Rack structure for accommodating electronic modules

Abstract

A rack comprises a plurality of lower guide rails arranged side by side to form the bottom thereof, and a plurality of upper guide rails arranged side by side to form the top thereo, for accommodating a plurality of electronic modules such as modems. Each of the modules includes a rectangular casing, lower and upper side edges of which are rounded or chamfered. The lower and upper guide rails are in vertical register with each other, respectively, and are vertically spaced from each other by a distance corresponding to a vertical height of the case. Each of the lower and upper guide rails has a pair of ridges coextended in parallel with each other and defining therebetween a guide path for complementarily and slidably receiving the corresponding side of the casing, whereby an outer width of the guide rails can be generally equal to a thickness of the casing due to the rounded or chamfered sides thereof. Also, a resilient detent element is provided in either of each lower guide rail or each upper guide rail to partially define an access opening formed therein for a person's finger to remove a module from the rack, and is engageable with the casing to lock the casing when it is accommodated in the rack. The detent element is resiliently deflected by putting a person's finger in the access opening, to thereby release a lock-engagement with the casing.