BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1A is a schematic of a conventional positioning structure.
FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view of the conventional positioning structure.
FIG. 2A is an exploded schematic view of a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2B is a schematic plan view of the two elements not being connected according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2C is a schematic plan view of the two elements connected together according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2D is an exploded schematic view of a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2E is a schematic plan view of two elements not being connected according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2F is a schematic plan view of the two elements connected together according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3A is an exploded schematic view of a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3B is a schematic plan view of two elements not being connected according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3C is a schematic plan view of the two elements connected together according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3D is an exploded schematic view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3E is a schematic plan view of two elements not being connected according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3F is a schematic plan view of the two elements connected together according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4A is an exploded schematic view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4B is a schematic plan view of two elements not being connected according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4C is a schematic plan view of the two elements connected together according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4D is an exploded schematic view of a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4E is a schematic plan view of two elements not being connected according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4F is a schematic plan view of the two elements connected together according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The fixing structure disclosed in the present invention can be applied to the electronic devices, such as desktop computers, notebook computers, and server host computers. In the detailed description of the present invention, the combination and electrical connection between the motherboard and the removable hard disk drive are taken as the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The accompanying drawings are reference for illustration, which will not limit the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the first element of the present invention can be a motherboard 130 in practice, which has a connector 131 electrically connected to the motherboard 130 to function as a connection interface for the motherboard 130. The second element can be a removable hard disk drive with the function of hot plugging in practice, which has an electrical connection end 141 being electrically connected to the connector 131 of the motherboard 130. In FIGS. 2A to 2C, a fixing structure 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a fixing part, an elastic member disposed on the fixing part, a motherboard 130 disposed on the fixing part by the elastic member; and a removable hard disk drive 140 connected to the motherboard 130, wherein the fixing part in the first embodiment is a pillar 110, and the elastic member is a blade spring 120.
As shown in FIGS. 2B to 2C, a method of connecting the two elements comprises disposing the motherboard 130 on a fixing part by an elastic member and moving the removable hard disk drive 140 towards the motherboard 130. When the motherboard 130 and the removable hard disk drive 140 are not in a same height level, one can forces the motherboard 130 to be adjusted within the deformation range of the elastic member until being in the same height level with the removable hard disc 140, such that the connector 131 of the motherboard 130 and the electrical connection end 141 of the removable hard disk drive 140 are connected and fixed together. The motherboard 130 and the removable hard disk drive 140 are supported by the elastic member, and suspended above the reference surface, such as the surface of case, for a certain distance. The structure of the connector 131 further comprises a slot 132 for guiding the electrical connection end 141 of the removable hard disk drive 140 to smoothly slide into the connector 131. Taking the position of the removable hard disk drive 140 as the reference, the motherboard 130 is adjusted within the displacement range to be in a same height level with the removable hard disk drive 140, thereby the two elements are connected and fixed together.
A difference exists between the heights of an end surface of the blade spring 120 contacting the motherboard 130 and an end surface of the pillar 110 relative to the motherboard 130, thus providing a maximum elastic displacement range for the motherboard 130, such that the pillar 110 can restrict the displacement range of the motherboard 130.
As shown in FIGS. 2D to 2F, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the fixing part is a screw hole 111. When the bolt 150 passes through the motherboard 130 and combined with the screw hole 111, the motherboard 130 is pressed against the blade spring 120, wherein the maximum deformation of the blade spring 120 is the maximum elastic displacement range of the motherboard 130.
As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3F, the elastic member in a third embodiment and a fourth embodiment of the present invention is a spring 121 fitted on the pillar 110 or disposed on the screw hole 111, such that the motherboard 130 has an elastic displacement range, thereby achieving the object of adjusting the motherboard 130 and the removable hard disk drive 140 to be in the same height level and connected together.
As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4F, a fifth embodiment and a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown. The elastic member as shown in the figures is a rubber washer 122 disposed between the fixing part and the motherboard 130, such that an elastic displacement range for the motherboard 130 can be obtained according to the deformation range of the rubber washer 122.
The efficacy of the present invention lies in that an elastic displacement of the first element can be obtained from the elastic deformation range of the elastic member, such that two elements not in the same height level can be connected together.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
Patent Application
20080076278
