Patent Publication Number: US-2009224640-A1

Title: Chassis structure of electronic device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 097105865 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Feb. 20, 2008, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a chassis of an electronic device, and more particularly to a chassis structure of an electronic device having a modulized swap tray for hard disks. 
     2. Related Art 
     A host for servers and industrial computers requires a sufficient large data storage capacity to store work items and using information or to output they at any time. Therefore, a chassis of the host for the servers and industrial computers must be disposed with many expansion slots for installing storage devices. Such expansion slots are provided for a user to rapidly replace hard disk drives or optical disk drives directly from the exterior of the chassis, so that the mounting and dismounting procedures become quite easy and convenient. The expansion slots are mainly enclosed by rack mounts within the chassis, so as to form suitable expansion slots for storage devices with different sizes. Currently, the commonly used storage devices in the field generally have two major standard sizes of 3.5″ and 2.5″. Therefore, most hosts for servers and industrial computers are disposed with rack mounts respectively matching with such two standard sizes, and the expansion slots for installing the 3.5″ and 2.5″ storage devices are provided in the chassis. 
     As for the current trend of storage devices, most optical disk drives are in a specification of 3.5″, whereas the early specification of 3.5″ for the hard disk drives has already been replaced by the specification of 2.5″ with a smaller volume, so as to enhance the utilization of the space within the chassis, which is especially important for the servers and industrial computers. That is to say, although the hard disk drive has been gradually turned into the specification of 2.5″, the optical disk drive still maintains the specification of 3.5″. In this case, both the expansion slots at such two specifications are still required to be maintained in the chassis of the host. However, due to the changes in the usage requirements, the user of the server and industrial computer needs to frequently change the hard disk drive and the optical disk drive. Such that the hard disk drive at the specification of  2 . 5 ″ cannot be installed into the expansion slot at the specification of 3.5″ due to the limitation in the size of the expansion slots, which always brings about inconveniences in replacing the hard disk drive, and thus all the spaces in the chassis cannot be effectively and sufficiently utilized. For this reason, some manufacturers have designed specific mobile racks of different sizes for the 2.5″ hard disk drive, and in this way, the 2.5″ hard disk drive not only can be installed in the 3.5″ expansion slot through the 3.5″ mobile rack, but also can be installed in the 2.5″ expansion slot through the 2.5″ mobile rack. However, in such a solution, two mobile racks must be manufactured respectively, which causes an excessive high cost in developing and producing the chassis. Moreover, the hard disk drive must be detached from one mobile rack before being mounted to another mobile rack during the replacement, which still brings troubles in the dismounting and mounting procedures. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above problems, the present invention is mainly directed to a chassis structure of an electronic device, so as to solve the problems in the prior art that the chassis of the host has a poor space utilization and the development cost is excessively high. 
     In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a chassis structure of an electronic device, applied for accommodating a plurality of storage devices, in which the storage devices may not be limited to 2.5″ hard disk drives. The chassis structure includes a chassis, at least one first mobile rack, and at least one second mobile rack. The chassis at least has a first expansion slot and a second expansion slot, in which the chassis may be, but not limited to, a chassis of a host for servers or industrial computers, and the first expansion slot and the second expansion slot are expansion slots of different sizes in the servers or industrial computers. The first mobile rack is detachably disposed in the first expansion slot of the chassis, and the second mobile rack is used for carrying the storage devices. The second mobile rack may be directly placed into the second expansion slot, so as to assemble the storage devices into the second expansion slot of the chassis. Alternatively, the second mobile rack may be assembled into the first mobile rack and then placed into the first expansion slot together with the first mobile rack, so as to assemble the storage devices into the first expansion slot of the chassis. Thus, the storage devices of a single size can be respectively mounted into two expansion slots of different sizes through using the first mobile rack and the second mobile rack. 
     The efficacy of the present invention lies in that, the storage devices can be respectively mounted into the expansion slots of different specifications by using the second mobile rack or using a combination of the first mobile rack and the second mobile rack, so as to enhance the utilization of the space within the chassis and to reduce the cost for developing the chassis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, which thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic three-dimensional view of a second mobile rack and storage devices in the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded three-dimensional view of the second mobile rack and a first mobile rack in the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic three-dimensional view of a chassis in the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded three-dimensional view of the second mobile rack and the chassis in the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic three-dimensional view of the first mobile rack and the storage devices in the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the first mobile rack, the second mobile rack, and the chassis in the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the first mobile rack, the second mobile rack, and the chassis in the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the first mobile rack, the second mobile rack, and the chassis in the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic three-dimensional view of the first mobile rack and the second mobile rack assembled to the chassis in the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     To make the objectives, structures, features, and functions of the present invention become more comprehensible, the present invention is illustrated below in detail through the embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , they show a chassis structure of an electronic device according to the present invention. The chassis structure includes a chassis  10 , a plurality of first mobile racks  30 , and a plurality of second mobile racks  50  and it is used for accommodating a plurality of storage devices  20 . The chassis  10  may be, but not limited to, a chassis of a host for servers or industrial computers, and the storage devices  20  may be, but not limited to, 2.5″ hard disk drives. The number of the first mobile racks  30  and the second mobile racks  50  that are allocated may be increased or decreased depending upon the actual demands, which is not limited by the figures. Merely one first mobile rack  30  and one second mobile rack  50  are required for implementing the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 , the chassis  10  has two first expansion slots  11  and one second expansion slot  12 , in which the first expansion slots  11  and the second expansion slot  12  are respectively expansion slots of different sizes in the hosts of the servers or industrial computers. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first expansion slots  11  are exclusively provided for 3.5″ hard disk drives or optical disk drives, whereas the second expansion slot  12  is exclusively provided for 2.5″ hard disk drives. The first expansion slots  11  have a plurality of guide portions  111  arranged side by side and a plurality of urging portions  112  on an inner wall thereof The second expansion slot  12  has a plurality of guide channels  121  on an inner wall thereof. Each of the guide channels  121  has a wider opening  122  at an edge of the second expansion slot  12 . The guide channels  121  are disposed on two opposite inner walls of the second expansion slot  12 . The number of the guide channels  121  that are allocated may be increased or decreased depending upon the actual demands, which is not limited by the figures. Merely one guide channel  121  is sufficient for implementing the present invention. 
