FIXING ASSEMBLY FOR DATA STORAGE DEVICE

The disclosure provides a fixing assembly including a cage, a circuit board, a mount seat, and a fastener. The cage has an accommodation space, a first opening, a second opening, and a mount portion. The accommodation space is configured to accommodate a data storage device. The first opening and the second opening are connected to the accommodation space, and the mount portion protrudes from the first opening. The circuit board is fixed on the mount portion. The circuit board has a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector located at opposite surfaces of the circuit board and having different interfaces, and the first electrical connector is configured for an insertion of the data storage device. The mount seat has a first guiding portion, the cage has a second guiding portion mating with the first guiding portion. The fastener is configured to fix the cage to the mount seat.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 202010517964.9 filed in China on Jun. 9, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to a fixing assembly, more particularly to a fixing assembly having a cage and a circuit board fixed to each other.

Description of the Related Art

In general, a server may equip with multiple data storage devices to store data, programs or files. In general, the data storage device is a 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drive (i.e., HDD). In order to read and write data fast, a solid-state drive was developed, but the solid-state drive had a higher price at that time, therefore it was not commonly used.

As technology progresses, the present price of the solid-state drive has been decreased to satisfy the demand of a user. As such, the user gradually adopts the solid-state drive in the server. However, the casing of the server is merely suitable for the 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch HDD, therefore it requires to provide another casing in order to accommodate the solid-state drive. On the other hand, users may have different requirements, some would like to adopt the 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch in the server, while another would like to adopt the solid-state drive having faster speed. Therefore, the manufacturer may have to design different casings for different kinds of data storage devices, which may increase the cost spending on manufacturing the server.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure provides a fixing assembly, which is capable of allowing the solid-state drive to be compatible to the casing which is exclusive for the hard disk drive.

One embodiment of the disclosure provides a fixing assembly. The fixing assembly is configured to accommodate a data storage device and configured to be mounted on a casing. The fixing assembly includes a cage, a circuit board, a mount seat, and a fastener. The cage has an accommodation space, a first opening, a second opening, and a mount portion. The accommodation space is configured to accommodate the data storage device. The first opening and the second opening are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the accommodation space, and the mount portion protrudes from the first opening. The circuit board is fixed on the mount portion of the cage. The circuit board has a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector located at two opposite surfaces of the circuit board. The first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have different interfaces, and the first electrical connector is configured for an insertion of the data storage device. The mount seat is configured to be fixed on the casing. The mount seat has a first guiding portion, the cage has a second guiding portion. The first guiding portion and the second guiding portion mates with each other so as to guide a movement of the cage with respect to the mount seat. The fastener is configured to fix the cage to the mount seat.

According to the fixing assembly as discussed above, since the cage is installed on the casing via the fastener and the mount seat, and the circuit board is fixed on the cage and has the first electrical connectors and the second electrical connectors having different interfaces, the data storage device (e.g., solid-state drive) can be installed on the casing via the cage, and the data storage device can be electrically connected to another electronic component (e.g., the motherboard) via the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector of the circuit board. Therefore, the cage and the circuit board fixed on the cage can achieve the installation of the data storage device on the casing which is not designed for the data storage device. Accordingly, there is no need to design another casing for accommodating the data storage device, thereby saving the cost in manufacturing the server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In addition, the following embodiments are disclosed by the figures, and some practical details are described in the following paragraphs, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, for the purpose of illustration, some of the structures and components in the figures are simplified, and wires, reference lines or buses are omitted in some of the figures.

Moreover, the terms used in the present disclosure, such as technical and scientific terms, have its own meanings and can be comprehended by those skilled in the art, unless the terms are additionally defined in the present disclosure. That is, the terms used in the following paragraphs should be read on the meaning commonly used in the related fields and will not be overly explained, unless the terms have a specific meaning in the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 4, there are shown a perspective view of a fixing assembly1according to one embodiment of the disclosure, an exploded view of the fixing assembly1inFIG. 1, an exploded view of a cage10of the fixing assembly1inFIG. 1, and a cross-sectional view of the fixing assembly1inFIG. 1.

In this embodiment, the fixing assembly1is configured to accommodate at least one data storage device2and can be mounted on, for example, a server casing (not shown). The data storage device2is, for example, a solid-state drive. The fixing assembly1includes a cage10and a circuit board20. In addition, in this or another embodiment, the fixing assembly1may further include a plurality of positioning components30.

