Adaptable housing for embedding of computer-controlled products

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adaptable housing for a personal computer, comprising in combination;:

(a) a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, and a removable metal cover;

(b) a removable metal front panel assembly attached to the bottom section and the first and second panels and having a plurality of openings therein;

(c) a metal front face plate attached to an outer surface of the front panel assembly and covering a first opening therein;

(d) a removable metal rear panel assembly attached to the bottom section and the first and second side panels and having a plurality of openings therein, and first and second mounting flanges extending rearward from opposed edges of a first opening therein;

(e) a metal rear face plate attached to the first and second mounting flanges of the rear panel assembly and partially covering the first opening therein;

(f) a computer board attached in fixed relation to the bottom section, and having thereon a first connector;

(g) a card cage supported above a portion of the bottom section adjacent to the rear panel assembly, having a slot, and carrying a first printed circuit board inserted into the slot, the first printed circuit board having a second connector;

(h) means for supporting the card cage;

(i) means or electrically coupling the first connector to the second connector.

2. The adaptable housing of claim 1 wherein the front face plate is attached by a plurality of screws to the front panel assembly and the rear face plate is attached by a plurality of screws to the first and second flanges.

3. The adaptable housing of claim 1 wherein the card cage has opposed vertical metal side panels and wherein the supporting means includes a metal horizontal bottom plate attached to the rear panel assembly and to the bottom section and a metal vertical panel attached to a forward edge of the horizontal bottom plate.

4. The adaptable housing of claim 3 wherein one of the metal side panels of the card cage and the vertical panel of the mounting means define an opening, and wherein the coupling means includes a conductor extending from the first connector through the opening to the second connector.

5. The adaptable housing of claim 4 wherein the opposed vertical metal side panels of the card cage, the horizontal bottom plate and the metal vertical panel provide RFI shielding between computer circuitry in the adaptable housing and analog circuitry in the card cage, and the rear face plate and the cover provide RFI shielding of the analog circuitry from noise outside of the adaptable housing.

6. The adaptable housing of claim 5 wherein the horizontal bottom plate of the mounting means and the rear face plate define a slot through which conductors connected to the printed circuit board in the card cage extend.

7. The adaptable housing of claim 6 wherein the conductors are included in a ribbon cable.

8. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a second opening in the rear panel assembly and a vertical connector bracket located adjacent to the third opening, and a cable connected to a second printed circuit board plugged into the mother board, the cable extending through the second opening and a slot in the vertical connector bracket and connected to a third printed circuit board in the housing.

9. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a disk drive bracket carrying a disk drive unit and exposing the disk drive unit through an opening in the front panel assembly.

10. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a disk drive box supported adjacent to the front panel assembly by means of a L-shaped bracket attached to the bottom section.

11. The adaptable housing of claim 10 wherein a pair of opposed faces of the disk drive box include a plurality of enlarged openings for insertion of grommets and a plurality of smaller openings overlapping the enlarged openings for locking the grommets into selected positions, wherein bosses supported by the disk drive unit rest in apertures of the grommets to provide a shock mounting for the disk drive unit.

12. The adaptable housing of claim 11 wherein the disk drive box includes a cover having mounted therein a plurality of grommets, bosses in an opposite side of the disk drive unit extending through holes in the grommets mounted in the side rails of the disk drive unit.

13. The adaptable housing of claim 11 wherein bosses in the side rails of the disk drive unit include means for preventing them from being drawn through holes in the grommets, thereby securely mounting the disk drive unit in the disk drive box.

14. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a microterminal with a keyboard and display attached to an inner surface of the front face panel, the keyboard and display being exposed through an opening in the front face plate.

15. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a CRT unit supported inside the adaptable housing, a screen of the CRT being exposed through an opening in the front face plate.

16. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a monitor attached to an upper surface of the cover.

17. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a printer attached to an upper surface of the cover.

18. The adaptable housing of claim 1 including a computer-controlled/stimulated instrument and means for supporting the computer-controlled/stimulated instrument above the mother board inside the adaptable housing.

