Patent Abstract:
A cover assembly includes a panel defining an opening therein for allowing a storage device to move in or out therethrough, a cover shielding the opening, a connecting member, and an elastic member. The connecting member is pivotably connected to the panel through a first pivoting mechanism formed therebetween along a first axis, and is pivotably connected to the cover through a second pivoting mechanism formed therebetween along a second axis separate from and parallel with the first axis. The elastic member is arranged between the cover and the connecting member, for restoring the cover to shield the opening of the panel.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to cover assemblies, and more particularly to a cover assembly for a storage device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     An electronic apparatus, such as a typical desktop computer, tower computer, server, or the like, usually includes storage devices, such as compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives, digital video disc (DVD) drives, floppy disk drives, and the like. A panel of the electronic apparatus typically defines an opening for receiving the corresponding storage device, and a cover is typically installed on the panel sheltering the opening for preventing dust entering therein. The cover forms pivots at opposite ends thereof to pivotably connect the cover to the panel. A spring is connected between the cover and the panel to restore the cover after the cover is opened relative to the panel. However, because the pivots are formed at ends of the cover, when the size of the cover is larger than that of the opening of the panel, the panel should define other recesses communicating with the opening to fit the cover. It is troublesome, and the connection of cover to the panel is awkward. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a cover assembly to conveniently and agilely shelter an opening of a panel. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary cover assembly includes a panel defining an opening therein for allowing a storage device in or out therethrough, a cover shielding the opening, a connecting member, and an elastic member. The connecting member is pivotably connected to the panel through a first pivoting mechanism formed therebetween along a first axis, and is pivotably connected to the cover through a second pivoting mechanism formed therebetween along a second axis separate from and parallel with the first axis. The elastic member is arranged between the cover and the connecting member, for restoring the cover to shield the opening of the panel. 
     Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a cover assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the cover assembly includes a panel, a connecting member, and a cover; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged isometric view of the connecting member of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged isometric view of the cover of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 , the cover is opened relative to the panel; and 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 , the cover is closed to the panel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cover assembly is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for shielding an opening of an electronic apparatus. The cover assembly includes a panel  10 , a connecting member  20 , an elastic member  30 , and a cover  40 . In this embodiment, the elastic member  30  is a torsion spring. 
     The panel  10  is mounted on a front of the electronic apparatus. The panel  10  defines an opening  11  for allowing a tray of a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive in or out. The panel  10  forms two opposite sidewalls  13  bounding two sides of the opening  11  therebetween. Each sidewall  13  defines a pivoting hole  132 , and a slanted surface  133  adjoining the pivoting hole  132  is formed on a joint of the sidewall  133  and the front portion of the panel  10 . Two spaced latching portions  15  are formed on a section of the panel  10  above the opening  11 . Each latching portion  15  defines a recess  153 . 
     The connecting member  20  includes an elongated main body  21 . The connecting member  20  includes two opposite end surfaces perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the main body  21 . Two generally L-shaped arms  22  extend outward and then upward from upper portions of the end surfaces of the main body  21  respectively. A first pivot  223  parallel with the longitudinal axis of the main body  21  extends from a free end of each arm  22 . A second pivot  24  perpendicularly extends from a lower portion of each end surface of the main body  21 . A bottom portion of the main body  21  defines a receiving slot  26 . A post  27  extends from a portion of the main body  21  bounding the receiving slot  26  into the receiving slot  26 . The post  27  is oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the receiving slot  26  and is for the elastic member  30  to be placed therearound. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the cover  40  is larger than the opening  11  of the panel  10 . Two spaced arcuate protrusions  41  protrude from a backside of the cover  40 . An elongated plate  43  extends backward from a bottom portion of the cover  40 , and two spaced fixing plates  44  each defining a fixing hole  445  are formed on the plate  43  adjoining the backside of the cover  40 . A positioning portion  45  is formed on a lower portion of the backside of the cover  40  between the fixing plates  44 . The positioning portion  45  is generally C-shaped with the open part  453  facing away from the cover  40 , and the fixing holes  445  are coaxial to the open part  453  of the C-shape positioning portion  45 . A hook  42  protrudes from the backside of the cover  40  above the positioning portion  45 . Two spaced blocks  47  protrude from an upper portion of the backside of the cover  40 , corresponding to the latching portions  15  of the panel  10 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 4 , in assembly, the elastic member  30  is placed around the post  27  of the connecting member  20 . One of the second pivots  24  is inserted into the fixing hole  445  of the corresponding one of the fixing plates  44  of the cover  40 . The connecting member  20  is rotated to make the post  27  align with the open part  453  of the positioning portion  45  of the cover  40 . The other fixing plate  44  of the cover  40  is pulled outward, the connecting member  20  is pressed to squeeze the post  27  to be received in the open part  453  of the positioning portion  45 , and the other second pivot  24  aligns with the corresponding fixing hole  445  of the other fixing plate  44 . Releasing the other fixing plate  44 , the other second pivot  24  engages in the corresponding fixing hole  445  of the other fixing plate  44 , thereby the connecting member  20  is pivotably connected to the backside of the cover  40 . One end of the elastic member  30  is fixed to the connecting member  20 , and a hooking portion  32  extending from the other end of the elastic member  30  catches the hook  42  of the cover  40 . Thereafter, the connecting member  20  is pushed toward the panel  10 . The first pivots  223  of the arms  22  slide along the slanted surfaces  133  respectively, and then engage in the pivoting holes  132  of the panel  10  respectively. Thereby the connecting member  20  together with the cover  40  is pivotably connected to the panel  10 . Generally, the cover  40  covers the opening  11  of the panel by the elastic force of the elastic member  30 , and the blocks  47  of the cover  40  engage in the recesses  153  of the latching portions  15  of the panel  10  respectively. 
     When the tray of the CD-ROM drive is extended out from the electronic apparatus, the tray pushes the protrusions  41  of the cover  40  outward. The cover  40  is rotated away from the panel  10  around the second pivots  24  of the connecting member  20 . The elastic member  30  deforms, and the connecting member  20  is rotated together with the cover  40 , with the first pivots  223  of the connecting member  20  pivoting in the pivoting holes  132  of the panel  10  respectively, until the tray is completely extended from the opening  11  of the panel  10 . 
     When the tray of the CD-ROM drive is retracted into the electronic apparatus, the elastic member  30  is restored to pull the cover  40  to rotate toward the panel  10  around the second pivots  24  of the connecting member  20 . The connecting member  20  is rotated together with the cover  40 , with the first pivots  223  of the connecting member  20  pivoting in the pivoting holes  132  of the panel  10  respectively, until the tray is completely received in the electronic apparatus, and the blocks  47  of the cover  40  engage in the recesses  153  of the latching portions  15  of the panel  10  respectively. Thereby, the cover  40  is closed to the panel  10 . 
     In this embodiment, the first pivots  223  of the connecting member  20  cooperate with the pivoting holes  132  of the panel  10  to form a first pivoting mechanism, for pivotably connecting the connecting member  20  to the panel  10 ; the second pivots  24  of the connecting member  20  cooperate with the fixing holes  445  of the fixing plates  44  of the cover  40  to form a second pivoting mechanism, for pivotably connecting the cover  40  to the connecting member  20 . 
     In other embodiments, in the first pivoting mechanism, positions of the first pivots  223  and the pivoting holes  132  may be exchanged with each other; in the second pivoting mechanism, positions of the second pivots  24  and the fixing holes  445  may be exchanged with each other, or the fixing plates  44  of the cover  40  may be replaced by L-shaped pivots respectively. 
     It is believed that the present embodiments and their 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 examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8