The invention relates to a lock mechanism and, more particularly, to a lock mechanism that is easy to operate and occupies less space and a device equipped with the lock mechanism.
With the rise of big data, machine learning, the Internet of Things, and various network platforms, the demand for servers in life is getting higher and higher. Since the server is a hardware that requires frequent maintenance, a chassis of the server is usually installed in a rack by a sliding manner. To prevent the server from sliding out of the rack due to vibration or other external forces, a lock mechanism must be disposed on the server to lock the server in the rack. However, the lock mechanism of the conventional server is not easy to operate and occupies much space, such that it is not beneficial for maintenance and design of the server.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a device with lock function comprises a housing, a casing and a lock mechanism. The housing has a first engaging portion. The casing is disposed in the housing. The lock mechanism is disposed in the casing. The lock mechanism comprises a frame, a lock member, a first elastic member, an operating member and an unlock member. The frame is fixed on the casing. The frame has a second engaging portion. The lock member is movably disposed in the frame. The lock member has a third engaging portion. The third engaging portion engages with the first engaging portion to lock the casing in the housing. The first elastic member is connected to the lock member. The operating member is movably disposed in the frame. The unlock member is movably connected to the operating member. The unlock member has a fourth engaging portion. The fourth engaging portion engages with the second engaging portion to restrain the operating member. When the unlock member is pressed, the fourth engaging portion disengages from the second engaging portion and the first elastic member drives the lock member to move toward an inside of the frame, such that the third engaging portion disengages from the first engaging portion and the lock member drives the operating member to move toward an outside of the frame.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a lock mechanism comprises a frame, a lock member, a first elastic member, an operating member and an unlock member. The lock member is movably disposed in the frame. The first elastic member is connected to the lock member. The operating member is movably disposed in the frame. The unlock member is movably connected to the operating member. The unlock member engages with the frame. When the unlock member is pressed, the unlock member disengages from the frame, the first elastic member drives the lock member to move toward an inside of the frame, and the lock member drives the operating member to move toward an outside of the frame.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
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In this embodiment, the frame 140 may comprise an upper cover 140a and a lower cover 140b, but the invention is not so limited. The frame 140 is fixed on the casing 12 and the frame 140 has a second engaging portion 1400. In this embodiment, the second engaging portion 1400 may be, but is not limited to, an engaging hole located at a side of the upper cover 140a.
The lock member 142 is movably disposed in the frame 140. The frame 140 may have a sliding groove and the lock member 142 may have a sliding portion. The sliding portion is disposed in the sliding groove, such that the lock member 142 is movably disposed in the frame 140. In this embodiment, the upper cover 140a of the frame 140 may have two sliding grooves 1402a, 1402b, the lover cover 140b of the frame 140 may have a sliding groove 1402c, and the lock member 142 may have two sliding portions 1420a, 1420b. The sliding portion 1420a may extend from opposite sides of the lock member 142 to be disposed in the sliding groove 1402a of the upper cover 140a and the sliding groove 1402c of the lower cover 140b. The sliding portion 1420b may extend from one side of the lock member 142 to be disposed in the sliding groove 1402b of the upper cover 140a. It should be noted that the number of the sliding grooves and the sliding portions may be determined according to practical applications, so the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in the figures. Furthermore, the lock member 142 has a third engaging portion 1422. The third engaging portion 1422 is configured to engage with the first engaging portion 100 of the housing 10 to lock the casing 12 in the housing 10. In this embodiment, the third engaging portion 1422 may be, but is not limited to, an engaging protrusion.
The first elastic member 144 is connected to the lock member 142. In this embodiment, the first elastic member 144 may be a tension spring, wherein opposite ends of the first elastic member 144 may be connected to the sliding portion 1420a of the lock member 142 and the upper cover 140a of the frame 140.
The operating member 146 is movably disposed in the frame 140. In this embodiment, the frame 140 may have a positioning groove 1404 and the operating member 146 may have a positioning portion 1460. The positioning portion 1460 is disposed in the positioning groove 1404, such that the operating member 146 is movably disposed in the frame 140. In this embodiment, an extending direction of each of the sliding grooves 1402a, 1402b, 1402c is perpendicular to an extending direction of the positioning groove 1404, such that a moving direction of the lock member 142 is perpendicular to a moving direction of the operating member 146. In this embodiment, each of the upper cover 140a and the lower cover 140b of the frame may have a positioning groove 1404 and opposite sides of the operating member 146 may have two positioning portions 1460. Still further, the lower cover 140b of the frame 140 may have two retaining walls 1406. The operating member 146 may be sandwiched in between the two retaining walls 1406 to stabilize the installation of the operating member 146.
