Universal card extractor tool

Abstract

Components, such as electronic printed circuit cards of varying dimensions an be readily disconnected and removed from their housing cage by a universal extractor tool in a simple and expedient manner. This is accomplished by having the card engaging fingers adjustable to accommodate cards of varying widths and by providing a novel handle extension arrangement to enable the removal of cards of varying height.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to hand tools, and more particularly to a tool for extracting components, such as electronic printed circuit boards or cards from their connector housing cage.

Current modular electronic circuitry for the most part utilize a combination of circuit printed element cards that are housed in a suitable housing cage that provides mechanical and electrical support. These cards are usually slidably press-connected in the cage in close parallel relationship, requiring a tool to reach into the cage to accomplish the tasks of engaging the card, disconnecting the electrical engagement, and removing the card.

Various types of hand tools and instruments have been proposed to install and remove such printed cards. Use of such prior devices had limitations in that they cause physical damage to both the cards and/or the cage; they require a separate tool for each different sized card; and are awkward and complicated in construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a universal hand tool for extracting printed circuit cards of various sizes from their connector housing cage. The tool comprises a rigid frame including an upper fixed handle and attached legs adapted to be rested on top of the housing. A pair of movable handles are slidably mounted on the frame which together with the fixed handle can be spanned by the hand of the user during the extraction operation. The lower movable handle has suspended therefrom a pair of fingers having means on their free ends to engage mating means on the circuit card. The fingers are movable laterally on their supporting handle to accommodate cards of varying width.

The movable handles are interconnected so that in extracting smaller sized cards, the user's hand need only span the distance between the fixed handle and the upper movable handle in order to actuate the lower movable handle to break the electrical connection and extract the selected card

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF INVENTION

A principal object of this invention is to provide a universal hand tool that can extract a plurality of different sizes of components from their housing.

Another important object is to provide such a tool that will extract components of varying depth from within their housing, and, a corollary object is to accomplish such an extracting operation by a user that will require the use of only one hand.

Another object is to provide an extractor tool that is simple, inexpensive, and easy to operate.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view, partly in section, of the novel universal extractor tool in a position when initially attached to an electronic printed circuit card to be extracted from its connector housing.

FIG. 2 is a sectional end view of FIG. 1 taken along lines II--II.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the extractor tool.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section taken along line IV--IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the extractor tool of FIG. 1 showing the final position of the handles having been squeezed together to electrically disconnect a reduced sized circuit card from the connector housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawing where like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the figures there is shown in FIG. 1 the universal hand extractor tool 10 which comprises on open rectangular rigid framework having an upper handle 12 fixedly secured to two laterally spaced, tubular side leg members 14 which are secured together at their lower ends by a cross-member 16. The lower ends of the legs 14 are adapted to rest on the top rim of the card cage 17, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. To enable the tool to be rested on cages of smaller width, a spare leg 18 may be secured to the cross-member 16 anywhere along the length of slot 19 formed therein. When not needed, spare leg 18 may be stored conveniently on the top of one of the leg members, as shown in FIG. 1.

Leg members 14 are preferably tubular in construction, and slidably support upper and lower movable members 20 and 22, respectively, which are movable in parallel relation between fixed handle 12 and cross-member 16. Movable handle members may be cylindrical, having drilled openings 22 at opposite ends slidably to receive the leg members 14.

Movable handle members 18 and 20 are interconnected, in a separating movement only, by a pair of rods 24, each rod slidably disposed within the bore opening in respective leg members. As will be obvious later, the length of rods 24 and the distance between the pins are determined by the smallest card that is to be extracted. A pair of pins 26 are mounted on each leg member normal thereto, one at each end thereof. The pins project through an elongate slot 28 formed in each leg member and are adapted to abut the outer edges of the movable handles when the latter are separated to the maximum extent of the distance between the pins. The spaced pins restrict the separating movement between the movable handles for a purpose to be described under operation, but do not restrict the movement of the handles toward each other as shown in FIG. 1.

