Retractable display module

• US 6,778,381 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Salinas, Everett R., Bolognia, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US09/691,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/724-727, 361/825, 345/87, 345/905, 345/156, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 348/794
• US Class Current: 361/679.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1494 having hardware for monitoring blades, e.g. keyboards, displays methods or software therefore H05K7/1498

Abstract

A retractable display module system for use with a processor-based device, such as a server. The retractable module may comprise an LCD module that is movable between a retracted position within the chassis of the device and an open position. The system utilizes a guide housing disposed within the chassis of the device for receiving and storing the display module in a retracted, space-saving position. A resilient member, such as a spring, may be deployed in the guide housing to bias the display module into the guide housing. For use, the display module is removed from the guide housing and pivoted to the open position at a front of the device.

Claims

1. A retractable module system, comprising:

rack-mountable chassis;

a processor housed in the rack-mountable chassis;

a display assembly housed in the rack-mountable chassis; and

a pivot assembly configured to pivotably couple the display assembly to the rack-mountable chassis, wherein the pivot assembly is slidably engaged with at least one of the rack-mountable chassis and the display assembly such that the display assembly is positionable between a retracted position and a display position with respect to the rack-mountable chassis.

2. The retractable module system as recited in claim 1, comprising a spring coupled to the pivot assembly and configured to bias the display assembly to the retracted position.

3. The retractable module system as recited in claim 1, wherein the display assembly comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) module.

4. The retractable module system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rack-mountable chassis has a 1U profile.

5. The display device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display position locates display a surface of the display assembly generally parallel to a front of the rack-mountable chassis.

6. The retractable module system as recited in claim 1, comprising a disk-drive housed in the rack-mountable chassis and configured to receive a removable storage medium.

7. The display device as recited in claim 5, wherein the retracted position_locates the display surface generally perpendicular to the front of the rack-mountable chassis.

8. The retractable module system as recited in claim 6, wherein disk-drive comprises a compact-disc (CD) drive.

9. The retractable module system as recited in claim 6, wherein the display position locates the display surface generally parallel to a storage medium receiving aperture of the disk-drive.

10. The retractable module system as recited in claim 9, wherein the retracted position locates the display surface generally perpendicular to the storage medium receiving aperture.

11. A system for facilitating the display of information related to a specific device, comprising:

a processor-based device;

an information display module configured to display information pertaining to the processor-based device on a display surface; and

a pivot assembly configured to couple the information display module to the processor-based device, wherein the information display module is positionable between a retracted position and a display position, such that the retracted position locates the display surface generally perpendicular to storage medium receiving aperture of the processor-based device, and the display position locates the display surface generally parallel to the storage medium receiving aperture of the processor-based device.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the information display module comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor-based device includes a disk-drive configured to receive a storage medium.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the disk-drive comprises a compact disk (CD) drive.

15. A display device for use in a server unit having a rack-mountable chassis and a processor housed in the chassis, comprising:

a first portion having an electronic display surface; and

a second portion coupleable to the rack-mountable chassis and secured to the first portion via a pivot assembly, wherein the pivot assembly is slidably engaged to at least one of the first and second portions such that the first portion is positionable between retracted and display configurations with respect to the rack-mountable chassis.

16. The display device as recited in claim 15, wherein the electronic display device comprises liquid crystal display (LCD).

17. The display device as recited in claim 15, comprising a spring configured to bias the first portions to the retracted configuration.

18. The display device as recited in claim 15, wherein the display surface is configured to display operational information pertaining to the server unit.

19. A rack system, comprising:

a rack; and

at least one server unit disposed in the rack, the at least one server unit comprising;

a chassis mounted to the rack;

a processor housed in the chassis; and

a display assembly, comprising;

a mounting structure secured to the chassis;

a display structure having a display surface configured to display information pertaining to the at least one server unit; and

a pivot structure pivotably secured to the display structure and slidably engaged with the mounting structure, such that the display structure is positionable between a display configuration and retracted configuration with respect to the chassis, wherein the display configuration locates the display surface generally parallel to a front of the server unit and the retracted configuration locates the display surface generally perpendicular to the front of the server unit.

20. The rack system as recited in claim 19, wherein the display structure comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).

21. The rack system as recited in claim 19, comprising a disk-drive housed in the chassis and configured to receive storage media in a direction generally perpendicular to the front the server unit.

22. The rack system as recited in claim 19, wherein the display assembly includes a spring configured to bias the display structure to the retracted configuration.

23. The rack system as recited in claim 19, wherein the chassis has a 1U profile.

24. The rack system as recited in claim 19, wherein the chassis is fixedly mounted to rack.

25. The rack system as recited in claim 21, wherein the disk-drive comprises a compact disk (CD) drive.

26. A computing system, comprising:

a chassis fixedly secured with respect to a support structure; and

a display device pivotably and slideably secured to the chassis such that the display device is selectively positionable between a display configuration and a retracted configuration.

27. The computing system as recited in claim 26, wherein the chassis has a 1U profile.

28. The computing system as recited in claim 26, wherein the support structure comprises a rack.

29. The computing system as recited in claim 26, comprising a processor-based electronic device housed in the chassis.

30. An electronic device, comprising:

a chassis having a front side, a back side, a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side; and

a display surface coupled to the chassis and positionable between a display configuration and a retracted configuration, such that the display surface is generally parallel to the front side in the display configuration and generally parallel to at least one of the left and right sides in the retracted configuration.

31. The electronic device as recited in claim 30, comprising a processor-based electronic device housed in the chassis.

32. The electronic device as recited in claim 30, wherein the chassis is rack-mountable.

33. The electronic device as recited in claim 30, wherein the display surface is disposed generally parallel and adjacent to the front side when in the display configuration and disposed generally parallel and adjacent to one of the left and right sides when in the retracted configuration.

34. The electronic device as recited in claim 30, wherein a distance between the top side and the bottom side is approximately 1U.

35. The electronic device as recited in claim 30, comprising a mounting structure configured to pivotably and slideably secure the display surface to the chassis.

36. An electronic device, comprising:

a chassis securable to a support structure, the chassis having a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, a front side, and a back side; and

a display device coupled to the chassis and positionable between retracted and display configurations, wherein the display device is wholly disposed between the top and bottom sides of the chassis when in the display configuration and in the retracted configuration.

37. The electronic device as recited in claim 36, wherein the chassis is rack-mountable.

38. The electronic device as recited in claim 36, wherein the distance between the top and bottom sides is 1U.

39. The electronic device as in claim 36, comprising a processor-based electronic device housed in chassis.