Locking/unlocking mechanism for mobile rack

A locking/unlocking mechanism for mobile rack is disclosed to include a sleeve, which has a retaining spring plate with a retaining hole, and a sliding member formed of a base, a movable holder plate, a locating plate and a handle and insertable into the sleeve, the base of the sliding member having a raised portion, which engages the retaining hole of the retaining spring plate to lock the sliding member to the sleeve, the handle is pivotally coupled to the base by the movable holder plate and the locating plate and turnable relative to the base to force the movable holder plate and to further cause the base to disengage the raised portion from the retaining hole of the retaining spring plate to unlock the sliding member from the sleeve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a mobile rack and more specifically, to a locking/unlocking mechanism for mobile rack.

2. Description of the Related Art

Mobile racks or like designs have been intensively used in different products, for example, drawers in a desk. Many electronic products are made in the form of a mobile rack, for example, mobile hard diskdrive. A mobile rack is generally comprised of an outer sleeve member and an inner sliding member detachably insertable into the outer sleeve member. After insertion of the inner sliding member into the outer sleeve member, the inner sliding member must be locked to the outer sleeve member to prevent falling from the outer sleeve member. The locking and unlocking mechanism between the inner sliding member and the outer sleeve member must be easy to operate so that the user can replace the inner sliding member conveniently when desired.

Further, photoelectric converting technology is quite important in information transmission. Photoelectric converting connectors are important members for the application of photoelectric converting technology. Regular photoelectric converting connector modules are commonly made in a mobile form like a mobile rack. Therefore, the locking/unlocking structure of a mobile photoelectric converting connector module is also important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to the present invention, the locking/unlocking mechanism comprises a sleeve member, the sleeve member comprising a receiving open chamber longitudinally extending through front and rear sides thereof, and a suspending retaining spring plate disposed at a bottom side thereof, the retaining spring plate having a center retaining hole and a front free end terminating in a beveled guide portion; a sliding member insertable into the receiving open chamber of the sleeve member, the sliding member comprising a base, a handle, a movable holder plate, and a locating plate, the base having a plurality of bottom mounting rods fastened to the locating plate and a raised portion protruding from a bottom wall thereof and adapted to engage the retaining hole of the retaining spring plate of the sleeve member, the handle having a loop-like shape and a V-shaped protruding portion disposed at a bottom side thereof on the middle, the movable holder plate having a hole adapted to accommodate the V-shaped protruding portion of the handle, a beveled guide portion adapted to match the beveled guide portion of the retaining spring plate of the sleeve member, and a sliding groove adapted to accommodate the handle, the locating plate having two mounting holes respectively fastened to the bottom mounting rods of the, a chamber adapted to accommodate the movable holder plate, two side arms symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides, and two locating grooves respectively formed in the side arms for the positioning of the handle. When inserted the sliding member into the sleeve, the raised portion of the base of the sliding member is engaged into the retaining hole of the retaining spring plate of the sleeve member to lock the sliding member to the sleeve member; when the user turned the handle outwardly downwards from the sliding member, the V-shaped protruding portion is forced against the movable holder plate, thereby causing the raised portion of the base of the sliding member to be disengaged from the retaining hole of the retaining spring plate of the sleeve member to unlock the sliding member from the sleeve member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1˜3, a locking/unlocking mechanism for mobile rack in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a sleeve member1and a sliding member2.

The sleeve member1is a rectangular sleeve insertable into a rectangular box A, comprising a receiving open chamber11longitudinally extending through the front and rear sides thereof, a retaining spring plate13formed of a part of the bottom panel12at the front side of the sleeve member1by cutting. The retaining spring plate13has a center retaining hole15and a front free end terminating in a beveled guide portion14. After insertion of the sleeve member1into the rectangular box A, the retaining spring plate13is suspending in front of the rectangular box A.

The sliding member2comprises a base21, a handle22, a movable holder plate23, and a locating plate24. The base21has the bottom wall thereof mounted with a circuit board B and a related device C. These attached members are not within the scope of the claims of the present invention. No further detailed description in this regard is necessary.

The base21has a bottom groove211formed in the bottom wall near the front side and adapted to receive the handle22, two bottom mounting rods212downwardly extending from the bottom wall behind and not far from the bottom groove211for the connection of the locating plate24, and a raised portion213protruding from the bottom wall corresponding to the retaining hole15of the retaining spring plate13and adapted to engage the retaining hole15of the retaining spring plate13after the sliding member2has been received inside the sleeve member1.

The handle22is formed of a round rod by bending, having two horizontal endpieces226transversely extending toward each other and joined by a grip221, a V-shaped protruding portion222disposed at the bottom side on the middle, two horizontal rod portions223respectively outwardly extending from the two ends of the V-shaped protruding portion222, two vertical rod portions225respectively connected between the endpieces226and the horizontal rod portions223, and two connecting rod portions224horizontally extending in longitudinal direction and respectively connected between the horizontal rod portions223and the vertical rod portions225.

The movable holder plate23is a flat member having a hole231adapted to accommodate the V-shaped protruding portion222, having a beveled guide portion232corresponding to the beveled guide portion14of the sleeve member1and adapted to match the beveled guide portion14of the sleeve member1upon insertion of the sliding member2into the inside of the sleeve member1, and a sliding groove233adapted to accommodate the horizontal rod portions223of the handle22and to guide movement of the handle22.

The locating plate24has two mounting holes241respectively fastened to the bottom mounting rods212of the base21of the sliding member2by riveting, a chamber242adapted to accommodate the movable holder plate23, two side arms243symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides, and two locating grooves244respectively formed in the side arms243at the top for the positioning of the horizontal rod portions223of the handle22.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3again, after insertion of the sliding member2into the sleeve member1, the raised portion213is engaged into the retaining hole15of the retaining spring plate13, and the V-shaped protruding portion222is engaged into the hole231of the movable holder plate23.

Referring toFIG. 4andFIG. 3again, when wishing to move the sliding member2out of the sleeve member1, turn the handle2downward to force the V-shaped protruding portion222forward, thereby causing the raised portion213to be disengaged from the retaining hole15of the retaining spring plate13to unlock the sliding member2from the sleeve member1, and therefore the user can pull the handle22to move the sliding member2out of the sleeve member1.

A prototype of locking/unlocking mechanism for mobile rack has been constructed with the features ofFIGS. 1˜4. The locking/unlocking mechanism for mobile rack functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, oscillator means may be used to atomize water into a fine spray. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.