Mounting arrangement for computer and other units

Details Mounting arrangement for computer and other units Mounting arrangement for computer and other units

1999-10-12

2001-10-09

Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)

Supports: cabinet structure

For particular electrical device or component

Housing for computer or computer related equipment

C361S689000, C292S087000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06299266

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for use, in particular, in fixing a data-storage drive unit or similar unit in position on a support structure such as the chassis of a personal computer and to a computer that employs such a mounting arrangement.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A disc drive device is conventionally fitted inside the casing of a modern personal computer. Whether the disc drive is a hard disc drive, a floppy disc drive or an optical storage drive (eg CD or DVD ROM drive), the drive will generally be of a standard form factor and provided with fixing holes in standard positions. Whatever the form or make of the drive, it then becomes possible for a computer manufacturer to provide a standard mounting arrangement that typically takes the form of a metal frame with side bars having fixing holes through which self-tapping screws can be inserted to engage in the holes in the side faces of the drive. Whilst this standard disposition of the holes is of great help to the computer manufacturer, the use of fixing screws for securing the drive in position is not ideal, the fixing operation being intricate and time-consuming.
Another approach for mounting disk drives in a computer chassis involves rails that are assembled to the drives. According to this technique, the drive, with the rail secured thereto, is slid in from the front of the chassis and either snapped or screwed in place.
Examples of this type of mounting can be found, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,909, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,923.
Whilst this approach generally provides for ready attachment and release of the drive from the chassis, if the drive, with the attached brackets or rails is screwed in the chassis, it gives rise to the same problems described above. Furthermore, there needs to be a way to secure the rails or other intermediate fixing member that must first be secured to the drive. Screws are often used for this, although U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,547 proposes the use of pins that are slideably receivable in apertures located in opposed sides of a drive.
A variety of other fixing arrangements for disk drives have also been proposed and examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,088, U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,340, U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,547 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,211. U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,099 describes the use of a generally U-shaped bracket to which a drive is screwed. The bracket is then mountable within a chassis without the use of screws.
Whilst the existing methods are no doubt generally satisfactory, a need still exists for improving yet further such mounting arrangements to simplify for the user the attachment of subsystem units within a personal computer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a screwless fixing arrangement for simplifying the attachment of a data-storage drive and similar units to a support structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In brief, this is achieved by a mounting arrangement for mounting a subsystem unit provided with side fixing holes, the arrangement comprising a tray having two upstanding side walls that generally define a space for receiving a subsystem unit, at least one of the side walls being provided with at least one retractable stud and a resilient member for biasing the stud into a position in which the stud extends into the space defined by the side walls in order to engage a side fixing hole in a subsystem unit.
Preferably the, or each, stud comprises an abutment for engaging the edge of the side fixing hole. The abutment can be provided by the step between portions of the stud having different diameters.
This provides a very simple and convenient way for the user to attach and remove a subsystem unit from with a computer chassis, without the use of tools and without the need for a multiplicity of small components, such as rails or pins, that are difficult to manipulate and prone to being lost or mislaid. In at least a preferred embodiment, the user has only a single mounting component to manipulate and this component can be held in one hand during attachment or removal of a subsystem unit therefrom.
The arrangement can comprise a frame member in which the tray is slideably mountable. Preferably, the frame member comprises a wall for engaging the resilient member when the tray is mounted in the frame so as to secure the studs in a position in which the studs engage the side fixing holes in a subsystem unit.
If both side walls of the tray comprise a said resilient member, this arrangement has the advantage of centering the subsystem device in the tray, which improves the external cosmetic appearance of the computer for those subsystem units that have a front face visible from the exterior of the computer.
In at least a preferred embodiment, at least one of the side walls has the resilient member mounted on the outer face thereof, the resilient member being at at least one point in fixed relation with the side wall. The stud for engaging the side fixing hole in a subsystem unit is provided at at least another point of the resilient member, the stud extending through a hole in the side wall. The resilient member has at least one first portion shaped to form a fulcrum acting against the side wall between the fixed point and the stud and a second portion that is separated from the side wall and on the same side of the fulcrum as the fixed point, so that pressure applied to the second portion in the direction of the side wall causes the resilient member to pivot about the fulcrum and retract the stud from the hole thereby to allow a subsystem unit mounted in the tray to be removed therefrom.
Moreover, the use of such a component has the advantage that such a component can, even for unused accessory bays, be delivered with a computer ready-mounted in the chassis—thereby avoiding the need for a user to obtain or store mounting components, such as rails or screws that will be required when the user needs to mount further subsystem accessories in the chassis.
Suitably, the tray can be slideably mountable in the chassis of a personal computer, although other arrangements are possible.
Also provided is a computer having a chassis in which a subsystem unit is mounted using the above described mounting arrangement.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4938513 (1990-07-01), Gunderson
patent: 4979909 (1990-12-01), Andrews
patent: 5123721 (1992-06-01), Seo
patent: 5262923 (1993-11-01), Batta et al.
patent: 5301088 (1994-04-01), Liu
patent: 5340340 (1994-08-01), Hastings et al.
patent: 5682291 (1997-10-01), Jeffries et al.
patent: 5722705 (1998-03-01), Deguchi
patent: 5768099 (1998-06-01), Radloff et al.
patent: 5788211 (1998-08-01), Astier
patent: 5802890 (1998-09-01), Espada-Velasco
patent: 5806949 (1998-09-01), Johnson
patent: 5828547 (1998-10-01), Francovich et al.
patent: 5921644 (1999-07-01), Brunel et al.
patent: 5980003 (1999-11-01), Huang
patent: 96/00938 (1996-01-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Mounting arrangement for computer and other units does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Mounting arrangement for computer and other units, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mounting arrangement for computer and other units will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2555644