Computer chassis assembly

• US 5,816,673 A
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Galloway, William C., Scholhamer, George J., Sauer, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/730,470
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.22, 312/223.1, 312/263, 312/265.5, 361/683, 361/685, 361/725, 361/726, 361/727, 361/802
• US Class Current: 312/223.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/188 Mounting of power supply units

Abstract

A modular computer chassis constructed with a center pluggable interface adapted for the modular mounting of components on opposite sides thereof. The chassis includes frontal and rear regions which are open and adapted for receipt of modular computer components therein for direct coupling to the center pluggable interface. An isolation frame is also provided within the chassis for physically and electrically isolating select components therein one from the other. A slidable mounting array is also provided for facilitating flexibility in the mounting of half height and one-third height disk drives adjacent to the center pluggable interface for flexibility in the design and utilization of the chassis of the present invention.

Claims

1. A computer chassis, comprising:

a housing having a front region and a rear region, said front region of said housing being open and adapted for receiving therein a first electrical component, said rear region of said housing being open and adapted for receiving therein a second electrical component;

an interface secured to said housing and positioned intermediate to said front region and said rear region of said housing;

said interface including a first printed circuit board electrically coupled to a second printed circuit board, said first printed circuit board positioned adjacent said front region of said housing, said second printed circuit board positioned adjacent said rear region of said housing and generally parallel said first printed circuit board;

said interface further including at least two connectors, with a first of said at least two connectors being mounted to said first printed circuit board and a second of said at least two connectors being mounted to said second printed circuit board;

said first connector for connection to the first electrical component when the first electrical component is received in said front region of said housing;

said second connector for connection to the second electrical component when the second electrical component is received in said rear region of said housing; and

said interface for electrically coupling said at least two connectors.

2. The computer chassis as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an isolation structure having at least one wall positioned substantially within said rear region of said housing and adjacent to at least a portion of said interface;

said at least one wall defining at least a first chamber and a second chamber in said rear portion of said chassis; and

said isolation structure for isolating said first chamber from said second chamber.

3. The computer chassis as recited in claim 1, further comprising an array of guide channels disposed within said front region of said housing, said guide channels for facilitating the receipt of the first electrical component within said front region.

5. The computer chassis as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an isolation structure having a plurality of walls, each of said plurality of walls being positioned substantially within said rear region of said housing and adjacent to at least a portion of said interface;

said plurality of walls defining a plurality of chambers in said rear portion of said chassis; and

said isolation structure for isolating each of said plurality of chambers.

4. The computer chassis as recited 3, wherein said array of guide channels are configured to receive a select number of a plurality of electronic components of a first size and a select number of a plurality of electronic components of a second size.

6. A computer system comprising:

a housing for supporting a plurality of computer components, said housing having a front region and a rear region, said front region of said housing being open and adapted for receiving therein a first computer component of said plurality of computer components, said rear region of said housing being open and adapted for receiving therein a second computer component of said plurality of computer components;

an interface secured to said housing and positioned intermediate to said front region and said rear region of said housing;

said interface including a first printed circuit board electrically coupled to a second printed circuit board, said first printed circuit board positioned adjacent said front region of said housing, said second printed circuit board positioned adjacent said rear region of said housing and generally parallel said first printed circuit board;

said interface further including at least two connectors, with a first of said at least two connectors being mounted to said first printed circuit board and a second of said at least two connectors being mounted to said second printed circuit board;

said first connector for connection to said first computer component when said first computer component is received in said front region of said housing;

said second connector for connection to said second computer component when said second computer component is received in said rear region of said housing; and

said interface for electrically coupling said at least two connectors.

7. The computer system as recited in claims 6, further comprising:

an isolation structure having at least one wall positioned substantially within said rear region of said housing and adjacent to at least a portion of said interface;

said at least one wall defining at least a first chamber and a second chamber in said rear portion of said chassis; and

said isolation structure for isolating said first chamber from said second chamber.

8. The computer system as recited in claim 6, further comprising an array of guide channels disposed within said front region of said housing, said guide channels for facilitating the receipt of said first computer component within said front region.

10. The computer system as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

an isolation structure having a plurality of walls, each of said plurality of walls being positioned substantially within said rear region of said housing and adjacent to at least a portion of said interface;

said plurality of walls defining a plurality of chambers in said rear portion of said chassis; and

said isolation structure for isolating each of said plurality of chambers.

9. The computer system as recited 8, wherein said array of guide channels are configured to receive a select number of a plurality of computer components of a first size and a select number of a plurality of computer components of a second size.

11. A computer system comprising:

a housing for supporting a plurality of computer components, said housing having a front region and a rear region, said front region of said housing being open and adapted for receiving therein a first computer component of said plurality of computer components, said rear region of said housing being open and adapted for receiving therein a second computer component of said plurality of computer components;

an interface secured to said housing and positioned intermediate to said front region and said rear region of said housing;

said interface including a first printed circuit board electrically coupled to a second printed circuit board, said first printed circuit board positioned adjacent said front region of said housing, said second printed circuit board positioned adjacent said rear region of said housing and generally parallel said first printed circuit board;

said interface further including at least two connectors, with a first of said at least two connectors being mounted to said first printed circuit board and a second of said at least two connectors being mounted to said second printed circuit board;

said first connector for connection to said first computer component when said first computer component is received in said front region of said housing;

said second connector for connection to said second computer component when said second computer component is received in said rear region of said housing;

said interface for electrically coupling said first computer component with said second component; and

wherein said at least one of said at least two connectors is hot pluggable.

12. The computer system as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

an isolation structure having a plurality of walls, each of said plurality of walls being positioned substantially within said rear region of said housing and adjacent to at least a portion of said interface;

said plurality of walls defining a plurality of chambers in said rear portion of said chassis, each of said plurality of chambers for receiving one of said plurality of computer components; and

said isolation structure for isolating each of said plurality of components in each of said plurality of chambers.

13. The computer system as recited in claim 12, further comprising an array of guide channels disposed within said front region of said housing, said guide channels for facilitating the receipt of said first computer component within said front region.

14. The computer system as recited 13, wherein said array of guide channels are configured to receive a select number of a plurality of computer components of a first size and a select number of a plurality of computer components of a second size.

15. The computer system as recited in claim 14, further comprising an array of guide channels disposed within at least one of said chambers in said rear region of said housing, said guide channels for facilitating the receipt of said second computer component within said rear region.