19. A method of embedding a personal computer into a larger product, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an adaptable housing including

i. a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, and a removable metal cover,

ii. a removable metal front panel assembly attached to the bottom section and the first and second side panels and having a plurality of openings therein,

iii. a metal front face plate attached to an outer surface of the front panel assembly and covering a first opening therein,

iv. a removable metal rear panel assembly attached to the bottom section and the first and second side panels and having a plurality of openings therein, and first and second mounting flanges extending rearward from opposed edges of a first opening therein,

v. a metal rear face plate attached to the first and second mounting flanges of the rear panel assembly and partially covering the first opening therein,

vi. a mother board attached to the bottom section in parallel relationship thereto, and having thereon a first connector,

vii. a card cage supported above a portion of the mother board adjacent to the rear panel assembly,

viii. means for supporting the card cage above a portion of the mother board;

(b) removing the front face plate and the rear face plate;

(c) forming openings in the front face plate and rear face plate and attaching various connectors, adapters, and/or display and control elements to the front face plate and rear face plate;

(d) inserting a printed circuit board through the second opening into a slot of the card cage, the printed circuit board having a second connector and a third connector;

(e) attaching a first cable between the second connector and an external piece of equipment controlling or controlled by the personal computer;

(f) attaching a second cable to the third connector, passing the second cable through a front slot in the cage card supporting means, and connecting the second cable to the first connector;

(g) replacing the front face plate and rear face plate and connecting various cables to the connectors, switches, and displays installed thereon;

(h) mounting the adaptable housing in a preselected relationship to the piece of equipment.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein step (h) includes mounting the adaptable housing and the piece of equipment on a single equipment rack.

21. The method of claim 19 including installing a microterminal including a keyboard and a display on the front face plate and connecting the microterminal to the computer board by means of a cable that is located entirely inside the adaptable housing.

22. The method of claim 19 including forming an opening in the front face plate, installing a CRT unit inside the adaptable housing and exposing a screen of the CRT unit through an opening in the front face plate.

23. A method of embedding a first piece of equipment controlling or controlled by a personal computer into the personal computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an adaptable housing including

i. a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, and a removable metal cover,

ii. a removable metal front panel assembly attached to the bottom section and the first and second side panels and having a plurality of openings therein,

iii. a metal front face plate attached to an outer surface of the front panel assembly and covering a first opening therein,

iv. a removable metal rear panel assembly attached to the bottom section and the first and second side panels and having a plurality of openings therein, and first and second mounting flanges extending rearward from opposed edges of a first opening therein,

v. a metal rear face plate attached to the first and second mounting flanges of the rear panel assembly and partially covering the first opening therein,

vi. a mother board attached in fixed relation to the bottom section and having thereon a first connector,

vii. a card cage supported above a portion of the mother board adjacent to the rear panel assembly, and carrying a first printed circuit board inserted into a slot of the card cage and having a second connector and a third connector,

viii. means for supporting the card cage above a portion of the mother board;

(b) removing the front face plate and the rear face plate;

(c) forming openings in the front face plate and rear face plate and attaching various connectors, adapters, and/or display and control elements to the front face plate and rear face plate;

(d) inserting a first printed circuit board through the second opening into a slot of the card cage;

(e) installing the first piece of equipment inside the adaptable housing;

(f) attaching a first cable between the second connector and an external second piece of equipment controlling or controlled by the computer;

(g) attaching a second cable to the third connector, passing the cable through a front slot in the card cage supporting means and connecting the second cable to a connector of the computer board;

(h) replacing the front face plate and rear face plate and connecting various cables to the connectors, switches, and displays installed thereon.

