Abstract:
A data storage device assembly includes a data storage device having two sidewalls, each sidewall having a first positioning post; a supporting bracket having two sidewalls, one of the sidewalls defining a guiding slot for locating the first positioning post; a driving member movably attached to the supporting bracket, the driving member having a sliding post; a pivoting member pivotally located between the driving member and the supporting bracket, the pivoting member defining a sliding slot for the sliding post to slide therein, and having a stopping block for locating the first positioning post; and a first elastic component for urging the driving member to move towards an original position. When the driving member is pushed, the sliding post of the driving member slides in the sliding slot to urge the pivoting member to rotate, thereby causing the first positioning post to disengage from the stopping block.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to mounting apparatuses, and more particularly to a mounting apparatus which readily secures a data storage device therein and allows convenient removal of the data storage device therefrom.  
         [0003]     2. General Background  
         [0004]     Data storage devices, such as hard disk drives, optical disk drives, and floppy disk drives, are crucial components for communications and handling of data in a computer system. In a computer enclosure of a typical personal computer, there are generally two disk drive brackets mounted therein. Usually, a variety of disk drives may be received in the disk drive brackets, which are then secured into the enclosure. There are many methods to mount data disk drives in the disk drive brackets in the enclosure. One conventional method is that many screws are employed to mount the data disk drives in the disk drive brackets. A conventional mounting apparatus includes an upper disk drive bracket and a lower disk drive bracket mounted in a computer enclosure. The opposite sides of upper and lower disk drive brackets define a plurality of through holes. A pair of joining edges is formed on opposite sides of a bottom of the lower disk drive bracket. Fixing holes are defined in the joining edges. The lower disk drive bracket is secured to a bottom of the upper disk drive bracket by screws. Then, a plurality of screws extends through the corresponding through holes of the upper and lower disk drive brackets to engage in threaded holes of disk drives, thereby securing the disk drives in the upper and lower disk drive brackets. However, not only securing the disk drive brackets is unduly painstaking and time-consuming, but also removal of the disk drives is similarly painstaking and time-consuming.  
         [0005]     A typical mounting apparatus which utilizes screws and locating means for securing a data storage device in a computer enclosure is disclosed. The enclosure comprises a bottom plate and a side plate. The side plate forms a plurality of locating catches extending from an inner side thereof. The bottom plate includes a pair of slots and a pair of upright tabs. The data storage device defines a plurality of locating apertures in both sides thereof. A board is attached to an outside surface of the data storage device. From the board a pair of bars extrude from a bottom edge and a plurality of inward locating catches from an inner side thereof. In assembly, the data storage device is inserted into the enclosure along the side plate. When the data storage device reaches the upright tabs, the locating catches of the enclosure engages in the apertures of the data storage device, the locating bars of the board pivotally engaging in the slot of the bottom plate. A screw is then extended through the board to engage with the data storage device. However, the above-described operation of the mounting assembly is unduly complicated, and may result in damage to components in the enclosure.  
         [0006]     What is needed, therefore, is a mounting apparatus with a simplified configuration, that conveniently allows the removal and attachment of a data storage device from and into a computer enclosure.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     A data storage device assembly includes a data storage device having two sidewalls, each sidewall having a first positioning post; a supporting bracket having two sidewalls, one of the sidewalls defining a guiding slot for locating the first positioning post; a driving member movably attached to the supporting bracket, the driving member having a sliding post; a pivoting member pivotally located between the driving member and the supporting bracket, the pivoting member defining a sliding slot for the sliding post to slide therein, and having a stopping block for locating the first positioning post; and a first elastic component for urging the driving member to move towards an original position. When the driving member is pushed, the sliding post of the driving member slides in the sliding slot to urge the pivoting member to rotate, thereby causing the first positioning post to disengage from the stopping block.  
         [0008]     Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with the attached drawings, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting apparatus including a supporting bracket, a locating member, a driving member, a resisting member, a first and second spring, a pivoting member, and a data storage device;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the driving member of  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a partially assembled view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 , showing all of the parts of the mounting apparatus attached to the supporting bracket except the data storage device;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an assembled view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 , showing the data storage device partially cutaway; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a disassembled view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 4 , showing the data storage device partially cutaway unlocked from the supporting bracket; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a mounting apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention which secures a data storage device  10  to a chassis of an electronic system like a computer, includes a supporting bracket  30 , a plurality of screws  40 , and a securing apparatus including a positioning member  50 , a driving member  60 , a resisting member  70 , a first and second spring  80 ,  81 , and a pivoting member  90 . In an alternative embodiment, the first and second spring  80 ,  81  can be other elastic components such as resilient cylinders.  
