US 2002/0173280 A1Published application

Housing that automatically locks into a mounting structure

AssigneeHarman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH

InventorWerner Mayer

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Abstract

Located on the right and left sides of a housing (1) of an automobile radio for example is one detent spring (2) each projecting from the housing (1), which spring is retractable to enable insertion of the housing (1) into a mounting slot (3) and which, by rotating a catch, is retractable into the housing (1). By rotating the catches (5) in the other direction of rotation, the detent springs (2) are again released. Disposed eccentrically on the top side (14) of each catch (5) is a pin (8) for which a guide channel (9) is located in the mounting slot (3) so that the housing (1) may be inserted into the mounting slot (3) only with the detent springs (2) projecting from the housing (1). After complete insertion of the housing (1) into the mounting slot (3), the detent springs (2) snap in place against detent edges (4) of the mounting slot (3) to lock the housing (1) in place. To remove the housing (1) from the mounting slot (3), the detent springs (2) are retracted into the housing (1) by rotating the catch (5). When the housing (1) is pulled out, the pins (8) abut the mounting slot (3), thereby rotating the catches (8) into the locked position and allowing the pins (8) to slide through the guide channels (9). After removal from the mounting slot (3), the detent springs (2) again snap out of the housing (1) into the locked position. The housing (1) may now be reinserted into the mounting slot (3) and automatically locked after compete insertion since the detent springs (2) engage behind the detent edges (4) without any special procedure being required.

Claims12

Dependent claims

Housing (1), on the right and left sides of which is located one detent spring (2) each projecting from said housing (1), which springs are retractable into the housing (1) to enable insertion of the housing (1) into a mounting frame or mounting slot (3) and which snaps in place behind a detent edge (4) of the mounting frame or mounting slot (3),

characterized in that, disposed on the right and left sides of the housing (1), is one rotatable catch (5) each with an oblique guide (6) against which a stop (7) of the detent spring (2) under tension presses;
that the detent springs (2) are retracted into the housing (1) by rotating the catch (5) in one direction, while they are released by rotating the catch (5) in the other direction;
that an eccentrically disposed pin (8) projects from each catch (5), for which pin a guide channel (9) is located in the mounting frame or mounting slot (3) so that the housing (1) may be inserted into the mounting frame or mounting slot (3) only in the locked position with the detent springs (2) projecting from the housing (1), the detent springs (2) being pressed into the housing (1) and snapping in place behind the detent edges (4) after successful insertion;
that to remove the housing (1) from the mounting frame or mounting slot (3), the detent springs (2) are moved into the unlocked position by rotating the catch (5), in which position they are retracted within the housing (1);
that when the housing (1) is pulled out from the mounting frame or mounting slot (3), the pins (8) of the catches (5) abut the mounting frame or mounting slot (3) so that the catches are rotated to the point where the pins (8) slide into the guide channels (9) provided for them, the detent springs (2) being simultaneously released and thus snapping into the locked position from the housing immediately upon removal from the mounting frame or mounting slot (3).

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.