GB2318608A

GB2318608A - Security enclosure for a computer

Info

Publication number: GB2318608A
Application number: GB9621888A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wilfred Edwin Dawson
Original assignee: C & D
Current assignee: C & D
Priority date: 1996-10-21
Filing date: 1996-10-21
Publication date: 1998-04-29
Also published as: GB9621888D0

Abstract

A security enclosure 2 for a computer comprises a housing 4, with an opening 6 limited by adjustable security bars 10 for enabling restricted access to a front part of the computer. The bars 10 are mounted in a removable door (22, Fig 4) with a lock (26). When the door (22) is removed, removal of a flexible strip (18, Fig 6) allows repositioning of the bars 10.

Description

A SECURITY ENCLOSURE FOR A COMPUTER This invention relates to a security enclosure for a computer. The computer may be a mini-tower computer, a full-tower computer, or a desktop computer.

Security enclosures for computers are known. The security enclosures are employed in order to prevent unauthorised access to the inside of the computers.

With computers that are not protected by security enclosures, it often happens that thieves steal component parts from the computers, with consequent considerable inconvenience and replacement expense.

In particular, thieves tend to steal chips such for example as random access memory chips, which are small, easily stolen and comparatively expensive so that they have a good re-sale value.

The known security enclosures comprise a housing for receiving the computer, and an opening which is in a front part of the housing and which enables access to a front panel part of the computer so that the computer can be used for normal use, for example in an office. The opening is closed by a door and it is time consuming, inconvenient and irritating to have to keep opening and closing the door in order to access the front panel part of the computer, for example in order to access the drive part of the computer with a disc.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a security enclosure for a computer, which security enclosure comprises a housing for receiving the computer, an opening which is in a front part of the housing and which enables authorised access to a front part of the computer so that the computer can be used, and security members which extend across the opening and prevent unauthorised access to the inside of the computer, the security members being adjustable so that the opening can be adjusted for different types of computer in order to allow the authorised access and to prevent the unauthorised access with the different types of computer.

The different types of computer may be different models and/or different makes. The adjustability of the security members in the security enclosure of the present invention enables the opening always to be such that the authorised access is permitted, with the unauthorised access being prevented by the security members being appropriately positioned.

Preferably, the security enclosure is one in which the security members are adjustable by being positionable in different apertures in opposed sides of the housing.

The security enclosure may be one in which the apertures in one side of the housing are permanently closed so that the security members cannot be passed through those apertures, and in which the apertures in the other side of the housing are openable and closable so that, when the apertures are open, the security members are passable through the apertures and are relocatable in other apertures thereby enabling the adjustment of the opening.

The openable and closable apertures are preferably opened and closed by a sliding obturator.

Other means for opening and closing the apertures may be employed if desired.

When a sliding obturator is employed, then the security enclosure may be one in which the sliding obturator slides in a channel which is formed in the housing and which extends along the side of the opening that has the openable and closable apertures.

The sliding obturator member may be a flexible strip member, for example in the form of a strip of heavy duty packing tape. Other types of flexible strip members may be employed.

Preferably, the security members are bars.

Usually the bars will be of circular cross section but the bars may be of other cross sectional shapes if desired, for example square or rectangular cross sectional shapes. Also if desired, security members other than bars may be employed so that, for example, the security members may be in the form of thin panels.

The security enclosure may be one in which the housing is rectangular with its longest sides extending in a vertical direction, the security enclosure being for use with mini-tower and full-tower computers. Alternatively, the housing may be rectangular with its longest sides extending in a horizontal direction, the security enclosure then being for use with desktop computers. Generally, the security enclosure may be used with any suitable and appropriate type of computer.

The present invention also extends to a computer when provided with a security enclosure of the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a security enclosure for a mini-tower computer; Figure 2 shows a security enclosure for a full-tower computer; Figure 3 shows a security enclosure for a desktop computer; Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a door part of a housing for a security enclosure of the type shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the door part of the housing shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a portion of the door part of the housing shown in Figure 4 and illustrates how the bars are adjusted; and Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 and shows the bars fully adjusted.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a security enclosure 2 for a mini-tower computer 2. The security enclosure 2 comprises a housing 4 for receiving the computer, and an opening 6 which is in a front part 8 of the housing 4 and which enable authorised access to a front part of the computer so that the computer can be used normally in an office or other environment.

The security enclosure 2 further comprises security members in the form of bars 10 which extend across the opening 6 and prevent unauthorised access to the inside of the computer. The bars 10 are adjustable so that the opening 6 can be adjusted to allow the authorised access and to prevent the unauthorised access with different types of computer, for example with different models and/or different makes of computer.

Figure 2 shows a security enclosure 2 for a full-tower computer. Figure 3 shows a security enclosure 2 for a desktop computer. In Figures 2 and 3, similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. It will be seen that in Figures 1 and 2, the housing 4 is rectangular with its longest sides extending in a vertical direction. In Figure 3, the housing is rectangular with its longest sides extending in a horizontal direction.

