Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes a chassis, a plurality of heat producing component slots defined by the chassis, and a plurality of valve systems mounted in the chassis, whereby a valve system is positioned adjacent each heat producing component slot. A fan may be coupled to the apparatus and a plurality of heat producing components such as, for example, a plurality of information handling systems, may be positioned in the heat producing components slots and selectively cooled using the plurality of valve systems, depending on the cooling requirements of each individual heat producing component.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for installing support structures within rack systems for supporting components. In one aspect, a rack system is disclosed that includes a rack with a plurality of rails that each have a standard interface portion. The system also includes an arm assembly with an arm, a front rail interface, and a rear rail interface. The front rail interface may be disposed at one end of the arm and includes an interface portion formed to tool-lessly and releasably secure the end of the arm to an interface portion of a rack rail.

Abstract: An electronic system includes a chassis with attachment features which may interchangeably accept and secure a connector assembly and paralleling board assembly. The connector assembly may be used in a lower cost nonredundant power supply configuration while the paralleling board assembly may be used in multiple power supply configurations. The power supply may be interchangeably connected to the connector assembly and the paralleling board assembly.

Abstract: A rack mount mechanism for a computer enclosure includes a trolley, a bracket which is rotatably coupled to the trolley which supports the computer enclosure, and fixed first and second bars on which the trolley is slidably coupled. The trolley can be placed in an extended position allowing the bracket supporting the computer enclosure to rotate 90 degrees. The computer enclosure can be slid out of the rack by sliding the trolley along the bars, rotated to a standing position supported by the bracket, serviced, rotated back to a horizontal position, and returned into the rack, all without detaching or removing the computer from the rack.

Abstract: The pushbutton switch of the present invention includes one or more normally open contact switches and a moveable base plate having a handle and moveable to either a disabled or an operational position by a force applied to the handle. One or more pushbuttons are included wherein each pushbutton is individually depressable to operate a respective one of said normally open contact switches to a closed condition when the moveable base plate is in the operational position. A cover plate having apertures corresponding to the pushbuttons and to the handle of the moveable base plate is included wherein the pushbuttons and the handle are accessible through the apertures. Two or more fasteners are used to slideably couple the moveable base plate to the cover plate. One or more detents are used to hold the moveable base plate in either the disabled or the operational position.

Abstract: A card stabilizer for stabilizing an expansion card inserted in a female edge connector. The card stabilizer consists of a frame member sized to extend around the female connector, locking device for locking the frame member relative to the female connector and a guide disposed on the frame member for receiving at least one end portion of the expansion card and to prevent movement and hence electrical disconnection of the expansion card in the female edge connector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a keyboard for typewriters, computers, and similar machines with improved ergonomics of control and a lower overall profile for the keyboard without a reduction in the range of key travel. The keyboard of the present invention includes a support base with a plurality of key shafts protruding outwardly from the support base. The key shafts are angled relative to the support base, for instance at a substantially 45 degree angle, and slanted away from a user of the keyboard. A keycap with a key guide slidably disposed about each key shaft is included wherein each keycap has an angled travel axis longitudinally along the key shaft. A plurality of switching elements is coupled to the support base with a switching element disposed beneath each key shaft. The keycap is moveable down and toward the user along the angled travel axis to operate the switching element.

Abstract: System for implementing a perspective windowing technique for a computer GUI is disclosed. The perspective windowing system of the present invention displays each of a plurality of open but inactive, or "background," windows, with perspective depth with respect to one or more focal points, resulting in the background windows effectively taking up less space on the display of the PC. In contrast, a full frontal view of the active window is presented on the display to call the user's attention to the active window. When the user activates a new window, it swings forward about its full scale front edge, such that a full frontal view of the newly active window is presented on the display, and the previously active window swings back about an axis defined by its full front scale edge to be displayed in perspective with respect to the predefined focal point.

Abstract: An integral information and energy storage system is disclosed comprising a disk drive having a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, and a disk platter coupled to the shaft. A flywheel is also coupled to the shaft and includes, embedded in the flywheel, magnets having magnetic fields emanating therefrom. Electrical coils are positioned in the housing for receiving electrical energy from a power supply line and generating an electromagnetic field effective for selectively repulsing or attracting the magnets to thereby rotate the flywheel and convert electrical energy in the coils into kinetic energy in the flywheel. Alternatively, if power is not available on the power supply line, the coils generate electrical energy as the magnetic field is caused from rotation of the flywheel and the magnet embedded therein to move across the coil, thereby converting kinetic energy in the flywheel back into electrical energy in the coil and to the power supply line.

