JP2001118371A - Peripheral devices for personal computers - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a personal computer peripheral device that can meet various design requirements of a user and is excellent in a noise prevention effect and a heat radiation effect. SOLUTION: Resin lower and upper cases 200 and 300 combined with each other so as to cover a CD-RW drive unit 100 from below and above in a height direction.
And the CD-RW drive unit 100 inside the lower and upper cases 200 and 300 combined with each other.
And lower shield plates 51 made of sheet metal and electrically and thermally conductively connected to the chassis 110.
0 and 520.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a peripheral for a personal computer which is installed outside the housing of the personal computer with its width and depth directions substantially horizontal and which is electrically connected to the personal computer for use. More particularly, the present invention relates to a personal computer peripheral device in which a unit that can be built in a housing of a personal computer is packaged.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, various peripheral devices (peripheral devices) are connected to a personal computer.

Recently, various types of recording media that can be written with a large recording capacity, a data compression method with a high compression ratio, and an error correction method for highly accurate read data have been developed. Accordingly, storage devices for recording media such as, for example, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and DVD-RAMs are being widely used.

Recently, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) has been developed as a new generation interface specification for connecting peripheral devices to a personal computer. In the USB, the mouse and keyboard which were conventionally separate,
The company aims to standardize interfaces for printers, modems, speakers, and joysticks. When the personal computer has only one USB connector (USB port), the above peripheral devices can be star-shaped up to 127
Can be connected to a unit.

[0005] In addition to the initial USB 1.x, USB 2.x and the like that are upwardly compatible with the USB have been developed.
USB 2.x or the like has a high data transfer speed and is suitable as an interface for the storage device. As another new-generation interface specification having a high data transfer rate, IEEE1394 or the like has been developed.

[0006] Peripheral devices using a new generation interface such as USB have the following advantages.

[0007] There is no need to use an expansion board or set an ID for each device as in the case of SCSI, and it is easy to handle even for users who are not familiar with personal computers.

[0008] Even during the operation of a personal computer (operation system), it is possible to freely connect / disconnect to / from the personal computer (hot plug function), and it is easy for a user who is not familiar with a personal computer to handle.

The type (number) of connectors to be provided in the personal computer may be small, which can contribute to miniaturization of the personal computer.

[0010] The above-mentioned advantages are effective, and the advantages are that the personal computer itself often has only a minimum storage means, so that more personal computer users can use the new generation interface including the storage device. Peripheral devices that use are now being used. As more and more users use the peripheral devices, the peripheral devices are easier to handle and have a variety of personal computers that are used by each individual or the tastes and interiors of each individual There is a growing demand for sophisticated designs and so-called sophisticated designs. For example, a stationary type called iMac / iBook of Apple Computer /
A laptop personal computer has a USB port, but only a minimal storage means, simplifies operation, and offers a variety of translucent colors called skeleton bodies at the time of purchase. It has a selectable resin-rich housing. The user of such a personal computer is required to handle the peripheral device more easily, to design the personal computer main body or various designs that match the tastes or interiors of the users, or to call a so-called sophisticated design. Is requested.

On the other hand, from the viewpoint of manufacturing and performance of the device, peripheral devices are excellent in cost performance, can be easily assembled in a large amount in a short time, and have sufficient noise and heat radiation measures. It is preferable that misuse by the user can be prevented.

[0012]

In general, a peripheral device for a personal computer includes a unit including a mechanical unit which can be built in the housing of the computer main body and an electronic circuit unit excluding an interface unit and a power supply unit; It has a power supply unit and a metal case made of a sheet metal with a decorative finish accommodating them. Among them, the metal case is a particularly large component among the components of the peripheral device excluding the unit, and is a very design component that is always visible to the user. Here, the user's request for the above-mentioned recent peripheral devices in general, that is,
Considering the design of the personal computer itself, the variety of designs that match the tastes or interiors of each user, and the demand for so-called sophisticated designs, manufacturers must prepare various shapes and colors of metal cases. Required. However, at present, the metal case has a low degree of freedom in the shape that can be processed.

