Abstract:
A hard disk drive holder includes a main body, a spindle mounted to the main body and slidable between first and second positions, a handle rotatably connected to the main body via the spindle, a hook mounted to the handle, and first and second elastic members. The handle includes a locking tongue. The handle moves between closed and opened positions relative to the main body. When the handle is at the closed position, if the spindle is slid from the first position to the second position, the locking tongue gradually extends outside from the main body. When the handle is at the closed position, if the spindle is not at the first position, the hook can hook the main body. The first elastic member biases the spindle to slide to the second position. The second elastic member biases the handle to rotate to the opened position.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a hard disk drive (HDD) holder. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    An HDD holder is used to hold an HDD. The HDD holder typically includes a main body and a handle having opposite first and second ends, wherein the first end is rotatably mounted to the main body, a locking tongue extends from the first end, and a hook extends from the second end. A computer chassis typically includes a receiving portion for receiving the HDD holder. The receiving portion includes opposite sidewalls for mounting the HDD holder therebetween, wherein one of the sidewalls defines a locking hole. When the HDD holder is received in the receiving portion, the handle is rotated to the main body to be closed. The hook of the handle will hook the main body of the HDD holder, and the locking tongue will extend in the locking hole of the receiving portion. Therefore, the HDD holder can be securely locked in the receiving portion successfully. However, when the receiving portion is manufactured, there is usually an error of a distance between the sidewalls of the receiving portion, which may lead the locking tongue of the handle cannot be locked in the locking hole of the receiving portion. 
         [0005]    In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a new frame appears in industry to improve the HDD holder. In the new frame, the locking tongue is elastically mounted to the first end of the handle, and thereby the distance error of the sidewalls of the receiving portion can be offset. However, this new frame causes a new problem that the hook of the handle can hook the main body of the HDD holder no matter the locking tongue extends in the locking hole or abuts against the corresponding sidewall of the receiving portion. In other words, when the HDD holder is received in the receiving portion, if the HDD holder is not located at the right position to be locked, the handle can still be closed, which will misguide a user to think that the installation of the HDD holder has already been done. Under this misguided thought, when the user operates or turns the receiving portion, the HDD may fall off the receiving portion and the HDD may be damaged. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an embodiment of a hard disk drive (HDD) holder together with an HDD. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another perspective. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the HDD holder and the HDD of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of the HDD holder and the HDD of  FIG. 3  received in a receiving portion, showing the assembly at a locking position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing the assembly not at the locking position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an embodiment of a hard disk drive (HDD) holder  8  includes a main body  10 , a spindle  60 , a sleeve  70 , a first elastic member  80 , a second elastic member  90 , a handle  30 , a hook  50 , and a third elastic member  40 . 
         [0012]    The main body  10  includes an elongated panel  12 , and two arms  14  extending backward from opposite left and right ends of the panel  12 . The arms  14  are configured to fix an HDD  100  therebetween. The panel  12  includes an elongated top board  21 , an elongated bottom board  22 , a first connecting wall  23  (also shown in  FIG. 4 ), and a second connecting wall  24 . The top board  21  and the bottom board  22  are opposite to each other. The first connecting wall  23  and the second connecting wall  24  are perpendicularly connected between the top board  21  and the bottom board  22 . The first connecting wall  23  is located between the right end of the panel  12  and the second connecting wall  24 . The second connecting wall  24  is located between the left end of the panel  12  and the first connecting wall  23 . 
         [0013]    The top board  21  defines a first elongated hole  210  adjacent to a right end of the top board  21 , extending through the top board  21 . A longitudinal axis of the first elongated hole  210  is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the top board  21 . A projection  212  extends from the top board  21 , adjacent to the right end of the top board  21 . The projection  212  is located between the first elongated hole  210  and the arm  14  at the right end of the top board  21 . 
         [0014]    A round raised portion  221  extends from the bottom board  22  towards the top board  21 , below the first elongated hole  210  of the top board  21 . A second elongated hole  220  is axially defined in the raised portion  221  and extends through the bottom board  22 . A longitudinal axis of the second elongated hole  220  is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the bottom board  22 . The second elongated hole  220  aligns with the first elongated hole  210 . 
