WO2009107958A2

WO2009107958A2 - Computer case

Info

Publication number: WO2009107958A2
Application number: PCT/KR2009/000860
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dae Yoon Lee
Original assignee: Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2008-02-29
Filing date: 2009-02-24
Publication date: 2009-09-03
Also published as: KR20090008885U; WO2009107958A3

Abstract

Provided is a computer case including a front part, a rear part, a top plate part, a bottom plate part, a left plate part, and a right plate part, the computer case further comprising: a power supply installing unit in the rear bottom thereof, wherein the power supply installing unit comprises: an opening unit formed at the bottom of the rear plate unit to allow the insertion of a power supply unit; a bracket coupled to the rear surface of the power supply unit and fixed to the opening unit after the power supply unit is inserted into the opening unit; a guide supporting unit disposed below the installing power supply unit so as to guide and support the insertion of the power supply unit into the opening unit; and a roller unit disposed in the guide supporting units and contacting and rotating under the bottom surface of the power supply unit due to the insertion of the power supply unit so as to allow the power supply unit to easily be inserted into the opening unit.

Description

COMPUTER CASE

Technical Field

This application claims the benefit of Korean U.M. Application No. 20-2008-0002753, filed on February 29, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The present invention relates to a computer case, and more particularly, to a computer case in which a power supply unit can be easily installed.

Background Art

In general, a variety of electronic parts are installed in a computer case in which a power supply unit is installed so that power can be supplied to the electronic parts.

A conventional method of installing the power supply unit in the computer case involves the inserting of the power supply unit in an opening unit formed in the computer case and the engaging of a screw member to the computer case through a screw hole formed in the rear side of the power supply unit.

Technical Problem

However, due to the high weight of the power supply unit, it is difficult to insert the power supply unit in the opening unit formed in the computer case and fixing the computer case to the rear side of the supply unit. In particular, an increase in the capacity of the power supply unit, makes it even more difficult to perform the conventional method.

Technical Solution

The present invention provides a computer case in which a power supply unit can be installed without difficulty for the user by allowing the power supply unit to be softly and easily inserted into the computer case.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer case including a front part, a rear part, a top plate part, a bottom plate part, a left plate part, and a right plate part, the computer case further comprising: a power supply installing unit in the rear bottom thereof, wherein the power supply installing unit comprises: an opening unit formed at the bottom of the rear plate unit to allow the insertion of a power supply unit; a bracket coupled to the rear surface of the power supply unit and fixed to the opening unit after the power supply unit is inserted into the opening unit; a guide supporting unit disposed below the installing power supply unit so as to guide and support the insertion of the power supply unit into the opening unit; and a roller unit disposed in the guide supporting units and contacting and rotating under the bottom surface of the power supply unit due to the insertion of the power supply unit so as to allow the power supply unit to easily be inserted into the opening unit.

The computer case may further comprise a cooling fan installing unit disposed below the guide supporting unit, drawing in external air from therebelow and exhausting the drawn in air upward, and wherein the bottom plate unit comprises: a leg part; and a ventilation unit disposed in a location where the cooling fan installing unit is formed .

The guide supporting units may be formed at either side of the installing power supply unit so as to support at least two edges of the bottom surface of the power supply unit, wherein the roller units formed in each of the guide supporting units are proximate to the opening unit.

Each of the left plate part and the right plate part may comprise an elastic supporting unit that is elastically transformed when the power supply unit is inserted, and elastically supports both side surfaces of the power supply unit after the power supply unit is completely inserted into the computer case.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention, a power supply unit can be easily installed in a computer case without difficulty for the user. Furthermore, when the computer case further comprises a cooling fan installing unit, a power supply unit having a heat sink can be installed in the computer case in order to effectively cool a computer without a cooling fan.

Description of Drawings

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a computer case from which a left plate unit is removed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the computer case taken from a line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a bracket shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views for explaining a power supply unit that is installed in the computer case of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a cooling fan installing unit of the computer case of FIG. 1.

Best Mode

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a computer case 1 from which a left plate unit 14 is removed according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the computer case 1 taken along a line II-II of FIG. 1.

The computer case 1 of the present embodiment comprises a power supply installing unit 20.

The computer case 1, which is a vertical tower type computer case, comprises a front plate unit 10, a rear plate unit 11, a top plate unit 12, a bottom plate unit 13, the left plate unit 14, and a right plate unit 15. However, the present invention is not limited to the tower type computer case and can also be applied to other types of computer cases.