         [0015]     The data storage device  10  may be an optical disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive, or some other device. The data storage device  10  has two opposite sidewalls. First and second positioning posts  11 ,  12  extend from each of the sidewalls of the first data storage device  10 .  
         [0016]     The supporting bracket  30  is secured to the chassis by a well-known means. The supporting bracket  30  includes a bottom wall  31  and two opposite sidewalls. Each of the sidewalls is step-shaped. Each of the two opposite sidewalls of the supporting bracket  30  includes a lower sidewall  35 , an upper sidewall  37 , and a shoulder  33  vertically connected with the lower and upper sidewalls  35 ,  37 . A receiving space is configured within the two opposite lower sidewalls  35  and the bottom wall  31 , for receiving the data storage device  10 . One J-shaped guiding slot  351  and one horizontal guiding slots  353  are defined in each of the lower sidewalls  35 . A pair of through holes  355  is defined in one of the two lower sidewalls  35  for extension of the screws  40  therethrough, and a pair of through holes  371  is defined in one of the two upper sidewalls  37  for extension of the screws  40  therethrough, corresponding to the two through holes  355 . A rectangular opening  331  is defined in the shoulder  33  adjacent to the J-shaped guiding slot  351 .  
         [0017]     The positioning member  50  is firmly secured to one sidewall of the supporting bracket  30 . The positioning member  50  is step-shaped, and includes a first sidewall  51 , a second sidewall  53 , and a connecting wall  55  connecting the first and second sidewall  51 ,  53 . A pair of struts  511  extends from an inner side of the first sidewall  51  of the positioning member  50 , corresponding to the pair of through holes  371 . A pair of struts  531  extends from an inner side of the second sidewall  53  of the positioning member  50 , corresponding to the pair of through holes  355 . Each of the struts  511 ,  531  has an internal threaded hole defined therein to engage with each of the screws  40 . The screws  40  pass through the through holes  355 ,  371  for securely fastening the positioning member  50  to the supporting bracket  30 . A pivot pin  533  extends from the inner side of the second sidewall  53 , for pivoting the pivoting member  90  thereabout. A receiving compartment  535  is formed on the inner side of the second sidewall  53 , for receiving the second spring  81  and the resisting member  70  therein. A cutout  537  is defined in the receiving compartment  535  for extension of the resisting member  70  therethrough. A receiving space  551  is jointly defined in the inner side of the second sidewall  53  and the connecting wall  55 , for receiving the first spring  80  and the driving member  60  therein.  
         [0018]     The driving member  60  is generally L-shaped. The driving member  60  is formed to have a horizontal portion  61  and a vertical portion  63 . An operating portion  611  is formed on a top surface of the horizontal portion  61 . A receiving slot  613  is defined in a lower surface of the horizontal portion  61 . A protruding post  615  extends horizontally from an end of the receiving slot  613 . A sliding post  631  extends horizontally from the vertical portion  63 .  
         [0019]     The resisting member  70  has a wide portion  71  slidably received in the receiving compartment  535  of the positioning member  50 , and a narrow portion  73  slidably retained in the cutout  537  of the positioning member  50 . A receiving slot  711  is defined in the wide portion  71  for receiving an end of the second spring  81 .  
         [0020]     The pivoting member  90  defines a pivoting hole  91  at an end thereof, corresponding to the pivot pin  533  of the positioning member  50 . A slanted sliding slot  93  is also defined in the pivoting member  90 . A stopping block  95  is formed on an inner side of the pivoting member  90 . The stopping block  95  has a slanted top surface  951  for the first positioning post  11  of the data storage device  10  sliding thereon, and a vertical side surface  953  for preventing the first positioning post  11  from moving in a horizontal direction.  
