Patent Publication Number: US-2012044654-A1

Title: Fixing mechanism for fixing a removable module and related electronic device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fixing mechanism and a related electronic device, and more particularly, to a fixing mechanism for fixing a removable module without utilizing screws and a related electronic device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A computer has to be disassembled for replacing broken components, installing new components, upgrading the components, and so on. The computer with easy disassembly characteristic suits a user&#39;s demand. It is also convenient for users to disassemble a storage device, such as a hard disk, from a computer. Generally speaking, most of the hard disc devices of the notebook computer are of removable mechanism design. However, the design still needs to screw components between the removable storage device and a host resulting in difficulty of assembly and increase of labor hour of assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a fixing mechanism for fixing a removable module without utilizing screws and a related electronic device for solving above drawbacks. 
     According to the claimed invention, a fixing mechanism includes a housing whereon an accommodating space and a fastening slot are formed. The accommodating space is used for accommodating the removable module. The fixing mechanism further includes a casing for covering the removable module and a latch component installed on the casing in a slidable manner. The fixing mechanism further includes a handle connected to the casing in a rotatable manner. An end of the handle pushes the latch component to engage inside the fastening slot for fixing the removable module inside the accommodating space when the handle rotates to a fixing position. The fixing mechanism further includes a resilient component connected to the latch component for driving the latch component to separate from the fastening slot when the handle rotates to a releasing position and the end of the handle separates from the latch component. 
     According to the claimed invention, the casing comprises a guiding post, and the housing comprises a track and a hole. The track is used for guiding the guiding post to move in an inclined direction so as to be inserted into the hole. 
     According to the claimed invention, the casing comprises a wedging part for engaging the handle when the handle rotates to the fixing position. 
     According to the claimed invention, the fixing mechanism further comprises a pin disposed on the casing. The end of the handle sheathes the pin so as to be pivotally connected to the casing. 
     According to the claimed invention, a protruding part is disposed at the end of the handle for pushing the latch component. 
     According to the claimed invention, the latch component comprises a positioning post, the resilient component sheathes the positioning post, and an end of the resilient component abuts against the casing and the other end of the resilient component abuts against the latch component. 
     According to the claimed invention, the resilient component is a spring. 
     According to the claimed invention, a slot is formed on the latch component, and the casing comprises a hook engaging inside the slot of the latch component in a slidable manner. 
     According to the claimed invention, an inclined structure is formed on an end of the latch component, and the inclined structure is used for guiding the end of the latch component to be disposed in the fastening slot. 
     According to the claimed invention, an electronic device includes a removable module and a fixing mechanism for fixing the removable module. The fixing mechanism includes a housing whereon an accommodating space and a fastening slot are formed. The accommodating space is used for accommodating the removable module. The fixing mechanism further includes a casing for covering the removable module and a latch component installed on the casing in a slidable manner. The fixing mechanism further includes a handle connected to the casing in a rotatable manner. An end of the handle pushes the latch component to engage inside the fastening slot for fixing the removable module inside the accommodating space when the handle rotates to a fixing position. The fixing mechanism further includes a resilient component connected to the latch component for driving the latch component to separate from the fastening slot when the handle rotates to a releasing position and the end of the handle separates from the latch component. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  are diagrams of an electronic device in different statuses respectively according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded diagram of the electronic device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an internal structural diagram of the electronic device in another view according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective drawing of a fixing mechanism in another view according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  are diagrams of a latch component in different statuses according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  to  FIG. 12  are partial sectional views of the electronic device in different statuses and in different views according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  are diagrams of an electronic device  50  in different statuses respectively according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is an exploded diagram of the electronic device  50  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  is an internal structural diagram of the electronic device  50  in another view according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device  50  can be a portable computer such as a notebook computer and so on. The electronic device  50  includes a removable module  52  which can be a storage module, such as a hard disk drive or an optical disk drive and so on. The electronic device  50  further includes a fixing mechanism  54  for fixing the removable module  52 . The fixing mechanism  54  includes a housing  56  whereon an accommodating space  561  and a fastening slot  563  are formed. The housing  56  can be a bottom cover of a host of the electronic device  50 , and the accommodating space  561  is used for accommodating the removable module  52 . The housing  56  further includes at least one track  565  and at least one hole  567 . As shown in the figures, the track  565  and the hole  567  are disposed on both sides of the accommodating space  561 , and the track  565  can be an inclined track for easy disassemble of the removable module  52 . The fixing mechanism  54  further includes a casing  58  for covering the removable module  52 . For example, the casing  58  can be locked on an outer side of the removable module  52 , and the casing  58  includes at least one guiding post  581 . When the removable module  52  is going to be installed in the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 , the removable module  52  is obliquely disposed so as to make the guiding post  581  of the casing  58  be obliquely disposed in the track  565  of the housing  56 . At this time, the track  565  can guide the guiding post  581  to move obliquely to its terminal so as to make the guiding post  581  be inserted into the hole  567  of the housing  56 . In such a manner, the removable module  52  can be stably fastened in the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 . 
