Quick-mount relay apparatus and method of installation
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsThi N. Pham, Tord Kurthy, David R. Gladish, Jeffrey M. Komatsu, Michael A. Pham, Eugene T. Rogers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A relay socket may include an opening for insertion of a relay into the opening, and a plurality of integral locking members for attaching and locking the relay socket to at least one of a structure surface and a relay without the use of attachment hardware.
Claims32
A relay apparatus comprising a relay socket and a relay;
- the relay comprising a plurality of holes;
- and
- the relay socket comprising an opening for insertion of the relay into the opening, and a plurality of flexible integral locking members for attaching and locking the relay socket to the holes of the relay without the use of attachment hardware;
- wherein each flexible integral locking member comprises two wider portions and two respective narrow portions which are more narrow than their respective wider portions, and one of the two wider portions or one of the two narrow portions is conically shaped;
- and
- wherein one of the two wider portions of each flexible integral locking member is wider than the holes of the relay so that when the flexible integral locking members are extended through the respective holes of the relay, the one wider portion of each flexible integral locking member is adapted to compress upon entry into the respective hole of the relay and to then expand after passing through the respective hole of the relay in order to attach and lock the relay socket to the relay, and wherein the other wider portion of each flexible locking member is wider than holes of a structure surface so that when the flexible integral locking members are extended through the holes of the structure surface, the other wider portion of each flexible integral locking member is adapted to compress upon entry into the respective hole of the structure surface and to then expand after passing through the respective hole of the structure surface in order to attach and lock the relay socket to the structure surface.
A relay apparatus comprising:
- a relay socket comprising an opening and a plurality of integral locking members;
- a structure surface comprising a plurality of first holes;
- and
- a relay comprising a plurality of second holes, wherein the relay socket is locked against the structure surface without the use of attachment hardware as a result of the plurality of integral locking members extending through the plurality of first holes of the structure surface, and the relay is locked within at least a portion of the opening of the relay socket without the use of attachment hardware as a result of the plurality of integral locking members extending through the plurality of second holes of the relay.
A method for attaching a relay apparatus comprising:
- providing a relay apparatus comprising:
- a relay socket comprising an opening and a plurality of integral locking members;
- a structure surface comprising a plurality of first holes;
- and a relay comprising a plurality of second holes;
- attaching the relay socket to the structure surface without the use of attachment hardware by extending the plurality of integral locking members of the relay socket through the plurality of first holes of the structure surface;
- and
- attaching the relay within at least a portion of the opening of the relay socket without the use of attachment hardware by extending the plurality of integral locking members of the relay socket through the plurality of second holes of the relay.
A relay socket comprising an opening for insertion of a relay into the opening and a plurality of integral locking members, wherein each integral locking member comprises multiple sets of alternating wider portions and narrower portions, the wider portions being wider than their respective narrower portions, the multiple sets comprising a first wider portion alternated with a first narrower portion, alternated with a second wider portion, alternated with a second narrower portion, wherein the first wider portion of each integral locking member fixedly retains a relay in place relative to the relay socket, and the second wider portion of each integral locking member fixedly retains a structure surface in place between the relay and the relay socket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.