Toolless hand actuated device receiver for retaining a device in a computer

The present invention relates generally to a device receiver for retaining a device in a computer, and more particularly to a toolless hand actuated device receiver for retaining a device assembly in a computer, and the resulting combination.

According to conventional prior art practice, devices, both hard discs and floppy discs, but especially floppy discs and optical discs, are retained in a computer by screws or other fastening devices. Thus, assembly, servicing and upgrading of a computer has required the use of tools to perform these functions. While the end result is generally satisfactory, nevertheless there is a certain amount of skill required, as well as the other drawbacks normally attendant to the use of separate fastening devices for the attachment of component parts to a base part to form an assembly of parts. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system in which devices can be easily mounted in and removed from computers without the need of using tools.

A computer system is provided having an opening configured to accept a device, the device assembly including at least one engagement surface. The computer system comprises a locking mechanism disposed in the opening to releasably latch the device assembly in the opening at a preselected position. The latching mechanism includes a hand actuated assembly movable in the opening for releasably engaging the engagement surface of the device assembly when the device assembly is located in the opening. The invention also contemplates the combination of the device assembly and the computer.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a computer having a device receiver with a 3½ inch floppy device assembly and a 5¼ inch device assembly ready to be inserted therein according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is detailed top plan view of the slider in the unlocked position;

FIG. 3 is a detailed top plan view of the slider in the locked position;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view, with parts broken away for clarity, of a portion of the device receiver with a 3½ inch floppy device assembly ready for insertion;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a 3½ inch floppy device assembly;

FIG. 6 is a detail view of the locking mechanism in the unlocked position;

FIG. 7 is a detail view of the locking mechanism in the locked position;

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the locking mechanism in the unlocked position; and

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of the locking mechanism in the locked position.

Referring now to the drawings, and for the present to FIG. 1 , a computer system is shown generally at 10 , having a device receiver 12 , which in the disclosed embodiment has side by side bays 14 , 16 for receiving 3½ inch and 5¼ inch device assemblies 18 , 20 , respectively. It is to be understood that this arrangement of device assemblies is only illustrative of many different arrangements of device assemblies and different device assemblies that could be used. The device receiver 12 includes a front 22 and a rear 24 . In the disclosed embodiment, the 3½ inch device assembly 18 inserts into bay 14 from the rear 24 and the 5¼ inch device assembly inserts into bay 16 from the front 22 . A bezel 26 acts as a stop to position the 3½ inch device assembly 18 , and the 5¼ inch device assembly is detented into position, as will be described presently.

Each of the device assemblies 18 , 20 has two screw holes 28 in an engagement surface in each side thereof. These are conventional and, in the prior art, for the purpose of receiving a screw therein to hold the device assemblies 18 , 20 in place as indicated earlier. These holes are made use of in this invention for toolless locking and detenting of the devices 18 , 20 as will be described presently. A locking mechanism 30 ( FIGS. 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 ) for each device assembly 18 , 20 is actuated by slider arm 32 movable in a slot 34 . Cover member 36 of the device receiver has a locked icon 38 and an unlocked icon 40 embossed thereon and associated with each slider arm 32 .

FIGS. 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 show the locking mechanism 30 for each of the device assemblies 18 , 20 . Each of the locking assemblies 30 includes an “h” shaped camming member 42 formed of spring steel connected to side rail 44 of one of the bays 14 , 16 by fasteners, one of which is shown at 46 . Each camming member 42 includes a cam surface 48 , and a pair of fingers 50 , each finger being aligned with an opening 52 in side rail 44 and movable into and out of the openings 52 , as shown in FIGS. 6-9 , for locking and unlocking the respective device assembly 18 , 20 in its respective bay 14 , 16 . As can best be seen in FIGS. 4 , 6 and 7 , each slider arm 32 includes a retainer clip 54 to mount the slider arm 32 to the camming member 42 , and spring rests 56 and spring guides 58 to act against cam surface 48 to move the fingers in and out of the openings 52 , thus to provide locked and unlocked positions for the device assemblies 18 , 20 . The bay 16 for device assembly 20 includes a spring arm 60 having a finger 62 at the end thereof, which arm 60 projects into bay 16 to detent or secure the 5¼ inch device assembly in bay 16 .

The operation of the device receiver 12 is as follows:

The slider arms 32 are each placed in the unlocked position which means that the fingers 50 are retracted from the bays 14 , 16 and, thus, the device assemblies 18 , 20 can be freely inserted into the bays 14 , 16 without interference. The 3½ inch device assembly 18 is inserted from the rear 24 into bay 14 and pushed snugly against the bezel 26 to properly locate the device assembly 18 . The slider arm 32 is then moved to the locked position, which will move the fingers 50 of the locking mechanism 30 through the openings 52 into screw holes 28 that align with the fingers 50 extending through the openings 52 , thus locking the 3½ inch device assembly 18 in place in bay 14 without requiring the use of tools. To remove the 3½ inch device assembly, the slider arm 32 is moved to the unlocked position, which will move the fingers 50 out of the screw holes, allowing the 3½ inch device assembly to be removed.

The 5¼ inch device assembly 20 is inserted from the front 22 , rather than the rear 24 , again with the slider arm 32 in the unlocked position. The side of the 5¼ inch device assembly 20 pushes the arm 60 aside as the 5¼ inch device assembly 20 is inserted until the finger 62 on the end of spring arm 60 engages a screw hole 28 on that side of the 5¼ inch device assembly 20 , which will properly locate the 5¼ inch device assembly 20 in bay 26 . The slider arm 32 is moved to the unlocked position, moving the fingers 50 out of the screw hole 28 , thus allowing the 5¼ inch device assembly 20 to be moved against the detent action of the spring arm 60 and finger 62 .

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise concept(s) disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited, not with this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.