Laurel Benchtop Laboratory Cases for One or Two 1/8 DIN Instruments

Designed for benchtop and laboratory use, these enclosures provide an alternative to panel mounting of meters when an instrument panel is not available. They provide a finished instrument look to what would otherwise be isolated meters on a work bench or shelf. They are economically priced, provide an attractive professional look, and improve electrical safety.

Two versions are available. Model CASE1 provides a single 1/8 DIN 45 x 92 mm front panel cutout, which is set to one side to leave unobstructed front panel space for user furnished indicator lights, knobs and switches. Model CASE2 provides two 1/8 DIN front panel cutouts, for example to display voltage and current on two separate meters.

Construction is simple and rugged.Four screws hold together top and bottom clamshell halves, which provide wrap-round grooves to secure identically sized front and real panels. The same screws are also used to attach two fixed rear mounting feet and two front feet which, which can fold out to tilt the case by 9° at the option of the user. The case material is black polycarbonate plastic, which is maintenance free and is easy to drill or saw. Vent slits in the top and bottom surfaces allow air circulation for cooling.

The rear of the case provides an AC power inlet and a double-pole rocker switch. An AC power cord of the type used with computers, electrical feedthroughs, and internal wiring are left to the user. In lieu of electrical feedtroughs, a small rectangular opening can be cut at the bottom edge of the rear panel to bring external wires directly to the meter(s). The case can also be used without a rear panel, since the black open interior of the case is virtually indistinguishable from the black rear panel.