US 5,290,121 A · System for the installation and replacement of components in hostile environments

Abstract

Service equipment for use in hostile environments includes a detachable service unit secured to a stationary service unit. The detachable service unit includes a housing with an exterior plate, a power control interface for connection to an exterior power source, locating pins located in said exterior plate, an electrical connector in the exterior plate electrically coupled to said power control interface, and a pair of clamping receptacles formed in the exterior plate and located on adjacent opposite edges of the exterior plate. The stationary unit includes an electrical connector for connection to the electrical connector of the detachable service unit, a clamping apparatus for clamping and unclamping the detachable service unit from the stationary unit, a base clamp assembly for mounting the clamping apparatus onto the stationary unit, and locating pin holes for receiving the locating pins and aligning the detachable service unit onto the stationary unit. The detachable service unit and stationary unit have mating scalloped faces which aid in alignment and provide a mechanism for heat dissipation.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A clamp assembly for removable securement of units in a modular assembly comprising:

at least one Geneva cam driver having a spline, an engagement roller and a disengagement roller;
at least one Geneva cam having an engagement formation for receiving said engagement roller of said at least one Geneva cam driver, a disengagement formation for receiving said disengagement roller of said at least one Geneva cam driver and a clamp face;
a drive shaft coupled to said spline of said at least one Geneva cam driver;
and
an operating mechanism for rotating said drive shaft in a first direction to cause said engagement roller to engage said engagement formation and cause said clamp face to clamp a unit to the modular assembly, and for rotating said drive shaft in a second direction to cause said disengagement roller to engage said disengagement formation and cause said clamp face to unclamp the unit from the modular assembly.

2 more elements

A clamping apparatus for manual or robotic replacement of a detachable service unit from a stationary unit in hostile environments comprising:

a base plate;
a pair of opposing clamp units coupled to said base plate;
a drive shaft operably mounted on said base plate and secured to said pair of opposing clamp units;
a drive mechanism mounted on said base plate for rotating said drive shaft to cause linear displacement of said pair of opposing clamp units and thus move said pair of opposing clamp units between a clamped position and an unclamped position to clamp and unclamp the detachable service unit to and from said base plate;
a plurality of Geneva cam drivers mounted on said stationary unit, each of said Geneva cam drivers having an engagement roller and a disengagement roller;
a plurality of Geneva cams mounted on said stationary unit adjacent to said Geneva cam drivers, each of said Geneva cams having an engagement formation for receiving the engagement roller of an adjacent Geneva cam driver, a disengagement formation for receiving the disengagement roller of said adjacent cam driver and a clamp face for contacting said base plate, and
operating means for rotating said Geneva cam drivers in a first direction to cause the engagement rollers to engage the engagement formations and cause the clamp faces to contact the base plate thereby attaching the same to the stationary unit and in a second direction to cause the disengagement rollers to engage the disengagement formation and cause the clamp faces to release the base plate.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for the installation and replacement of components in hostile environments

Life of this patent

System for the installation and replacement of components in hostile environments

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16