Patent Publication Number: US-2017357071-A1

Title: Deformable latch mechanism for tray

Description:
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/347,162 filed on Jun. 8, 2016 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a deformable latch mechanism for tray. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     The prior art discloses sliding trays including a latch mechanism which can be engaged and disengaged to selectively allow the tray to be held or to slide. One drawback is that these mechanisms are only accessible from the front of the tray. As such, there is a need for a latch mechanism which can be actuated equally from both the front and the back of the tray. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to address the above and other drawbacks there is provided an optic fiber equipment comprising an equipment housing configured for mounting in a 19″ rack, the housing defining a front opening and a rear opening opposite the front opening, a tray disposed within the housing and slideable between a first position where at least a portion of the tray extends in front of the front opening and a second position wherein the tray is positioned between the front opening and the rear opening, and a latch mechanism for retaining the tray in a selected one of the first position and the second position. The latch mechanism comprises two notches arranged on an inner surface of the housing along an axis parallel to a direction of travel of the tray, one of the notches corresponding to a respective one of the first position and the second position, an elongate actuator on the tray and opposite the inner surface, the actuator comprising a first elongate member and a second elongate member, an inner end of the first elongate member connected to an inner end of the second elongate member at a connection point, a stop positioned at the connection point wherein the stop is biased laterally towards the inner surface. By increasing a distance between an outer end of the first elongate member and an outer end of the second elongate member the stop is moveable from an unactuated state wherein the stop is engageable by a selected one of the notches and such that the tray is retainable in a selected one of the first and the second position, to an actuated state wherein the stop moves laterally against the biasing force away from the inner surface and such that the stop is no longer engageable by one of the notches. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  provides a raised right perspective view of a fiber optic equipment with tray in a middle position and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  provides a raised right perspective view of a fiber optic equipment with tops removed and tray in a forward extended positon and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1C  provides a raised right perspective view of a fiber optic equipment with tops removed and tray in a rearward extended positon and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  provides a raised detailed view of an actuator mechanism for a fiber optic equipment tray with tops removed and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 3A through 3C  provide top plan schematic views of an actuator mechanism in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1A , a fiber optic equipment, generally referred to using the reference numeral  10 , will now be described. The fiber optic equipment  10  comprises a housing  12  illustratively attachable by way of brackets  14  to a 19″ (19 inch) rack  16 . The housing  12  defines openings which may be closed by doors  18 ,  20 . In particular embodiment the edges of the tops  22  are retained in opposed grooves  24  in the housing  12  and are removable by sliding the tops  22  out of the grooves  24 . Additionally, the tops  22  may be manufactured from a transparent material such as polycarbonate or the like and such that a user may more readily view inside the housing  12 . The doors  18 ,  20  are attached to the housing via hinges  26  and such that they may be moved between an open position and a closed position. Door catches  28  are provided on either end of the door which engage complementary cut outs  30  in the tops  22  to retain the doors  18 ,  20  in the closed position. Additionally, a key actuated lock  32  is provided to secure the door in the closed positioned by engaging a complementary slot  34  in the top  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1B and 1C  in addition to  FIG. 1A , a slideable tray  36  is provided within the housing  12  and is slideable between a middle position (as shown in  FIG. 1A ), a first forward position (as shown in  FIG. 1B ) and a second rearward position (as shown in  FIG. 1C ). In each of these positions, and as will be described below, the tray is secured via a latching mechanism. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1B , the tray  36  is illustratively configured for slideably receiving at least one fiber optic cassette  38  between a pair of supports  40 ,  42 . In this regard, slots  44  in the cassette  38  are engaged by complementary rails  46  as the cassette  38  is inserted between the supports  40 ,  42 . Illustratively the cassette comprises a plurality of fiber optic connectors  48  arranged along a front face for terminating fiber optic cables (not shown). Thumb tabs  50  are provided which may be actuated for releasing the cassette  38  from the rails  46 . In this regard the cassette  38  comprises thumb tabs  50  at both ends and such that the cassette can be inserted or removed in either direction. The tray  36  may also comprise cut outs  52  which can be used to secure fiber optic cable routing guides  54  or the like to the surface of the tray  36 . Retainers  56  are also provided on the ends of the supports for managing patch cords or the like (not shown) and one or more brackets  58  may be provided