AC adapter mounting structure

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6685503
  • Patent Number
    6,685,503
  • Date Filed
    Friday, December 27, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 3, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
An AC adapter mounting structure is constructed to include a housing holding a rack. The housing has two vertical pivot rods and two locating holes symmetrically disposed in top and bottom sides of a side opening thereof, and an AC adapter for positioning in the rack inside the housing. The AC adapter has two pivots respectively pivoted in the pivot holes, two short positioning rods for engaging the locating holes of the housing after the pivots are pivoted in the pivot holes and the AC adapter is turned to the inside of the housing, and two stop blocks, which are forced into engagement with respective retaining holes in the rack when the AC adapter is set into the inside of the housing.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to the installation of an AC adapter in the housing of a computer and, more particularly, to an AC adapter mounting structure, which enables the AC adapter to be quickly installed in the housing of a computer without the use of screws.




2. Description of the Related Art





FIG. 1

illustrates an AC adapter installed in the housing of a computer according to the prior art. As illustrated, the AC adapter


10


′ is fastened to the back panel


31


′ of the housing


30


′ with screws


20


′. During installation, the operator must hold the AC adapter


10


′ with one hand, keeping the respective screw holes (not shown) of the AC adapter


10


′ aligned with the respective screw holes (not shown) in the back panel


31


′ of the housing


30


′, and then operate a screwdriver with the other hand to drive respective screws


20


′ into the screw holes of the back panel


31


′ of the housing


30


′ and the screw holes in the AC adapter


10


′. This installation procedure is complicated.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is directed to provision of an AC adapter mounting structure, which eliminates the aforesaid problem. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide an AC adapter mounting structure, which enables the AC adapter to be quickly installed in the housing of a computer without the use of screws. It is another object of the present invention to provide an AC adapter mounting structure, which enables the AC adapter to be quickly and positively set into position through a rotary motion without the use of screws. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the AC adapter mounting structure comprises an AC adapter, the AC adapter comprising a front panel fixedly fastened thereby with screws. A left panel, and a right panel, the front panel of the AC adapter have a locating slot and a positioning slot at two sides. Two mounting flanges extend perpendicularly backward from top and bottom sides thereof. Two pivots are respectively located on the mounting flanges on the middle and are vertically aligned in a line. Two short positioning rods are respectively located on the mounting flanges. The left panel of the AC adapter has two vertically spaced stop blocks. The right panel of the AC adapter has a rear mounting lug, a front mounting lug, and a locating hole spaced above the front mounting. The left panel of the AC adapter has at least one stop block. The AC adapter mounting structure further comprises a housing adapted to receive the AC adapter, the housing comprising a back panel, a top panel, and a side panel. The back panel of the housing has an opening through which the AC adapter is inserted into the inside of the housing, two vertically spaced pivot holes respectively coupled to the pivots of the AC adapter for enabling the AC adapter to be turned into the inside of the housing and set into position, and two vertically spaced locating holes adapted to receive the short positioning rods of the AC adapter after the pivots of the AC adapter have been pivoted to the pivot holes and the AC adapter has been turned to the inside of the housing. The top panel of the housing has a locating slot adapted to receive the rear mounting lug of the right panel of the AC adapter. The AC adapter mounting structure further comprises a rack fixedly fastened to the back panel of the housing and adapted to hold the AC adapter inside the housing, the rack having an upright sidewall and a horizontal bottom wall. The bottom wall of the rack has a downward flange at an outer side thereof and a locating slot formed in the downward flange and adapted to receive the front mounting lug of the right panel of the AC adapter. The upright sidewall has two retaining holes adapted to receive the stop blocks of the left panel of the AC adapter.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:





FIG. 1

is a schematic elevational view showing an AC adapter installed in the housing of a computer according to the prior art;





FIG. 2

is a schematic elevational view of an AC adapter constructed according to the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a schematic exploded view of the AC adapter mounting structure according to the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a schematic, perspective top view of the installation of the AC adapter in the housing according to the present invention;





FIG. 5

is a schematic, perspective top view after installation of the AC adapter in the housing according to the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a schematic, enlarged view of a part of the present invention, showing one stop block of the AC adapter inserted into the corresponding retaining hole of the rack;





