Positioning rack for thin-type electrothermal straps

Abstract

A positioning rack for mounting thin-type electrothermal straps includes a main frame with a tubular base from which a plurality of support arms extend radially. A plurality of blade plates are removably mounted to the support arms and each have positioning recesses and separation portions so as to position electrothermal straps. Each of the blade plates is formed with two guide slots each having an end formed with a locking groove. Each of the support arms has two locking members each having a locking post detachably inserted into the locking groove. A catch block is formed on a distal end of the locking post and rested on a surface of a respective blade plate. Thus, each of the blade plates is removed from the respective support arm easily and conveniently without needing aid of a tool.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This is a Continuation-In-Part application of applicant's former patent application with application Ser. No. 10/792,700, filed Mar. 05, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional positioning rack for mounting electrothermal straps 3 used in heating fan, for example is shown in FIGS. 1-3 and comprises a fixing bracket 1 having a base 102 and a plurality of support arms 104 extend from the base 102. A plurality of insulating members 2 each are mounted on a respective one of the support arms 104 of the fixing bracket 1 and each have a side formed with a plurality of separation portions 204, and a plurality of positioning recesses 202 are located between the separation portions 204 for positioning electrothermal straps 3.

Each of the insulating members 2 is fixed on a respective one of the support arms 104 of the fixing bracket 1 by a plurality of rivets with manual aid of a special tool. However, it is difficult to rivet the insulating members 2 by riveting tools because the gap between the support arms 104 are limited, so that the tools easily touches and collides the insulating members 2 during the riveting process, thereby easily wearing or breaking the insulating members 2. In addition, the insulating members 2 are fixed the support arms 104 of the fixing bracket 1 and only limited space allows tools to access the rivets, so that when either one of the insulating members 2 is worn out or broken, it is necessary to replace the whole positioning rack, thereby wasting the resource, and thereby increasing the costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a positioning rack for mounting thin-type electrothermal straps for an electric appliance, wherein the blade plates can be easily and conveniently connected to and removed from the support arms without needing aid of a tool.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a positioning rack which comprises a main frame having a tubular base and a plurality of support arms extend radially from the tubular base. Two locking members extend from one of two opposite surfaces of each support arm and each locking member has a locking post and a catch block which is connected to a distal end of the locking post corresponding thereto. The locking post is connected to the surface of the support arm.

A plurality of blade plates each have a plurality of hook-shaped separation portions extend from each of two sides thereof and a plurality of positioning recesses are located between the separation portions. Two guide slots and two locking grooves are defined through each of the blade plates. The locking grooves are respectively communicate with the two guide slots. The guide slots each are sized to allow the catch block to pass therethrough and a width of each locking groove is sized to receive the locking post and smaller than a width of each catch block so that the blade plate is not disengaged from the support arm by the catch block. Each of the blade plates is partially clamped between the surface of each support arm and the catch block.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, wherein a connection tube is connected between two tubular bases of two main frames so that the two main frames can be connected with each other.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially perspective view of a fixing bracket of a conventional positioning rack in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an insulating member of the conventional positioning rack in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the conventional positioning rack in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of a positioning rack in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blade plate of the positioning rack in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan cross-sectional view of a locking member of the positioning rack in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows that the electrothermo straps are positioned on the blade plates of the positioning rack in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows the blade plate is to be engaged with the locking member on the support arm;

FIG. 9 shows that the blade plate is pivoted an angle to disengage the electrothermo straps from the positioning recesses of the blade plate;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the positioning rack of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 shows the connection between the two tubular bases and the connection tube between the two positioning racks of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 4-6, a positioning rack in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a main frame 10 having a tubular base 12 and a plurality of support arms 14 extend radially from the tubular base 12. Each support arm 14 has two locking members 16 extending from one of two opposite surfaces thereof and each locking member 16 has a locking post 162 and a catch block 164, wherein the locking post 162 is connected to the surface of the support arm 14 and the catch block 164 is connected to a distal end of the locking post 162 corresponding thereto.

A plurality of blade plates 20 each have a plurality of hook-shaped separation portions 24 extending from two sides thereof and a plurality of positioning recesses 22 are located between the separation portions 24. Two guide slots 26 and two locking grooves 28 are defined through each of the blade plates 20. The locking grooves 28 respectively communicate with the two guide slots 26. The guide slots 26 and the locking grooves 28 are located along a central longitudinal axis of each blade plate 20.

