U.S. patent application number 11/690146 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-12 for drive bracket assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Yu--Ming Xiao.
Application Number | 20080136298 11/690146 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39026830 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080136298 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Xiao; Yu--Ming |
June 12, 2008 |
DRIVE BRACKET ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A drive bracket assembly includes a carrying board, a drive
bracket, and a latch member. The carrying board defines at least
one securing slot, and a blocking member is formed on the carrying
board. The drive bracket includes a bottom wall having at least one
securing member engaging with the at least one securing slot of the
carrying board and a side wall perpendicular to the bottom wall. A
blocking tab laterally protrudes from the side wall of the drive
bracket. The latch member includes a base and an elastic arm, and
an angle is defined therebetween. The elastic arm resists against
the blocking tab of the drive bracket to shrink the angle and force
the base to abut on the carrying board and be sandwiched between
the blocking member and the side wall of the drive bracket.
Inventors: |
Xiao; Yu--Ming; (Shenzhen,
CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PCE INDUSTRY, INC.;ATT. CHENG-JU CHIANG
458 E. LAMBERT ROAD
FULLERTON
CA
92835
US
|
Assignee: |
HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO.,
LTD.
Taipei Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
39026830 |
Appl. No.: |
11/690146 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/223.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/187 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/223.2 |
International
Class: |
A47B 97/00 20060101
A47B097/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2006 |
CN |
200620016220.4 |
Claims
1. A drive bracket assembly, comprising: a carrying board defining
at least one securing slot, a blocking member formed on the
carrying board; a drive bracket mounted on the carrying board
configured for accommodating a data storage device, the drive
bracket comprising a bottom wall having at least one securing
member engaging with the at least one securing slot of the carrying
board and a side wall perpendicular to the bottom wall, a blocking
tab laterally protruding from the side wall; and a latch member
pivotally mounted to the bracket, the latch member comprising a
base and an elastic arm extending from the base, an angle defined
between the base and the elastic arm, the elastic arm resisting
against the blocking tab of the drive bracket to shrink the angle
and force the base to abut on the carrying board and be sandwiched
between the blocking member and the side wall of the drive
bracket.
2. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the
base of the latch member comprises a horizontal portion and a
slanted portion extending up from one end of the horizontal
portion, a handle extends laterally from a top edge of the slanted
portion in a direction away from the side wall.
3. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 2, wherein a
stop block protrudes laterally from a bottom edge of the base at a
joint of the horizontal portion and the slanted portion in the
direction away from the side wall.
4. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 2, wherein a
pivot hole is defined in the side wall of the bracket, and a pivot
member for pivotably engaging in the pivot hole is formed on the
other end of the horizontal portion of the base.
5. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 4, wherein a
circular protrusion is formed on the side wall of the drive
bracket, and the pivot hole is defined therein.
6. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 5, wherein a
pivot portion with a circular recess defined therein is formed at
another end of the horizontal portion of the base, and the pivot
member protrudes from a center thereof.
7. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 2, wherein the
elastic arm extends up at an incline toward the slanted portion of
the base from a top edge of the pivot portion.
8. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 4, wherein the
pivot hole and the pivot member are both calabash-shaped, and the
pivot member comprises a securing head extending through the pivot
hole to slidably engaging with the inner surface of the side wall
of the drive bracket.
9. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 2, wherein a
recess is defined in a surface of the horizontal portion of the
base facing the drive bracket, an elastic stop member protrudes
from the side wall of the drive bracket with a free end thereof
abutting against a top edge of the recess, for preventing the latch
member dropping down to thereby keep the elastic arm resisting
against the blocking tab of the drive bracket.
10. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 4, wherein an
arcute guiding slot with a wide entrance and a narrow arcute
guiding portion is defined in the side wall of the drive bracket,
the pivot center of the pivot hole is concentric with the pivot
center of the arcute sliding portion, and an L-shaped sliding block
protrudes from a surface of the slanted portion of the base facing
the drive bracket, for extending through the guiding slot to
slidably engage with an inner surface of the side wall of the drive
bracket.
