Abstract:
An optical disk drive includes a main body defining a receiving space and a pivotable cover. A latching mechanism that contacts the cover at two points distributes stresses better than where the latching mechanism only contacts the cover at one point.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an optical disk drive, and in particular to an optical disk drive with a sliding bar for releasing or locking a cover of the optical disk drive. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Generally speaking, optical disk drives are used to read information stored on optical disks. Examples of optical disk drives are known as compact disk drives (CD-ROM drives) and digital versatile disk drives (DVD-ROM drives) in related art. Some optical disk drives have the additional capability of being able to write data onto an optical disk, i.e., CD-RW drivers. Optical disk drives are used in music and video playback and are implemented in recording devices and other electronic devices. 
     In the related art, the conventional disk drives are categorized into two types: disk-tray disk drive and cover-lifting disk drive. Regarding the cover-lifting disk drive, it usually includes a housing and a cover. The cover is pivotally coupled to the housing so that the cover can be pivoted with respect to the housing. The cover includes a protrusion extending downwardly from its free end. The housing includes a locking member formed thereon corresponding to the protrusion. When the cover is closed, the locking member is used to engage with the protrusion for the purpose of locking the cover. However, the cover is locked to the housing by only one protrusion, and a strong stress concentration is usually generated in the cover around the protrusion. There is a high possibility that a deformation is generated in the cover caused by the strong stress concentration. Even worse, the deformation of the cover may render the optical disk drive unusable. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an optical disk drive. The optical disk drive includes a main body having a receiving space defined therein; a cover hingedly connected to the main body; a first latching portion and a second latching portion formed on the cover; a sliding bar disposed in the receiving space; an elastic member connecting to the sliding bar with the main body; and a button installed in the main body. The first latching portion and the second latching portion are capable of extending through the main body to engage with the sliding bar. The button and the elastic member together move lineally and reciprocatly the sliding bar so that the sliding bar engages or disengages with the first and second latching portions to lock or unlock the cover to the main body. 
     Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an optical disk drive in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an explanatory view of the optical disk drive of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a first latching portion of the optical disk drive of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of an upper housing, a button, a sliding bar and an elastic member of  FIG. 2  as viewed from a bottom of the upper housing. 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled view of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a third post of the upper housing of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of the button, the sliding bar and the elastic member of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of the optical disk drive of  FIG. 1  taken along line VIII-VIII of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an optical disk drive  10  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. For simplicity, an optical pickup head and other components are not depicted in the figures showing the optical disk drive  10 . The optical disk drive  10  includes a cover  20  and a main body  30 . The cover  20  is pivotally connected to the main body  30  via a hinge mechanism. The main body  30  includes an upper housing  40  and a lower housing  50 . The upper housing  40  is detachably mounted on the lower housing  50 , thus, defining a receiving space in between. 
     The cover  20  can be locked to the main body  30  via a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a first latching portion  22   a  and a second latching portion  22   b  formed on the cover  20 , a sliding bar  80  disposed in the receiving space, an elastic member  90 , and a button  70  installed in the upper housing  40 . The button  70  and the elastic member  90  together push the sliding bar  80  to engage or disengage the latching portions  22   a ,  22   b  to lock or unlock, respectively, the cover  20  from the main body  30 . 
     The cover  20  includes a first edge  202  and an opposite second edge  204 . The first edge  202  of the cover  20  is pivotally connected to the lower housing  50  by a hinge unit (not labeled) so the cover  20  can rotate between open and closed positions. The first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  are formed adjacent the second edge  204  of the cover  20 . The first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  are aligned on an axis parallel to the second edge  204 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  each are inverted L-shape structures similar to hooks. The first latching portion  22   a  includes a first flat wall  222   a  extending from the cover  20  and a first sloping plate  220   a . The first sloping plate  220   a  extends inwardly from a distal end of first flat wall  222   a . The second latching portion  22   b  includes a second flat wall  222   b  extending from the cover  20  and a second sloping plate  220   b . The second sloping plate  220   b  extends inwardly from a distal end of the second flat wall  222   b . The first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  are configured to engage with the sliding bar  80 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the upper housing  40  includes a first through hole  43   a , a second through hole  43   b , an installing hole  41  and a buckle  45 . The first through hole  43   a  and the second through hole  43   b  are defined through the upper housing  40  at positions corresponding to the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b , respectively. Each of the first through hole  43   a  and the second through hole  43   b  is rectangular, and is larger than the first and second latching portions  22   a ,  22   b  so that the first and second latching portions  22   a ,  22   b  can easily extend into the first through hole  43   a  and the second through hole  43   b , respectively. 
