IE56828B1 - A container for housing electronic components - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for housing electronic components, e.g. a disc drive unit, comprises top and bottom portions secured together and having at least one ventilation aperture (15), a panel member (14) being disposed inside the container spaced from, but adjacent to, the aperture to prevent the insertion of pencils or other objects through the aperture.

Description

This invention relates to a container and, in particular, to a container for housing electronic components and circuitry, for example, a conventional disc drive unit.

There are many types of containers used for housing 5 such a disc drive unit. However, a problem with these known types of containers is that in order to permit sufficient ventilation of the disc drive components, particularly the electronic components, the container must have at least one aperture which communicates with the container interior» The provision of such aperture(s), however, reduces the safety level of the container, since it is easy for example to insert a pencil or other object through such aperture(s) and interfere with the components in the interior of the container. This, of course, is dangerous and may lead to accidents, since many children now have access to home and school computer equipment including disc drive units housed in such containers.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved container for electronic components which mitigates the above referred problem.

According to the invention there is provided a container for housing electronic components, the container including top and bottom portions secured together to define the container and having at least one ventilation aperture in a side wall thereof, wherein the container has at least one panel member disposed therein adjacent to the said * aperture, the panel member defining an elongate compartment between itself and the adjacent side wall of the container A in which the aperture is formed for shielding the aperture internally of the container, and wherein the compartment is open at least at one end thereof and substantially closed along each longitudinal side, such that the interior of the container is in communication with the external environment via the open end(s) of the compartment and the aperture.

In a preferred form of the invention the bottom portion comprises an inner base member being substantially U shaped with the upright portions forming the opposite front and rear end walls of the container, and an outer base member also being substantially U shaped wherein.the upright portions of the outer base member lie substantially perpendicular to the container end walls and form the lowermost halves of the container side walls. The top portion is preferably a substantially inverted U shaped top member and the downwardly projecting portions of the top member form the uppermost halves of the container side walls and the free ends of the uppermost and lowermost halves of respective sidewalls substantially abut together along a notional centre line of the sidewall» Further preferably, the container has a ventilation aperture defined in each side wall between the adjacent ends of the uppermost and lowermost halves of the sidewalls.

The uppermost halves of the container side walls preferably each have an inverted L shaped panel member or flange forming an extension of the uppermost halves and being bent first inwards substantially perpendicular to the sidewalls and then downwards substantially parallel fo the side walls, the flanges extending along a substantial portion of the uppermost halves of the side walls intermediate the container end walls, the horizontal portion of the flanges being bent inwards slightly above the notional centre line of the container side walls, such that in the region of the flanges the uppermost halves, together with the respective lowermost halves define an elongate ventilation aperture, and the portion of the flange which is bent downwards extends across the region of the ventilation aperture, and the flange and lowermost halves of the respective container side walls define the open ended compartment. &n embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention and showing a disc drive unit in the container.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the container of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an underneath perspective view of the top member and inner base member of the container of Figure 1 secured together, Figure 4 is a side view of the container of Figure 1 and.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the container taken along the lines Ϊ-X in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, there is shown therein, a container according to the invention generally indicated at 1. The container 1 comprises a top portion or member 2 and an inner base member 3 adapted to be located within an outer base member 4. The member 3 is' substantially *U* shaped and the upright portions of the member 3 form the front and rear end walls 5, 5 respectively of the eventual container. The outer base member 4 is also substantially 'U' shaped and the upright portions of the member 4 lie substantially transverse to the end walls 5, 6 and form the lower halves 7a, 8a of the container sidewalls 7, 9 respectively. Further, the top member 2 is of a substantially inverted ’U* shape and the downwardly projecting portions of the member 2 form the upper halves 7b, 6b of the container sidewalls 7, 8 respectively.

The inner base member 3 has a pair of upstanding flanges 11 which form an extension of the member 3 and which are substantially perpendicular to the end wall© 5, e srs inset slightly from the lateral edges 10 of the member 3.

Sach of the upper halves 7b, Sb of the container side walls le, 8 haa an inverted L ohaped panel member or flange IS forming an extension of the upper halves and being bent first inwards to form a horizontal portion 13 substantially perpendicular to the aides and then downwards to form a vertical portion 14) substantially parallel to the sides.

