Computer enclosure incorporating a latch

Details Computer enclosure incorporating a latch Computer enclosure incorporating a latch

2000-04-18

2002-03-26

Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S689000, C361S725000, C361S801000, C312S223200, C292S207000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06362975

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a computer enclosure, and particularly to a computer enclosure having a latch pivotably attached to a hood for readily attaching/detaching the hood to/from a chassis.
2. The Related Art
Recent trends in the computer industry include using two or more subcontractors to assemble a computer. Generally, a computer enclosure is manufactured at a first site where labor cost is low, after which other components may be assembled in the computer enclosure to finalize the computer system at a second site where labor cost is high. During the procedure of assembling the computer, a hood of the computer enclosure is attached to/detached from a chassis several times. For a conventional computer enclosure, the hood is fixed to the chassis of the computer enclosure by bolts, so the assembling/disassembling of the hood to/from the chassis is time-consuming and laborious.
To counter the above problem, Taiwan patent application No. 82212635 disclosed a hood attached to a chassis without using bolts. The hood forms two pairs of tabs and a pair of lips at stacked flanges on opposite sides thereof. The chassis has a pair of side flanges each defining a pair of slots for receiving the tabs of the hood. Thus, the lips of the hood abut against the side flanges of the chassis and the tabs of the hood engagingly extend through the slots of the chassis thereby fixing the hood to the chassis. However, the hood is fixed to the chassis so tightly that it requires a large force to detach the hood from the chassis. Furthermore, it is difficult to apply a force to the hood. So detaching the hood from the chassis of the computer enclosure is complicated.
Another example is disclosed in Taiwan patent application No. 86211252. A hood is attached to a chassis of a computer enclosure by means of a pair of actuating protrusions formed on opposite sides of the hood and two pairs of fingers respectively on opposite sides of the protrusions. The chassis forms a pair of tabs for each pair of fingers, each pair of tabs engaging with the corresponding pair of fingers of the hood, thereby fixing the hood to the chassis. However, the hood may get deformed during disengagement of the fingers from the tabs. Thus, the hood no longer closely fits the chassis after being assembled and disassembled several times. The resulting gap between the hood and the chassis may result in EMI (electromagnetic interference) problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a computer enclosure having a latch for facilitating assembling/disassembling a hood to/from a chassis of the computer enclosure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer enclosure having a latch for facilitating assembling/disassembling a hood to/from a chassis, while conserving EMI protection offered by the hood.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a computer enclosure of the present invention comprises a chassis and a hood attached to the chassis. The chassis comprises a rear panel defining a slot having a first section and a second section substantially normal to the first section, and a pair of side panels connecting to the rear panel. The hood has a pair of side walls engaging with the side panels of the chassis for fixing the hood to the chassis. A latch is pivotably attached to one side wall of the hood and movably extends into the slot. The latch is movable from the first section into the second section by being forcibly rotated about the pivot thereof for securely engaging with the slot to secure the hood to the chassis.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5112119 (1992-05-01), Cooke et al.
patent: 5751545 (1998-05-01), Jung
patent: 5823644 (1998-10-01), Suh et al.
patent: 6118668 (2000-09-01), Scholder et al.
patent: 6205020 (2001-03-01), Felcman et al.

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