DE29620676U1 - Case for holding electronic components - Google Patents

Description

SM 25 G CASE FOR STORING ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

The present invention relates to a case for accommodating electronic components, in particular laptops with the associated peripheral accessories, such as power supplies and printers.

Since both laptops and the associated peripheral devices are sensitive and should be easy to transport in one piece, these devices are housed in a protective case, preferably made of metal. However, the case can also be made of wood or plastic, particularly glass fiber reinforced plastic. Such a case comprises a case lid and a case body that can be pivoted together. The pivot joint is sometimes designed so that the case lid and case body can be detached from each other.

One problem with the design of such cases is that the laptops and printers or other electronic devices such as data acquisition devices, etc. do not have standardized external dimensions, so that the secure fastening of these components in the case is often difficult.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of creating a case that can be adapted to electronic components with different dimensions and thus allows the components to be attached securely and quickly.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

According to the invention, a carrier plate is inserted into the case lid and/or the case body, which is spaced apart from the corresponding base of the lid or body. In a first alternative, this carrier plate is designed as a frame through which the electrical component is placed on the base of the lid or the body ¹ and is then clamped against the base by means of fastening means connected to the carrier plate.

In another alternative of the invention, the carrier plate is designed as a mounting plate, e.g. concrete chipboard, on which the fastening means are positioned in such a way that a secure fastening of the component is achieved without access areas to the component, such as connection arrangements, plugs, actuating elements, displays, etc., being obstructed by the fastening means. The carrier plate serves here as a support for the component.

Preferably, the fastening means are designed as screw bolts, which are secured to the carrier plate by a nut and a lock nut. These fastening bolts either contain an extension on the head side, by means of which the component is clamped against the carrier plate or the base of the cover or body, or the fastening bolt contains a lateral friction surface that can be adjusted transversely to the bolt axis, which is then pressed against a side surface of the electrical component in order to secure it.

The assembly is then carried out in the frame solution in such a way that a carrier plate is created in the form of a frame with a recess

whose dimensions correspond to the external dimensions of the electrical component. The electronic component is then inserted into the recess, whereupon it rests on the base of the cover or body. Preferably, an insulating layer is applied to the base to insulate against impacts as well as heat and/or noise. Then, holes for fastening bolts are made in the frame area formed by the carrier plate in such a way that any connection, input or display areas are not affected and, on the other hand, the component is securely braced against the cover or body base. The carrier plate itself is either held to a groove on the side walls of the cover or body using fastening elements or to a frame profile connected to the sides. It is important that the arrangement of the fastening elements attached to the carrier plate takes into account the exact geometric dimensions of the electronic component and the location of the areas not available for fastening.

In the second solution, in which the carrier plate is designed as a support plate, e.g. as a concrete chipboard, the electronic component is placed on top and then positions for fastening bolts are determined on the carrier plate. Holes are then provided at these positions to accommodate the fastening bolts. The bolts are fastened in the holes and the electronic component is inserted in the previously determined area between the fastening bolts. Now the heads of the fastening bolts, which can be moved transversely to the bolt axis and have a friction surface, are tightened against the side walls of the electronic component. This

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can be implemented, for example, using fastening bolts that have an inclined ramp surface on the head that interacts with an inclined ramp surface of a pressure element, which pressure element is tightened against the fastening bolt by a screw. An elongated hole is formed in the pressure element so that the pressure element can be moved transversely to the bolt axis in the direction of the component. The advantage here is that not only a lateral displacement, but also a slight downward displacement is realized, whereby the electronic component is not only clamped laterally but also against the carrier plate.

Such a carrier plate as a second alternative of the carrier plate preferably has a bevel directed towards the bottom of the case lid or case body on two opposite sides. As a result, the carrier plate with the bevels rests on the bottom of the case lid or body. Preferably, the carrier plate is now braced against a groove in the side walls of the lid or body using special fastening bolts. These fastening bolts are held in the carrier plate at the head and have a swivel lever that is adjustable via the thread and is directed transversely to the bolt axis and that engages in the groove in the side wall of the case when in the fastening position. The fastening position and the release position of the swivel lever or arm are preferably determined by the bevel. The bevel can have openings in the area of these predetermined fastening elements that allow the extension to be swung in and out. Furthermore, the opening can be limited laterally so that the fastening position of the extension is defined by the lateral contact of the pivot lever on the edge, whereby it is exactly

extends outwards across the edge and can thus engage in the groove in the side wall, while in the released position it disappears under the carrier plate. When tightening these fastening elements to attach the carrier plate to the case, the extension is first rotated into its fastening position until it rests against the edge. Then the swivel lever, which is held on the bolt side by an internally threaded sleeve that encompasses the thread of the screw bolt, is moved upwards when the screw bolt is rotated until the extension rests against the groove in the side wall of the case, and thereby clamps the carrier plate against the bottom of the case lid or case body.

