Access panel latching system

• US 6,935,661 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Farnsworth, Arthur K., Austin, Peter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US09/717,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 292/162, 292/175, 292/120, 292/128, 292/301, 312/223.2, 312/223.1, 361724-727, 70/67, 70/70, 70/58, 70/63
• US Class Current: 292/162
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0057 for caskets, coffins or burial vaults coffins in general A61G17/02
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/52 Other locks for chests, boxes, trunks, baskets, travelling bags, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/04 with operating handle or equivalent member rigid with the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0925 Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0934 Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0968 Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0997 Rigid

Abstract

A protective assembly for electronic components. The protective assembly has a chassis and a removable cover. The removable cover is secured to the chassis by a latch and a catch. The catch is biased by a spring to a first position. The latch slidingly engages the catch to displace the catch during the installation of the cover. The spring returning the catch to the first position when the cover is disposed on the chassis in the securing position. The panel being removeable by sliding the catch against the spring to release the latch from the catch.

Claims

1. A protective assembly for a computer system, comprising:

a chassis;

an access panel;

a first and a second latch member secured to the access panel;

a first and a second catch member moveably secured to the chassis, wherein the first catch member is disposed on an interior side of a first sidewall of the chassis to secure the first latch member and the second catch member is disposed on an interior side of a second sidewall of the chassis, opposite the first sidewall, to secure the second latch member, the first and second catch members being biased in a first direction to secure the first and second latch members and being movable in a second direction to release the first and second latch members; and

a first and a second operator, wherein the first operator is disposed on an exterior side of the first sidewall and secured through the chassis to the first catch member and the second operator is disposed on an exterior side of the second sidewall, the first and second operators being adapted to move the first and second catch members in the second direction to disengage with respect to the first and second latch members.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the latch member includes a first engaging portion and a first securing portion and the catch member includes a second engaging portion and a second securing portion, the first and second engaging portions being adapted to enable the first securing portion engage the second securing portion to displace the catch member, the first and second securing portions being adapted to enable the second securing portion capture the first securing portion.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first engaging portion slidingly engages the second engaging portion and displaces the catch member in the second direction as the access panel is moved to a closed position on the chassis.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein at the closed position, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are no longer in sliding engagement and the catch member is biased in the first direction.

5. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the second securing portion is disposed over the first securing portion when the catch member is in a first position.

6. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first securing portion and the second securing portion are flat with respect to the access panel in a closed position in relation to the chassis.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are angled with respect to the access panel in a closed position in relation to the chassis.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the latch member is releaseable from the catch member by displacing the catch member such that the second securing portion is not disposed over the first securing portion.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the catch member is biased in the first direction by a spring.

10. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein each catch member includes a third engaging portion and a third securing portion symmetrical about an axis with the second engaging portion and the second securing portion, the second securing portion being adapted to capture the first securing portion of the first latch member when the catch member is disposed on the first sidewall of the chassis and the third securing portion being adapted to capture the first securing portion of the second latch member when the catch member is disposed on the second sidewall of the chassis.

11. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are configured for sliding engagement with respect to one another.

12. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first securing portion and the second securing portion are configured for abutment with respect to one another.

13. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the access panel is pivoted about a first end to position the access panel relative to the chassis.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a spring to bias the access panel to an open position.

16. The housing as recited in claim 14, wherein the first and second catch members are slidably moveable.

15. A housing for a computer device, comprising:

a chassis configured to house at least one computer component, the chassis having a plurality of sidewalls;

an access panel coupleable to the chassis;

first and second latch members located on the access panel;

a first catch member moveably secured to the chassis on an interior side of a first sidewall of the chassis and configured to engage with the first latch member;

a second catch member moveably secured to the chassis on an interior side of a second sidewall and configured to engage with the second latch member, wherein the second sidewall is not adjacent to the first sidewall;

a first operator disposed on an exterior side of the first sidewall and coupled to the first catch member via a first extension member extending through the first sidewall; and

a second operator disposed on an exterior side of the second sidewall and coupled to the second catch member via a second extension member extending through the second sidewall, wherein actuation of the first and second operators in a first direction disengages the first and second catch members from the first and second latch members respectively.

17. The housing as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second latch members are configured to bias the first and second catch members in the first direction via engagement between the first and second catch members and the first and second release members during positioning of the access panel in a closed position with respect to the chassis.

18. The housing as recited in claim 15, comprising a leaf spring coupled to the chassis and configured to bias the access panel away to an open position with respect to the chassis.

19. The housing as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second catch members are substantially identical.

20. The housing as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second catch members are interchangeable.

21. A housing for a computer device, comprising:

a chassis configured to house at least one computer component;

an access panel coupled to the chassis, wherein the access panel is pivotable with respect to the chassis;

first and second latch members located on the access panel;

a first catch member located on a first sidewall of the chassis and configured to engage with the first latch member, the first catch member being moveable in a first direction; and

a second catch member located on a second sidewall not adjacent to the first sidewall and configured to engage with the second latch member, wherein the second catch member is moveable in the first direction, and wherein the first and second catch members are configured to disengage with the first and second latch members respectively via actuation of the first and second catch members in the first direction.

22. The housing as recited in claim 21, comprising a biasing mechanism configured to bias the first and second catch mechanisms in a second direction, wherein the second direction is axially opposite the first direction.

23. The housing as recited in claim 21, wherein the first and second catch members are substantially identical.

24. The housing as recited in claim 21, wherein the first and second catch members are interchangeable.

25. The housing as recited in claim 24, wherein the first and second latch members are configured to actuate the first and second catch members respectively in the first direction during positioning of the access panel to a closed position with respect to the chassis.