Background to the invention The housing of a CPU can be normally easily removed from the CPU frame making the components of a CPU is susceptible to theft. Normally the housing and frame have complementary engaging formations. The housing is slid onto the housing onto the frame from the back of the frame and the complementary formations engage. An inward flange of the housing is then fastened onto a back wall of frame by means of screws. It is an object of this invention to provide a device for securing a central processing unit (CPU) of a personal computer. In this specification, any reference to a CPU will be understood to be a CPU as described above and which includes the above described components.

General description of the invention According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a device for securing a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer, the device including : a blocking means for blocking the housing of a CPU from being slid backwards to the point where the complementary formations of the housing and frame disengage and it can be removed from the frame; and a locking means for locking the blocking means into position.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the blocking means may include a frame attachable member, which includes a screw threaded part which can be screwed through the flange of the housing into the frame to attach the

housing to the frame, and the locking means may be configured to lock the screw threaded part into position.

One way of reducing the first embodiment into practice would be that the frame attachable member defines an aperture for receiving a screw for screwing the frame attachable member to the frame through the flange of the housing into the frame. The aperture may be elongate and have a first part dimensioned to receive the screw head within the frame attachable member and second part dimensioned to allow the screw threaded shaft there through but not the head, thereby defining a shoulder for the head. The locking means may be locked into a position such that access to the screw head is prevented.

The frame attachable member may define a second aperture transverse to and bisecting the first part of the aperture for receiving a screw head through which a shaft of the locking means can be locked in position to prevent access to the screw head.

Another way of reducing the first embodiment into practice would be that the frame attachable member includes a screw threaded shaft for screwing the frame attachable member through the flange of the housing into the frame. The frame attachable member may then define an aperture transverse to the screw threaded shaft through which a shaft of the locking means can be locked in position to prevent unscrewing of the frame attachable member.

The device may include a pair of the frame attachable members and the locking means may include a shaft dimensioned to extend through both frame attachable members when the frame attachable members are attached to the frame, and which shaft can then be locked into position.

In a third embodiment of the invention, the blocking means may include a frame attachable member to be fastened to the back wall of the frame of a CPU and a catch for preventing the housing from being slid backwards.

Detailed description of the invention The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a rear view of a CPU secured with one embodiment of a device for securing a CPU, in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of one embodiment of a frame attachment member, in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 shows a side view of another embodiment of a frame attachment member, in accordance with the invention; and Figure 4 shows a rear view of a CPU secured with another embodiment of a device for securing a CPU, in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the device for securing a CPU, in accordance with the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The device 10 for securing a central processing unit (CPU) 12 of a computer includes a blocking means 14 for blocking the housing 16 of the CPU 12 from being slid backwards to the point where the complementary formations (not shown) of the housing 16 and frame 18 disengage and it can be removed from the frame 18. The device 10 also includes a locking means 20 for locking the blocking means 14 into position. In a first embodiment of the invention, shown in Figure 1, the blocking means 14 includes a pair of frame attachable members 22, which includes a screw threaded part 24 which can be screwed through existing screw threaded holes 27 of the flange 26 of the housing 16 into the frame 18 to attach the housing 16 to the frame 18.

The locking means 20 is configured to lock the screw threaded part 24 into position so that the frame attachable members 22 cannot be removed.

One way of reducing the first embodiment into practice is that each frame attachable member 22, shown in Figure 2, defines an aperture 30 for receiving a screw 32 for screwing the frame attachable member 22 through the flange 26 of the housing 16 into the frame 18. The aperture 30 is elongate and has a first part 34 dimensioned to receive the screw head of the screw 32 within the frame attachable member 22 and a second part 36 dimensioned to allow the screw threaded shaft of the screw 32 through but not the head, thereby defining a shoulder for the head. The frame attachable member 22 defines a second aperture 38 transverse to and bisecting the first part 34 of the aperture for receiving a screw head through which a shaft 40 of the locking means 20 can be locked in position to prevent access to the screw 32 head. The shaft 40 has a stopper 41 at one end and a series of apertures 43 at the other end through which a normal padlock 45 can be locked to prevent the shaft 40 from being removed. The shaft 40 is also provided with an aperture 47 proximate the stopper 41 through which a normal padlock 49 can be locked. This provides the ability to accommodate a range of CPU widths without the need for the padlock 45.

Another way of reducing the first embodiment into practice would be that the frame attachable member 22, shown in Figure 3 includes a screw threaded shaft 42 for screwing the frame attachable member 22 through the flange 26 of the housing 16 into the frame 18. The frame attachable member 22 defines an aperture 44 transverse to the screw threaded shaft 42 through which a shaft 40 of the locking means 20 can be locked in position to prevent unscrewing of the frame attachable member 22. The shaft 40 has a stopper 41 at one end and apertures 43 at the other end through which a normal padlock 45 can be locked to prevent the shaft 40 from being removed.

In a third embodiment of the invention, shown in Figure 4, the blocking means 14 may include a pair of frame attachable members 22 to be screwed fast to the back wall 46 of the frame 18 of a CPU 12 and a catch 48 for preventing the housing 16 from being slid backwards. A shaft 40 of the locking means 20 can be locked in position to prevent unscrewing of the frame attachable member 22. The shaft 40 has a stopper 41 at one end and

apertures 43 at the other end through which a normal padlock 45 can be locked to prevent the shaft 40 from being removed. The stopper 41 and the opposite end of the shaft 40 acts in this example as the catch 48.

It shall be understood that the examples are provided for illustrating the invention further and to assist a person skilled in the art with understanding the invention and are not meant to be construed as unduly limiting the reasonable scope of the invention.