         [0015]    A projecting piece  231  extends from the first connecting wall  23 , opposite to the second connecting wall  24 . A guiding hole  230  is defined in the projecting piece  231 . 
         [0016]    A hooking hole  240  is defined in the second connecting wall  24   
         [0017]    The spindle  60  is cylindrical and includes three coaxial segments. It includes a first segment  61 , a second segment  62 , and a third segment  63 , wherein the second segment  62  is connected between the first segment  61  and the third segment  63 , the diameter of the first segment  61  is the greatest, and the diameter of the third segment  63  is the smallest. 
         [0018]    The sleeve  70  axially defines a sleeve hole  700  corresponding to the second segment  62  of the spindle  60 . A guiding post  71  extends from a circumference of the sleeve  70 , perpendicular to the extending direction of the sleeve hole  700 . 
         [0019]    In the present embodiment, the first elastic member  80  is a pressure spring. 
         [0020]    In the present embodiment, the second elastic member  90  is a torsion spring. 
         [0021]    The handle  30  includes a covering board  33 . An upper bending piece  333  extends perpendicularly from a top side of the covering board  33 . A lower bending piece  334  extends perpendicularly from a bottom side of the covering board  33  and is opposite to the upper bending piece  333 . The covering board  33  includes opposite right end  331  and left end  332 . A first extension piece  31  extends from the upper bending piece  333 , adjacent to the right end  331  of the covering board  33 . A round first pivot hole  313  is defined in the first extension piece  31  corresponding to the first segment  61  of the spindle  60 . A second extension piece  32  extends from the lower bending piece  334 , adjacent to the right end  331  of the covering board  33  and is opposite to the first extension piece  31 . A round second pivot hole  324  is defined in the second extension piece  32 , corresponding to the third segment  63  of the spindle  60 . A locking tongue  34  extends from each of the first extension piece  31  and the second extension piece  32 , towards a direction opposite to the left end  332  of the covering board  33 . A round third pivot hole  335  (see  FIG. 2 ) is defined in each of the upper bending piece  333  and the lower bending piece  334 , adjacent to the left end  332  of the covering board  33 . A blocking piece  36  is perpendicularly connected between the upper bending piece  333  and the lower bending piece  334 , adjacent to the third pivot holes  335 . The blocking piece  36  is located between the third pivoting hole  335  and the right end  331  of the covering board  33 . 
         [0022]    The hook  50  includes a post  51 . A pivoting pole  52  extends from each of top and bottom ends of the post  51 . A hooking portion  53  and an operating portion  54  extend from a circumference of the post  51 . An extending direction of the operating portion  54  is perpendicular to an extending direction of the hooking portion  53 . A hooking block  56  and a projection  55  extend from the hooking portion  53 , opposite to the operating portion  54 . The projection  55  is located between the hooking block  56  and the post  51 . The hooking block  56  includes a slanting guiding surface  560 . 
         [0023]    In the present embodiment, the third elastic member  40  is a torsion spring. 
