Rotary mechanism and electronic device thereof

A rotary mechanism includes a supporter and a bracket. The supporter includes a body, a pivot portion and a support portion. The body whereon the pivot portion is disposed is disposed on a base. The support portion includes a bar and a guiding structure. A low end of the bar is connected to the body, and the guiding structure is disposed on a top end of the bar. The bracket includes a frame, a constraint portion, a pivot slot structure and a contact portion. The constraint portion and the pivot slot structure are disposed on the frame. The contact portion slides along the guiding structure when the bracket rotates relative to the supporter, so that position of the pivot portion moves from an end to the other end of the pivot slot structure structure, and the constraint portion contacts against the body for constraint rotation of the bracket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rotary mechanism and an electronic device thereof, and more particularly, to a rotary mechanism and a related electronic device utilizing own weight to provide rotary fixing function.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional computer host utilizes a metal bracket to fix the electronic component with heavy weight and large volume, such as the optical disk driver, the hard disk driver and the other storage device. For convenient assembly and disassembly, the electronic component of the computer host can be assembled with and disposed inside the casing of the computer host via the rotary folding mechanism. Disassembly of the electronic component from the casing can be operated easily by the rotary folding mechanism. However, the conventional rotary folding mechanism does not have function of rotation constraint. When the rotary folding mechanism rotates out of the casing for replacement of the electronic component, the rotary folding mechanism may fall down accidentally and results in damage of the electronic component. Therefore, design of the rotary mechanism capable of fixing the rotation angle to increase operational safety when assembling and disassembling the electronic component is an important issue in the related computer mechanical design industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a rotary mechanism and a related electronic device utilizing own weight to provide rotary fixing function for solving above drawbacks.

According to the claimed invention, a rotary mechanism for adjusting a position of an electronic component relative to a base is disclosed. The rotary mechanism includes a supporter and a bracket. The bracket pivots to the supporter and is rotatably located between a first position and a second position. The supporter includes a body, a pivot portion and a support portion. The body is disposed on the base. The pivot portion is disposed on the body. The support portion includes a bar and a guiding structure. A bottom end of the bar is connected to the body. The guiding structure is disposed on a top end of the bar. The bracket includes a frame, a constraint portion, a pivot slot structure and a contact portion. The frame holds the electronic component. The constraint portion is disposed on a side of the frame adjacent to the supporter. The pivot slot structure is disposed on the frame and pivots to the pivot portion for rotating the bracket between the first position and the second position. The pivot slot structure includes a first area and a second area connected to each other. The contact portion is disposed on an edge of the frame. The contact portion contacts and slides relative to the guiding structure of the supporter when the bracket rotates between the first position and the second position. The pivot portion is located at the first area of the pivot slot structure when the bracket rotates relative to the supporter to the first position. The pivot portion further moves to the second area of the pivot slot structure when the bracket rotates relative to the supporter to the second position, and the constraint portion contacts against the body to constrain rotation of the bracket relative to the supporter at a first direction.

According to the claimed invention, an electronic device includes a base and a rotary mechanism rotatably disposed on the base. The rotary mechanism includes a supporter and a bracket . The bracket pivots to the supporter and is rotatably located between a first position and a second position. The supporter includes a body, a pivot portion and a support portion. The body is disposed on the base. The pivot portion is disposed on the body. The support portion includes a bar and a guiding structure. A bottom end of the bar is connected to the body. The guiding structure is disposed on a top end of the bar. The bracket includes a frame, a constraint portion, a pivot slot structure and a contact portion. The frame holds an electronic component. The constraint portion is disposed on a side of the frame adjacent to the supporter. The pivot slot structure is disposed on the frame and pivots to the pivot portion for rotating the bracket between the first position and the second position. The pivot slot structure includes a first area and a second area connected to each other. The contact portion is disposed on an edge of the frame. The contact portion contacts and slides relative to the guiding structure of the supporter when the bracket rotates between the first position and the second position. The pivot portion is located at the first area of the pivot slot structure when the bracket rotates relative to the supporter to the first position. The pivot portion further moves to the second area of the pivot slot structure when the bracket rotates relative to the supporter to the second position, and the constraint portion contacts against the body to constrain rotation of the bracket relative to the supporter at a first direction.

The present invention can decrease component amounts of the carrier for the electronic component, and provide an automatic constraint function for fixing the bracket. The rotary mechanism and the related electronic device of the present invention can automatically fix the bracket when the bracket rotates to the predetermined angle, to prevent the bracket from accidental fall. The present invention effectively increases operation safety and enhances assembly/disassembly efficiency to economize manufacturing period of the product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 2.FIG. 1andFIG. 2respectively are diagrams of an electronic device10indifferent operational modes according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device10includes a base12and a rotary mechanism14. An electronic unit, such as the power supply and the main board, can be disposed on the base12. The rotary mechanism14is utilized to hold one or more detachable electronic components16, such as the hard disk and/or the optical disk drive. The rotary mechanism14is rotatably disposed on the base12and adjacent to a lateral wall121of the base12. As shown inFIG. 1, the rotary mechanism14is accommodated inside the base12, and the electronic device10is switched to the normal mode. For disassembly of the electronic component16, as shown inFIG. 2, the rotary mechanism14can rotate relative to the lateral wall121to move out of the base12, and the electronic component16can be disassembled conveniently.