The rotating member 150 is pivotally connected to the lower cover 140b of the frame 140 by a pivot 156. In this embodiment, the rotating member 150 may have a first driving groove 1500 and a second driving groove 1502. Furthermore, the operating member 146 may have a linking portion 1462. The sliding portion 1420a of the lock member 142 may be disposed in the first driving groove 1500 of the rotating member 150, and the linking portion 1462 of the operating member 146 may be disposed in the second driving groove 1502 of the rotating member 150.
The unlock member 148 is movably connected to the operating member 146. In this embodiment, the operating member 146 may have an inserting portion 1464 and the unlock member 148 may have a sleeve portion 1480. The sleeve portion 1480 is sleeved on the inserting portion 1464 and the second elastic member 152 is disposed in the sleeve portion 1480, wherein opposite ends of the second elastic member 152 are connected to the inserting portion 1464 and the sleeve portion 1480. In this embodiment, the second elastic member 152 may be a compression spring. Furthermore, the inserting portion 1464 may have a restraining groove 1466. After the sleeve portion 1480 is sleeved on the inserting portion 1464, the restraining member 154 is disposed on the sleeve portion 1480 and located in the restraining groove 1466, so as to prevent the unlock member 148 from coming off the operating member 146. Still further, the unlock member 148 has a fourth engaging portion 1482. The fourth engaging portion 1482 is configured to engage with the second engaging portion 1400 of the frame 140 to restrain the operating member 146. In this embodiment, the fourth engaging portion 1482 may be, but is not limited to, an engaging hook.
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When the user wants to install the casing 12 into the housing 10, the user may push the casing 12 into the housing 10 along the rail 102. In this embodiment, the rotating member 150 has a protruding portion 1504. When the casing 12 is pushed into the housing 10 along the rail 102, the protruding portion 1504 is pushed by the rail 102 to drive the rotating member 150 to rotate toward a direction of an arrow A4. When the rotating member 150 rotates toward the direction of the arrow A4, the first driving groove 1500 of the rotating member 150 pushes the sliding portion 1420a of the lock member 142 to drive the lock member 142 to move toward the outside of the frame 140 (see the direction of the arrow A1) and the second driving groove 1502 of the rotating member 150 pushes the linking portion 1462 of the operating member 146 to drive the operating member 146 to move toward the inside of the frame 140 (see a direction of an arrow A6), such that the third engaging portion 1422 of the lock member 142 engages with the first engaging portion 100 of the housing 10 and the fourth engaging portion 1482 of the unlock member 148 engages with the second engaging portion 1400 of the frame 140. In this embodiment, the fourth engaging portion 1482 of the unlock member 148 has an inclined surface 1484. When the operating member 146 moves toward the inside of the frame 140 (see the direction of the arrow A6), a side wall 1408 of the frame 140 pushes the inclined surface 1484, such that the unlock member 148 moves toward the operating member 146 (see the direction of the arrow A1). After the fourth engaging portion 1482 of the unlock member 148 is aligned with the second engaging portion 1400 of the frame 140, the second elastic member 152 returns the unlock member 148 toward the direction of the arrow A2, such that the fourth engaging portion 1482 of the unlock member 148 engages with the second engaging portion 1400 of the frame 140. Accordingly, when the user pushes the casing 12 into the housing 10, the invention may achieve auto-lock function by the cooperating between the protruding portion 1504 and the sliding rail 102.
It should be noted that the invention may also omit the aforesaid protruding portion 1504. When the user pushes the casing 12 into the housing 10, the user only needs to push the operating member 146 toward the inside of the frame 140 (see the direction of the arrow A6) and then the lock member 142 can be driven to move toward the outside of the frame 140 (see the direction of the arrow A1) to lock the casing 12 in the housing 10.
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The main difference between the lock mechanism 14′ and the aforesaid lock mechanism 14 is that the lock mechanism 14′ does not comprise the aforesaid rotating member 150. As shown in
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The main difference between the lock mechanism 14″ and the aforesaid lock mechanism 14 is that the lock mechanism 14″ does not comprise the aforesaid rotating member 150. As shown in
As mentioned in the above, when the user wants to take the casing out of the housing, the user may press the unlock member to disengage the unlock member from the frame. At this time, the first elastic member drives the lock member to move toward the inside of the frame to disengage the lock member from the housing. At the same time, the lock member drives the operating member to move toward the outside of the frame, so as to facilitate the user to hold the operating member. Accordingly, the user may pull the operating member to pull the casing out of the housing easily. In an embodiment, the housing may be a rack for installing a server and the casing may be a chassis of the server. Thus, the lock mechanism of the invention may be configured to lock the chassis of the server in the rack. Since the lock mechanism of the invention is easy to operate and occupies less space, it is beneficial for maintenance and design of the server.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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112106240 | Feb 2023 | TW | national |