Latch assembly and electronic device using same

A latch assembly and an electronic device using the same are provided. The electronic device includes a chassis, a fan module, and the latch assembly. The chassis has a chassis sidewall and a fixing bolt fixed on the chassis sidewall. The fan module is adapted to be accommodated in the chassis. The latch assembly is mounted on a module sidewall of the fan module. The latch assembly includes a latch is pivotally connected to the module sidewall, a moving member movably disposed on the module sidewall and connected to the latch, and a rotating hook pivoted on the module sidewall and connected to the moving member. The rotating hook and the latch are respectively connected to opposite sides of the moving member. When the fan module is placed in the chassis, the rotating hook of the latch assembly is adapted to be hooked to the fixing bolt of the chassis.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Chinese application no. 202111674039.8, filed on Dec. 31, 2021. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a latch assembly and an electronic device using the latch assembly.

Description of Related Art

In electronic devices such as a server, it is required to dissipate accumulated heat in a chassis utilizing a fan module. With increasing demands for heat dissipation, fans that need to be accommodated in the fan module are also increasing.

However, since the total weight of the fan module increases with the increasing number of fans used in the fan module, it is required to strength fastening between the fan module and the chassis of the electronic device.

In addition, the use of additional hand tools is often required for disassembly and assembly of the fan module and the chassis. If the disassembly and assembly can be performed without the use of hand tools, it may be more convenient for the personnel.

SUMMARY

The disclosure provides a latch assembly capable of relatively laborsaving disassembly and assembly of a first object and a second object without the use of hand tools.

The disclosure provides an electronic device using the above-mentioned latch assembly.

A latch assembly of the disclosure is adapted to be mounted on a first object to lock the first object on the second object. The second object has a fixing bolt, and the latch assembly includes a latch, a moving member, and a rotating hook. The latch is pivotally connected to a module sidewall of the first object. The moving member is assembled on the module sidewall and connected to the latch. The rotating hook is pivoted on the module sidewall and connected to the moving member. The rotating hook and the latch are respectively connected to opposite sides of the moving member. When the first object is placed in the second object, the rotating hook of the latch assembly is adapted to be hooked to the fixing bolt of the second object to lock the first object on the second object.

An electronic device of the disclosure uses the above-mentioned latch assembly. The above-mentioned first object is a fan module, and the above-mentioned second object is a chassis. The chassis has a chassis sidewall and a fixing bolt. The fixing bolt is fixed on the chassis sidewall. The fan module is adapted to be mounted in the chassis, and fan module has a module sidewall. The latch assembly is mounted on the module sidewall. The latch assembly includes a latch, a moving member, and a rotating hook. The latch is pivotally connected to the module sidewall of the fan module. The moving member is movably disposed on the module sidewall and connected to the latch. The rotating hook is pivoted on the module sidewall and connected to the moving member. The rotating hook and the latch are respectively connected to opposite sides of the moving member. When the fan module is placed in the chassis, the rotating hook of the latch assembly is adapted to be hooked to the fixing bolt of the chassis.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the latch is provided with a holding portion and a rotating portion. The rotating portion is provided with a first guide rail. The chassis is further provided with a first pin assembled on the chassis sidewall. The first pin is adapted to cooperate with the first guide rail.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the moving member is provided with a guide groove extending along a gravity direction. The first pin is correspondingly located in the guide groove. The first pin and the guide groove are adapted to guide each other.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the latch is further provided with a first protrusion protruding from the rotating portion toward the moving member. The moving member is provided with a second guide rail. The first protrusion is located in the second guide rail.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the second guide rail includes a main guide rail, a first branch, and a second branch. The first branch and the second branch extend in different directions from the main guide rail. The first branch and the second branch have an angular relationship. The first protrusion is adapted to move in the main guide rail, the first branch, or the second branch.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a first elastic member. The first elastic member is connected between the moving member and the module sidewall. The moving member is adapted to be restored by an elastic force of the first elastic member.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the moving member is further provided with a third guide rail. The rotating hook has a second protrusion. The second protrusion is located in the third guide rail.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a stop assembled on the module sidewall. The stop is adapted to fix a position of the moving member.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a second elastic member connected between the stop and the module sidewall. The stop is adapted to be restored by an elastic force of the second elastic member.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a sidewall of the moving member is provided with a plurality of engaging slots. The engaging slots have different heights in a gravity direction. The stop is adapted to be in contact with one of the engaging slots to limit the position of the moving member in the gravity direction.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the stop is provided with a guide inclined surface, and the chassis is provided with a second pin. The second pin is assembled on the chassis sidewall and disposed corresponding to the stop. When the fan module moves in the chassis in a gravity direction, the guide inclined surface and the second pin guide each other to move the stop away from the moving member.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the module sidewall has a bent portion bent toward the chassis, and the chassis further includes a guide structure protruding toward the module sidewall. When the fan module is assembled on the chassis, the bent portion moves along the guide structure.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a handle. The latch assembly is disposed as a pair of latch assemblies respectively mounted on a pair of module sidewalls of the fan module. The handle is connected between the pair of latch assemblies.

