Abstract:
A mounting apparatus includes a drive bracket assembly, a back panel, and a securing member. The back panel is mounted to the drive bracket assembly along a first direction. The securing member is slidably mounted on the drive bracket assembly. The securing member secures the back panel to the drive bracket assembly to prevent the back panel moving along the first direction. The securing member is capable of sliding along a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction to a position, so the back panel is capable of moving along the first direction.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to mounting apparatuses, especially to a mounting apparatus for securing a back panel. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Generally, a plurality of large data storage devices is needed in a server system. It is well known in the art, that the server system cannot switch off when the data storage devices are being repaired or replaced. The data storage devices are detached and installed/uninstalled from the server system while the server system remains online. A back panel is usually secured to a drive bracket that accommodates the data storage devices. The data storage devices can electrically connect to the back panel when installed in the drive bracket. 
         [0005]    Typically in a mounting apparatus for securing the back panel to the drive bracket, a locking plate is provided to hold the back panel. The mounting apparatus has a complicated structure, and the manufacturing cost is high. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, together with a back panel, the mounting apparatus including a drive bracket assembly, and a securing member. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the securing member of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a pre-assembled view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an assembled view of the mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a mounting apparatus includes a drive bracket assembly  10  configured for accommodating devices like data storage devices, a back panel  13 , and a securing member  20 . The data storage devices can be hard disk drives of a computer system or a server system. 
         [0013]    The drive bracket assembly  10  includes a top plate  12  and a pair of brackets  11 . Each bracket  11  includes a bottom plate  112  and two side plates  114 . The top plate  12  can be parallel to the bottom plate  112 . The side plates  114  can be perpendicular to both the top plate  12  and the bottom plate  112 , and parallel to each other. A mounting portion  116  perpendicularly extends inwards from a top side of each side plate  114 . A plurality of protrusions  1162  protrudes from each mounting portion  116 . A plurality of generally L-shaped hooks  1142  is respectively formed at a rear end edge of each side plate  114 , extending toward the top plate  12 . Each hook  1142  has a shank portion  1145  and a hook portion  1143 . The shank portion  1145  substantially horizontally extends from a rear edge of the corresponding side plate  114  for supporting the back panel  13 . The hook portion  1143  extends upward from a distal end of the shank portion  1145 . The hook portion  1143  has a slanted guiding edge  1146  facing the side plate  114 . Two adjacent side plates  114  of the two brackets  11  define a sliding slot  1144  respectively. An extending portion  1122  extends from a rear end edge of the bottom plate  112  of each bracket  11 . At opposite ends of the extending portion  1122 , respectively, a pair of positioning tabs  1124  are bent upward. Each pair of positioning tabs  1124  defines a positioning opening therebetween. The top plate  12  defines a plurality of through holes  122  for receiving the protrusions  1162  of the mounting portions  116  of the side plates  114 . An opening  123  is defined in one side of the top plate  12  adjacent to the back panel  10 . A stopper portion  125  extends from one edge of the top plate  12 . 
         [0014]    The back panel  10  has a plurality of locking openings  132  for engaging with the hooks  1142  of the side plates  114 , and an upper edge  134 . Each locking opening  132  includes a wide portion and a narrow portion. Each wide portion has a greater width than that of each narrow portion. The width of each narrow portion is generally equal to the thickness of each hook  1142  of the side plates  114 . 
         [0015]    Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the securing member  20  includes a sliding portion  21 , an operating portion  22  extending upward from the sliding portion  21 , a securing portion  23  extending forward from the operating portion  22 , and an elastic resisting portion  24  extending backward from the sliding portion  21 . Two elastic arms  211  extend forward from the sliding portion  21 . Each arm  211  includes a sliding protrusion  212 . The sliding protrusion  212  defines a guiding surface  213 . The elastic resisting portion  24  includes a flexible portion  241  and a resisting tab  242  extending from the flexible portion  241 . The resisting tab  242  is configured to resist against the stopper portion  125 . The flexible portion  241  is V-shaped. A plurality of operating protrusions  221  protrudes from the operating portion  22 . The securing portion  23  defines an inclining surface  231 . Two receiving channels  25  are defined between the sliding portion  21  and the operating portion  22 . The receiving channels  25  are configured to receive opposite side edges  1231  of the opening  123  respectively. 
         [0016]    Referring also to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , in assembly, the protrusions  1162  of the mounting portions  116  of the brackets  11  are engaged with the through holes  122  of the top plate  12 . The arms  211  of the securing member  20  are aligned with the sliding slots  1144 , and the guiding surface  213  of the sliding protrusions  212  of the arms  211  resist between two adjacent side plates  114 . The securing member  20  is pushed forward to deform the arms  211 . When the sliding protrusions  212  move to be aligned with the sliding slots  1144  respectively, the arms  211  release and enable the sliding protrusions  212  to be received in the sliding slots  1144 . At this time, the resisting tab  242  resists against the stopper portion  125 . The receiving channels  25  of the securing member  20  receives the opposite side edges  1231  of the opening  123 . The hook portions  1143  of the hooks  1142  of the bracket  11  are inserted into the locking openings  132  of the back panel  13  through the wide portions thereof. The back panel  13  is pushed to move towards the bottom plate  112  of the bracket  11  along the guiding edges  1146  of the hooks  1142  in a vertical direction parallel to the back panel  13 . The back panel  13  is pushed down continually, until it is inserted into the positioning openings and sandwiched between the positioning tabs  1124  of the extending portion  1122  of the bottom plate  112 . Then the shank portions  1145  of the hooks  1142 , are slid into the narrow portions of the locking openings  132 , and the hook portions  1143  of the hooks  1142  clamp against an outer surface of the back panel  13 , thereby preventing the back panel  13  from moving along a first direction perpendicular to the back panel  13 . At the same time, the securing portion  23  of the securing member  20  engages with the upper edge  134  of the back panel  13 , thereby fixing the back panel  13  to the drive bracket assembly  10 , and preventing the back panel  13  from moving along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The back panel  13  is thus secured to the drive bracket assembly  10 . 
         [0017]    In removal of the back panel  13 , the operating portion  22  of the securing member  20  is pushed along a direction opposite to the first direction to disengage the securing portion  23  of the securing member  20  from the upper edge  134  of the back panel  13 , thereby releasing the back panel  13 . The back panel  13  can be accordingly slid along the second direction until the hooks  1142  are positioned in the wide portions of the locking openings  132  of the back panel  13 . The back panel  13  is disengaged from the positioning opening of the drive bracket assembly  10 , and can thus be removed from the drive bracket assembly  10 . 
         [0018]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.