Patent Publication Number: US-2009230701-A1

Title: Card insertion module locking device of a housing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 12/071,933, filed on 28 Feb. 2008, and entitled “LATCH DEVICE FOR A CARD INSERTION MODULE OF A CASE”. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an insertion card module, and in particular, to a card insertion module locking device of a housing, wherein the card insertion module locking device is for fixing and activating a panel on a housing of an industrial computer. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With the advancement of data processing technology, computers are widely used in offices or industrial factories to process and store massive and complicated data. The circuit board of a computer is installed in the housing, and frame plates of the housing are fixed and locked to the housing via bolts, screws or the like. Alternatively, side plates of the housing are fixed to the housing via locking members. Since there is a tendency toward compact and light products, the design of computer housing becomes stricter because the fixation by bolts has advantages as follows. 
     Since the spatial dimension of the product is minimized continuously, the available space for locking the housing is restricted inevitably. Thus, it is more difficult to design the housing due to narrow and insufficient space. With regard to the convenience in assembly, if the housing is assembled via bolts or screws, a tool has to be used to disassemble or lock the bolts or screws one by one, which makes the whole procedure more complicated. With regard to the production cost, if the housing is assembled via bolts or screws, a certain amount of screws is necessary, which makes the assembly of the housing more time-consuming and raises the material cost. According to the above reasons, in terms of cost, assembling efficiency or spatial utilization, it is troublesome for the user or the operator to assemble the housing via screws. 
     Consequently, because of the above limitation resulting from the technical design of prior art, the inventor strives via real world experience and academic research to develop the present invention, which can effectively improve the limitations described above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of the present invention is to provide a card insertion module locking device of a housing, wherein the card insertion module locking device is for fixing and locking panels on the housing of an industrial computer, whereby the panels can be fixed and inserted easily. A plurality of holding slots is provided in the housing. The elastic member has a plurality of holding members to correspond to the holding slots. With the cooperation between the holding slots and the holding members, the elastic member may be fixed to the casing so as to restrict a movable rod in a channel. As a result, the movable rod may move with respect to the elastic member, and the restricting means is movable with respect to a restricting piece to specific positions, thereby unlocking, locking, and power-activating the panels of the industrial housing. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to reduce the difficulty in assembling the card insertion module locking device of a housing and reduce the production cost via the cooperation between the holding slots of the housing and the holding members of the elastic member. Since the movable rod moves constantly, the elastic member can always be kept on the casing without slippage or falling. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to increase the structural strength of the movable rod via a pushing member of the movable rod. In this way, the movable rod can push the locking member efficiently to guarantee the unlocking or locking action of the locking device. With the structural reinforcement of the elastic member, the overall structural strength can be increased. Thus, the deformation of the overall structure can be prevented, and the restricting effect between the restricting means and the restricting piece can be produced without failure. 
     To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention provides a card insertion module locking device of a housing, which includes: casing, a movable rod, a locking element, and an elastic member. The casing has a channel and an accommodating trough to correspond to the channel. The movable rod penetrates into the channel of the casing. The movable rod has a restricting means and a pushing means. The restricting means is used to restrict the moving distance of the movable rod. The pushing means is provided with a groove. Both sides of the pushing means are provided with a pushing element to correspond to the groove respectively. The locking element is pivotally connected between the casing and the groove. The locking element is located in the channel. The locking element has a first action surface and a second action surface. The first action surface is an inclined plane formed on the upper side of the locking element. The second action surface is a curved plane formed on the lower side of the locking element. Via the movement of the movable rod, the pushing element abuts the second action surface to push the locking element freely, so that the locking element can be either accommodated in the accommodating trough or moved away from the accommodating trough. An elastic member is provided in the casing and accommodated in the channel correspondingly to restrict the movement of the movable rod in the channel. The elastic member has a restricting piece corresponding to the restricting means and a reinforcement piece. The reinforcement piece is fixed to one side of the casing. The casing has a plurality of holding slots. The elastic member has a plurality of holding means to correspond to the holding slots. The cooperation of the holding slots with the holding means firmly disposes the elastic member on the casing, thereby restricting the movable rod in the channel. 
