Mounting apparatus for storage device

Relevant subject matter is disclosed in a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/755,396 filed on the same date and having a same title with the present application, which is assigned to the same assignee as named herein.

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a mounting apparatus for a storage device.

2. Description of Related Art

An electronic device, such as a computer, generally includes a plastic frame, and a plurality of screws extending through the frame to fix a storage device and connect the storage device to ground. However, these screws are usually too small and difficult to handle, the installation of the storage device in the computer is labor-intensive. Additionally, because of their small size, the screws are easily dropped, by an assembler, into the computer.

FIG. 1 is a partly exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a mounting apparatus together with a storage device.

FIG. 2 is an assembled, isometric view of the mounting apparatus and the storage device of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along the line III-III of the mounting apparatus and the storage device of FIG. 2 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a mounting apparatus 1 is provided for fixing a storage device 10 , such as a hard disk drive. The mounting apparatus 1 includes a frame 20 , two fasteners 30 , and two resilient grounding pieces 40 .

The storage device 10 includes two opposite sidewalls 12 . Two spaced fixing holes 124 and a threaded hole 126 are defined in each sidewall 12 . In other embodiments, the fixing holes 124 may be threaded holes.

The frame 20 is made of plastic material, and includes two opposite fixing arms 22 , and an end arm 24 perpendicularly connected between the fixing arms 22 , wherein one of the fixing arms 22 is pivotably connected to the end arm 24 . Two pins 223 protrude from an inner side of each fixing arm 22 , for engaging in the fixing holes 124 of a corresponding sidewall 12 of the storage device 10 . A washer 225 is placed around each pin 223 adjoining to the corresponding fixing arm 22 . A threaded hole 226 is defined in each fixing arm 22 , aligning with the threaded hole 126 of the corresponding sidewall 12 of the storage device 10 . A washer 227 is installed on the inner side of each fixing arm 22 . A through hole 228 is defined in the washer 227 aligning with the threaded hole 226 of the corresponding fixing arm 22 .

Each fastener 30 is made of conducting material, and includes a head 31 , a threaded portion 33 extending from the head 31 , and a post-shaped engaging portion 35 extending from the threaded portion 33 away from the head 31 .

Each resilient grounding piece 40 is made of conducting material, and includes a main body 41 and a resilient arm 43 extending from the main body 41 . A bore 412 is defined in the main body 41 . The resilient arm 43 bends outwardly relative to the main body 41 .

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , to assemble the mounting apparatus 1 , the engaging portions 35 of the fasteners 30 correspondingly extend through the bores 412 of the resilient grounding pieces 40 , the threaded holes 226 of the fixing arms 22 , and the through holes 228 of the washers 227 successively. The threaded portions 33 of the fasteners 30 correspondingly screw into the threaded holes 226 of the fixing arms 22 . The resilient grounding pieces 40 are correspondingly sandwiched between the fixing arms 22 and the heads 31 of the fasteners 30 . The resilient arms 43 of the resilient grounding pieces 40 bend away from the corresponding fixing arms 22 , respectively.

To assemble the storage device 10 into the mounting apparatus 1 , the pivotable fixing arm 22 of the frame 20 rotates away from the non-pivotably connected fixing arm 22 . The storage device 10 is placed between the fixing arms 22 , allowing the pins 223 and the engaging portion 35 of the non-pivotably connected fixing arm 22 to correspondingly insert into the fixing holes 124 and the threaded hole 126 of a corresponding sidewall 12 of the storage device 10 . The pivotable fixing arm 22 rotates towards the storage device 10 . The pins 223 and the engaging portion 35 of the pivotable fixing arm 22 are correspondingly inserted into the fixing holes 124 and the threaded hole 126 of the opposite sidewall 12 of the storage device 10 . Circumferences of the engaging portions 35 of the fasteners 30 adequately contact threaded portions of the threaded holes 126 , respectively. The pivotable fixing arm 22 is locked to the end arm 24 via a locking mechanism (not shown). Thereby, the storage device 10 is fixed to the mounting apparatus 1 . The washers 225 and 227 of the fixing arms 22 contact corresponding sidewalls 12 of the storage device 10 , to protect the storage device 10 from vibrations.

When the storage device 10 and the mounting apparatus 1 are installed into a bracket of a chassis (not shown), the resilient arms 43 of the resilient grounding pieces 40 contact sidewalls of the bracket, and connect the storage device 10 to ground via the fasteners 30 .

In this embodiment, the pins 223 of each fixing arm 22 , and the engaging portions 35 of the fasteners 30 are bare and have no threaded portions, therefore, the storage device 10 can be easily fixed to the mounting apparatus 1 and need no tools.

In another embodiment, the fasteners 30 can be designed longer, to allow extended sections of the heads 31 of the fasteners 30 to be exposed from the corresponding fixing arms 22 of the frame 20 and contact the sidewalls of the bracket, thereby, the storage device 10 connects to ground by the fasteners 30 . Therefore, the resilient grounding pieces 40 can be omitted.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.