The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 26, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 12, 1997
Giovanni Recchia, Clearwater, FL (US);
Thomas Georgopulos, Clearwater, FL (US);
Paradyne Corporation, Largo, FL (US);
Abstract
A cascadable modem apparatus includes a modem housing having a top and a bottom. A plurality of angled feet are attached to the housing bottom in cantilever fashion to define a distal portion of each foot. The feet serve both to support the modem on an platform as well as to attach the modem to a similarly configured, adjacent modem assembly. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of receiving slots are defined in the housing top and are correspondingly disposed to receive the distal portions of a plurality of angled feet from an adjacent modem housing. In this way, insertion of the distal portions of the feet snugly into the receiving slots of an adjacent modem effectively attaches the two adjacent modem assemblies. Preferably, a resilient locking tab is attached to the housing bottom in cantilever fashion to define a distal portion directed away from the housing bottom. As a result, the tab is responsive to force applied to the distal portion to flex inwardly toward the housing bottom. A raised portion on the housing top is configured to engage a locking tab from an adjacent modem housing, flex the tab inwardly as the two adjacent modem housings are interconnected, and captively engage the locking tab when the two modem housings are aligned, to effectively interlock the two adjacent modem housings.