Door panel system for an information handling system

• US 7,367,638 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Marroquin, Marco A., Revell, John D., Morris, William John
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens; Janet M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kuhn; Mart K
• Application Number:
  US11/141,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20060267466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 312/323, 312/322, 312/222, 312/223.2, 312/319.1, 312/319.2, 312/327, 312/328, 312/724, 312/110, 312 27- 30, 492/54, 492/58, 492/59, 492/60, 491/97, 492/01, 492/02, 220/813, 220/811, 220/812, 220/827, 220/830, 220/211, 220/264, 163/54, 163/60, 163/61, 16/54, 16/50, 361/683, 361/724, 224/926
• US Class Current: 312/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

A door panel system and method according to which a door panel is coupled to a member such as a chassis. A door panel is coupled to the chassis and is automatically rotated relative to the chassis.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a chassis;

a door panel movably mounted on the chassis;

a hinge plate movably mounted on the chassis and coupled to the door panel;

a first spring engaged with the hinge plate;

a second spring independent of the first spring and engaged with the hinge plate and coupled to the door panel;

a first rotary damper coupled to the hinge plate; and

a second rotary damper mounted on the hinge plate and coupled to the door panel, the first rotary damper having a first torque rating and the second rotary damper having a second torque rating higher than the first torque rating;

whereby in response to unlatching the door panel from the chassis, the first damper controls rotation of the first door panel at a first speed and simultaneously, the second damper controls translation of the second door panel relative to the hinge plate at a second speed slower than the first speed.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first spring is a torsion spring.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the second spring is a constant rate spring.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the hinge plate includes a gear portion which meshes with the first rotary damper.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the door panel includes a gear portion which meshes with the second rotary damper.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the door panel defines a pair of channels and the hinge plate includes a pair of wing portions extending into the channels during the translation of the door panel.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the door panel rotates 90°

.