The power supply installing unit 20 is disposed in the rear bottom of the computer case 1 and a power supply unit may be installed therein for supplying power to various kinds of electronic parts that may be installed in the computer case 1.

The power supply installing unit 20 comprises an opening unit 22, a bracket 24, two guide supporting units 26, and two roller units 28.

Referring to FIG. 3, the opening unit 22 is formed in the bottom of the rear plate unit 11 so that the power supply unit can be inserted into the power supply installing unit 20. The width and height of the opening unit 22 are suitable to allow installation therein of the largest power supply unit among a plurality of power supply units that are likely to be installed. A plurality of screw holes 220 into which a plurality of screw members 240 can be engaged through the bracket 24 that will be described later are formed in the boundary of the opening unit 22.

Referring to FIG. 4, the bracket 24 is coupled to the rear surface 102 of a power supply unit 100 that is to be installed in the computer case 1 before the power supply unit 100 is inserted into the opening unit 22. Screw members 242 pass through through holes formed in the bracket 24, are engaged into the screw holes 104 formed in the rear surface 102 of the power supply unit 100, and thus the bracket 24 is coupled to the power supply unit 100.

In view of the fact that the screw holes 104 can be formed in different locations according to the type of the power supply unit 100, the bracket 24 may have a plurality of through holes. The bracket 24 that is installed in the opening unit 22 is placed on the market so that a user can separate the bracket 24 from the screw members 240 by using his/her hands and couple the bracket 24 to the power supply unit 100 as indicated with reference to FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bracket 24 that is coupled to the power supply unit 100 is fixed to the opening unit 22 after the power supply unit 100 is inserted into the opening unit 22. The screw members 242 that pass through the through holes formed in the bracket 24 are engaged into the screw holes 220 formed in the opening unit 22, so that the bracket 24 coupled to the rear surface of the power supply unit 100 is fixed to the opening unit 22.

The guide supporting unit 26 guide the entry of the power supply unit 100 into the opening unit 22 and simultaneously support the power supply unit 100. The two guide supporting units 26 are disposed below the power supply unit 100 so as to support the power supply unit 100.

In the present embodiment, under the assumption that the power supply unit 100 is installed in the power supply installing unit 20, the two guide supporting units 26 are formed at either side of the power supply unit 100 so as to support at least two edges of the bottom surface of the power supply unit 100.

The two roller units 28 assist the insertion of the power supply unit 100 into the opening unit 22. The two roller units 28 are formed in the two guide supporting units 26 and contact and rotate on the bottom surface of the power supply unit 100 when the power supply unit 100 is inserted into the opening unit 22.

In the present embodiment, each of the two roller units 28 are in the shape of an elastic wheel and partly projects from the two guide supporting units 26 with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Each of the two guide supporting units 26 has a roller unit 28 formed therein. The roller unit 28 is proximate to the opening unit 22, i.e., the rear plate unit 11. Therefore, if the user slightly pushes the power supply unit 100 to the entrance of the opening unit 22, since the power supply unit 100 is supported by the roller unit 28, the user can easily slide the power supply unit 100 to a position where the bracket 24 contacts the opening unit 22.

Additionally, the computer case 1 of the preset embodiment may further comprises a cooling fan installing unit 30.

The cooling fan installing unit 30 is disposed below the two guide supporting unit 26. The cooling fan installing unit 30 is disposed below the power supply unit 100, so that a cooling fan 32 for drawing in external air below the computer case 1 and expelling the absorbed air upward can be installed.

The cooling fan installing unit 30 is necessary when the power supply unit 100 installed in the power supply installing unit 20 does not comprise a cooling fan but comprises a heat sink. However, even in the power supply unit 100 comprising the cooling fan 32, the cooling fan installing unit 30 can enhance the cooling effect of the power supply unit 100.

Since the computer case 1 comprises the cooling fan installing unit 30, the bottom plate unit 13 comprises two leg units 130 so that the bottom plate unit 13 is disposed higher than a floor surface on which the computer case 1 is disposed so as to form a space between the bottom plate unit 13 and the floor surface.

A ventilation unit 132 is formed in the bottom plate unit 13 so as to draw in external air in a portion where the cooling fan installing unit 30 is disposed. The ventilation unit 132 comprises a plurality of through holes.

