Circuit board holders and assemblies

Abstract

A circuit board holder has or is provided with a face plate and with walls projecting from an inside of that face plate. A pair of opposite ones of such walls are equipped with circuit board retainers. Such retainers may be inside and/or outside of a space in the circuit board holder. The circuit board holder is equipped with one or more holder retainers or resilient snaps for releasably retaining that circuit board holder in an aperture of a panel. Such holder retainers or resilient snaps may have serrations for engaging panels of different thicknesses at their apertures. Such panel may be provided with a slot or slots at that aperture for access to the holder retainer or resilient snaps through the panel. The holder retainer or resilient snap may be released through such slots, such as by screwdrivers or other release tool, for removal of the circuit board holder or similar device from the panel.

I/We claim:  
     
         1 . In a method of making a circuit board holder, the improvement comprising in combination: 
 providing said circuit board holder with a face plate and with walls projecting from an inside of said face plate;    equipping a pair of opposite ones of said walls with circuit board retainers; and    equipping said circuit board holder with a holder retainer for releasably retaining said circuit board holder in said aperture of the panel.    
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least one of another pair of said walls is provided with a lateral opening covering more than one half of that one wall.    
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are provided inside of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are provided externally of an inside space of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are provided inside of said circuit board holder and externally of an inside space of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a circuit board is inserted into said circuit board holder and is substantially retained in a first direction inside of said circuit board holder and is substantially retained in a second direction externally of an inside space of said circuit board holder.    A method as in  claim 1 , wherein:    said pair of opposite walls is provided with extensions beyond said inside of the circuit board holder; and    said extensions are equipped with external circuit board retainers.    
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are shaped as spaced rails for slideably receiving a circuit board.    
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are shaped as several spaced rails in each of said pair of opposite walls for slideably receiving at least one circuit board at one of several levels in said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said holder retainer is shaped as a resilient snap for releasably retaining said circuit board holder in a panel.    
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said holder retainer is shaped as a pair of resilient snaps at said pair of opposite walls for releasably retaining said circuit board holder in a panel.    
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a circuit board is inserted in said circuit board holder and is releasably retained with said circuit board retainers inside of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board holder is provided with external circuit board retainers in addition to internal circuit board retainers; and    a circuit board is inserted in said circuit board holder and is releasably retained with said internal circuit board retainers inside of said circuit board holder and is releasably retained in said circuit board holder with said external circuit board retainers.    
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board holder is provided with spaced external circuit board retainers in addition to internal circuit board retainers;    a circuit board is provided with a frontal portion of reduced width relative to a subsequent main portion of said circuit board; and    said circuit board is inserted in said circuit board holder by inserting said frontal portion of reduced width in between said spaced external circuit board retainers and by thereupon forcing apart said spaced external circuit board retainers with said main portion of said circuit board and continuing insertion of said circuit board into said circuit board holder so that said circuit board is releasably retained with said internal circuit board retainers inside of said circuit board holder and is stabilized in said circuit board holder with said external circuit board retainers.    
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are shaped as spaced rails for slideably receiving a circuit board; and    said circuit board holder is equipped with circuit board accommodations at said rails at a distance from a rear of said face plate.    
     
     
         16 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are shaped as spaced rails for slideably receiving a circuit board; and    said circuit board holder is equipped with circuit board stops at said rails at a distance from a rear of said face plate.    
     
     
         17 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board holder is provided with spaced external circuit board retainers in addition to internal circuit board retainers;    a circuit board is provided with catches corresponding to said external circuit board retainers; and    said circuit board is inserted in said circuit board holder and is retained in said circuit board holder with said external circuit board retainers and corresponding catches.    
     
     
         18 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said holder retainer is provided with serrations for mounting said circuit board holder in different mounting panels.    
     
     
         19 . A method as in  claim 1 , including: 
 providing a panel with an aperture for receiving said circuit board holder;    providing said panel with a slot at said aperture for access to said holder retainer through said panel; and    effecting release of said holder retainer through said slot for removal of said circuit board holder from said panel.    
     