The guide slots 26 each are sized to allow the catch block 164 to pass therethrough so that the blade plates 20 can be mounted to the support arms 14 by passing the catch blocks 164 through the guide slots 26 and then pushing the blade plates 20 along the longitudinal direction of the support arms 14 to let the locking posts 162 be engaged with the locking roves 28. It is noted that a width of each locking groove 28 is sized to receive the locking post 162 and smaller than a width of each catch block 164 so that the blade plate 20 is not disengaged from the support arm 14 by the catch block 164. Each of the locking posts 162 has two sides thereof which are clamped by two inner sides of the locking groove 28 corresponding thereto. Each of the blade plates 20 is positioned by partially clamped between the surface of each support arm 14 and the catch block 164.

As shown in FIG. 7, the thin electrothermo strap 92 has one end thereof engaged with one of the positioning recesses 22 of one of the blade plate 20 and the positioning recess 22 is the one that is located close to the tubular base 20. The other end of the thin electrothermo strap 92 is then positioned at one of the positioning recesses 22 of the adjacent blade plate 20. By this way, the thin electrothermo straps 92 can be positioned to the same side of each of the blade plates 20 like a spider web. Another electrothermo strap 92 can also be positioned at the other side of each blade plate 20.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when replacement of the blade plates 20 is needed, the damaged blade plate 20 is pulled toward the tubular base 12 along the longitudinal direction of the support arm 14 to shift the locking posts 162 out from the locking grooves 28, and lift the blade plate 20 to pass the catch blocks 164 through the guide slots 26 to separate the blade plate 20 and the support arm 14. The blade plate 20 is then pivoted about a center thereof to disengage the two thin electrothermo straps 92, 94 from the positioning recesses 22. A new blade plate 20 can be connected to the support arm 14 by reversely proceeding the steps as mentioned above. Accordingly, each of the blade plates 20 is mounted on the respective support arm 14 of the main frame 10 easily and conveniently without needing aid of a tool,

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, multiple main frames 10′. 10″ can be connected with each other so as to increase the number of the thin electrothermo straps. Each of the tubular bases 12′, 12″ of the two main frames 10′. 10″ has a passage 122′/122″ defined axially therethrough and a first tube 124′/124″ and a second tube 126′/126″ extend from two sides of the tubular base 12′/12″ respectively. A connection tube 40′ has one end inserted into the first tube 124′ of the first main frame 10′ and the other end of the connection tube 40′ is mounted to the second tube 126″ of the tubular base 12″ of the second main frame 10″. It is noted that the second tube 126′/126″ has a tapered outer periphery so that the connection tube 40″ can be easily mounted thereto. A bolt 32′ extends through the two tubular bases 12′/12″ and the connection tube 40′, wherein the head 32′ is stopped by the jointed portion of the second tube 126′ and the passage 122′ of the first tubular base 12′ and the threaded end 34′ of the bolt 32′ is located in a space enclosed by the first tube 124″ of the second tubular base 12″. A nut 36′ is used to lock the threaded end 34′ of the bolt 32′ to connect the first and second main frames 10′. 10″.

The second embodiment of the present invention can carry more thin electrothermo straps 92, 94 without increasing the size of the main frame 10. The total length of the thin electrothermo straps 92, 94 for the multiple main frames 10′. 10″ is longer than that on one single main frame 10, so that the desired temperature can be easily achieved while each thin electrothermo strap needs only generate limited heat, thus prolonging the life term of the thin electrothermo straps.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A positioning rack for thin-type electrothermal straps comprising:

a main frame having a tubular base and a plurality of support arms extending radially from the tubular base, each support arm having two locking members extending from one of two opposite surfaces of each support arm and each locking member having a locking post and a catch block, the locking post connected to the surface of the support arm and the catch block connected to a distal end of the locking post corresponding thereto, and

a plurality of blade plates each having a plurality of hook-shaped separation portions extending from two sides thereof and a plurality of positioning recesses being located between the separation portions, two guide slots and two locking grooves defined through each blade plate, the locking grooves respectively communicating with the two guide slots, the guide slots and the locking grooves located along a central longitudinal axis of each blade plate, the guide slots each being sized to allow the catch block to pass therethrough and a width of each locking groove being sized to receive the locking post and smaller than a width of each catch block so that the blade plate is not disengaged from the support arm by the catch block, each of the blade plates being positioned by partially clamped between the surface of each support arm and the catch block.

2. The positioning rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the locking posts has two sides thereof being clamped by two inner sides of the locking groove corresponding thereto.

3. The positioning rack in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tubular base has a passage defined axially therethrough and a first tube and a second tube extend from two sides of the tubular base respectively, a connection tube has one end inserted into the first tube and the other end of the connection tube is mounted to the second tube of another tubular base.

4. The positioning rack in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second tube has a tapered outer periphery.

5. The positioning rack in accordance with claim 3, wherein a bolt extends through the two tubular bases and the connection tube.