11. A drive bracket assembly, comprising: a computer enclosure with
a bottom wall defining at least one securing slot, a blocking
member formed on the bottom wall; a drive bracket slidably mounted
on the bottom wall of the computer enclosure configured for
accommodating a data storage device, the drive bracket comprising a
bottom wall having at least one securing member engaging with the
at least one securing slot of the computer enclosure and a side
wall perpendicular to the bottom wall, a blocking tab extending
laterally from the side wall; and a latch member resiliently
resisted against the blocking tab of the drive bracket, the latch
member having an end pivotally attached to the side wall of the
drive bracket and a free end movable between the blocking tab and
the bottom wall of the computer enclosure, the free end moving
toward the bottom wall of the computer enclosure by action of a
resistance of the latch member to force the latch member to abut on
the bottom wall of the computer enclosure and be blocked by the
blocking member thereof, thereby forcing the securing member of the
drive bracket to engage in the securing slot and preventing the
drive bracket from retracting back therefrom.
12. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 11, wherein
the latch member comprises a base having a horizontal portion and a
slanted portion extending up from one end of the horizontal
portion, an elastic arm extending up at an incline toward the
slanted portion from another end of the horizontal portion of the
base and resisting against the blocking tab of the drive
bracket.
13. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 12, wherein a
stop block protrudes laterally from a bottom edge at the joint of
the horizontal portion and the slanted portion of the latch member,
and the stop block is sandwiched between the blocking member and
the side wall of the drive bracket.
14. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 12, wherein a
pivot hole is defined in the side wall of the bracket, and a pivot
member for pivotably engaging in the pivot hole is formed on the
other end of the horizontal portion of the base.
15. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 14, wherein
the pivot hole and the pivot member are both calabash-shaped, and
the pivot member comprises a securing head extending through the
pivot hole to slidably engaging with an inner surface of the side
wall of the drive bracket.
16. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 11, wherein a
recess is defined in a surface of the horizontal portion of the
base facing the drive bracket, an elastic stop member protrudes
from the side wall of the drive bracket with a free end thereof
abutting against a top edge of the recess, for preventing the latch
member dropping down to thereby keep the elastic arm resisting
against the blocking tab of the drive bracket.
17. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 11, wherein a
pair of limiting tabs aligned in a direction along which the drive
bracket slides protrudes up from the bottom wall of the computer
enclosure, for helping smooth movement of the drive bracket on the
bottom wall.
18. A drive bracket assembly comprising: a computer enclosure with
a bottom wall defining at least one securing slot, a blocking
member formed on the bottom wall; a drive bracket slidably mounted
on the bottom wall of the computer enclosure configured for
accommodating a data storage device therein, the drive bracket
comprising a bottom wall having at least one securing member
slidably engaging with the at least one securing slot in such a
manner that the at least one securing member is movable relative to
the at least one securing slot in a first direction parallel to the
bottom wall of the bracket and unmovable in a second direction
perpendicular to the bottom wall of the bracket, and a side wall
perpendicular to the bottom wall of the bracket, a blocking
structure extending laterally from the side wall, a sliding slot
being defined in the side wall; and a latch member comprising a
pivot portion adjacent to one end thereof pivotably attached to the
side wall of the bracket, a sliding block adjacent to an opposite
end thereof extending through the sliding slot and being slidable
in the sliding slot when the latch member is pivoted about the
pivot portion, an elastic cantilever arm extending therefrom and
abutting against the blocking structure in the second direction,
and a stop block sandwiched between the side wall and the blocking
member in the first direction for preventing the at least one
securing member disengaging from the at least one securing
slot.
19. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 18, wherein
the side wall defines a calabash-shaped pivot hole, the sliding
slot comprises a wide entrance for allowing the sliding block
entering into the sliding slot and an arcuate narrow sliding
portion, the pivot center of the pivot hole is concentric with the
pivot center of the arcute sliding portion, wherein the pivot
portion is calabash-shaped and extendable through the pivot hole
and engages with the side wall in the first direction when the
sliding block slides into the narrow sliding portion.
20. The drive bracket assembly as described in claim 19, wherein a
notch is defined in the latch member between the pivot portion and
the sliding block, and a blocking tab extending outwardly and
upwardly from the side wall for engaging with the notch of the
drive bracket to prevent the sliding block from moving back into
the wide entrance.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a drive bracket assembly,
particularly to a drive bracket assembly for mounting a data
storage device to a computer enclosure.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Generally, when a computer is assembled, data storage
devices, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive
(FDD), and a compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM) drive are
accommodated in the drive bracket. Then, the drive bracket is
mounted in a computer enclosure. Conventionally, the data storage
device is generally attached to a drive bracket by bolts or rails.
