Front panel assembly for a computer mainframe

• US 5,820,235 A
• Filed: 03/10/1997
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tsung-Yen Tsai
• Original Assignee: Tsung-Yen Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, Tsung-Yen
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US08/812,922
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.2, 312/223.1, 312/306, 312/213, 312/312, 312/350, 49/501, 49/336, 70/90, 70/81, 70/97, 70/78, 292/175, 292/163, 361/683, 361/724, 361/727, 220/345, 220/346, 220/347, 220/351, 220/326, 220/210, 220/254
• US Class Current: 312/223.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/515 Sliding sash

Abstract

A front panel assembly for maintaining on a mainframe of a computer, including a base frame having two longitudinal sliding grooves bilaterally disposed at the front side thereat, and a bottom cover covered on the lower half of the base frame and mounted with an air filter. A gear holder is mounted on the base frame and holds a gear, and a dust cover is mounted on the base frame and moves along the longitudinal sliding grooves between the closed and the open position. The dust cover has a longitudinal rack meshed with the gear and a locating hole at the back near the top. A latch on the base frame is forced by a spring into engagement with the locating hole of the dust guard to lock the dust guard in the closed position, and a spring-supported press button on the base frame is controlled to release the latch from the locating hole of the dust guard.

Claims

1. A front panel assembly for a mainframe of a computer, which comprises:

a base frame having a horizontal top flange, a top opening in said horizontal top flange, and a front with two bilaterally disposed longitudinal sliding grooves;

a bottom cover covering a lower part of said base frame;

a gear holder mounted on said base frame above said bottom cover and holding a gear;

a dust cover mounted on said base frame and movable between a first position where said dust cover covers an upper part of said base frame, and a second position where said dust cover covers said bottom cover, said dust cover comprising two longitudinal sliding rails movable along said longitudinal sliding grooves of said base frame, a longitudinal rack meshed with said gear, and a top with a locating hole at a back side thereof;

a latch horizontally mounted in said top opening of said top flange of said base frame and inserted into said locating hole of said dust cover for holding said dust cover in said first position; and

a press button vertically mounted in said top opening of said top flange of said base frame and controlled to release said latch from said locating hole of said dust cover.

2. The front panel assembly of claim 1, wherein said dust cover has a back with two longitudinal guide rails;

said base frame has a front side with two sets of guide blocks raised from said front side and adapted for guiding said longitudinal guide rails of said dust cover when said dust cover is moved along said longitudinal sliding grooves of said base frame.

3. The front panel assembly of claim 1, wherein said base frame has two springy strips having a respective raised stop block;

said dust cover has a back side with a top and two arched stop blocks raised from said back side near said top, said arched stop blocks of said dust cover being respectively stopped at said raised stop blocks of said springy strips when said dust cover is moved from said first position to said second position.

4. The front panel assembly of claim 3, wherein said base frame has a front side with two bilaterally disposed longitudinal rails at said front side;

said springy strips of said base frame have a respective hooked portion;

said bottom cover is a grilled cover including an air filter;

said bottom cover comprises two longitudinal grooves at opposite sides respectively coupled to said longitudinal rails of said base frame, and two coupling holes respectively forced into engagement with said hooked portions of said springy strips of said base frame.

5. The front panel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a lock adapted for locking said dust cover in said first position, said lock comprising a lock ring fixedly mounted on a back side of said dust cover, and a swivel hook mounted on said base frame and turned to hook on said lock ring.

6. The front panel assembly of claim 1, further comprising first spring means mounted in said top opening of said top flange of said base frame to support said press button and to impart an upward pressure to said press button, and second spring means mounted in said top opening of said flange of said base frame to support said latch and to force said latch into engagement with said locating hole of said dust cover.