Computer with modules readily replaceable by unskilled personnel

A computer assembly comprising a docking bay module including a first rectangular housing having a top wall, side walls, a rear wall, a bottom wall, and a front opening, a plurality of connectors mounted on said rear wall and adapted to be connected to functional components which are separate from sand external of the docking module, a circuit panel board mounted within said first housing adjacent said rear wall and having first pluggable connector means mounted thereon, said plurality of connectors being connected to said circuit panel board and said first pluggable connector means, a CPU module including a second rectangular housing having a top wall, side walls , a front wall, a rear wall, and a bottom wall, logic means mounted within said second housing, second pluggable connector means mounted on said rear wall of said second housing and connected to said logic means, power supply connector means mounted on said rear wall of said first housing, said CPU module including a power supply unit mounted in said second housing and connected to said logic means, third pluggable connector means mounted in said second housing and connected to said power supply unit, means for removably mounting said second housing through said front opening into said first housing so that said first and second pluggable connector means are coupled together and said third pluggable connector means is coupled with said power supply connector means.

A computer network comprising first and second computer assemblies,

• said first computer assembly comprising a first docking bay module including a housing having a rear wall and a front opening, a plurality of connectors mounted on said rear wall and adapted to be connected to functional components which are separate from and external of the docking bay module, a circuit panel board mounted within said housing adjacent said rear wall and having first pluggable connector means mounted thereon, said plurality of connectors being connected to said circuit panel board and said first pluggable connector means, power supply connector means mounted on said rear all of said first housing, a first CPU module including a second housing and a logic means mounted within said second housing, said second housing having a rear wall, second pluggable connector means mounted on said rear wall and connected to said logic means, a power supply unit mounted in said second housing and connected to said logic means, third pluggable connector means mounted on said second housing and connected to said power supply unit, means for removably mounting said second housing through said front opening into said first housing so that first and second pluggable connector means are coupled together and said third pluggable connector means is coupled with said power supply connector means, said first CPU module having fourth pluggable connector means connected to said logic means;
• said second computer assembly including a second docking bay module and a second CPU module substantially identical to said first docking bay and CPU modules, respectively, said second computer assembly further including a peripheral module having a housing containing a disk drive assembly and fifth pluggable connector means connected to said disk drive assembly, second mounting means for removably mounting said peripheral module together with the second docking bay module and said second CPU module so that said fourth and fifth pluggable connector means in said second computer assembly are coupled together to connect said disk drive assembly to the logic means in said second CPU module;
• means for electrically connecting corresponding network connectors on the rear walls of said first and second docking bay modules, and the first and second CPU modules being interchangeable between said first and second computer assemblies so as to enhance the repair and maintenance capabilities of the computer network.