The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 09, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 22, 2002
Francis A. Felcman, Rosenberg, TX (US);
Donald J. Hall, Houston, TX (US);
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A computer may be easily user re-configured between desktop and tower housing orientations, with the computer's front side drive units being horizontally disposed in each orientation, using specially designed drive unit support and a reconfigurable front bezel. A square opening is formed in the front exterior wall of the housing, and the support apparatus includes spaced apart channel structures extending inwardly into the housing from the four sides of the wall opening, with opposing pairs of the channel structures being adapted to slidably receive corresponding projections on opposite side edge portions of the drive units. In this manner, each front side drive unit can be supported at the opening in a first orientation in which the drive unit will be horizontally oriented with the computer in a desktop orientation, or a second orientation in which the drive unit will be horizontally oriented with the computer in a tower orientation. When the bezel is secured to the outer side of the front housing wall an opening in the bezel body outwardly overlies the housing wall opening. A frame portion of the bezel is provided with a snap-in blank off plate to cover a portion of the housing wall opening unoccupied by drive units, and the frame portion may be removably installed on the bezel body in mutually perpendicular orientations to accommodate the selected desktop or tower configuration of the computer housing.