Hewlett-packard Company

Yves Bonfort

Richard Allirot

Christian Astier

Yvan Eckert

Alain Brunel

A computer has a mounting arrangement for enabling the same general internal space of the computer to be used either as a drive bay or as an expansion card slot. In one embodiment, the drive unit is mountable on the mounting arrangement by means of a mounting tray. In this case, the tray is preferably formed such that is serves as a blanking plate for blanking the access aperture provided in a housing wall of the computer for accessing external connectors of an expansion card when the latter is mounted in the mounting arrangement. The same fixing element used for securing the expansion card to the housing wall can also be used to secure the mounting tray to that wall.

Computer with mounting arrangement for optional unit

To facilitate the user installation of a drive unit, such as a disc drive unit or CD-ROM unit, in a desktop computer, a mounting arrangement is provided that does not require the use of any tools. The mounting arrangement employs two side members provided with studs that engage in side fixing holes standardly provided in a drive unit. With the side members placed about the drive unit, the resultant assembly can then be slid into position in a support structure along guides that also serve to hold the side members against the drive unit. In a preferred embodiment, the side members take the form of a wall element made of a plastics material, and a U-shaped metal mounting element that clips over the wall element. On one side the mounting element has a projection that forms one of the side-member studs engaging in the fixing holes of the drive unit; on its other side, the mounting element has a resilient contact arm providing a grounding connection to the support structure.

Mounting arrangement for mounting a subsystem unit

Hard disc drives for desktop computers are standardly available in two different sizes. A mounting tray is provided enabling the mounting of either size of unit in the same space without the need for different mounting pieces. The mounting tray includes two stepped side members provided with studs for engaging side fixing holes in the drive units. The positioning of the studs is such that the volumes occupied by the mounted units overlap to a large extent. The side members are joined by a flexible member that allows the side members to be flexed out of a normal oppositely-facing configuration for engagement about either of the drive units.

Growing community of inventors

Herbeys, France

Yves Bonfort