US 4,044,515 A · Gasket for an avionic tray

Abstract

An avionic tray is disclosed for supporting electronic instruments on a shelf. The tray includes an aperture formed thereon for providing the supporting instrument with communication to an air plenum chamber. An interchangeable metering plate is adapted to extend over the aperture, with the plate having a predetermined number of metering ports formed thereon in any desired arrangement. The metering plate is interconnected to the aperture by means of a removable annular gasket, which in turn sealingly engages a surface of the electronic instrument. The gasket includes a pair of annular grooves for receiving the peripheral edges of the metering plate and the tray aperture. The gasket is constructed in such a manner that any application of a downward or lateral force on the gasket by the supported instrument causes the metering plate to be forced against the rim of the aperture to tightly hold the portion of the gasket between the two elements and prevent the gasket from becoming disengaged.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A gasket for use in an avionic tray having an apertured rim and a removable metering plate comprising:

an annular flexible gasket body member having an inner and outer side and a first hollow annular passageway;
means defining a first groove on the outer side of the gasket body member for receiving the apertured rim;
means defining a second groove above the first groove on the inner side of the gasket body member for detachably receiving the metering plate, the first and second grooves being generally parallel and, the depth of the first groove into the gasket body member overlaps the depth of the second groove into the gasket body member;
and
means defining a concave annular sealing surface extending above the second groove, immediately above the first annular passageway and generally parallel therewith for wedging the metering plate in the second groove towards the apertured rim in the first groove when a force is exerted on the same side of the sealing surface means as the first groove whereby the gasket body member is progressively locked tighter between the rim and the metering plate as the force increases, the first annular passageway surface configuration permits a deformational movement of the gasket body member by any force applied against the sealing surface area of the gasket body member while maintaining a continual planar sealing surface throughout the length of the gasket body member.

2 more elements

In an avionic tray assembly supporting removable modular equipment such as electronic instruments having a support surface and a recessed apertured rim below the support surface, relative to the equipment, and a removable metering plate, the improvement comprising:

an annular flexible gasket body member having an inner and outer side;
means defining a first groove on the outer side of the gasket body member for receiving the apertured rim of the tray;
means defining a second groove above the first groove on the inner side of the gasket body member for detachably receiving the metering plate;
and
means for defining an annular planar sealing surface extending above the second groove and further extending above the adjacent tray support surface, for wedging the metering plate in the second groove towards the apertured rim in the first groove when a force is exerted on the same side of the sealing surface means as the first groove and cooperating with the gasket body member for progressively tightening the seal between the gasket body member, the rim and the metering plate as the force increases, while maintaining said sealing surface continuously planar.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gasket for an avionic tray

Life of this patent

Gasket for an avionic tray

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13