METHOD FOR INSERTING, LOCKING AND EXTRACTING AN ELECTRONIC MODULE AND HOUSING STRUCTURE FOR IMPLEMENTING SAME

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure (1) for housing electronic modules (2) provided with a system for inserting, locking and extracting such modules (2) including adjacent individual recesses separated by side rails and a motherboard (13), each recess being intended for receiving an electronic module (2). The system for inserting, locking and extracting includes one lever arm (3) per individual recess (10) provided at a distal end with a device for pivoting on the motherboard (13) and guiding device (31) capable of engaging with a circulation device (22, 22) connected to the electronic module (2) in order to couple connectors of the electronic module (2) with the connectors of the motherboard (13), as well as a device for automatic locking and unlocking of a proximal end (3p) of each lever arm (3).

Claims

1. A method for inserting, locking and extracting an electronic module (2) reversibly connected with a back panel (13) of a housing structure (1) configured with individual slots (10) for each of the electronic modules (2), the method comprising the steps for locking each electronic module (2): introducing the electronic module (2) in an individual slot (10) until a start of pivoting of an effort gearing-down lever (3) is released and triggered by a mobile link (31) formed between a distal end (3d) of said gearing-down lever (3) mounted to rotate (30) on the back panel (13) and the electronic module (22, 22, 2); exerting a pressure on said lever (3) from a proximal end (3p) of this lever (3) to continue the pivoting of the lever (3), move the electronic module (2) against the back panel (13) by the orientation of the mobile link (22, 31) and connect the electronic module (2) to the back panel (13) by a transference of the insertion efforts in a connection interface; completing the pivoting of the lever (3) to reach a position of automatic locking of its proximal end (3p) by triggering a locking mechanism (4); and, for the extraction of each electronic module (2): acting on the locking mechanism (4) to unlock the proximal end (3p) of the lever (3), pivot the lever (3) in the reverse direction of the locking direction to disconnect the electronic module (2) by transference of the uncoupling efforts in the connection interface, and advance the electronic module (2) in its slot (10) before removing the electronic module (2).

2. The method for inserting, locking and extracting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking and unlocking states of the lever (3) are validated by the appearance of different visual indications on the automatic locking mechanism (4).

3. The method for inserting, locking and extracting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile link between the distal end (3d) of the lever and the electronic module (22, 22; 2) is formed by a guiding path (31).

4. The method for inserting, locking and extracting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lever arm (3) has an elasticity to achieve the locking while continuing to be lowered, even after connection.

5. A housing structure (1) for electronic modules (2) equipped with a system for inserting, locking and extracting the electronic modules (2) for implementing the method as claimed in claim 1, the housing structure (1) comprising; adjacent individual slots (10) separated by lateral runners (11) and a back panel (13) provided with wiring connectors (21), each slot (10) being intended to accommodate an electronic module (2), the system for inserting, locking and extracting comprises a lever arm (3) for each individual slot (10) provided at a distal end (3d) with a pivoting device (30) on the back panel (13) and a guiding device (31) for cooperating with a circulation device (22, 22) linked to the electronic module (2) to couple connectors (2C) of the electronic module (2) to the connectors (21) of the back panel (13), as well as a device locking/automatic unlocking in raised position (41 to 43) and for automatic locking/unlocking (40, 44, 45) in lowered position of a proximal end (3p) of each lever arm (3).

6. The housing structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locking and unlocking states of the lever arm (3) in lowered position are validated by a visual indicator via an aperture (45) formed on a beveled proximal end face (3b) of the lever arm (3) according to the position of the automatic locking mechanism (40) comprising a bolt (45) releasably coupled to the bottom plate (12) between a locking position an unlocking position.

7. The housing structure according to claim 5, wherein the locking/automatic unlocking mechanism (41 to 43) of the lever arm (3) in raised position comprises a securing device (41 to 43) that are released under pressure from a ball pushbutton (41).

8. The housing structure as claimed in claims 5, wherein the lever arm (3) is made of a flexible material serving as elastic abutment for the protuberance (22, 22).

9. The housing structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guiding device comprise a cam path (31) in which a protuberance (22, 22) can circulate, the protuberance (22, 22) being chosen between a snug, a pin, or a roller.

10. The housing structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein each lever arm (3) is composed of two branches intended to bracket each lateral face (2L) of an electronic module (2).

11. The housing structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connectors (2C) of each module (2) and the connectors (21) of the back panel (13) are provided with foolproofing keys (20).

12. An aircraft avionics bay comprising a set of housing structures (1) as claimed in claim 5 and intended to connect electrical/electronic equipment via wiring distributed in the aircraft.