Based on the foregoing, in the latch assembly and the electronic device using the latch assembly of the disclosure, the first object (the fan module) and the second object (the chassis) can be locked together or unlocked for disassembly by a simple gesture of rotating the latch of the latch assembly. Accordingly, laborsaving disassembly and assembly can be achieved without the use of other hand tools.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG.1is a schematic exploded diagram of an electronic device.FIG.2Ais a schematic partial view of the electronic device inFIG.1.FIG.2Bis a schematic exploded view ofFIG.2A.FIG.3is a schematic view of a side of the electronic device ofFIG.2A. With reference toFIG.1,FIG.2A, andFIG.3together, a latch assembly1is adapted to be mounted on a first object, and to cooperate with the structure on a second object to lock the first object on the second object. Embodied in the electronic device of this embodiment, the first object is a fan module2and the second object is a chassis3. The specific configuration of the electronic device will be described in detail below.

With continued reference toFIG.1,FIG.2A, andFIG.3together, the chassis3has a chassis sidewall31and a fixing bolt32. The fixing bolt32is fixed on the chassis sidewall31and protrudes toward the inside of the chassis3. The fan module2has a module sidewall21. The latch assembly1is mounted on the module sidewall21. The fan module2is configured to be accommodated in the chassis3. A user may lock the fan module2into the chassis3by operating the latch assembly1.

The latch assembly1includes a latch11, a moving member12, and a rotating hook13. The latch11may be pivotally connected to the module sidewall21of the fan module2utilizing bolts or screws. Therefore, the latch11may rotate relative to the module sidewall21taking the bolt as the rotation axis. This way the latch11is pivotally connected to the module sidewall21is not limited to bolts or screws.

The moving member12is assembled on the module sidewall21and connected to the latch11. The moving member12may be driven by the latch11to move relative to the module sidewall21along a gravity direction G or along an opposite direction of the gravity direction G.

In the gravity direction G, the rotating hook13and the latch11are located on opposite sides of the moving member12. To be more specific, the latch11is adjacent to the top (not labeled) of the fan module2, and the rotating hook13is adjacent to the bottom (not labeled) of the fan module2. The rotating hook13may be pivoted on the module sidewall21utilizing bolts or screws, and the rotating hook13is connected to the moving member12. Therefore, when driven by the moving member12, the rotating hook13may rotate relative to the moving member12taking the bolt or screw as the center of rotation.

By the use of the latch assembly1, after placing the fan module2in the chassis3, the user may hold and rotate the latch11to rotate the latch11relative to the module sidewall21. The latch11may link the moving member12to move the moving member12in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G. At this time, the rotating hook13is driven to rotate, so that the rotating hook13is hooked to the fixing bolt32on the chassis3to lock the fan module2to the chassis3.

FIG.4is a schematic view of the module sidewall of the fan module ofFIG.2A. For the sake of clarity, the moving member12is omitted inFIG.4. With reference toFIG.2A,FIG.3, andFIG.4together, the latch11is provided with a holding portion111and a rotating portion112. The rotating portion112is provided with a first guide rail113. The chassis3is also provided with a first pin P1protruding toward the fan module2. When the fan module2is mounted inside the chassis3and the holding portion111is relatively close to the fan module2, the first pin P1is correspondingly located in the first guide rail113.

In addition, the moving member12is provided with a guide groove121extending along the gravity direction G. The first pin P1is also correspondingly located in the guide groove121(shown inFIG.6), so that the first pin P1and the guide groove121guide each other when the moving member12moves in the gravity direction G. In other words, according to the status of the latch11, the first pin P1may be located in the guide groove121of the moving member12and the first guide rail113of the rotating portion112at the same time.

With reference toFIG.2B,FIG.3, andFIG.4together, the latch11is also provided with a first protrusion114. The moving member12is provided with a second guide rail122. The first protrusion114is located in the second guide rail122and may move in the second guide rail122.

