METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE DESIGN OF AN ENCLOSURE TO HOUSE INTERNAL COMPONENTS

• US 20080120086A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Protocase, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Protocase, Inc.
• Inventors: Manley, Stephen F., Milburn, Douglas I., Lilley, Stephen G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, a computer-based system and a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for creating the specifications for the fabrication of a fully customized enclosure housing internal components. First a suitable three dimensional template representing a basic form of the enclosure is chosen from a plurality of predetermined three dimensional templates and sized. Each face of the enclosure is selected and customized by selecting specific design features from a range of predetermined design options as necessary until a complete set of specifications for the enclosure is obtained.

Claims

1. A method of creating the specifications for the fabrication of a fully customized enclosure housing internal components, comprising:

a) selecting a suitable three dimensional template representing a basic form of the enclosure from a plurality of predetermined three dimensional templates;

b) sizing the template based on a user'"'"'s requirements;

c) selecting a face of the enclosure;

d) customizing the selected face by selecting specific design features from a range of predetermined design options; and

e) repeating steps (c) and (d) for each face of the enclosure as necessary until a complete set of specifications for the enclosure is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes sizing the template based on the size of the internal components to be enclosed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of selecting either a CAD template or a predetermined software template.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if a predetermined software template is selected, the method further comprises selecting the predetermined software template from a group comprising the shapes of rackmount enclosure, a u-shaped enclosure, a mini-ITX enclosure and a mechanical mounting fixture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises customizing the selected face by adding various designer options selected from the group comprising cutouts, standoffs, ports and fasteners.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of activating a grid on the template.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the grid is either lines or dots.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of viewing the fully customized enclosure in three dimensions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of requesting a price estimate of the fully customized enclosure by a method selected from the group comprising of using embedded code, using a web query, or contacting company.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of ordering a designed quantity of fully customized enclosures and filling in an online order processing form.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal components are electronic components.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is for housing a printed circuit board.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying silk-screening to at least one face of the enclosure.

14. A computer-based system for creating the specifications for the fabrication of a fully customized enclosure housing internal components, comprising:

a) means for selecting a suitable three dimensional template representing a basic form of the enclosure from a plurality of predetermined three dimensional templates;

b) means for sizing the template based on a user'"'"'s requirements;

c) means for selecting a face of the enclosure; and

d) means for customizing the selected face by selecting specific design features from a range of predetermined design options;

wherein for each face of the enclosure can be selected and customized as necessary until a complete set of specifications for the enclosure is obtained.

15. The computer-based system of claim 14, the size of template is based on the internal components to be enclosed.

16. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the suitable template is either a CAD template or a predetermined software template.

17. The computer-based system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined software template is selected from a group comprising the shapes of rackmount enclosure, a u-shaped enclosure, a mini-ITX enclosure and a mechanical mounting fixture.

18. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the design options are selected from the group comprising cutouts, standoffs, ports and fasteners.

19. The computer-based system of claim 14, further comprising means for activating a grid on the template.

20. The computer-based system of claim 19, wherein the grid is either lines or dots.

21. The computer-based system of claim 14, further comprising means for viewing the fully customized enclosure in three dimensions.

22. The computer-based system of claim 14, further comprising means for requesting a price estimate of the fully customized enclosure by a method selected from the group comprising of using embedded code, using a web query, or contacting company.

23. The computer-based system of claim 22, further comprising means for ordering a designed quantity of fully customized enclosures and filling in an online order processing form.

24. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the internal components are electronic components.

25. The computer-based system of claim 14, wherein the enclosure is for housing a printed circuit board.

26. The computer-based system of claim 14, further comprising means to apply silk-screening to at least one face of the enclosure.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for creating the specifications for the fabrication of a fully customized enclosure housing internal components, the code permitting a user to perform the steps of:

a) selecting a suitable three dimensional template representing a basic form of the enclosure from a plurality of predetermined three dimensional templates;

b) sizing the template based on a user'"'"'s requirements;

c) selecting a face of the enclosure;

d) customizing the selected face by selecting specific design features from a range of predetermined design options; and

e) repeating steps (c) and (d) for each face of the enclosure as necessary until a complete set of specifications for the enclosure is obtained.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the size of the template is based on the size of the internal components to be enclosed.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein step (a) further comprises code to permit the user to select either a CAD template or a predetermined software template.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising computer-readable code for permitting the user to select the predetermined software template from a group comprising the shapes of rackmount enclosure, a u-shaped enclosure, a mini-ITX enclosure and a mechanical mounting fixture.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein step (d) comprises code to permit the user to customize the selected face by adding various designer options selected from the group comprising cutouts, standoffs, ports and fasteners.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising computer-readable code to permit the user to activate a grid on the template.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the grid is either lines or dots.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising computer-readable code to permit the user to view the fully customized enclosure in three dimensions.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising computer-readable code to permit the user to request a price estimate of the fully customized enclosure by a method selected from the group comprising of using embedded code, using a web query, or contacting company.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, further comprising computer-readable code to permit the user to order a designed quantity of fully customized enclosures and fill in an online order processing form.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the internal components are electronic components.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the enclosure is for housing a printed circuit board.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, further comprising code to permit the user to apply silk-screening to at least one face of the enclosure.