Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-10
2004-04-20
Schuberg, Darren (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C439S152000, C439S155000, C439S157000, C439S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06724622
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer, and more particularly, to a computer with a removable add-on card fixing mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computers are indispensable electronic products in modern life and are very popular with consumers. In order to make computers more useful and fulfill the various requirements of consumers, manufacturers have developed many different kinds of function-adding add-on cards. These add-on cards electrically connect to a computer through standardized slots on the computer motherboard and extend the function and capability of the computer. As new technologies are developed day-by-day and the requirements of consumers increase just as rapidly, computers are becoming lighter, thinner, and smaller. This means that computer designers and users must install more and more add-on cards into smaller computers. Add-on cards come in many different standards and sizes. If these add-on cards are installed vertically inside the computer, perpendicular to the motherboard, the size of the computer will be larger than if the add-on cards are installed in a horizontal manner, parallel to the motherboard. So to minimize the overall size and bulkiness of the computer many designers choose to do the latter.
Please refer to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a prior art computer
10
. The computer
10
comprises a chassis
12
, a motherboard
14
, a processor
16
, a power supply
18
, and a riser card
20
. The motherboard
14
is fixed on the chassis
12
. The processor
16
is fixed on the motherboard
14
for controlling the operations of the computer
10
. The power supply
18
is fixed on the chassis
12
for providing electrical power to the computer
10
. The riser card
20
is vertically installed on and electrically connected to the motherboard
14
. The riser card
20
comprises at least a slot
24
for receiving an add-on card
22
so that the add-on card
22
can electrically connect to the motherboard
14
through the riser card
20
. The add-on card
22
is a network card, a video card, a RAID card, or any other type of function-adding card.
In order to accommodate flat shaped computer cases, the computer
10
shown in
FIG. 1
uses the riser card
20
as an interface between the motherboard
14
and the add-on card
22
. The add-on card
22
is horizontally inserted into the slot
24
of the riser card
20
so that the add-on card
22
can electrically connect to the motherboard
14
through the riser card
20
. Although this assembly method can decrease the overall height of the computer
10
, it is inconvenient for operating staff or users to assemble. The computer
10
further comprises other electronic components installed on the motherboard
14
. Operating staff or users must exert a horizontal force directly on to the add-on card
22
each time it is inserted into or removed from the slot
24
of the riser card
20
. As it is easy to accidentally touch the electronic components on the motherboard
14
or on the add-on card
22
when inserting or removing the add-on card
22
electronic components are easily damaged.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a computer with a removable add-on card fixing mechanism, so as to solve the above mentioned problems.
The claimed invention, briefly summarized, discloses a computer. The computer comprises a chassis, a motherboard, at least a first coupler, and a fixing mechanism. The motherboard fixed on the chassis has a connecting port installed at one side of the motherboard along a first direction. The first coupler is formed on the chassis. The fixing mechanism comprises a housing, a first slot, at least a second slot, an active shaft and at least a second coupler. The housing is disposed along the first direction. The first slot is installed at a first side of the housing along the first direction and detachably connected to the connecting port. The second slot is installed at the first side of the housing along the first direction. The second slot is electrically connected to the first slot for electrically connecting an add-on card with the fixing mechanism. The active shaft is installed at a second side of the housing along the first direction. The active shaft has at least one supporting rod fixed at one end of the active shaft. The supporting rod is pivot connected to the housing so that the active shaft and the supporting rod can rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the first direction. The second coupler is formed at a bottom end of the supporting rod corresponding to a position of the first coupler for engaging with the first coupler.
It is an advantage of the claimed invention that the claimed invention computer comprises a detachable fixing mechanism. When users want to add an add-on card into the computer, users can first insert the add-on card into the second slot or the third slot on the riser card of the fixing mechanism. Users then attach the fixing mechanism to the computer chassis and rotate the active shaft about a rotation axis so as to move the fixing mechanism forward to connect the first slot with the connecting port. The claimed invention computer can be used to easily add an add-on card inside the computer. The assembly process is simple and time saving. Users do not need to exert force on the add-on card directly. The electronic components on the add-on card or on the motherboard are not touched when adding or detaching an add-on card and, therefore, the electronic components are not damaged.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5299089 (1994-03-01), Lwee
patent: 5324204 (1994-06-01), Lwee
patent: 5544006 (1996-08-01), Radloff et al.
patent: 5740012 (1998-04-01), Choi
patent: 5889649 (1999-03-01), Nabetani et al.
patent: 369213 (1999-09-01), None
Edwards Anthony Q.
Hsu Winston
Schuberg Darren
Wistron Corporation
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