24. An adaptable housing for a personal computer, comprising in combination:

(a) a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, a metal cover, and a metal front panel;

(b) a removable metal rear panel attached in fixed relation to the bottom section, the first and second side panels, and the cover;

(c) a first printed circuit board inside the adaptable housing having thereon a first connector;

(d) a card cage supported above a portion of the bottom section adjacent to the rear panel, the card cage having opposed vertical metal side panels attached to four parallel horizontal rails, a second printed circuit board being inserted into a slot of the card cage, the second printed circuit board having a second connector;

(e) means for supporting the card cage, the supporting means including a metal horizontal bottom plate attached to the rear panel assembly and to the bottom section and a metal vertical panel attached to a forward edge of the horizontal bottom plate, wherein one of the metal side panels of the card cage and the vertical panel of the mounting means define an opening, and wherein a conductor extends from the first connector through the opening to the second connector,

whereby the opposed vertical metal side panels of the card cage, the horizontal bottom plate and the metal vertical panel provide RFI shielding between computer circuitry in the adaptable housing and circuitry in the second printed circuit board, and the rear face plate and the cover provide RFI shielding of the analog circuitry from noise outside of the adaptable housing.

25. An adaptable housing for a personal computer, comprising in combination:

(a) a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, and a metal cover, a metal rear panel, and a metal front panel;

(b) a computer board attached in fixed relation to the bottom section, and having thereon a first connector;

(c) a disk drive bracket carrying a disk drive unit, wherein the disk drive bracket includes a pair of opposed faces each including a plurality of enlarged openings for insertion of grommets and a plurality of smaller openings overlapping the enlarged openings for locking the grommets into selected positions, wherein bosses supported by the disk drive unit are positioned in apertures of the grommets to provide a shock mounting for the disk drive unit.

26. The adaptable housing of claim 25 wherein the disk drive bracket includes a cover having mounted therein a plurality of grommets, bosses in an opposite side of the disk drive unit extending through holes in the grommets mounted in the side rails of the disk drive unit.

27. The adaptable housing of claim 25 wherein the bosses include means for preventing them from being drawn through holes in the grommets, thereby securely mounting the disk drive unit in the disk drive bracket.

28. A method of embedding a personal computer into a larger product, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a adaptable housing including

i. a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, a metal front panel, and a removable metal rear panel,

ii. a card cage supported adjacent to the rear panel assembly,

iii. a computer board outside of the card cage attached in fixed relation to the bottom section, and having thereon a first connector,

iv. means for supporting the card cage;

(b) removing the rear panel and cover;

(c) inserting a printed circuit board through an opening uncovered by the removal of the rear panel into a slot of the card cage, the printed circuit board having a second connector and a third connector;

(d) attaching a first cable between the third connector and an external piece of equipment;

(e) attaching a second cable to the second connnector, passing the second cable through a front slot in the cage card supporting means, and connecting the second cable to the first connector;

(f) replacing the rear panel;

(g) mounting the adaptable housing in a preselected relationship to the piece of equipment.

29. A method of embedding a piece of equipment controlling or controlled by a personal computer into the personal computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an adaptable housing including

i. a metal bottom section, opposed metal first and second side panels, a metal front panel, and a removable metal rear panel, and a metal cover,

ii. a card cage supported adjacent to the rear panel assembly,

iii. a computer board attached to the bottom section in parallel relationship thereto, and having thereon a first connector,

iv. means for supporting the card cage;

(b) removing the rear face plate;

(c) inserting a printed circuit board through an opening uncovered by the removal of the rear panel into a slot of the card cage, the printed circuit board having a second connector;

(d) installing the piece of equipment inside the adaptable housing;

(e) connecting a first cable between the first connector, passing the first cable through a front slot in the card cage supporting means, and connecting the first cable to the second connector;

(f) connecting a second cable to the computer board and the piece of equipment;

(g) replacing the rear panel and cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various computers, including personal computers (PCs) have become widely used by both consumers and by industry in recent years. Numerous so-called "PC clones" are inexpensive and widely available. Powerful "minicomputers" and "super-minicomputers" have become available in desk-top housings. One segment of the computer market, especially the market for PC clones, can be referred to as the "industrial PC market". The industrial PC market makes much different use of computers than the consumer PC market, in that the consumer PC market uses purchased computers "as-is", without extensively modifying them other than by plugging in commercially available printed circuit boards into empty slots in order to enhance the computer's performance. However, the industrial PC market usually buys an IBM personal computer, a PC clone, or other computer with the intention of extensively modifying the computer and incorporating the computer into a larger product that the industrial buyer itself sells to a different market.