     Via the above arrangement, when the movable rod moves with respect to the elastic piece, the restricting means can move with respect to the restricting piece at specific positions, so that the locking element can rotate with respect to the accommodating trough. With the cooperation between the holding slots and the holding means, the card insertion module locking device of a housing can be assembled more easily, thereby reduces the production cost. Even though the movable rod moves constantly, the elastic member can always be kept on the casing without being disconnected. 
     Moreover, with the reinforcement of the pushing element, the structural strength of the movable rod can be increased, so that the movable rod can push the locking member more efficiently to guarantee the unlocking or locking action of the locking device. 
     Moreover, with the structural reinforcement of the elastic member, the overall structural strength can be increased. Thus, the deformation of the overall structure can be prevented. The restricting effect between the restricting means and the restricting piece can be produced without failure. 
     In order to further understand the techniques, means, and effects of the present invention takes for achieving the prescribed objectives, the following detailed descriptions and appended drawings are hereby referred; such that, through which the purposes, features, and aspects of the present invention can be thoroughly and concretely appreciated; however, the appended drawings are merely provided for reference and illustration, without any intention to be used for limiting the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention in one viewing angle; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention in another viewing angle; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled perspective view of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention in one viewing angle; 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled perspective view of the locking device card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention in another viewing angle; 
         FIG. 5  is a plane view showing the assembled state of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the action of the pushing element of the present invention pushing the locking element; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the unlocked state of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention after being assembled; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the locked state of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention after being assembled; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the power-activated state of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention after being assembled; and 
         FIG. 10  is an assembled perspective view showing another embodiment of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , which show related drawings of the embodiments of card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention. The present invention is assembled with a fixed base (not shown) on the rear side of an industrial casing, thereby unlocking, locking, and power-activating the panels of the industrial casing. The card insertion module locking device of a housing includes a casing  1 , a movable rod  2 , a locking element  3 , and an elastic member  4 . 
     The casing  1  is made of a metallic material, and within the casing  1  provides a channel  10 , an accommodating trough  11  corresponding to the channel  10 , a plurality of holding slots  12  corresponding to the channel  10 , and a pivotal hole  13  corresponding to the channel  10 . The channel  10  is made narrow and elongate, so that the movable rod  2  can be accommodated therein. The accommodating trough  11  penetrates outside the casing  1  and is formed into a curved shape for allowing the locking element  3  to be accommodated therein. The holding slots  12  are used to fix the elastic member  4 . The pivotal hole  13  allows the locking element  3  to be pivoted therein. The casing  1  has a first side surface  14 . The holding slots  12  are arranged on the first side surface  14  at intervals. A first plate  15  is connected perpendicularly to the first side surface  14 , and a second plate  16  is connected perpendicularly to the first plate  15 . The second plate  16  and the first side surface  14  are arranged in parallel and a gap  17  is formed there between. 
     The movable rod  2  is made of metallic material and is formed into a rectangular strip. The movable rod  2  is disposed in the channel  10  of the casing  1  for reciprocating (i.e. moving back and forth) in the channel  10 . The movable rod  2  has a handle  20  and an operating portion  21 . The handle  20  can be gripped by a user for pushing or pulling the movable rod. The operating portion  21  is movable in the channel  10 . The operating portion  21  has a restricting means  210  and a pushing means  215 . The restricting means  210  is formed at the front end of the operating portion  21  for restricting the moving distance of the movable rod  2 , thereby positioning the movable rod at different stages. In the present embodiment, the restricting means is made curved with its one surface being formed into a convex surface  211 . The convex surface  211  has a first raised section  212 , a second raised section  213 , and a third raised section  214  that are arranged at intervals to generate an effect of multi-stage positioning. The pushing means  215  is formed at the rear end of the operating portion  21 . The pushing means  215  has a pushing element  216  and a groove  217 , both of which correspond to each other. The pushing element  216  is made elongate for abutting a power switch (not shown) of a panel and pushing the locking element  3 . The pushing element  216  protrudes outwards from both sides of the pushing means  215  respectively. The volume of the pushing element  216  is 10% to 20% of the whole volume of the movable rod  2 . The movable rod  2  is used to push the locking element  3 . The groove  217  is made narrow and elongate for allowing the locking element  3  to be pivoted thereto and thus slide therein. Via this arrangement, the pushing means  215  can drive the locking element  3  to be either rotatably accommodated in the accommodating trough  11  or moved away from the accommodating trough  11 . 
