least one of the modules comprises a housing having a front face which is accessible when the module is mounted to the rack, and at least one access opening extending substantially over the entire area of the front face of the module. An access door may be mounted to the module to cover the opening.

Further aspects of the invention provide a module, and a hinge assembly for an access door of an electronics module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now toFIG. 1, there is shown a modular assembly1comprising a supporting structure or rack2containing two modules3, the modules3being mounted one above the other. While the assembly1comprises two modules3, it will be understood that the supporting structure2may be constructed to receive a column of three or more modules, and may further or alternatively be constructed to receive two or more columns of modules in side-by-side arrangement, each column comprising a plurality of modules.

Each module3has a pair of access doors4covering an opening extending across the entire width of its front face. Within each module3are housed a plurality of circuit boards5, on which are mounted circuit components6. The circuit boards5are received in guides within the modules3, so that a faulty circuit board5may be slid out of the module3through the front face of the module, and a replacement circuit board may be mounted to the module3in the thus vacated slot.

In order to provide efficient use of space within each module3, circuit boards5are mounted across the entire width of the module. In order to provide for circuit boards5mounted adjacent the side faces of the module3to be readily removable, the access doors4of the module3must be moveable to an open position in which the access door does not obstruct the opening in the front face of the module3.

This is achieved in the embodiment shown inFIG. 1by placing the hinge axis for the access door4at a position outboard of the side face of the module3. The effect of this placement of the hinge axis is that when the access door is opened to or beyond ninety degrees from its closed position, no part of the access door4remains in front of the opening in the front face of the module3to obstruct the removal of circuit boards5therethrough.

FIGS. 2to5show the hinge assembly for the access door4in greater detail. InFIG. 2, there is shown a detail view of the hinge assembly mounted to an electronics module3. In this embodiment, the hinge is incorporated into a side flange component, and also provides a handle for withdrawing the module3from a rack.

Referring in detail toFIG. 2, the hinge assembly comprises a side piece10which is fixed to the side face3aof the module3. The side piece10comprises a mounting flange10awhich is secured to the module3by means of fasteners11. Extending perpendicularly to the mounting flange10ais a side flange10bwhich is positioned so as to be substantially co-planar with the front face of the module3, and to extend laterally away from the front face of the module.

On the side flange10bupper and lower gudgeons are provided extending forwardly from the side flange10b. The gudgeons12aand12bhave aligned circular bores13aand13bdefining a pivot axis P.

Situated on the side flange10bbetween the gudgeons12aand12bis a handle formation14which is generally channel-like, with the open side of the channel facing outwardly relative to the module3.

To secure the door4to the module, the outer side edge of the door4is provided with pintles15aand15bto engage the gudgeons12aand12b. Each of the pintles15a,15bcomprises a mounting element16and a pivot pin17. The mounting elements16are fixed to the edge of the door4by means of fasteners such as screws, bolts, rivets, threaded studs, or the like. The pivot pins17are so dimensioned as to be receivable within the bores13a,13bof the gudgeons. In the arrangement shown, the weight of the door will be supported by the lower face of the mounting element16of the lower pintle15bengaging the upper face of the lower gudgeon12b.

FIGS. 3 and 4show sectional views of the hinge assembly taken along the lines III—III and IV—IV respectively, of FIG.2. InFIG. 3, the semicircular channel-section handle14is seen facing away from the door4. A similar handle14is provided at the opposite side of the module, and to remove the module from the rack a user places his fingers in the recess14aof the handle14and pulls the module forwardly out of the rack.

InFIG. 4, the door4is shown in solid lines in its closed position and in broken lines in its opened position, rotated through ninety degrees from the closed position.

It will be appreciated that, with the door4in the position shown in broken lines inFIG. 4, the entire width of the module3is accessible from the front face. The positioning of the gudgeons12a,12bplaces the pivot axis P outboard of the open front face of the module3, so that when the door is opened the entire front face is unobstructed.

Referring toFIG. 5, the side piece10is shown in more detail. In this embodiment, the side piece10is an integral component with the mounting flange10a, side flange10b, gudgeons12and handle14produced from a single extruded section whose cross-sectional shape is most clearly shown in FIG.4. The gudgeons12are separated from the handle14by milling away the material of the extruded section, and the handle14is shaped by removing the portion14bshown in phantom lines in FIG.5.

In an alternative embodiment, the side piece may be formed from sheet metal, by folding a sheet to form an “L” section strip, the gudgeons and hand grip being struck from one flange of the “L” section strip.

In the embodiments described, the pintles15are mounted with their pivot pins17extending away from each other. It will be appreciated that the gudgeons12aand12bmay be formed inboard from the upper and lower ends of the extruded section so that the pintles15may be mounted to the door4with their pivot pins17extending towards each other and engaging respective gudgeons12. In such a structure, the weight of the door will be supported by the lower face of the mounting element16of the upper pintle engaging the upper face of the upper gudgeon12a.

The pintles15may be formed from metal, or from hard plastics material such as nylon or acetal. The extruded section forming the mounting flange10a, side flange10b, gudgeons12and handle14may be of plastics material or may be of metal such as aluminium.

In the embodiment shown the gudgeons12ado not completely enclose the bores13a,13bbut have an open arc of approximately ninety degrees. This open arc may be adjusted so that the pintles17may be introduced into the bore13afrom the open side of the bore, by snap-engagement. This will involve removal of less material from the extruded section, since the clearance between the handle14and the gudgeons12need only be sufficient to accommodate the mounting element16of the pintle15. If the pivot pin17is to be introduced into the gudgeon12in the axial direction of the pin, the clearance between the handle14and the gudgeon12will have to be at least equal to the combined axial length of the pivot pin17and the mounting element16of the pintle15. It will be readily appreciated that when the pivot pins17of the pintles15are mounted to the gudgeons12by inserting them in the axial direction, the pivot pins must first be inserted into their respective gudgeons before the mounting elements16are both fixed to the door4.

While the hinge comprises two gudgeons and two pintles in the above-described embodiments, it is to be understood that a single gudgeon may be provided on the hinge component to cooperate with a single pintle on the door.

In a further alternative embodiment, the pintles15may be replaced by elements in which a mounting portion16has a bore corresponding to the bore13of the gudgeon. The mounting portions may then be attached to the door4, and offered up into spaces between the gudgeons12and handle14, and pivot pins may then be inserted through the gudgeons12into the bores in the mounting elements to complete the connection. With such an arrangement, fixing elements such as grub screws may be provided to retain the pivot pins axially in position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the circuit boards5within the module3are arranged in vertical planes. It is to be understood that the circuit boards may alternatively be arranged to extend in horizontal planes from side to side within the housing to be removable through the open front face of the housing. In a further alternative arrangement, the module may comprises one or more principal circuit boards or “motherboards” mounted to the housing and oriented in vertical or horizontal planes, with one or more subsidiary or “daughter” boards mounted to the motherboards and oriented in horizontal or vertical planes, respectively.

When the circuit boards are mounted in horizontal planes, the space within the module is utilised to its fullest extent since the circuit boards can extend over the entire width of the module, but may still be removed and replaced through the front face of the module.