U.S. patent application number 10/805266 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-22 for double locking device for removable disk drive.
Invention is credited to Chen, Hsiu-Ling.
Application Number | 20050207108 10/805266 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34986030 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050207108 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Hsiu-Ling |
September 22, 2005 |
DOUBLE LOCKING DEVICE FOR REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE
Abstract
This invention provides a removable computer disk drive with
double locking effects that allow ejection of the handle for
withdrawing the drive upon unlocking a lock apparatus and pushing a
push-button, characterized in that, the removable disk drive
includes an external rack that is provided with a lock apparatus on
a front edge side thereof and a push-button on an outer edge
thereof; the disk drive support includes a rotating handle at a
front edge thereof, wherein the push-button and latch of the lock
apparatus lock the rotating handle to achieve the double locking
effects whereby the handle can only be ejected for withdrawing the
disk drive support upon unlocking the lock apparatus and pushing
the push-button.
Inventors: |
Chen, Hsiu-Ling; (Taipei
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROXELL LAW OFFICE PLLC
SUITE 1404
5205 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22041
US
|
Family ID: |
34986030 |
Appl. No.: |
10/805266 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/679.38 ;
312/310 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/181 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/685 ;
312/310 |
International
Class: |
G06F 001/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A double locking device for a removable disk drive, comprising:
a rotating handle provided on a front edge of a disk drive support,
the rotating handle being mounted in place by a pivot, the rotating
handle including a resilient member provided at an end thereof and
an extension block provided at another end thereof, the extension
block being formed thereon with a slot and including a step formed
along a front edge thereof; and a lock apparatus provided at an
inner edge of a front side edge of an external disk drive rack,
including a push-button that is mounted in place by a pivot along a
side of the push-button, the push-button being formed thereon with
a keyway corresponding to the lock apparatus, the push-button being
provided with a wedge step at a location corresponding to the step
of the extension block of the rotating handle, the lock apparatus
including a lock shaft that is projected with a latch on a side
thereof, whereby the latch of the lock apparatus and the wedge step
of the push-button jointly imposes a double locking effect onto the
rotating handle.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to an enhanced security lock device
that allows ejection of the handle for withdrawing the drive upon
unlocking a lock apparatus and pushing a push-button.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] In conventional PCs, some manufactures invented a two-unit
mobile rack including an external disk drive rack to be affixed to
a disk drive bay of the computer enclosure; and an internal disk
drive support onto which a hard disk drive or an optical disk drive
may be mounted to facilitate maintenance, replacement or
portability of a disk drive to other computers upon directly
mounting the disk drive to a computer enclosure. The internal disk
drive support that is connected to the removable disk drive is slid
along rails provided to the external disk drive rack such that the
removable disk drive may be pushed in place to allow easy
maintenance, replacement and portability.
[0003] In such a two-unit rack using rails for engagement or
disengagement, hooks are usually provided to a handle of the disk
drive support, while rabbets are provided at corresponding
locations of the external rack. The engagement and positioning are
achieved by rotating the handle. In addition, a lock is usually
provided to the external rack for supplying electricity or
preventing unauthorized access of the disk drive. The primary
functions of the mobile rack are to allow the user to disengage or
engage the device at any time.
[0004] This invention relates to an enhanced security lock device
that allows ejection of the handle for withdrawing the drive upon
unlocking a lock apparatus and pushing a push-button. The rotating
handle of the disk drive support is provided with a resilient
member at an end thereof and an extension block at another end
thereof, where the extension block is formed with a slot and a step
on a front edge thereof. The external disk drive rack is provided
with a lock apparatus and a push-button at a front edge side
thereof. The lock apparatus includes a latch for locking to the
extension block of the rotating handle and the push-button wedges
against the extension block of the rotating handle. As such,
unlocking the lock apparatus and pushing the push-button will
release the locking state to allow ejection of the handle for
withdrawing the disk drive support, whereby achieving the intended
double locking effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to the enhanced security lock device of this
invention, the external rack is provided with a lock apparatus
which prevents the handle from ejection when the push-button is
pushed due to misuse when electricity is still supplied to the disk
drive by locking the lock apparatus, thereby preventing access to
the disk drive. The primary objective of this invention is to
prevent withdrawal of the disk drive when the computer is still
under normal operation, which might cause damage to data and the
disk drive. This invention is, thus, truly a disk drive security
device with novelty and utility.
