Computer enclosure

Details Computer enclosure Computer enclosure

2000-09-21

2002-04-30

Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S752000, C439S928100, C360S097010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06381131

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer enclosure, and particularly to a computer enclosure incorporating a bracket for stacking multiple drives therein.
2. The Related Art
It is often desirable to design a computer housing to permit a user or a technician to easily install a disk drive into the housing and easily remove a disk drive therefrom. Typically, a disk drive is secured to a computer housing with screws or bolts. Referring to
FIG. 14
(PRIOR ART), a disk drive
90
with four bolts
92
attached in a base face thereof is mounted to a front panel
94
of a computer housing. The bolts
92
extend through four apertures
96
defined in the front panel
94
and engage with holes
99
defined in a resilient plate
98
, thereby securing the disk drive
90
to the front panel
94
.
However, the bolts
92
engaged with the front panel
94
prevent movement of the disk drive
90
only in a direction perpendicular to the front panel
94
, and not in any direction parallel to the front panel
94
. This may cause the disk drive
90
to vibrate excessively. Such vibration may damage the disk drive
90
and components adjacent to the disk drive, and may adversely affect data storage and retrieval. Another disadvantage of using the bolts
92
to secure the disk drive
90
to the front panel
94
is that when replacing the disk drive
90
, the user or technician must physically unscrew each bolt
92
in order to disengage the disk drive
90
from the front panel
94
. Such a process is tedious and time consuming. Furthermore, this kind of computer housing assembly has no means to receive additional disk drives.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a computer enclosure incorporating a drive bracket for securely receiving a disk drive therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer enclosure with a drive bracket for stacking multiple drives therein, thereby facilitating disk drive expansion.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a drive bracket having a simple structure which is easily assembled to a computer enclosure.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a computer enclosure in accordance with the present invention comprises a computer housing and a drive bracket mounted on the housing. The computer housing has at least a front panel, a side panel and a bottom panel. The front panel has at least one finger extending inwardly therefrom. The side panel has two supporting plates each having a plurality of cutouts. The bottom panel has at least one post. The drive bracket has a base, a first side wall, a second side wall and an end wall which together define a space for receiving a disk drive therein. The first side wall forms a second chamber having a pair of opposite faces abuttingly secured between the supporting plates of the side panel. The second side wall forms a bent plate defining at least one aperture for engagement with the finger of the front panel. The end wall defines a cutout for retaining the post of the bottom panel. The second side wall further forms at least one plate and one finger for securing a second drive bracket to the housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following preferred embodiment with attached drawings, in which:


REFERENCES:
patent: 6122165 (2000-09-01), Schmitt et al.
patent: 6317318 (2001-11-01), Kim

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