         [0024]    In assembling the HDD holder  8 , the second elastic member  90  is fitted around the raised portion  221  of the main body  10 . The first elastic member  80  is fitted around the guiding post  71  of the sleeve  70 . The sleeve  70  is disposed between the raised portion  221  of the main body  10  and the top board  21 , and a free end of the guiding post  71  is extended through the guiding hole  230  of the projecting piece  231 , to sandwich the first elastic member  80  between the projecting piece  231  and the sleeve  70 . The first extension piece  31  of the handle  30  is disposed on the top board  21  of the main body  10 , with the first pivot hole  313  of the handle  30  aligning with the first elongated hole  210 , and the second extension piece  32  of the handle  30  is disposed under the bottom board  22  of the main body  10 , with the second pivot hole  324  of the handle  30  aligning with the second elongated hole  220 . The first pivot hole  313  and the second pivot hole  324  of the handle  30 , the first elongated hole  210  and the second elongated hole  220  of the main body  10 , and the sleeve hole  700  of the sleeve  70  are adjusted to be aligned, and cooperatively receive the spindle  60 . It is noted that the first segment  61  of the spindle  60  is received in the first pivot hole  313  of the handle  30  and the first elongated hole  210  of the main body  10 , and an engagement between the first segment  61  and the first pivot hole  313  and an engagement between the first segment  61  and the first elongated hole  210  are clearance fit; the second segment  62  of the spindle  60  is received in the sleeve hole  700  of the sleeve  70 , and an engagement between the second segment  62  and the sleeve hole  700  is interference fit; the third segment  63  of the spindle  60  is received in the second elongated hole  220  of the main body  10  and the second pivot hole  324  of the handle  30 , and an engagement between the third segment  63  and the second elongated hole  220  and an engagement between the third segment  63  and the second pivot hole  324  are clearance fit. The third elastic member  40  is fitted about the post  51  of the hook  50 , adjacent to the bottom end of the post  51 . The pivoting poles  52  of the hook  50  are pivotably received in the corresponding third pivot holes  335  of the handle  30 , and the projection  55  of the hook  50  abuts against the blocking piece  36  of the handle  30 , under the elastic force of the third elastic member  40 . It is noted that opposite ends of the first elastic member  80  abut against the projecting piece  231  of the main body  10  and the sleeve  70  respectively, two spring legs of the second elastic member  90  abut against the main body  10  and the handle  30  respectively, and two spring legs of the third elastic member  40  abut against the hooking portion  53  of the hook  50  and the handle  30  respectively and supply the elastic force of the third elastic member  40  to bias the hooking portion  53  to rotate towards the blocking piece  36  of the handle  30 . The blocking piece  36  of the handle  30  is configured to prevent the hooking portion  53  from rotating too much. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in normal use of the HDD holder  8 , the handle  30  is opened relative to the main body  10  via rotating around the spindle  60  ( FIG. 4  shows the handle being closed). The HDD holder  8  is slid into a receiving portion  4  of a computer chassis, to completely receive the HDD holder  8  in the receiving portion  4 . The handle  30  is rotated to the main body  10  to be closed. When the handle  30  is rotated to the main body  10 , the guiding surface  560  of the hooking block  56  of the hook  50  contacts a corresponding end of the second connecting wall  24  of the main body  10 , and under the elastic force of the third elastic member  40 , the hooking block  56  goes over the corresponding end of the second connecting wall  24  via an engagement between the guiding surface  560  and the corresponding end of the second connecting wall  24 , to extend in the hooking hole  240  of the second connecting wall  24  to hook the second connecting wall  24 . The locking tongues  34  of the handle  30  extend into a locking hole  7  of a first sidewall  5  of the receiving portion  4 , the first extension piece  31  and the second extension piece  32  of the handle  30  abut against an inner side of the first sidewall  5 , and the second elastic member  90  is elastically deformed. Therefore, the HDD holder  8  is locked between the first sidewall  5  and a second sidewall  6  opposite to the first sidewall  5  of the receiving portion  4 . It is noted that the first elastic member  80  supplies an elastic force to bias the sleeve  70  together with the spindle  60  and the handle  30  to right dead ends of the first elongated hole  210  and the second elongated hole  220 . 
         [0026]    In uninstalling the HDD holder  8 , the operating portion  54  of the hook  50  is pressed towards the left end  332  of the handle  30  to disengage the hooking block  56  of the hook  50  from the hooking hole  240  of the main body  10 . Therefore, an elastic force of the second elastic member  90  can bias the handle  30  to rotate away from the main body  10  and thereby opening the handle  30 . The locking tongues  34  of the handle  30  disengage from the locking hole  7  of the first sidewall  5  of the receiving portion  4 . Therefore, the HDD holder  8  is ready to be removed from the receiving portion  4 . It is noted that the projection  212  of the top board  21  of the main body  10  is configured to limit a rotation angle of the handle  30 . When the handle  30  is opened, the first extension piece  31  will be blocked by the projection  212 , such that the rotation angle of the handle  30  is limited between about 0-30 degrees. 
