Abstract:
A number of snap-retention features, molded onto the inner surface of a bezel, used to guide and fasten a bezel to an equipment enclosure. Each snap-retention feature contains one or more ramp-shaped pieces flanked by two tapered guide strips. As the bezel is closed against the equipment enclosure, the guide strips guide the snap-retention feature along a snap, projecting from the equipment enclosure. The snap is guided up the ramp-shaped pieces. The snap gains tension ascending the ramp-shaped pieces. When the convex tip of the snap crests the ramp-shaped pieces, tension is released in the snap, causing the convex tip of the snap to stay fastened to the back edges of the ramp-shaped pieces.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to bezels for electronic devices, and, in particular, to a feature that aligns and fastens a bezel to an equipment enclosure.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Typically, electronic devices are housed in standardized equipment enclosures. Many equipment enclosures include an outer housing that is supported by an inner rack. The inner rack usually comprises a substantially rectilinear metal frame including several vertical columns, each provided with a plurality of mounting and alignment holes that permit the mounting of various components to the inner rack.  
           [0003]    Many equipment enclosures also include a removable bezel that forms an aesthetic front face for the enclosure. The bezel may also shield internal components from environmental contaminants, such as moisture and dust, as well as shield the environment from noise generated by components within the enclosure. Removing the bezel provides access to components mounted within the enclosures in order to repair, replace, inspect, and perform maintenance tasks on the components.  
           [0004]    One current method used to fasten bezels to equipment enclosures employs a snap-on fastening mechanism. A snap-on design generally incorporates a number of snaps, which are either spaced around the edge of the front face of an equipment enclosure or around the perimeter of the interior lip of the bezel. Each snap is fastened to a corresponding retention-apparatus on the interlocking surface. Most snap-on designs also contain an apparatus to properly guide the bezel onto the equipment enclosure. As the guidance-system aligns the bezel with the equipment enclosure, each snap and corresponding retention-apparatus are subsequently aligned.  
           [0005]    Many snap-on bezel designs employ a series of separate and distinct features, molded onto the bezel, for bezel-guidance and snap retention. Each feature must be molded as part of the bezel. Thus, every additional feature increases mold complexity and tooling-time expense. Consequently, molded bezels incorporating a snap-on fastening mechanism are expensive and time-consuming to manufacture. For these reasons, designers, manufacturers, and consumers of electronic devices have recognized the need for an integrated bezel-guidance and bezel-retention feature.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a bezel-alignment-and-retention system, comprising one or more snap-retention features molded onto the inner lip of a bezel in a single mold, serves to guide and fasten a bezel to an equipment enclosure. Each snap-retention feature comprises two tapered guide strips flanking one or more ramp-shaped pieces. As the bezel approaches a final, flush position against the equipment enclosure, the tapered guide strips guide the convex tip of a snap, projecting from the equipment enclosure, up the ramp-shaped pieces, causing tension to build in the snap. When the convex tip of the snap passes over the back edge of the ramp-shaped pieces within the snap, tension is released within the snap, and the snap stays secured to the back edge of the ramp-shaped pieces. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bezel containing a snap-retention feature, and an equipment enclosure containing a snap.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a close-up, perspective view of a snap-retention feature molded onto the inner lip of a bezel.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one possible snap compatible with a snap-retention section of a snap-retention feature.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a snap before climbing two ramp-shaped pieces.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a snap after cresting two ramp-shaped pieces.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a snap fastened to a snap-retention section of a snap-retention feature.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS.  1 - 5 , a number of snap-retention features are molded onto the interior of a bezel in a single mold. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bezel  112  containing the snap-retention feature  108 , and an equipment enclosure  106  containing a snap  102 . The snap-retention feature  108  is molded onto the inner lip  110  of the bezel. The snap  102 , compatible with the snap-retention feature  108 , is shown anchored to the front face of a vertical column  104  of an inner rack within an equipment enclosure  106 . The snap  102  protrudes outward, away from the front face of the equipment enclosure  106 , enabling the snap  102  to fasten to the snap-retention feature  108 . Note that, the size of the snap and the snap-retention feature are enlarged for clarity. Several snap-retention features may be necessary to fully fasten the bezel to the equipment enclosure, depending on the size and shape of the bezel, and whether an additional type of fastening mechanism is employed. Also note that only one vertical column is shown in the equipment enclosure, for clarity of illustration. An equipment enclosure commonly includes at least three additional vertical columns.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 shows a close-up, perspective view of a snap-retention feature molded onto the inner lip of the bezel. The snap-retention feature  202  comprises a snap-retention section  212 , 214 , 216 , and  218  and a bezel-alignment section  216 , 218 , 220 , and  222 . The snap-retention section  212 , 214 , 216 , and  218  of the snap-retention feature  202  comprises two parallel, ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214 , or ramps, that fasten to the snap. The bezel-alignment section  216 , 218 , 220 , and  222  comprises two guide strips  208 , 210  that flank the ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214  and guide the snap up the ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214 .  
