A container for electronic equipment

Abstract: The container includes a flat cover (14) and a dish-like body (12) which has a plurality of catch projections (18) on opposite side walls (12a). The cover (14) has a plurality of resilient appendages (26) on two opposed portions (14a) of its periphery for engaging the corresponding catch projections (18) of the dish-like body (12) in order to clamp the cover (14) to the body (12).

Description: The present invention relates to a container, particularly for electronic equipment, of the type including a dish-like body and a flat cover. It is particularly important to be able to remove the cover of such a container quickly. Moreover, in order to protect the electronic equipment therein, the container must be sealed perfectly against external agents. In order to achieve these objects, the dish-like body of the container according to the invention has a plurality of catch projections on opposite side walls, and the cover has a plurality of resilient appendages on two opposed portions of its periphery for engaging the corresponding catch projections of the dish-like body in order to clamp the cover to the body. An annular seal of elastomeric material is preferably interposed between the dish-like body and the cover. By virtue of these characteristics, the cover can repeatedly be removed and replaced quickly by virtue of the resilient engagement between the catch projections of the dish-like body and the resilient appendages of the cover. The catch projections of the dish-like body preferably have sloping portions for cooperating with the resilient appendages of the cover as the flat cover slides relative to the dish-like body so as to compress the annular seal resiliently. The annular seal is therefore squashed uniformly, thus ensuring that the container is closed hermetically. Moreover, the cover is not damaged when it is removed and can therefore be reused. Further advantages and characteristics of the container according to the invention will become clear from the detailed description which follows purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a container according to the invention, Figures 2-4 are side views of the container showing the fitting of the cover, and Figure 5 is a section taken on the line V-V of Figure 4. With reference to the drawings, a metal container for electronic components, generally indicated 10, includes a quadrangular dish-like aluminium body 12, a flat sheet-metal cover 14 and an annular seal 16 of elastomeric material which is interposed between the body 12 and the cover 14 and fitted in an annular groove 16a in a flat edge B of the body 12. The body 12 has two opposed, parallel flat walls 12a from which six shaped external catch projections 18 project outwardly in opposed pairs adjacent the edge B. Each catch projection 18 is integral with the dish-like body 12, is substantially parallelepipedal and, on its side which faces away from the edge B, defines a surface S including a sloping surface portion 18a and a flat portion 18b which is parallel to the plane in which the cover 14 lies on the edge B of the body 12. A third side wall 12b of the dish-like body 12 has an auxiliary catch projection 20 adjacent the edge B and a fourth wall 12c has a projection 22 with a threaded hole 24, the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to a base wall 12d of the dish-like body 12. The flat cover 14 has two parallel sides 14a which correspond to the parallel sides 12a of the dish-like body 12 and have L-shaped resilient appendages 26, each defining a first portion 26a substantially perpendicular to the plane of the cover and a second portion 26b which has a substantially open, circular cross-section and is adapted to act as a resilient element, as will become clear from the following description. A third side 14b of the cover 14 has an auxiliary resilient appendage 28 substantially similar to the appendages 26 and a fourth side 14c of the cover 14 has an appendage 30 which is disposed in the plane of the cover and has a through-hole 30a. The appendages 26 which project from the plane of the cover 14, and the auxiliary appendage 28, are disposed on the cover 14 in positions corresponding to those of the catch projections 18 and of the auxiliary catch projection 20 of the dish-like body 12, respectively. The cover 14 can thus be fitted on the dish-like body 12 quickly according to the sequence shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. In a first step (Figure 2), the resilient appendages 26 are inserted in the spaces between the catch projections 18 so that the flat portion of the cover 14, indicated 14d in the drawings, can contact the annular seal 16 fitted in the groove 16a of the dish-like body 12. When this configuration (shown in Figure 3) has been achieved, it suffices to push the cover 14 in the direction indicated by the arrow so that the resilient portions 26b of the appendages 26 cooperate with the sloping portions 18a of the surfaces S of the catch projections 18. The relative sliding between the cover and the dish-like body thus squashes the seal 16 progressively until the six portions 26b of the appendages 26 abut the surface portions 18b of the catch projections 18 and the auxiliary appendage 28 abuts the corresponding auxiliary catch projection 20 (Figure 4). In this operative configuration, the maximum squashing of the annular seal 16 and the best seal against external agents are achieved. In order to prevent the cover 14 from being opened accidentally, it may be fixed to the dish-like body 12 by a screw 32 inserted through the hole 30a in the appendage 30 of the cover 14 and screwed into the threaded hole 24 in the body 12. In order to remove the cover 14 quickly, it suffices to remove the screw 32 and repeat the steps described in reverse.

Claims: A container, particularly for electronic equipment, of the type including a dish-like body (12) and a flat cover (14), characterised in that the dish-like body (12) has a plurality of catch projections (18) on opposite side walls (12a), and in that the cover (14) has a plurality of resilient appendages (26) on two opposed portions (14a) of its periphery for engaging the corresponding catch projections (18) of the dish-like body (12) in order to clamp the cover (14) to the body (12). A container according to Claim 1, characterised in that an annular seal (16) of elastomeric material is interposed between the dish-like body (12) and the cover (14). A container according to Claim 2, characterised in that the catch projections (18) of the dish-like body (12) have sloping portions (18a) for cooperating with the resilient appendages (26, 26b) of the cover (14) as the cover (14) slides relative to the dish-like body (12) in order to squash the annular seal (16) resiliently. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the catch projections (18) are disposed on opposed parallel side walls (12a) of the dish-like body (12) and in that the body (12) has at least one auxiliary catch projection (20) on a third side wall (12b) perpendicular to the opposed walls (12a) for cooperating with an auxiliary resilient appendage (28) on the cover (14). A container according to Claim 2, characterised in that each catch projection (18) of the dish-like body (12) is disposed in correspondence with an edge region (B) of the body (12) and has a surface (S) which faces away from the cover (14) and includes a flat portion (18a), which is inclined to the plane in which the cover (14) lies, and is connected to a flat portion (18b) parallel to that plane. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each resilient appendage (26) of the cover (14) is substantially L-shaped and defines a first portion (26a) perpendicular to the cover (14) and a second, bent, resilient portion (26b). A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that screw-and-thread clamping means (32, 30, 30a, 24, 22) are interposed between the cover (14) and the dish-like body (12).

Inventors: VETTORETTO RUFFINO, VETTORETTO, RUFFINO
Applicants: MARELLI AUTRONICA, MARELLI AUTRONICA S.P.A.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65D43
IPC codes: H05K13, H01L21, B65D43