Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-20
2004-01-06
Lea-Edmonds, Lisa (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C174S050000, C292S110000, C292S129000, C312S223100, CD14S336000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06674638
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application claims priority to Taiwan application No.090115665, entitled “Fastening Device,” filed on Jun. 27, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastening device, and more particularly, to a fastening device which is easy to assemble and disassemble.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computer has become an important tool rather than a simple calculator or word processor. Daily activities including looking for information, writing a report, chatting, reading news, briefing, sending an e-mail, etc., all can be done through a computer. Since computers are so close to our life, consumers have higher and higher expectation to the computers.
Taking a desktop computer for example, general desktop computers comprise the separate type computers and the all-in-one type computers. The so-called separate type computer refers to a computer system wherein a display unit and a computer unit are separated from each other, and the all-in-one type computer refers to a computer system wherein the display and the computer unit are integrated as a whole. These two types of computer systems have their own advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the separate type computer are easy to be maintained and low cost of upgrade, but the disadvantage resides in its bulky volume. The advantages of the all-in-one type computer reside in its small volume, and its whole appearance can be better designed to produce a unique valuable sense to inspire the consumers with interest in using. However, since the computer unit and display unit of the all-in-one type computer cannot be separated from each other, it is difficult to be maintained. Further, since most of the all-in-one type computers use expensive liquid crystal display units and when upgrading, the all-in-one type computer needs to replace the whole computer system, it is impossible to separate the liquid crystal display unit from the whole computer unit and thus leads to high cost of upgrade.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fastening device for hanging and fixing the computer unit onto the display unit. Said fastening device is easy for the user to assemble and disassemble the computer unit and display unit.
According to an object of the invention, a fastening device is provided to assemble a first unit and a second unit wherein the first unit has a first cover and the second unit has a second cover. The first unit can be a computer unit and the second unit can be a display unit. Said fastening device comprises a positioning post having a post body and a round top, one end of the post body being mounted on the first cover, and the diameter of the round top being larger than that of the post body; a positioning aperture being positioned on the second cover and having a round hole and an elongate extension hole, the round hole permitting the round top to pass therethrough, and the width of the elongate extension hole being smaller than the diameter of the round top and the elongate extension hole permitting the post body to move therein; a sliding piece being mounted on the second cover and having at least one arm of which a slant edge slants upward along a first direction; a resilient element of which one end is fixed on the sliding piece and the other end is fixed on the second cover for connecting the sliding piece with the second cover and making the sliding piece move with the resilient element on the second cover; and an operating key being mounted on the upper end of the sliding piece such that a user can pushes the sliding piece along the first direction by means of the operating key. Before the positioning post is inserted into the positioning aperture, the arm of the sliding piece is just above the elongate extension hole. When the positioning post is inserted into the positioning aperture, the positioning post will be pulled downward due to the gravity of the first unit such that the positioning post slides downward along the slant edge of the arm whereby the positioning post will push the sliding piece along the first direction and thus the spring is stretched. When the positioning post continues to slide downward to the bottom of the elongate extension hole, the sliding piece will be pulled back due to the resilient force of the resilient element such that the arm returns to the position above the elongate extension hole to fix the positioning post.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the fastening device can help the user to hang and fix the computer unit onto the display unit, and it is easy for the user to assemble or disassemble the computer unit and the display unit such that the whole computer system having the fastening device in accordance with the invention possesses the advantages of both the separate type and all-in-one type of computers.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
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patent: 5587876 (1996-12-01), O'Brien et al.
patent: 5973916 (1999-10-01), Han
patent: 6366454 (2002-04-01), Rapaich et al.
patent: 6535380 (2003-03-01), Lee et al.
Acer Inc.
Bednarek Michael D.
Lea-Edmonds Lisa
Shaw Pittman LLP
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