However, other fastening options are of course also conceivable.

It will be preferable for at least one component to be attached to both the body and the lid of the case. For example, in a flatter body the laptop can be attached to the support plate, while in the deeper case lid the printer is held to the frame-shaped support plate and pressed against the bottom of the case lid by fastening means.

In the case of fastening the electronic component to the carrier plate, in which embodiment the carrier plate is preferably designed as a stable pressboard, hardboard or concrete chipboard, the distance between the carrier plate and the floor is chosen to be large enough so that, on the one hand, supply components such as power supplies, batteries and interfaces can be conveniently accommodated in the space between them and, on the other hand,

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The locking hooks of the case lock do not protrude above the level of the carrier plate and therefore do not cause any interference.

The carrier plate preferably has bevels in its edge area pointing downwards, i.e. towards the bottom, through which the carrier plate rests against the bottom of the lid or the body. Using special fastening elements, e.g. swivel hooks, the carrier plate can then be tightened against frame profiles or grooves on the side walls of the case, in such a way that its bevels rest firmly against the bottom of the lid or the body. The gap is preferably also provided with a heat, sound and/or electrical insulating layer in order to keep mechanical vibrations and shocks away from the electronic component and to prevent any operating vibrations or noises from the component from being transmitted to the environment. Desiccants can also be provided in the gap, which absorb the moisture in the case and counteract any impairment of the service life of the electronic components due to moisture.

When fastening components in the lid and in the body, it is ultimately the professional's free choice as to which type of fastening, e.g. frame fastening or support plate, he uses. He can use a frame fastening for both a printer and a laptop in the lid and in the body if the height of the case is very low. If the height of the case is greater, he can use the alternative for at least one component, preferably the laptop, in which the carrier plate serves as a support plate, which means that in the space

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Peripheral and supply components can be arranged under the support plate.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the schematic drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a case in which

a laptop and a printer are attached and Fig. 2 shows a partially sectioned detail II from Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a case 10 consisting of a case body 12 and a case lid 14, which are hinged together. The terms case lid and case body are basically interchangeable, the part 12 is referred to as the body in this embodiment because it remains on the plane during the opening process of the case, while the element 14 is unfolded. A laptop 16 is attached to the case body 12, while a printer 18 is attached to the case lid.

To attach the laptop 16 to the body 12, a support plate 20 is provided, which serves as a support for the laptop 16. The support plate 20 has a two-stage bevel 22 towards its side edges, the free ends of which rest on the floor 24 of the case body 12. In a first stage 26 of the bevel, a fastening element 28 in the form of a pivot lever is attached. The pivot lever consists of a bolt 30, which is held on the head side in the first stage 26 of the bevel 22. An internally threaded sleeve 32 is held on the screw bolt so that it can be adjusted in height in accordance with the rotation of the screw bolt, which internally threaded sleeve 32 has a pivot arm or

Has a pivot lever 34 which is designed to engage in a groove 36 in a side wall 38 of the case body. In the figure, the pivot lever is shown in its engaged position in which it protrudes outwards beyond the external dimensions of the carrier plate 20 including the bevel 22 and engages under the groove 36 of the case body 12. In this way, the carrier plate 20 is fixed to the case body 12.

To fasten the laptop 16 to the carrier plate 20, fastening means 40 are used, which consist of a screw bolt 42 for securing in a hole in the carrier plate 20 and a pressure element 44, which can be moved by means of a screw 45 transversely to the bolt axis against a side surface of the laptop 16. The screw bolt 42 of the fastening means 40 is secured to the hole in the carrier plate 20 by means of two lock nuts 46, 48. The holes are drilled into the carrier plate 20 after the laptop 16 has been placed in the correct position, which ensures that the fastening means 40 do not obstruct any connection and/or input and/or display areas of the laptop 16. The pressure elements 44 of the fastening means 40 have a friction surface made of rubber 50 on their contact surface on the laptop 16, which ensures that the laptop is held securely. Preferably, at least three, preferably four to eight fastening means 40 are used to attach the laptop 16 to the carrier plate 20. The carrier plate 20 can be reinforced by struts 52 in the manner of a concrete chipboard, so that this carrier plate 20 can withstand large loads.