         [0021]     Referring also to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , before the data storage device  10  is attached to the supporting bracket  30 , a plurality of screws  40 , a positioning member  50 , a driving member  60 , a resisting member  70 , a first and second spring  80 ,  81 , and a pivoting member  90  are assembled together. Firstly, one end of the first spring  80  is disposed on the protruding post  615  of the driving member  60 . Then the driving member  60  together with the first spring  80  is received into the receiving space  551  of the positioning member  50 , and the other end of the first spring  80  resists compressedly against an inner side of the receiving space  551 . The wide portion  71  of the resisting member  70  is received into the receiving compartment  535  fully, and the narrow portion  73  of the resisting member  70  extends through the cutout  537 . Simultaneously, the second spring  81  is compressedly received in the receiving compartment  535  of the positioning member  50  and the receiving slot  711  of the resisting member  70 . Furthermore, the pivot pin  533  of the positioning member  50  runs through the pivoting hole  91  of the pivoting member  90 , and the sliding post  631  of the driving member  60  runs through the sliding slot  93  of the pivoting member  90 , thereby pivotally attaching the pivoting member  90  to the positioning member  50 . Finally, the operating portion  611  of the driving member  60  runs through the opening  331  of the shoulder  33 , and four screws  40  are inserted through the through holes  355 ,  371  respectively to engage in a corresponding one of the threaded holes of the struts  511 ,  531 , thereby firmly securing the positioning member  50 , the driving member  60 , the resisting member  70 , and the pivoting member  90  to the supporting bracket  30 . Thus, when the operating portion  611  of the driving member  60  is pushed horizontally, the sliding post  631  of the driving member  60  slides in the slanted sliding slot  93  of the pivoting member  90 , thereby urging the pivoting member  90  to pivot about the pivot pin  533  of the positioning member  50 .  
         [0022]     In attachment of the data storage device  10 , the first positioning posts  11  of the data storage device  10  are first engagingly received in the corresponding guiding slots  351  of the lower sidewalls  35  and slide along therein. One of the first positioning posts  11  of the data storage device  10  presses against the slanted top surface  951  of the stopping block  95 , thereby urging the pivoting member  90  to rotate around the pivot pin  533  of the positioning member  50 . Simultaneously, the sliding slot  93  guides the sliding post  631  to move horizontally, thereby causing the driving member  60  to compress the first spring  80 . When the first positioning post  11  arrives at a bottom end of the guiding slot  351 , the second positioning posts  12  align with the guiding slots  353  respectively. Then the data storage device  10  is pushed horizontally to urge the first positioning post  11  to move towards a distal end of the guiding slot  351 . Simultaneously, the second positioning post  12  slides in the guiding slot  353  and resists against the narrow portion  73  of the resisting member  70  to move horizontally the resisting member  70 , thereby the second spring  81  being further compressed. When the first positioning post  11  slides over the stopping block  95 , the driving member  60  returns to an original position due to rebounding of the first spring  80 , and the sliding post  631  slides in the sliding slot  93  urging the pivoting member  90  to pivot upward. Therefore, the first positioning post  11  is stopped by the vertical side surface  953  of the stopping block  95 . Thus, the data storage device  10  is securely mounted in the supporting bracket  30 .  
         [0023]     Referring also to  FIG. 5 , in removal of the data storage device  10 , when the operating portion  611  of the driving member  60  is first pushed horizontally to compress the first spring  80 , the sliding post  631  slides in the sliding slot  93 , thereby urging the pivoting member  90  to pivot down. When the vertical side surface  953  of the stopping block  95  is below the first positioning post  11 , the first positioning post  11  is unlocked. Simultaneously, the narrow portion  73  of the resisting member  70  drives the second positioning post  12  of the data storage device  10  to move horizontally the data storage device  10  due to rebounding of the second spring  81 , until the first positioning post  11  resides over the slanted top surface  951  of the stopping block  95 . Then, the operating portion  611  of the driving member  60  is released. The driving member  60  returns to an original position due to rebounding of the first spring  80 . The sliding post  631  drives the pivoting member  90  to pivot upward. Therefore, the slanted top surface  951  of the stopping block  95  urges the first positioning post  11  up, thereby the first and second positioning post  11 ,  12  disengaging from the guiding slot  351 ,  353  respectively. Thus, the data storage device  10  may be easily drawn out from the supporting bracket  30 .  
         [0024]     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of preferred embodiments thereof, and while the preferred embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described.