     The button hole  41  is defined in the upper housing  40  adjacent a first corner of the upper housing  40 , and extending through the housing  40 . A cylindrical step  411  is formed around the button hole  41  extending from a bottom surface of the housing  40 . Two supporting plates  412  are formed on a distal end of the cylindrical step  411  on a same side of the bottom surface of the housing  40 . A slot  416  is defined between the two supporting plates  412 , and communicates with an inner space of the cylindrical step  411  and an inner space of the installing hole  41 . Each of the supporting plates  412  defines a hollow pole  414  extending perpendicularly from a bottom side of the supporting plate  412  towards the lower housing  50 . Each of the supporting plates  412  further defines a receiving hole  4140  communicating with the inside of the hollow pole  414 . The buckle  45  has a bridge-shaped structure, which extends from one supporting plate  412  to the other supporting plate  412  and spans over the slot  416 . The installing hole  41 , the cylindrical step  411  and the hollow pole  414  are provided for installing the button  70 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the button  70  includes a top plate  71 , two wedge-shaped pieces  72 , two cylindrical columns  74 , and two clipping boards  76 . The top plate  71  is disc-shaped, configured to be insertable in the installing hole  41 , and for use as a pressing surface to actuate the locking mechanism. The two wedge-shaped pieces  72  are spaced from each other and extend parallelly from a central area of the top plate  71 . Each of the wedge-shaped pieces  72  has an inclined surface  720 . The two cylindrical columns  74  are located at one pair of opposite sides of the two wedge-shaped pieces  72 , respectively. The two clipping boards  76  are located at another one pair of opposite sides of the two wedge-shaped pieces  72 , respectively. In other words, the two cylindrical columns  74  and the two clipping boards  76  are arranged on a periphery of the top plate  71  in an alternating manner and 90° apart from each other. Furthermore, a catch portion  760  is formed on an outer surface of a distal end of each clipping board  76 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5 , when the button  70  is installed in the installing hole  41 , a top surface of the top plate  71  is exposed from an upper side of the upper housing  40 . The two cylindrical columns  74  are correspondingly inserted into the receiving holes  4140  to prevent the button  70  from rotating inside the installing hole  41 . The catch portions  760  extends through the slot  416  correspondingly. When the catch portions  760  are inserted, the catch portions  760  elastically deform before the catches completely extend through the installing hole  41  and hook onto the cylindrical step  411 . Therefore, the button  70  is securely installed in the installing hole  41  by engagement of the catch portions  760  and the cylindrical step  411 . At this time, the two wedge-shaped pieces  72  are also inserted into the slot  416  and the inclined surfaces  720  of the two wedge-shaped pieces  72  abut the sliding bar  80 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-5  and  FIG. 7 , an end of the sliding bar  80  has a slanted surface  86 , which matches and interacts on the inclined surfaces  720 . The sliding bar  80  generally includes an elongated body  802 , a first clip  82   a , a second clip  82   b  and a barb  88 . The body  802  defines a first opening  83 , a second opening  87 , a first engaging groove  85   a , a second engaging groove  85   b  and a third engaging groove  85   c . Two spaced apart and parallel sliding rails  804  are formed on a side of the body  802  adjacent the slanted surface  86 . 
     The first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b  are formed on a common side, i.e. right side (as shown in  FIG. 7 ), of the body  802 . The first clip  82   a  includes a first blocking plate  822   a  and a first guiding surface  820   a . The first blocking plate  822   a  extends from the body  802  and is used to face the first through hole  43   a  of the upper housing  40  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). The first guiding surface  820   a  is formed at a distal end of the first blocking plate  822   a . The first guiding surface  820   a  is a sloped surface so that the first latching portion  22   a  can easily slide upon the first guiding surface  820   a  to tightly engage with the first clip  82   a.    
     The second clip  82   b  includes a second blocking plate  822   b  and a second guiding surface  820   b . The second blocking plate  822   b  extends from the body  802  towards the second through hole  43   b  of the upper housing  40  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). The second guiding surface  820   b  is formed at a distal end of the second blocking plate  822   b . The second guiding surface  820   b  is a sloped surface so that the second latching portion  22   b  can easily slide past the second guiding surface  820   b  to tightly engage with the second clip  82   b.    
     The first engaging groove  85   a , the second engaging groove  85   b  and the third engaging groove  85   c  are defined in the body  802  along its longitudinal axis. The first engaging groove  85   a  and the second engaging groove  85   b  are located between the first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b . The third engaging groove  85   c  is located between the second clip  82   b  and the slanted surface  86 . 
     The first opening  83  and the second opening  87  are located between the second engaging groove  85   b  and the second clip  82   b . The barb  88  protrudes from the body  802  between the first opening  83  and the second opening  87 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the upper housing  40  further includes a first post  44   a , a second post  44   b , a third post  44   c , a bar  46  and a guide plate  48 . The first post  44   a , the second post  44   b , the third post  44   c  and the bar  46  spaced protrude from the upper housing  40  in a line and extend towards the lowering housing  50 . The guide plate  48  is a long, narrow strip, which extends perpendicularly from the upper housing  40  near the first post  44   a , the second post  44   b , the third post  44   c  and the bar  46 . 
     The first post  44   a , the second post  44   b  and the third post  44   c  are substantially cross-shaped. For example, referring to  FIG. 6 , the third post  44   c  includes a first beam  441  and a second beam  443 . The first beam  441  is parallel to the extension direction of the guide plate  48 . The second beam  443  is perpendicular to the first beam  441 . Two semi-cylindrical slide-blocks  440  are formed on opposite ends of the second beam  443  and symmetrically located at opposite sides of the first beam  441 . The bar  46  is located between the second post  44   b  and the third post  44   c . The bar  46  has a hook section formed on a distal end thereof. 