         [0027]    In practice, a distance between the first and second sidewalls  5  and  6  of the receiving portion  4  usually has an error between plus or minus 1 millimeter (the error range is much less than lengths of the first elongated hole  210  and the second elongated hole  220 ). The handle  30  of the present disclosure is able to slide under the force of the first elastic member  80 , such that the locking tongues  34  of the handle  30  is able to elastically engage in the locking hole  7  of the receiving portion  4  no matter how much distance between the first and second sidewalls  5  and  6  of the receiving portion  4 . Therefore, the error of the distance can be offset. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the present disclosure has an innovative function that if the HDD holder  8  is not completely slid in the receiving portion  4 , the handle  30  can not be closed, which is actually an alarm and can lead the user to assuredly push the HDD holder  8  in position to be locked. In detail, when the HDD holder  8  is not completely slid in the receiving portion  4 , if the handle  30  is tried to be closed by the user, the locking tongues  34  of the handle  30  will engage with the first sidewall  5  of the receiving portion  4  and be compelled to move leftward. The handle  30  together with the hook  50  will slide leftward under the guiding of the first elongated hole  210  and the second elongated hole  220 , wherein the spindle  60  is slid to left dead ends of the first elongated hole  210  and the second elongated hole  220 . Therefore, the hooking block  56  of the hook  50  will be completely located at the left side of second connecting wall  24  of the main body  10  and cannot engage in the hooking hole  240  of the second connecting wall  24 . Once the operation of the user stops, the handle  30  will be rotated away from the main body  10  by the second elastic member  90  to be opened. Accordingly, the present disclosure can prevent the user from making mistakes and thereby preventing the HDD holder  8  from been damaged by accident. 
         [0029]    In other embodiments, the engagement between the spindle  60  and the sleeve  70  may be clearance fit, and the engagement(s) between the spindle  60  and the first pivot hole  313  and/or the second pivot hole  324  of the handle  30  may be interference fit. 
         [0030]    In other embodiments, the first elastic member  80  may be a torsion spring whose two spring legs abut against the main body  10  and the sleeve  70 , respectively. Another round raised portion like the raised portion  221  may extend from the main body  10  for the torsion spring to fit about. 
         [0031]    In other embodiments, the sleeve  70  may be omitted, and the guiding post  71  may extend from the spindle  60 . Furthermore, the guiding post  71  may be omitted, and a first portion of the spindle  60  that engages in the first elongated hole  210  and/or a second portion of the spindle  60  that engages in the second elongated hole  220  may be designed to have rectangular cross section to make the spindle  60  be slidable and not pivotable. If the guiding post  71  is omitted, the first elastic member  80  may be positioned in other ways. For example, a sleeve defining a through hole may be disposed, and the first elastic member  80  is received in the through hole with the opposite ends of the first elastic member  80  extending out of the through hole. 
         [0032]    In other embodiments, the second elastic member  90  may be a pressure spring whose opposite ends abut against the main body  10  and the handle  30  respectively. 
         [0033]    In other embodiments, the third elastic member  40  may be a pressure spring whose opposite ends abut against the operating portion  54  of the hook  50  and the handle  30 , respectively. The third elastic member  40  may also be an extension spring whose opposite ends connect with the hooking portion  53  of the hook  50  and the handle  30 , respectively. 
         [0034]    In other embodiments, one of the locking tongues  34  of the handle  30  may be omitted. 
         [0035]    In other embodiments, the hook  50  may be unrotatably fixed to the handle  30  and thereby omitting the third elastic member  40 . When the handle  30  needs to be closed, the handle  30  is rotated towards the main body  30 , and the guiding surface  560  of the hooking block  56  of the hook  50  engages with the corresponding end of the second connecting wall  24  of the main body  10 , to guide the handle  30  to slide leftward, therefore, the hooking block  56  can go over the corresponding end of the second connecting wall  24  to engage in the hooking hole  240 . Furthermore, the handle  30  can also be manually slid leftward, and thereby the guiding surface  560  may be omitted. 
         [0036]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure 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 disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.