Method and system for visually differentiating industrial personal computers

An industrial PC comprising:

• a faceplate disposed on a first end of a housing of a PC, said faceplate having a predetermined first color characteristic and being substantially planar;
• a differentiation plate having a predetermined second color characteristic removably disposed on said faceplate;
• said differentiation plate having an exposed first section which is substantially planar and which is parallel to said faceplate, and an exposed section which forms an edge of said first end and is substantially orthogonal to said faceplate;
• said differentiation plate being coupled to said faceplate in a mechanical, non-adhesive, coupling;
• wherein said differentiation plate is a rigid “L” shaped member having along one edge, ears for insertion into voids in said faceplate;
• and
• wherein said differentiation plate is removable from said faceplate by rotation around an interface line which exists between the faceplate and the differentiation plate along a bottom edge of the differentiation plate.

A computer system comprising:

• a rack having a plurality of slots therein for receiving a plurality of industrial PCs;
• a first industrial PC having a first primary functional characteristic, said first industrial PC disposed in said rack;
• a second industrial PC having a second primary functional characteristic, said second industrial PC disposed in said rack;
• and,
• wherein said first and said second industrial PC each include a non-identical differentiation plate thereon, where a difference between each non-identical differentiation plate is representative of a difference of said first primary functional characteristic and said second primary functional characteristic;
• wherein said non-identical differentiation plate forms a front edge and an orthogonal edge of an industrial PC.

A method of differentiating industrial computers disposed in a rack comprising the steps of:

• providing a first differentiation plate on a first industrial PC disposed in a rack, the first industrial PC having a first predetermined functional characteristic;
• providing a second differentiation plate on a second industrial PC disposed in the rack, the second industrial PC having a second predetermined functional characteristic;
• providing a third differentiation plate on a third industrial PC disposed in the rack, the third industrial PC having a third predetermined functional characteristic;
• wherein said first and said second differentiation plate have an identical first color characteristic and said first and said second predetermined functional characteristic are identical;
• and,
• wherein said third differentiation plate has a contrasting color characteristic which is non-identical with respect to said first color characteristic;
• wherein said first differentiation plate forms an exposed front edge and an exposed second edge of said first industrial PC, which exposed second edge is orthogonal to said exposed front edge.

A method of differentiating industrial computers disposed in a rack comprising the steps of:

• providing a first differentiation plate on a first industrial PC disposed in a rack, the first industrial PC having a first predetermined functional characteristic;
• providing a second differentiation plate on a second industrial PC disposed in the rack, the second industrial PC having a second predetermined functional characteristic;
• providing a third differentiation plate on a third industrial PC disposed in the rack, the third industrial PC having a third predetermined functional characteristic;
• wherein said first and said second differentiation plate have an identical first color characteristic and said first and said second predetermined functional characteristic are identical;
• wherein said third differentiation plate has a contrasting color characteristic which is non-identical with respect to said first color characteristic;
• wherein said first differentiation plate forms an exposed front edge and an exposed second edge of said first industrial PC, which exposed second edge is orthogonal to said exposed front edge;
• wherein said first, second, and third differentiation plates are removable;
• wherein said second edge is a top edge of said first industrial PC;
• wherein said first, second, and third differentiation plates are rigid and L shaped;
• wherein said first, second, and third differentiation plates are mechanically coupled to a PC through a non-adhesive interface;
• and
• wherein said first, second, and third differentiation plates are removable from a PC via a downward pivoting action.