Fixing device

A fixing device for detachably fastening an electronic element inside thereof is described. Two fastening modules are respectively disposed on the two opposite inner walls of a housing. A positioning disk is rotatably connected with the positioning frame and has a concave section with a pair of inner side surfaces. The positioning disk is disposed between the first pair of positioning surfaces while the positioning disk is disposed between the second pair of positioning surfaces. When the positioning disk is at a first position, the pair of inner side surfaces is aligned with the first pair of positioning surfaces to allow the electronic element to be inserted between. When the positioning disk is rotated from the first position to the second position, the pair of inner side surfaces is aligned with the second pair of positioning surfaces, and the first and second connection members engage each other to fasten the electronic element.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 97127838, filed Jul. 22, 2008, which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a fixing device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fixing device with a detachable electronic element.

2. Description of Related Art

A hard disk drive, floppy disk drive or optical disk drive is conventionally secured to a fixing device of a desktop computer by using a screw to fasten those removable units. However, it is somewhat inconvenient for users to use extra tools, e.g. a screwdriver and screws, to fasten or remove those removable units. For the forgoing reasons, there is a need for a convenient way to fasten or remove those removable units within the fixing device.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a fixing device with a detachable electronic element for a user to manually secure or remove the detachable electronic element.

In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives of the present invention, a fixing device for detachably fastening an electronic element inside includes the following components. The electronic element has a first connection member. The housing has two opposite inner walls. Two fastening modules are respectively disposed on the two opposite inner walls. Each fastening module includes the following components. A positioning frame includes a first pair of positioning surfaces and a second pair of positioning surfaces. A positioning disk is rotatably connected with the positioning frame and has a concave section with a pair of inner side surfaces. When the positioning disk is rotatably connected with the positioning frame, the positioning disk is disposed between the first pair of positioning surfaces, the positioning disk is disposed between the second pair of positioning surfaces, and either one of the second pair of positioning surfaces having a second connection member. The positioning disk is rotated relative to the positioning frame to be selectively at a first position or a second position. When the positioning disk is at a first position, the pair of inner side surfaces is aligned with the first pair of positioning surfaces to form a pair of continuous surfaces allowing the electronic element to be inserted between. When the positioning disk is rotated from the first position to the second position, the pair of inner side surfaces is aligned with the second pair of positioning surfaces, the first and second connection members engage each other to fasten the electronic element.

Thus, the present invention provides a fixing device equipped with a fastening module to enable a user to secure an electronic element inside thereof or remove the electronic element from thereof without using extra tools or fasteners.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1illustrates a fixing device according to one preferred embodiment of this invention.FIG. 2illustrates the fixing device as illustrated inFIG. 1with half of the housing removed. The fixing device100includes a housing102and two fastening modules106. Two fastening modules106are respectively secured on two opposite inner walls102aof the housing102for an electronic element104to be inserted or removed. The fixing device100can be an outer case of a desktop computer or an optical disc writer. The electronic element104can be a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive or optical disk drive.

FIG. 3Aillustrates an electronic element positioned between two fastening modules but not yet secured according to one preferred embodiment of this invention.FIG. 3Billustrates a different view of the electronic element inFIG. 3A. Each fastening module106includes a positioning frame106aand a positioning disc106b. When two fastening modules106are respectively secured on two opposite inner walls102aof the housing102(as illustrated inFIG. 1), an electronic element104can be slantingly inserted and then sandwiched between two fastening modules106(as illustrated inFIG. 3A). In this case, the electronic element104is not yet secured within the fastening module106.

When the electronic element104is rotated from an inclined status (as illustrated inFIG. 3A) along a direction120to a horizontal status (as illustrated inFIG. 4), a connection member (e.g. a positioning hole104a) of the electronic element104engage a connection member (e.g. a positioning pin107b) of the positioning frame106a, thereby securing the electronic element104within the fastening module106.

