Apple Inc.

Wayman M Lee

Wayne H Miller

Jimmy A Melton

Bradley C Helm

Troy K Hulick

David H Titzler

Braxton L Lathrop

Robert D Chapman

A tower computer includes a housing and an access panel which can be opened to provide access to the interior components of the housing. A cooling fan is mounted on the panel and is electrically coupled to an electrical plug which is also mounted on the panel. That plug is adapted to become automatically connected to a receptacle mounted in the housing, in response to a closing of the panel. The plug automatically becomes disconnected from the receptacle in response to the panel being opened.

Personal computer having quick-release cooling fan

A personal computer includes a housing and a access panel providing access to the housing interior. The access panel is held closed by a latch, and the latch is locked against actuation, by a lock. The lock includes a bar that can be pulled out to a latch-locking position, whereupon an aperture of the bar is exposed for receiving an auxiliary locking member such as a padlock. The padlock prevents the bar from being retracted into a latch-release position. The access panel carries a cooling fan and a plug. The plug is automatically plugged into a receptacle carried by the housing, in response to the access panel being closed.

Personal computer having lockable access panel

An appliance such as a personal computer includes a metal chassis which comprises a main chassis section and a subchassis hingedly connected to the main chassis section for rotation about a horizontal axis between folded-in and folded-out positions. The subchassis carries operational components such as a power supply and a drive, and the main chassis section carries an operational component such as a motherboard. When the subchassis is in its folded-in position it overlies the motherboard and blocks access thereto, and when in its folded-out position the subchassis provides access to the motherboard. In its folded-in position the subchassis sits upon horizontal edges of the main chassis section.

Appliance chassis having hingedly mounted section

A personal computer includes a chassis in which expansion cards and a processor card can be mounted in an upright parallel manner. An end of each expansion card is received in a vertical slot carried by a speaker component of the computer. A baffle member is swingably mounted on the chassis for rotation about a horizontal axis between open and closed positions. In the open position of the baffle member, the expansion cards can be inserted or removed. In the closed position of the baffle member, ribs thereof engage and stabilize upper edges of the cards. Hard and floppy drives are insertable into respective bays disposed within the chassis in a rear-to-front direction (in contrast to a front-to-rear direction), so that EMI shields located in front of those bays do not have to be removed to permit insertion or removal of the disc drives.

Apparatus for supporting operational components of a personal computer

An appliance such as a personal computer includes a metal chassis which has a first section, and a second section mounted on the first section. The first chassis section forms a first space in which a motherboard is mounted. The second chassis section forms a second space in which a disk drive is mounted. The second chassis section defines a shield resisting the passage of electromagnetic waves between the first and second spaces to isolate the motherboard from a disk opening for the disk drive thereof.

Appliance having EMI shielding

A personal computer includes a metallic main chassis section and a metallic subchassis hinged thereto. The subchassis includes a side wall and a floor forming a corner therebetween. The corner is formed by integral pieces of the subchassis extending between the side wall and floor, the pieces being spaced in a longitudinal direction. The pieces are bent to form first pockets opening transversely to the longitudinal direction. First tabs extend from the side wall in the transverse direction. The main chassis section includes an edge having second tabs spaced longitudinally and bent into U-shaped pockets. To assemble the hinge, the second pockets are inserted into spaces formed between the first pockets and first tabs, so that the first and second pockets become aligned. A hinge pin is inserted into the pockets so as to lie in the longitudinal direction. The first and second tabs are bent around the hinge pin.

Method of forming a hinge structure

A modular enclosure for personal computer systems, and methods for assembly of an enclosure. The enclosure substantially comprises a base, a unitary internal frame, a front and a back panel, and a U-shaped top cover. Frame-mounting snaps and cruciform members located on forward and rear portions of the frame mate to complimentary receiving openings in the base. Front and rear panels are mounted to the base, frame, and top cover by a plurality of panel-mounting snaps and hooks. A base electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield at the periphery of the shield having a plurality of planar tabbed fingers with hemispherical domes formed therein is then fitted and secured to the base such that the lateral edges of the fingers are recessed below a peripherally extending rim on the base. Thereafter, the internal frame is snapped into place upon the base, and a rear panel having an EMI shield fitted and secured to the base and frame by panel-mounting snaps and hooks. A front panel having a front EMI shield is then mounted and secured to the top cover. The top cover assembly is then lowered onto the base-frame assembly and slideably moved rearward until the rear edges of the top cover assembly contact a plurality of contact fingers formed in the rear EMI shield, the top cover assembly resting upon on the domes of the base EMI shield.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Wayman M Lee