[0006] This invention provides a removable computer disk drive with
double locking effects, characterized in that, the removable disk
drive includes an external rack that is provided with a lock
apparatus on a front edge side thereof and a push-button on an
outer edge thereof; the disk drive support includes a rotating
handle at a front edge thereof, wherein the push-button and a latch
of the lock apparatus lock the rotating handle to achieve the
double locking effects whereby the handle can only be ejected for
withdrawing the disk drive support upon unlocking the lock
apparatus and pushing the push-button.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a
double locking device for a removable disk drive according to this
invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a front view of this invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the front view
of FIG. 2.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an alternative perspective view illustrating the
double locking device for a removable disk drive according to this
invention.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an alternative perspective view illustrating the
double locking device for a removable disk drive according to this
invention.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an alternative perspective view illustrating the
double locking device for a removable disk drive according to this
invention.
[0013] FIG. 7 is an alternative perspective view illustrating the
double locking device for a removable disk drive according to this
invention.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of
the rotating handle, lock apparatus and push-button for the double
locking device for a removable disk drive according to this
invention.
[0015] FIG. 9 is an alternative perspective view of the rotating
handle, lock apparatus and push-button for the double locking
device for a removable disk drive according to this invention.
[0016] FIG. 10 is an alternative perspective view of the rotating
handle, lock apparatus and push-button for the double locking
device for a removable disk drive according to this invention.
[0017] FIG. 11 is an alternative perspective view of the rotating
handle, lock apparatus and push-button for the double locking
device for a removable disk drive according to this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a double locking device for a
removable disk drive according to this invention. On a front edge
of a disk drive support 1 is provided with a rotating handle 11
mounted in place by a pivot 12. The rotating handle 11 includes a
resilient member 13 provided at an end thereof and, such that the
rotating handle 11 takes on the form of a panel that may swing
about an end and includes a handle for grasping and withdrawing a
disk drive support 1. The rotating handle 11 is provided at another
end thereof with an extension block 14, the extension block 14
being formed thereon with a slot 141 and including a step 142
formed along a front edge thereof.
[0019] The external disk drive rack 2 in this invention is provided
with a lock apparatus 21 at an inner edge of a front side edge
thereof, and a push-button 22 that is mounted in place by a pivot
223 along a side of the push-button 22. The push-button 22 is
formed thereon with a keyway 221 corresponding to the lock
apparatus 21. The push-button 22 is provided with a wedge step 222
at a location corresponding to step 142 of the extension block 14
of the rotating handle 11. The lock apparatus 21 includes a lock
shaft 211 that is projected with a latch 212 on a side thereof.
[0020] FIGS. 4, 5 and 8 illustrate this invention under operation,
where the rotating handle 11 has been locked and the latch 212 of
the lock apparatus 21 has been rotated to enter the slot 141 of the
extension block 14 to assume a locking state. Under such a state,
the rotating handle 11 would not be released from the locking state
even if the push-button 22 is pushed. Accordingly, this invention
prevents the handle from ejection when the push-button 22 is pushed
due to misuse when the electricity is still supplied to the disk
drive by locking the lock apparatus, thereby preventing access to
the disk drive. The primary objective of this invention is to
prevent withdrawal of the disk drive when the computer is still
under normal operation, which might cause damages to data and the
disk drive, as shown in FIG. 9.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 10, after inserting a key 213 into the
keyway 221 of the push-button 22 thereby entering the lock
apparatus 21 to rotate the lock shaft 211 of the lock apparatus 21,
the latch 212 of the lock shaft 211 is moved away and released from
the slot 141 of the extension block 14 of the rotating handle 11,
while the lock apparatus 21 stops the electricity supply at the
same time.
[0022] Accordingly, the lock apparatus 21 is unlocked to release
the locking effect that the latch 212 imposes on the extension
block 14 of the rotating handle 11, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 11.
At this time, pushing a side of the push-button 22 would cause the
wedging effect that wedge step 22 of the push-button 2 imposed upon
the step 142 of the extension block 14 of the rotating handle 11,
thereby allowing the handle 11 to rotate about the pivot 12 and
ejected the end formed with the extension block 14 under influence
of the resilient member 13. As such, the rotating handle 11 may now
serve as a handle for drawing the disk drive support 1 from the
external disk drive rack 2. Operations in a reverse order would
allow insertion and locking of the disk drive support 1 into the
external disk drive rack 2.
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