FIG. 5illustrates an exploded view of the fixing device according to one preferred embodiment of this invention. The positioning disk106bis rotatably connected with the positioning frame106aby inserting a screw108via a through hole108ato achieve. The positioning disk106bhas a concave section112, which includes a pair of parallel inner side surfaces for sandwiching a top surface and a bottom surface of the electronic element104(as illustrated inFIG. 3AandFIG. 3B). The positioning frame106aincludes a first pair of parallel positioning surfaces (109a,109b) between which the positioning disk106bis located. The positioning frame106afurther includes a second pair of parallel positioning surfaces (110a,110b) between which the positioning disk106bis located. Positioning surfaces (109a,110a) are located at one side of the positioning disk106bwhile positioning surfaces (109b,110b) are located at the other side of the positioning disk106b. In an embodiment, the second connection member, i.e. positioning sticks (107a,107b), can be located on the positioning surface110b(as illustrated inFIG. 5). In an alternate embodiment (not illustrated in drawings), the second connection member can be located on the positioning surface110aor located both on the positioning surfaces (110a,110b).

FIG. 6illustrates one of the two fastening modules as illustrated inFIG. 3A. InFIG. 3, the positioning disk106bis located at a first position relative to the positioning frame106a. The side surface112ais aligned with the positioning surface109bto form a continuous surface while the side surface112bis aligned with the positioning surface109ato form a continuous surface. Therefore, the electronic element104can be slantingly inserted into the fastening module106(as illustrated inFIG. 3A). In this embodiment, a positioning stick107ais shorter than a positioning stick107b, which is located farther from positioning disk106bthan the positioning stick107ais, in order to prevent the positioning sticks (107a,107b) from interfering inserting of the electronic element104. In particular, when the positioning disk106bis located at the first position and the positioning stick107adoes not intersect a virtual extensional surface (not illustrated in drawings) of the side surface112b, the electronic element104can be slantingly inserted into the fastening module106properly.

In addition, a block wall113of the positioning frame guides the electronic element104to be properly secured. When the electronic element104is inserted until being in contact with the block wall113and the electronic element104is rotated from the inclined status (as illustrated inFIG. 3A) along the direction120to the horizontal status (as illustrated inFIG. 4), the block wall113guides the connection member of the electronic element104to engage the connection member of the positioning frame106ato properly secure the electronic element104within the fastening module106.

FIG. 7illustrates one of the two fastening modules as illustrated inFIG. 4. When users tend to secure the electronic element104within the fastening module106, the positioning disk106bis rotated from a first position (as illustrated inFIG. 6) to a second position (as illustrated inFIG. 7) relative to the positioning frame106a. The side surface112ais aligned with the positioning surface110awhile the side surface112bis aligned with the positioning surface110b. Thus, the connection member, on a bottom surface of the electronic element104, engages the connection member of the positioning frame106ato properly secure the electronic element104within the fastening module106.

Referring toFIGS. 5-7, how the positioning disk106bbeing controlled is described below. The positioning frame106ahas a convex member107fto interfere a concave section111bso as to restrict a rotation range of the positioning disk106b. In particular, when the convex member107fhits two opposite inner sidewalls of the concave section111b, the positioning disk106bcannot be further rotated.

Referring toFIGS. 3A,4,8, how the positioning disk106bbeing controlled is described further. When the positioning disk106bis rotated from the first position (as illustrated inFIG. 6) to the second position (as illustrated inFIG. 7) relative to the positioning frame106a, the positioning disk106bneeds to be temporarily secured to allow the electronic element104to be properly inserted into or reliably secured within the fastening module106. The positioning disk106bhas two positioning pins (112c,112d) respectively interacted with positioning slots (107c,107d). The positioning pins (112c,112d) and the concave section112(as illustrated inFIG. 5) are respectively located on two opposite sides of the positioning disk106b. The positioning pins (112c,112d) are located on a first side of the positioning disk, which faces the inner wall102aof the housing102(as illustrated inFIG. 1) while the concave section112is located on a second side of the positioning disk106b, which faces the electronic element104. Referring toFIG. 8, each positioning slot (107c,107d) has two opposite ends of circular hole and a middle section. The middle section has a smaller inner radius (d) than an inner radius (D) of the two circular holes. Therefore, the positioning pins (112c,112d) can be temporarily secured within the circular holes of the positioning slots (107c,107d). When the positioning pin (112c,112d) engages within one of the circular holes, the positioning disk106bis at the first position or the second position.

According to discussed embodiments, the present invention provides a fixing device equipped with a fastening module to enable a user to secure an electronic element inside thereof or remove the electronic element from thereof without using extra tools or fasteners.