Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a bracket for mounting a hard disk drive thereon. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With development in computer technology, computers have become an indispensable part of our daily life. In a computer, a hard disk drive (HDD) is needed for storing information. Generally, the HDD is mounted on a frame and the frame is then mounted in the computer. However, the frame generally can only mount a limited number of HDDs. For example, only one or two HDDs can be mounted on the frame. If more HDDs are desired in the computer, another frame is needed to mount the additional HDDs thereon. However, the computer generally has a limited space, thus may not have room for accommodating another frame therein. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a device for expanding the number of HDDs for the computer to thereby overcome the above described shortcomings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a bracket for mounting a HDD according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but the bracket is shown in an exploded manner. 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 1 , wherein the HDD is to be mounted onto the bracket. 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled, isometric view of the bracket and the HDD of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a bracket  10  for mounting a HDD  20  according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. The bracket  10  is to be installed in an enclosure (not shown) of a computer. The HDD  20  defines a plurality of mounting holes  22  at each of top and bottom sides thereof. 
     The bracket  10  includes a fixing plate  12  for connecting with the enclosure of the computer and a holding frame  11  connected with the fixing plate  12  for mounting the HDD  20 . A pair of securing ears  124  extend perpendicularly outwardly from a lateral side edge of the fixing plate  12  towards the holding frame  11 . The securing ears  124  each define a securing hole  120  therein. 
     The holding frame  11  includes a rectangular mounting plate  14 , a U-shaped enclosing wall  16  extending perpendicularly outwardly from a front surface of the mounting plate  14 , and a pair of resilient clips  18  connected with the enclosing wall  16 . The mounting plate  14  defines two through holes  140  at a left side thereof. The through holes  140  are aligned with the securing holes  120  of the securing ears  124  of the fixing plate  12 , respectively, such that screws  30  can extend through the through holes  140  and the securing holes  120  to connect the fixing plate  12  and the holding frame  11  together. Referring also to  FIG. 4 , a pin set  144  extends downwardly from a bottom of the mounting plate  14  for being received in an appropriate slot available in the enclosure of the computer. 
     The enclosing wall  16  includes a pair of parallel first flanges  161  and a second flange  162  which is shorter than each of the first flanges  161 . The first flanges  161  are formed at the top and bottom sides of the mounting plate  14 , respectively. The second flange  162  is formed at one side of the mounting plate  14 . The second flange  162  is located adjacent to and parallel with the fixing plate  12 . The second flange  162  is perpendicular to and connected between the two first flanges  161 , such that the first and second flanges  161 ,  162  cooperatively define a receiving space  141  for receiving the HDD  20  therein. The receiving space  141  has an open end at one side thereof. The two first flanges  161  each define a plurality of through holes  160  therein. 
     The two resilient clips  18  are respectively attached to the two first flanges  161 . The resilient clips  18  are made of materials with good elasticity. Each of the resilient clips  18  includes a sheet  181  and a plurality of poles  188  extending from the sheet towards the receiving space  141 . The sheet  181  is attached to an outer surface of a corresponding first flange  161  of the enclosing wall  16 . The sheet  181  includes a fixed end  182  fixed on the first flange  161  of the enclosing wall  16 , and an opposite free end  184 . A handle tab  186  for facilitating manual operation extends perpendicularly from a distal tip of the free end  184  of the sheet  181  and points away from the first flange  161  of the enclosing wall  16 . The poles  188  extend through the through holes  160  of the first flanges  161  and protrude into the receiving space  141 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in assembly, the handle tabs  186  of the resilient clips  18  are pulled to cause the free ends  184  of the sheets  181  to move away from the first flanges  161  of the enclosing wall  16 . As the fixed ends  182  of the resilient clips  18  are fixedly connected with the first flanges  161 , the resilient clips  18  may deform. In this state, the poles  188  of the resilient clips  18  move away from the through holes  160  of the first flanges  161  of the enclosing wall  16 , and the resilient clips  18  deform. Then, the HDD  20  is placed into the receiving space  141  with the mounting holes  22  of the HDD  20  respectively aligned with the through holes  160  of the first flanges  161  of the enclosing wall  16 . By releasing the free ends  184  of the resilient clips  18 , the resilient clips  18  resume to their original state, and the poles  188  extend through the through holes  160  of the first flanges  161  and engage in the mounting holes  22  of the HDD  20 , respectively. Thus, the HDD  20  is firmly fixed in the receiving space  141  of the bracket  10  by the resilient clips  18 . 
     Generally, a plurality of expansion slots for mounting expansion cards, such as peripheral component interconnect (PCI) cards and accelerated graphics ports (AGP) cards, are set on a motherboard of the computer. Some of the expansion slots are often not used. In other words, no expansion cards are mounted on these unused expansion slots. Since the bracket  10  has a profile like an expansion card and a pin set  144  is provided on the bracket  10 , the bracket  10  can advantageously utilize an unused expansion slot and make use of the space above the unused expansion slot in the computer for fixing the HDD  20 , whereby the storage capacity of the computer is greatly expanded. In addition, assembly and disassembly of the HDD  20  is convenient due to the presence of the resilient clips  18 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Category: 3