Specifically, the second guide rail122includes a main guide rail1221, a first branch1222, and a second branch1223. The first branch1222and the second branch1223extend into branches from the main guide rail1221toward the of the moving member12. There exists a distance difference between the first branch1222and the second branch1223in the gravity direction G. To be more specific, the first branch1222and the second branch1223have an angular relationship. The first branch1222extend along a horizontal direction P, and the second branch1223extend toward the top (not labeled) of the fan module2. As the latch11rotates relative to the fan module2, the position of the first protrusion114in the second guide rail122can be switched, so that the first protrusion114is located in the first branch1222or the second branch1223.

The electronic device also includes a first elastic member14connected between the moving member12and the module sidewall21. The moving member12is restored along the gravity direction G by an elastic force of the first elastic member14. The first elastic member14may be a spring.

The moving member12is also provided with a third guide rail123. The rotating hook13has a second protrusion131. The second protrusion131is located in the third guide rail123. In this embodiment, the third guide rail123has an angular relationship with the horizontal direction P and the gravity direction G. An inclination angle of the third guide rail123may be changed according to requirements.

The electronic device also includes a plurality of first position limiting members15assembled on the module sidewall21. The first position limiting members15are configured to limit the height of the moving member12in a normal direction N of the module sidewall21. Specifically, the first position limiting members15are screws locked on the module sidewall21and arranged to form a track to limit the moving member12to moving back and forth only in the gravity direction G. In addition, the first position limiting members15also interfere with the moving member12to prevent the moving member12from moving in the normal direction N of the module sidewall21and/or in the horizontal direction P, where the horizontal direction P is perpendicular to both the gravity direction G and the normal direction N of the module sidewall21.

The electronic device also includes a stop16assembled on the module sidewall21. The stop16is adapted to move in the horizontal direction P to stop or release the moving member12.

A plurality of second position limiting members17are assembled on the module sidewall21to limit the height of the stop16in the normal direction N of the module sidewall21. In addition, the second position limiting members17are also configured to limit the stop16to moving back and forth only in the horizontal direction P, instead of moving in the normal direction N of the module sidewall21or moving in the gravity direction G.

In addition, a second elastic member18is connected between the stop16and the module sidewall21, so that the stop16can be restored in an opposite direction of the horizontal direction P by an elastic force of the second elastic member18. The second elastic member18may be a spring.

It is worth mentioning that a sidewall12A of the moving member12is provided with a plurality of engaging slots125and126(shown inFIG.6A). The engaging slots125and126have different heights in the gravity direction G. To be more specific, the height of the engaging slot126in the gravity direction G is lower than the height of the engaging slot125in the gravity direction G. The stop16is configured to be in contact with one of the engaging slots125or126to limit a position of the moving member12in the gravity direction G.

Furthermore, the stop16is provided with a guide inclined surface161. The chassis3is provided with a second pin P2(shown inFIG.6A). The second pin P2is assembled on the chassis sidewall31and disposed corresponding to the stop16. When the moving member12moves in the gravity direction G, the guide inclined surface161and the second pin P2guide each other to drive the stop16to move in the horizontal direction P to unlock the moving member12.

FIG.5toFIG.8illustrates flows of operating a latch for a latch assembly to lock a fan module on a chassis.

First, with reference toFIG.5, the latch11is rotated from 0 degree to 90 degree to move the first protrusion114from an end of the second branch1223adjacent to the sidewall12A of the moving member12to an end of the main guide rail1221adjacent to the other sidewall12B of the moving member12. Then, the fan module2is placed in the chassis3.

Then, with reference toFIG.5andFIG.6together, by a bent portion211of the module sidewall21and a guide structure33inside the chassis3guiding each other, the fan module2is placed in the chassis3along the gravity direction G.

Then, with reference toFIG.6,FIG.7, andFIG.8, the latch11is rotated from 90 degrees to 0 degrees. During this process, the first protrusion114moves in the second guide rail122from the main guide rail1221into the first branch1222and abuts against an end of the first branch1222adjacent to the sidewall12A of the moving member12. During the movement of the first protrusion114, the first elastic member14provides an elastic restoration force to the moving member12to move the moving member12in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G.

In addition, as the latch11rotates, the first guide rail113of the latch11interferes with the first pin P1, and the first pin P1enters and is located in the first guide rail113. At this time, a lever is formed by the contact between the first pin P1and the first guide rail113, and the moving member12and the chassis sidewall31generate a relative linear motion to move the fan module2along the gravity direction G.

Moreover, since the second protrusion131is located in the third guide rail123, along with the relative linear motion of the moving member12and the chassis sidewall31, the rotating hook13is driven by the moving member12to rotate to be engaged with the fixing bolt32. Accordingly, the fan module2is locked in the chassis3.