FIG. 7

is similar to

FIG. 6

but shows the expanded head of the stop block stopped at the narrow rear portion of the retaining hole;





FIG. 8

is a schematic perspective view of the present invention before installation of the side panel of the housing; and





FIG. 9

is similar to

FIG. 8

but shows the side panel of the housing installed.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIG. 2

, the AC adapter, referenced by


1


, has a front panel


10


fixedly secured thereto by screws


101


, a left panel


12


perpendicularly backwardly extending from the left side of the front panel


10


, and a right panel


13


perpendicularly backwardly extended from the right side of the front panel


10


. The front panel


10


has a socket hole


103


, which holds a socket


104


, air vents


105


for the passing of hot air from the inside of the AC adapter to the outside open air, a locating slot


102


near the right side, a positioning slot


106


near the left side, two mounting flanges


11


perpendicularly backwardly extending from the top and bottom sides, two pivots


111


respectively located on the mounting flanges


11


on the middle and vertically aligned in a line, and two short positioning rods


112


respectively located on the mounting flanges


11


. The left panel


12


has two vertically spaced stop blocks


121


formed of a part thereof by stamping. The right panel


13


has a rear mounting lug


131


protruding from the distal (free) end at the top, a front mounting lug


132


protruding from the bottom side near the front panel


10


, and a locating hole


133


spaced above the front mounting lug


132


near the top.




Referring to

FIGS. 3 and 8

, the housing


2


for computer mainframe comprises at least a back panel


21


, a top panel


22


, a side panel


23


, and a rack


3


. The rack


3


is fixedly fastened to the back panel


21


, and adapted to hold the AC adapter


1


on the inside of the housing


2


. The back panel


21


has an opening


210


through which the AC adapter


1


is set in the rack


3


, two pivot holes


211


respectively provided in the top and bottom sides of the opening


210


corresponding to the pivots


111


of the AC adapter


1


, two locating holes


212


respectively provided in the top and bottom sides of the opening


210


corresponding to the short positioning rods


112


of the AC adapter


1


, and a stop flange


213


suspended in one lateral side of the opening


210


corresponding to the positioning slot


106


of the AC adapter


1


. The top panel


22


has a locating slot


221


corresponding to the rear mounting lug


131


of the AC adapter


1


. The rack


3


has at least one upright sidewall


31


and a horizontal bottom wall


32


. The bottom wall


32


has a downward flange


321


at an outer side and a locating slot


322


formed in the downward flange


321


corresponding to the front mounting lug


132


. The upright sidewall


31


has two vertically spaced retaining holes


311


.




Referring to

FIGS. 4 and 5

, the AC adapter


1


is inserted through the opening


210


in the back panel


21


of the housing


2


into the rack


3


, for enabling the pivots


111


to be respectively coupled to the pivot holes


211


, and then the AC adapter


1


is turned about the axis passing through the pivot holes


211


counter-clockwise to force the short positioning rods


112


into the locating holes


212


to stop the AC adapter


1


from displacement in transverse direction. At the same time, the mounting lugs


131


and


132


of the AC adapter


1


are respectively engaged into the locating slot


221


of the top panel


22


of the housing


2


and the locating slot


322


of the rack


3


to prevent longitudinal displacement of the AC adapter, and the retaining holes


311


of the rack


3


are respectively forced into engagement with the stop blocks


121


of the AC adapter


1


to reinforce the positioning of the AC adapter


1


in the rack


3


. When installed, the stop flange


213


of the housing


2


is engaged in the positioning slot


106


of the AC adapter


1


to hold down the AC adapter


1


in position.




Referring to

FIGS. 6 and 7

, the stop block


121


is a substantially V-shaped protruding member formed of a part of the metal left panel


12


of the AC adapter


1


by stamping, having an expanded head


1212


and a narrow neck


1211


connected between one end of the head


1212


and a part of the left panel


12


(see also FIG.


2


). The retaining hole


311


has an expanded front portion


3112


and a narrow rear portion


3111


. During installation, the stop block


121


is inserted through the expanded front portion


3112


of the retaining hole


311


, and then pulled sideways toward the narrow rear portion


3111


of the retaining hole


311


, keeping the expanded head


1212


stopped at the narrow rear portion


3111


of the retaining hole


311


.




