United States Patent [19]
`Cheng (cid:9)
`
`111111111111111111111111111119y5!17111,11),111111111111111111111111111
`
`[11] Patent Number: (cid:9)
`[45] Date of Patent: (cid:9)
`
`5,447,045
`Sep. 5, 1995
`
`(cid:9) (cid:9)
`
`[54] APPARATUS FOR LOCKING A CLOSED
`NOTEBOOK COMPUTER ON A COMPUTER
`SUPPORT
`[75] Inventor: Samuel Cheng, Hsin-Tien, Taiwan
`[73] Assignee: Manufacturing Technology Resources
`Inc., Taiwan
`[21] Appl. No.: 292,435
`[22] Filed: (cid:9)
`Aug. 18, 1994
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 248,748, May 25,
`1994.
`[51] Int. C16 (cid:9)
`[52] U.S. Cl
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2599203 11/1987 France (cid:9)
` 364/708.1
`
`Primary Examiner—Lloyd A. Gall
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Ladas & Parry
`[57] (cid:9)
`ABSTRACT
`An apparatus for locking a closed notebook computer
`on a computer support includes a lock support which
`has a counterbore and a shackle hole which are formed
`therethrough and which intersect each other. The com-
`puter has a computer housing and a display unit pivoted
`to the computer housing. An L-shaped locking plate has
`a horizontal portion located intermediately over the
`display unit, and a vertical portion with an aperture
`located between the lock support and the display unit.
`A bolt member extends through the counterbore of the
`lock support and the aperture of the L-shaped locking
`plate to engage threadably within the threaded hole of
`the computer. A padlock is fastened to the computer
`support and has a shackle extending through the shackle
`hole of the lock support so as to cover the recess portion
`of the bolt member, thereby preventing the bolt mem-
`ber from being accessed by a screwdriver.
`
`1 Claim, 3 Drawing Sheets
`
` E05B 73/00; F 16B 41/00
` 70/58; 70/232;
`70/DIG. 57; 248/552
` 70/58, DIG. 57, 229-232,
`[58] Field of Search (cid:9)
`70/159, 164; 248/551, 552; 361/685, 726, 683,
`740, 759; 364/708.1
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
` 70/DIG. 57 X
`4,065,946 1/1978 Loynes et al. (cid:9)
`248/553
`4,585,202 4/1986 Parsekian (cid:9)
`70/159
`4,751,831 6/1988 Morris, Jr. et al.
`364/708.1 X
`5,051,868 9/1991 Leverault et al. (cid:9)
`
`[56] (cid:9)
`
`
`
`
`
`Ex. 1010 - Page 1 of 6
`
`ACCO Brands
`Exhibit 1010
`ACCO Brands v. Think Products
`IPR2015-01152
`
`(cid:9)
`

`

`U.S. Patent (cid:9)
`
`Sep. 5, 1995 (cid:9)
`
`Sheet 1 of 3 (cid:9)
`
`5,447,045
`
`10
`
`222
`
`FIG.1
`
`Ex. 1010 - Page 2 of 6
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`

`

`U.S. Patent (cid:9)
`
`Sep. 5, 1995 (cid:9)
`
`Sheet 2 of 3 (cid:9)
`
`5,447,045
`
`33
`
`30
`
`200
`10
`
`A
`
`201 (cid:9)
`112-'
` (A,
`12 111
`(Al 211
`11
`221
`
`22
`222 li
`
`21
`
`FIG.2
`
`Ex. 1010 - Page 3 of 6
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`

`

`U.S. Patent (cid:9)
`
`Sep. 5, 1995
`
`Sheet 3 of 3
`
`5,447,045
`
`xv--- CV.
`CV CV
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`Ex. 1010 - Page 4 of 6
`
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`