Then, the drive bracket with data storage devices is fixed to the
computer enclosure with a plurality of screws. During assembly or
disassembly, a screwdriver is needed to manipulate the screws. It
is complicated and time-consuming. Furthermore, the screws are
small and easy to be lost. If one of the screws is dropped and left
inside the computer enclosure, serious damage may be caused.
[0005] What is needed, therefore, is a mounting apparatus
conveniently securing a drive bracket to a computer enclosure and
having a simple structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A drive bracket assembly includes a carrying board, a drive
bracket, and a latch member. The carrying board defines at least
one securing slot, and a blocking member is formed on the carrying
board. The drive bracket includes a bottom wall having at least one
securing member engaging with the at least one securing slot of the
carrying board and a side wall perpendicular to the bottom wall. A
blocking tab laterally protrudes from the side wall of the drive
bracket. The latch member includes a base and an elastic arm, and
an angle is defined therebetween. The elastic arm resists against
the blocking tab of the drive bracket to shrink the angle and force
the base to abut on the carrying board and be sandwiched between
the blocking member and the side wall of the drive bracket.
[0007] Other advantages and novel features of the present invention
will become more apparent from the following detailed description
of preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a drive bracket
assembly of a preferred embodiment, including a drive bracket and a
computer enclosure;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, isometric view of the latch member of
FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the drive bracket assembly of
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but viewed from another aspect;
and
[0012] FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 1 when the drive bracket
is disengaged from the computer enclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, a drive bracket assembly used for
securing a data storage device includes a computer enclosure 10, a
drive bracket 30 slidably mounted in the computer enclosure 10 for
accommodating the data storage device, and a latch member 50
pivotably attached to the drive bracket 30 for securing the drive
bracket 30 in the computer enclosure 10.
[0014] The computer enclosure 10 includes a bottom wall 11 and a
side wall 12 perpendicular thereto. A rectangular carrying board 13
protrudes up from the bottom wall 11 with a plurality of securing
slots 130 defined therein. Each securing slot 130 has a wide
mounting portion 131 and a narrow securing portion 132. An L-shaped
blocking member 133 is formed on a short side of the carrying board
13. A limiting tab 135 is formed on the carrying board 13 and
aligned with the blocking member 133. A pair of limiting tabs 137
is formed on the bottom wall 11 of the computer enclosure 10
adjacent to a long side of the carrying board 13, for helping the
drive bracket 30 slide on the carrying board 13 smoothly.
[0015] The drive bracket 30 includes a bottom wall 31 and a side
wall 33 perpendicular to the bottom wall 31. A plurality of
securing members 310 is formed on the bottom wall 31 of the drive
bracket 30 for engaging with the securing slots 130. Each securing
member 310 includes a pair of opposite narrow arms 311 respectively
extends down from the bottom wall 31 and a wide securing portion
312 connected between the arms 311. An arcute guiding slot 331 is
defined in the side wall 33. The guiding slot 331 compries a wide
entrance and a narrow arcute sliding portion. A circular protrusion
332 with a calabash-shaped pivot hole 335 defined therein is formed
on the side wall 33. The pivot center of the pivot hole 335 is
concentric with the pivot center of the arcute sliding portion. An
elastic stop member 336 is formed between the guiding slot 331 and
the pivot portion 332. An L-shaped blocking tab 337 extends from a
top edge of the side wall 33 over the stop member 336.
[0016] Referring also to FIG. 2, the latch member 50 includes a
base body which includes a horizontal portion 51 and a slanted
portion 53 extending up from an end of the horizontal portion 51. A
circular pivot portion 55 is formed at another end of the
horizontal portion 51. A circular recess 551 is defined in the
pivot portion 55 with a calabash-shaped pivot member 553 protruding
from a center thereof. The pivot member 553 has a securing head 556
which is thinner than the other portion of the pivot member 553
such that the securing head 556 is extendable through the pivot
hole 335 to rotatably engage with an inner surface of the
protrusion 332 of the drive bracket 30 when the pivot member 553
rotates in the pivot hole 335. A rectangular notch 511 is defined
in the horizontal portion 51 of the latch member 50 for engaging
with the blocking tab 336 of the drive bracket 30. An L-shaped
sliding block 531 protrudes from an inner surface of the slanted
portion 53 of the latch member 50, for extending through the
L-shaped guiding slot 331 and engaging with an inner surface of the
side wall 33. An elastic cantilever arm 57 extends up at an incline
toward the slanted portion 53 from a top of the pivot portion 551
of the latch member 50. An angle is defined between the elastic
cantilever arm 57 and the horizontal portion 51 of the base. A
handle 56 extends from a top edge of the slanted portion 53 of the
latch member 50. A stop block 59 protrudes laterally from a bottom
edge where the horizontal portion 51 and the slanted portion 53 of
the latch member 50 join.
