Patent Publication Number: US-2015083676-A1

Title: Mounting apparatus with frame for mounting storage device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for mounting storage devices such as data-storage devices. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Electronic devices, such as computers, are generally equipped with storage devices, such as hard disk drives. Mounting a storage device into an electronic device by using traditional screw-type fasteners requires tools and is time-consuming. That is, the process is inconvenient and inefficient. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a mounting apparatus, together with a storage device, wherein the mounting apparatus includes a chassis. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the chassis of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view corresponding to a line III-III of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled, isometric view of the mounting apparatus and storage device of  FIG. 1 , showing the assembly in a preliminary state prior to locking 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but showing the assembly in a locked state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of example 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 can mean “at least one.” 
       FIGS. 1 to 3  show an exemplary embodiment of a mounting apparatus for a storage device  10 . The mounting apparatus includes a chassis  20  and a frame  30 . In the embodiment, the storage device  10  is a hard disk drive. 
     The storage device  10  includes two opposite sidewalls  12 . Two spaced fixing holes  124  are defined in each sidewall  12 . A pair of holes (not shown) is defined in each of two opposite long sides of the bottom of the storage device  10 . Each pair of holes (not shown) is adjacent to the corresponding sidewall  12 . 
     The chassis  20  includes a bottom plate  21 , a first side plate  22 , a second side plate  23 , a connecting device  24 , a latch  25 , and a button  26 . The first side plate  22  perpendicularly extends up from the bottom plate  21 . The second side plate  23  perpendicularly extends up from the bottom plate  21 , and is parallel to the first side plate  22 . The connecting device  24  is perpendicularly connected between the first and second side plates  22  and  23 . The latch  25  and the button  26  are mounted to the connecting device  24 . 
     The chassis  20  has a receiving space  27  defined therein. The receiving space  27  is bounded by the bottom plate  21 , the first side plate  22 , the second side plate  23 , and the connecting device  24 . Two positioning members  28  protrude up from the bottom plate  21  adjacent to the first side plate  22 , and another two positioning members  28  protrude up from the bottom plate  21  adjacent to second side plate  23 . Each positioning member  28  includes a post  281  connected to the bottom plate  21 , a neck  283  formed on a middle of the top of the post  281 , and a head  285  formed on the top of the neck  283 . A diameter of the head  285  is greater than a diameter of the neck  283 , and less than a diameter of the post  281 . 
     An electrical connector  241  is mounted to the connecting device  24 , facing the receiving space  27 . A first receiving recess  243  and a second receiving recess  245  are defined in the connecting device  24 . Each of the first receiving recess  243  and second receiving recess  245  is open at a top side thereof. A side of the second receiving recess  245  is in communication with the first receiving recess  243 . A first slot  242  is defined in a sidewall of the first receiving recess  243 . Two second slots  244  are defined in bottoms of opposite sidewalls of the second receiving recess  245 , respectively. 
     The latch  25  is received in the first receiving recess  243 , and is slidable up and down in the first receiving recess  243 . A protrusion  251  is formed on the middle of the bottom of the latch  25 . A first elastic member  259  is received in the first receiving recess  243 , with the top of the first elastic member  259  placed around the protrusion  251  and abutting against the bottom of the latch  25 . In addition, the bottom of the first elastic member  259  abuts against a bottom wall of the first receiving recess  243 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first elastic member  259  is a coil spring. The latch  25  includes a resilient arm  253 . A hook  254  is formed on a distal end of the resilient arm  253 . The hook  254  extends into the first slot  242 , for preventing the latch  25  from sliding out of the first receiving recess  243 . A latching portion  255  is formed on the top of the latch  25 . The latching portion  255  includes a slanted surface  256  slantingly extending down towards the receiving space  27 . An extending arm  257  is formed on a side of the latch  25  and extends into the second receiving recess  245 . 
     The button  26  is received in the second receiving recess  245 . A hollow  261  is defined in a middle of the button  26 . The hollow  261  is open at a bottom end of the button  26 . A second elastic member  269  is received in the second receiving recess  245 , with the top of the second elastic member  269  received in the hollow  261 , and the bottom of the second elastic member  269  abutting against a bottom wall of the second receiving recess  245 . In the embodiment, the second elastic member  269  is a coil spring. The button  26  includes two resilient feet  263  extending into the second slots  244 , for preventing the button  26  from sliding out of the second receiving recess  245 . A pressing arm  265  is formed on a side of the button  26 , and points toward the first receiving recess  243 . The pressing arm  265  is located over the extending arm  257 . 
