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Bezel

English translation: See comments below...

19:53 Dec 18, 2006
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Computers: Hardware / PC Case
English term or phrase: Bezel
This term appears several time in the user's guide of a PC case. I found several meanings to this word, but none of them seams to fit in ALL those occurences:

1) Aluminium front bezel design

2) Remove the 3.5” device plastic/aluminium bezel cover

3) Front Bezel connections

Any idea about a single meaning of "bezel" which makes sense in 1) 2) & 3)

Any help would be gretly appreciated
Michel A.
Local time: 07:41
Selected answer:See comments below...
Explanation:
Rolf and Ken are both right with their interpretation as "panel", but there's a little more to it than that, which probably explains the confusion — and I think the same meaning works perfectly well in all 3 contexts.

The point is that a bezel is MORE than JUST a flat panel; the underlying concept is one of thickness, an element of a surround — many times in FR, I have come across the word "habillage" used in the same sort of sense.

So a bezel is usually more 3D than a mere flat panel, it is specifically a FRONT panel, will often serve some decorative function, sometimes will mean just a "trim" that goes round something else — a watch has a bezel, and we might talk about "a green indicator lamp with chromed bezel", meaning the profiled ring that makes the join between the lamp itself and the panel it is on.

In 2), I think they're probably referring more to a bezel/cover than a cover for the bezel

And in 3), it is perfectly legitimate that the bezel might have a connector (I'm assuming an ELECTRICAL connector, of course!), since little LED indicators etc. are often installed in the bezel itself (think of CD-ROM drives, etc...), and in order to be readily removable, they are usually made pluggable via a small connector



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2006-12-19 13:52:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

From NS OED:

bezel
A n. 1 The groove and projecting lip holding a gem, watch-glass, etc.; the *** rim holding a cover of glass etc. ***
...

As you will see, the original meaning of bezel was the surrounding ring or frame that held something in place; with ever-more-compact modern electronic equipment, less and less front panel space has been required, and so the usage of bezel has broadened to include any part of the front panel not occupied by anything else!

I really have to take issue with my respected colleague Ken over his insistence on this translated text issue:

1) There is nothing odd about the use of bezel in all 3 of Asker's examples, so no reason to seek to complicate things by looking for a problem where there isn't one.

2) Neither do I see anything else in the rest of the (albeit brief) context given that would lead me for one moment to question the integrity of the original text.

Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 13:41
Grading comment
Cheers Tony!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +4See comments below...
Tony M
4 +3panel / cover
Rolf Klischewski, M.A.
3 +1panel
Ken Cox


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
bezel
panel


Explanation:
Off the top of my head, I'd say someone did a dictionary translation and chose the wrong word.

Ken Cox
Local time: 13:41
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Yes, as far as it goes; please see my answer for a fuller explanation
28 mins
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
bezel
panel / cover


Explanation:
"The panel that covers the front of a computer case, or the panel covering each drive bay that can be removed to install a removable d rive that requires external access, such as a CD/DVD-ROM drive, which will generally but not always have it's own preinstalled bezel."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 41 mins (2006-12-18 20:34:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yeah, Tony, it's quite complex indeed!

I just checked: When you're talking about arcade machines, "bezel" refers just to the area surrounding the screen, so it's more like a sticker or even a frame in that case (http://localarcade.com/arcade_art/categories.php?cat_id=7).

And, yes, a bezel may have connectors and LEDs, I think.


    Reference: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bezel
Rolf Klischewski, M.A.
Local time: 13:41
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Yes, as far as it goes; please see my answer for a fuller explanation
28 mins
agree  Hamid Sadeghieh: a rim that holds a transparent covering or that is rotatable and has special markings.
18 hrs
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
4 days
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
bezel
See comments below...


Explanation:
Rolf and Ken are both right with their interpretation as "panel", but there's a little more to it than that, which probably explains the confusion — and I think the same meaning works perfectly well in all 3 contexts.

The point is that a bezel is MORE than JUST a flat panel; the underlying concept is one of thickness, an element of a surround — many times in FR, I have come across the word "habillage" used in the same sort of sense.

So a bezel is usually more 3D than a mere flat panel, it is specifically a FRONT panel, will often serve some decorative function, sometimes will mean just a "trim" that goes round something else — a watch has a bezel, and we might talk about "a green indicator lamp with chromed bezel", meaning the profiled ring that makes the join between the lamp itself and the panel it is on.

In 2), I think they're probably referring more to a bezel/cover than a cover for the bezel

And in 3), it is perfectly legitimate that the bezel might have a connector (I'm assuming an ELECTRICAL connector, of course!), since little LED indicators etc. are often installed in the bezel itself (think of CD-ROM drives, etc...), and in order to be readily removable, they are usually made pluggable via a small connector



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2006-12-19 13:52:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

From NS OED:

bezel
A n. 1 The groove and projecting lip holding a gem, watch-glass, etc.; the *** rim holding a cover of glass etc. ***
...

As you will see, the original meaning of bezel was the surrounding ring or frame that held something in place; with ever-more-compact modern electronic equipment, less and less front panel space has been required, and so the usage of bezel has broadened to include any part of the front panel not occupied by anything else!

I really have to take issue with my respected colleague Ken over his insistence on this translated text issue:

1) There is nothing odd about the use of bezel in all 3 of Asker's examples, so no reason to seek to complicate things by looking for a problem where there isn't one.

2) Neither do I see anything else in the rest of the (albeit brief) context given that would lead me for one moment to question the integrity of the original text.



Tony M
France
Local time: 13:41
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Cheers Tony!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jccantrell: With a watch, the bezel is usually just the ring around the face of the watch. It might have numbers, as in a diver's watch, or just different fashion colors, as in http://cgi.ebay.com/Gucci-1100-L-Bezel-Watch-includes-12-Bez...
6 mins
  -> Thanks, JCC! Indeed, that is often the function of a bezel in general electronics etc. too
agree  Rolf Klischewski, M.A.: Yeah, sounds good!
8 mins
  -> Danke, Rolf!
agree  Robert Fox
19 mins
  -> Thanks, Robert!
neutral  Ken Cox: OK, but if this is a translation there's a good chance the word in the original text was Blende (for example), in which case 'bezel' is a misinterpretation. As for 3), connectors are more likely to be located on the front panel than on/in the bezel.
20 mins
  -> Cheers, Ken! I don't see anything in Michel's given context to lead me to assume this might be a translated text...
agree  David Moore (X)
17 hrs
  -> Thanks, David!
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