Patent ID: 8573717

Claim:
A front panel assembly for mounting on an operating interface side of a computer housing, said front panel assembly comprising: an inner cover plate having two opposite lateral sides; and a sliding door mechanism including a pair of slide rails each of which is provided on a respective one of said lateral sides of said inner cover plate and each of which has top and bottom ends; and an outer cover plate covering said inner cover plate; said inner cover plate further having a pair of first positioning pins disposed intermediate of the pair of said slide rails; said sliding door mechanism further including a door panel that is connected movably to said inner cover plate, that is slidable upward and downward along said slide rails, and that has a pair of second positioning pins provided respectively on two opposite lateral sides of said door panel in proximity to said slide rails, respectively, said door panel selectively covering and uncovering a portion of said inner cover plate above said first positioning pins; and two spring elements disposed between said door panel and said inner cover plate, each of said spring elements having a first connecting end connected pivotally to one of said first positioning pins, and a second connecting end opposite to said first connecting end and connected pivotally to one of said second positioning pins, said second connecting ends of said spring elements being movable along with said door panel; wherein, said first and second connecting ends of each of said spring elements is movable close to or away from each other to compress or expand said spring elements during a sliding movement of said door panel along said slide rails; wherein said inner cover plate further comprises an area defined between said slide rails and between a top line extending through said top ends of said slide rails and a bottom line extending through said bottom ends of said slide rails, said first positioning pins being disposed substantially on an intermediate part of said area; wherein said outer cover plate has an access opening corresponding in position to said portion of said inner cover plate, and wherein said door panel covers said access opening when reaching said top line, and uncovers said access opening when reaching said bottom line.