The cage10includes a bottom part11and a top part12. The bottom part11and the top part12are U-shaped plates. Two opposite sides of the bottom part11and two opposite sides of the top part12are, for example, riveted with each other. The bottom part11and the top part12together form an accommodation space13, a first opening14and a second opening15. The first opening14and the second opening15are connected to two opposite sides of the accommodation space13.

In this embodiment, the bottom parts11of the cage10has an inner bottom surface111facing the accommodation space13, and the top part12of the cage10has an inner top surface121facing the inner bottom surface111. The positioning component30is disposed on the inner bottom surface111of the bottom part11, and the positioning components30are arranged along a plurality of first straight lines S1spaced apart from each other. The first straight lines S1extend from the second opening15of the cage10toward the first opening14and are parallel to each other. The top part12of the cage10further has a plurality of positioning structures122. The positioning structures122are, for example, formed by a stamping process. The positioning structures122are arranged along a plurality of second straight lines S2spaced apart from each other, and the second straight lines S2extend from the second opening15of the cage10toward the first opening14and are parallel to each other. In this embodiment, the second straight lines S2are parallel to and respectively correspond to the first straight lines S1, such that the positioning components30located on adjacent two of the first straight lines S1and the positioning structures122located on adjacent two of the second straight lines S2, respectively corresponding to the two first straight lines S1, together form an insertion hole16. The insertion hole16is configured for an insertion of the data storage device2, and the positioning components30and the positioning structures122can guide the insertion of the data storage device2so as to prevent the data storage device2from being inserted improperly.

In this embodiment, the positioning components30are also arranged along a plurality of third straight lines S3spaced apart from each other, and the third straight lines S3are perpendicular to the first straight lines S1. In addition, the positioning structures122are also arranged along a plurality of fourth straight lines S4spaced apart from each other, and the fourth straight lines S4are perpendicular to the second straight lines S2. A distance T1between adjacent two of the positioning components30located on one of the third straight lines S3is larger than a distance T2between adjacent two of the positioning structures122located on one of the fourth straight lines S4. As shown inFIG. 4, the lower portion of the insertion hole16is wider than the upper portion of the insertion hole16, which ensures and facilitates the insertion of the data storage device2into the insertion hole16.

In this embodiment, the top part12of the cage10further has two mount portions123opposite to each other. The two mount portions123protrudes from the first opening14. The circuit board20is fixed to the mount portions123via, for example, screws. In the invention, the quantity of the mount portions123is not restricted in two; in some other embodiments, the top part of the cage may have only one mount portion123.

The circuit board20has a plurality of first electrical connectors21and a plurality of second electrical connectors22. The first electrical connectors21and the second electrical connectors22are respectively located at two opposite surfaces of the circuit board20. The first electrical connectors21and the second electrical connectors22have different interfaces. Each of the first electrical connectors21is configured for the insertion of the data storage device2, and each of the second electrical connectors22is configured to be electrically connected to a motherboard (not shown) on a server via, for example, a cable (not shown).

In the invention, the quantities of the first electrical connectors21and the second electrical connectors22are not restricted; in some other embodiment, the circuit board may merely have one first electrical connector and one second electrical connector.

In addition, the bottom part11of the cage10may have a plurality of stoppers112. The stoppers112protrude from the inner bottom surface111of the bottom part11and are respectively located at sides of the insertion holes16close to the first opening14. The stopper112can stop the data storage device2from being overly inserted into the insertion hole16.

In this embodiment, the fixing assembly1may further include a front plate40. The front plate40is detachably mounted at the second opening15of the cage10. The front plate40can prevent electromagnetic interference and limit the movement of the data storage device2.

Furthermore, the fixing assembly1may further include a mount seat50and a fastener60. The mount seat50is configured to be fixed on the casing. The mount seat50has a first guiding portion53, and the top part122of the cage10has a second guiding portion126. The first guiding portion53of the mount seat50and the second guiding portion126of the top part122of the cage10mates with each other so as to guide the movement of the cage10with respect to the mount seat50. For example, the first guiding portion53of the mount seat50has flange portions51opposite to each other, and the second guiding portion126of the top part12of the cage10has two slots124opposite to each other. The flange portions51of the mount seat50are respectively and movably located in the slots124. The slots124are the same in configuration and therefore only one of them will be introduced in hereinafter. The slot124has an entrance portion1241and an extension portion1242connected to each other. An end of the entrance portion1241away from the extension portion1242is connected to the first opening14and exposed to the outside, and the entrance portion1241tapers towards the second opening15.

