Abstract:
A mounting apparatus for a data storage device includes a bracket, a support member slidably mounted to the bracket, two first and second locking members, and two clamping members. Each first locking member includes a first hook detachably locked to the support member, and a fixing pole to clamp the corresponding clamping member. Each second locking member includes a second hook fixed to the support member, and a fixing portion to fix the corresponding clamping member. When the first hooks of the first locking members disengage from the support member, and the first locking members are rotated to drive the corresponding clamping members away from the support member. When the data storage device is sandwiched between the support member and the clamping members, the first locking members are rotated to make the first hooks lock to the support member.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates to a mounting apparatus for data storage devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A bracket is often mounted in a computer enclosure, on which a storage device can be accommodated. However, if a data storage device is used outside the computer enclosure, another bracket outside the enclosure is needed, which can be inconvenient and costly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a mounting apparatus for a data storage device. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an assembled, isometric view of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3 to 8  show different operating states of the mounting apparatus for a data storage device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. 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. 
         [0010]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a mounting apparatus is provided to accommodate a data storage device  10  (shown in  FIG. 7 ). The mounting apparatus includes a bracket  20 , a positioning member  30  slidably mounted to the bracket  20 , a support member  40  pivotably mounted to the positioning member  30 , two clamping members  50  mounted to the support member  40 , two support boards  60  pivotably mounted to the support member  40 , two first locking members  70 , two second locking members  80 , and a plurality of pins  90 . 
         [0011]    The bracket  20  includes a main body  22  and a cover  24  mounted to the main body  22 . The main body  22  includes a receiving case  23  and a resisting board  25 . The receiving case  23  includes a bottom plate  231  and two side plates  232  extending from opposite sides of the bottom plate  231 . The bottom plate  231  defines a plurality of positioning holes  233 . The front end of each side plate  232  defines a locking slot  234 . The resisting board  25  is located at the front end of the main body  22 , and is connected between tops of the side plates  232 . 
         [0012]    A plurality of elastic tabs  31  extends down from the positioning member  30 , and a protrusion  312  protrudes down from a distal end of each elastic tab  31 . Two connecting portions  32  extend from opposite ends of a front side of the positioning member  30 . Each connecting portion  32  axially defines a pivot hole  320 . Two rims  33  extend up from opposite ends of the positioning member  30 , and a guiding protrusion  332  protrudes from each rim  33  toward the other rim  33 . Two resisting tabs  34  extend from the positioning member  30 , at opposite ends of the connecting portions  32 . 
         [0013]    An operation portion  41  protrudes from a front end of the support member  40 , and two elastic hooks  412  extend from opposite ends of the operation portion  41 . A pivoting portion  42  protrudes out from a rear end of the support member  40 , and the pivoting portion  42  axially defines a pivot hole  420 . Two L-shaped elastic tabs  444  extend from the rear end of the support member  40 , at opposite ends of the pivoting portion  42 . Two L-shaped support tabs  43  extend from front and rear ends of each side of the support member  40 . Two cylinder shaped pivoting portions  44  extend from each side of the support member  40 , locating between the support tabs  43 . Each pivoting portion  44  axially defines a pivot hole  442 . An L-shape first hook  45 , a V-shaped second hook  46 , and a fixing tab  47  extend from each of the front and rear ends of the support member  40 . Each first hook  45  defines a slot  452 . The second hook  46  is between the first hook  45  and the fixing tab  47 . Opposite ends of the second hook  46  are connected to the support member  40 . Two resisting tabs  48  extend from the support member  40 , between the second hooks  46  at the front and rear ends of the support member  40 . 
         [0014]    Each clamping member  50  includes a U-shaped receiving portion  52  and a locking portion  54  received in the receiving portion  52 . The receiving portion  52  defines two pairs of cutouts  522 , and two pairs of through holes  524  through opposite sidewalls. The locking portion  54  defines two slots  542  transversely through the locking portion  54 . Two pairs of protrusions  544  protrude out from opposite walls of the locking portion  54 . The protrusions  544  are engaged in the cutouts  522  of the receiving portion  52 , and each slot  542  is aligned with a corresponding pair of the through holes  524 . 
         [0015]    Two connecting portions  62  extend from opposite ends of one side of each support board  60 , and each connecting portion  62  defines a pivot hole  620 . A slanting board  61  extends from the side of the support board  60 , between the connecting portions  62 . Two flanges  63  extend from opposite ends of each support board  60 , perpendicular to the side of the support board  60 . 