13. An aircraft comprising an avionics bay including a set of housing structures as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing structures (1) are arranged on mechanical structures to allow a circulation of air between them and to transmit command signals to electrical/electronic equipment of the aircraft via electrical and/or optical wiring looms.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0036] Other data, features and advantages of the present invention will emerge from reading the following nonlimited description, with reference to the attached figures, which represent, respectively:

[0037] FIG. 1, a perspective view of an example of a rack housing electronic module according to the invention upon the introduction of a module;

[0038] FIG. 1a, shows a cross-sectional view of the releasable securing mechanism of a lever arm of the insertion, locking and extraction system of the rack according to FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 1b, shows a partial rear view of the electronic module introduced into the housing rack of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 2, shows a perspective view of a rack according to FIG. 1 upon the pivoting of said lever arm after uncoupling;

[0041] FIG. 3, shows a perspective view of a rack according to FIG. 1 upon the locking of said lever arm;

[0042] FIG. 4, shows a perspective view of a rack according to FIG. 1 upon the unlocking of the lever arm;

[0043] FIG. 4a, shows a perspective view of a rack according to FIG. 1 of the start of pivoting of said arm after unlocking;

[0044] FIG. 5, shows a perspective view of a rack according to FIG. 1 after unlocking and returning said arm to attachment position;

[0045] FIG. 6, shows a perspective view of a rack according to FIG. 1 upon the extraction of the electronic module with attachment of the lever arm;

[0046] FIG. 7a, shows a partial lateral view of the back panel of the rack according to FIG. 1 showing a first position of the snug of the electronic module in the cam path of the lever arm upon the insertion and the connection of said module in said back panel;

[0047] FIG. 7b, shows a partial lateral view of the back panel of the rack according to FIG. 1 showing a second position of the snug of the electronic module in the cam path of the lever arm upon the insertion and the connection of said module in said back panel; and

[0048] FIG. 7c, shows a partial lateral view of the back panel of the rack according to FIG. 1 showing a third position of the snug of the electronic module in the cam path of the lever arm upon the insertion and the connection of said module in said back panel; and

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In the present text, the qualifiers top and bottom, and their derivatives or equivalents, relate to relative positions of parts of elements in standard configurations of use, in particular to the raised and lowered relative positions of the lever arms according to the invention. The qualifier lateral relates to faces or walls at right angles to the front or back faces.

[0050] The perspective view of FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a parallelepipedal housing rack 1 for electronic modules according to the invention, such as the module 2. A part of the rack 1 has been eliminated to show the introduction (arrow F1) of the electronic module 2 in the foreground. This rack 1 comprises individual slots 10 for electronic modules, aligned adjacently and separated by runners 11 extending along a bottom plate 12. The rack 1 is also composed of a back panel 13 equipped with aligned connectors 21 on its internal face 13i, each connector 21 being intended to be coupled to rear connectors 2C (see FIG. 1b) of a module such as the electronic module 2, and two lateral walls 14 (just one being visible in FIG. 1) provided with handles 1P.

[0051] The rack 1 also accommodates an interconnection board 2i between the electronic modules 2. The interconnection boards 2i are composed of printed circuits called backplanes. These backplanes 2i are mounted on the internal face 13i of the back panel structure 13, above and/or below the connectors 21. The rack 1 and the insertion of the modules with such a rack also ensure the positioning and the securing of each module 2 relative to these backplanes 2i. Furthermore, the rack 1 is provided with orifices 12a on each individual slot 10 in its bottom plate 12, allowing the passage of a flow of air to cool the modules 2 once installed.

[0052] According to the invention, each module slot 10 is equipped with a lever arm 3 extending laterally and provided, at a distal end 3d, with an orifice (not visible) cooperating with a rotation journal 30 fixed to the back panel 13. This distal end 3d is also provided with a cam path 31 capable of allowing the circulation of a snug 22 mounted to rotate on the rim of a lateral face 2L of the electronic module 2. This snug 22 appears in detail in the partial rear view of the electronic module 2 of FIG. 1b. Alternatively, or together, a snug 22 fixed onto the connector 2C of the rear face 2A of the electronic module 2 appears also in this FIG. 1b. The circulation of the snug 22 in the cam path 31 is intended to allow a controlled connection between this module 2 and the back panel 13, as will be described in detail hereinbelow.

[0053] Furthermore, the connectors 2C of the module 2 and the connectors 21 of the back panel 13 are here provided with foolproofing keys as illustrated by the items 20 of the module 2 of FIG. 1b. This foolproofing prevents a module 2 from being erroneously plugged in the wrong slot in the rack 1. In case of error, the lever arm 3 is not presented to the operator, even if he or she pushes the module 2 to the back of its slot. Advantageously, the cam path 31, by virtue of its form, accommodates the snug 22 only once the foolproofing zone has been crossed.

[0054] Thus, the lever arm 3 is automatically lowered, to be able to be manipulated, only if the right module 2 is positioned in the right slot in the rack 1.

[0055] Each lever arm 3 is kept in raised position on the top plate 15 of the rack 1 by a releasable mechanism 4 illustrated by the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1a. This releasable securing mechanism 4 comprises a ball pushbutton 41, mounted on the top plate 15. The proximal end 3p of the lever arm 3 comprises a spherical notch 43 which allows for a releasable securing of this lever arm 3 in raised position by contact of this notch 43 against the ball 42 under the force of the ball pushbutton 41.

