Hinged front panel assembly for circuit cards

A modular front panel system for circuit cards utilizes hinged, interlockable, first and second circuit-card-carrying front panels. Each panel has a hinge component, e.g. a pivot element) that can mate with the component on the other panel (e.g., a groove). The hinged arrangement permits the panels to be releasably secured to one another so as to form a card assembly unit. The hinged arrangement also permits the panels to be moved angularly with respect to one-another, thereby facilitating assembly and disassembly of the two hinge components without obstruction by components mounted on the circuit cards. This is particularly well suited to applications in which the circuit cards have surface mounted connectors that mate and electrically connect when the panels are moved angularly. Moreover, the hinge arrangement permits a panel to be readily added and interlocked with, or removed from, an existing card assembly in electrical equipment, without requiring replacement of the existing front panel.