Locking mechanism and removable electronic device using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9152189-B2
Application number	US-201113159369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2011
Priority date	Feb 23, 2011
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A locking mechanism is used to lock a removable electronic device on a housing structure including a pair of resisting portions. The locking mechanism includes a pair of bar members, a pair of elastic elements and an operating member. Each of the pair of bar members includes a blocking portion to engage with the corresponding resisting portion and a matching portion. The pair of elastic elements is elastically connected between the electronic device and the corresponding bar members. The operating member located between the pair of bar members and defines a first groove and a second groove respectively engaging with the matching portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A locking mechanism, operable to lock a removable electronic device in a housing structure comprising a pair of resisting portions, the locking mechanism comprising:
an operating member defining a first groove and a second groove;
a pair of positioning columns, each of the positioning columns being contiguous with a corresponding one of the resisting portions;
a pair of bar members, with the operating member located between the bar members, each of the bar members comprising a blocking portion to engage with a corresponding one of the resisting portions, a matching portion, a guiding segment, a ladder portion, and a linking segment, the guiding segment being engaged with the operating member by engagement of the matching portion and a corresponding one of the first and second grooves, the linking segment defining a third hole contiguous with the blocking portion, the linking segment pivoted on a corresponding one of the positioning columns by the third hole receiving the corresponding positioning column and engaging the resisting portion by the blocking portion structured at an end of the linking segment, and the ladder portion being configured and structured between the guiding segment and the linking segment to secure the operating member when the blocking portion is engaged with the resisting portion; and
a pair of elastic elements, each of the elastic elements fixed to the electronic device and elastically connected between the electronic device and a corresponding one of the bar members;
wherein when the operating member is rotated, the guiding segments slide along the first groove and the second groove, respectively, and subsequent movement of bar members under a biasing force of the elastic elements, disengages the blocking portions from the resisting portions.

2. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first groove comprises a first straight groove portion and a first guiding groove portion communicating with each other, the second groove comprises a second straight groove portion and a second guiding groove portion communicating with each other, the first straight groove portion and the second straight groove portion are defined extend along a same diameter line of the operating member to a center of the operating member, the first guiding groove portion and the second guiding groove portion are two opposite hollow arcs on a common circle about the center of the operating member.

3. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the elastic elements is a torsion spring, each torsion spring comprises a first section and a second section integrally formed with each other, and defines an elastic hole by encircled the first section and the second section, a corresponding one of the positioning columns passes through the elastic hole to position a corresponding one of the elastic elements.

4. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first section comprises a first latching hook on a free end of each elastic element and the second section comprises a second latching hook on another free end of each elastic element, the first latching hook is formed by bending the free end of each elastic element and the second latching hook is formed by bending another free end of each elastic element, the electronic device defines a pair of first holes and each linking segment defines a fourth hole, each first latching hook is inserted in a corresponding one of the first holes to securely engage with the electronic device and each second latching hook is inserted in a corresponding one of the fourth holes to securely engage with a corresponding one of bar members.

5. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the operating member comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface comprises a first positive surface and a first negative surface, and the second surface comprises a second negative surface opposite to the first positive surface and a second positive surface opposite to the first negative surface.

6. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first groove passes through the operating member from the first positive surface to the second negative surface, and the second groove passes through the operating member from the first negative surface to the second positive surface.

7. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the operating member comprises a first step structured between the first positive surface and the first negative surface and a second step structured between the second negative surface and the second positive surface, the first step comprises a first locking side and a first unlocking side, and the second step comprises a second locking side and a second unlocking side, to respectively engage with each of the bar members.

8. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the operating member comprises a first projecting portion and a second projecting portion to engage with each of the bar members, respectively, the first projecting portion is structured between the first locking side and the first unlocking side, the second projecting portion is structured between the second locking side and the second unlocking side.

9. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the operating member comprises a force applying portion symmetrically distributed along a center line of the first straight groove portion and the second straight groove portion for a user's convenient operation, and the force applying portion is distributed along a sidewall of the operating member.

10. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the pair of bar members rotate relative to one another on the electronic device under a restoring force of the pair of elastic elements, the matching portions respectively move along the first straight groove portion away from the first guiding groove portion and along the second straight groove portion away from the second guiding groove portion until the blocking portions disengage with from the resisting portions.

11. A locking mechanism, operable to lock a removable electronic device in a housing structure comprising a pair of resisting portions, the locking mechanism comprising:
a pair of bar members, each of the bar members comprising a blocking portion to engage with a corresponding one of the resisting portions and a matching portion;
an operating member, located between the pair of bar members, and defining a first groove and a second groove engaging with the matching portions, respectively;
a pair of buckling units limiting the operating member from rotating, each of the buckling units comprising a recess portion defined in a corresponding one of the bar members opposite to the operating member and a nipple portion protruding outwardly from the operating member, the recess portion being engaged with the nipple portion to prevent the operating member from rotating until a predetermined force is applied to the operating member;
wherein when the predetermined force is applied to the operating member to disengage the nipple portions from the recess portions, the operating member is rotated, and the matching portions slide in the first groove the second groove, respectively, to disengage the blocking portions from the resisting portions.

12. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a pair of elastic elements, each of the elastic elements is fixed to the electronic device and elastically connected between the electronic device and a corresponding one of the bar members.

13. The locking mechanism as claimed in claim 12

Assignees

• Fan Chih-Hsiang
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fan Chih-Hsiang

Classifications

• Y10T403/602

  by separate spring · CPC title

• G11B33/124

  of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis · CPC title

• G06F1/187 Primary

  Mounting of fixed or removable disk drives · CPC title