Lock device for expansion unit in computer

Details Lock device for expansion unit in computer Lock device for expansion unit in computer

2000-02-25

2001-12-25

Wilkens, Janet M. (Department: 3636)

Supports: cabinet structure

For particular electrical device or component

Housing for computer or computer related equipment

C361S726000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06332658

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to lock devices that may lock and unlock an expansion unit which has been loaded into computers body. The expansion units are detachably connectable to such a computer as a notebook personal computer (“PC”) to realize a predetermined function.
Portable electronic information terminals, such as notebook PCs, have been required to reduce its size and weight, while demanded to have more functions. The notebook PCs are designed to include a system achieving its functions in an A4-sized, B5-sized, or other portable-sized housing and can, as necessary, be detachably mounted with an expansion unit for changing and extending its capabilities. The expansion units have various structures in accordance with its functions to be added, as seen in a CD-ROM disk drive, a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, a power supply, an image pick-up device camera unit, a PC card slot, a printer, a scanner, and a network device, etc.
The various expansion units like these are packaged in a housing of a usually common size, and an expansion unit having a necessary function is configured to be attachable to the computer body by inserting it from the housing into the computer body through the side or bottom of the keyboard. Any other necessary function becomes available in the computer by substituting the currently used unit with another one. Many of the expansion units have such a structure as to constitute part of a computer housing when they are loaded into the housing. A lock mechanism is usually provided in the computer housing to lock the expansion unit that has been attached to the housing and to prevent the unit from easily falling off.
FIG. 12
exemplifies a conventional lock device for an expansion unit in a computer. As shown in
FIG. 12
, the expansion unit
201
works, for example, as a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive into which a 3.5-inch floppy disk may be inserted. The expansion unit
201
, which has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped housing, is detachably connectable by sliding it from the side of the computer body. A rear surface
205
of the expansion unit
201
is provided with a connector that is connectable with a connector
206
provided in the computer body. A locking part
203
provided at the bottom portion
200
in the computer body is engageable with a lock groove
204
in the expansion unit
201
where the expansion unit
201
is loaded and the connectors are connected with each other at the rear surface
205
. The locking part
203
is a horizontally slidable member, and engageable with the lock groove
204
by a force of a spring at the locking part
203
. This engagement fixes the horizontal slides of the expansion unit
201
.
This lock device initially moves the locking part
203
against the spring force, when the expansion unit is removed and another expansion unit, e.g., a CD-ROM disk drive is to be attached, and then releases the engagement between the locking part
203
and the lock groove
204
, making the expansion unit
201
horizontally slidable, whereby the expansion unit
201
is pushed out in a lateral direction of the computer body and detached from the computer body. A different function of another expansion unit having the same shaped housing is available when the expansion unit is attached to the computer.
This conventional lock device for an expansion unit in a computer requires, when the expansion unit
201
is to be detached, a computer body to be turned upside down so that its bottom may be turned upward or sideward, before releasing the engagement between the locking part
203
and the lock groove
204
. Then the locking part
203
is manually manipulated to unlock the expansion unit
201
, and the expansion unit
201
is finally detached by sliding the expansion unit
201
along the bottom surface
200
.
If the computer body is connected with a cable to a printer, a telephone line to a modem, or the like, or if a child, a handicapped or the like uses the computer, it is not so easy, however to turn the computer body itself upside down or keep it tilted. For example, suppose the computer is tilted to space the bottom from the desk instead of being turned upside down. The expansion unit
201
is manually slid while the manipulation of the locking part is simultaneously required. This inevitable bothhanded manipulation would cause the computer body to drop and get damaged, or too much force applied to the cable or the connector would cause trouble over a signal transmission.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, in view of the foregoing technical issues, it is an exemplified object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful lock device that allows an expansion unit to be easily attached to and detached from such a computer body as a notebook PC, in which the above disadvantages are eliminated.
In order to achieve the above objects, a lock device for an expansion unit in a computer the expansion unit being detachably attached to a computer body, the lock device serving to fix the expansion unit that realizes a predetermined extended capability when the expansion unit is connected to the computer body, comprises a pivotal piece near an expansion unit insertion slot in the computer body, a first element which extends along a moving direction of the expansion unit, moves in the extending direction by a pivoting action of the pivotal piece, and includes a press portion that presses the expansion unit when the expansion unit is to be released and a second element engageable with an engagement portion of the expansion unit, the second element being disengageable from the engagement portion when said first element moves.
According to this configuration, a pivoting action of the pivotal piece moves the first element toward its extending direction. In accordance with this movement of the first element, the press portion that presses the expansion unit when the expansion unit is released presses the expansion unit from its rear surface toward an expansion-unit removing direction, and with this action of the press portion, simultaneously the second element is disengaged from the engagement portion of the expansion unit when the first element is moved; therefore unlocking and detaching the expansion unit are simultaneously carried out by one operation of pivoting the pivotal piece. Accordingly, using the inventive lock device makes it possible to easily exchange the expansion unit.
Further, the inventive method of removing from a computer an expansion unit that has been detachably attached to a computer body, the expansion unit capable of realizing a predetermined extended capability when the expansion unit is connected with the computer body, the method comprising the steps of moving in a moving direction of the expansion unit, by pivoting a pivotal piece, a first element that extends along the moving direction, pressing the expansion unit using a press portion provided on the first element, and disengaging an engagement member provided on the first element from an engagement portion of the expansion unit, and making the expansion unit detachable from the computer body.
According to this method, simultaneously with a pressing action at the rear surface of the expansion unit, the engagement member and the engagement portion are disengaged in accordance with the first element's movement; therefore unlocking and detaching the expansion unit are simultaneously carried out by one operation of pivoting the pivotal piece. Accordingly, using the inventive method of removing the expansion unit makes it possible to easily exchange the expansion unit.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4914552 (1990-04-01), Keemer
patent: 5222897 (1993-06-01), Collins et al.
patent: 5721669 (1998-02-01), Becker et al.
patent: 5730610 (1998-03-01), Hsia et al.
patent: 5805420 (1998-09-01), Burke
patent: 9-81269 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 9-231735 (1997-09-

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