U.S. patent application number 15/617318 was filed with the patent office on 2017-12-14 for deformable latch mechanism for tray.
The applicant listed for this patent is BELDEN CANADA INC.. Invention is credited to VINCENT PILON.
Application Number | 20170357071 15/617318 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60516321 |
Filed Date | 2017-12-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170357071 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PILON; VINCENT |
December 14, 2017 |
DEFORMABLE LATCH MECHANISM FOR TRAY
Abstract
A latch mechanism for retaining a tray in a selected one of a
first, second position and third position. The latch mechanism
comprises notches arranged on an inner surface of the housing along
an axis parallel to a direction of travel of the tray, 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, second and third 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.
Inventors: |
PILON; VINCENT; (LACHINE,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BELDEN CANADA INC. |
SAINT-LAURENT |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
60516321 |
Appl. No.: |
15/617318 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62347162 |
Jun 8, 2016 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 6/3897 20130101;
G02B 6/4453 20130101; G02B 6/4452 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G02B 6/44 20060101
G02B006/44; G02B 6/38 20060101 G02B006/38 |
Claims
1. An optic fiber equipment comprising: an equipment housing
configured for mounting in a 19'' rack, said housing defining a
front opening and a rear opening opposite said front opening; a
tray disposed within said housing and slideable between a first
position where at least a portion of said tray extends in front of
said front opening and a second position wherein said tray is
positioned between said front opening and said rear opening; and a
latch mechanism for retaining said tray in a selected one of said
first position and said second position, said latch mechanism
comprising: two notches arranged on an inner surface of said
housing along an axis parallel to a direction of travel of said
tray, one of said notches corresponding to a respective one of said
first position and said second position; an elongate actuator on
said tray and opposite said inner surface, said actuator comprising
a first elongate member and a second elongate member, an inner end
of said first elongate member connected to an inner end of said
second elongate member at a connection point, a stop positioned at
said connection point wherein said stop is biased laterally towards
said inner surface; wherein by increasing a distance between an
outer end of said first elongate member and an outer end of said
second elongate member said stop is moveable from an unactuated
state wherein said stop is engageable by a selected one of said
notches and such that said tray is retainable in a selected one of
said first and said second position, to an actuated state wherein
said stop moves laterally against said biasing force away from said
inner surface and such that said stop is no longer engageable by
one of said notches.
2. The optic fiber equipment of claim 1, wherein said equipment
housing comprises one of a 1 U housing, a 2 U housing, a 3 U
housing and a 4 U housing.
3. The optic fiber equipment of claim 1, wherein said elongate
members are joined at a bend and further wherein by increasing said
distance said bend is straightened against a countering biasing
force, said biasing force biasing said stop towards said inner
surface.
4. The optic fiber equipment of claim 1, wherein said tray is
slideable between said first position, said second position and a
third position wherein said tray is positioned in front of said
rear opening, wherein said latch mechanism comprises a third notch
arranged on an inner surface of said housing along an axis parallel
to a direction of travel of said tray and corresponding to said
third position and wherein by increasing said distance between said
outer end of said first elongate member and said outer end of said
second elongate member said stop is moveable from said unactuated
state wherein said stop is engageable by a selected one of said
first, second and third notches and such that said tray is
retainable in a selected one of said first, said second and said
third position, to said actuated state.
5. The optic fiber equipment of claim 4, wherein said three notches
are equidistant.
6. The optic fiber equipment of claim 1, wherein said distance is
increased by one of limiting travel of said outer end of said
second elongate member towards said outer end of said first
elongate member and moving said outer end of said first elongate
member away from said outer end of said second elongate member
and/or limiting travel of said outer end of said first elongate
member outer end of said second elongate member and moving said
outer end of said second elongate member away from said outer end
of said first elongate member.
7. The optic fiber equipment of claim 6, wherein each of said outer
ends comprises an actuator tab and wherein travel of each of said
outer ends is limited by said actuator tab coming into contact with
an inner travel limiter.
Description
[0001] This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
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
[0002] The present invention relates to a deformable latch
mechanism for tray.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0003] 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
[0004] 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
[0005] 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;
[0006] 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;
[0007] 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;
[0008] 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
[0009] 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
[0010] 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.
[0011] 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.
[0012] 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.
[0013] 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.
[0014] 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.
[0015] 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.
[0016] 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-a-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.
[0017] 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.
[0018] 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.
[0019] 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.
* * * * *