Electrical/electronic rack and plug-in modules therefor

Abstract

A pair of like electrical/electronic equipment racks are uniquely arranged in an avionics bay located in the belly (lower lobe) of a wide-bodied aircraft, with the fronts of the racks facing a central access aisle that extends lengthwise of the fuselage between the racks, and with the rear of each rack facing one of two outboard aisles that extend parallel to the central aisle along the sides of the bay. At the forward end of the bay, a transversely extending passageway interconnects the central aisle with the two outboard aisles and enables the ground crew to access both the front and rear of each rack by entering the bay through a ground access hatch disposed in the lower most central portion of the fuselage and opening into the bay at the central aisle. Emergency in-flight access to the bay from the upper lobe, by in-flight personnel, is also available through a hatch disposed in a deck lying above and slightly aft of the avionics bay. Each rack is constructed of a light-weight, but rugged framework that defines a plurality of elevationally spaced module receiving compartments, each compartment accommodating a plurality of side-by-side plug-in modules. The rack framework together with certain partitions a module receiving guide and support rails, and the modules themselves, are uniquely constructed and arranged to define an air circulating system that receives forced cooled air and circulates it through the modules to carry away heat generated by the electrical and electronic components therewithin. Complemental connector parts are separately affixed to the rear of the module and to the rear of the rack, respectively, such that each module is installed and removed from the front of the rack, while the connector parts are engaged and disengaged, respectively, adjacent the rear of the rack. To assist in overcoming the frictional forces associated with the engagement and disengagement of the connector parts, a jackscrew mechanism is provided including a rod that extends between the front and rear panels of the module, and a nut secured to the rack at the rear thereof and coacting with a threaded, rearwardly protruding end of the rod. During module insertion, manual rotation of the rod at the front of the rack causes a cinching force to be exerted at the rear of the module and rack immediately adjacent the connector parts to effect engagement thereof. Counter-rotation of the rod exerts a reverse, separating force between the connector parts to initiate removal of the module.