Lower handle member 22 has suspended therefrom a pair of fingers 30 each of which have mounted on their lower ends a short pin 32 or the like that is adapted to engage an aperture or other mating means on the circuit card 34. The upper end of each finger 30 may be fixedly mounted to, or pivotally by a pin 36, to a short rod 38 which is freely slidable within the bore opening of lower movable handle 22 for adjusting the spacing between the fingers to accommodate the removal of cards of varying widths. Fingers 30 project through and are guided by slot 19 in the cross-member which also provides lateral support.

The operation of extractor tool 10 is apparent from the drawing. To extract a given circuit card 34 from its housing cage 17, the stub ends of legs 14 are rested on the cage rim. For cages smaller than a standard size cage, an adjustable leg 18 can be intermediately mounted on cross-member 16 through slot 19 at a suitable position.

The card to be removed is engaged by manipulating fingers 30. For cards of standard height the position of lower movable handle 22 is sufficiently close to fixed handle 12 to be capable of being spanned by the hand of the user so that a squeezing action will enable the lifting of circuit card 34 sufficiently to be electrically disconnected from the cage, after which time the card is readily removed from the cage.

Where the card 34 is undersized in height, and thus situated much lower in the cage, the user's hand need only span the upper movable handle 20 and fixed handle 12, and any squeezing action will lift the card through the rods 24 and associated pins 26 acting on lower movable handle 22.

The extractor tool of this invention offers a sturdy, yet simple, tool for extracting circuit cards of different sizes and housed in cages of different sizes, thus making a single tool more universal and versatile in use, reducing tool inventory.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

We claim:

1. A universal hand extractor tool for lifting and removing components of various sizes from their housing comprising:

a fixed handle;

a pair of leg members, each member fixedly secured at one end to the fixed handle in spaced parallel relation, each leg member terminating at another end adapted to engage the top of said housing;

a movable handle member supported on said leg members in substantially parallel relation to said fixed handle member, both handles being adapted to be spanned by the hand of the user;

a pair of fingers suspended at their upper ends from said movable handle, and being transversely movable independently thereon between said leg members;

the lower ends of said fingers having means for engaging the component to be extracted;

whereby the lateral spacing between the fingers may be adjusted for lifting components of various widths.

2. The extractor tool of claim 1 wherein said fingers are slidably mounted on said movable handle.

3. The extractor tool of claim 1 wherein said fingers are also pivotally mounted with respect to the movable handle.

4. The extractor tool of claim 1 wherein said legs are rigidly connected together at their other ends by a cross-member, said cross-member being longitudinally slotted to receive and guide said pair of fingers during ingress and egress from the housing.

5. The extractor tool of claim 4 wherein a third leg member is detachably mounted to the cross-member at an intermediate position between the other leg members to support the tool on a smaller dimensioned housing.

6. The extractor tool of claim 1 wherein a second movable handle is supported by said leg members and being positioned intermediate said fixed and movable handles;

and connecting means are provided between said movable handles, whereby a pulling movement of said second movable handle by the user during the extraction operation will actuate the first movable handle and the fingers attached thereto.

7. The extractor tool of claim 6 wherein said connecting means connects the movable handles in a lifting direction only.

8. The extractor tool of claim 1 wherein said leg members and said first-mentioned movable handle member are tubular in construction.

9. The extractor tool of claim 6 wherein said leg members are tubular having a slot extending for a major portion of their length;

said connecting means comprises a rod slidable within each of said tubular leg members;

each rod having a pin mounted at each end thereof and projecting through said slot in the respective leg and adapted to abut the outer sides of the movable handles to limit the separating movement therebetween.

10. A hand extractor tool for diconnecting and removing electronic printed circuit cards or the like of various sizes from their connector cage comprising:

a fixed handle member;

a cross-member having a longitudinal slot;

said members fixedly connected together in spaced relation by a pair of laterally spaced tubular leg members to form a rigid rectangular frame;

a pair of upper and lower handle members slidably mounted on said leg members and disposed between and parallel to said fixed handle member and said cross-member;

means for connecting together said movable handle members;

a pair of fingers mounted at their upper ends to the lower movable handle member and projecting through the slot in said cross-member;

said fingers having card engaging means at their lower ends for mating with corresponding means on said cards;

said fingers being laterally movable on said lower movable handle member for engaging cards of varying widths;

whereby the circuit cards can be engaged by the fingers on the lower movable handle member, and lifted from their cages by the user's hand spanning the first and upper handle members through said connecting means.