`

`APPARATUS FOR LOCKING A CLOSED
`NOTEBOOK COMPUTER ON A COMPUTER
`SUPPORT
`
`5
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED
`APPLICATION
`This is a continuation in part of application Ser. No.
`8/248,748 filed on May 25, 1994.
`
`10
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`1. Field of the Invention
`This invention relates to an apparatus for locking a
`closed notebook computer on a computer support, in
`such a manner that the computer cannot be opened.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`Although the apparatus of application Ser. No.
`248,748 can prevent the removal of a notebook com-
`puter from a computer support, a theft may easily steal
`the information in the computer due to the fact that the 20
`computer is openable.
`
`15
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The main object of this invention is to provide an
`apparatus for locking a closed notebook computer on a
`computer support, in such a manner that the apparatus
`can prevent the computer from being opened.
`According to this invention, an apparatus for locking
`a closed notebook computer on a computer support
`includes a lock support which has a counterbore and a
`shackle hole which are formed therethrough and which
`intersect each other. The computer has a computer
`housing and a display unit pivoted to the computer
`housing. An L-shaped locking plate has a horizontal
`portion located intermediately over the display unit,
`and a vertical portion with an aperture located between
`the lock support and the display unit. A bolt member
`extends through the counterbore of the lock support
`and the aperture of the L-shaped locking plate to en-
`gage threadably within the threaded hole of the com- 40
`puter. A padlock is fastened to the computer support
`and has a shackle extending through the shackle hole of
`the lock support so as to cover the recess portion of the
`bolt member, thereby preventing the bolt member from
`being accessed by a screwdriver. (cid:9)
`
`45
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`Other features and advantages of this invention will
`become apparent in the following detailed description
`of the preferred embodiment of this invention with 50
`reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
`FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a portion of an
`apparatus for locking a closed notebook computer on a
`computer support according to this invention;
`FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view showing the com- 55
`puter and the apparatus of this invention;
`FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the
`apparatus of this invention; and
`FIG. 4 is a partially sectional view illustrating the use
`of the apparatus of this invention. (cid:9)
`
`60
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an apparatus of this in-
`vention is used for locking a closed notebook computer 65
`30 on a computer support or computer table 40 (see
`FIG. 3). The computer housing 32 of the computer 30 is
`of the type having a horizontally extending threaded
`
`1
`
`5,447,045
`
`2
`hole 31 (see FIG. 4). A display unit 33 is pivoted to the
`computer housing 32. The apparatus includes a lock
`support 10, an L-shaped locking plate 20, and a padlock
`unit consisting of a padlock 21 and a flexible fixing
`member or metal chain 22. The lock support 10 and the
`padlock unit are similar to those of application Ser. No.
`248, 748 in construction. The chain 22 has a first end
`ring 221 sleeved on the shackle 211, and a second end
`ring 222 confined in the computer table 40. As shown in
`FIG. 3, the hollow table 40 has a front wall through
`which a chain hole 41 is formed and through which the
`chain 22 extends.
`As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the lock support 10
`has a horizontal counterbore 11 and a horizontal
`shackle hole 12 which are formed therethrough and
`which intersect each other. The counterbore 11 has a
`large-diameter portion 111 and a small-diameter portion
`112. The threaded stem of the bolt member (A) extends
`through the small-diameter portion 112 of the lock sup-
`port 10. As illustrated, the head of the bolt member (A)
`is located within the large-diameter portion 111 of the
`counterbore 11 of the lock support 10 and has a diame-
`ter greater than that of the small-diameter portion 112
`of the counterbore 11 so as to fasten the lock support 10
`to the computer housing 32.
`The shackle 211 of the padlock 21 extends through
`the shackle hole 12 of the lock support 10 so as to cover
`the recess portion of the bolt member (A), thereby pre-
`venting a screwdriver from access to the bolt member
`(A) and preventing removal of the bolt member (A)
`from the lock support 10, which is screwed to the com-
`puter housing 32.
`The apparatus of this invention is characterized in
`that the L-shaped locking plate 20 has a vertical portion
`200 with an aperture 201, and a horizontal portion 202
`which has an end integrally formed with the upper end
`of the vertical portion 200 and which is located interme-
`diately over the display unit 33. The bolt member (A)
`extends through the counterbore 11 of the lock support
`10 and the aperture 201 of the L-shaped locking plate 20
`to engage within the threaded hole 31 of the computer
`housing 32.
`When an associated key is inserted into the lock body
`of the padlock 21 and opens the same, the padlock 21
`can be removed from the lock support 10 so as to permit
`a screwdriver to rotate the bolt member (A), thereby
`removing the lock support 10 from the computer hous-
`ing 32. As a result, the L-shaped locking plate 20 can be
`removed from the computer so that the display unit 33
`can rotate relative to the computer housing 32, thereby
`opening the computer.
`With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that
`numerous modifications and variations can be made
`without departing from the scope and spirit of this in-
`vention. It is therefore intended that this invention is
`limited only as indicated in the appended claims.
`I claim:
`1. An apparatus for locking a closed notebook com-
`puter on a computer support, the computer having a
`computer housing which has a threaded hole formed in
`an outer surface of the computer housing, a display unit
`pivoted on the computer housing, and a bolt member
`engaged threadably within the threaded hole of the
`computer housing and having a head and a threaded
`stem, the head of the bolt member having a recess por-
`tion which can be rotated by a screwdriver, said appara-
`tus including:
`
`Ex. 1010 - Page 5 of 6
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`

`

`3
`a lock support having a counterbore and a shackle
`hole which are formed therethrough and which
`intersect each other, said counterbore having a
`small-diameter portion and a large-diameter por-
`tion which has a diameter larger than that of said
`small-diameter portion, the threaded stem of the
`bolt member extending through said small-diame-
`ter portion of said counterbore of said lock support,
`the head of the bolt member being located within
`said large-diameter portion of said lock support and
`having a diameter greater than that of said small-
`diameter portion of said counterbore so as to fasten
`said lock support to the computer housing;
`a padlock having a lock body and a shackle having
`two end portions which are locked within said lock
`body, said shackle extending through said shackle
`hole of said lock support and covering the recess
`portion of the bolt member so as to prevent the bolt
`member from being driven by the screwdriver; and
`an elongated flexible fixing member fastened to said
`padlock at one end portion thereof and to the com-
`puter support at the other end portion thereof;
`
`4
`wherein the improvement comprises:
`an L-shaped locking plate having a horizontal por-
`tion located intermediately over said display
`unit, and a vertical portion which is secured to
`said horizontal portion at an upper end thereof
`and which has an aperture aligned with the
`threaded hole of the computer, said vertical por-
`tion of said locking plate being located between
`the threaded hole of the computer housing and
`the lock support so that the bolt member extends
`through said aperture of said locking plate,
`thereby preventing the display unit from rotating
`relative to the computer housing;
`whereby, when said padlock is opened by an asso-
`ciated key, said padlock can be removed from
`said lock support so as to permit the screwdriver
`to access the recess portion of the bolt member,
`thereby removing said lock support from the
`computer housing, removal of the lock support
`from the computer housing permitting the dis-
`play unit to rotate relative to the computer hous-
`ing so as to open the computer.
`* * * * *
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`5,447,045
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`5 (cid:9)
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`10 (cid:9)
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`15 (cid:9)
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`20 (cid:9)
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`25
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`30
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`35
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`45
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`60
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`65
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`Ex. 1010 - Page 6 of 6
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