Additionally, the computer case 1 of the present embodiment may further comprise two elastic support units 40 that are formed in each of the left plate unit 14 and the right plate unit 15. The elastic support units 40 are elastically transformed when the power supply unit 100 is inserted into the computer case 1 and elastically support both surfaces of the power supply unit 100 after the power supply unit 100 is completely inserted into the computer case 1 with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The operation of the computer case 1 of the present embodiment will now be described.

The user who is to install the power supply unit 100 into the computer case 1 separates the bracket 24 that is temporally coupled to the opening of the opining unit 22 from the rear plate unit 11 by unscrewing the four screw members 240 with reference to FIG. 3.

The separated bracket 24 is coupled to the rear surface of the power supply unit 100 with reference to FIG. 4. The bracket 24 can be coupled to the power supply unit 100 as shown or the bracket 24 can be turned upside down and then coupled to the power supply unit 100. A plurality of through holes is appropriately formed in the bracket 24 so as to correspond to the power supply unit 100.

The power supply unit 100 to which the bracket 24 is coupled is inserted into the opening unit 22 with reference to FIG. 5. Since the two guide supporting units 26 are formed in both sides of the opening unit 22 and the two roller units 28 are formed in the two guide supporting units 26, respectively, adjacent to the entrance of the opening unit 22, the user can softly and easily push the power supply unit 100 to a desired location in the computer case 1.

Since the left and

right plate units

14 and 15 comprise the two elastic supporting units 40, the power supply unit 100 is supported at left and right areas thereof, is stably and easily inserted into the computer case 1, and an installation position thereof can be stably maintained.

When the power supply unit 100 is completely inserted into the opening unit 22, the bracket 24 is fixed to the boundary of the opening unit 22 using the screw members 240 so that the power supply unit 100 is completely installed.

Additionally, the user can further install the cooling fan 32 in the cooling fan installing unit 30. Referring to FIG. 6, the cooling fan 32 that is provided along with or separately from the compute case 1 is easily fixed to the cooling fan installing unit 30 by using the screw members.

The cooling fan 32 is necessary when the power supply unit 100 does not comprise a cooling fan but comprise a heat sink. However, when a power supply unit comprising a cooling fan is installed in the computer case 1, the cooling fan 32 can be further installed so as to increase cooling performance.

When the cooling fan 32 is installed in the cooling fan installing unit 30, since the bottom plate unit 13 comprises the two leg units 130 and the ventilation unit 132, external air below the bottom plate unit 13 is drawn upwards by the cooling fan 32. The drawn air can be exhausted to the outside through the rear surface of the power supply unit 100 or can flow in the computer case 1.

Since the computer case 1 of the present embodiment comprises a power supply installing unit 20 comprising the guide supporting units 26 and the roller units 28, the user can easily install the power supply unit 100 in the computer case 1.

Furthermore, the computer case 1 of the present embodiment comprising the cooling fan installing unit 30 can effectively cool the power supply unit 100 installed therein. The computer case 1 of the present embodiment comprising the elastic supporting units 40 can firmly support a power supply unit that has been or is to be installed therein at both sides of the power supply unit.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

A computer case including a front part, a rear part, a top plate part, a bottom plate part, a left plate part, and a right plate part, the computer case further comprising: a power supply installing unit in the rear bottom thereof,

wherein the power supply installing unit comprises:

an opening unit formed at the bottom of the rear plate unit to allow the insertion of a power supply unit;

a bracket coupled to the rear surface of the power supply unit and fixed to the opening unit after the power supply unit is inserted into the opening unit;

a guide supporting unit disposed below the installing power supply unit so as to guide and support the insertion of the power supply unit into the opening unit; and

a roller unit disposed in the guide supporting units and contacting and rotating under the bottom surface of the power supply unit due to the insertion of the power supply unit so as to allow the power supply unit to easily be inserted into the opening unit.
The computer case of claim 1, further comprising: a cooling fan installing unit disposed below the guide supporting unit, drawing in external air from therebelow and exhausting the drawn in air upward, and

wherein the bottom plate unit comprises:

a leg part; and

a ventilation unit disposed in a location where the cooling fan installing unit is formed .
The computer case of claim 1, wherein the guide supporting units are formed at either side of the installing power supply unit so as to support at least two edges of the bottom surface of the power supply unit,

wherein the roller units formed in each of the guide supporting units are proximate to the opening unit.
The computer case of claim 1, wherein each of the left plate part and the right plate part comprises an elastic supporting unit that is elastically transformed when the power supply unit is inserted, and elastically supports both side surfaces of the power supply unit after the power supply unit is completely inserted into the computer case.