The space 54 between the support plate 20 and the base 24 can be used for the arrangement of electrical supply or peripheral

devices. Preferably, a pocket for a drying or dehumidifying material is also provided in this hollow area, which serves to keep the moisture content in the case low. Preferably, the drying material is placed near a device that generates heat when in use, so that the drying material can be dehumidified again by heating the electrical components, for example, so that it does not lose its effectiveness.

As already described, a printer 18 is attached to the lid 14. The printer 18 rests on an insulating layer 56 between the underside of the printer and the bottom of the case lid 14. The printer 18 is attached to a support plate 58 in the form of a frame, which in turn is connected to an angle profile 62 on a side wall 64 of the case lid 14 via fastening clamps 60. The frame 58 contains a recess 66, the dimensions of which are slightly larger than the external dimensions of the printer. The printer 18 is then inserted into this recess 66 until it rests on the insulating layer 56. The printer 18 is then pre-tensioned against the insulating layer 56 by second fastening means 68. These second fastening means 68 consist of a screw bolt 70, which is secured to a hole in the frame 58 with two lock nuts 72, 74. By fastening with two lock nuts, a desired height adjustment is possible - as with the first fastening means. On the head side, the second fastening means 68 contains an extension 76, which is fixed to the head of the screw bolt 70 by a screw 78. This extension is directed transversely to the bolt axis and overlaps the surface 80 of the printer 18. The

Extension 76 rests against the top of printer 18 with a rubberized contact surface 82, whereby the printer is pressed against insulation 56. This alternative fastening option offers the advantage of a lower installation height, but leaves less space for the installation of connection or peripheral devices for the electronic component between the base and the carrier plate.

In Fig. 2, the fastening means 40 is shown again in a partially sectioned view as a detail. The fastening means 40 consists of a screw bolt 42, which has a thread 43 on its outer circumference for fastening the two lock nuts 46, 48 (Fig. 1). These lock nuts allow the screw bolt 42 to be adjusted to a desired height in a hole in the support plate 20. The screw bolt 42 also contains a central internal thread 90, which is open towards the head side. The head of the screw bolt 42 is formed by a ramp surface 92, which interacts with a ramp surface 94 of the horizontally aligned pressure element 44. The ramp surfaces 92, 94 preferably have an angle of 20 - 45° with respect to the horizontal. In the horizontal pressure element 44, a vertical slot 96 is provided, through which the screw 45 (Fig. 1) passes, which engages in the internal thread 90 of the screw bolt 42. The head of this screw rests on the top of the pressure element 44 and tightens it against the screw bolt 42. Since the length d of the slot is significantly larger than the screw diameter, the pressure element is moved to the right in the drawing against the side surface of the laptop (Fig. 1). However, there is not only a lateral displacement, but also a slight downward displacement according to the

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Relative movement of the two inclined ramp surfaces 92, 94. This not only fixes the laptop in a lateral direction, but also presses it against the carrier plate 20.

Both under the support plate 20 and under the frame 58 foam layers can be provided for damping, which also serve as a spring with respect to the carrier plate 20 when the plate is clamped against the bottom of the case.

Instead of or in addition to the bevel 22, rubber plugs can also be provided on the edge of the carrier plate, which serve as spacers to the side wall 38.

The bevel 22 in Fig. 1 also serves as a stop surface for the pivot lever 34 in the fastening position (as shown) .

The invention has the advantage that the holes for the universal fastening means can be drilled individually, i.e. for a wide variety of electronic components. The case according to the present invention is therefore suitable for securely holding a wide variety of laptop devices and other electronic components.

If concrete chipboard is used as the carrier plate, the components are held very rigidly and securely in the case.

The attachment, which is either provided directly on the laptop or in the space between the carrier plate and the bottom of the case,

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The locking arrangement can preferably be guided to the outer surface of the case, where it interacts with corresponding complementary connection arrangements. In this way, it can be achieved that when the case is placed in a designated storage position, e.g. on a shelf, the battery of the laptop and the printer are automatically charged.

