Abstract:
A fixing apparatus for a functional module having a front wall and a first sidewall has a chassis with a sideboard having fastening holes, a first locking member sliding on the first sidewall and including a number of claws, and a driving fork sliding on the front wall of the functional module and having at least one wedge slidably engaging the first locking member. When the driving fork slides relative to the front wall of the functional module, the first locking member withdraws the claws from the fastening holes of the chassis or to extend the claws into the fastening holes.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates to hardware fixing and, particularly, to a fixing apparatus readily allowing secure installation or removal of a functional module to or from a chassis. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A server system includes a chassis and several functional modules mounted therein. The chassis includes a pair of apertures defined in two opposite sidewalls thereof. Each functional module includes a pair of fasteners corresponding to the aperture board of the chassis, and a pair of operating members respectively attached to the fasteners. During attachment or detachment of the functional module to or from the chassis, the pair of fasteners must be operated at the same time, an inconvenient arrangement. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a fixing apparatus for functional modules. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect in the absence of a chassis of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of  FIG. 2 , showing the fixing apparatus in a locked position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is another assembled view of  FIG. 2 , showing the fixing apparatus in a released position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of a fixing apparatus for a functional module  10  on a chassis  200  of a server includes a first locking member  20 , a second locking member  30 , a pair of first guiding blocks  40 , a driving fork  60 , a second guiding block  70 , a button member  80 , and a plurality of resilient members. The resilient members are coiled springs  101 ,  102 , and  104 . 
         [0010]    The functional module  10  includes a front wall  12 , a first sidewall  14 , and a second sidewall  16 . The front wall  12  includes a handle  122  formed on the outside thereof, a through hole  124  defined therein beside one end of the handle  122 , and a plurality of fixing holes  126  defined therein beside the through hole  124 . The first sidewall  14  includes an I-shaped opening  142  defined therein, and a pair of fixing holes  144  defined therein beside the opening  142 . The second sidewall  16  includes an I-shaped opening  162  defined therein, and a pair of fixing holes  164  defined therein beside the opening  162 . The opening  162  and the fixing holes  164  respectively correspond to the opening  142  and fixing holes  144  of the first sidewall  14 . 
         [0011]    The chassis  200  includes a pair of sideboards  202  each having a plurality of pairs of fastening holes  204  defined therein. 
         [0012]    The first locking member  20  includes an I-shaped flat panel  21 , and a driving arm  24  perpendicularly extending from one side of the flat panel  21 . Two pairs of claws  22  respectively extend from an upper and a lower edge of the other side of the flat panel  21 , extending opposite to the driving arm  24 . The driving arm  24  includes a pair of spaced and parallel walls at a distal end portion thereof, and a U-shaped receiving space  244  defined between the walls receives a roller  26  with a through hole  262 . A pair of pivot holes  246  is defined in the distal end of the walls, receiving a shaft  27  extending therethrough. 
         [0013]    The second locking member  30  includes an I-shaped flat plane  31 , and a driving arm  34  perpendicularly extending from one side of the flat panel  31 . The driving arm  34  includes a first driving rod  342 , a second driving rod  344  attachable to a distal end of the first driving rod  342 , and a third driving rod  346  attachable to a distal end of the second driving rod  344 . Two pairs of claws  32  respectively extend from an upper and a lower edge of the flat panel  31 , extending opposite to the driving arm  34 . The third driving rod  346  includes a pair of spaced and parallel walls at a distal end portion thereof, and a U-shaped receiving space  3462  defined between the walls receiving a roller  36  with a through hole  362 . A pair of pivot holes  3464  is defined in the distal end of the walls for a shaft  37  extending therethrough. 
         [0014]    Each of the first guiding blocks  40  is U-shaped and includes a passage  42  defined in a bottom portion thereof, and two threaded hole  44  defined in two side portions thereof. 
         [0015]    The driving fork  60  includes a bar  64  with a fork  62  formed at one end thereof. The fork  62  includes a pair of symmetrical wedges  622 . Each wedge  622  includes an angled edge  624  formed at the inside thereof, allowing the rollers  26 ,  36  to slide therealong. A threaded hole is defined in a distal end portion of the bar  64 . 
         [0016]    The second guiding block  70  includes a baseboard  72 , a first post  74  and a second post  76  perpendicularly extending from the baseboard  72 . The first post  74  is shorter than and connected to the post  76  at a distal end thereof via a rib. A plurality of threaded holes  724  is defined in the baseboard  72 , corresponding to the fixing holes  126  of the front wall  12  of the functional module  10 . A passage  742  perpendicular to the baseboard  72  is defined in the post  74 . A passage  762  parallel to the baseboard  762  is defined in a distal end portion of the post  76 . 
         [0017]    The button member  80  includes a round operating portion  82  and a threaded rod  84  perpendicularly extending from the operating portion  82 , corresponding to the threaded hole of the bar  64  of the driving fork  60 . 
