SUBSTRATE MOUNTING DEVICE

DISPOSITIF DE MONTAGE POUR SUBSTRAT

English Abstract

SUBSTRATE MOUNTING DEVICE
ABSTRACT
A substrate mounting device for installing an
electrical substrate to a carrier substrate. The
substrate mounting device includes a plurality of guide
rails mounted on the perimeter edge of the electrical
substrate. First and second substrate guides are
mounted to the carrier substrate in a spaced and
parallel relationship to the other. Each substrate
guide includes a channel extending longitudinally along
a substrate guide inner side, from an open end to a top
guide. The channel is further defined by a top surface
and a plurality of drop guides which in turn form a
plurality of slots. The electrical substrate is
installed by manually inserting the electrical substrate
into respective substrate guide open ends and manually
pushing the electrical substrate along the channels
until the substrate encounters a respective top guide.
The top guides then urge the substrate downward until
each electrical substrate guide rail falls into a
respective substrate guide slot thereby, resting each of
the electrical substrate's plurality of guide rails on
the carrier substrate.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A substrate mounting device for mounting an
electrical substrate to a carrier substrate comprising:
a first pair of guide rails each mounted on
the perimeter edge of said electrical substrate directly
opposite each other;
a second pair of guide rails located in a
spaced relationship to said first pair of guide rails
and each guide rail of said second pair of guide rails
mounted on the perimeter edge of said electrical
substrate directly opposite each other;
first and second substrate guides mounted to
said carrier substrate in a spaced and parallel
relationship to each other, each of said substrate
guides including a channel extending longitudinally
along an inner side thereof from an open end to an end
cap mounted transversely between said first and second
substrate guides, said end cap further including a top
guide extending into a respective first and second
substrate guide channel, each channel further defined by
a top surface and first and second drop guides, with
said first and second drop guides further defining first
and second slots;
said electrical substrate and said first and
second guide rails arranged to be manually inserted into
respective first and second substrate guide channels at
respective channel open ends and manually pushed along
said channels riding between respective first and second
drop guides and top surfaces until said substrate
encounters said first and second substrate guides top
guide and each respective top guide urges said
electrical substrate downward whereby, said first guide
rail and said second guide rail fall within respective
first and second slots on each of said first and second
substrate guides thereby resting each of said first and
second electrical substrate guide rails on said carrier
substrate.

2. A substrate connector guide for mounting
and electrically connecting an electrical substrate to a
carrier substrate comprising:
first rail means mounted on a first perimeter
edge of said electrical substrate;
second rail means mounted on a second
perimeter edge of said electrical substrate directly
opposite said first rail means;
first and second guide means mounted to said
carrier substrate in a spaced and parallel relationship
to each other, each of said guide means including a
channel extending longitudinally along an inner side
thereof from an open end to a closed end, each channel
including at least one rail means accepting slot; and,
said electrical substrate and said first and
second rails means arranged to be manually inserted into
respective first and second substrate guide means
channels at respective channel open ends and urged along
each of said guide means channels toward said closed end
until said first rail means and said second rail means
fall within respective first and second guide means
slots, resting each of said first and second rails means
on said carrier substrate.
3. The substrate connector guide as claimed in
claim 2, wherein: said first rail means is a pair of
guide rails mounted in tandem and extending from the
bottom surface of said electrical substrate along a
first major perimeter edge of said electrical substrate.
4. The substrate connector guide as claimed in
claim 3, wherein: said second rail means is a pair of
guide rails mounted in tandem and extending from the
bottom surface of said electrical substrate directly
opposite of said first rail means along a second major
perimeter edge of said electrical substrate.