The rotary mechanism14includes a supporter18and a bracket20, and the bracket20pivots to the supporter18. Please refer toFIG. 3.FIG. 3is a diagram of the supporter18according to the embodiment of the present invention. The supporter18includes a body22, a pivot portion24and a plurality of support portions26. The body22is mounted to the lateral wall121to fix the supporter18on the base12. The pivot portion24can include a pivot hole241and a pivot component243. The pivot hole241is at least formed on a side of the body22, and the pivot component243can be the screw passing through the pivot hole241. The supporter18further can include a connect portion25. The pivot portion24and the connect portion25are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the body22. The connect portion25can be an annular hole or a slot-shaped hole.

The plurality of support portions26is disposed on the other side of the body22different from the pivot portion24and the connect portion25, and is located between the pivot portion24and the connect portion25. Each support portion26includes a bar28, a guiding structure30and a protruding structure32. A bottom end281of the bar28is connected to the body22, and the guiding structure30is disposed on a top end283of the bar28. The guiding structure30has predetermined curvature and predetermined length. The protruding structure32is disposed on a lateral side of the top end283and connected to the guiding structure30. The guiding structure30and the protruding structure32respectively are arc structures, and the curvature of the guiding structure30is substantially different from a curvature of the protruding structure32.

Please refer toFIG. 4.FIG. 4is a diagram of the bracket20according to the embodiment of the present invention. The bracket20includes a frame34, a constraint portion36, a pivot slot structure38, a contact portion40and a stop portion42. The electronic component16can be disposed inside the frame34or on an outer wall of the framer34. The constraint portion36is disposed on a side of the frame34adjacent to the supporter18. The pivot slot structure38is disposed on a position of the frame34close to the pivot portion24, and the pivot component243can insert into the pivot slot structure38to pivotally connect the pivot portion24with the pivot slot structure38. A shaft (not shown in figures) is disposed on a position of the bracket20opposite to the pivot slot structure38, and pivots to the connect portion25of the supporter18. The bracket20can rotate relative to the supporter18via an assembly of the pivot slot structure38and the pivot portion24and an assembly of the connect portion25and the shaft.

The contact portion40and the stop portion42are disposed on the bottom of the frame34and respectively face to different directions. An angle is formed between the contact portion40and the stop portion42, for example, the angle between the contact portion40and the stop portion42is preferably equal to 90 degrees. As shown inFIG. 1, the stop portion42contacts against the body22of the supporter18to constrain rotation of the bracket20relative to the supporter18at the first direction D2when the rotary mechanism14rotates relative to the base12to the closed mode (the normal mode). As shown inFIG. 2, the contact portion40slides along the guiding structure30when the rotary mechanism14rotates relative to the base12to the open mode (the detachable mode). The bracket20falls down due to its own gravity, the pivot portion24moves from an end of the pivot slot structure38to the other opposite end, the bracket20moves close to the supporter18, and the constraint portion36contacts against the body22to constrain the rotation of the bracket20.

The pivot slot structure38can selectively include a first area381, a second area382and a bridge area383connected to each other. The first area381is connected to the second area382in a nonparallel manner, and the bridge area383is located between the first area381and the second area382. For example, the first area381, the second area382and the bridge area383are connected to form an L-shaped space. In this other embodiment, the bridge area383can be omitted, and the first area381and the second area382are connected to form an arc space. As the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18to the open mode, the pivot component243of the pivot portion24can move from the first area381to the second area382, height difference between the first area381and the second area382can be substantially equal to movement of the bracket20by the gravity. For preferred operation of the rotary mechanism14, the pivot slot structure38utilizes the bridge area383to provide tolerance. As shown inFIG. 4, the pivot slot structure38can be designed as the L-shaped structure, so that vertical shift and horizontal shift of the bracket20are simultaneously generated when the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18.

As shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4, the bracket20can further include a plurality of first engaged slots44formed on position of the constraint portion36adjacent to the support portion26. An amount of the first engaged slot44corresponds to an amount of the support portion26. When the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18to the position shown inFIG. 2, the protruding structure32of the support portion26can be engaged with the first engaged slot44, to constrain the rotation of the bracket20and to prevent the bracket20from overturn. The bracket20further can include a plurality of second engaged slots46formed on the contact portion40of the constraint portion40. The second engaged slots46are vertically arranged below the first engaged slots44, and each second engaged slot46is located at the stretching direction D1of the corresponding first engaged slot44. As the bracket20rotates to the maximum angle, the protruding structure32can be alternatively engaged with the first engaged slot44or the second engaged slot46according to the height difference between the bracket20and the supporter18. Therefore, the rotary mechanism14can utilize engagement motion to provide hand feeling when the bracket20is switched to and located at the normal mode.