FIG.6Ais a schematic view of the second pin and the guide inclined surface interfering with each other to drive the stop to be withdrawn from the engaging slot.FIG.8Ais a schematic view of the stop engaged into another engaging slot. With reference toFIG.6A,FIG.7, andFIG.8Ain sequence, during the process where the fan module2moves along the gravity direction G to be placed into the chassis3, while the moving member12moves relative to the chassis sidewall31in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G, the second pin P2disposed on the chassis sidewall31is in contact with the guide inclined surface161of the stop16from below the stop16. In addition, the second pin P2is guided and interfered with by the guide inclined surface161, and drives the stop16to move along the horizontal direction P to withdraw the stop16from the engaging slot125of the moving member12and lift the position limitation on the moving member12, so that the moving member12can be moved by the elastic restoration force of the first elastic member14in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G. At this time, the second elastic member18stores the elastic restoration force. When the fan module2continues to move relative to the chassis3in the gravity direction G to separate the second pin P2from the guide inclined surface161, the elastic restoration force of second elastic member18drives the stop16to move in the opposite direction of the horizontal direction P to be restored, and the moving member12continues to move in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G to engage the stop16into the another engaging slot126of the moving member12to limit the moving member12to moving in the gravity direction G.

When it is required to disassemble the fan module2from the chassis3, with reference toFIG.5toFIG.8Ain an opposite sequence, the latch11is rotated from 0 degrees to 90 degrees again. A cam portion115(shown inFIG.2B) of the latch11abuts against the moving member12, and drives the moving member12to move along the gravity direction G. A second guide surface162of the stop16interferes with the engaging slot126to move the stop16away from the moving member12. At this time, the first protrusion114moves from an end of the first branch1222adjacent to the sidewall12A of the moving member12to an end of the main guide rail1221adjacent to the sidewall12B of the moving member12. In addition, as the moving member12moves, the rotating hook13starts to be separated from the fixing bolt32. Moreover, through the leverage effect caused by the interference between an arc structure1131of the first guide rail113and the first pin P1, the fan module2moves relative to the chassis sidewall31in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G. At this time, the second pin P2enters the guide inclined surface161of the stop16and moves the stop16along the horizontal direction P, and the rotating hook13is in a loose state. At this time, the fan module2may be taken out of the chassis3in the opposite direction of the gravity direction G. During the process of separating the fan module2from the chassis3, the stop16starts to be restored and engaged into the moving slot125of the moving member12to fix the moving member12and the rotating hook13, so that the fan module12may stand with a stand127and the rotating hook13.

FIG.9is a schematic view of a fan module placed on a desktop. With reference toFIG.9, it is worth mentioning that the fan module12may stand on a desktop T with the stand127and the rotating hook13thereof. Therefore, when the fan module12is placed on the desktop T, a connector5mounted in the fan module12to be connected to a circuit board6(shown inFIG.5orFIG.8) in the chassis3may not be in direct contact with the desktop T, which prevents the connector5from damage.

Then, with continued reference toFIG.5andFIG.8, after the fan module2is completely separated from the chassis3, when the latch11is to be closed, the latch11is rotated from 90 degrees back to 0 degrees. The first protrusion114enters the second branch1223from the main guide rail1221and abuts on an end of the second branch1223adjacent to the sidewall12A of the moving member12.

As shown from the above, the fan module2and the chassis3can be locked together or unlocked for disassembly by a simple gesture of rotating the latch11of the latch assembly1, achieving convenient disassembly and assembly for the user.

In passing, the latch assembly1in this embodiment may be disposed as a pair of latch assemblies mounted on two opposite module sidewalls21of the fan module2, and the pair of latch assemblies1may be connected using a handle4. More specifically, the distal end of the holding portion111relatively away from the rotating portion112is locked on the handle4. Accordingly, the latch11can be driven to operate more easily by lifting the handle4.

In summary of the foregoing, in the latch assembly and the electronic device using the latch assembly of the disclosure, the first object (the fan module) and the second object (the chassis) can be locked together or unlocked for disassembly by a simple gesture of rotating the latch of the latch assembly, achieving convenient disassembly and assembly.

In addition, the assembly or disassembly of the first object and the second object does not require additional hand tools, such as screwdrivers.

Moreover, the rotation of the latch does not require a relatively great force, which achieves laborsaving disassembly and assembly.

Furthermore, the fan module may stand on the desktop with the stand and the rotating hook thereof. Therefore, when the fan module stands on the desktop, the connector mounted in the fan module is not in contact with the desktop, which prevents the connector from damage.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.

In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure covers modifications and variations provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.