for slack storage or strain relief and the like. Various additional brackets  60  may be provided to secure cables and the like and provide stain relief. Additionally, inner surfaces of the housing  12  may be shaped to include raised straps  62  for receiving twist ties (not shown) and the like and such that cables (also not shown) may be secured against the housing  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the tray  36  may be moved relative to the housing by disengaging a latch mechanism between the tray  36  and the housing  12 . This can be done by first removing the tops  22  and then actuating a selected one of a pair of actuator tabs  64 , for example by inserting a finger or the like into a gap  66  immediately behind the actuator and then pulling the actuator tab  64  towards a proximate opening. Alternatively, and as will be discussed in more detail below, a user can simply pull (or push) on the end of the tray with sufficient force to disengage the latch mechanism thus allowing the tray  36  to be moved to an adjacent position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A  in addition to  FIG. 2 , the actuator mechanism comprises an elongate actuator  70  comprising a first elongate member and a second elongate member and manufactured at least in part from a relative flexible material such as soft plastic or the like, and a plurality of notches  72  arranged along an axis in parallel to the actuator  70 . Illustratively, the notches  72  can form part of a guide  74  manufactured from a rigid material such as hard plastic or the like. In particular embodiment, however the notches  72  could be moulded or otherwise formed in the housing  12 . The actuator further comprises a stop  76  located towards the centre of the actuator  70  at a point interconnecting the inner ends of the first elongate member and the second elongate member, and between the pair of actuator tabs  64  towards either end of the actuator  70 . The actuator  70  is retained within an actuator housing  78  secured to the tray and such that the outer ends  80 ,  82  of the actuator  70  are limited to travel in a direction parallel to the housing  12 /guide  74 . Additionally, the inner travel of the actuator tabs  64  is limited by the actuator housing and such that the actuator tabs  64  may only be moved away from each other. The connecting sections  84  of the actuator are elastic serve to bias the stop  76  towards the notches  72  and an exposed surface  86  of the housing  12 /guide  74  and such that the stop  76  rests, for example, within a selected one of the notches  72 , thereby preventing unintended movement of the tray  36 . Each of the notches  72  has an inner depth A while the outer pair of notches have an outer depth B greater than that of A. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3B , by moving a selected one of the actuator tabs  64  away from the limit  88  and the other actuator tab  64  a first actuating distance C, the actuator  70  is lengthened causing the connecting sections  84  to flex away from the exposed surface  86  of the housing  12 /guide  74  and such that the stop  76  is moved laterally a distance A and retracted from the notch  72 , thereby releasing the tray  36  such that it can be slid into the next selected position. Alternatively, and as discussed briefly above, a user can simply pull (or push) on the end of the tray  36  which in turn causes the stop  76  to be engaged by the sloped edges of the notch  72 . Provided the user pulls or pushes with enough force, movement of the tray  36  will cause the sloped edges of the notch  72  to engage the tip of the stop  76  and counter the biasing force generated by the connecting sections  84 . As a result the stop  76  will be forced out of the notch  72  and able to travel to an adjacent position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3C , on release of the actuator tab  64  the connecting sections  84  again bias the stop  76  towards the exposed surface  86  of the housing  12 /guide  74  and such that as the tray  36  is slid vis-à-vis the housing  12 , the stop  76  will eventually come to rest in the next adjacent notch  72 , thereby by securing the tray against the housing in a second selected position. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 3A  in addition to  FIG. 3C , the tray  36  can be entirely removed from the housing  12  by moving a selected one of the actuator tabs  64  away from the limit  88  and the other actuator tab  64  a second actuating greater than the actuating distance C, the actuator  70  is can be further lengthened causing the connecting sections  84  to flex away from the exposed surface  86  of the housing  12 /guide  74  and such that the stop  76  is moved laterally a distance B thereby releasing the tray  36  such that it can be removed from the housing  12 . In this regard, the rear edge  90  of the outer pair of notches  72  display no slope, and as a result simply pulling (or pushing) against the edge of the tray  36  is typically insufficient to force the stop  76  over this edge. This prevents for example accidental removal of the tray  36  from the housing  12 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1A , a person of ordinary skill in the art will now understand that illustratively a pair of latch mechanisms are provided, one on either side of the tray  36 , and such that, in order to release the tray  36  such that it can be moved between selected positions, two actuator tabs  64  on either side of the tray  36  must be simultaneously activated. Additionally, a person of ordinary skill in the art will also now understand that the latch mechanisms can be activated from either side of the tray  36 , advantageously allowing, for example, the tray to be moved by a user positioned either in front of the tray or behind the tray  36 . 
     Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.