Locking mechanism and server having the same

A locking mechanism and server having the same are provided. The locking structure is assembled to a rack having a positioning hole. The server including a slide rail assembly, a chassis and a locking structure. The slide rail assembly includes an outer slide rail and an inner slide rail. The chassis is fixed to one side of the inner slide rail and movable with the inner slide rail. The locking structure is fastened to the positioning hole and fixed to the inner slide rail. The locking structure includes a housing, a handle, a hook element, and a resilient element. When the handle is rotated to drive the hook element to be detached from the positioning hole, the chassis is released and movable with respect to the rack. The locking structure has a simple structural design, so costs can be reduced.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a locking mechanism and, in particular, to a locking mechanism and a server having the same.

BACKGROUND

A server typically incorporates a chassis. The chassis is slid into a cabinet by using a slide rail assembly and is fastened to a rack, by using a fastening mechanism, to prevent the chassis from being accidentally detached from the rack.

In conventional servers, the fastening mechanism is directly assembled to the chassis, and then is fastened to the rack. When the fastening mechanism malfunctions or is damaged, it has to be detached, repaired or replaced, resulting in vibrations in the chassis, which may compromise the performance of the server or damage components inside. Furthermore, the conventional fastening mechanism has a complicate structure with more components inside, leading to high costs.

In view of this, the inventor studied various technologies and created an effective solution in the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a locking mechanism and a server having the same, lowering costs by its simple structural design.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a locking mechanism and a server having the same. The locking structure is not directly assembled to the chassis, so assembling and replacement are simple and convenient.

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a locking mechanism and a server having the same, whereby a chassis is more securely fixed.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a server having a locking mechanism, the server comprising a slide rail assembly, a chassis and a locking structure. The slide rail assembly is assembled to the rack. The slide rail assembly includes an outer slide rail and an inner slide rail slidable with respect to the outer slide rail. The chassis is fixed to one side of the inner slide rail and movable with the inner slide rail. The locking structure is fastened to a positioning hole of a rack and fixed to the inner slide rail. The locking structure includes a housing, a handle pivotally rotatable with respect to the housing, a hook element movable in association with the handle, and a resilient element for restoring the hook element to an initial position. When the handle is rotated to drive the hook element to be detached from the positioning hole, the chassis is released and movable with respect to the rack.

Accordingly, the present invention further provides a locking mechanism which is mounted on an inner slide rail of a slide rail assembly. The locking mechanism includes a housing, a handle pivotally rotatable with respect to the housing, a hook element movable in association with the handle, and a resilient element for restoring the hook element to an initial position, wherein the handle is rotated to drive the hook element to rotate with respect to the inner slide rail, so as to pull the inner slide rail to slide with respect to the slide rail assembly.

In the present embodiment, the handle includes a first pivot portion pivotally connected to the housing and a pivot block protruding from the first pivot portion. The hook element includes a second pivot portion pivotally connected to the housing and includes a hook portion and a push portion connected to the second pivot portion at its two sides. A length from the second pivot portion to the push portion is larger than a length from the first pivot portion to the pivot block, so it is much easier for the push portion to drive rotation of the pivot block, and thereby the hook element can automatically return to the initial position.

The locking structure has a simple structural design and allows convenient operations and easy assembling, and therefore costs are significantly reduced. The locking structure is not directly assembled to the chassis, thus greatly reducing vibration occurrence in the chassis during processes of unlocking the locking structure and withdrawing or pushing back the chassis, thereby protecting components inside the chassis.

Another advantage of the present embodiment is that an elastic hook is utilized to further ensure the securing effect between the slide rail assembly and the rack, so the chassis can be more securely fixed to the slide rail assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed descriptions and technical contents of the present disclosure are illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the descriptions and the accompanying drawings disclosed herein are merely illustrative and exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 7, the present invention provides a server100having a locking mechanism. The server100comprises a slide rail assembly1, a chassis2and a locking structure3. The locking structure3is fastened to a rack110having a positioning hole112. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, it is preferably that there are two slide rail assemblies1assembled to the rack110to form a cabinet (not labelled), so that the chassis2can be withdrawn or pushed into the cabinet. The locking structure3is assembled to one single slide rail assembly1. In other words, each chassis2has two locking structures3to facilitate a user's withdrawing or pushing back the chassis2. However, only one slide rail assembly1and one locking structure3will be described hereinafter for brevity.