     The locking element  3  is made of a metallic material, which is pivotally connected to the casing  1  and is located in the channel  10 . Via the movement of the operating portion  21  of the movable rod  2  in the channel  10 , the locking element  3  can be driven to be either rotatably accommodated in the accommodating trough  11  or moved away from the accommodating trough  11 . The locking element  3  is made of a locking portion  30  and a pivoting portion  31 . The locking portion  30  is formed into a curved hook to correspond to the shape of the accommodating trough  11 , so that it can be accommodated in the accommodating trough  11 . Both side surfaces of the pivoting portion  31  are formed with two rotating pivots  310 ,  311  respectively. The rotating pivot  310  is pivotally connected to the pivotal hole  13  of the casing  1 . The other rotating pivot  311  is movably and pivotally disposed in the groove  217  of the pushing means  215 . The two rotating pivots  310 ,  311  allow the locking portion  30  of the locking element  3  to rotate around. The locking element  3  has a first action surface  300  and a second action surface  301 . The first action surface  300  is an inclined plane formed on the upper side of the locking portion  30 . The second action surface  301  is a curved plane formed on the lower side of the locking portion  30 . The pushing element  216  abuts the second action surface  301 , so that the locking element  3  can rotate to be accommodated in the accommodating trough  11 . An elastic element  5  is provided between the first action surface  300  and the channel  10  of the casing  1 . Since the first action surface  300  is designed to have an inclination, the elastic element  5  can be disposed obliquely on the first action surface  300  ( FIG. 5 ). With the movement of the movable rod  2  and the driving of the rotating pivots  310 ,  311  as well as the elastic compression or extension of the elastic element  5 , the locking element  3  can be either smoothly accommodated in the accommodating trough  11  or moved away from the accommodating trough  11  during its rotation. Since the second action surface  301  is designed as a curved surface, after the movable rod  2  abuts the second action surface  301 , the user can push the movable rod  2  freely, so that the locking element  3  can be received in the accommodating trough  11  ( FIG. 6 ). Therefore, since the first action surface  300  is designed to have an inclination, dead corner will not be generated during the action between the elastic element  5  and the locking element  3 . In this way, the problems that the locking element  3  cannot rotate smoothly and the locking element  3  fails to lock can be prevented. 
     The elastic member  4  is provided on the casing  1  and is accommodated in the channel  10 , thereby restricting the relative movement of the operating portion  21  of the movable rod  2  in the channel  10 . The elastic member  4  has a restricting piece  40 , a reinforcement piece  41 , and a plurality of holding means  42 . The restricting piece  40  is positioned to correspond to the restricting means  210  of the operating portion  21 . The restricting piece  40  forms a raised structure  400  to correspond to the convex surface  211  of the restricting means  210 . The raised structure  400  can be restricted on the first, the second, and the third raised sections  212 ,  213 ,  214 . The reinforcement piece  41  is formed on one side of the restricting piece  40 . The reinforcement piece  41  is fixed to the casing  1 , thereby increasing the overall structural strength of the elastic member  4  and preventing the structural deformation of the elastic member  4 . Further, the holding means  42  are fitted respectively in the corresponding holding slots  12 , whereby the elastic member  4  can be disposed on the casing  1  efficiently and firmly, and accommodated in the channel  10 . In this way, the operating portion  21  can be restricted in the channel  10  at predetermined positions (such as: unlocked position, locked position, or powered position). 
     Via this arrangement, when the operating portion  21  of the movable rod  2  moves with respect to the elastic member  4 , then the first, the second, and the third raised sections  212 ,  213 ,  214  of the convex surface  211  of the restricting means  210  will move with respect to the raised structure  400  of the restricting piece  40 . With the first, the second, and the third raised sections  212 ,  213 ,  214  being restricted selectively by the raised structure  400 , the operating portion  21  can be restricted in the unlocked position, locked position, or powered position, thereby respectively unlocking, locking, and power-activating the panels of the industrial housing. 