Please refer toFIG. 3,FIG. 4, andFIG. 5toFIG. 8.FIG. 5toFIG. 8respectively are diagrams of the rotary mechanism14in different operational modes according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 5, which is a partially structural diagram of the rotary mechanism shown inFIG. 1, the stop portion42contacts against the body22of the supporter18, the bracket20is stably at the closed mode. The first angle A1between the bracket20and the base12(not shown inFIG. 5) can be preferably equal to zero degree, which means the bracket20is substantially parallel to the base12. In the meanwhile, the pivot component243of the pivot portion24moves into the first area381, and the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18to be located at the first position.

As shown inFIG. 6, the bracket20rotates from the first angle A1to the second angle A2, and the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18to depart from the first position. The pivot component243of the pivot portion24rotates inside the first area381of the pivot slot structure38without linear movement relative to the pivot slot structure38, which means the rotary center of the pivot portion24is immobile. The protruding structure32is disposed by the bar28, the contact portion40of the bracket20slides from the guiding structure30to the protruding structure32, and the protruding structure32can be engaged with the second engaged slot46(as shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4) of the supporter18. The bracket20is shifted by the protruding structure32, so that the rotary center of the pivot portion24relative to the pivot slot structure38can move between the first area381and the second area382. In this embodiment of the present invention, the second angle A2can be preferably equal to 45 degrees.

As shown inFIG. 7, the bracket20rotates from the second angle A2to the third angle A3, and the third angle A3can be preferably equal to 90 degrees. When the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18to the maximum angle (the third angle A3), the contact portion40slides along the protruding structure32, position of the bracket20can be shifted according to arc structure of the protruding structure32. For example, the position of the bracket20may have the vertical shift or the horizontal shift. In the meantime, the protruding structure32is engaged inside the second engaged slot46, the pivot component243of the pivot portion24can simultaneously rotate inside the pivot slot structure38and move from the first area381to the bridge area383.

Please refer toFIG. 8andFIG. 9.FIG. 9is another view of the rotary mechanism14shown inFIG. 8. When an external force applied to the rotation of the bracket20is removed, the bracket20falls down by the gravity. The pivot component243of the pivot portion24moves from the bridge area383to the second area382of the pivot slot structure38, and the bracket20rotates relative to the supporter18to the second position. The constraint portion38contacts against the body22of the supporter18due to structural interference, and the protruding structure32moves from the second engaged slot46to the first engaged slot44(as shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4), so as to constrain the rotation of the bracket20relative to the supporter18at the first direction D2.

For switching the rotary mechanism14from the open mode to the closed mode, the external force is applied to lift the bracket20, to relieve the structural interference between the constraint portion36and the body22. The pivot component243of the pivot portion24can move from the second area382to the bridge area383of the pivot slot structure38, as shown inFIG. 8toFIG. 7. Then, the bracket20rotates to be accommodated inside the base12, the pivot component243of the pivot portion24moves from the bridge area383to the first area381of the pivot slot structure38, and the stop portion42contacts against the supporter18, as shown inFIG. 7toFIG. 5. The bracket20can rotate relative to the supporter18from the second position shown inFIG. 8to the first position shown inFIG. 5, and the rotary mechanism14is switched to the closed mode.

In conclusion, the rotary mechanism of the present invention utilizes an arc structure of the top end of the support portion to control a rotation track of the bracket relative to the supporter, to ensure the pivot portion of the supporter can be located at the first area or the bridge area when the bracket does not fall. The bracket can freely rotate because the constraint portion is not interfered with the body. As the contact portion moves from the guiding structure to the protruding structure, the support portion does not provide an upward force to the bracket, and the bracket falls down after the external force is removed. The pivot slot structure contacts the pivot portion by the second area, and the constraint portion misaligns with the body due to the fall of the bracket, so that the rotary mechanism can prevent the bracket from rotation relative to the supporter via the structural interference between the constraint portion and the body. The protruding structure of the support portion can be sequentially engaged with the second engaged slot and the first engaged slot during the fall of the bracket, vibration of the bracket is generated when the protruding structure is switched between the two engaged slots for prompt of the hand feeling. Closing procedure of the rotary mechanism of the present invention is reverse operation of the above-mentioned opening procedure, and a detailed description is omitted herein for simplicity.

Comparing to the prior art, the present invention can decrease component amounts of the carrier for the electronic component, and provide an automatic constraint function for fixing the bracket. The rotary mechanism and the related electronic device of the present invention can automatically fix the bracket when the bracket rotates to the predetermined angle, to prevent the bracket from accidental fall. The present invention effectively increases operation safety and enhances assembly/disassembly efficiency to economize manufacturing period of the product.