         [0015]    The guide strips  208 , 210  each contain a tapered section  216 , 218  that extends across the inner lip  204 , from the outer edge to the major inner surface  224  of the bezel  206 . The guide strips  208 , 210  cross the inner lip  204  at an angle such that, collectively, the guide strips  208 , 210  create a space along the inner lip  204 , and in-between the tapered sections  216 , 218 . The space tapers from the outer edge to the major inner surface  224 , serving as a guide that corrects small misalignments between the bezel  206  and the equipment enclosure as the bezel  206  is fastened to the equipment enclosure. Additionally, at the end of each guide strip  208 , 210 , opposite from the major inner surface  224 , a flanged section  220 , 222  may extend along the outer edge of the inner lip  204  of the bezel  206 .  
         [0016]    The two ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214  are spaced between the two guide strips  208 , 210 , with the ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214  rising away from the flanged section  220 , 222  of the guide strips  208 , 210 . The ramp-shaped pieces  211 , 214  rise from the outer edge of the inner lip  204  towards the major inner surface  224  of the bezel  206 . The tapered sections  216 , 218  of the guide strips  208 , 210  extend all the way across the inner lip  204  of the bezel  206  to the major inner surface  224  of the bezel  206 , whereas the ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214  are shorter in length, and do not extend to the major inner surface  224 . The space present between the back edges  226 , 228  of the ramp-shaped pieces  212 , 214  and the major inner surface  224 , makes room for the tip of the snap, which fastens to the back edges of the ramp-shaped pieces when the bezel  206  is fastened to the equipment enclosure.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one possible snap compatible with the bezel-retention section of the snap-retention feature. The snap  302  comprises a notched base  304  with three screw holes  306 , 308 , and  310 , and a flat, tapered tongue  312  extending to a convex tip  314 . The notched base  304  and screw holes  306 , 308 , and  310  facilitate attachment of the snap  302  to a vertical column on the front face of the equipment enclosure.  
         [0018]    As the bezel is fastened to the equipment enclosure, the tapered tongue of the snap aligns with the guide strips of the bezel-retention section of the snap-retention feature. The guide strips guide the firmly anchored snap up the two ramp-shaped pieces between the guide strips. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the snap before ascending the two ramp-shaped pieces. The snap  402  is oriented so that the convex tip  408  faces the ramp-shaped pieces  404 , 406 . Ascension of the two ramps  404 , 406  causes tension to build in the snap  402  as a result of increased displacement of the tip of the snap  408  from the original projection of the snap  402  from the equipment enclosure. The convex shape of the tip  408  further accentuates the displacement and the corresponding tension. The angle of the incline of the ramp-shaped pieces  404 , 406  determines the amount of force necessary to displace the snap  402 . The steeper the angle, the more force that is necessary. Thus, the steeper the incline of the ramps, the more force required to fasten the snap  402  to the ramp-shaped pieces  404 , 406 .  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing the snap after cresting the ramp-shaped pieces. When the convex tip  408  of the snap  402  passes over the top of the ramp-shaped pieces  404 , 406 , the displacement of the snap  402  is significantly reduced. Consequently, tension in the snap  402  is reduced, and the convex tip  408  of the snap  402  stays fastened to the back edges of the ramp-shaped pieces  404 , 406 .  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 shows the snap  502  fastened to the snap-retention section of the snap-retention feature  504 . Note that the length and width of the space between the guide strips generally corresponds with the length and width of the snap  502 . Also note that several features may be necessary to fully fasten one length of the bezel to the equipment enclosure.  
         [0021]    Although the present invention has been described in terms of a particular embodiment, it is not intended that the invention be limited to this embodiment. Modifications within the spirit of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the material used to construct the snap-retention feature and the snap may vary. Generally, the snap-retention feature is made from the same material as the bezel. In most cases, plastic can be used. The size and number of snap-retention features can vary depending on the size and shape of the equipment enclosure. Furthermore, the exact shapes and numbers of the different pieces of the snap-retention feature may vary as well. For instance, a snap-retention feature need not have exactly two ramp-shaped pieces. Moreover, the incline of the ramp-shaped pieces may vary depending on the predetermined amount of force desired to fasten the bezel to the equipment enclosure. The angle of the tapering of the guide strips may also vary. Different types of snaps may require a different guide-strip angling. Different surface locations may be used to attach the snap or snap-retention feature. For instance, snap-retention features may be molded to a horizontal length of the inner lip of the bezel instead of a vertical length. Additionally, snap-retention features may be molded onto several different lengths of the inner lip of the bezel. The bezel-retention mechanism of the present invention may be used by itself, or in conjunction with other bezel-retention mechanisms, for instance, a slidingmechanism, or a hinged-mechanism.  
         [0022]    The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments are shown and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents: