# US 5,706,965 A · Expandable housing assembly for electronics circuitry

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- Number: US 5,706,965 A
- Document ID: US5706965A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/718,195
- Filed: 1996-09-19
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1996-09-19
- Assignees: NEC Corporation
- Inventors: Tomoyuki Honma; Kazuhisa Yoshizawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706965A

## CPC

- H05K 5/30: Side-by-side or stacked arrangements
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

A housing assembly includes a high-profile basic unit and low-profile expansion unit. The basic unit has a recessed portion on its upper surface and a pair of grooves respectively extending vertically along its opposite sidewalls. A pair of connecting members equal in length to the grooves of the basic unit are normally received into these grooves. The expansion unit is formed on its bottom surface with a base portion and a pair of grooves respectively extending vertically along its opposite sidewalls. The base portion of the expansion unit is engageable into the recessed portion of the basic unit. The grooves of both basic and expansion units have an equal width. A pair of vanity members equal in length to the grooves of the expansion unit are normally fitted into these grooves. The arrangement is such that, when the expansion unit is mounted on the basic-unit, the base portion of the expansion unit fits into the recessed portion of the basic unit and the grooves of the basic unit are aligned vertically with the grooves of the expansion unit, so that the connecting members can be engaged into the aligned grooves and fastened to the expansion unit and the basic unit and the vanity members can be engaged into the grooves of the basic unit and fastened thereto.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An expandable housing assembly for electronics circuitry, comprising:
a basic unit having a recessed portion on an upper surface thereof and a pair of grooves respectively extending vertically along opposite sidewalls thereof;
a pair of connecting members equal in length to said grooves of the basic unit and respectively engageable thereinto;
an expansion unit having a base portion on a bottom surface thereof and a pair of grooves respectively extending vertically along opposite sidewalls thereof, the base portion of the expansion unit being engageable into the recessed portion of the basic unit, the grooves of the basic unit and the grooves of the expansion unit having an equal width; and
a pair of vanity members equal in length to said grooves of the expansion unit and respectively engageable thereinto,
the arrangement being such that, when the expansion unit is mounted on the basic unit, said base portion of the expansion unit fits into the recessed portion of the basic unit and the grooves of the basic unit are aligned vertically with the grooves of the expansion unit, so that said connecting members can be engaged into the aligned grooves and fastened to the expansion unit and the basic unit and the vanity members can be engaged into the grooves of the basic unit and fastened thereto.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An expandable housing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extension unit is formed with a recessed portion on an upper surface thereof identical to the recessed portion of the basic unit for receiving the base portion of another extension unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An expandable housing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting members are respectively formed with flange portions, and wherein said basic unit is formed with a pair of recesses respectively adjacent to upper ends of the grooves of the basic unit and said expansion unit is formed with a pair of recesses respectively adjacent to upper ends of the grooves of the expansion unit, said flange portions being respectively engageable with the recesses of the extension unit when the connecting members are respectively engaged into said aligned grooves.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An expandable housing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said basic unit is submultiple in height to the expansion unit.