Unfortunately, none of the commercially available PC clones is designed to be easily modified other than by insertion of plug in printed circuit boards that enhance the computer's capability. The typical industrial PC buyer uses the computer contained in the purchased PC clone as the heart of a computer-controlled device, such as a computerized gas analyzer, a computerized heart monitor, a computerized process controller, or the like. The typical PC clone is modified by the industrial PC market buyer to contain a variety of additional plug in printed circuit boards, some or all of which may have ribbon cables, shielded cables, and/or individual conductors connected to internal connectors, extending through slots in the back of the PC clone, and running to various pieces of external equipment. In some cases, the top cover of the purchased PC clone computer is difficult to remove. It is difficult to drill or punch holes in the back panel and front panel to allow mounting of various indicators, switches, connectors, and the like, as none of the panels of present commercially available PC's is designed to be easily removed and modified by being punched, drilled, etc. Most, although not all, commercially available PC clone chassis are too wide to be mounted in a standard 19-inch equipment rack. Most commercially available PC clone chassis are not designed to withstand high levels of shock and/or vibration.

There is a presently unmet need for a housing for personal computers, for example, PC clone computers, which can be much more easily modified and used by the industrial market, especially the so-called industrial PC market. More specifically, there is an unmet need for a computer housing that makes it much easier for the industrial PC market to "embed" a PC clone computer or the like into a larger product or to "embed" additional components into the same housing as the computer to provide a computer-based new product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an adaptable housing for a computer that is easily modifiable to accommodate addition of cables, conductors, and equipment controlling or controlled by the computer.

It is another object of the invention to provide an adaptable computer housing which enables an industrial PC market user to reduce or eliminate the number of external cables, conductors, etc. connecting various components within the housing to each other.

It is another object of the invention to provide an adaptable PC housing in which internal components such as a card cage, power supply, and disk drives can be optionally removed or installed so as to provide flexibility in arranging available space within the housing in which to incorporate other components.

It is another object of the invention to provide an adaptable PC housing which enables a user to avoid use of certain external equipment in order to accomplish certain functions.

It is another object of the invention to provide an adaptable PC housing that can be conveniently mounted in a variety of orientations.

It is another object of the invention to provide an adaptable PC housing which provides full EMI shielding from both external sources and internal computer boards for certain internal components, including termination boards.

Briefly described, and in accordance with one embodiment thereof, the invention provides a versatile, adaptable housing for a computer such as a personal computer or PC clone, including easily removable and modifiable covers, rear panels, and front panels. A bottom section includes a bottom panel and side panels. A mother board is attached to the bottom surface of the bottom section. The mother board may include a self-contained computer, or may constitute a passive back plane into which printed circuit boards are plugged to form a computer. A front panel includes a removable, easily modifiable section that is attached to a vertical member and a lip of another front panel section to which a disk drive box containing one or more disk drives can be attached. A removable transparent window is attached to the front panel and can be opened to allow access or closed to prevent access to the disk drive(s). A rear panel includes two perpendicular extensions each having a lip to which a removable, easily modifiable rear panel can be attached by screws or the like. An industrial PC buyer can easily remove and modify the front and rear panels and also the top panel to drill/punch holes for various indicators, key pads, connectors, slots, and the like. A substantial amount of space is available above the mother board. A box containing additional equipment, such as additional hard drives, can be installed in the space, using grommets into which screw heads attached to the sides or bottoms of the disk drives or other vibration-sensitive equipment are attached to provide a vibration dampening support. A drop-in card cage fits into a removable base. A plurality of PC boards or other equipment can be inserted into slots in rails of the card cage. The top, side, front, and rear panels of the adaptable housing are suitable to have user-installed equipment attached to the inner and/or outer surfaces thereof. Internal, rather than external, cables, conductors and the like connect ends of the various termination boards to other boards and/or the mother board to allow convenient digital processing of signals from the termination boards and the like inside the housing so that the various top, front, rear, side, and bottom panels provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Various panel mount brackets, padded feet, handles, slides, or the like are attached to the outside of panels of the housing to adapt it for attachment or resting in various orientations to supply the user's needs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the adaptable housing of the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a back panel of the adaptable housing of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is an open perspective top view of the housing of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a partial perspective rear view of the adaptable housing showing various slots, connectors, switches, and cables thereon.