     The chassis  10  has a stopper plate  13  and a plurality of fixing parts  15 , in which the number of the stopper plate  13  is increased or decreased depending upon the number of the second expansion slot  12 . The stopper plate  13  is disposed at one side of the second expansion slot  12  corresponding to the guide channels  121 . The stopper plate  13  has two elastic arms  14  extending towards the guide channels  121 , in which the number of the elastic arms  14  is increased or decreased depending upon the number of the guide channels  121 . Each elastic arm  14  has an actuating portion  141  at an end edge thereof, and the actuating portion  141  is flipped to drive the elastic arm  14  to be deformed towards a direction opposite to the second expansion slot  12 , so as to enlarge the gap between the elastic arm  14  and the corresponding guide channel  121 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , each second mobile rack  50  for carrying the storage devices  20  has a plurality of positioning pillars  51  thereon. Each positioning pillar  51  has a screw hole  53  at the top thereof and has an annular slot  52  at the bottom. The second mobile rack  50  may be directly placed into the second expansion slot  12  of the chassis  10 , so as to assemble the storage devices  20  into the second expansion slot  12  of the chassis  10 . When placing the second mobile rack  50  into the second expansion slot  12 , the positioning pillars  51  slide along the corresponding guide channels  121  by the annular slots  52  at the bottom thereof, thereby guiding the second mobile rack  50  into the second expansion slot  12  of the chassis  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 , and  8 , when the positioning pillars  51  slide along the guide channels  121  to guide the second mobile rack  50  into the second expansion slot  12 , the positioning pillars  51  contact with the elastic arms  14  and push the elastic arms  14  outwards. Then, the elastic arms  14  catch the positioning pillars  51 , so as to fix the second mobile rack  50  in the second expansion slot  12 . In order to further fix the second mobile rack  50 , the fixing parts  15  are made to pass though the guide channels  121  and screwed into the screw holes  53  at the top of the positioning pillars  51 , so as to fix the second mobile rack  50  in the chassis  10  more firmly. When the second mobile rack  50  is intended to be withdrawn out of the second expansion slot  12 , the user only needs to dismount the fixing parts  15  and then flip the elastic arms  14  with the actuating portions  141 , such that the elastic arms  14  are deformed outwards to release the positioning pillars  51  accordingly, thereby withdrawing the second mobile rack  50  out of the second expansion slot  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  5 , and  9 , the second mobile rack  50  may also be assembled into the first mobile rack  30  and then placed into the first expansion slot  11  together with the first mobile rack  30 , so as to assemble the storage devices  20  in the first expansion slot  11  of the chassis  10 . The first mobile rack  30  is detachably disposed in the first expansion slot  11  of the chassis  10  and has a plurality of protrusions  31  and a plurality of screwing parts  32  at both sides thereof. When installing the second mobile rack  50  into the first mobile rack  30 , the screwing parts  32  pass through the first mobile rack  30  and screwed into the screw holes of the positioning pillars  51 , so as to fix the second mobile rack  50  in the first mobile rack  30 . When placing the first mobile rack  30  into the first expansion slot  11 , the protrusions  31  slide between the guide portions  111  to guide the first mobile rack  30  into the first expansion slot  11  of the chassis  10 . The number of the allocated protrusions  31  may be increased or decreased depending upon the actual demands, which is not limited by the figures. Merely one protrusion  31  is sufficient for implementing the present invention. Once the first mobile rack  30  slides into the first expansion slot  11  of the chassis  10 , the urging portions  112  are leaned against an edge of the first mobile rack  30  to fix the first mobile rack  30  in the first expansion slot  11  of the chassis  10  in a tight-fit manner. Thus, the storage devices  20  of a single size (2.5″) can be mounted into the second expansion slot  12  (the specification of 2.5″) of the chassis  10  through using the second mobile rack  50  or mounted into the first expansion slot  11  (the specification of 3.5″) of the chassis  10  through using the second mobile rack  50  combined within the first mobile rack  30 . 
     In the present invention, the storage devices can be respectively mounted into the expansion slots of different specifications through using the second mobile rack or a combination of the first mobile rack and the second mobile rack, so as to improve the utilization of the space within the chassis and to reduce the cost in developing the chassis.