[0056] As illustrated by the perspective view of FIG. 2, the advancing of the electronic module 2 in its slot 10 (arrow F1 of FIG. 1) induces the entry of the snug 22 of this module 2 into the cam path 31. The continued advancement of the module 2 is then engaged by swiveling of the lever arm 3 performed by the operator (arrow F2). This swiveling provokes the advancement of the snug 22 in the cam path 31 and the coupling of the connectors 2C of the module 2 and of the connector 21 of the back panel 13 by transference of the insertion efforts geared down in the common connection interface formed between these connectors 2C and 21.

[0057] When the lever arm 3 reaches the bottom plate 12 (FIG. 3), a spring-operated automatic locking/unlocking mechanism, which will be described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 4 and 4a, reversibly fixes the proximal end 3p of the lever arm 3 to the bottom plate 12. The connection between the electronic module 2 and the back panel 13 is then blocked by virtue of an abutment 5 formed at the end of the cam path 31. Advantageously, the operator is informed of the locking position of the electronic module 2 by the prior deposition of a green colored layer on a beveled proximal end face 3b of the lever arm 3 via an aperture 46.

[0058] According to a reverse kinematic, the extraction of the electronic module 2 from the rack 1 begins with a step of unlocking of the proximal end 3p of the lever arm 3, as shown with reference to FIG. 4. For this, the operator exerts an extraction force on a hollow element 44 (arrow F3) linked with the spring-operated locking/unlocking mechanism 40 incorporated in the proximal end 3p of the arm 3 (this mechanism 40 is seen by transparency). This force slides (arrow F3) a bolt 45 (see FIG. 4a) out of a slit 23 of the bottom plate 12, allowing the operator to release swivel the arm 3. The aperture 46 of the beveled end face 3b of the lever arm 3 then reveals, because of the new position of the locking/unlocking mechanism 40, a red colored layer deposited on a face of the locking/unlocking mechanism 40. In a second step illustrated by with reference to FIG. 4a, the proximal end 3p of the lever arm 3 is pivoted up (arrow F4) after the bolt 45 has come out of the slit 23 in which it was housed.

[0059] The continued raising of the lever arm 3 is illustrated by FIG. 5. During this raising (arrow F5), the snug 22 is moved in the cam path 31 along the reverse trajectory, while, simultaneously, the connectors 2C and 21, respectively of the electronic module 2 and of the back panel 13, are detached in a continuous movement. When the lever arm 3 is held again on the top plate 15 (see FIG. 1b), the snug 22 has come out of the cam path 31 and the electronic module 2 is extracted by the operator, as illustrated by the arrow F6 of FIG. 6.

[0060] The travel of the snug 22 in the cam path 31 upon insertion to the connection of the electronic module 2 in the rack 1 is described hereinbelow with reference to the steps of the partial lateral cross-sectional view of FIGS. 7a to 7c.

[0061] In these figures, the cam path 31 has an S configuration and, at its closed end 31b, the abutment 5 forming a reversible retainer for the snug 22. The lever arm 3 can pivot in rotation by the link to the back panel 13 via the journal 30. The cam path 31, the snug or snugs 22, 22 (FIG. 1b), the levers 3 and their journal pivoting mechanism 30, the automatic locking/unlocking mechanism 40 and the releasable securing mechanism 4 of the levers 3 form an example of a system for inserting, extracting and locking according to the invention.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 7a, the position of the lever arm 3 corresponds to the accurate entry of the snug 22 into the open end 31a of the cam path 31. As the lever arm 3 is lowered, the snug 22 goes up in the cam path 31 and the connector 2C of the rear face 2A of the electronic module 2 approaches the connector 21 of the back panel 13 (FIG. 7b). The lever arm 3 is lowered more and, when a slight additional thrust allows a blocking of the lever arm 3, the snug 22 is releasably retained in a hollow 5c formed by an elastic abutment 5, the connectors 2C and 21 being coupled accurately and securely. Alternatively, the lever arm 3 is made of a sufficiently flexible material, a plastic material, or of a metal alloy covered with an elastomer layer, to be able to serve as elastic abutment for the snug 22.

[0063] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described and represented. In particular, the automatic locking/unlocking mechanism can be produced by any spring, blade or equivalent return means. Furthermore, as an alternative to the embodiment illustrated, the automatic locking/unlocking and releasable securing mechanisms of the levers can be arranged respectively on the bottom plate and on the lever arms, the lever arm can have one or two branches, protuberances for circulation in the cam paths can be fixed onto the walls of the modules or onto the lever arms and, reciprocally, the cam paths can be formed in the lever arms or on the walls of the modules.

[0064] Furthermore, the cam paths of the lever arms, the snugs for circulation in these cam paths, the lever arms and their pivoting mechanism, the automatic locking/unlocking mechanism and the releasable securing mechanism of the lever arms and their variants form examples of insertion, extraction and locking systems according to the invention.