         [0016]    Each first locking member  70  includes a curled pivoting portion  72 , an operation pole  74 , and a fixing pole  76 . The operating pole  74  perpendicularly extends from a first end of the pivoting portion  72 , and a hook  742  is formed at a distal end of the operation pole  74 . The fixing pole  76  is substantially L-shaped, and perpendicularly extends from a second end of the pivoting portion  72 , opposite to the first end. A resisting hook  762  extends from a distal end of the fixing pole  76 . 
         [0017]    Each second locking member  80  includes a pole portion  82 , a hook  84  extending from a first end of the pole portion  82 , and a fixing portion  86  extending from a second end of the pole portion  82 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in assembly, a first pin  90  is extended through the pivot hole  320  of one of the connecting portions  32  of the positioning member  30 , the pivot hole  420  of the support member  40 , and the pivot hole  320  of the other connecting portion  32  of the positioning member  30 . Therefore, the support member  40  is pivotably mounted to the positioning member  30 . The elastic tabs  444  of the support member  40  resist against the resisting tabs  34  of the positioning member  30 , correspondingly. A second pin  90  is extended through the pivot hole  620  of one of the connecting portions  62  of each support board  60 , the pivot holes  442  are on a corresponding side of the support member  40 , and the pivot hole  620  of the other connecting portion  62  of the support board  60 . Therefore, the support boards  60  are pivotably mounted to the opposite sides of the support member  40 . The flanges  63  of the support boards  60  detachably abut against the resisting tabs  48  of support member  40 . The fixing pole  76  of each first locking member  70  extends through one pair of the through holes  524  of the corresponding clamping member  50 , to be received in the corresponding slot  542  of the locking portion  54 . The fixing portion  86  of each second locking member  80  extends through the other pair of the through holes  524  of the corresponding clamping member  50 , to be received in the corresponding slot  542  of the locking portion  54 . The protrusions  544  of the locking portion  54  are engaged in the cutouts  522  of the receiving portion  52 , to mount the locking portion  54  and the receiving portion  52  together. Thereby, the first and second locking members  70  and  80  are mounted to the corresponding clamping members  50 . The pivoting portion  72  of each first locking member  70  is latched in the slot  452  of the corresponding first hook  45 , the hook  84  of each second locking member  80  is latched to the corresponding second hook  46 . 
         [0019]    The operation pole  74  of each first locking member  70  is operated to latch the hook  742  of the first locking member  70  to the corresponding fixing tab  47 , to oppose each clamping member  50  to resist against the support member  40 . The support member  40  is inserted into the receiving case  23  of the bracket  20 . The guiding protrusions  332  of the positioning member  30  slidably resist against the side plates  232  of the receiving case  23 . The protrusions  312  of the positioning member  30  are latched in the positioning holes  233  of the receiving case  23 . The elastic hooks  412  of the supporting member  40  are latched in the locking slots  234  of the bracket  20 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 6 , in use, the elastic hooks  412  are deformed to be separated from the locking slots  234 . The elastic tabs  31  are deformed to separate the protrusions  312  from the positioning holes  233 . The operation portion  41  of the support member  40  is operated out to move support member  40  and the positioning member  30  out. The guiding protrusions  332  are slid along the side plates  232  of the receiving case  23 . When the guiding protrusions  332  resist against the resisting board  25  of the bracket  20 , the positioning member  30  cannot move further. The support member  40  is operated to rotate about the first pin  90  to be perpendicular to the bracket  20 . The hooks  742  of the first locking members  70  are separated from the fixing tabs  47  of the support member  40 . The operation poles  74  of the first locking members  70  are rotated to be perpendicular to the support member  40  about the pivoting portions  72 , so the clamping members  50  are driven to move away from the support member  40 , and the second locking members  80  are deformed. (see  FIG. 6 ) The support boards  60  are rotated about the second pins  90  to be open, until coplanar with the support member  40 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the data storage device  10  is received between the support member  40  and the clamping members  50 . The operation poles  74  of the first locking members  70  are rotated about the pivoting portions  72  toward the support member  40 , until the hooks  742  are latched to the fixing tabs  47 , to drive the clamping members  50  to resist against the data storage device  10 . Thus, the data storage device  10  is tightly sandwiched between the support member  40  and the clamping members  50 . 
         [0022]    In other embodiments, obviously, when the width of the data storage device  10  is equal to the width of the support member  40 , the support boards  60  do not need to be opened, or the support boards  60  can be omitted. 
         [0023]    In other embodiments, after the data storage device  10  is mounted to the support member  40 , the support member  40  together with the data storage device  10  can be pushed in the bracket  20 . The cover  24  is then mounted to the main body  22 . 
         [0024]    It is believed that the present embodiment and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the description or sacrificing all of their material advantages, the example hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiment.