I/O bracket of electronic device

Details I/O bracket of electronic device I/O bracket of electronic device

1999-11-17

2001-12-11

Tolin, Gerald (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Safety and protection of systems and devices

With specific quantity comparison means

C439S061000, C361S816000, C174S034000, C174S034000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06330139

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an I/O (input/output) bracket of an electronic device, and in particular to an I/O bracket capable to be readily mounted to an enclosure of the electronic device without use of fasteners, such as bolts and rivets.
2. The Prior Art
An electronic device, especially an information appliance, such as a personal computer, a printer, a video compact disk (VCD) player, and a network computer, requires data exchange with other information processing devices. To receive and transmit data, I/O connectors are provided in an information appliance or data processing device for connection with other devices. For access of the I/O connectors, openings are defined in an enclosure of the information appliance corresponding to the connectors thereby exposing the connectors.
Taking personal computer as an example, a conventional computer enclosure forms a number of elongate slots in a back panel thereof with seal plates attached thereto by bolts. I/O connectors may be selectively mounted to the seal plates thereby exposed through the corresponding slots of the back panel. Examples are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 78210118 and 84209619.
Taiwan Patent Application No. 84203698 discloses a computer enclosure having a back panel defining two large openings. A covering plate defining a plurality of slots is attached to the back panel for closing the openings. Seal plates to which I/O connectors are selectively mounted are attached to the back panel to seal the slots. Bolts are required to secure the covering plate to the back panel and to fix the seal plates to the covering plate.
Other examples of mounting I/O connectors to an enclosure are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,873,395, 5,004,867 and 5,564,930 and Taiwan Patent Application No. 84210160. All the conventional techniques for mounting I/O connectors to an enclosure require use of bolts or the likes. Tightening/loosening bolts is a time-consuming and laborious job that may influence overall manufacturing efficiency of the related electronic devices.
It is thus desired to provide an I/O bracket allowing ready mounting to an enclosure for overcoming the problem discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an I/O bracket of an electronic device that is capable to be mounted to an enclosure of the electronic device without using bolts, rivets or similar fasteners.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an I/O bracket of an electronic device that is capable to be readily mounted to an enclosure of the electronic device.
To achieve the above objects, an I/O bracket in accordance with the present invention comprises defines connector access openings and is to be mounted to a back panel of an enclosure for exposing connectors mounted in the enclosure. The back panel defines a substantially rectangular opening having a circumferential wall perpendicular thereto. The bracket includes a plate having a primary flange perpendicular thereto for movably fitting over the wall of the back panel. A second flange perpendicularly extends from the primary flange and defines a plurality of trapezoidal holes having a wide end and a narrow end. L-shaped pawls are stamped on the back panel for being received in the wide ends of the holes when the bracket is at a first unlocked position and engaging with the narrow ends of the holes when the bracket is moved with respect to the back panel to a second locked position and thus securing the bracket to the back panel. Pin extension is formed on a lateral edge of the bracket whereby when the bracket is moved to the second position, an additional part of the enclosure is mounted to the enclosure at a position abutting against the extension thereby preventing the bracket from moving back to the first position. Tabs are formed on an opposite lateral edge of the bracket for engaging with slots defined in the back panel when the bracket is moved from the first position to the second position for attaching the bracket to the back panel.


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