Patent Publication Number: US-8534898-B2

Title: Light guide and electronic drive having same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a light guide, and an electronic device having the light guide. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Registered Jack-45 (RJ-45) connectors are widely used in network communication. In use, an RJ-45 connector is engaged in an interface of a chassis of a computer. The interface includes two light emitting diodes, used to indicate whether the network connection is working properly. However, in most cases, the interface is defined in a rear end of the chassis, thus light generated by the light emitting diodes is only seen from the back of the chassis, which is inconvenient. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawing, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a partial, exploded, isometric view of an embodiment of an electronic device together with a plurality of Registered Jack-45 (RJ-45) connectors, the electronic device including a light guide. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged, isometric view of the light guide of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another perspective. 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled, isometric view of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of an electronic device includes a chassis  10 , a circuit board  20 , and a light guide  30 . 
     The chassis  10  includes a rear panel  12 . A plurality of openings  121  is defined in the rear panel  12 . Two spaced first slots  123  are defined in the rear panel  12  above the openings  121 . A second slot  125  is defined in the rear panel  12 , between the first slots  123 . 
     A plurality of connectors  23  is mounted to a rear end of the circuit board  20 . An engaging slot  231  is defined in a rear end of each connector  23 . Two spaced light emitting diodes  234  are mounted at the rear end of each connector  23  above the corresponding engaging slot  231 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the light guide  30  includes an elongated connecting plate  31 , and a plurality of spaced light guiding posts  33 . Two first hooks  312  protrude out from opposite ends of a front side of the connecting plate  31 . A second hook  314  extends up from the front side of the connecting plate  31 , between the first hooks  312 . The light guiding posts  33  extend substantially perpendicularly from a bottom of the connecting plate  31 , with front and rear ends of each light guiding post  33  respectively protruding away from front and rear sides of the connecting plate  31 . A protrusion  331  extends up from the rear end of each light guiding post  33 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , in assembly, the circuit board  20  is installed in the chassis  10 , with the connectors  23  respectively aligning with the openings  121  of the rear panel  12  of the chassis  10 . The light guide  30  is mounted to an outer side of the rear panel  10 , with the first hooks  312  of the light guide  30  engaging in the corresponding first slots  123  of the rear panel  12 , and the second hook  314  of the light guide  30  engaging in the second slot  125  of the rear panel  12 . Front ends of the light guiding posts  33  extend through the corresponding openings  121  of the rear panel  12 , and align with the corresponding light emitting diodes  234  of the connectors  23 . 
     A plurality of Registered Jack-45 (RJ-45) connectors  40  is provided to respectively extend through the openings  121  of the chassis  10  and engage in the engaging slots  231  of the corresponding connectors  23 , to allow the RJ-45 connectors  40  to be electrically connected to the corresponding connectors  23 . The light guiding posts  33  of the light guide  30  transmit light generated by the light emitting diodes  234  to tops of the corresponding protrusions  331 . Therefore, the light can be easily seen. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.