Handle latching mechanism

• US 8,854,823 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Brian William, Swansey, John David, Tennant, Robert Paul, Xia, XiaoSong
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US13/049,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20120236494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 361/679.02, 36167931-67933, 36167937-67939, 361724-726
• US Class Current: 361/726
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles

Abstract

An assembly can include a base with a front side, a back side, a hinge axis, a hinge end, an opposing end and a beveled surface disposed intermediate the hinge end and the opposing end where the beveled surface includes an opening; a handle, configured for rotation about the hinge axis, with a front side, a back side, a hinge end and a swing end where the swing end includes an angled frame that defines an opening for access to a surface; and a latch with a pivot axis, a spring, a prong biased by the spring about the pivot axis and an actuation surface where, for a latched orientation, the prong extends through the opening of the beveled surface and into the opening of the angled frame to access and contact the surface of the handle and to bias the swing end of the handle toward the base. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a base that comprises a front side, a back side, a hinge axis, a hinge end, an opposing end and a beveled surface disposed intermediate the hinge end and the opposing end wherein the beveled surface comprises an opening;

a handle that rotates about the hinge axis and that comprises a front side, a back side, a hinge end and a swing end wherein the swing end comprises an angled frame that defines an opening for access to a surface;

a button that comprises a latch contacting surface;

a button spring that biases the button; and

a latch that comprises a pivot axis, a latch spring, a prong biased by the latch spring about the pivot axis and an actuation surface wherein, for a latched orientation, the prong extends through the opening of the beveled surface and into the opening of the angled frame to access and contact the surface and to bias the swing end of the handle toward the base and wherein, for an unlatched orientation, the latch spring biases the actuation surface against the latch contacting surface of the button.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the prong comprises a beveled surface that contacts the angled frame of the handle and, upon application of force to the handle, rotates the latch toward the opening of the beveled surface of the base.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein, about the pivot axis, the prong and the actuation surface define an acute angle.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the latch comprises a throw of approximately 10 degrees about the pivot axis.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein, for the latched orientation, the button, upon application of force, contacts the actuation surface of the latch and rotates the latch about the pivot axis.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the prong comprises a prong length, wherein the opening defined by the angled frame comprises an opening length and wherein the prong length exceeds approximately fifty percent of the opening length.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the angled frame of the handle comprises a column that contacts the front side of the base.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the prong contacts a surface of the column and wherein the base contacts an opposing surface of the column.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the column comprises a triangular cross-section.

10. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the handle comprises a triangular grip formed in part by the column.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein, for the latched orientation, an edge of the button is directly adjacent to the swing end of the handle.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein, for the latched orientation, the edge of the button comprises a bevel that is at an angle complimentary to an angle of the angled frame of the handle.

13. An assembly comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute instructions;

memory configured to store processor-executable instructions;

a media drive configured to store information and to respond to instructions executed by at least one of the one or more processors; and

a subassembly that carries the media drive wherein the subassembly comprises

a handle that rotates about a hinge axis and that comprises a front side, a back side, a hinge end and an opposing swing end wherein the swing end comprises an angled frame that defines an opening for access to a surface;

a latch that comprises a pivot axis, a latch spring, a prong biased by the latch spring about the pivot axis and an actuation surface wherein, for a latched orientation, the prong extends into the opening of the angled frame to access and contact the surface to secure and bias the latch end of the handle; and

a handle release button that comprises a button spring and a latch contacting surface that contacts the actuation surface of the latch and that rotates the prong out of the opening of the angled frame to release the latch end of the handle wherein, for an unlatched orientation, the latch spring biases the actuation surface against the latch contacting surface of the button.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the handle comprises a grip formed in part by the angled frame.

15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein, for the latched orientation, the front side of the handle aligns with a front side of the handle release button.

16. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the latch comprises a substantially V-shape defined by the prong, the actuation surface and the pivot axis.

17. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the angled frame comprises a column wherein the column comprises a triangular cross-section.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein, for the latched orientation, the prong seats against a leg of the triangular cross-section of the column.

19. The assembly of claim 13 wherein, for the latched orientation, an edge of the handle release button is directly adjacent to the swing end of the handle.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein, for the latched orientation, the edge of the handle release button comprises a bevel that is at an angle complimentary to an angle of the angled frame of the handle.