Personal computer and housing structure having circuit board removable horizontally and sub-chassis removable from the top thereof

• US 5,600,538 A
• Filed: 07/08/1994
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Xanthopoulos, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/272,322
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 361/686-687, 361/724-727, 364/708.1, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 361/679.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409

Abstract

A personal computer includes a housing to which decorative panels are removably attached. The housing is formed of metal and includes a removable top for exposing an interior chamber of the housing. Removably mounted in that chamber are two independently removable sub-chassis. Each sub-chassis forms compartments and other mounting sites for receiving electrical components of the computer. The computer can be functionally reconfigured to a substantial extent by replacing or removing some of the electrical components horizontally from the housing, once the respective decorative panels have been removed. An aesthetic reconfiguring of the computer can be effected by replacing the exterior decorative panels with different decorative panels.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

a housing including a plurality of metallic walls defining an enclosed chamber, two of said walls being removable to expose a top and a rear, respectively, of said chamber;

a circuit board disposed in said chamber and removable horizontally through said rear of said chamber when said rear is exposed;

a sub-chassis disposed in said chamber and being removable through said top of said chamber when said top is exposed, said sub-chassis including a pair of horizontally spaced connecting elements;

first and second horizontally spaced functional components removably secured to respective ones of said connecting elements; and

a third functional component disposed beneath said sub-chassis and being removable through said top of said chamber when said top is exposed and said sub-chassis is removed.

2. The personal computer according to claim 1, further including an additional sub-chassis disposed in said chamber and removable vertically through said top of said chamber when said top is exposed;

said additional sub-chassis including a plurality of horizontally spaced additional connecting elements;

at least fourth and fifth functional components removably secured to respective ones of said additional connecting elements.

3. The personal computer according to claim 2, wherein said first and second functional components are disc drives;

one of said fourth and fifth functional components being a cooling fan.

4. The personal computer according to claim 1, wherein said first and second functional components are disc drives.

5. The personal computer according to claim 4, wherein said third functional component is a speaker.

6. The personal computer according to claim 1, further including a power supply disposed within said chamber and removable vertically through said top of said chamber when said top is exposed.

7. The personal computer according to claim 1, wherein said side walls include bent portions forming vertical slots;

said sub-chassis including downwardly projecting tabs receivable in respective ones of said slots.

8. The personal computer according to claim 1, further including an electrical connector removably mounted on a rear portion of said sub-chassis, a forward edge of said circuit board being horizontally plugged into said electrical connector.

9. The personal computer according to claim 1, wherein said walls include a front wall, a rear wall, two side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall;

and further including external panels removably mounted on at least said front wall, both of said side walls and said top wall.