Therefore, it is conceivable that the housing of the peripheral device is made of resin, as in the case of the personal computer housing described above. However, similar to other electronic devices in general, peripheral devices may have an adverse effect on operation when they receive external noise, and on the other hand, may emit unnecessary radiation, and thus require shielding measures. The unit itself may be covered by the upper chassis, but still, the shielding measures may not be sufficient. In the case of a conventional metal case, this problem is solved because the metal case serves as a shield. However, if the casing of the peripheral device is made of resin, some countermeasures are required. Furthermore, CD-R,
A storage device that also performs writing for a CD-RW, a DVD-RAM, or the like emits a laser beam having a much higher power density during a writing operation than a conventional read-only CD drive. For this reason, the amount of heat generated by the device is large, and sufficient heat dissipation measures are desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a personal computer peripheral device which can meet various design requirements of a user and is sufficiently provided with measures against noise and heat radiation.

[0015]

According to the present invention, there is provided a chassis (110) which is thermally and electrically connected to a heat-generating portion and a ground of an electronic circuit portion, and can be built in a housing of a personal computer. In a personal computer peripheral device used by packaging a CD-RW unit (100), installed outside the housing, and electrically connected to the personal computer, the CD-RW unit is used. Lower and upper resin cases (200 and 300) combined with each other to cover (100) from below and above in the height direction
Inside the lower and upper cases (200 and 300) and the unit (10
A peripheral device for a personal computer, characterized in that it has a shield plate (510 and 520) made of sheet metal, which is arranged outside the above (0) and is electrically and thermally conductively connected to the chassis (110).

Incidentally, the reference numerals in the parentheses are merely examples given for easy understanding, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0017]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a peripheral device for a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 (a) to 3 (d)
Referring to FIG. 1, a peripheral device for a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chassis 110 thermally and electrically connected to a heat-generating portion and a ground of an electronic circuit portion, similarly to the conventional example, and A unit that can be built in a housing (not shown) of the personal computer is packaged so that the front panel 120 at the front end in the direction is exposed, installed outside the housing, and electrically connected to the personal computer. CD-RW that is used by being connected to and that records information to be output to / from a personal computer from / to CD-RW
Drive device.

The present apparatus is a CD-RW unit 1
00, the interface circuit unit 600, and the CD-RW
Lower and upper cases 200 and 3 made of resin (for example, ABS resin) combined with each other so as to cover unit 100 from below and above in the height direction (vertical direction in the figure).
00. Lower and upper cases 200 and 3
00 is a rounded design.

The lower and upper cases 200 and 300 are
Flexible concave tongue piece 202 formed on lower case 200
And the projections 302 formed on the upper case 300 to form a pair. The device further comprises lower and upper cases 200 and 30 engaged with each other.
0 has a holder 400 mounted on the side surface in the width direction.

The device further comprises a CD-R inside the lower and upper cases 200 and 300 combined with each other.
It has lower and upper shield plates 510 and 520 made of a metal plate (for example, an SPTE plate) which are arranged outside the W unit 100 and are electrically and thermally conductively connected to the chassis 110 of the CD-RW unit 100.

The holder 400 has lower and upper cases 200 and 3 so as to cover the engagement structures engaged with each other.
It is attached on the width side of 00. Specifically, the holder 400 includes the lower and upper cases 2 combined with each other.
A protrusion 402 engageable with the recess 305 formed on the upper case 300 and a flexible recessed tongue engageable with the protrusion 205 formed on the lower case 200 out of 00 and 300. 403. Then, it is detachably engaged with the lower and upper cases 200 and 300 combined with each other. That is, the present device has a simple assembly structure that basically does not require screwing.

The upper shield plate 520 has a predetermined elasticity, and is disposed toward the inner surface of the lower case 200 when the upper shield plate 520 is disposed inside the lower case 200 and outside the CD-RW unit 100 combined with each other. By projecting and being pushed inward by the lower shield plate 510 whose movement in the width direction is restricted by the ribs on the inner surface, a predetermined area of its own inner surface is
10 is provided with a protruding piece 522 to be brought into pressure contact (electrically and thermally conductively connected) with 10. In other words, the protruding piece 522
Projection height of greater than the width of the gap S ₁₃ in FIG. 3 (b), during assembly, by being pressed into the gap S _13, by its elastic reaction, the inner surface of the upper shield plate 520 itself It is pressed into contact with the chassis 110.

The elastic reaction force and the chassis 110 of the CD-RW unit 100 and the lower and upper shield plates 520 and 520 are attached to the lower or upper case 2 respectively.
The device is supported by the lower and upper shield plates 51
It is a simple assembly structure that basically does not require screwing of 0 and 520.