Abstract: A printed circuit board ground clip is provided having upwardly extending retainers and downwardly extending legs. The legs are designed to insert within plated-through holes of a variable thickness printed circuit board. The upwardly extending retainers terminate as a spaced pair of flanges which frictionally receive and electrically couple with a hook. The hook extends from the chassis of an electronic device, through a slot within the printed circuit board and between the spaced flanges. Accordingly, the hook and ground clip form an electrical conduit between a ground supply connected to the electronic device chassis and a ground conductor formed within the printed circuit board. Chassis-to-ground conductor attachment is performed during assembly of the board to the chassis backplane. Attachment can be quickly and easily reversed to allow board re-work, without requiring placement of heat upon the board.

Abstract: A battery status indication circuit and a method of indicating battery status. The battery status indication circuit comprises: (1) an indicator having an inactive state and an active state and (2) an indicator modulation circuit adapted to receive a charge level signal indicating a charge level of a battery and transmit, in response thereto, a pulsewidth modulated indicator signal to the indicator, a duty cycle of the indicator signal being a function of the charge level, the indicator thereby toggling between the inactive and active states to provide an indication of the charge level. A single indicator having only two states can therefore be employed to indicate multiple grades of battery charge level.

Abstract: A computer chassis having a port adapted to be configured to receive electrical connectors of differing dimensions therethrough and a method of manufacturing such configurable ports.

Abstract: A printed circuit board is mounted on the inner side of a conductively coated plastic computer housing wall using a screwless retention and grounding system molded integrally with the housing wall and including a spaced series of upstanding hook plate portions extendable through a series of elongated slots in the circuit board body and positioned in spaced, facing relationships with corresponding contact tab portions. The board is releasably mounted by pressing it inwardly against the tabs in a manner causing the hook plates to extend through the board slots, and causing the board to depress a resilient latch member formed on the housing wall. The board is then slid along the tabs until the latch pops up and releasably locks the board to the contact tabs with the outer ends of the hook plates overlying the board.

Abstract: Using specially designed molded plastic I/O output brackets having differently arranged connection opening series formed therein, a variety of differently configured computers may be manufactured using identical sheet metal chassis. Each bracket has an identical peripheral configuration, is complementarily receivable in an end wall cutout area of any of the chassis, and has a series of I/O connections formed therein which are arranged to complementarily receive the I/O connector devices mounted on the system planar board selected for incorporation within the particular chassis. When the bracket is operatively installed in the cutout area of the chassis wall a peripheral groove formed in the bracket receives an edge portion of the chassis wall and forms therewith an EMI seal having a labyrinth configuration.

Abstract: A desktop computer is provided with an expansion card/riser card module which includes a housing within which a riser card and a plurality of associated expansion cards are removably supported and electrically coupled to one another. The module, and thus the riser and expansion cards it carries, may be quickly and operatively coupled to the computer motherboard simply by pushing the module housing downwardly onto the board in a manner matingly inserting a connection edge portion of the housing-supported riser card into a corresponding motherboard connection socket. The module may be quickly removed from the motherboard simply by pulling upwardly on the module to disconnect the riser card from the motherboard socket. In an alternate embodiment of the module, this disconnection is facilitated by a leveraged removal latch structure carried by the module housing and forcibly engageable with the motherboard to lift the module upwardly therefrom.

Abstract: A two-piece face plate assembly includes a coupling plate which is mounted between the yoke strap of a wiring device and the mounting flange of a wall box. The coupling plate has a central opening for receiving the wiring device and has first and second index pins formed at spaced locations along the longitudinal axis of the coupling plate and in registration alignment with threaded mounting holes on the yoke strap. The coupling plate also has press-fit connectors positioned symmetrically about the central opening. The screwless face plate has a central opening for receiving the wiring device escutcheon and has a corresponding number of complementary press-fit connectors which are aligned for interlocking, press-fit engagement with the coupling plate connectors. The wiring device is mounted onto the wall box by screw fasteners extending through mounting slot openings formed through the yoke strap and in engagement with threaded mounting holes on the wall box.