Personal computer enclosure with peripheral device mounting system

• US 5,701,231 A
• Filed: 05/03/1996
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Do, Cuong D., Ha, Nhut T., Butryn, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/642,451
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361/680-683, 361/724-727, 361/685, 361/686, 361/687, 361/741, 361/742, 361/756, 361/758, 361/784, 361/790, 361/796, 361/801, 361/802, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/186 Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives

Abstract

An enclosure or chassis for a high-performance personal computer which is portable, provides easy access to its internal components for servicing, and provides mechanisms which allow peripheral devices such as hard disks, floppy disks and CD-ROM drives to be quickly and easily installed and removed. The chassis provides an efficient cooling mechanism so that a heat sink required for a high-performance processor can be smaller than would be the case without such efficient cooling mechanism. The chassis opens up into a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion houses the peripheral devices, and the bottom portion houses the motherboard, power supply and cooling fans. A tamper switch is provided which monitors the state of the chassis (open or closed) and reports over a network whenever the chassis is opened. However, the computer can still be operated when the chassis is opened for inspection, service and repair. A mechanism which enables quick and easy removal of the peripheral devices utilizes a spring clip which provides solid grounding contact to the chassis is also provided.

Claims

1. A chassis for installation of components of a personal computer system, said personal computer system including a motherboard, said motherboard including a plurality of slots for holding cards installed perpendicular to said motherboard, a plurality of peripheral devices and at least one cooling fan, said chassis comprising:

a) a top portion dimensioned and adapted for installation of said plurality of peripheral devices in a single layer;

b) a bottom portion hingedly coupled to said top portion, said bottom portion dimensioned and adapted for installation of i) said motherboard parallel to and adjacent to a bottom surface of said bottom portion; and

ii) said at least one cooling fan,

c) a bracket disposed in said top portion having a resilient layer coupled thereto, said bracket and resilient layer arranged so that the resilient layer engages a top edge of said cards installed in said slots on said motherboard when the chassis is in said closed position,

wherein during normal operation of said personal computer system, said top portion and said bottom portion are arranged such that said chassis is in a closed position.

2. The chassis defined by claim 1 further comprising a switch which generates a signal when said top portion and said bottom portion cease to be arranged such that the chassis is in said closed position.

3. The chassis defined by claim 1 wherein said at least one cooling fan is disposed adjacent a front side of said bottom portion perpendicular to said bottom surface.

4. The chassis defined by claim 1 further comprising a lock which engages said top portion and said bottom portion when said lock is in a closed position and said chassis is in said closed position.