The mount seat50further has a through hole52(shown inFIG. 6), and the top part12has a through hole125located at a side of the top part12. The through hole52of the mount seat50and the through hole125of the top part12corresponds to each other. The fastener60is, for example, a thumb screw or a spring bolt. The fastener60is disposed on the mount seat50, and the fastener60has an insertion portion61. The insertion portion61is movably disposed through the through holes52and125of the mount seat50and the top part12so as to fix the cage10to the mount seat50.

In this embodiment, the casing is designed to accommodate 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drives. Since the cage10is installed on the casing via the fastener60and the mount seat50, and the circuit board20is fixed on the cage10and has the first electrical connectors21and the second electrical connectors22having different interfaces, the data storage device2(e.g., solid-state drive) can be installed on the casing via the cage10, and the data storage device2can be electrically connected to another electronic component (e.g., the motherboard) via the first electrical connector21and the second electrical connector22of the circuit board20. Therefore, the cage10and the circuit board20fixed on the cage10can achieve the installation of the data storage device2on the casing which was exclusive for the 2.5 inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drives. Accordingly, there is no need to design another casing for accommodating the data storage device2, thereby saving the cost in manufacturing the server.

Then, referringFIGS. 5 and 6, there are shown another perspective view of the fixing assembly1inFIG. 1and a perspective view of the fixing assembly1inFIG. 5when the cage0is moved with respect to the mount seat50. When the cage10is fixed to the mount seat50, the fastener60can be pulled or rotated to make the insertion portion61move and detach from the through hole125of the top part12, thus removing the fixation of the cage to the mount seat50. At this moment, the cage10can be drawn out from the mount seat50. Since the circuit board20is fixed to the cage10, the circuit board20can be removed with the cage10while the cage10is being drawn out from the mount seat50. Therefore, the removal of the cage10and the circuit board20can be finished in one time, and the 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drive can be directly installed in the mount seat50.

To mount the cage10into the mount seat50, first step is to align the entrance portions1241of the slots124with the flange portions51(as shown inFIG. 2) of the mount seat50, and then is to move the cage10with respect to the mount seat50, such that the flange portions51will respectively enter into the extension portions1242of the slots124via the entrance portions1241of the slot124. Then, the fastener60is rotated or pulled to move the insertion portion61away from the movement path of the cage10. As the through hole125of the top part12of the cage10is aligned with the through hole52of the mount seat50, the insertion portion61of the fastener60can be inserted into the through hole125of the top part12of the cage10for fixing the cage10to the mount seat50.

Since the entrance portions1241of the slots124are in tapered shapes, the edges of the entrance portions1241can guide the flange portions51into the extension portions1242of the slots124during the installation of the cage10to the mount seat50. Note that the slots124of the cage10and the flange portions51of the mount seat50are optional; in some other embodiments, the cage may have no slot, and the mount seat may have no flange portion.

According to the fixing assembly as discussed above, since the cage is installed on the casing via the fastener and the mount seat, and the circuit board is fixed on the cage and has the first electrical connectors and the second electrical connectors having different interfaces, the data storage device (e.g., solid-state drive) can be installed on the casing via the cage, and the data storage device can be electrically connected to another electronic component (e.g., the motherboard) via the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector of the circuit board. Therefore, the cage and the circuit board fixed on the cage can achieve the installation of the data storage device on the casing which is not designed for the data storage device. Accordingly, there is no need to design another casing for accommodating the data storage device, thereby saving the cost in manufacturing the server.

In addition, since the circuit board is fixed to the cage, the circuit board can be removed with the cage when the cage is drawn out from the mount seat. Therefore, the removal of the cage and the circuit board can be finished in one time, and the 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard disk drive can be directly installed in the mount seat.

In one embodiment of the disclosure, the server can be adopted in the artificial intelligence computing or the edge computing. In addition, the server may be a 5G server, a cloud server or a vehicle network server.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.