Abstract:
Fixing apparatus include a pressing cover, a base facing to the pressing cover, a movable arm coupled between the pressing cover and the base, a chassis, an elastic element located between the pressing cover and the base, and a positioning shaft extending through the chassis, the base, and the elastic element to insert to the pressing cover. The positioning shaft forms a supporting portion away from the pressing cover. The chassis defines a first slot. When the chassis moves towards the pressing cover, the movable arm is pressed to open outwardly, the elastic element is compressed to press the chassis away from the pressing cover, the positioning portion moves towards the first slot until locks in the first slot. The fixing apparatus can press the device to the plank to fix the device on the plank.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to fixing apparatuses, and more particularly to a fixing apparatus on a wall 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A fixing apparatus may define a stepped hole and a cap. The stepped hole includes a big hole and a small hole. The cap is inserted into the big hole of the stepped hole, and further slides into the small hole. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    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. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a isometric view of an embodiment of a module. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view of the module of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a fixing apparatus of the module of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the fixing apparatus of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the fixing apparatus of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is another perspective exploded view of the fixing apparatus of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the module of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     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]      FIG. 1  illustrates a module  100  comprising a device  10 , a plank  20 , and a plurality of fixing apparatuses  30 . The fixing apparatuses  30  are used to fix the device  10  on the plank  20 . 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the plank  20  is punched to form two protruding shoulders  22 . Each of the protruding shoulders  22  defines a plurality of substantially circular holes  220  for fixing the plank  20 . Each of four corners of the plank  20  defines a through hole  24  and forms a supporting cover  26  over the through hole  24 . The through hole  24  includes a center hole  240  and two collinear quadrate holes  242  located at two sides of the through hole  24 . A diameter of the center hole  240  is larger than a width of each quadrate hole  242 . A top portion of the supporting covers  26  are substantially coplanar with a top portion of the protruding shoulder  22 . In the present embodiment, the supporting covers  26  are formed by punching the through holes  24 . 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , the fixing apparatus  30  includes a pressing cover  40 , a supporting shaft  50  fixed to the pressing cover  40 , a base  60 , a plurality of movable arms  70  connected between the pressing cover  40  and the base  60 , an elastic element  80  pressed between the pressing cover  40  and the base  60 , and a chassis  90 . 
         [0017]    The pressing cover  40  includes a top board  42 , a protrusion  44  protruding from a bottom surface of the top board  42 , a plurality of first connecting boards  46  extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite sides of the protrusion  44 , and a extruding portion  48  protruding from the protrusion  44 . The top board  42  is substantially circular, and a top surface of the top board  42  is used to resist the supporting cover  26 . The protrusion  44  is substantially rectangular. The connecting boards  46  are substantially parallel to each other. Each of the connecting boards  46  defines a first continuous hole  460 . The first continuous holes  460  are aligned with each other for cooperatively receiving a portion of the movable arm  70  therethrough. An end portion of the extruding portion  48  form a first guiding portion  480  including a plurality of first teeth  482  and a substantially V-shaped first groove  484  defined between each two adjacent first teeth  482 . The first guiding  480  cooperates with the chassis  90  to position the chassis  90  relative to the pressing cover  40 . The base  60  includes a bottom board  62  and a plurality of second connecting boards  64  protruding from the bottom board  62 . The bottom board  62  defines a bottom board hole  620 . Each of the second connecting boards  64  corresponds to one first connecting board  46 . Each of the second connecting boards  64  defines a second connecting hole  640 . The second connecting holes  640  are aligned with each other for cooperatively receiving a portion of the movable arm  70  therethrough. 
         [0018]    The movable arms  70  coupled the pressing cover  40  to the base  60 . Each of the movable arms  70  includes a first connecting pole  72  and a second connecting pole  74  coupled to the first connecting pole  72  by a rotatable joint  78 . Each of the first connecting pole  72  and the second connecting pole  74  includes a dowel  76 . The dowel  76  of the first connecting pole  72  extends through the first continuous holes  460  to couple the pressing cover  40  to the first connecting pole  72 . The dowel  76  of the second connecting pole  74  extends through the second connecting holes  640  to couple the base  60  to the second connecting pole  74 . The first connecting pole  72  can rotate relative to the pressing cover  40 , and the second connecting pole  74  can rotate relative to the base  60 . In the present embodiment, a length of the dowel  76  is larger than a width of the quadrate hole  242 . The movable arm  70  can open or close about the rotatable joint  78  when the base  60  moves relative to the pressing cover  40 . A cap  66  is partially received in the bottom board hole  620 . The screw cap  66  is divided into a first segment  662  and a second segment  664 . A diameter of the first segment  662  is smaller than a diameter of the bottom board hole  620  and extends through the bottom board hole  620 . A diameter of the second segment  664  is larger than the diameter of the bottom board hole  620  and resists a surface of the bottom board hole  620 . Thus, the cap  66  is hung on the bottom board  62 . The cap  66  defines a cap hole  660 . 
         [0019]    The elastic element  80  is located between the cap  66  and the protrusion  44 . In the present embodiment, the elastic element  80  is a spring sleeved around the supporting shaft  50 . The elastic element  80  is compressed between the pressing cover  40  and the base  60 . 