As shown most clearly in Figures 4 - 7, the bars 10 are of circular cross section. The bars 10 are adjustable by being positionable in different apertures 12 in opposed sides 14, 16 of the housing 6.

The apertures 12 in the side 16 are permanently closed so that the bars 10 cannot be passed through the apertures 12 in the side 16. The apertures 12 in the other side 14 of the housing 4 are openable and closable so that, when the apertures 12 are open, the bars 10 are able to be passed through the apertures 12 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. The bars 10 are relocatable in other apertures 12 which enables the opening 6 to be adjusted as required for different types of computers.

As can be seen from Figures 6 and 7, the openable and closable apertures 12 in the side 14 are opened and closed by a sliding obturator in the form of a flexible strip member 18.. The flexible strip member 18 slides in a channel 20 which is formed in the housing 4 and which extends along the side of the opening 6 that has the openable and closable apertures 12. As can be seen from Figure 6, it is only necessary to pull the flexible strip member 18 upwardly in order to open the apertures 12 in the side 14 and allow one or more of the bars 10 to be removed from their apertures 12 and relocated in other desired apertures 12. When all the bars 10 are located in their desired apertures appropriate for a particular type of computer, then it is only necessary to slide the flexible strip member 18 back to the position shown in Figure 7 to fix the bars 10 in position.

The part of the housing 4 shown in Figures 4 - 7 is formed as a door 22 for securing to the remainder of the housing 4. More specifically, the door 22 has a top lip 24 which clips in position to a top part of the housing 4. The bottom part of the door 22 is provided with a lock 26 which enables the door 22 to be locked in position to the remainder of the housing 24 once the lip 24 has been clipped in position. When the bars 10 have been adjusted for the particular type of computer in the housing 4, then it will not be necessary to adjust the bars 10 any more for that computer and so the door 22 can remain locked in position. There is thus no need to keep opening and closing the door 22 as occurs with known security enclosures for computers. If the security enclosure 2 is required for use with another computer that requires a different configuration of the bars 10, then this is very simply effected simply by opening the door 22, sliding up the flexible strip member 18, repositioning the bars 10 as desired, sliding back down the flexible strip member 18, and locking the door 22.

The door part of the housing 4 shown in Figures 4 - 7 is suitable for the security enclosures shown in Figures 1 and 2. For the door 22 to be appropriate for the security enclosure 2 shown in Figure 3, it will be apparent that the door 22 is basically just turned to 900 with the lip 22 and the lock 26 being repositioned on the longest sides of the door 22 rather than the shortest sides of the door 22 as shown in Figure 4.

The security apparatus 2 shown in the drawings thus provides a simple and effective way of preventing unauthorised access to the inside of computers whilst at the same time allowing substantially uninterrupted permitted access to the computers for normal working purposes. The security enclosures 2 are not limited to use with one particular type of computer and they can very easily be adjusted for other types of computers simply by re-positioning the bars. There is no need for a completely new security enclosure or to provide a completely new door as would be the case with known security enclosures.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given ,by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.

Thus, for example, the flexible strip member 18 shown in Figure 1 is heavy duty packing tape but other types of flexible strip members may be employed. If desired, the flexible strip member 18 could be replaced by a non-flexible sliding obturator or some other type of obturator arrangement.

Claims

1. A security enclosure for a computer, which security enclosure comprises a housing for receiving the computer, an opening which is in a front part of the housing and which enables authorised access to a front part of the computer so that the computer can be used, and security members which extend across the opening and prevent unauthorised access to the inside of the computer, the security members being adjustable so that the opening can be adjusted for different types of computer in order to allow the authorised access and to prevent the unauthorised access with the different types of computer.

2. A security enclosure according to claim 1 in which the security members are adjustable by being positionable in different apertures in opposed sides of the housing.

3. A security enclosure according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the apertures in one side of the housing are permanently closed so that the security members cannot be passed through those apertures, and in which the apertures in the other side of the housing are openable and closable so that, when the apertures are open, the security members are passable through the apertures and are relocatable in other apertures thereby enabling the adjustment of the opening.

4. A security enclosure according to claim 3 in which the openable and closable apertures are opened and closed by a sliding obturator.

5. A security enclosure according to claim 4 in which the sliding obturator slides in a channel which is formed in the housing and which extends along the side of the opening that has the openable and closable apertures.

6. A security enclosure according to claim 5 in which the sliding obturator is a flexible strip member.

7. A security enclosure according to claim 6 in which the flexible strip member is a strip of heavy duty packing tape.

8. A security enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims in which the security members are bars.

9. A security enclosure according to claim 8 in which the bars are of circular cross section.

10. A security enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims in which the housing is rectangular with its longest sides extending in a vertical direction, the security enclosure being for use with mini-tower and full-tower computers.

11. A security enclosure according to any one of claims 1 - 9 in which the housing is rectangular with its longest sides extending in a horizontal direction, the security enclosure then being for use with desktop computers.

12. A security enclosure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A computer when provided with a security enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims.