Abstract:
A carrying device and a self-lock structure thereof are provided, which are adapted for a server to bear a human-computer interface device. The carrying device includes a carrying-component and a receiving cage. The self-lock structure consists of a cantilever fixed on the carrying component and an interference portion formed on the receiving cage. A structural interference is generated between a protruding portion formed on the cantilever and a lock slot formed in the interference portion while the carrying-component being inserted to the receiving cage. The cantilever may generate a corresponding elastic force to serve as power resource for self-locking, thereby the functions of self-locking and overload protection are achieved.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a carrying device; in particular, to a carrying device a self-locking structure thereof, adapted to carry a human-computer interface device for a server. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Servers integrate multiple hard drives, processors and human-computer interface devices. Design of housing structures of the servers need to take into account convenience of mounting and dismounting, and safety. Human-computer interface devices are often designed to be modules that are easily dismounted to facilitate maintenance by maintenance personnel. 
         [0005]    Electronic devices can be directly mounted in a housing of a server by using screws or by using a dismountable carrying structure. Current servers usually include a housing and a plurality of carrying structures such as a carrying plate having a handle at the front end thereof and sliding wheels thereunder so the carrying plate can be pulled out and pushed in by users. A plurality of accommodating grooves are usually arranged on the carrying plate for mounting hard drives, back panels or other electronic devices. Methods for mounting include locking and screwing. The server has locking elements therein for fixing the carrying plates. The external surface of the housing has a button for controlling the locking elements to release the carrying plate. 
         [0006]    Carrying plates are commonly used by servers. However, the locking elements and the linkage structure of the button are often complicated and require high production costs. Current designs do not provide economical solutions. 
         [0007]    Hence, the present inventor believes the above mentioned disadvantages can be overcome, and through devoted research combined with application of theory, finally proposes the present disclosure which has a reasonable design and effectively improves upon the above mentioned disadvantages. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present disclosure provides a carrying device having a simple self-locking structure adapted to carry a human-computer interface device and other electronic devices for a server. The self-locking structure is simple protects against overload, preventing damage due to improper usage. 
         [0009]    An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a carrying device adapted to carry an electronic device such as a human-computer interface device or a control panel. The carrying device includes a carrying unit and a receiving cage. A cantilever is disposed at one end of the carrying unit. A protruding portion is formed at one side of the cantilever. A release portion is formed at the front end of the cantilever. The receiving cage is disposed in the server and has an insertion slot. The carrying unit can be inserted into the insertion slot from the front end of the insertion slot. An interference portion is formed on a side wall of the receiving cage. The interference portion recedes inward toward the rear of the insertion slot and has a locking slot behind the insertion slot. The interference portion and the cantilever form a self-locking structure. The protruding portion extends into the locking slot to create structural interference. One edge of the locking slot has a guiding portion, a neck portion and a locking portion. The guiding portion guides the movement of the protruding portion, such that the protruding portion moves along the guiding portion into a retaining slot defined by the neck portion and the locking portion. 
         [0010]    In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the guiding portion is a slanted edge for interfering with the protruding portion such that an elastic force is created in the cantilever. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interference portion has a blocking portion opposite the locking portion. The edge having a guiding portion, a neck portion and a locking portion can be an upper edge or a lower edge of the locking slot. 
         [0012]    In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the abovementioned edge has a protruding rail projecting outward for the protruding portion to slide on. 
         [0013]    In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving cage has a frame body and an upper cover disposed on the frame body. The upper cover and the frame body form the insertion slot. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the release portion is arranged outside the locking slot. 
         [0015]    An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a self-locking structure of a carrying device. The carrying device has a carrying unit and a receiving cage. The receiving cage is disposed in the server. The carrying unit is for carrying an electronic device. The receiving cage has an insertion slot. The carrying unit can be inserted into the insertion slot from the front end of the insertion slot. The self-locking structure includes a cantilever and an interference portion. The cantilever is fixed to one end of the carrying unit. A protruding portion is formed at one side of the cantilever. A release portion is formed at the front end of the cantilever. The interference portion is formed on a side wall of the receiving cage. The interference portion recedes inward toward the rear of the insertion slot and has a locking slot behind the insertion slot. The interference portion and the cantilever form a self-locking structure. The protruding portion extends into the locking slot to create structural interference. One edge of the locking slot has a guiding portion, a neck portion and a locking portion. The guiding portion guides the movement of the protruding portion, such that the protruding portion moves along the guiding portion into a retaining slot defined by the neck portion and the locking portion. 
         [0016]    In summary of the above, the self-locking structure of the present disclosure creates structural interference between the locking slot and the cantilever to achieve the effects of self-locking and protection against overload. Through the design of the abovementioned structure, the carrying device and the self-locking structure thereof of the present disclosure is more easily assembled, disassembled, and durable. 
         [0017]    In order to further the understanding regarding the present disclosure, the following embodiments are provided along with illustrations to facilitate the disclosure of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a carrying device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic diagram of a carrying unit  120  inserted into a receiving cage  110  according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3A  shows a schematic diagram of an assembled carrying device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3B  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4A  shows a partial side view of an assembled carrying device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4B  shows a partial top view of an assembled carrying device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4C  shows a partial view of a carrying device during assembly according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4D  shows a schematic diagram of a cantilever and an interference portion interfering with each other according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4E  shows a schematic diagram of a cantilever locked to an interference portion according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a schematic diagram of an interference portion according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram of an interference portion according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  shows a schematic diagram of an interference portion according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    The aforementioned illustrations and following detailed descriptions are exemplary for the purpose of further explaining the scope of the present disclosure. Other objectives and advantages related to the present disclosure will be illustrated in the subsequent descriptions and appended drawings. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram of a carrying device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The carrying device  100  includes a receiving cage  110  and a carrying unit  120 . The receiving cage  110  has an upper cover  111  and a casing  115 . The casing  115  and the upper cover  111  define an insertion slot  113 . The carrying unit  120  can be inserted from the front of the insertion slot  113  along an insertion direction into the insertion slot  113 . A side wall  112  of the casing  115  has an interference portion  130  which recedes inward toward the rear of the insertion slot  113 . The bending portion of the interference portion  130  has a locking slot  131  arranged behind the insertion slot  113 . A cantilever  121  is disposed at one end of the carrying unit  120 . A protruding portion  123  is formed at one side of the cantilever  121 . A release portion  122  is formed at the front end of the cantilever  121 . When the carrying unit  120  is inserted, the protruding portion  123  extends into the locking slot  131  to create structural interference therewith. 
         [0032]    The cantilever  121  is disposed at the rear end of the carrying unit  120 . The front end of the carrying unit  120  can accommodate control panels and other electronic devices. The cantilever  121  extends backward from the rear end of the carrying unit  120 . The width of the carrying unit  120  falls within the two sides of the carrying unit  120 . The locking slot  131  is generally slot-shaped and arranged to the side of the cantilever  121  in order to structurally interfere with the protruding portion  123 . The shape of the locking slot  131  affects the movement path of the protruding portion  123  and deforms the cantilever  121  to create an elastic force. After the protruding portion  123  passes the neck portion of the locking slot  131 , the elastic force in the cantilever  121  drives the protruding portion  123  into the retaining structure of the locking slot  121 , thereby achieving the function of self-locking. 
         [0033]    The receiving cage  110  can be disposed in the server (not shown in the figures). The carrying unit  120  is for carrying an electronic device such as a control panel, a human-computer interface device (not shown in the figures), etc. The receiving cage  110  of  FIG. 1  is only one embodiment of many of the present disclosure. The casing structure of the receiving cage  110  can be modified according to need. Likewise, the structure of the carrying unit  120  can also be modified according to the components to be carried.  FIG. 1  illustrates only one embodiment of the many possible. A person skilled in the art can derive other embodiments according to the present embodiment, details of which are not further described. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic diagram of a carrying unit  120  inserted into a receiving cage  110  according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Sliding rails  210  are disposed inside the receiving cage  110  for limiting the sliding direction of the carrying unit  120 . The structure of the sliding rails  210  can be modified according to needs and is not limited to that of  FIG. 2 . The carrying unit  120  can be inserted into the insertion slot  113  of the receiving cage  110  along the insertion direction. During assembly of the receiving cage  110  and the carrying unit  120 , the cantilever  121  of the carrying unit  120  slides into the insertion slot  113  and toward the interference portion  130 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 3A  shows a schematic diagram of an assembled carrying device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 3B  is an enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 3A . The interference portion  130  and the cantilever  121  form a self-locking structure  301 . When the carrying unit  120  slides to the end of the insertion slot  113 , the protruding portion  123  is pushed into the retaining slot  330  to achieve the function of self-locking. The interference portion  130  and the cantilever  121  interfere with each other when the carrying unit  120  is inserted into the receiving cage  110 . Deformation and elastic force is created in the cantilever  121  due to interference from the interference portion  130 . Upon arriving the locking position, the elastic force in the cantilever  121  provides a restoring force to achieve the effect of self-locking. 
