Microcomputer housing and ventilation arrangement

• US 4,985,804 A
• Filed: 10/23/1989
• Issued: 01/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Codar Technology, Inc. (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Codar Technology, Inc. (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Stone, Robert J., Evans, Michael W., Campbell, W. Carroll, Browning, Edward A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US07/425,246
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 174/15.1, 174/16.1, 363/141, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 361/382, 361/383, 361/384, 361/391, 361/415
• US Class Current: 361/679.31
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/569 for protection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

A power supply system is enclosed in a housing. A disk drive receptacle is arranged in the front of the housing, and a power supply and card cage for the microcomputer are laterally arranged at the rear of the housing. The front and rear of the housing are air permeable for cooling air. A power supply control circuit, for control of the power supply, controls a solid state relay in series with the power input to the power supply. The power supply control circuit also generates control signals, indicating pending power failure, for the microcomputer arranged in the card cage.

Claims

1. A microcomputer system comprising a housing, a card cage, a power supply, a memory receptacle, means for mounting said memory receptacle in said housing, and a memory unit releasably mounted in said memory receptacle, said card cage and power supply being mounted laterally of one another and rearwardly of said memory receptacle in said housing, said housing having an apertured front cover and an apertured rear wall for the flow of air therethrough, said housing further having first and second opposed substantially unapertured side walls, and substantially unapertured top and bottom walls, said memory receptacle being without substantial front and rear surfaces whereby air may pass therethrough, and a main fan arrangement mounted in said housing which directs air in the front to back direction therein and from the memory receptacle through both the power supply and the card cage.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising second fan means mounted to direct air transversely, in the direction extending between said sides in said housing.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for mounting said memory receptacle comprises means for shock mounting said memory receptacle to said housing.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said memory receptacle extends across substantially the entire width of said housing in front of said card cage and power supply.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller circuit mounted above said memory receptacle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said memory unit comprises a canister containing a memory device, and having a connector plug, said memory receptacle having a socket for receiving said plug.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said memory device is a floppy drive device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said memory device is a hard drive system.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said memory device is a tape drive device.

11. The system of claim 7 further comprising lever means mounted to urge said plug into and out of said socket.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said main fan arrangement is mounted in the rear wall of said housing to direct air rearwardly out of said housing.

3. The system of claim 17 further comprising thermostat means connected to control operation of said main fan arrangement as a function of temperature in said housing, said second fan means being connected to be energized independently of temperature in said housing.