US20040135478A1

US20040135478A1 - Expansion slot cover having retaining structure

Info

Publication number: US20040135478A1
Application number: US10/396,620
Authority: US
Inventors: Yun Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2003-01-15
Filing date: 2003-03-24
Publication date: 2004-07-15
Also published as: TW590251U

Abstract

A slot cover (30) is for covering a slot (21) defined in a rear wall (20) of a computer chassis. The slot cover includes a body (31), and a fixing portion (32) bent from one end of the body. The body includes an inserting portion (33) at an opposite end thereof. A free end of the fixing portion is bent to form a hook (321), the hook being substantially parallel to the body. In assembly, the inserting portion is inserted through a corresponding receiving hole (23) of the rear wall, and the hook is engaged in a corresponding cutout (221) defined in a supporting plate (22) of the rear wall. A clamp (10) is slid so that it sandwiches the fixing portion of the slot cover with the supporting plate. The clamp is fastened to the supporting plate with a screw, thereby securing the slot cover to the rear wall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to expansion slot covers for covering expansion slots of computer chassis, and particularly to a slot cover having a retaining structure for readily and securely attaching the slot cover to a computer chassis.

2. Related Art

A typical chassis of a personal computer includes a rear wall which is the input-output (I/O) interface of the computer. Circuit cards such as I/O cards, storage cards, graphics cards, communication cards, modem cards and network interface communication cards are commonly installed in the chassis adjacent the rear wall, the cards respectively expanding the computer's capability. The rear wall defines a plurality of slots for accessing ports of the respective cards. If a slot has no corresponding card, a slot cover is used to cover the slot and protect the inside of the chassis from contamination and electromagnetic interference (EMI).

A conventional slot cover comprises a metal plate and an outwardly bent tab at one end of the plate. A notch is defined in the tab, and is disposed in registration with a hole defined in the rear wall. The slot cover can thus be secured to the rear wall by a fastener, as described in more detail below.

In a slot cover assembly as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,171, the fastener is a screw. Each slot cover is secured to a computer chassis by a screw, the screw extending through a notch of a tab of the slot cover and engaging in a hole of the chassis. However, when installing or removing several expansion cards, fastening with screws is laborious and time-consuming. In addition, a tool is usually required.

In slot cover assemblies as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,138,839 and 5,967,466, the fastener is a clamp. The clamp comprises a plurality of pins, or a plurality of spring tabs. The pins and the spring tabs perform substantially the same function. Therefore, for brevity, only the pins will be described herebelow. When a slot cover is secured to a computer chassis, each pin is engaged in a corresponding notch of each slot cover and a corresponding hole defined in a rear wall of the chassis. Therefore, the clamp must be precisely fabricated, to ensure that all of the pins can correctly engage in the notches and the holes. This makes production of the clamp more problematic and costly.

