AND METHODS FOR GAINING ACCESS

TO A PACKAGED PERSONAL COMPUTER

Background of the Invention The present invention relates to the packaging of computer equipment and to the handling of packaged computer equipment.

Following the manufacture and assembling of computer equipment, such as personal computers, the computers are tested and then inserted into shipping containers for shipment to remote sites for distribution and sale. Typically, the top of the container is formed by flaps which can be opened and closed. The computer is encased within packing material (e.g., styrofoam) to isolate the computer from vibration and shock. The packing material may contain pockets in which computer accessories such as a hard drive and keyboard, for example, are inserted. In order to test and/or reconfigure the computer and/or replace the accessories, the computer must be lifted from the container. This is expensive from the standpoint of time and labor and can result in injuries to workers who must spend many hours bending and lifting. Therefore, if last minute testing, and/or replacement of accessories and/or reconfiguring of the computer is desired to be performed at either the manufacturing site or the remote distribution site, a considerable expense involved in removing the computers from the containers must be incurred.

It would be desirable to minimize the expense involved in performing such testing, accessory replacement, reconfiguring etc., in a less expensive manner.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to a computer shipping container comprising a plurality of walls defining a chamber for receiving a computer and packing material. The walls includes first and second horizontally spaced vertical end walls for closing opposite vertical ends of the chamber. At least one of the end walls includes a hinged flap which is openable for affording access to an end side of the computer while the computer remains disposed in the container. Preferably, the flap is hinged about a horizontal hinged axis, and more preferably, there are two flaps hinged about parallel upper and lower edges of the container. It is preferable for both ends of the container to comprise openable flaps so that both the front and rear sides of the computer can be accessed without having to remove the computer from the container. The invention also relates to the combination of a computer and a computer shipping container, wherein the container comprises a vertical end wall which includes a hinged flap capable of exposing a vertical side of the computer without removing the computer from the container. Preferably, packing material is disposed in the container for isolating the computer from vibrations. The packing material forms at least one pocket for receiving computer accessories. The pocket can be accessed in response to opening of the flap.

The invention also relates to a method of obtaining access to a packaged computer, comprising the steps of inserting a computer into a container such that a vertical side of the computer is covered by a vertical wall of the container having an openable/closable hinged flap. After the hinged flap

has been closed, it is reopened to expose the vertical side of the computer, so that the vertical side of the computer can be accessed while the computer remains in the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a computer shipping container according to the present invention, with front and rear flaps thereof in a fully opened state; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a computer seated in a lower piece of packing material;

FIG. 3 is a view of the shipping container shown in FIG. 1 after the computer/packing material of FIG. 2 has been inserted horizontally thereinto; FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 after an upper piece of packing material has been inserted into the shipping container, and wherein computer accessories are depicted in phantom;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shipping container of FIG. 4 after the front and rear flaps have been swung to a closed state; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 after removable tape has been applied to the container to secure the flaps in their closed state.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

Depicted in Fig. 1 is a shipping container 10 for shipping a computer, such as a personal computer 30. The container may be formed of a relatively stiff,

inexpensive material, such as cardboard, although other materials, such as plastic, could be used if desired. The container includes two horizontal top and bottom walls 12, 16 and two vertical side walls 18, 18, defining an open-ended rectangular chamber 20.

Disposed at the horizontally spaced ends of the chamber the container includes vertical end walls defined by hinged closure flaps, 22, 24, 22', 24'. The closure flaps 22, 22' are of identical construction, as are the flaps 24, 24'. The closure flaps 22, 22' are integrally joined (hinged) to horizontal top edges of the container, whereas the flaps 24, 24' are integrally joined (hinged) to horizontal bottom edges of the container. Accordingly, the flaps are integrally hinged to the top and bottom walls and are able to swing between an open state shown in Fig. 1 to a closed state shown in Fig. 5.

Depicted in Fig. 2 is a personal computer 30 to be packaged and shipped. That computer includes a vertical front side 32 and a back side (not shown) . Each of the front and back sides has connection sites, i.e., sites to which devices, cables, wires, etc., can be electrically connected. In the front side 32, such connection sites comprise one or more bays 33A, 33B, 33C for receiving drives such as a C.D. drive, hard drive, floppy drive, etc., or a headphone assembly, LED board, etc., among other possibilities. The back side could have connection sites in the form of bays to receive removable logic board modules as well as cable or wire receptacles for connection to a video output, T.V. tuner, cooling fan, etc.

The computer 30 is shown as seated in a lower packing element 40, formed of a vibration insulative material, such as styrofoam. The lower packing element 40 is configured so that it can be slid

horizontally into the chamber 20 of the container 10 as depicted in Fig. 3. The lower packing element 40 includes a floor 42 and a pair of upright walls 44. The computer is seated on the floor 42 and has a press- fit with the upright walls 44.

The lower packing element 40 and computer 30 occupy only a lower portion of the chamber 20. The remainder of the chamber disposed thereabove is to be occupied by an upper packing element 50, as shown in Fig. 4. The upper packing element 50 is preferably mounted atop the lower packing element 40 outside of the chamber 20, so that the packing elements 40, 50 and computer 30 can be slid as a unit into the chamber 20. Alternately, the lower packing element 40 and computer 30 can be slid into the chamber 20 as a unit, followed by the upper packing element 50.

The upper packing element 50 is preferably formed of the same material as the lower packing element and leaves at least the front 34 (and preferably also the back) of the computer 30 exposed.

If desired, the upper packing element 50 could be provided with one or more storage pockets or compartments 52, 54 for receiving computer accessories, such as keyboards 56, hard drives 58, etc., depicted schematically in Fig. 4, which are intended for use with the computer. Additionally, or alternatively, storage pockets could be formed in the lower packing element .

Once the computer 30 and optional accessories are packaged, the closure flaps 22, 24 are closed, as shown in Fig. 5, and then removable adhesive tape 60 is applied across the flap to prevent inadvertent opening of those flaps, as shown in Fig. 6.

At either the manufacturing site (before shipment) or the remote site (after shipment) , the

computer 30 can be tested and/or reconfigured and/or the accessories can be replaced, by removing the tape 60 and opening the front flaps 22 and 24 and/or the rear flaps 22 ' , 24 ' to expose the front and/or rear sides of the computer 30, as depicted in Fig. 4. This enables the connection sites of the computer to be accessed so that various components (e.g., hard and/or floppy disc drives, headphones, video board, fan, tuner board, logic board, etc.), can be tested without removing the computer from the container. A rear panel of the computer could, if desired, be removed to enable some of the components, such as logic boards, to be replaced (i.e., a last minute reconfiguring of the computer) . If the computer contains replaceable decorative panels at its front or rear sides, those panels can be replaced, in order to change the appearance of the computer and/or provide a new rear panel having a different identification label attached thereto.

It will be appreciated that the above- described operations can be performed without having to remove the computer from the container 10. Therefore, substantial expenses and injury risk are avoided. Once the testing and/or reconfiguring and/or accessory replacement steps have been completed, the flaps 22, 24, 22', 24' are closed, and new tape 60 is re-applied.

It will be appreciated that the packing elements 40, 50 can be of any configuration, as long as at least the front (and preferably also the back) of the computer is exposed when the flaps 22, 24, 22', 24' are exposed. For example, there could be only a single packing element, or there could be more than two packing elements.

Also, the closeable flaps can be of any suitable configuration. For example, each end of the chamber 20 could be closed by a single flap which extends the entire height of the container. Alternatively, the flaps could be hinged for rotation about vertical axes instead of horizontal axes.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications, and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.