Computer enclosure with fastener

Details Computer enclosure with fastener Computer enclosure with fastener

2001-01-03

2002-06-18

Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C312S223100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06407912

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer enclosure, and particularly to a computer enclosure having a hood readily attached thereto and detached therefrom by means of a fastener.
2. Related Art
A conventional computer enclosure generally includes a chassis, a hood and a bezel. The chassis is used to hold components such as motherboards, interface cards, a power supply and disk drives. The chassis is generally U-shaped, and comprises a base, a front panel and a rear panel. The hood is also U-shaped, and has a top panel and two opposite side panels depending from the top panel. The hood is slidingly attached to the chassis along rails formed on opposite sides of the chassis, and then secured to the rear panel with screws. Finally, the bezel is mounted on the front panel.
Securing the hood to the rear panel with screws is unduly complicated and time-consuming. Furthermore, it is difficult to simultaneously align both side edges of the hood with the respective rails of the chassis.
Another kind of conventional hood is secured to a chassis by means of engagement of locking catches of the hood with slots of the chassis. However, disengaging this kind of hood from the chassis is complicated and laborious.
The above related art includes U.S. Pats. Nos. 5,159,528, 5,164,886, 5,271,152, and 5,491,611.
It is strongly desired to provide a computer enclosure which overcomes the above problems encountered in the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a computer enclosure which has a fastener for readily mounting a hood to the enclosure and readily removing the hood therefrom.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a computer enclosure in accordance with the present invention comprises a chassis, a support bracket mounted in the chassis, a hood and a fastener securing the hood to the support bracket. The support bracket defines a cutout in a top panel thereof. A flange and a stop plate depend from the top panel on opposite sides of the cutout. The hood forms a recess portion comprising a bottom wall with two slots defined therein, a pair of side walls, and a front wall defining an aperture therein. The fastener comprises a handle pivotably attached to the hood, an elastic Y-shaped latch, and a torsion spring. The handle has a press portion, and two cams extending through the two slots. When the handle is rotated downwardly, the cams extend through the cutout and act upon the flange, the latch snaps into the aperture, and the spring is compressed between the handle and the recess portion. The hood is thus securely attached to the chassis.
The latch defines a notch therein. The press portion has a projection with a slope. When the press portion is downwardly pressed, the projection enters the notch and the slope pushes the latch backward. The latch exits the aperture of the hood, and the spring deforms back to its original shape. This causes the handle to rotate up from the support bracket. The cams act on the stop plate of the support bracket, and disengage from the cutout. The hood is thereby released from the support bracket.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings, in which:


REFERENCES:
patent: 5162976 (1992-11-01), Moore et al.
patent: 5845978 (1998-12-01), Jung
patent: 5967633 (1999-10-01), Jung
patent: 6025989 (2000-02-01), Ayd et al.
patent: 6231144 (2001-05-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6272005 (2001-08-01), Jensen et al.

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