Thus, a new retaining structure for a slot cover is desired to solve the above-mentioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a slot cover having a retaining structure for readily and securely attaching the slot cover to a computer chassis.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, a slot cover in accordance with the present invention is for covering a slot defined in a rear wall of a computer chassis. The slot cover includes a body, and a fixing portion bent from one end of the body. The body includes an inserting portion at an opposite end thereof. A free end of the fixing portion is bent to form a hook, the hook being substantially parallel to the body. In assembly, the inserting portion is inserted through a corresponding receiving hole of the rear wall, and the hook is engaged in a corresponding cutout defined in a supporting plate of the rear wall. A clamp is slid so that it sandwiches the fixing portion of the slot cover with the supporting plate. The clamp is fastened to the supporting plate with a screw, thereby securing the slot cover to the rear wall.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a slot cover of the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of a slot cover assembly of the present invention; the slot cover assembly comprising a plurality of the slot covers of FIG. 1, a clamp, and a rear wall of a computer chassis; and [0013]
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, assembled view of FIG. 2, viewed from another aspect.[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. [0015] 1-3, a slot cover 30 of the present invention has a retaining structure adapted to cover an expansion card slot 21 defined in a rear wall 20 of a computer chassis. The slot cover 30 is secured to the rear wall 20 by a clamp 10.
Preferably, the [0016] rear wall 20 defines a plurality of parallel expansion card slots 21. A supporting plate 22 is stamped and extends perpendicularly outwardly from the rear wall 20, leaving an opening 220 in the rear wall 20 and at a same end of the slots 21. The supporting plate 22 defines a first fixing hole 222 in a middle portion thereof. The supporting plate 22 also defines a plurality of cutouts 221 in a distal edge portion thereof, each of the cutouts 221 corresponding to a respective one of the slots 21. A pair of openings 24 is defined in a recessed portion of the rear wall 20 that is adjacent the supporting plate 22. The rear wall 20 defines a plurality of receiving holes 23 adjacent a same end of the slots 21 that is opposite from the supporting plate 22. Each receiving hole 23 corresponds to a respective one of the slots 21.
The [0017] clamp 10 comprises two adjoining plates (not labeled) that are perpendicular to each other. A second fixing hole 11 is defined in one of the plates, corresponding to the first fixing hole 222 of the supporting plate 22. The other plate forms a pair of latches 12 for movably engaging in the openings 24 of the rear wall 20.
The [0018] slot cover 30 comprises a substantially rectangular body 31, and a fixing portion 32 perpendicularly bent from one end of the body 31. The body 31 comprises an inserting portion 33 at an opposite end thereof. A free end of the fixing portion 32 is bent to form a hook 321. The hook 321 is substantially parallel to the body 31, and is for engaging in a corresponding cutout 221 of the supporting plate 22.
In pre-assembly, the [0019] inserting portion 33 of the slot cover 30 is inserted through a corresponding receiving hole 23 of the rear wall 20. At the same time, the hook 321 of the slot cover 30 engages in the corresponding cutout 221 of the supporting plate 22.
In assembly, the [0020] clamp 10 is placed on the recessed portion of the rear wall 20. The latches 12 of the clamp 10 are engaged in the openings 24 of the rear wall 20. The clamp 10 is slid so that it abuts the fixing portion 32 of the slot cover 30, and sandwiches the fixing portion 32 with the supporting plate 22. A screw (not labeled) is inserted into the first fixing hole 11 of the clamp 10 and engaged in the second fixing hole 222 of the supporting plate 22. The slot cover 30 is thereby secured to the rear wall 20.
It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present example and embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. [0021]

Claims

1. A slot cover adapted to be secured to a wall of a chassis to cover a slot of the wall, the slot cover comprising:

a body comprising an inserting portion at one end thereof; and

a fixing portion bent from an opposite end of the body, a free end of the fixing portion bent to form a hook for engaging with the wall, the hook being substantially parallel to the body.

2. A slot cover assembly comprising:

a wall defining at least one slot and comprising a supporting plate;

at least one slot cover comprising a body covering the at least one slot, a fixing portion bent from one end of the body, and a hook bent from a free end of the fixing portion, the hook engaging with the supporting plate; and

a clamp pressed on the fixing portion of the at least one slot cover and fastened to the wall, the clamp comprising first and second plates, the first plate sandwiching the fixing portion with the supporting plate.

3. The slot cover assembly as described in claim 2, wherein the wall defines at least one opening adjacent one end of the at least one slot, and at least one receiving hole at an opposite end of the at least one slot.

4. The slot cover assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the hook is substantially parallel to the body, and the body further comprises an inserting portion at an opposite end thereof engaging in the at least one receiving hole of the wall.

5. The slot cover assembly as described in claim 2, wherein the supporting plate extends outwardly from an end of the at least one slot, and the supporting plate defines at least one cutout engagingly receiving the hook of the at least one slot cover.

6. The slot cover assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the supporting plate defines a first fixing hole therein, the first plate of the clamp defines a second fixing hole therein corresponding to the first fixing hole, and the second plate of the clamp comprises at least one latch movably engaging in the at least one opening of the wall.

7. A slot cover assembly comprising:

a vertical wall having a horizontal support plate stamped and perpendicularly extending therefrom, leaving a corresponding opening in the wall;

at least one vertical expansion slot formed in the wall and extending into the support plate;

an elongated slot cover including a vertical body covering the at least one expansion slot, and a horizontal fixing portion perpendicularly extending from a top portion of the body with an interengaging device horizontally latching to the support plate for preventing said slot cover from horizontally moving away from said support plate; and

a clamp fastened to the wall, said clamp including a first plate cooperating with said support plate to sandwich the fixing portion therebetween, and a second plate being perpendicular to said first plate and covering said opening.

8. The assembly as described in claim 7, wherein said support plate extends outwardly to an exterior side of the wall.

9. The assembly as described in claim 7, wherein said support plate defines a cutout along an edge thereof, and the fixing portion defines a hook received in said cutout.

10. The assembly as described in claim 8, wherein said wall defines a receiving hole on an interior side of the wall and under the expansion slot to receive an insertion portion of said body.