Fixing apparatus for storage device

• US 8,406,003 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Guang-Yi, Li, Xiao-Zheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAWN, PATRICK D
• Application Number:
  US12/644,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20110005068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.37, 361/679.38, 361/679.39, 361/755, 361/807, 361/809, 361/810, 361/679.33, 211/26, 211/26.2, 312/205, 312/348.3, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 361/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/18 Construction of rack or frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

A fixing apparatus includes a frame having two opposite fixing walls to fix a first storage device. The fixing apparatus further includes a supporting arm pivotally connected to the frame. The supporting arm includes a fixing plate rotatable between a first position where a second storage device is capable of being sandwiched between the fixing plate and the second fixing wall of the frame, and a second position where the first storage device is capable of being sandwiched between the fixing walls of the frame.

Claims

1. A fixing apparatus for selectively fixing a first storage device or a second storage device, the fixing apparatus comprising:

a frame comprising an end wall and opposite first and second fixing walls correspondingly extending from opposite ends of the end wall, wherein a receiving space bounded by the end wall and the first and second fixing walls receives the first storage device, with opposite sidewalls of the first storage device correspondingly fixed to the first and second fixing walls;

a supporting arm pivotally connected to the frame, the supporting arm comprising a fixing plate rotatable between a first position and a second position, wherein when the fixing plate is in the first position, the fixing plate is received in the receiving space parallel and spaced from the first and second fixing walls, and the fixing plate cooperates with the second fixing wall to sandwich the second storage device therebetween; and

when the fixing plate is in the second position, the fixing plate is out of the receiving space, allowing the first storage device to be sandwiched between the first and second fixing walls; and

an elastic member connected between the supporting arm and the frame, biasing the supporting arm to retain its first position when there is no storage device mounted to the fixing apparatus, wherein a first pivot portion and a second pivot portion extend from the first fixing wall towards the second fixing wall, each of the first and second pivot portions defines a pivot hole, the supporting arm further comprises opposite first and second connecting portions correspondingly extending from opposite ends of the fixing plate, each of the first and second connecting portions defines a pivot hole, and two fasteners correspondingly extend through the pivot holes of the first and second connecting portions of the supporting arm, and are received in the pivot holes of the corresponding first and second pivot portions of the first fixing wall of the frame.

2. The fixing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first stop plate extends from the first pivot portion towards the first connecting portion, and a second stop plate extends from the second pivot portion towards the second connecting portion, wherein when the supporting arm is in the first position, the elastic member biases the first and second connecting portions of the supporting arm to correspondingly abut the first and second stop plates.

3. The fixing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a torsion spring comprising a main body placed around the fastener connected between the first pivot portion and the first connecting portion, and two feet extending from the main body and correspondingly engaging the first pivot portion and the first connecting portion.

4. The fixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second fixing walls of the frame defines two first through holes, to correspondingly align with fixing holes of the sidewalls of the first storage device.

5. The fixing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the second fixing wall and the fixing plate defines two second through holes, to correspondingly align with fixing holes of opposite sidewalls of the second storage device.

6. The fixing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixing plate is operable to be perpendicular to the first and second fixing walls of the frame when the supporting arm is in the second position, to support the first storage device.

7. A fixing apparatus for selectively fixing a first storage device or a second storage device, each of the first and second storage devices comprising two opposite sidewalls, and each sidewall defining two fixing holes, the fixing apparatus comprising:

a frame comprising a first fixing wall and a second fixing wall parallel to the first fixing wall, wherein a receiving space is bounded by the first and second fixing walls, each of the first and second fixing walls defines two first through holes corresponding to the fixing holes of the sidewalls of the first storage device, the second fixing wall defines two second through holes corresponding to the fixing holes of one sidewall of the second storage device;

a supporting arm movably connected to the frame, the supporting arm comprising a fixing plate movable between a first position and a second position, the fixing plate defining two second through holes corresponding to the fixing holes of the other sidewall of the second storage device, wherein when the fixing plate is in the first position, the fixing plate is received in the receiving space parallel and spaced from the first and second fixing walls; and

when the fixing plate is in the second position, the fixing plate is out of the receiving space; and

an elastic member connected between the supporting arm and the frame, the elastic member applying a force on the supporting arm to retain the supporting arm in the first position when there is no storage device mounted to the fixing apparatus, wherein a first pivot portion and a second pivot portion extend from the first fixing wall towards the second fixing wall, each pivot portion defining a pivot hole, and the supporting arm further comprises opposite first and second connecting portions correspondingly extending from opposite ends of the fixing plate, each of the first and second connecting portions defining a pivot hole, two fasteners correspondingly extend through the pivot holes of the first and second connecting portions of the supporting arm, and are received in the pivot holes of the corresponding first and second pivot portions of the first fixing wall of the frame, to pivotably mount the supporting arm to the first fixing wall.

8. The fixing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a first stop plate extends from the first pivot portion towards the first connecting portion, and a second stop plate extends from the second pivot portion towards the second connecting portion, the first and second stop plates correspondingly stop the first and second connecting portions, and prevent the supporting arm to further rotate away from the first position by the force of the elastic member.

9. The fixing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the elastic member is a torsion spring comprising a main body placed around the fastener connected between the first pivot portion and the first connecting portion, and two feet extending from the main body and correspondingly engaging the first pivot portion and the first connecting portion.

10. The fixing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the fixing plate is operable to be perpendicular to the first and second fixing walls of the frame when the supporting arm is in the second position.