Abstract: A computer system housing with a curved bezel that forms one or more sideways gap between a side of the computer housing chassis and the bezel attached to that side. Typically, the curved bezel is attached to the front of the chassis with each sideways gap extending perpendicularly from the front of the chassis to a predetermined width and stretching to predetermined length along the front of the chassis. The sideways gaps facilitate increased air inlet from the sides and allow efficient cooling of various system components that are mounted on the chassis and housed within the housing. One or more cooling fans may be mounted at different locations within the housing to optimize air circulation and, hence, cooling within the housing. The chassis may be partitioned into two separate sub-chassis for proper positioning of the cooling fans as well as to accommodate changes in computer system configurations with minimized retooling of the chassis.

Abstract: A torque wrench having an indicator may be used to apply a desired amount of torque to a fastener to secure together two printed circuit boards within an electronic system. The torque wrench includes a handle and a drive head. The handle may include a lever arm, a looped section, and a drive section. A gap is formed between a portion of the lever arm and a portion of the drive section. When force is applied to the handle to tighten a fastener, the force causes the gap to narrow. A desired amount of torque is applied to the fastener by the torque wrench when the gap between the portion of the lever arm and the portion of the drive section closes. The torque wrench is storable within an enclosure of the electronic system when not in use to tighten a fastener.

Abstract: A computer system housing where a vertical printed circuit board, e.g., a riser card, is inserted into a socket on a computer system motherboard. Some internal space within the housing may allow optimization of system memory capacity through packing of additional memory modules on the riser card. The additional memory may be mounted on the riser card and may reside in the vertical space created between the riser card and the directly-mounted memory on the motherboard. The computer system housing further includes a chassis that may be partitioned into two separate sub-chassis for proper positioning of one or more cooling fans as well as to accommodate changes in computer system configurations with minimized retooling of the chassis. The cooling fans may be mounted at such locations on the chassis that allow optimization of air circulation and, hence, cooling within the housing.

Abstract: A computer housing which includes a chassis that has a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment includes a first electronic assembly and a first fan that creates a flow of air through the compartment to create a compartment pressure that is less than an ambient pressure. The second compartment contains a second electronic assembly and a second fan which produces a flow of air that creates pressure within the compartment that is greater than the ambient pressure. The housing also contains an inner wall which separates the first compartment from the second compartment to inhibit air flow between the compartments.

Abstract: An enclosure contains, among other components, hard drive cartridges, graphics or other option cards, power supply and a CPU and its support chips. The total power in the whole enclosure is about 325W and the CPU consumes about 30W of this total. For design purposes the components are closely positioned and hence heat dissipation is an important problem. Plural fans, as hereinafter disclosed, are used to circulate air. For the hard drive cartridges a fan snapped into a sidewall of the enclosure draws air from apertures in the bottom through the cartridge and into a plenum. For the CPU, an impingement fan discharges air directly downward on a heat sink positioned over the chip and into the plenum. Bulk flow fans discharge air from air intake vents in side walls of the enclosure as well as air discharged from the hard drive and CPU through an internal wall into a separate sub-enclosure for the power supply and thence to the exterior.

Abstract: Computers are manufactured with connectors in which are inserted at least one PCI expansion card to increase the capacity of the computer. A computer enclosure panel is formed with an opening for insertion and withdrawal of the card. The card has a cover which blocks the opening after the card has been plugged in. The invention provides a retainer mounted on the rear panel which, when projected, engages the cover to assist in holding the card in place. The slide has a detent which is manually disengaged in order to slide the cover to retracted position. It further provides room for the tab conventionally extending outward of the card so that the card may be located closer to the side panel, thereby conserving space within the enclosure. Computers as shipped from the factory many times are not provided with PCI cards and the opening is blocked by a removable blanking cover. The slide also holds the blanking cover in position.

Abstract: A cover for a rectangular enclosure is pivoted to the rectangular base at the front, swings rearwardly-downwardly and engages the back of the base. A CD drive installed in the base is accessible from one side. For the purpose of inserting CDs and providing access for CD controls and jacks, a base window is formed in the side of the base and its edges are framed with a bezel which projects slightly outward from the base side. The cover has a cover window in one side congruent to the base window but spaced outward so that, as the cover is swung closed, the cover window is displaced outwardly relative to the bezel and the bezel does not interfere with closing the cover.

Abstract: Motherboards and cards (herein "boards") mounted in computer enclosures must be supported on X, Y and Z axes to resist shock and vibration. This requires that four edges of the board be supported. Because of the high cost of such boards their lengths are made as small as possible, and this dimension is the direction of insertion of the board. A guide is attached to the leading edge of the board having a depending foot which engages fasteners formed on the base of the chassis of the enclosure. Thus the inner edge of the board is supported along two axes. Two side edges of the board are held in tracks and the outer edge is held at the point of insertion.

Abstract: Computers are manufactured with connectors in which are inserted at least one PCI expansion card to increase the capacity of the computer. A computer enclosure panel is formed with first opening for insertion and withdrawal of the card. The card has a cover which blocks the first opening after the card has been plugged in. The invention provides a retainer mounted on the rear panel which engages the cover to hold one end of the card in place. The invention further provides room for the tab conventionally extending outward of the card to extend outward of the enclosure so that the card may be located closer to the side panel, thereby conserving space within the enclosure. The retainer has an apertured first door pivotally mounted on the exterior of the panel which in closed position surrounds a second opening through which the card tab protrudes and engages one face of the tab. A second door is pivotally mounted on the first door and in closed position covers the aperture in the first door.

Abstract: An electrical assembly which secures a detached cable/connector assembly to a substrate of a printed circuit board. The assembly has a printed circuit board that is mounted to a first surface of the substrate. The printed circuit board is coupled to an electrical connector assembly by a flexible cable. The electrical connector assembly can be plugged into an auxiliary device such as a CD-ROM. The electrical connector assembly has a tab that is inserted into an aperture located in the second surface of the substrate, to secure the connector assembly when the connector is not attached to the auxiliary device.

Abstract: Computers are manufactured with connectors in which are inserted at least one PCI expansion card to increase the capacity of the computer. A computer enclosure panel is formed with an opening for insertion and withdrawal of the card. The card has a cover which blocks the opening after the card has been plugged in. The invention provides a retainer clip mounted on the rear panel which, when in operative position, attaches to the panel and engages the cover to assist in holding the card in place. The clip has a bent spring which may be compressed to install and remove the clip. The invention further provides room for the tab conventionally extending outward of the card to extend outward of the enclosure so that the card may be located closer to the side panel, thereby conserving space within the enclosure. Computers as shipped from the factory many times are not provided with PCI cards and the opening in the panel is blocked by a removable blanking cover. The clip also holds the blanking cover in position.