5. The substrate connector guide as claimed in
claim 4, wherein: each of said first and second guide
means channels is defined by a top surface and first and
second drop guides positioned in tandem along said
channel, said guide means first and second drop guides
further defining first and second slots.
6. The substrate connector guide as claimed in
claim 5, wherein: said electrical substrate and said
first and second pair of guide rails are inserted within
respective first and second guide means channels at
respective channel open ends, and said electrical
substrate is manually pushed along each respective
channel with said first and second pair of guide rails
riding between respective first and second guide means
drop guides and top surfaces until each of said first
and second pair of guide rails fall within respective
first and second guide means first and second slots.
7. The substrate connector guide as claimed in
claim 6, wherein: said closed end is an end cap
transversely mounted between said first and second guide
means opposite said channel open mouth, and said end cap
includes first and second top guides extending into
respective first and second guide means channels, each
top guide arranged to contact said electrical substrate
when riding within each respective channel, thereby
urging said electrical substrate in a downward
direction.
8. A substrate connector guide for mounting
and electrically connecting an electrical substrate to a
carrier substrate comprising:
rail means mounted along the major perimeter
edges of said electrical substrate;
a plurality of guide means mounted to said
carrier substrate, each of said guide means including a
channel extending longitudinally along an inner side

thereof from an open end to a closed end, each channel
including rail means accepting slots; and,
said electrical substrate and said rails means
arranged to be manually inserted into said guide means
channel at respective channel open ends and urged along
said channels toward said closed end until said rail
means fall within respective guide means slots, resting
said rails means on said carrier substrate.

Description

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SUBSTRATE MOUNTING DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to modular
electronic circuit devices and more particularly to a
device for mounting electrical substrates to a carrier
substrate.
In the past few years, the use of plug-in
units for electrical components has found favor within
the electronics industr~. Such plug-in units generally
comprise a structure upon which are mounted electrical
assemblies or sub-assemblies, the structure being
arranged to be plugged in a suitable socket provided on
a base chassis. When so plugged the components carried
by the plug-in unit are electrically connected in proper
circuit relation to other electrical equipment carried
by the base chassis.
Recently however, with the coming of fiIm
circuits, the need for a specialized carrier structure
for housing the sub-assembly has disappeared. This is
mainly ~ue to the smaller size of a film circuit.
Compared to circuit fashioned in discrete components the
film circuit is appreciably smaller and lighter. It is
not uncommon to have film circuits plugged directly into
larger circuit cards or other carrier substrates and in
turn the larger substrate plugged into the base chassis.
At present, most installations of film circuits to
circuit cards is done as a permanent installation.
Therefore, removal and replacement of the film circuits
though not impossible, is a tedious and labor intensive
job.
It therefor is an object of the present
invention to disclose a new structure for mounting,
electronic substrates onto carrier substrates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accomplishing the object of the pr~sent
invention there is provided a substrate mounting device
for mounting an electrical substrate to a carrier

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substrat~. The electrical substrate of the present
invention includes a first pair of guide rails each
mounted on the perimeter edge of the electrical
substrate directly opposite the other. A second pair of
guide rails located in a spaced relationship from the
first pair of guide rails are also mounted on the
perimeter edge of the electrical substrate directly
opposite the other.
First and second substrate guides are mounted
to the carrier substrate in a spaced and parallel
relationship to the other. Each of the first and second
substrate guides include a channel extending
longitudinally along a ~irs~ side thereof, from an open
end to a top guide. The channel is further defined by a
top surface and first and second drop guides. The first
and second drop guides further define first and second
slots.
The electrical substrate is mounted to the
substrate guides by manually inserting the electrical
substrate into respective first and second substrate
guide channels open ends and manually pushing the
electrical substrate along the channels. The electrical
substrate and first and second pairs of guide rails ride
between respective first and second drop guides and top
surfaces. When the substrate encounters the first and
second top guides each respective top guide urges the
electrical substrate downward. The first guide rail and
the second guide rail then fall within respective first
and second slots on each of the first and second
substrate guides thereb~, resting each of the first and
second electrical substrate guide rails on the carrier
substrate.
The electrical substrate can be provided with
some means of electrical connection device which would
contact or mate with similar devices mounted on carrier
the substrate. This could provide for electrical
connections between the electrical substrate and the
carrier substrate.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention may be
had from the consideration of the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate
having the guide rails of the present invention
installed thereon;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a substrate
guide of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the substrate
mounting device of the present invention mounted on a
carrier substrate.
FIG. 4 - 7 are sectional views of the
substrate mounting device of the present invention
illustrating the manner in which a substrate is
installed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRE~ EMBODIMENT
Turning now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the included
drawings the device in accordance with the invention
includes a planar substrate 10 having forward guide
rails 11 and rear guard rails 12 attached or molded onto
the substrate 10 along the edge of one of the substrates
10 major sides. A similar set of guide rails (not shown)
is also posi~ioned on the opposi~e major side of the
substrate. As can be seen each guard rail end 13 and 14
is angled so as to aid insertion and extraction when
installed into guide 20 of Fig.2.
Guide 20 is a integrally molded unit comprised
3~ of a slot or channel 24 extending longitudinally along
an inner side of guide 20. Channel 24 is defined between
a planar top cap or surface 29 and a forward drop guide
22 and rear drop guide 23. Additionally, the channel 24
extends from an opening at the forward end of the guide
20 to a top guide 27 at the rear of the guide 20. Both
the forward and rear drop guides include ramped ends 28
to aid in the positioning and removal of the substrate