     The present invention can lock, unlock, and power-activate the panels of the industrial housing. In addition, the present invention can reduce the difficulty in assembling the card insertion module locking device of a housing, thereby reducing the cost in assembly and production. Since the movable rod  2  moves constantly, the elastic member  4  can always be kept on the casing  1 , thereby reducing the possibility of slippage or falling of the elastic member  4 . When the movable rod  2  moves with respect to the elastic member  4 , the restricting means  210  can move with respect to the restricting piece  40  to restricted positions. In this way, the present invention can achieve the effects of locking, unlocking, and power-activating the panels of the industrial housing. 
     At the same time, with the reinforced structure of the pushing element  216 , the structural strength of the movable rod  2  can be increased, so that the movable rod  2  can push the locking member efficiently. Further, with the construction of the reinforcement piece  41  of the elastic member  4 , the overall structural strength can be reinforced so as to prevent undesired deformation. 
     Furthermore, please refer to  FIGS. 7 to 9 , which show the unlocked, locked, and power-activated states of the card insertion module locking device of a housing according to the present invention after being assembled respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the operating portion  21  of the movable rod  2  moves an unlocking distance A with respect to the casing  1 , the cooperation of the restricting piece  40  with the restricting means  210  ( FIG. 2 ) can make the movable rod  2  be restricted to an unlocked position. With the driving of the pushing element  216  of the pushing means  215  ( FIG. 1 ), the elastic element  5  can be compressed ( FIG. 5 ) to push the locking element  3  indirectly, causing the locking element  3  to rotate into the accommodating trough  11 . As a result, the locking element  3  forms an unlocked state. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , when the operating portion  21  of the movable rod  2  moves a locking distance B with respect to the casing  1 , the cooperation of the restricting piece  40  with the restricting means  210  ( FIG. 2 ) makes the movable rod  2  be restricted to a locked position. Further, with the elastic extension of the elastic element  5  ( FIG. 5 ), the locking element  3  can be forced to move away from the accommodating trough  11 . As a result, the locking element  3  forms a locked state. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , when the operating portion  21  of the movable rod  2  moves a power-activation distance C with respect to the casing  1 , the cooperation of the restricting piece  40  with the restricting means  210  ( FIG. 2 ) makes the movable rod  2  be restricted to a power-activation position. Further, with the pushing element  216  of the pushing means  215  of the operating portion  21  contacting a switch of the panel of the industrial housing ( FIG. 5 ), the panel forms a power-activated state. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the width of the gap  17  can be changed according to the size of the panel to be clamped. When the gap  17  is larger, the size of the panel to be clamped is larger accordingly. 
     According to the above, the present invention has advantageous features as follows. 
     (1) Via the cooperation of the holding slots  12  with the holding means  42 , the elastic member  4  can be disposed on the casing  1  firmly, thereby restricting the movable rod  2  in the channel  10 . In this way, the movable rod  2  can be restricted to specific positions within the channel. The movement of the movable rod  2  with respect to the elastic member  4  can achieve an effect of unlocking, locking, and power-activating the panel. 
     (2) Since the panel of the industrial housing can be unlocked, locked, and power-activated, the difficulty in assembling the card insertion module locking device of a housing can be reduced. Thus, the cost of assembly and production can be reduced. 
     (3) No matter whether the movable rod  2  moves frequently or not, the elastic member  4  can always be kept on the casing  1 , thereby reducing the possibility of its slippage or falling. 
     (4) Since the first action surface  300  of the locking element  3  is designed to have an inclination, the elastic compression or extension of the elastic force of the elastic element  5  makes the locking element  3  to be either accommodated in the accommodating through  11  or moved away from the accommodating trough  11  during its rotation. In this way, dead corner will not be generated during the action between the elastic element  5  and the locking element  3 . 
     (5) The pushing means of the movable rod  2  can be reinforced to enhance the structural strength of the movable rod. In this way, the movable rod  2  can push the locking member  3  more efficiently to guarantee the unlocking or locking of the locking device. 
     (6) The elastic member is formed into a reinforcement piece to enhance its structural strength, thereby reducing the undesired structural deformation during its constant usage. 
     (7) The second action surface  301  is designed as a curved surface. After the movable rod  2  abuts the second action surface  301 , the user can push the movable rod  2  to move freely. As a result, the locking element  3  can enter the accommodating trough  11 . 
     The above-mentioned descriptions represent merely the preferred embodiment of the present invention, without any intention to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Various equivalent changes, alternations, or modifications based on the claims of present invention are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present invention.