Supports: cabinet structure – For particular electrical device or component – Housing for computer or computer related equipment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2001-04-24
Wilkens, Janet M. (Department: 3636)
Supports: cabinet structure
For particular electrical device or component
Housing for computer or computer related equipment
C312S265500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220679
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a casing, more particularly to a computer casing provided with an elongated spring plate for resiliently retaining a casing cover thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional computer casing
2
is shown to include a rectangular hollow main body
23
and a casing cover
22
disposed on the main body
23
. The main body
23
has a side wall
230
formed with a fixed frame plate
21
that is parallel to and spaced apart from the side wall
230
and that is proximate to a rear end of the main body
23
. The frame plate
21
has an inner surface
215
, an outer surface
216
, a plurality of tongue-retaining holes
212
formed through the frame plate
21
, and a stop member
25
that is fixed on the outer surface
216
of the frame plate
21
near the tongue-retaining holes
212
and that is shaped as a shoulder. The casing cover
22
is sleeved slidably on the main body
23
, and has an integral cover plate
220
disposed slidably on the frame plate
21
in such a manner that the cover plate
220
abuts against the stop member
25
so as to prevent the same from further sliding forward, thereby permitting rearward sliding movement of the cover plate
220
on the frame plate
21
for removal of the casing cover
22
from the main body
23
. A spring unit
3
is disposed on the frame plate
21
, and includes an elongated coupling section
33
sleeved on a peripheral edge of the frame plate
21
, and a plurality of curved upper biasing sections
311
(only one is visible in
FIG. 2
) disposed above the upper surface of the frame plate
21
and extending forwardly from the coupling section
33
to bias the cover plate
220
away from the frame plate
21
in a direction that is perpendicular to the frame plate
21
, thereby fixing the cover plate
220
relative to the frame plate
21
. The spring unit
3
further includes a plurality of pressed lower engaging tongues
321
(only one is visible in
FIG. 2
) connected integrally to the coupling section
33
and projecting respectively into the tongue-retaining holes
212
in the frame plate
21
, thereby preventing untimely disengagement of the spring unit
3
from the frame plate
21
.
A drawback of the aforesaid conventional computer casing is that it is inconvenient to mount the spring unit
3
on the frame plate
21
in view of the fact that inner ends
322
(see
FIG. 2
) of the lower engaging tongues
321
have to be manually operated so as to be retained in the tongue-retaining holes
212
in the frame plate
21
. Removal of the spring unit
3
from the frame plate
21
is consequently difficult.
Furthermore, the spring unit
3
easily breaks at positions
323
(see FIG.
2
), thereby resulting in separation of the lower engaging tongues
321
from the remaining portion of the spring unit
3
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a computer casing which includes a main body having a rear end, a side wall formed with a fixed frame plate proximate to the rear end, and a casing cover fixed on the frame plate by the use of an elongated spring plate. The spring plate can be mounted and removed with ease from the frame plate when desired.
Accordingly, the computer casing of this invention includes a rectangular hollow main body, a casing cover and an elongated spring plate. The main body has a rear end, and a side wall which is formed with a fixed frame plate that is parallel to and spaced apart from the side wall and that is proximate to the rear end of the main body. The frame plate has an inner surface, an outer surface, a front spring-retaining hole that is formed therethrough, a rear spring-retaining hole that is formed through the frame plate and that is spaced apart from the front spring-retaining hole, and a stop member that is fixed on the outer surface of the frame plate. The casing cover is sleeved slidably on the main body, and has an integral cover plate, which is disposed slidably on the frame plate and which is parallel to the frame plate. The cover plate is prevented by the stop member of the frame plate from sliding on the frame plate in a direction when the cover slides to contact the stop member. The spring plate is disposed on the frame plate, and has a front inclined plate section, a rear inclined plate section, and an abutment plate portion. The front inclined plate section extends through the front spring-retaining hole in the frame plate and is inclined with respect to the frame plate. The front inclined plate section has a front end that is exposed to the inner surface of the frame plate, and a rear end that is exposed to the outer surface of the frame plate. The rear inclined plate section extends through the rear spring-retaining hole in the frame plate and is inclined with respect to the frame plate. The rear inclined plate section has a front end that is exposed to the outer surface of the frame plate and that is formed integrally with the rear end of the front inclined plate section, and a rear end that is exposed to the inner surface of the frame plate. The abutment plate section abuts against the inner surface of the frame plate, and has an inner end that that is formed integrally with the front end of the front inclined plate section. The front inclined plate section has a narrow inner portion that extends through the front spring-retaining holes in the frame plate, and a wide outer portion that is exposed to the outer surface of the frame plate and that is wider than the narrow inner portion. The wide outer portion is sufficiently wide to prevent extension thereof into the front and rear spring-retaining holes in the frame plate. The cover plate presses intersection of the front and rear inclined plate sections against the frame plate when the cover plate rests on the frame plate, so as to bend the wide outer portion with respect to the narrow inner portion, thereby bringing the wide outer portion into contact and to be parallel with the cover plate and pressing the wide outer portion against the cover plate for fixing the cover plate relative to the frame plate.
When desired, the spring plate can be removed from the frame plate with ease after removal of the casing cover from the frame plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1735375 (1929-11-01), Card et al.
patent: 3360321 (1967-12-01), Novales
patent: 5031070 (1991-07-01), Hsu
patent: 5164886 (1992-11-01), Chang
patent: 5397176 (1995-03-01), Allen et al.
patent: 5584549 (1996-12-01), Lybarger et al.
patent: 5590938 (1997-01-01), De Andrea
patent: 5593219 (1997-01-01), Ho
patent: 5944398 (1999-08-01), Wu
patent: 6141209 (2000-10-01), Kerrigan et al.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Compucase Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Wilkens Janet M.
LandOfFree
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