Abstract:
A bezel assembly includes a bezel, a button, a rotating member, and an elastic member engagable with the bezel and the rotating member for restoring the rotating member. The bezel defines a through hole therein, and the button is installed in the through hole. The rotating member is mounted to an inside surface of the bezel, and the rotating member is engagable with the button and rotatable upon manipulation of the button for controlling a functional component behind the bezel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a bezel assembly, and more particularly to a bezel assembly for a computer. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    An electronic apparatus, such as a typical desktop computer, usually includes a functional component, such as a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a digital video disc (DVD) drive, a floppy disk drive, and the like. These devices are typically installed in the desktop computer, and front ends of the devices are typically shown at a front bezel of the desktop computer for facilitating use. However, ornamental designs of the devices are typically unharmonious with a style of the front bezel. To address the problem, manufacturers are trying to hide the devices fully behind the front bezel. There arises a problem of how to control the devices. 
         [0005]    What is needed, therefore, is a bezel assembly which is suitable for a computer having a functional component concealingly installed therein. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An exemplary bezel assembly includes a bezel, a button, a rotating member, and an elastic member engagable with the bezel and the rotating member for restoring the rotating member. The bezel defines a through hole therein, and the button is installed in the through hole. The rotating member is mounted to an inside surface of the bezel, and the rotating member is engagable with the button and rotatable upon use of the button for controlling a functional component behind the bezel. 
         [0007]    Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an assembled view of a bezel assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, partially enlarged isometric view of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect, the bezel assembly including a bezel, a button, a rotating member, and an elastic member; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged isometric view of the rotating member of  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an assembled view of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , showing the rotating member engaging with a functional component. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 2 , a bezel assembly for a computer is provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The bezel assembly includes a bezel  10 , a button  20 , a rotating member  30 , and an elastic member  40  for restoring the rotating member  30 . In this embodiment, the button  20  is used for controlling tray ejection of a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive  50  (see  FIG. 5 ) installed in the computer and fully hidden behind the front bezel  10 , and the elastic member  40  is a torsion spring. 
         [0014]    The bezel  10  includes a middle wall allowing the CD-ROM drive  50  to be mounted thereto and two sidewalls  12  extending slantingly outward from opposite longitudinal edges of the middle wall. One of the sidewalls  12  has a through hole  122  defined therein. A flange  123  is formed on an inside surface of the sidewall  12  around the through hole  122 , and a plurality of spaced notches  124  is defined in the flange  123 . A first plate  126  and a second plate  127  are formed on the inside surface of the sidewall  12  generally above and below the through hole  122  respectively. Two fixing holes  128 , 129  are defined in the first plate  126  and the second plate  127  respectively. Two narrow cutouts  125  are defined by cutting free edges of the first plate  126  and the second plate  127  respectively, the cutouts  125  communicating with the corresponding fixing holes  128 ,  129 . 
         [0015]    A pushing portion  23  is formed on a rear surface of the button  20 , and a plurality of blocks  25  is formed on a rear edge of the button  20 , corresponding to the notches  124  of the flange  123  around the through hole  122  of the sidewall  12 . 
         [0016]    Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the rotating member  30  includes a columnar rotating shaft  31 , a push arm  35 , and an arcuate interconnecting portion  32  connecting a generally upper portion of the rotating shaft  31  and the push arm  35 . The external diameter of the rotating shaft  31  is equal to the diameters of the fixing holes  128 ,  129  of the first plate  126  and the second plate  127 . Four vertical, planar cutting faces  31   5  and four horizontal, planar step faces  313  are formed on two opposite sides of a top end and a bottom end of the rotating shaft  31  respectively, by cutting out a section thereof, to allow the rotating shaft  31  to pass through the cutouts  125  and enter the fixing holes  128 ,  129  of the first plate  126  and the second plate  127 . The interconnecting portion  32  forms an engaging section  33  located adjacent the push arm  35  and apart from the rotating shaft  31 . A supporting section  332  depends from a bottom end of the engaging section  33 . The push arm  35  extends rearward from the interconnecting portion  32  in parallel to the cutting faces  315  of the rotating shaft  31 . A protrusion  352  is formed on a free end of the push arm  35 . 
         [0017]    Referring further to  FIG. 4 , in assembly, the button  20  extends through the through hole  122  from the inside surface of the sidewall  12  and is accessible from outside of the bezel  10 , and the blocks  25  of the button  20  engage in the corresponding notches  124  of the flange  123  around the through hole  122 . The elastic member  40  is placed around a generally lower portion of the rotating shaft  31  of the rotating member  30 , and a first end of the elastic member  40  is fixed to the rotating shaft  31 . The rotating member  30  is rotated to allow the top end and the bottom end of the rotating shaft  31  to pass through the cutouts  125  and engage in the fixing holes  128 ,  129  of the first plate  126  and the second plate  127 . The elastic member  40  is generally located above a top surface of the second plate  127 . The supporting section  332  of the rotating member  30  is supported on the second plate  127 . The rotating member  30  is then rotated until the engaging section  33  of the interconnecting portion  32  abuts against the pushing portion  23  of the button  20 . A second end of the elastic member  40  is fixed to the second plate  127 , or the inside surface of the sidewall  12  adjoining the second plate  127 . Thereby, the rotating member  30  is mounted between the first plate  126  and the second plate  127  in an initial state, where the push arm  35  locates adjacent the inside surface of the bezel  10 . 
         [0018]    Referring further to  FIG. 5 , the button  20  is pressed from outside of the bezel  10 , and pushes the engaging section  33  of the rotating member  30  to rotate the rotating member  30  in the fixing holes  128 ,  129  of the first plate  126  and the second plate  127 . The elastic member  40  is deformed, and the push arm  35  is rotated away from the middle wall of the bezel  10  with the rotation of the rotating shaft  31 , until the protrusion  352  of the push arm  35  abuts against and presses a switch button of the CD-ROM drive  50  in the computer. A tray of the CD-ROM drive  50  thereby ejects. A user can then use the CD-ROM drive  50 . After that, the button  20  is released, and the elastic member  40  is restored to reversely rotate the rotating shaft  31  and the push arm  35  simultaneously rotates toward the middle wall of the bezel  10 . In this embodiment, only one button  20  is visible from out of the bezel  10  thereby eliminating a negative influence of the CD-ROM drive  50  to ornamental style of the bezel  10 . 
         [0019]    It is believed that the present embodiment and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the example hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention.