Method and apparatus for removing, inserting and securing receptacles in a receptacle tray
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for controlling removal of one or more receptacles from a receptacle tray are described herein, in which a removal indicator indicates which of the one or more receptacles to remove. Thereafter, the indicated one or more receptacles may be manually removed from the receptacle tray using a gripping mechanism. The receptacles are secured in the tray with two or more tangs protruding from a front face of the receptacle closest to a connector interface. The two or more tangs fit into respective mating units in the receptacle tray, and one or more protrusions toward the rear of the receptacle, with respect to the two or more tangs, mate with respective mating units in the receptacle tray.
1. An apparatus for securing one or more receptacles, comprising:
a receptacle tray having a plurality of mating units; and
at least one receptacle comprising:
two or more tangs protruding from a front face of the receptacle closest to a connector interface, wherein the two or more tangs are configured to mate with respective mating units in the receptacle tray; and
one or more protrusions, toward a rear direction of the receptacle with respect to the two or more tangs, which mate with respective mating units in the receptacle tray;
wherein the one or more protrusions have a guiding surface pushing the receptacle forward and forcing the two or more tangs into the respective mating units.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle tray comprises an indicator indicating locations in the receptacle tray to secure the one or more receptacles.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the indicators indicate locations at which to replace inappropriately removed receptacles.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein two of the two or more tangs are vertically sized to mate with respective mating surfaces in the receptacle tray.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the two or more tangs has a predetermined width corresponding to a width of a respective mating unit in the receptacle tray.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more protrusions has a predetermined depth and width corresponding to a depth and width of a respective mating unit in the receptacle tray.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protrusions have a hook engaged by a retaining mechanism of the receptacle tray.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the retaining mechanism is configured to engage hooks of a plurality of receptacles simultaneously.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the retaining mechanism comprises:
a motor driving a latch element in an unlatch direction;
an indicator indicating where to place a receptacle; and
a processor determining whether one or more receptacles remains to be placed in the receptacle tray, and energizing the motor to drive the latch element in a latch direction if no receptacles remain to be placed in the receptacle tray.