     The frame  30  is a single monolithic body of the one same material formed by molding. Typically, the frame  30  is integrally formed of plastic material, and includes a bottom wall  31 , an end wall  32  extending perpendicularly up from a first end of the bottom wall  31 , and two cantilevered arms  34  perpendicularly extending from opposite ends of the end wall  32  towards a second end of the bottom wall  31  opposite to the first end. In addition, a tab  36  extends from a top of the end wall  32  in a direction away from the second end. The arms  34  are located above opposite long sides of the bottom wall  31 , respectively, and are separate from the bottom wall  31 . Two spaced poles  341  protrude from an inner side of each arm  34 . The poles  341  of each arm  34  point toward the poles  341  of the opposite arm  34 . The bottom wall  31  defines two positioning holes  312  near each of the two long sides thereof. Each pair of positioning holes  312  is adjacent to the corresponding arm  34 . Each positioning hole  312  includes a large portion  313  nearer to the end wall  32 , and a lock portion  314  communicating with the large portion  313  and farther away from the end wall  32 . A width of the large portion  313  is greater than a width of the lock portion  314 . 
     The bottom wall  31  forms two fasteners  315  at each of the two long sides thereof. Each pair of fasteners  315  is adjacent to the corresponding arm  34 . Each fastener  315  includes a base  316 , and a fastening portion  317  extending up from the top of the base  316 . A latching slot  361  is defined in the tab  36 . The latching slot  361  is a through slot extending through the top and the bottom of the tab  36 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show that in assembly, the arms  34  are elastically deformed away from each other. The storage device  10  is placed in the frame  30 . The fastening portions  317  are inserted into the holes of the bottom of the storage device  10 , to allow the storage device  10  to be supported on the bases  316 . The arms  34  are elastically restored, to allow the poles  341  to engage in the fixing holes  124 . The frame  30  is thus combined with the storage device  10 . 
     The frame  30  together with the storage device  10  is located between the first and second side plates  22  and  23 , with the tab  36  facing the connecting device  24 . The heads  285  extend through the large portions  313 , to allow the frame  30  to be supported on the posts  281 . The first and second side plates  22  and  23  abut against the arms  34 , to allow the poles  341  to become more firmly and securely engaged in the fixing holes  124 . The frame  30  is pushed toward the connecting device  24 . The necks  283  engage in the lock portions  314 , and the heads  253  engage with a top surface of the bottom wall  31 . The electrical connector  241  thus extends through the end wall  32  and is connected to the storage device  10 . The tab  36  abuts against and rides along the slanted surface  256 , and thus pushes the latch  25  down. The first elastic member  259  is compressed. The frame  30  is further pushed toward the connecting device  24 . When the latching portion  255  becomes aligned with the latching slot  361 , the first elastic member  259  resiliently recovers and pushes the latch  25  up. The latching portion  255  thus engages in the latching slot  361 . Thereby, the frame  30  together with the storage device  10  is locked to the chassis  20 . 
     To detach the frame  30 , the button  26  is pressed down. The pressing arm  265  presses the extending arm  257  downward, to drive the latch  25  to move down. The latching portion  255  is disengaged from the latching slot  361 . The first and second elastic members  259  and  269  are compressed. The frame  30  is pushed away from the connecting device  24 , until the necks  283  move into the large portions  313 . The electrical connector  241  is thus disconnected from the storage device  10 . The first and second elastic members  259  and  269  resiliently recover and push the latch  25  and the button  26  up. The frame  30  is pulled up to be detached from the chassis  20 . The arms  34  are elastically deformed away from each other, to allow the poles  341  to exit the fixing holes  124 . The storage device  10  is thus detached from the frame  30 . 
     In other embodiments, the button  26  is directly connected to a side of the latch  25 . When the button  26  is pressed down, the latch  25  is moved down together with the button  26 . 
     In other embodiments, the positioning members  28  can be omitted; and/or the fasteners  315  can be omitted. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and the functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.