Tab and slot design optimized for blind alignment of components
US6389708B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 21, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P70/50
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An alignment system has one or more paired tabs and slots. The tabs are located on one component and the slots are located in another component to provide alignment between the components in three dimensions even if the tabs and slots are beyond the view or not visible to the user. The tab is a flat protrusion having short side edges and tapered front edges that converge to a central tip. The slot is a large, generally diamond-shaped aperture with rectangular slits on two opposed corners. Initially, the tabs on the first component are misaligned in three dimensions relative to the slots in the second component. As the tips of the tabs move into the slots, the tips make contact with the diamond-shaped apertures. The large size and shape of the slots allow for a significant range of misalignment between the components. After initial capture, the tapered front edges of the tabs slide along the apertures to provide coarse deflection and centering. As the tabs plunge deeper into the slots, the width of the tabs exceeds the width of the apertures and eventually the tabs center in the rectangular slits.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.