FIG. 3 is a partial front perspective view showing attachment of a keyboard/display terminal to the front panel.

FIG. 4 is a partial front perspective view showing a CRT module installed within the housing with its screen accessible through a cutout in the front panel.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective rear view of the housing showing details of the card cage thereof and insertion of printed circuit cards into the card cage and connection of a ribbon cable thereto.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a disk mount box and an L-shaped mounting bracket therefor.

FIG. 6A is an exploded partial perspective view illustrating a shock mount.

FIG. 6B is a partial section view of a shock mount shown in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is a partial exploded perspective view of an alternate shock mount.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an exploded perspective view of adaptable housing 1 is shown without the printed circuit boards that constitute a computer. In FIGS. 2-5, numeral 1A designates the PC clone computer including the necessary printed circuit boards to form a computer.

Adaptable housing 1 includes a bottom section 2 including a bottom panel 2A and right and left side panels 2B as an integral unit composed of aluminum panel material. A pair of rectangular stiffeners 2C are attached to the inner upper edges of side panels 2B. A pair of right angle upright brackets 10 are attached to the inner front surface portions of side panels 2B. Rectangular stiffeners 5A, 5B, and 5C are attached across the inner upper surface of bottom panel 2A as shown. Stiffener 5B has a bracket 5D attached thereto for supporting a card cage pan 20. A hole 5E in bracket 5D has a captive screw fastener receptacle press fit therein.

Adaptable housing 1 includes an aluminum front panel assembly 21 including a front panel frame 3, a front face plate 6, a plastic acrylic door panel 7, and a subpanel 11. Front panel frame 3 includes a rectangular cutout opening 4A surrounded by a frame portion having four corner holes 3F therein. Right angle tabs 3A and 3B extend rearward from frame 3. The right hand portion of frame 3 is recessed approximately an inch from the plane of the front surface bounding rectangular opening 4A. The right hand portion of frame 3 includes a rectangular opening 4B for exposing the front ends of one or two disk drive units. An elongated rectangular opening 4C also is provided in the right hand portion of frame 3. Right angle tabs 3C, 3D, and 3E extend rearward from the right hand portion of frame 3 as shown. Right angle tabs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E are used to attach frame 3 to the bottom panel 2A and side panels 2B and to provide support for the front edge of cover 28 when it is installed. An accessory 29 can be attached to the upper surface of cover 28, or even to the inner surface thereof.

Front plate 6 can be attached to frame 3 by means of screws (not shown) which extend into holes 3F and into PEM nuts that have been press fit into frame 3 or upright brace 10. Front panel 6 therefore can be easily removed and holes can be drilled or punched in it to receive a variety of connectors, indicators, microterminals, and the like which can be mounted onto front panel 6 to suit the user's needs.

A pair of horizontal tabs 8A and 8C extend to the right along the recessed right hand portion of frame 3. A screw 9 extends through clearance hole 8B and tab 8A into a hole 7B in the upper edge of acrylic door 7. A hinge pin 7A at the right hand bottom edge of door 7 extends through a hole 8D in tab 8C. A handle-latch mechanism 7C is attached to the right hand edge of door 7 to engage a meeting at latch element (not shown) on the inside front surface of right hand side panel 2B.