         [0018]    Referring also to  FIG. 3 , in assembly, one of the first guiding blocks  40  is attached to an inner side of the first sidewall  14  of the functional module  10 , with the passage  42  aligning with the opening  142  and a pair of fasteners extending through the fixing holes  144  of the functional module  10  to engage the threaded hole  44  of the corresponding first guiding block  40 . The coiled spring  101  is disposed between the first guiding block  40  and the flat panel  21  of the first locking member  20 . The driving arm  24  of the first lock member  20  extends through the opening  142 , the coiled spring  101  and the passage  42  of the first guiding block  40 . The roller  26  is received in the receiving space  244  of the first locking member  20  and the shaft  27  pivotally extends through the pivot holes  246  of the first locking member  20  and the through hole  262  of the roller  26 . The flat panel  21  is slidably received in the opening  142  of the first sidewall  14 . 
         [0019]    The other first guide blocks  40  is attached to an inner side of the second sidewall  16  of the functional module  10 , with the passage  42  aligning with the opening  162  and a pair of fasteners extending through the fixing holes  164  of the functional module  10  to engage the threaded hole  44  of the first guiding block  40 . The coiled spring  102  is disposed between the first guiding block  40  and the flat panel  32  of the second locking member  30 . The first driving rod  342  of the driving arm  34  of the second lock member  30  extends through the opening  162 , the coiled spring  102 , and the passage  42  of the first guiding block  40 . The roller  36  is received in the receiving space  3462  of the second locking member  30  and the shaft  37  pivotably extends through the pivot holes  3464  of the second locking member  30  and the through hole  362  of the roller  36 . The flat panel  31  is slidably received in the opening  162  of the second sidewall  16 . 
         [0020]    The second guiding block  70  is attached to an inner side of the front wall  12  of the functional module  10 , with the passage  742  aligning with the through hole  124  and a plurality of fasteners extending through the fixing holes  126  of the functional module  10  to engage the threaded hole  724  of the second guiding block  70 . One of the wedges  622  of the driving fork  62  is received in the receiving space  244  of the first lock member  20  to slidably engage the roller  26 . The third driving rod  346  extends through the passage  762  of the second guiding block  70 . Two end of the second driving rod  344  are respectively attached to the first driving rod  342  and the second driving rode  346 . The other one of the wedges  622  of the driving fork  62  is received in the receiving space  3462  of the third driving rode  346  of the second lock member  30  to slidably engage the roller  36 . At the same time, the bar  64  of the driving fork  60  extends through the passage  742  of the post  74  and the through hole  124  of the front wall  12 ; the coiled spring  104  is sleeved on the bar  64  and the threaded rod  84  of the button member  80  engages in the threaded hole of the bar  64 . The coiled spring  104  is sandwiched between the operating portion  82  of the button member  80  and an outside of the front wall  12  of the functional module  10 . 
         [0021]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in assembly of the functional module  10  to the chassis  200 , the functional module  10  is pushed into the chassis  200  by operation of the handle  122 , with the button member  80  pushed inward. The coil spring  104  is depressed and the driving fork  60  moved inward. The angled edges  624  of the driving fork  60  slidably engage the rollers  26 ,  36 , respectively, to drive the first locking member  20  and the second driving member  30  to move toward each other. The coil springs  101  and  102  are depressed. The claws  22  of the first locking member  20  and the claws  32  of the second locking member  30  withdraw into the functional module  10  until the functional module  10  is received at a predetermined position of the chassis  200 , at which time button member  80  is released. Then, the coil spring  104  recoils and the driving fork  60  returns to its original position. The coil springs  101 ,  102  recoil and the first and second locking members  20 ,  30  move opposite to each other to their original positions, respectively. The claws  22  of the first locking member  20  and the claws  32  of the second locking member  30  align with and extend into the openings  142 ,  162  of the functional module  10  and the fastening holes  204  of the chassis  200 . Thus, the functional module  10  is retained in the chassis  200 . 
         [0022]    When the functional module  10  is to be detached from the chassis  200 , the button member  80  is pushed inward to release the claws  22 ,  32  of the first and second locking members  20 ,  30  from the fastening holes  204  of the chassis  200 . Correspondingly, the functional module  10  is easily withdrawn from the chassis  200 . 
         [0023]    In this embodiment, the rollers  26 ,  36  slidably engage the angled edges  624  of the driving fork  60  to effectively reduce friction therebetween. The rollers  26 ,  36  can be omitted, with the angled edges  624  of the driving fork  60  directly engaging the shafts  27 ,  37  of the first and second locking members  20 ,  30 . The rollers  26 ,  36  and the angled edges  624  of the driving fork  60  can alternatively be replaced by other slidable mechanisms while remaining well within the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0024]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the board general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.