         [0020]    The chassis  90  includes a supporting board  92  and a substantially hollow pillar  94  extending through a substantially central portion of the supporting board  92 . The supporting board  92  is substantially the same size as the bottom board  62 . A top surface of the supporting board  92  resists the bottom board  62 , and a bottom surface of the supporting board  92  is fixed to the device  10 . A top end portion of the empty pillar  94  protruding from the top surface of the supporting board  92  forms a second guiding portion  940  including a plurality of second teeth  942 . A substantially V-shaped second groove  943  is defined between each two adjacent second teeth  942 . A shape and size of the second guiding portion  940  are substantially the same as a shape and size of the first guiding portion  480 . The second teeth  942  are misaligned with the first teeth  482  to provide a biasing force to rotate the pressing cover  40  relative to the chassis  90 . A bottom end portion of the empty pillar  94  protruding from the bottom surface of the supporting board  92  alternately defines a plurality of first slots  944  and a plurality of second slots  946 . A depth of the first slot  944  is less than a depth of the second slot  946 . In the present embodiment, the second slot  946  extends to the supporting board  92 . A first sloped surface  948  is formed between each adjacent first slot  944  and second slot  946 . 
         [0021]    The supporting portion  50  extends through the empty pillar  94  of the chassis  90 , the bottom board hole  620  of the base  60 , and the cap hole  660  of the cap  66 . A first end portion of the supporting portion  50  is fixedly received in the extruding portion  48  of the pressing cover  40 . A second end portion of the supporting portion  50  defines a plurality of positioning portions  52 . The positioning portions  52  are received in either the first slots  944  or the second slots  946 . In the present embodiment, a width of each positioning portion  52  is smaller than a width of each of the first slots  944  and of the second slots  946 . One end portion of each positioning portion  52  forms a second sloped surface  520 . A degree of slant of the first sloped surface  948  is substantially the same as a degree of slant of the second sloped surface  520 . The first sloped surfaces  948  and the second sloped surfaces  520  facilitate the positioning portions  52  moving from the first slots  944  to the second slots  946 , and from the second slots  946  to the first slots  944 . Before use, the positioning portions  52  are received in the second slots  946 , such that the pressing cover  40  and the base  60  are spaced a maximum distance apart, and that the movable arms  70  are opened a maximum amount. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-7 , in assembly, the fixing apparatuses  30  are fixed to the device  10 . In detail, the supporting board  92  is fixed to a surface of the device  10 . The supporting shaft  50  extends through the chassis  90 , the base  60 , and the cap  66 , and the first end portion of the supporting shaft  50  is fixedly received into the extruding portion  48 . The positioning portions  52  are received in the second slots  946 . The first segment  662  of the cap  66  extends through the bottom board hole  620 , and the second segment  664  of the base  60  resists the bottom board  62 . The elastic element  80  is sleeved around the supporting shaft  50  and compressed between the pressing cover  40  and the crew cap  66 . The movable arms  70  can open and close along with movements of the pressing cover  40  and the base  60 . A first distance between two points of the two movable arms  70  is defined as D1. D1 is smaller than the diameter of the center hole  240  of the through hole  24 . 
         [0023]    The device  10  is mounted to the plank  20 , such that the fixing apparatuses  30  extend through the through holes  24 . The device  10  is pressed to cause the pressing cover  40  to resist the supporting cover  26 , until the elastic element  80  is compressed. At the same time, the chassis  90 , the base  60 , and the cap  66  are moved toward the pressing cover  40 , and the positioning portions  52  are gradually moved to the second slots  946 . The movable arms  70  are gradually closed as the first connecting portions  72  are moved toward the second connecting portions  74 . The second teeth  942  of the empty pillar  94  resist the first grooves  484  of the first guiding portion  480 , causing the pressing cover  40  to rotate relative to the chassis  90 , and the supporting shaft  50  to rotate, thereby moving the positioning portions  52  into the first slots  944 . After the device  10  is released, the elastic element  80  restores, causing the positioning portions  52  to be received into the first slots  944 . Thus, the distance between the pressing cover  40  and the chassis  90  is decreased, and the movable arm  70  is closed. A second distance D2 between the two points of the movable arm  70  is larger than the first distance D1. The second distance D2 is larger than the diameter of the center hole  240 , so the device  10  can be hung on the plank  20  via the movable arms  70 . In the present embodiment, the device  10  only needs to be pressed to fix the device to the plank  20 . Thus, it is simple and fast to assemble. 
         [0024]    To disassemble the device  10  from the plank  20 , the device  10  is pressed, causing the positioning portions  52  to be received into the second slots  946 . The distance between the pressing cover  40  and the chassis  90  is increased, causing the movable arms  70  to open, The distance becomes the D1, because the first distance D1 between the two points of the movable arm  70  is smaller than the diameter of the center hole  240  of the through hole  24 , thus, the device  10  can be released from the plank  20 . 
         [0025]    Although the features and elements of the present disclosure are described as embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone or in other various combinations within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.