Lower and upper shield plates 510 and 520
Each include a region in which both plate surfaces are separated from any component. That is, the lower shield plate 510 is
A region in which with a gap _{S 12} with respect to the lower case 200 with its both plate surfaces is with a gap _{S 11} with respect to shield 110, both plate surfaces with a gap _{S 13} to the upper shield 520 and a region in which with a gap S ₁₂ with respect to the lower case 200 with there. On the other hand, the upper shield plate 520 includes a region where the two plate surfaces is with a gap _{S 23} with respect to the upper case 300 with that with a gap _{S 21} with respect to the shield 110. With this structure, the upper shield plate 520 electrically and thermally conductively connected to the chassis 110 and the lower shield plate 510 connected thereto are exposed with a considerably large surface area, thereby improving the heat radiation effect. That is, the lower and upper shield plates 510 and 520 have a function as a heat sink of the CD-RW unit 100 that generates heat, in addition to a function of shielding external noise arriving at the device and radiation from the device.

The present apparatus is not limited to the USB interface, but may be electrically connected to a personal computer via an IEEE 1394 interface.
In the case of a storage device, the storage device is not limited to a CD-RW drive device, but may be a CD-R drive device, a DVD-RAM drive device, a hard disk drive device, or the like that uses an optical disk or a substantially large-capacity hard disk as a recording medium. It may be. In these devices, although the drive unit has a relatively high calorific value, the shield plate of the present device has an excellent heat radiation effect, so that there is no fear of malfunction or the like.

[0027]

The peripheral device for a personal computer according to the present invention comprises a resin lower and upper case combined with each other so as to cover the unit from below and above in the height direction, and the inside of the lower and upper case combined with each other. And a shielding plate which is disposed outside the unit and which is electrically and thermally conductively connected to the chassis. The shielding plate can respond to various design requirements of the user, and also has a noise prevention effect and heat radiation. Excellent effect.

That is, by making the housing of the peripheral device made of resin, it is possible to meet various design requirements of the user, and even with a resin housing, external noise and unnecessary radiation can be prevented. Even a storage device such as an optical disk device that performs writing for -R, CD-RW, and DVD-RAM, and a storage device such as a large-capacity, high-speed rotating hard disk device can provide a sufficient heat radiation effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a peripheral device for a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the personal computer peripheral device shown in FIG. 1 in a partially exploded manner.

3 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are partial front views, vertical cross-sectional views, and cross-sectional views each showing a main part of the personal computer peripheral device shown in FIG. , And a longitudinal sectional view.

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 CD-RW unit 110 chassis 120 front panel 200 lower case 202 concave tongue piece 300 upper case 302 protrusion 400 holder 510 lower shield plate 520 upper shield plate 522 projecting piece 600 interface circuit unit S ₁₁ , S ₁₂ , S ₁₃ , S ₂₁ , S ₂₃ gap

Claims (4)

[Claims] A chassis that is thermally and electrically connected to a heat-generating portion and a ground of an electronic circuit portion;
In a peripheral device for a personal computer which can be built in a housing of a personal computer, which is packaged, installed outside the housing, and electrically connected to the personal computer for use,
A resin lower and upper case combined with each other to cover the unit from below and above in the height direction,
A peripheral plate for a personal computer, comprising: a shield plate made of sheet metal that is disposed inside the lower and upper cases and outside the unit and that is electrically and thermally conductively connected to the chassis. apparatus. 2. The shield plate has elasticity,
Further, when arranged inside the lower and upper cases combined with each other and outside the unit,
A projecting piece protruding toward the inner surfaces of the lower and upper cases, and being pressed inward by the inner surface to press a predetermined area of the inner surface of the shield plate into contact with the chassis. 2. The peripheral device for a personal computer according to 1. 3. The shield plate according to claim 1, wherein both plate surfaces include a region separated from any component.
A peripheral device for a personal computer according to claim 1. 4. USB interface or IEEE
A storage device electrically connected to the personal computer via a 1394 interface, for reproducing / recording information to be output to / from the personal computer from / to a recording medium, wherein the recording medium is an optical disk 4. The peripheral device for a personal computer according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a substantially large-capacity hard disk.