10. Further, the top guide 27 includes an angled surface
26 which also aids in the installation of substrate 10
and which will be explained in detail later. Finally,
guide 20 includes a generally planar bottom surface 25
for mounting the guide to a carrier substrate.
A pair of guides 20 and 30 and a end cap 40
are molded as a single unit forming the substrate
mounting device of the present invention shown in FIG.
3. Guide 30 is a mirror image in structure to guide 20
and end cap 30 extends the top guide 27 transversely
across to a similar top guide on guide 30. End cap ~0
further includes a back wall 41 and a bot~om member 42
shown on Figs. 4 - 7.
The substrate mounting device of the present
invention is attached by any convenient mean~ to the top
surface of a carrier substrate 50 such as a ~ircuit
card, backplane, or other electrical substrate.
Turning now to Figs. 4 - 7 an explanation of
the installation of the substrate 10 within the
5uhstrate mounting device of the present invention will
be explained in detail. It should be noted that FIGS. 4
- 7 show the installation in sectional view and
therefore only guide 20 is shown. It will be appreciated
by those skilled in the art that an identical insertion
procedure occurs simultaneously in guide 30 as the
substrate is installed.
Beginning at FIG.4 the substrate lo including
forward guide rail 12 and rear guard rail 11 is inserted
into channel 24 of guide 20 and pushed forward within
the guide. As can be seen the forward rail 12 rides
within the channel between the rear drop guide 23,
forward drop guide 22 and the top cap 29. The forward
guide rail 12 being longer than the forward slot 53,
which is defined by the forward drop guide 22 and rear
drop guide 23, rides over the forward slot 53 on
insertion.
As the substrate 10 is installed further into
guide 20 substrate guide rail 11 and 12 fall into slots

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53 and 52 respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 5. This
is aided by angled surfaces 13 of guide rails 11 and 12
sliding down angled surfaces 28 of drop guides 23 and
22.
Angled surface 26 of top guide 27 insures that
substrate 10 follows a downward motion as it is further
pushed within the guide as shown in FIG.6.
Finally, the substrate is fully installed when
the forward rail 12 and rear rail 11 rest on the carrier
substrate 50 top surEace within respective slots 52 and
53. The forward end of substrate 10 rests on a top
surface of bottom member 42 when fully installed.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the
art that the substrate 10 can be provided with some
means of electrical connection devices which would
contact or mate with similar devices mounted on carrier
substrate 50. This would provide electrical connection
between substrate 10 and the carrier substrate 50.
The substrate is easily removed by pulling the
substrate 10 out of the guide 20 in an opposite
direction to that of installation. A lifting action is
provided by angled ends 13 of substrate rails 11 and 12
riding on angled ends 28 of drop guides 23 and 22. Once
the su~strate 10 and rails 11 and 12 are within channel
24 the substrate is pulled and withdrawn from the guide.
Although the preferred embodiment of the
invention has been illustrated, and that form described
in detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled
in the art that various modifications may be made
therein without departing from the spirit of the
invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

Representative Drawing