         [0036]    The following describes the structure of the self-locking structure  301  in detail. Referring to  FIG. 3B , the upper edge  310  of the locking slot  131  has structural variation. Along the direction of insertion, the upper edge  310  is formed sequentially with a guiding portion  311 , a neck portion  312  and a locking portion  313 . The neck portion  312  is positioned between the guiding portion  311  and the locking portion  313 . The neck portion  312  and the locking portion  313  define the retaining slot  330  for accommodating the protruding portion  123  at the locking position. In the present embodiment, the guiding portion  311  is a slanted edge facing the back of the insertion slot  113  and arranged at the same side as the protruding portion  123 . The slanted edge can be slant from above the cantilever  121  to below the cantilever or sideways to drive the protruding portion  123  to slide along the slanted edge. When inserting the carrying unit  120 , the guiding portion  311  is able to guide the movement of the protruding portion  123  such that the protruding portion  123  moves along the guiding portion  311  into the retaining slot  330  defined by the locking portion  313  and the neck portion  312 . The carrying unit  120  is thereby fixed. The neck portion  312  is in front of the guiding portion  311  and blocks the protruding portion  123  from being drawn backward. 
         [0037]    A blocking portion  314  is formed at the lower edge  320  of the locking slot  131 . The position of the blocking portion  314  is in front of the retaining slot  330  for limiting the movement space of the protruding portion  123 . The blocking portion  314  protects against overload. When the user presses the release portion  122  at the front of the cantilever  121  downward to unlock the carrying unit  120 , the downward motion of the protruding portion  123  is limited by the blocking portion  314 , thereby protecting the cantilever  121  from being damaged from excessive downward bending. 
         [0038]    The following describes the self-locking method of the self-locking structure  301 .  FIG. 4A  shows a partial side view of an assembled carrying device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 4B  shows a partial top view of an assembled carrying device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 4C  shows a partial view of a carrying device during assembly according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. When the carrying unit  120  is inserted into the receiving cage  110 , the protruding portion  123  on one side of the cantilever  121  approaches the locking slot  131  of the interference portion  130  as shown in  FIG. 4A ,  FIG. 4B  and  FIG. 4C , wherein the arrow indicate the direction of insertion. An interference region A 405  is defined by the receding space of the interference portion  130  behind the insertion slot  113 . The locking slot  131  is positioned at the bending portion of the interference portion  130 , and falls in the interference region A 405 . The protruding portion  123  extends toward the side wall  112  into the interference region A 405  to structurally interfere with the locking slot  131 . In the process of insertion, the protruding portion  123  is inserted into the locking slot  131  along the direction of insertion and structurally interferes with the guiding portion  311  on the upper edge  310  of the locking slot  131 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 4D  shows a schematic diagram of a cantilever and an interference portion interfering with each other according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 4E  shows a schematic diagram of a cantilever locked to an interference portion according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The cantilever  121  is an elastic cantilever made of materials such as plastic or metal. When interfered, the cantilever  121  bends and creates an elastic force. When the protruding portion  123  contacts the guiding portion  311 , the guiding portion  311  guides the movement of the protruding portion  123  such that the cantilever  121  bends downward to create an elastic force toward the guiding portion  311  (slanted edge), as shown in  FIG. 4D . The elastic force created in the cantilever  121  provides a restoring force for self-locking such that when the protruding portion  123  passes the neck portion  312 , the protruding portion  123  is restored upward into the retaining slot  330 , thereby achieving the effect of self-locking as shown in  FIG. 4E . 
         [0040]    The movement of the protruding portion  123  is limited to the region formed by the neck portion  312 , the locking portion  313  and the blocking portion  314 . At this moment the carrying unit  120  is automatically fixed in the insertion slot  113 . When the user intends to retrieve the carrying unit  120 , the release portion  122  at the front of the cantilever  121  can be pressed downward to disengage the protruding portion  123  from the interference portion  130  (neck portion  312 ), and pull out the carrying unit  120 . The blocking portion  314  protects against overload at this moment, so as to prevent the user from over pressing and damaging the cantilever  121 . 
         [0041]    In the present embodiment, the upper edge  310  of the locking slot  131  has structural variations such that the sliding path of the protruding portion  123  is not a straight line. The sliding path causes the cantilever  121  to deform and create an elastic force. When reaching the locking position, the cantilever  121  restores its shape to achieve the function of self-locking. The lower edge  320  of the locking slot  131  acts as the blocking portion  314  for limiting the extent of deformation of the cantilever  121 . The locking slot  131  can be embodied by many forms, e.g. an opening, a gap, a groove, or a track protruding on the inner side of the side wall  112 . The locking slot  131  can be indented on the inner side of the side wall  112  or pass through the entire thickness of the side wall  112 . The present disclosure is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art can derive other embodiments from the embodiments described above, which are not further detailed herein. 
         [0042]    The elastic cantilever  121  can provide force for self-locking. The release portion  122  of the cantilever  121  is curved to facilitate exertion of force by fingers and is simple to use. The main body of the cantilever  121  and the release portion  122  are positioned outside the interference region A 405  to avoid affecting the insertion of the carrying unit  120 . The protruding portion  123  does not protrude beyond the two sides of the carrying unit  120  so as to not affect the insertion of the carrying unit  120 . However, the interference portion  130  must recedes inward in order to structurally interfere with the protruding portion  123 . The release portion  122  is formed by the front end of the cantilever  121  and is a single piece with the main body of the cantilever  121 . No assembly is required, so the release portion  122  is easy to operate, has a low cost and is not easily damaged. 
         [0043]    It is worth noting that the casing  115  can be formed by a multiple units, e.g. an assembly of an upper casing and a lower casing to form the interference portion  130  and the locking slot  131 . A person skilled in the art can easily deduce other embodiments of the casing  115  and the interference portion  130  mentioned in the above embodiment, which are not further detailed herein. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0044]    The interference portion  130  of the first embodiment can have many embodiments.  FIG. 5  shows a schematic diagram of an interference portion according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The difference between  FIG. 5  and the first embodiment lies mainly in the shape of the locking slot  531  is an inverted image of the shape of the locking slot  131 . The interference portion  530  is likewise formed on the side wall  112  of the receiving cage  110  bending inward. The locking slot  531  is positioned at the portion of bending. Along the direction of insertion, the lower edge  510  of the locking slot  531  is formed sequentially with a guiding portion  511 , a neck portion  512  and a locking portion  513 . The guiding portion  511 , the neck portion  512  and the locking portion  513  are similar to their respective counterparts in  FIG. 3B , except that their orientations are reversed. 
         [0045]    When the carrying unit  120  is inserted, the cantilever  121  is bent upward by the guiding portion  511  and creates a downward elastic force. Then, when the protruding portion  123  passes the neck portion  512 , due to the elastic force of the cantilever  121 , the protruding portion  123  moves downward into the groove defined by the neck portion  512  and the locking portion  513 , thereby achieving the function of self-locking. During unlocking, the user can pull the release portion  122  of the cantilever  121  upward to disengage the cantilever  121  from the interference portion  530 . 
         [0046]    The structural movement of the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference lies in the structural difference of the interference portion  530 . The interference portion  530  and the cantilever  121  likewise form a self-locking structure. 
         [0047]    A person skilled in the art can easily deduce other embodiments of the interference portion  530  and the cantilever  121  mentioned in the above embodiment, which are not further detailed herein. 
       Third Embodiment 
       [0048]    The interference portion  130  of the first embodiment can have many embodiments.  FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram of an interference portion according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The main difference between  FIG. 6  and the first embodiment lies in the interference portion  630 . The interference portion  130  is a receding structure, whereas the interference portion  630  does not have a bottom portion and is a bent structure. The interference portion  630  can be produced by stamping which is simpler and cost less. The structural movement of the embodiment in  FIG. 6  is similar to the first embodiment and is not further detailed herein. 
       Fourth Embodiment 
       [0049]    The interference portion  130  of the first embodiment can have many embodiments.  FIG. 7  shows a schematic diagram of an interference portion according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The main difference between  FIG. 7  and the first embodiment lies in that the edge of the locking slot  731  of the interference portion  730  has a protruding rail  710  serving as a sliding rail for the protruding portion  123 , thereby making the sliding of the protruding portion  123  smoother. The structural movement of the embodiment in  FIG. 7  is similar to the first embodiment and is not further detailed herein. A person skilled in the art can deduce other embodiments of the interference of the present embodiment, which are not further detailed herein. 
         [0050]    The abovementioned carrying device and the self-locking structure thereof can be applied in servers to carry control panels and other human-computer interface devices, or applied in casings for carrying electronic devices. The self-locking structure and the unlocking component (release portion) are arranged in the structure to prevent the user from accidentally releasing the human-computer interface devices. Additionally, the structure of the self-locking structure consists of only two components (cantilever and interference portion), instead of multiple components, so the production cost and the durability are ideal and can be mass produced. 
         [0051]    In summary of the above, the carrying device and the self-locking structure thereof can achieve the functions of self-locking and protection against overload. Moreover, the structure of the carrying device is simple, is not easily damaged, has a low production cost, and is very suitable for being adapted to servers for carrying electronic devices. 
         [0052]    The descriptions illustrated supra set forth simply the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure; however, the characteristics of the present disclosure are by no means restricted thereto. All changes, alternations, or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure delineated by the following claims.