     The fixing mechanism  54  further includes a latch component  60  installed on the casing  58  in a slidable manner. Please refer to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a perspective drawing of the fixing mechanism  54  in another view according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. At least one slot  601  is formed on the latch component  60 , and the casing  58  includes at least one hook  583  engaging inside the slot  601  of the latch component  60  in a slidable manner. A combination of the hook  583  and the slot  601  constrains the latch component  60  to slide in a single direction relative to the casing  58 . As for a mechanism for constraining the latch component  60  to slide relative to the casing  58 , it is not limited to the aforementioned structure, e.g. a positioning wall can be disposed on a side of the latch component  60 , and it depends on design demand. The fixing mechanism  54  further includes a handle  62  connected to the casing  58  in a rotatable manner. For example, the fixing mechanism  54  can further include a pin  64  installed on the casing  58 . An end of the handle  62  sheathes the pin  64  so as to be pivotally connected to the casing  58 . A protruding part  621  is disposed at the end of the handle  62  to push the latch component  60 , so as to make the latch component  60  engage inside the fastening slot  563  of the housing  56 . The fixing mechanism  54  further includes a resilient component  66  connected to the latch component  60  for driving the latch component  60  to separate from the fastening slot  563 . The resilient component  66  can be a spring. For example, the latch component  60  can include a positioning post  603 , and the resilient component  66  sheathes the positioning post  603 . An end of the resilient component  66  abuts against the casing  58  and the other end of the resilient component  66  abuts against the latch component  60 . When the latch component  60  is pushed by the protruding part  621  of the handle  62  to move toward the fastening slot  563  of the housing  56 , the latch component  60  pushes the other end of the resilient component  66  resulting in compression of the resilient component  66 . When the protruding part  621  of the handle  62  separates from the latch component  60 , the resilient component  66  recovers from the compressed state to an initial state. That is, the resilient component  66  provides the latch component  60  with an elastic restoring force so as to drive the latch component  60  to separate from the fastening slot  563 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 12 .  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  are diagrams of the latch component  60  in different statuses according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 9  to  FIG. 12  are partial sectional views of the electronic device  50  in different statuses and in different views according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , the handle  62  rotates to a fixing position when the removable module  52  is installed in the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 . At this time, the protruding part  621  of the handle  62  abuts against the latch component  60  and pushes the latch component  60  to be engaged inside the fastening slot  563 , and the guiding post  581  is inserted into the hole  567  of the housing  56 . Accordingly, the removable module  52  can be stably fastened in the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 , and at this time, the other end of the resilient component  66  is pushed by the latch component  60  so that the resilient component  66  is compressed. In addition, the casing  58  further includes a wedging part  585 , and the wedging part  585  can be a hook. The wedging part  585  engages the handle  62  when the handle  62  rotates to the fixing position so as to avoid the handle  62  from loosing. Furthermore, an inclined structure  605  can be selectively formed on an end of the latch component  60  for guiding the end of the latch component  60  to enter in the fastening slot  563  when the latch component  60  is pushed by the protruding part  621  of the handle  62 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 12 , when the removable module  52  is taken out from the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 , first of all, the wedging part  585  is pushed outward so as to release engagement of the wedging part  585  and the handle  62 . Then, the handle  62  is rotated to a releasing position, and the protruding part  621  on the end of the handle  62  is rotated to separate from the latch component  60 . For example, when the handle  62  rotates to a position substantially perpendicular to the casing  58 , the protruding part  621  is substantially perpendicular to the latch component  60  and separates from the latch component  60 . At this time, the resilient component  66  can recover from the compressed state to the initial state since the resilient component  66  is no longer compressed by the latch component  60 . That is, the resilient component  66  can provide the latch component  60  with an elastic restoring force so as to drive the latch component  60  to separate from the fastening slot  563 . When the wedging part  585  is pushed outward, the latch component  60  can slightly push the protruding part  621  since the resilient component  66  drives the latch component  60  to move toward the protruding part  621  of the handle  62 . Accordingly, the handle  62  pivoting on the pin  64  moves upwards for users to pull the handle  62 . Afterwards, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the handle  62  is pulled upwards so as to lift the removable module  52  to separate from the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 . Then, the removable module  52  is guided by the track  565  of the housing  56  for being pulled outwards in an inclined direction, so as to complete action of pulling out the removable module  52 . 
     It should be noticed that a connector of the removable module  52  can be still connected to a connector of a circuit board of the electronic device  50  when the latch component  60  separates from the fastening slot  563  and the handle has not been pulled upwards yet. In other words, the removable module  52  is still in an operating state until the handle  62  is pulled upwards. The connector of the removable module  52  can be disconnect from the connector of the circuit board of the electronic device  50  and the removable module  52  is shut down when the handle  62  has been pulled upwards and the removable module  52  has been lifted to separate from the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 . On the other hand, the removable module  52  can be guided by the track  565  of the housing  56  for being disposed in the accommodating space  561  in an inclined direction when the removable module  52  is installed in the accommodating space  561  of the housing  56 . Afterwards, the handle  62  rotates to the fixing position so as to make the latch component  60  be locked in the fastening slot  563 . Operational principle is the same as mentioned above, and detailed description will be omitted herein for simplicity. 
     Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides the fixing mechanism for fastening the removable module without using screws and allows the user to disassemble the removable module only by one hand. That is, when the user lifts the removable module by one hand, the fixing mechanism for fastening the removable module is released simultaneously. When the removable module is disposed in the accommodating space and the handle is fixed, the fixing mechanism fastens the removable module simultaneously. Accordingly, the present invention reduces difficulty of assembly, labor hour of assembly and cost of assembly, so as to enhance convenience of assembly. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.