US20020171334A1

US20020171334A1 - Drawer for cabinet of microcomputer

Info

Publication number: US20020171334A1
Application number: US09/858,123
Authority: US
Inventors: Antonio Pinheiro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-05-15
Filing date: 2001-05-15
Publication date: 2002-11-21

Abstract

The invention discloses an accessory for microcomputer cabinet comprising a drawer (1) and respective casing (2), to store several materials essential to the use of computers, such as technical manuals, CDs and floppy disks.

The casing (2), fastened in the cabinet by screws or through a self-closing, pressure-activated mechanism (10, 12, 13), possesses rails projecting laterally (3) corresponding to the rails into which they are fitted (4) to the drawer. The drawer (1) offers a drawer handle (6) or automatic electronic button to open and close, (7), a device to limit its extension, and, optionally, a lock (8).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

“Not Applicable”.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

“Not Applicable”.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

“Not Applicable”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The cabinets for microcomputers currently available, either with horizontal or vertical shape, have four or five front compartments, of standardized measurements, for the installation of accessories. Usually only two of these compartments are used as “drivers” for CDs and floppy disks of 1,44 MS, leaving two to three free windows, with removable plastic covers.

These cabinets, however, don't provide the place to store technical manuals, CDs and floppy disks used in hardware installation. In consequence, these materials, which should always accompany microcomputers, are often kept in inappropriate places, frequently resulting in their misplacement, causing troubles and making maintenance more difficult.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention refers to a drawer model to be used as an accessory in microcomputer cabinets in order to provide a more rational use of the available space inside these cabinets.

The invention solves the problem of storing the technical manuals, CDs and floppy disks used in hardware installation.

The invention can also be used to store other materials daily used by microcomputers users, such as diskettes, CDs, pens, pencils, erasers, paperclips etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: upper view of the drawer; [0009]
FIG. 2: side view of the drawer; [0010]
FIG. 3: frontal view of the drawer; [0011]
FIG. 4: upper view of the casing; [0012]
FIG. 5: side view of the casing; [0013]
FIG. 6: frontal view of the casing; [0014]
FIG. 7: frontal view of a cabinet model with the invention; [0015]
FIG. 8: frontal view of a second model of cabinet with the invention; [0016]
FIG. 9: exploded perspective of a cabinet with the invention provided of an alternative fixation system.[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The accessory proposed comprises two basic elements: the drawer itself ([0018] 1) and its casing (2).
The casing ([0019] 2), is formed by a box of cubic form opening in front, and designed with or without rails When it is provided with rails, these lateral rails (3), in the high plane of the casing (2), correspond to rails, in the low plane (4), of the drawer (1).
The frontal face ([0020] 5) of the drawer has a handle (6) or, in the more sophisticated version, an electric button to open it. (7). Both versions can be fitted with a locking mechanism. (8).
The casing ([0021] 2) possesses lateral holes (9) to be used in its attachment to the cabinet by means of the conventional system, that is, by means of screws, four in each side, inserted in the standardized holes (10) of the cabinet (11).
The installation of the accessory ([0022] 1, 2) into the cabinet (11) can even be done by pressure-assisted automatic fitting which considerably facilitates the installation.
As shown in FIG. 9, such a system can be composed of “U”-shaped cuttings ([0023] 12) in the sides of the casing (2), so as to let the the opening of these cuttings be turned inward to its front. The cuttings themselves can function as bolts (13) to which can be fitted projections, which act as springs, creating an insertion of the casing (2) into the compartment of the cabinet (11); the insertion of the projections into the standardized holes (10) of the cabinet and, finally, the automatic clamping into place of the casing (2) inside of the cabinet (11).
The proposed accessory ([0024] 1, 2) also possesses a restraint system, not shown in the drawings, to limit the forward movement of the drawer (1), preventing its total exit from the casing (2).
In the simplest version, without a lock and electric opening mechanism, the drawer will nevertheless possess a second restraint system, also not shown in the drawings, in order to allow the drawer to open ([0025] 1) only by means of a certain pressure, avoiding, then, its opening accidentally.
The drawer ([0026] 1) may also offer internal divisions adjusted by means of the fitting of separating walls in slots planed into its sides, allowing a better organization of the different products stored within.
It is worthwhile to emphasize that the current patent is not limited to a simple drawer, since the casing ([0027] 2) constitutes an indispensable part of the current accessory and is of fundamental importance to the complete accessory, offering in itself a number of advantages described as follows.
One advantage of the existence of the casing ([0028] 2) concerns the simplification of the installation of the accessory (1, 2) in the cabinet, since the execution of such operation involves a reduced number of pieces, even in the case of conventional installation with screws.
Without the existence of the casing, the installation of the drawer, directly into the cabinet, through rails, beyond the complications of involving a larger number of pieces, provokes the occurrence of alignment problems, caused by a height difference between the rails. [0029]
Another advantage of the casing ([0030] 2) is that it avoids letting any of the items stored in the drawer fall (1) inside the cabinet, which could result in the contact of these products with the internal electronic elements of the computer. Thus, the casing (2) protects such elements against predictable damage or even against the total loss of the device, a quite plausible eventuality in the case of metallic pieces accidentally falling inside the cabinet.
Aside from this, in the case of removal of the drawer from the cabinet, the internal components of the computer would not be exposed, since the casing isolates them from the external environment, keeping them invulnerable to domestic accidents, such as children putting objects inside of the cabinet. [0031]
In addition to protecting the internal elements of the cabinet, the casing protects the stored products against dust, which, mainly in the case of CD's, constitutes an important factor. [0032]
Besides all these advantages, in case the user needs all the compartments of the cabinet for installation of other accessories, the proposed device maintains its usefulness as safe storage of several materials, as it can be used independently, separate from the cabinet. [0033]
The proposed accessory, using several materials in its manufacture, such as ABS, plastics, steel carbon, etc, can be built in varied dimensions so that it can adapt to all sizes of compartments of microcomputers, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.[0034]

Claims

What I claim as my invention is:

1) “Drawer for microcomputer cabinet” properly characterized by the drawer itself (1) and respective casing (2), consisting of a box of cubic form, opening in the front part and being a drawer provided with a handle (6), not including a restraining device to limit the extension of said drawer.

2) “Drawer for microcomputer cabinet” properly characterized by the drawer itself (1) and respective casing (2), consisting of a box of cubic form fitted with rails projecting laterally (3) corresponding to the rails into which they are fifted (4)

3) Drawer in agreement with claim number 2, characterized by being the drawer (1) constructed with an electric device for opening and closing of said drawer (7).

4) Drawer in agreement with claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized by having a lock (8).

5) Drawer in agreement with claims 1 to 4, characterized by a conventional system of installation of the casing (2) in the cabinet (11), through screwed in holes (9) in the sides of the casing (2) and of the standardized holes (10) of the cabinet.

6) Drawer in agreement with the claims 1 to 4, characterized by installation of the casing (2) to the cabinet (11) by a self-closing, pressure-activated mechanism (10, 12, 13).