Abstract:
A mounting apparatus for securing electronic devices is disclosed. The mounting apparatus comprises a base; two supports secured to the base; a positioning member located in each of the two supports, wherein the positioning member and each of the two supports are configured to move relative to each other along an axis parallel to a surface of the base, and the positioning member has a tooth-faced side with a plurality of first teeth; a securing member having a plurality of second teeth, wherein the securing member is adapted to engage with the positioning member by meshing the plurality of second teeth and the plurality of first teeth, and the securing member is slidable towards the base along the position member; and two resilient members located in each of the two supports, wherein the two resilient members maintains engagement between the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to mounting apparatuses, and particularly to a mounting apparatus for securing electronic devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Electronic devices should be tested to ensure capability and quality before being sold. The electronic devices are typically mounted to a test apparatus in testing by screws, which processes are very time-consuming and inconvenient. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the 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 embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting apparatus and an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a circled portion II in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the mounting apparatus with the electronic device according to one embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in  FIG. 3 , (the electronic device is not shown). 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the circled portion V in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is another assembled view of the mounting apparatus without the electronic device. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a mounting apparatus intended for securing an electronic device  80  according to one embodiment is shown. The electronic device  80  may be, for example, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a digital camera, a mobile phone, or the like. The mounting apparatus in accordance with an embodiment includes a base  100 , two supports  10 , two positioning members  20 , a securing member  30 , and a plurality of operating members  50 . 
         [0015]    Each support  10  may be substantially hollow and secured to the base  100 . The support  10  may be secured to the base  100  to a bottom wall  12  of support  10  by means for attaching such as screws; solder; or rivets. 
         [0016]    Each support  10  may include an open side opposite to a first sidewall  13 , a top wall  11 , a bottom wall  12 , and two second sidewalls  15 . The open side of support  10  may be partially enclosed by flanges  151 , which extend from the two second sidewalls  15 . In one embodiment, the support  10  may be approximately a cuboid-shaped box with an opening side. In another embodiment, the flanges  151  are substantially perpendicular to the two second sidewalls  15  and parallel to the first sidewall  13 . 
         [0017]    A first guide  111  is located on an inner surface of the top wall  11 , and a second guide  121  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) is located on an inner surface of the bottom wall  12 . Two pieces  125  extend outward from the two opposites edges of the bottom wall  12 , and are connected with the two second sidewalls  15 . Two securing holes  1251  for securing the bottom wall  12  to the base  100  are defined in each of the two piece  125 . A rib  16  connects each of the two piece  125  to each of the two second sidewalls  15 . Two through holes  131  are defined in the first sidewall  13  of each support  10 . In one embodiment, each through hole  131  is void 
         [0018]    Each positioning member  20  is configured to be received between the top wall  11  and the bottom wall  12  and between the two second sidewalls  15 . In one embodiment, a first slot  211  and a second slot  231  are defined on two opposite ends of the positioning member  20  so that the first slot  211  may slid against the first guide  111 , and the second slot  231  against the second guide  121 . One side of the positioning member  20 , perpendicular to the two ends, has a tooth-shaped surface with a plurality of first teeth  251 . Two mounting holes  253  are defined on the opposite side of the tooth-shaped side of the positioning member  20 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , each of the plurality of first teeth  251  includes a guiding surface  2511 , and a blocking surface  2513  connected with the guiding surface  2511  to form a triangle. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of first teeth  251  is an obtuse-angled triangle. 
         [0019]    The securing member  30  includes a bar  31  and two securing portions  33  located at two opposite ends of the bar  31 . A portion of surfaces facing away from the two ends of the bar  31 , of the two securing portions  33 , is tooth-shaped with a plurality of second teeth  331 . In one embodiment, a slit  3331  is defined on each side perpendicular to the tooth-shaped side of each of the two securing portions  33 . Each of the slit  3331  of the securing member  30  may slide against the flanges  151  of the two supports  10 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , each of the plurality of second teeth  331  includes a second guiding surface  3312 , and a second blocking surface  3313  connected with the second guiding surface  3312  to form a triangle. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of second teeth  331  is an obtuse angled triangle which slants towards the bar  31 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , each of the plurality of operating members  50  includes a main portion  53 , an handgrip  51 , and a mounting portion  57 . The handgrip  51  and the mounting portion  57  are on opposite sides of the main portion  53 . A positioning portion  55  is located on the mounting portion  57 . In an embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the positioning portion  55  is substantially the same as that of the through hole  131 . 