The case, which is preferably made of metal, is very robust and is preferably used at installation sites or construction sites, i.e. places where the environmental influences are not ideal for the installed electronic components. As the case is intended in particular for transport in mobile systems, e.g. in motor vehicles, all support elements are designed to support a multiple of the weight of the electronic components, which is usually between 1 and 7 kg. The fact that the fastening means 40 have rubberized elements 50, 82 on their contact areas ensures very good friction in the contact area. The stability of the fastening therefore only depends on the clamping force and the coefficient of friction.

In the area where the case body and case lid are connected, the support edge can be bevelled or folded towards the ground to enable the swivel range in the closing direction.

Preferably, the carrier plate 20 is arranged at a clear height h above the base 24, which is slightly greater than the height of any locking mechanisms in the closure mechanism of the case.

Claims (15)

• · · ■ SM 25 G 25.10.1996 Protection claims: 1. Case for storing electronic components (16,18), especially laptops with printers, comprising: - a case lid (14) and - a case body (12) , which can be pivoted together, - at least one carrier plate (20,58) which is arranged on the case lid and/or body at a distance (h) from its base (24) for receiving fastening means (40,68) for the component, which fastening means can be fastened to the carrier plate at any point and come into form and/or frictional engagement with the component. 2. Case according to claim 1, characterized, that the fastening means (40,68) are formed by bolts (42,70) which pass through the carrier plate (20,58) and have an extension (44,76) on the head side directed transversely to the bolt axis for contact with or engagement with the component. 3. Case according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized, that the carrier plate (58) forms a frame for receiving the component, the inner dimensions (66) of which correspond to the outer dimensions of the component and the outer dimensions of which essentially correspond to the inner dimensions of the case (10). - 14 - 4. Case according to claim 3, characterized, that the bottom of the case lid (14) or body is provided with a shock absorption layer/insulating layer (56) at least in the receiving area of the component (18). 5. Case according to claim 1, characterized, that the carrier plate (20) is designed as a support plate for the component. 6. Case according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means (40) have screw bolts (42) for receiving in perforations of the carrier plate, which screw bolts have a lateral friction surface (50) on the head side for contact with the component, which friction surface is adjustable transversely to the bolt axis. 7. Case according to claim 6, characterized, that the screw bolts (42) have an inclined ramp surface (92) on the head side, which cooperates with an inclined ramp surface (94) of a pressure element (44) which can be tightened to the screw bolt on the head side by a screw (45), the screw passing through an elongated hole (96) in the pressure element, which elongated hole enables the pressure element to be moved transversely to the bolt axis when the screw is tightened. 8. Case according to one of the preceding claims, - 15 - characterized, that the carrier plate (20) rests against a groove (3 6) in the Side wall (38) of the case lid or body (12) can be fixed 9. Case according to claim 8, thereby marked &eegr; e t, that the fixing is carried out by swivel hooks (34) which are
Screw bolts (30) are held in a pivoting and height-adjustable manner; the screw bolts (3 0) are held at the head in the support plate (2 0) and carry on their screw thread the transverse to the bolt axis
running and bolt side on an internal thread sleeve
(32) held hook (34), which when turning in the fastening direction
automatically into an engagement position with the
Recess (3 6) of the case swings out and is adjusted upwards when turned further so that it presses against the recess from below and in the process tightens the support plate against the bottom of the lid or body, and which is first adjusted downwards when turned into the release position until it disengages from the recess and then swings into the release position under the support plate. 10. Case according to claim 8 or 9,
characterized, that the carrier plate has bevels (22) on at least two opposite sides for contact with the base (24) of the case lid or body (12). 11. Case according to claim 9 and 10,
characterized, - 16 - that the bevels (22) determine the engagement and release positions of the extension. 12. Case according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier plate (58) can be fixed to an angle profile (62) which is formed on the side walls of the lid (14) or body. 13. Case according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means (40,68) have rubberized friction surfaces (50,82) for contact with the component (16,18). 14. Case according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that electronic supply components and plug connections or electrical connections of the components are provided in the area (54) between the carrier plate and the base. 15. Case according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that electrical connections of the components are provided on an outside of the case for interaction with a complementary connection arrangement which is formed in a case shelf.