Housing and connection device for electronic modules
This is a continuation, of U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/211,105, filed June 17, 1988, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 06/876,882, filed filed as PCT IT85/00021 on Jul. 24, 1985, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a housing and connection device which is meant to accommodate electronic modules, such as printed circuit boards. In its preferred form, it may be utilized in low frequency telephone exchange distributors. It is used in the field of telecommunications, in particular the filed of housing and connection devices for telecommunications. 
     Until now, electromechanical structures used for the housing and connection of electronic modules have suffered from numerous drawbacks: 
     they did not have upper and rear motherboards; therefore they did not provide flexibility so as to function in different configurations; 
     device expandibility was not possible because no expansion system was provided (for a series of vertical and/or horizontal structures); 
     The mechanical structure would not allow a high rate of heat dissipation through natural convection because the structures were closed; 
     they did not use European format modules; this limited their utility and reduced their flexibility. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The housing and connection device, which is the object of this invention, solves those and other problems. Through its novel structure, it affords numerous advantages, even over devices having different configurations, because European format (e.g., DIN 41494) is an internationally recognized standard. 
     Some of the advantages afforded by the present invention are set forth below: 
     Simplified construction process, having high reliability due to the absence of wired connections for internal connections. 
     Very good maintenance features because each part of the device is field-replaceable without making use of special equipment (a simple screwdriver is all that is required). 
     Flexibility of the mechanical structure; e.g., as applications and configurations vary, all that is needed is to equip devices with different motherboards, leaving the other parts unchanged. 
     Remarkable natural heat dissipation capacity per unit volume, due to its novel cover configuration. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     To facilitate further discussion of the present invention, the following drawings are provided in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the device of this invention with the cover shown partially cutaway; 
     FIG. 2 shows the fixed panel assembly; 
     FIG. 3 shows the sequence of attaching the removeable housing to the fixed member; and 
     FIG. 4 shows the details of the interconnection system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The figures may be described in further detail as follows. 
     FIG. 1 shows a removeable housing member, where: 
     1 is an L-shaped grilled protective removeable cover; 
     2 is a power supply module; 
     3 is an expansion system; 
     4 is a container compartment or movable housing; 
     5 and 12 are interface connectors; 
     6 is a rear printed circuit board for module interconnection (motherboard); 
     7 is a connector; 
     8 is a captive screw; 
     9 is an example of a module contained in the movable housing; 
     10 is an upper motherboard containing interfaces; 
     11 is a fixing device or lock for protective cover 1; 
     13 is a mechanical hook-on device for engagement with pivot 16 of fixed panel 14. 
     FIG. 2 shows a fixed panel assembly where: 
     14 is a fixed panel; 
     15 are openings in an area of fixed panel 14 suitable for providing an interface and power supply interconnections; 
     16 is a hook-up pivot for the movable housing; 
     17 and 18 are fixing accessories. 
     FIG. 3 shows, in sequence, the hooking and fixing of the two parts (shown as FIGS. 1 and 2 in perspective). 
     FIG. 4 shows details of the interconnection system where: 
     5 is the interface connector; 
     6 is the rear motherboard; 
     9 is a typical module; 
     10 is the upper motherboard; 
     19 is the compartment outline. 
     Referring to the drawings, the movable housing unit (FIG. 1.) consists of two sides 20 connected by cross elements 21 with grooves 22 to host electronic modules 9,2. To the rear, printed circuit board (motherboard 6) is fixed to provide module interconnection and has connectors 23 (FIG. 4) to accommodate an upper motherboard 10 for interconnection towards interface connector 5. The movable housing unit of FIG. 1 has a protective cover 1, which may be made of plastic, has an L-shaped profile, and is grilled (has openings) to permit heat dissipation. Cover 1 is also provided with a locking system which consists of a lock 11, such that upon removal of the cover 1, lock 11 remains attached to the cover. The rear fixed panel (FIG. 2) consists of a fixed panel 14 having openings 15 to accomodate loom wires, equipped with accessories 17,18 for attachment of the fixed panel 14 to the sorter frame. Mating of the two parts (FIGS. 1 and 2) takes place by virtue of a hook and pivot system 13,16 and captive screws. It should be noted that such connection is illustrated in the sequence shown in FIG. 3. 
     The outputs from interface moduels 25 (FIG. 4), which extend from moduels 9, are connected to the rear motherboard 6 through connectors 24. The outputs then travel through connectors 23, 7 to the upper motherboard 10, on which interface connectors 5 are mounted. Wire wrap standard connectors are located at the top of the movable housing to form an interface for connection to a plurality of other movable housing members in a horizontal and/or vertical arrangement.