Self-locking and foldable ejector arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021282291-A1
Application number	US-202016808555-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 4, 2020
Publication date	Sep 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A locking mechanism for securing a computing device in an enclosure includes a jaw, a transmission lever, and an arm. The jaw is configured to abut a portion of the enclosure for holding the computing device. The transmission lever includes an arm pivot at one end and an actuating pivot at the opposite end. The arm is configured to rotate open and closed about the arm pivot and be selectively decoupled from the transmission lever. When the arm is coupled to the transmission lever, opening the arm causes the transmission lever to rotate open about the actuating pivot. Rotating open the transmission lever about the actuating pivot releases the jaw from the portion of the enclosure, and allows the computing device to be removed from the enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a jaw configured to abut a portion of an enclosure for holding a computing device; a transmission lever comprising an arm pivot at a first end and an actuating pivot at a second end; and an arm configured to rotate about the arm pivot in an opening direction and a closing direction, the arm being selectively decoupled from the transmission lever, wherein when the arm is coupled to the transmission lever, rotating the arm in the opening direction causes the transmission lever to rotate in the opening direction about the actuating pivot and releases the jaw from the portion of the enclosure, enabling the computing device to be removed from the enclosure.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arm further includes a slider to selectively decouple the arm from the transmission lever, enabling the arm to rotate separately from the transmission lever when decoupled.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the arm further includes a pin coupled to the slider, and wherein the arm pivot of the transmission lever includes an actuating slot configured to capture the pin when the slider couples the arm to the transmission lever.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the arm pivot further includes a detente angularly spaced from the actuating slot, the detente configured to bias the arm away from the computing device when the pin engages the detente.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the arm pivot includes a plurality of angularly spaced detente features configured to bias the arm in a plurality of angularly spaced positions.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a wedge configured to lock the jaw against the portion of the enclosure when the arm rotates in the closing direction.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the transmission lever includes an unlocking slope configured to contact an unlocking surface on the wedge, wherein rotating the arm in the opening direction when the arm is coupled to the transmission lever releases the jaw from the portion of the enclosure by forcing the unlocking slope of the transmission lever against the unlocking surface of the wedge.

8 . A system comprising:
a computing device configured to be mounted in an enclosure; and a locking mechanism coupled to the computing device, the locking mechanism comprising:
a jaw configured to abut a portion of the enclosure;
a transmission lever comprising an arm pivot at a first end and an actuating pivot at a second end; and
an arm configured to rotate about the arm pivot in an opening direction and a closing direction, the arm being selectively decoupled from the transmission lever,
wherein when the arm is coupled to the transmission lever, rotating the arm in the opening direction causes the transmission lever to rotate in the opening direction about the actuating pivot and releases the jaw from the portion of the enclosure, enabling the computing device to be removed from the enclosure.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a slider to selectively decouple the arm from the transmission lever, enabling the arm to rotate separately from the transmission lever when decoupled.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a pin coupled to the slider, and wherein the arm pivot of the transmission lever includes an actuating slot configured to capture the pin when the slider couples the arm to the transmission lever.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the arm pivot further includes a detente angularly spaced from the actuating slot, the detente configured to bias the arm away from the computing device when the pin engages the detente.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the arm pivot includes a plurality of angularly spaced detente features configured to bias the arm in a plurality of angularly spaced positions.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a wedge configured to lock the jaw against the portion of the enclosure when the arm rotates in the closing direction.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the transmission lever includes an unlocking slope configured to contact an unlocking surface on the wedge, wherein rotating the arm in the opening direction when the arm is coupled to the transmission lever releases the jaw from the portion of the enclosure by forcing the unlocking slope of the transmission lever against the unlocking surface of the wedge.

15 . A method comprising:
mounting a computing device in an enclosure; rotating an arm of a locking mechanism in a closing direction to lock the computing device in the enclosure, the locking mechanism comprising a transmission lever and a jaw, wherein rotating the arm in the closing direction actuates the transmission lever to secure the jaw against a portion of the enclosure; selectively decoupling the arm from the transmission lever; and rotating the arm in an opening direction opposite the closing direction without actuating the transmission lever.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein selectively decoupling the arm from the transmission lever comprises sliding a pin in the arm to remove the pin from an actuating slot in an arm pivot of the transmission lever.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising rotating the arm in the opening direction to allow the pin to engage a detente in the arm pivot angularly separated from the actuating slot in the arm pivot.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
ratcheting the arm through a plurality of angularly spaced positions defined by a plurality of angularly spaced detente features configured to bias the arm in a plurality of angularly spaced positions.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein locking the computing device in the enclosure further comprises preventing the jaw from further rotation with a wedge.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
coupling the arm to the transmission lever; rotating the arm in the opening direction to force an unlocking slope of the transmission lever against an unlocking surface of the wedge; and releasing the jaw from the portion of the enclosure to enable the computing device to be removed from the enclosure.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Xiaogang Li
• Twiss Robert Gregory
• Wang Luyao

Classifications

• H04Q1/025

  Cabinets · CPC title

• H04Q1/021

  using pivoting mechanisms for accessing the interior of the apparatus · CPC title

• H05K7/1489 Primary

  characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays (H05K7/1491 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05B13/005

  Disconnecting the handle (E05B13/101, E05B47/0676, E05B55/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05C3/06

  with operating handle or equivalent member moving otherwise than rigidly with the bolt · CPC title