Mounting device for mounting a data storage device

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a data storage device to a computer enclosure, and particularly to a mounting device that conveniently mounts the data storage device to a computer without screws.

2. The Related Art

Data storage devices normally used in a personal computer include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive (FDD) and a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM). A data storage device is often fixed in a receiving cage of a computer by bolts. When mounting the data storage device to the computer enclosure, an assembler must align the data storage device with the receiving cage with one hand and tighten the bolts with the other hand. This process is tedious and laborious. Therefore, rails are attached to both sides of a data storage device to simplify the installation process, such as those described below.

Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 78201813 and 79209891 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,332,306 and 5,262,923 disclose a rail type mounting device whose rails are attached to both sides of a data storage device to slidably mount the data storage device in a cage of a computer. However, the rails are attached to the data storage device by conventional screws. The problem of the time-consuming and cumbersome task of tightening the screws is still not resolved.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,080 and its corresponding Taiwan Patent Application No. 85210034 disclose a rail type mounting device without screws whose rail are attached to a data storage device by pushing pins integral with the rail into side holes in the data storage device. However, the pins are thin and flexible, and are easily bent during operations such as removing the data storage device from a computer. Once the pins become bent, subsequent alignment and reconnection of the data storage device to a cage of the computer will be quite difficult. Moreover, the data storage device can not be firmly secured due to existing gap defined between the pin and the hole, thus easily causing the data storage device to be shocked.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages by providing an improved mounting device for mounting a data storage device to a computer enclosure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device for conveniently mounting a data storage device to a computer enclosure without screws.

In order to achieve the object set forth, a mounting device for mounting a data storage device in a cage of a computer in accordance with the present invention includes a rack and a securing plate. The rack has a base wall and a pair of opposite side walls upwardly extending from opposite sides of the base wall for receiving the data storage device therein. One side wall defines a pair of through holes. The other side wall provides a pair of first posts to insert into side holes of the data storage device. The securing plate comprises a body portion and a resilient portion. The body portion forms a pair of second posts for extending through corresponding through holes of the rack and filling within opposite side holes of the data storage device. Therefore, the data storage device is secured in the rack with the securing plate on its side to slidably mount the data storage device in the cage of the computer.

These and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a mounting device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the mounting device with a data storage device;

FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the mounting device and the data storage device;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the data storage device mounted to a computer enclosure by means of the mounting device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a mounting device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing a data storage device to be mounted to the mounting device of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an assembled view of the mounting device and the data storage device of FIG. 6 .

It is noted here that for facilitating understanding like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various embodiments of the present invention as shown in the attached drawing figures.

A mounting device constructed in accordance with the present invention is used to mount a data storage device, such as a CD-ROM, an FDD or an HDD. To facilitate the description, a CD-ROM is used as an example to illustrate the function of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a mounting device 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention mounts a CD-ROM 90 to a computer enclosure 100 . The CD-ROM has a first side surface 94 , and a second side surface 96 opposite the first side surface 94 . The first and the second side surfaces 94 , 96 respectively define a pair of side holes 92 . The mounting device 10 comprises a rack 12 for receiving the CD-ROM 90 therein and a securing plate 14 for securing the CD-ROM 90 in the rack 12 and providing the CD-ROM 90 with sliding movement during insertion into or removal from the computer enclosure 100 .

Referring to FIG. 1, the rack 12 is U-shaped comprising a base wall 16 and a pair of first and second side walls 18 , 19 upwardly extending from opposite sides of the base wall 16 . A pair of first posts 20 inwardly extends from an upper edge of the first side wall 18 . The second side wall 19 defines a pair of through holes 22 . A pair of pivoting holes 24 is stampingly formed in the second side wall 19 with a portion projecting outward.

The securing plate 14 comprises a body portion 26 and a resilient portion 28 . The body portion 26 is a rectangular board containing a first surface 30 and a second surface 32 opposite the first surface 30 . A pair of pivots 34 extends from the body portion 26 for inserting into the pivoting holes 24 respectively and pivotally mounting the securing plate 14 to an outer surface of the second side wall 19 . A pair of second posts 36 extend from the first surface 30 for inserting through the through holes 22 of the rack 12 and filling within corresponding side holes 92 of the CD-ROM 90 . The resilient portion 28 comprises a front operating portion 38 and a middle locking portion 40 . The rear end of the resilient portion 28 is securely fixed to the second surface 32 of the body portion 26 .

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in assembly, the pivots 34 of the securing plate 14 are in advance engaged within the pivoting holes 24 of the rack 12 thereby pivotally mounting the securing plate 14 to the second side wall 19 of the rack 12 . The CD-ROM 90 is then slantly placed in the rack 12 and the first posts 20 of the first side wall 18 are inserted in the side holes 92 of the first side surface 94 . Then the CD-ROM 90 are pressed and received in the rack 12 where the side holes 92 in the second side surface 96 of the CD-ROM 90 are aligned with the through holes 22 in the second side wall 19 . Rotate the securing plate 14 with respect to the second side wall 19 until each second post 36 is inserted and retained in the aligned holes 22 , 92 .

FIG. 4 illustrates the mounting of the CD-ROM 90 to a cage 102 of the computer enclosure 100 by means of the mounting device 10 . The CD-ROM 90 and the mounting device 10 are slid into the cage 102 by sliding the securing plate 14 of the mounting device 10 along corresponding adjacent guide rails 104 formed in opposite inner walls of the cage 102 . The CD-ROM 90 together with the mounting device 10 are then retained between adjacent guide rails 104 of the cage 102 , with the locking portion 40 of the resilient portion 28 being forcedly locked in a corresponding slot 106 defined in the cage 102 . The removal of the CD-ROM 90 together with the mounting device 10 from the cage 102 only needs a reverse operation by pulling the operating portion 38 of the resilient portion 28 outward to release the locking portion 40 from the slot 16 . FIGS. 5-7 illustrate a mounting device 10 ′ in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. Most of the structures of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the similar description is omitted herein. The difference is in that the securing plate 14 ′ and the rack 12 ′ are connected by rivets 34 ′ extending from the securing plate 14 ′ and holes 24 ′ defined in the second side wall 19 ′ of the rack 12 ′. When the securing plate 14 ′ is secured to the rack 12 ′, the second post 36 ′ extend through the through holes 22 ′. Since the rivet joint technique is well known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description thereof is omitted herein. The rack 12 ′ is formed of a thin sheet metal material such as stainless steel to provide resiliency during mounting the CD-ROM 90 therein. In assembly, the first and the second side walls 18 ′, 19 ′ of the rack 12 ′ are outwardly pulled respectively to receive the CD-ROM 90 therein. After the first and the second side walls 18 ′, 19 ′ resume to their original position, the first and the second posts 20 ′, 36 ′ are inserted into the side holes 92 of the first and the second side surfaces 94 , respectively, thereby retaining the CD-ROM 90 in the rack 12 ′.

While the present invention has been described in reference to specific embodiments thereof, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention may be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.