         [0021]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3  to  FIG. 7 , in assembly, two resilient members  60  may be received between each of the two second sidewalls  15 . In one embodiment, the resilient member  60  is a spring. One positioning member  20  may be placed in each of the two supports  10 , between the two second sidewalls  15  with the plurality of first teeth  251  facing the flanges  151 . The first slot  211  may slide into the first guide  111 , and second slot  231  into the second guide  121 . The two mounting holes  253  may be aligned with the two through holes  131 . The two resilient members  60  may be located at the two through holes  131 , between the first sidewall  13  of the support  10  and the positioning member  20 . The positioning member  20  may be pushed to slide towards the first sidewall  13  by sliding the first guide  111  into the first slot  211 , and the second guide  121  into the second slot  231 . The two resilient members  60  are thus compressed. The mounting portions  57  of the operating members  50  may be engaged with the mounting holes  253  of the positioning members  20  through the through holes  131  and the resilient members  60 . 
         [0022]    Each positioning member  20  may be slid between a first position (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and a second position (shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). In the first position, the plurality of second teeth  331  are engaged with the plurality of first teeth  251 , the resilient member  60  has a first length, and the positioning portion  55  of the operating member  50  is engaged in the through hole  131 . In the second position, the plurality of second teeth  331  are disengaged from the plurality of first teeth  251 , the resilient member  60  is further compressed and has a second length which is less than the first length, and the positioning portion  55  of the operating member  50  is disengaged from the through hole  131 . When the two positioning members  20  are slid from the second position to the first position, the two positioning members  20  are pushed towards the securing member  30 . When the two positioning members  20  are slid from the first position to the second position, the two positioning members  20  are pulled away from the securing member  30 . The operating members  50  may not be rotated when the two positioning members  20  are in the first position and the positioning portions  55  are engaged in the through holes  131 . The operating members  50  may be rotated to abut an outer surface of the first sidewall  13  when the two positioning members  20  are in the second position. Each of the two positioning members  20  may be slid from the second to the first positions by the two resilient members  60  when the compressions on the two resilient members  60  are released. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the assembly is in use with the electronic device  80  standing on the base  100  between the two supports  10 . The two positioning members  20  are initially in the first position with the resilient members  60  in a released state. The securing member  30  is then placed onto the two supports  10  and pressed to slide towards the base  100  to hold down the device  80 . When the second guiding surface  3312  of each of the plurality of second teeth  331  press against the first guiding surface  2511  of each of the plurality of first teeth  251 , the two positioning members  20  are slid away from each other, towards the first sidewalls  13 . The resilient members  60  are thereby compressed. When the second blocking surface  3313  of each of the plurality of second teeth  331  press against the first blocking surface  2513  of each of the plurality of first teeth  251 , the resilient members  60  are partially released to allow some lateral movements along the first guide  111  and the second guide  121  of each of the two positioning members  20 . In this fashion, the securing member  30  may be pushed to slide along the two positioning members  20  towards the base  100  until the electronic device  80  is securely held between the bar  31  and the base  100 . 
         [0024]    When the securing member  30  abuts the electronic device  80 , the electronic device  80  is secured on the base  100 . In one embodiment, the mounting apparatus is a test apparatus used in a drop test for the electronic device  80 , and the base  100  is a test platform which may be allowed to fall together with the electronic device  80 . 
         [0025]    To remove the device  80  from the mounting apparatus, the operating members  50  may be pulled away from each other (away from the two position members  20 ) to guide the two positioning members  20  from the first position to the second position. The plurality of first teeth  251  are thereby disengaged from the plurality of second teeth  331 , and the securing member  30  may be then removed from the two positioning members  20  to release the electronic device  80 . 
         [0026]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, 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 the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.