Computer housing-and-lock assembly

Abstract

A computer housing-and-lock assembly includes: a housing having a base and a top cover; a lock unit having a first interlocking member provided on the base, a slide mounted slidably on the top cover, and a second interlocking member provided on the slide, the slide being slidable between a locked position, where the second interlocking member engages the first interlocking member, and an unlocked position, where the second interlocking member disengages the first interlocking member; a latch member mounted slidably on the top cover, and movable relative to the top cover between a stopped position, where the slide is immobilized in the locked position, and a non-stopped position, where the slide is free to move between the locked and unlocked positions; and a driving member mounted movably on the top cover for driving movement of the latch member.

1 . A computer housing-and-lock assembly comprising: 
 a housing having a base that has a rear wall and a lateral wall and that defines a top opening, and a top cover that has a rear wall pivoted to said rear wall of said base, and a lateral wall, said top cover being rotatable relative to said base between opened and closed positions for opening and closing said top opening;    a lock unit having a first interlocking member that is provided on said lateral wall of said base, a slide that is mounted slidably on said lateral wall of said top cover, and a second interlocking member that is provided on said slide, said slide being slidable on said lateral wall of said top cover along a first axis between locked and unlocked positions, said second interlocking member engaging said first interlocking member when said top cover is disposed at said closed position and when said slide is disposed at said locked position, and disengaging said first interlocking member when said slide is disposed at said unlocked position;    a controlling unit including a latch member having a stopper, mounted slidably on said top cover, and movable relative to said top cover between stopped and non-stopped positions, said stopper being aligned with said slide along said first axis and abutting against said slide when said latch member is disposed at said stopped position, thereby preventing movement of said slide from said locked position to said unlocked position, said stopper being misaligned with said slide along said first axis when said latch member is disposed at said non-stopped position, thereby permitting movement of said slide from said locked position to said unlocked position; and    a driving member mounted movably on said top cover for driving movement of said latch member from said stopped position to said non-stopped position.    
   
   
       2 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said latch member is movable along a second axis transverse to said first axis.  
   
   
       3 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said latch member is in the form of a rod and further has a driven end and a stopping end that is opposite to said driven end and that defines said stopper, said driven end of said latch member having a slanted end face, said driving member including a driving plate that has a driving end having a slanted end face and disposed adjacent to said slanted end face of said driven end of said latch member, and being operable to move along said first axis between first and second lateral positions, said slanted end face of said driving end of said driving plate sliding on said slanted end face of said driven end of said latch member and pushing said latch member to move from said non-stopped position to said stopped position when said driving member is moved from said first lateral position to said second lateral position.  
   
   
       4 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said slide is in the form of a plate, and has an end protrusion that defines said second interlocking member, said lateral wall of said base being formed with a retaining plate having an end groove that opens toward said end protrusion of said slide and that defines said first interlocking member, said end protrusion extending into said end groove when said slide is disposed at said locked position and when said top cover is disposed at said closed position, and being disposed outwardly of said end groove when said slide is disposed at said unlocked position.  
   
   
       5 . A computer housing-and-lock assembly comprising: 
 a housing having a base that has a rear wall and two opposite lateral walls interconnecting said rear wall, and that defines a top opening, and a top cover that has a rear wall pivoted to said rear wall of said base, and two opposite lateral walls interconnecting said rear wall of said top cover, said top cover being rotatable relative to said base between opened and closed positions for opening and closing said top opening;    a lock unit having a pair of first interlocking members that are respectively provided on said lateral walls of said base, a pair of slides that are respectively and slidably mounted on said lateral walls of said top cover, and a pair of second interlocking members that are respectively provided on said slides, each of said slides being slidable on the respective one of said lateral walls of said top cover along a first axis between locked and unlocked positions, each of said second interlocking members engaging a respective one of said first interlocking members when said top cover is disposed at said closed position and when a respective one of said slides is disposed at said locked position, and disengaging the respective one of said first interlocking members when the respective one of said slides is disposed at said unlocked position;    a controlling unit including a pair of latch members, each of which has a stopper, each of which is mounted slidably on said top cover, and each of which is movable relative to said top cover between stopped and non-stopped positions, said stopper of each of said latch members being aligned with a respective one of said slides along said first axis and abutting against the respective one of said slides when the respective one of said latch members is disposed at said stopped position, thereby preventing movement of the respective one of said slides from said locked position to said unlocked position, said stopper of each of said latch members being misaligned with the respective one of said slides along said first axis when the respective one of said latch members is disposed at said non-stopped position, thereby permitting movement of the respective one of said slides from said locked position to said unlocked position; and    a driving member mounted movably on said top cover for driving movement of said latch members toward said lateral walls of said top cover, respectively, from said stopped position to said non-stopped position.    
   
   
       6 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each of said latch members is movable along a second axis transverse to said first axis.  
   
   
       7 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein each of said latch members is in the form of a rod and further has a driven end and a stopping end that is opposite to said driven end and that defines said stopper of the respective one of said latch members, said driven end of each of said latch members having a slanted end face, said driving member including a driving plate that has a driving end having two opposing slanted end face and disposed adjacent to said slanted end faces of said driven ends of said latch members, and being operable to move along said first axis between first and second lateral positions, said slanted end faces of said driving end of said driving plate sliding respectively on said'slanted end faces of said driven ends of said latch members and pushing said latch members to move in opposite directions from said non-stopped position to said stopped position when said driving member is moved from said first lateral position to said second lateral position.  
   
   
       8 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each of said slides is in the form of a plate, and has an end protrusion that defines a respective one of said second interlocking members, said lateral walls of said base being formed with a retaining plate having an end groove that opens toward said end protrusion of a respective one of said slides and that defines a respective one of said first interlocking members, said end protrusion of each of said slides extending into said end groove in said retaining plate of the respective one of said lateral walls of said base when the respective one of said slides is disposed at said locked position and when said top cover is disposed at said closed position, and being disposed outwardly of said end groove in said retaining plate of the respective one of said lateral walls of said base when the respective one of said slides is disposed at said unlocked position.  
   
   
       9 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising an urging member that has two opposite ends secured to said latch members for restoring said latch members from said stopped position to said non-stopped position when said driving member is moved from said second lateral position to said first lateral position.  
   
   
       10 . The computer housing-and-lock assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising a pair of urging members, each of which has one end secured to said top cover, and an opposite end secured to a respective one of said latch members for restoring said latch members from said stopped position to said non-stopped position when said driving member is moved from said second lateral position to said first lateral position.