[0017] Referring also to FIG. 3, for mounting the latch member 50
to the drive bracket 30, the pivot member 553 and the sliding block
531 of the latch member 50 respectively extend through the pivot
hole 335 and the guiding slot 331 of the drive bracket 30. The
elastic cantilever arm 57 of the latch member 50 is disposed under
the blocking tab 337. The handle 56 is pulled up to drive the latch
member 50 to rotate up. The latch member 50 slides up with the
horizontal portion 51 thereof depressing the elastic stop member
336 until an upper edge of the notch 511 engages with the free end
of the elastic stop member 336, thereby preventing the latch member
50 from dropping down. At this point, the latch member 50 is
retained by the elastic stop member 336, and the elastic cantilever
arm 57 is in an initial state. The sliding block 531 of the pivot
member 55 is moved away from the wide entrance of the slot 331 into
the narrow sliding portion of the slot 331 and the securing head
556 of the pivot member 55 is moved offset from the slot 335. Thus,
the sliding block 531 and the securing head 553 engage with the
side wall 33 of the drive bracket 30 in a direction perpendicular
to the side wall 53, thereby preventing the sliding block 531 and
the securing head 553 of the pivot member 55 disengaging from the
guiding slot 331 and the pivot hole 335 of the drive bracket 30
respectively.
[0018] Referring also to FIGS. 3-5, in assembly, the securing
portions 312 of the securing members 310 on the drive bracket 30
are aligned with the wide mounting portions 131 of the securing
slots 130 in the carrying board 13. The stop block 59 of the latch
member 50 abuts on the blocking member 133 of the carrying board
13, as shown in FIG. 5. The elastic cantilevel arm 57 of the latch
member 50 resists against the blocking tab 337 of the bracket and
is distorted by the resistance. The angle between the elastic arm
57 and the horizontal portion 51 of the base becomes smaller. Then,
the drive bracket 30 with the latch member 50 mounted thereto is
pushed horizontally along the pair of limiting members 137. One of
the securing portions 312 of each securing member 310 engages in
the corresponding narrow securing portion 132 of the corresponding
securing slot 130. The securing portions 312 of the securing
members 310 slide below the carrying board 13 and are blocked
thereby, for limiting a movement of the drive bracket 30 in a
vertical direction away from the carrying board 13. The stop block
59 of the latch member 50 drops down from a top plane of the
blocking member 133 and is sandwiched between the blocking member
133 and the side wall 33 of the bracket, as shown in FIG. 3. The
elastic cantilever arm 57 of the latch member 50 rebounds back to
force the stop block 59 to abut on the carrying board 13. Thus, the
movement of the drive bracket 30 in a horizontal direction parallel
to the carrying board 13 is limited. The bracket 30 is secured in
the computer enclosure 10.
[0019] In disassembly, the handle 56 of the latch member 50 is
pulled up, the elastic cantilever arm 57 is distorted by the
blocking tab 337 of the drive bracket 30. The angle between the
elastic cantilever arm 57 and the horizontal portion 51 of the
latch member 50 becomes smaller. The base body of the latch member
50 rotates up about the pivot member 553. When the stop block 59 of
the latch member 50 raises to a position higher than the top plane
of the blocking member 133 of the carrying board 13, the bracket 30
is pulled horizontally out along the pair of limiting tabs 137, and
the securing portions 312 of the securing members 310 disengage
from the securing slots 130. The side wall 33 of the drive bracket
30 is blocked by the limiting tab 135 on the carrying board 13, for
preventing further movement of the drive bracket 30. Thus, the
drive bracket 30 is disengaged from the carrying board 13 of the
computer enclosure 10.
[0020] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the invention, 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.
* * * * *