     The elastic member  90  is an extension spring having hooks  92   a ,  92   b  formed on two ends formed respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a guide track  52  is mounted on the lower housing  50 . A sliding groove  520  is defined in the guide track  52  for receiving the second clip  82   b  therein. The sliding groove  520  extends along the longitudinal direction of the body  802  to limit the sliding range of the sliding bar  80 . 
     When the optical disk drive  10  is assembled together, the upper housing  40  is mounted on the lower housing  50  with the button  70  installed in the installing hole  41  of the upper housing  40  in a manner described above. The sliding bar  80  is located between the upper housing  40  and the lower housing  50 . The first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b  are aligned with the first through hole  43   a  and the second through hole  43   b  respectively, to receive the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  respectively. 
     In detail, an end, i.e. rear end (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) of the sliding bar  80  is inserted into the buckle  45  with the slanted surface  86  engaging with the inclined surfaces  720  of the button  70 . The first post  44   a , the second post  44   b , the third post  44   c , and the bar  46  extend into the first engaging groove  85   a , the second engaging groove  85   b , the third engaging groove  85   c  and the second opening  87 , respectively, with the body  802  supported on the semi cylindrical stubs  440 . In other words, the sliding bar  80  is held in position at an underside of the upper housing  40  by the first post  44   a , the second post  44   b , the third post  44   c  and the buckle  45 . The body  802  can slide relative to the semi cylindrical slide-blocks  440  along the longitudinal direction of the body  802 . The sliding rails  804  are in contact with the buckle  45  to decrease friction between the body  802  and the buckle  45 . 
     The hooks  92   a ,  92   b  of the elastic member  90  are respectively engaged with the barb  88  and the bar  46  so that the elastic member  90  is stretched by the barb  88  and the bar  46  along a longitudinal direction of the body  802 . The elastic member  90  applies a linear restoring force on the sliding bar  80 . The restoring force pushes the sliding bar  80  towards the button  70  so the slanted surface  86  of the sliding bar  80  is kept in contact with the inclined surfaces  720  of the button  70 . 
     Furthermore, the right side of the body  802  is attached to the guide plate  48  so that the sliding bar  80  is prevented from moving along a transverse direction of the body  802 . The second clip  82   b  is inserted into the sliding groove  520  and can slide in the sliding groove  520  along the longitudinal direction of the body  802 . Thus, the sliding range of the sliding bar  80  is limited by the sliding groove  520 . 
     When there is need to close the cover  20 , the cover  20  is rotated towards the main body  30 . The first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  extend through the first through hole  43   a  and the second through hole  43   b , respectively. Then, the first sloping plate  220   a  and the second sloping plate  220   b  move close to and contact with the first guiding surface  820   a  and the second guiding surface  820   b , respectively. 
     When the cover  20  continues to rotate, the first sloping plate  220   a  and the second sloping plate  220   b  slide past the first guiding surface  820   a  and the second guiding surface  820   b , respectively. In this process, the first sloping plate  220   a  and the second sloping plate  220   b  apply a force on the first guiding surface  820   a  and the second guiding surface  820   b . As a result, the sliding bar  80  is pushed away from the button  70  so that the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  slide past the first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b , respectively. The elastic member  90  is further stretched due to the movement of the sliding bar  80 . Then the elastic member  90  applies a restoring force on the sliding bar  80  to pull the sliding bar  80  back to the original position. The first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  come into tight engagement with the first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b , respectively. Therefore, the cover  20  is in a closed state as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , when there is a need to open the cover  20 , a user can press the button  70  downwardly. The wedge-shaped pieces  72  of the button  70  also move downwardly. As a result, the inclined surfaces  720  of the wedge-shaped pieces  72  apply a force on the slanted surface  86  of the sliding bar  80  to cause the sliding bar  80  to move away from the button  70 . The first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b  also move away from the button  70  so as to gradually disengage from the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b , respectively. The elastic member  90  is gradually stretched due to the movement of the sliding bar  80 . 
     When the first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b  have disengaged from the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b , respectively, the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  are easily removed from the main body  30  by rotation of the cover  20 . Then, the cover  20  is in an opened state. 
     When the button  70  is released, the elastic member  90  applies a restoring force on the sliding bar  80  to pull the sliding bar  80  back to the original position. At this state, the first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b  point to the first through hole  43   a  and the second through hole  43   b  again, respectively. The first clip  82   a  and the second clip  82   b  are ready for engagement with the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  again, respectively. 
     As described above, the cover  20  is locked to the main body  30  through the first latching portion  22   a  and the second latching portion  22   b  engagement with the sliding bar  80 . Since there are two points of the cover  20  engaging with the main body  30 , this greatly reduces the stress concentration on the cover  20 . Thus, the possibility of deformation in the cover  20  is greatly reduced. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, 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.