The slide rail assembly1is assembled to the rack110, the slide rail assembly1includes an outer slide rail11and an inner slide rail12slidable with respect to the outer slide rail11. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the slide rail assembly1further includes a middle slide rail13installed between the outer slide rail11and the inner slide rail12. The middle slide rail13can improve the structural strength of the inner slide rail12or allow the chassis2to be withdrawn a longer distance. The chassis2is fixed to one side of the inner slide rail12and is moved with the inner slide rail12.

The locking structure3is assembled to the positioning hole112of the rack110and fixed to the inner slide rail12(i.e. fixed to the other side of the inner slide rail12opposite to the chassis2). The locking structure3includes a housing31, a handle32pivotally rotatable with respect to the housing31, a hook element33movable in association with the handle32, and a resilient element34for restoring the hook element33to an initial position (not labelled). When the handle32is rotated to drive the hook element33to be detached from the positioning hole112, the chassis2is released and movable with respect to the rack110.

Referring toFIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 7, the handle32includes a first pivot portion321pivotally connected to the housing31and a pivot block322protruding from the first pivot portion321, and the hook element33includes a second pivot portion331pivotally connected to the housing31and includes a hook portion333and a push portion332connected to the second pivot portion331at its two sides. The push portion332is disposed corresponding to the pivot block322, and the hook portion333is detachably fastened to the positioning hole112.

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 9, the housing31further includes a blocker311disposed corresponding to the pivot block322, a hook hole312from which the hook element33sticks out, and a rod313protruding from an inner surface of the housing31. The blocker311prevents over-rotation of the handle32. The hook element33includes a bar334disposed between the second pivot portion331and the hook portion333. The rod313and the bar334are inserted in two ends of the resilient element34, respectively. The resilient element34can store potential energy for restoring the hook element33to the initial position (i.e. a locked statement).

The housing31further includes an accommodating space314receiving the resilient element34, two shafts35inserted through the first pivot portion321and the second pivot portion331respectively, and an opening315communicating with the accommodating space314. The handle32includes a pull part323adjacent to the opening315. Therefore, a user's fingers can pass through the opening315to hold the pull part323to unlock the locking structure3. Each of the shafts35is, for example, a pin. The two shafts35are pivotally fixed to the housing31.

As shown inFIGS. 7 to 9, a length H from the second pivot portion331to the push portion332is larger than a length h from the first pivot portion321to the pivot block322. That is to say, a lever arm from the second pivot portion331to the push portion332is larger than a lever arm from the first pivot portion321to the pivot block322, so it is much easier for the push portion332to drive rotation of the drive block322. In addition, an axis of the first pivot portion321and an axis of the second pivot portion331are not on the same horizontal plane. As a result, the push portion332and the pivot block322are movable in association with each other in an abutting manner.

When the handle32is rotated to drive rotation of the hook element33, the pivot block322pushes the push portion332to cause the hook portion333to rotate about the second pivot portion331, so the hook portion333is tilted to be detached from the positioning hole112of the rack110, and at the same time the resilient element34stretches out to store potential energy for automatically restoring the hook element33to the original position. As shown inFIG. 10, the user keeps holding the handle32and exerts an outward force, then the chassis2can be pulled out (i.e. a released state). Referring toFIG. 12, when the user releases the handle32, the hook portion333is pulled back by the resilient element34, so that the hook element33is restored to the original position. It should be noted that, when the resilient element34is pulling back the hook portion333, the push portion332easily pushes back the pivot block322and restores the handle32to the original position due to the lever principle.

The hook portion333has an inclined surface335at its one end corresponding to the positioning hole112. Therefore, when the user is pushing back the chassis2, the inclined surface335of the hook element33can easily pass through the positioning hole112to get the hook element33fastened to the positioning hole112. By this way, the locking structure3is again in the locked state, i.e. the locking structure3is fastened to the rack110and the chassis2is also secured to the rack110, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 7.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 7, the locking structure3further includes a fixing element36. The fixing element36includes a first fixing plate361fixed to the housing31and a second fixing plate362perpendicularly connected to the first fixing plate361. The second fixing plate362is fixed to the inner slide rail12. The locking structure3also includes a reinforcing element37fixed between the housing31and the fixing element36, the reinforcing element37includes a first board371fixed to the housing31and a second board372perpendicularly connected to the first board371, and the second board372is fixed to the first fixing plate361.

In the present embodiment, the fixing element36and the reinforcing element37are separately assembled to the housing31to improve the structural strength of the housing31or enhance the connection rigidity between the housing31and the inner slide rail12. However, in alternative embodiments, one or both of the fixing element36and the reinforcing element37can be integrally formed with the housing31, and this may vary as required. In the present embodiment, a plurality of fastening elements40, such as screws or bolts, are used for fastening between the fixing element36, the reinforcing element37, the housing31, and the inner slide rail12. The fixing element36and the reinforcing element37are sized to match the dimensions of the housing31, and it is preferable that the fixing element36, the reinforcing element37and the housing31are all made of metal.

In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 11 and 12, the server100further includes a coupling element38fixed to an outer surface of the outer slide rail11, an elastic hook39disposed on the coupling element38, and two buffering elements114disposed corresponding to the locking structure3. The elastic hook39is used to improve the fastening effect of the slide rail assembly2and/or the chassis2fixed to the rack110. One end of the elastic hook39is fixed to the coupling element38, and the other end of the elastic hook39is fastened to the positioning hole112. The elastic hook39includes an elastic arm391, and the elastic arm391is in contact with an end edge of the coupling element38to keep the elastic hook39fastened to the positioning hole112. The elastic hook39and the hook element33are arranged side by side and fastened to the same positioning hole112. Each buffering element114is inserted in each positioning hole112. The buffering element114consists of, but is not limited to, rubber or silicone, used to absorb the force for pushing the locking structure3/chassis2back to the cabinet (not labelled), thereby protecting the chassis2.

Referring toFIGS. 13 and 14, the present embodiment further includes at least one securing element50and a spiral spring501receiving the securing element50. The securing element50is inserted through the housing31of the locking structure3and secured to the positioning hole113. The spiral spring501enhances the securing effect. As shown inFIG. 14, the buffering element114includes a through hole116, a sleeve element373such as a sleeve is rivet-connected to the second board372of the reinforcing element37, thereby allowing the spiral spring501to move stably in the sleeve element373. The securing element50such as a bolt or a screw is inserted through the sleeve element373, the housing31, and the through hole116of the buffering element114to be secured to the positioning hole112. This makes the chassis2more securely fixed to the rack110.

The present invention further provides a locking mechanism3which is mounted on an inner slide rail12of a slide rail assembly1. The locking mechanism3includes a housing31, a handle32pivotally rotatable with respect to the housing31, a hook element33movable in association with the handle32, and a resilient element34for restoring the hook element33to an initial position, wherein when the handle32is rotated to drive the hook element33to be rotated and detached from the positioning hole112of the chassis110, the inner slide rail12is slidable with respect to the slide rail assembly1. Other details regarding the rest structure of the locking mechanism3, a linked relationship of the components thereof, and operations of the slide rail assembly1are already described in the foregoing embodiment, so a description thereof is omitted herein for brevity.

The locking structure3of this embodiment has a simple structural design and allows convenient operations and easy assembling of all components, and therefore costs are significantly reduced. In addition to that, the locking structure3is not directly assembled to the chassis2, thus greatly reducing vibration occurrence in the chassis2during processes of unlocking the locking structure3and withdrawing or pushing back the chassis2, and thereby protecting components inside the chassis2.

Besides, the elastic hook39is utilized to further ensure the securing effect between the slide rail assembly1and the rack110, so the chassis2can be more securely fixed to the slide rail assembly1.

It is to be understood that the above descriptions are merely the preferable embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Equivalent changes and modifications made in the spirit of the present invention are regarded as falling within the scope of the present invention.