     
         20 . A method as in  claim 1 , including: 
 shaping said holder retainer as a resilient snap for releasably retaining said circuit board holder in a panel;    providing a panel with an aperture for receiving said circuit board holder;    providing said panel with a slot at said aperture for access to said resilient snap through said panel; and    effecting release of said resilient snap through said slot for removal of said circuit board holder from said panel.    
     
     
         21 . A method as in  claim 20 , including: 
 providing a tool insertable through said slot; and    releasing said resilient snap with said tool through said slot in said panel.    
     
     
         22 . A method of mounting a device in an aperture of a panel, comprising in combination: 
 providing said device with a resilient snap for releasably retaining said device in said panel at said aperture;    providing said panel with a slot at said aperture for access to said resilient snap through said panel; and    releasing said resilient snap through said slot for removal of said device from said panel.    
     
     
         23 . A method as in  claim 22 , including: 
 providing a tool insertable through said slot; and    releasing said resilient snap with said tool through said slot in said panel.    
     
     
         24 . A method as in  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said holder retainer is provided with serrations for mounting said resilient snap in different mounting panels.    
     
     
         25 . A circuit board holder, comprising in combination: 
 a face plate and walls projecting from an inside of said face plate;    circuit board retainers at a pair of opposite ones of said walls; and    a holder retainer at an edge of said face plate.    
     
     
         26 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 at least one of another pair of said walls has a lateral opening covering more than one half of that one wall.    
     
     
         27 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are inside of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         28 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are external of an inside space of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         29 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers are inside of said circuit board holder and are external of an inside space of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         30 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said pair of opposite walls has extensions beyond an inside of the circuit board holder; and    circuit board retainers are on said extensions.    
     
     
         31 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers include spaced rails on said pair of opposite walls inside of said circuit board holder.    
     
     
         32 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers include several spaced rails in each of said pair of opposite walls.    
     
     
         33 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said holder retainer is a resilient snap.    
     
     
         34 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said holder retainer includes a pair of resilient snaps at said pair of opposite walls.    
     
     
         35 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , including: 
 an inserted circuit board extending across said circuit board holder between said pair of opposite walls and circuit board retainers.    
     
     
         36 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , including: 
 extensions of said pair of opposite walls beyond an inside of the circuit board holder;    circuit board retainers on said extensions; and    an inserted circuit board extending across said circuit board holder between said pair of opposite walls and extending between said circuit board retainers on said extensions.    
     
     
         37 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers include spaced rails on said pair of opposite walls inside of said circuit board holder; and    said circuit board holder has circuit board accommodations at said rails at a distance from a rear of said face plate.    
     
     
         38 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said circuit board retainers include spaced rails on said pair of opposite walls inside of said circuit board holder; and    said circuit board holder has circuit board stops at said rails at a distance from a rear of said face plate.    
     
     
         39 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , including: 
 an inserted circuit board having lateral catches externally of a space inside said circuit board holder;    extensions of said pair of opposite walls; and    circuit board retainers on said extensions and lateral catches.    
     
     
         40 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , including: 
 an aperture in said face plate; and    a signal lamp in said aperture.    
     
     
         41 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , including: 
 panel-accommodating serrations in said holder retainer.    
     
     
         42 . A circuit board holder as in  claim 25 , in combination with: 
 a panel having an aperture adapted to receive said walls of said circuit board holder behind said face plate; and    a slot in said panel at said aperture exposing said holder retainer through said panel at an edge of said aperture in said panel.    
     
     
         43 . A combination as in  claim 42 , including: 
 a holder retainer release tool having lateral dimensions smaller than said slot.    
     
     
         44 . In combination: 
 a panel having an aperture;    a device retained in said aperture by a resilient snap at an edge of said aperture; and    a slot in said panel at said aperture exposing said resilient snap through said panel at an edge of said aperture in said panel.    
     
     
         45 . A combination as in  claim 44 , including: 
 a snap release tool having lateral dimensions smaller than said slot.    
     
     
         46 . A combination as in  claim 44 , including: 
 panel-accommodating serrations in said resilient snap.