Referring to

FIGS. 8 and 9

, the side panel


23


of the housing


2


has a locating notch


231


, a lug


232


, and a hook


233


. When the side panel


23


is attached to the top panel


22


and back panel


21


of the housing


2


, the locating notch


231


is forced into engagement with one screw


101


in the front panel


10


of the AC adapter


1


, the lug


232


is engaged in the locating slot


102


of the front panel


10


of the AC adapter


1


, and the hook


233


is hooked in the locating hole


133


of the right panel


13


of the AC adapter


1


.




A prototype of screw-free AC adapter mounting structure has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of

FIGS. 2-9

. The screw-free AC adapter mounting structure functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.




Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. An AC adapter mounting structure comprising:an AC adapter, said AC adapter comprising a front panel fixedly fastened thereto with screws, a left panel, and a right panel, the front panel of said AC adapter having a locating slot and a positioning slot in two sides, two mounting flanges perpendicularly backwardly extending from top and bottom sides thereof, two pivots respectively located on said mounting flanges in the middle and vertically aligned in a line, and two short positioning rods respectively located on said mounting flanges, the left panel of said AC adapter having at least one stop block, the right panel of said AC adapter having a rear mounting lug, a front mounting lug, and a locating hole spaced above said front mounting, and the left panel of said AC adapter having at least one stop block; a housing adapted to receive said AC adapter, said housing comprising a back panel, a top panel, and a side panel, the back panel of said housing having an opening wherethrough said AC adapter is inserted into the inside of said housing, two vertically spaced pivot holes respectively coupled to the pivots of said AC adapter for enabling said AC adapter to be turned to the inside of said housing and set into position, and two vertically spaced locating holes adapted to receive the short positioning rods of said AC adapter after the pivots of said AC adapter have been pivoted to said pivot holes and said AC adapter is been turned to the inside of said housing, the top panel of said housing having a locating slot adapted to receive the rear mounting lug of the right panel of said AC adapter; and a rack fixedly fastened to the back panel of said housing and adapted to hold said AC adapter inside said housing, said rack having an upright sidewall and a horizontal bottom wall, the bottom wall of said rack having a downward flange at an outer side thereof and a locating slot formed in said downward flange and adapted to receive the front mounting lug of the right panel of said AC adapter, said upright sidewall having at least one retaining hole adapted to receive the at least one stop block of the left panel of said AC adapter.
  • 2. The AC adapter mounting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side panel of said housing has a locating notch forced into engagement with one screw in the front panel of said AC adapter, a lug engaged into the locating slot of the front panel of said AC adapter, and a hook hooked in the locating hole of the right panel of said AC adapter.
  • 3. The AC adapter mounting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rack has a stop flange forced into engagement with the positioning slot of the front panel of said AC adapter to hold down said AC adapter in said rack.
  • 4. The AC adapter mounting structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one stop block of said AC adapter each has an expanded head and a narrow neck connected between said expanded head and the left panel of said AC adapter, wherein each retaining hole of said rack each has an expanded rear portion for passing through one stop block of said AC adapter, and a narrow front portion for the passing through the narrow neck of the corresponding stop block of said AC adapter and for stopping backward movement of the expanded head of the corresponding stop block of said AC adapter.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Number Name Date Kind
5172305 DeWilde Dec 1992 A
5584396 Schmitt Dec 1996 A
5587881 Wang Dec 1996 A
5612854 Wiscombe et al. Mar 1997 A
5745342 Jeffries et al. Apr 1998 A
5777848 McAnally et al. Jul 1998 A
5790372 Dewey et al. Aug 1998 A
6215664 Hernandez et al. Apr 2001 B1
6229696 Lin et al. May 2001 B1
6246571 Lin et al. Jun 2001 B1
6270046 Liu et al. Aug 2001 B1
6272008 Huang Aug 2001 B1
6272009 Buican et al. Aug 2001 B1
6288901 Liu et al. Sep 2001 B1
6386656 Chen May 2002 B1
6530551 Gan Mar 2003 B2
6538879 Jiang Mar 2003 B2
6577501 Lin Jun 2003 B2