Patent ID: 8550260

Claim:
An aircraft control panel assembly for attachment to an equipment rail of an aircraft, comprising: a) a chassis assembly including at least one bore formed therein, said bore being at a first locking location; b) a retaining assembly, comprising: i. at least one spring loaded pin assembly positioned within a portion of said at least one bore of said chassis assembly, said pin assembly including a pin element and a spring element arranged and constructed to be positionable within a pocket of an equipment rail of said aircraft, a spring element of said pin assembly biasing said pin element toward said pocket; ii. a link member having a first end operably attached to said pin element, said link member comprising a flexible member; and, iii. a pin retraction mechanism comprising a slider assembly for manipulating said link member so as to retract said pin element from said pocket; and, c) at least one fixed positioning element secured to said chassis at, at least one positioning location, said at least one fixed positioning element being arranged and constructed to be positionable within a receiving slot of said equipment rail, wherein when said fixed positioning element is positioned within said receiving slot of said equipment rail and wherein said pin element is engaged within said pocket of said equipment rail, said chassis is attached to said equipment rail, and wherein said pin element comprises a chamfered edge for providing the capability of said aircraft control panel assembly to be installed without the use of a tool, said chamfered edge being on only one side of one end of the pin element.