Patent Publication Number: US-6660952-B2

Title: Safety switch for electronic device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to safety switches and more particularly to an improved safety switch adapted to be installed within an electronic device (e.g., computer) so as to inhibit the theft of internal electronic elements. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, a safety switch is installed within an electronic device (e.g., computer) for preventing its housing or the internal electronic elements installed therein from being opened or touched by an unauthorized third party as well as issuing a warning alarm by the electronic device if such unauthorized action is occurred. Typically, a connector at one end of a signal cable extended from a trigger switch of the safety switch is electrically coupled to one of the internal electronic elements of the electronic device. The safety switch is secured to the inner wall of the housing of the electronic device enabling the trigger switch to sense whether the housing is being opened. Therefore, the location of securing the safety switch to the inner wall of the housing is critical to success of its desired purposes. Recently, the importance of the safety switch is particularly significant because the current electronic elements are very delicate and even expensive. An unauthorized opening of the housing of the electronic device and a subsequent manipulation of its internal electronic elements by a third party may damage the electronic elements. Hence, the safety switch should be well designed in order to inhibit such unauthorized action. 
     As stated above, the configuration of the well known safety switch comprises a trigger switch, a signal cable, a connector at one end of the signal cable electrically coupled to one of internal electronic elements of the electronic device, which is secured to the inner wall of the housing of the electronic device for sensing an unauthorized opening of the housing of the electronic device and a subsequent manipulation of its internal electronic elements by a third party and issuing a warning signal by the electronic device to inhibit the unauthorized action. 
     However, the prior art safety switch suffered from several disadvantages. For example, any pulling action to the signal cable happened in the testing procedures in the manufacturing factory may cause a poor contact of the signal cable with the internal electronic element or the trigger switch, or even disengage the connector from the internal electronic element or the signal cable from the trigger switch. This will increase the number of defect products, resulting in an increase of both maintaining cost and time after selling. Unfortunately, it is frequently occurred in assembly and test procedures in the manufacturing process. To the worse, the connector of the safety switch may be disengaged from the internal electronic element due to an inadvertent pulling in maintenance of the electronic device in the future. This can bring inconvenience to users. 
     Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved safety switch installed within an electronic device in order to overcome the above drawbacks of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a safety switch in an electronic device comprising a seat comprising an opening, a cavity in the opening, a first cylinder in the opening, a second cylinder in the opening, and at least one snapping member at either edge of the opening so as to fasten the seat to an inner wall of a housing of the electronic device. With this arrangement, the present invention can prevent the housing from being opened and prevent internal electronic elements of the electronic device from being touched by an unauthorized third party as well as issuing a warning signal by the the electronic device. The seat further comprises a gap on the bottom of the opening. The second cylinder is spaced apart from the first cylinder. The safety switch further comprises a trigger switch fitted in the cavity of the opening, the trigger switch comprising a signal cable extended therefrom wherein one end of the signal cable is formed as a connector, the signal cable runs the lower surface of the first cylinder prior to going up to run the upper surface of the second cylinder, and the signal cable passes through the gap on the bottom of the opening for exposing the connector. An additional support is provided to the signal cable by both the first and second cylinders as a pulling force is exerted on the signal cable for preventing the pulling force from transmitting to the trigger switch along the signal cable to cause a poor contact of the trigger switch with the signal cable or a disengagement of the trigger switch from the signal cable. By utilizing this safety switch, it is possible of overcoming the above drawbacks of the prior art, i.e., a pulling of the signal cable causes a poor contact of the trigger switch with the signal cable or even disengages the trigger switch from the signal cable and an increase of the number of defect products. 
    
    
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of safety switch according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled safety switch being adapted to be mounted in a computer; and 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the safety switch showing a pulling of a coupled signal cable. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As known that a conventional safety switch mounted in an electronic device has the following drawbacks. For example, a pulling of the signal cable causes a poor contact of the trigger switch with the signal cable or even disengages the trigger switch from the signal cable and results in increasing the number of defect products. 
     The invention is thus directed to a novel safety switch adapted to be installed in an electronic device. The safety switch does not have any of the above drawbacks of the prior art, i.e., a pulling of the signal cable causes a poor contact of the trigger switch with the signal cable or even disengages the trigger switch from the signal cable and an increase of the number of defect products. Referring to FIGS. 1 to  3 , there is shown a safety switch  1  in accordance with the invention. The safety switch  1  is located in an electronic device. The safety switch  1  comprises a hollow seat  10 . The seat  10  can be formed as one of a variety of shapes. The seat  10  comprises an opening  101  at one side and at least one snapping member (two are shown)  102  at either edge of the opening  101 . The provision of snapping members  102  can facilitate a fastening of the seat  10  to an inner wall of housing of the electronic device. In the embodiment, the snapping members  102  are secured to housing  30  of the electronic device (e.g., computer). 
     In the invention, a cavity  11  is formed within the opening  101 . The cavity  11  is defined by two opposite arms  12  and a base  13  between the arms  12 . A latch member  121  is formed at the open end of the arm  12 . The provision of latch members  121  can facilitate a fastening of the arms  12  to a member as detailed later. 
     Moreover, within the opening  101  there are further provided a first cylinder  14  and a spaced second cylinder  15 . In the embodiment, in the opening  101  the first cylinder  14  is located below the base  13  while the second cylinder  15  is slightly higher than the first cylinder  14 . A gap  103  is formed on the bottom of the opening  101 . 
     In the invention, a trigger switch  20  is fitted in the cavity  11  of the opening  101 . The trigger switch  20  comprises a signal cable  21  extended therefrom. One end of the signal cable  21  is formed as a connector  22 . The signal cable  21  runs the lower surface of the first cylinder  14  prior to going up to run the upper surface of the second cylinder  15 . Finally, the signal cable  21  passes through the gap  103  on the bottom of the opening  101  so as to expose the connector  22  outside the seat  10 . As such, an additional support is provided to the signal cable  21  by both the first and second cylinders  14  and  15  as a pulling force is exerted on the signal cable  21 . This can prevent the pulling force from transmitting to the trigger switch  20  along the signal cable  21 . Otherwise, it may cause a poor contact of the trigger switch  20  with the signal cable  21  or even a disengagement of the trigger switch  20  from the signal cable  21 . 
     With such configuration, the seat  10  can be reliably fastened at an inner wall of the computer housing  30  as implemented by the invention in which the trigger switch  20  is in contact with the underside of the top  31  of the computer housing  30 . Also, the connector  22  is electrically coupled to one of internal electronic elements (not shown) of the electronic device. With the provision of the safety switch  1 , in case of an unauthorized opening of the computer housing  30 , the trigger switch  20  is enabled to generate a signal which is in turn sent to one of the internal electronic elements. An appropriate warning is then issued by the internal electronic element for inhibiting the unauthorized action. In brief, the invention can prevent the computer housing  30  from being opened and prevent the internal electronic elements from being touched by an unauthorized third party by issuing a warning alarm or the like. Further, the invention can greatly eliminate the possibility of poor contact of the trigger switch with the signal cable or even disengagement of the trigger switch from the signal cable caused by pulling the well known safety switch. 
     While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.