Aleo, each of the flanges 12 (only one shown) extend along a substantial portion of the respective upper halves 7b* 8b of the sidewalls* intermediate the container end walls 5* 5 the horizontal portion 13 of the flanges being bent Inwards slightly above the notional centre line 20 of the container sidewalls. In the region of the flanges 12 the halves 7b, 8b together with the respective lower halves 7a, 8a which abut together define an elongate ventilation aperture, 15 in each of the container sides 7* 6 respectively. Also, the portion 14 of the flanges 12 which is bent downwards extends across the region of the ventilation aperture 15, and the flanges 12, together with the respective lowermost halves 7a, 8a of the container sidewalls define an open ended compartment 16.

Thus* in the assembled container 1, the container interior 17 can be ventilated by air entering the interior 17 from the aperture 15 via the compartment 16. However* it is extremely difficult if not impossible for an object to be inserted through the aperture 15 and reach the interior of the container, as the portion 14 of the flange 12 extends across the region of the aperture 15.

In use* a disc drive 25 or other components are mounted on the inner base member 3 using the holes 26 to secure the disc drive therein in conventional manner. The front and rear end walls 5* 6 respectively have suitable apertures 27 to enable various components to be mounted thereon in conventional manner. The top member 2 is secured on the inner base member 3 by means of screws (not shown) fixed in corresponding apertures 28* 29 in the flanges 11 and the portions 14.

The outer base member 4 has four screw holes 30* one in each corner, which correspond with the four screw holes 31 in the inner base aember 3 , The outer base member 4 is then secured on the combined inner base member 3 and top member 2 by means of screws (not shown) fined in the corresponding apertures 30« 32 eo that the corresponding free ends 32, 33 of the uppermost 7b, 3b and lowermost halves 7a, 8a of respective sidewalls 7, 8 substantially abut together along the notional centre line 20, except in t the region of the flanges 12. The container 1 is supported on four pads 35 fixed on the undeside 36 of the outer base member 4 in conventional manner.

Claims (6)

1. A container for housing electronic components, the container including top and bottom portions secured together to define the container and having at least one ventilation 5 aperture in a side wall thereof, wherein the container has ? at least one panel member disposed therein adjacent to the said aperture, the panel member defining an elongate 1 compartment between itself and the adjacent side wall of the container in which the aperture is formed for shielding the 10 aperture internally of the container, and wherein the compartment is open at least at one end thereof and substantially closed along each longitudinal side, such that the interior of the container is in communication with the external environment via the open end(s) of the compartment 15 and the aperture.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the bottom portion comprises an inner base member adapted to be located within an outer base member, the inner base member being substantially U shaped with the upright portions forming 20 opposite front and rear end walls of the container, the outer base member also being substantially U shaped wherein the upright portions of the outer base member lie substantially perpendicular to the container end walls and form the lowermost halves of the container side walls, the 25 top portion being a substantially inverted U shaped top member and wherein the downwardly projecting portions of the top member form the uppermost halves of the container side walls and the free ends of the uppermost and lowermost halves of respective side walls substantially abut together 30 along a notional centre line of the sidewall.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein a ventilation aperture is defined in each side wall of the container j between the adjacent ends of the uppermost and lowermost halves of the sidewall«,

4. A container according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the upermoet halves of the container side walls each have a panel member comprising an inverted L shaped flange forming an extension of the uppermost halves and being bent first inwards substantially perpendicular fo the side walls and then downwards substantially parallel fo the sidewalls, the v flanges extending along a substantial portion of the uppermost halves of the side walls intermediate the container end walls, the horizontal portion of the flanges being bent inwards slightly above the notional centre line of the container side walls, such that in the region of the flanges, the uppermost halves together with the respective lowermost halves of the container side walls define an elongate ventilation aperture and the portion of the flange which is bent downwards extends across the region of the ventilation aperture, and the flanges and the respective lowermost halves of the container side wall each define an open ended compartment.

5. A container according to claim 4 wherein each lateral edge of the inner base member has an upstanding flange which forms an extension of the inner base member, the upstanding flanges, being adapted to be engaged with and secured fo a respective one of the flanges on the uppermost halves of the side walls.

6. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.