Subpanel 11 is attached to the inside right hand surface of frame 3 by means of four corner screws to cover rectangular opening 4C. PEM nuts (not shown) are embedded in corner holes 11C of subpanel 11 to receive screws through corresponding corner holes in frame 3 surrounding rectangular opening 4C. Various holes such as 11A and 11B can be conveniently drilled or punched by the user into subpanel 11 by simply removing it and installing suitable connectors, switches, indicators, and the like and then reinstalling subpanel 11.

An L-shaped power supply bracket 19 is bolted onto the bottom panel 2A. A variety of predrilled clearance holes (not shown) in the upright plate and upper surface of power supply bracket 19 allows a variety of different manufacturers' power supplies to be easily installed by bolting them to the upright plate of power supply bracket 19 through matching predrilled holes

Aluminum rear panel assembly 12 of adaptable housing 1 includes a section 13 and a separate section 14. Although sections 13 and 14 could be an integral unit, they preferably are connected by one or two steel standard PC slot covers 30, as shown in FIG. 1A. Slot covers such as 30 are commercially readily available and can be predrilled or punched with suitable holes to facilitate connection of connectors, switches, and indicators that may be desired on the back panel of adaptable housing 1. Slot covers 30 each have a tongue 30A that extends through one of the slots 14G in a tab 14F of section 14. The right end of each slot cover 30 has a right angle tab with a screw hole through which a screw extends into a threaded hole such as 13J in tab 13G of section 13.

Referring back to FIG. 1, section 13 includes a rectangular opening 13B for exposing slots such as 18A of a vertical connector bracket 18. Connector bracket 18 has four PEM nuts 18B embedded therein which are aligned with four corner clearance holes 13G at the corners of rectangular opening 13B. A right angle tab 13F is oriented forward and is used to attach section 13 to left side panel 2B. Tabs 13F along the bottom of section 13 are used to attach section 13 to the inner surface of bottom panel 2A. A vertical flange or wall 13C extends rearward perpendicularly from the right edge of frame 13A, and a vertical lip 13D is attached and perpendicular to the rear edge of flange 13C, and has PEM nuts 13H embedded therein.

The right hand rear panel assembly section 14 includes a circular cutout opening 14A for installing a fan and a rectangular opening 14B having four corner clearance holes by means of which a rear subpanel 17 can be attached. Subpanel 17 typically has a cutout 17A for installation of a power connector therein. Tabs 14F mentioned above extend rearward from the left hand edge of section 14. A wall or flange 14C extends rearward from the left edge of section 14, and has connected thereto a vertical, perpendicular lip 14D having PEM nuts embedded therein. Aluminum rear face plate 15 has four corner clearance holes 15A by means of which rear face plate 15 can be easily removed and suitable openings can be punched, cut, or drilled therein and suitable connectors, switches, indicators, and the like can be installed, as indicated in FIG. 2A.

An L bracket 16 is attached to the bottom edge of rear face plate 15 to cover the gap between section 13E and slot covers 30. Suitable holes may be punched or drilled in L bracket 16 to allow convenient routing and/or connection of ribbon cables and other conductors from the inside of adaptable housing 1 to external equipment.

A vertical card guide bracket 23 can be attached to the front left portion of bottom panel 2A, as indicated by the dashed lines. Card guide 23 has a plurality of slots 23A in it, typically three. Standard plastic snap-on card guides can be snapped onto the rails between slots 23A to provide a guide for the front edges of PC boards such as 35, 36, and 37 being inserted into the mother board 33 shown in FIGS. 2-5. Such printed circuit boards typically have connectors on their opposite ends and attached slot covers which can be aligned with slots 18A in connector bracket 18 and attached thereto by suitable screws

Card cage "pan" 20 has a horizontal bottom plate 20B with a pair of vertical opposed side members 20D and a rear downward flange 20C. A vertical panel 20A is attached to the forward edge of bottom plate 20B, and has a side member 20E performing the function