1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bracket, particularly to a bracket assembly for a slide which can be manually operated.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a rack device is assembled on a rack by means of a pair of slide assemblies. That is to say, the rack usually comprises a first pair of supports and a second pair of supports. Wherein, the first pair of supports corresponds in position to the second pair of supports. One side of the rack device is assembled on the first pair of supports by a slide assembly; the other side of the rack device is assembled on the second pair of supports by another slide assembly. Moreover, the supports of the rack each generally include at least one mounting hole; two opposite ends of each slide assembly respectively include a bracket. The bracket has an inserting member which can be inserted into the mounting holes of the supports, whereby the two opposite ends of each slide assembly can be respectively assembled on the supports of the rack for positioning the slide assembly on the rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,357,362 discloses a bracket positioning structure for a slide, in which, as shown in
The present invention relates to a manually-operable bracket assembly for a slide.
In one aspect of the present invention, a bracket assembly comprises a bracket, at least one inserting member, a first arm, and an elastic member. The bracket includes a longitudinal body and an end plate disposed on the longitudinal body. The inserting member is disposed on the end plate of the bracket. The first arm is movably connected to the bracket and has a first hook portion at one end thereof corresponding in position to the end plate of the bracket. The elastic member is configured to urge the first hook portion of the first arm towards the bracket.
Preferably, the bracket further includes a first connecting base and a second connecting base which are disposed on the longitudinal body of the bracket; the first arm is pivotally connected to the first connecting base; the bracket assembly further comprises a second arm pivotally connected to the second connecting base.
Preferably, the elastic member is disposed on the bracket and located between the first connecting base and the second connecting base; the second arm has a second hook portion at one end thereof corresponding in position to the endplate of the bracket; the elastic member is also configured to urge the second hook portion of the second arm towards the bracket.
Preferably, the elastic member further includes a base plate, a first elastic portion, and a second elastic portion, wherein at least one of the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion is uplifted from one end of the base plate.
Preferably, the bracket assembly further comprises an operation member connected between the first arm and the second arm.
In another aspect of the present invention, a bracket assembly is adapted to a rack, which includes at least one hole, and comprises a bracket, at least one inserting member, an elastic member, a first arm, a second arm, and an operation member. The bracket includes a longitudinal body and an endplate disposed on the longitudinal body. The inserting member is disposed on the end plate of the bracket. The elastic member is disposed on the bracket and includes a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion. The first arm is movably connected to the bracket and includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to the first portion, wherein the first portion of the first arm includes a first contact portion abutting against the first elastic portion of the elastic member, and the second portion of the first arm corresponds in position to the endplate of the bracket and includes a first hook portion. The second arm is movably connected to the bracket and includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to the first portion, wherein the first portion of the second arm includes a second contact portion abutting against the second elastic portion of the elastic member, and the second portion of the second arm corresponds in position to the end plate of the bracket and includes a second hook portion. The operation member is connected between the first arm and the second arm. When the bracket assembly is mounted on the rack, the at least one inserting member is inserted into the at least one hole of the rack, and meanwhile, the first hook portion of the second portion of the first arm and the second hook portion of the second portion of the second arm clasp the rack due to elastic force against the first contact portion and the second contact portion provided by the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion.
Preferably, the elastic member further includes a base plate, wherein the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion are uplifted from two opposite ends of the base plate, respectively.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a bracket assembly comprises a bracket, at least one inserting member, an elastic member, a first arm, a second arm, and an operation member. The bracket includes a longitudinal body, a first connecting base, a second connecting base corresponding in position to the first connecting base, and an end plate disposed on the longitudinal body, wherein the first connecting base and the second connecting base are disposed on the longitudinal body. The inserting member is disposed on the end plate of the bracket. The elastic member is disposed on the bracket and located between the first connecting base and the second connecting base and includes a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion. The first arm is pivotally connected to the first connecting base of the bracket and includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to the first portion, wherein the first portion of the first arm includes a first contact portion abutting against the first elastic portion of the elastic member, and the second portion of the first arm corresponds in position to the end plate of the bracket and includes a first hook portion and a first connecting portion disposed close to the first hook portion. The second arm is pivotally connected to the second connecting base of the bracket and includes a first portion and a second portion opposite to the first portion, wherein the first portion of the second arm includes a second contact portion abutting against the second elastic portion of the elastic member, and the second portion of the second arm corresponds in position to the end plate of the bracket and includes a second hook portion and a second connecting portion disposed close to the second hook portion. The operation member is connected between the first connecting portion of the first arm and the second connecting portion of the second arm.
Preferably, the elastic member further includes a base plate, wherein the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion are uplifted from two opposite ends of the base plate, respectively.
One characteristic of the embodiment of the present invention is that the bracket assembly is adapted to a slide assembly and can be assembled on a rack; moreover, when a user operates the operation member and does not release it until an inserting member of the bracket assembly is inserted into a hole of the rack, a hook portion of a arm can be driven to clasp the rack due to the elastic force provided by an elastic member, thus assembling the bracket assembly on the rack.
Referring to
The bracket 18 includes a first wall 28, a second wall 30 disposed opposite to the first wall 28, and a longitudinal body 32 connected between the first wall 28 and the second wall 30, wherein the longitudinal body 32 includes at least one assembling portion 33.
In more detail, the bracket 18 includes a first connecting base 34, a second connecting base 36 corresponding in position to the first connecting base 34, and an end plate 38 disposed on the longitudinal body 32. Preferably, the end plate 38 is perpendicularly disposed adjacent to an end portion of the longitudinal body 32 of the bracket 18. The first connecting base 34 and the second connecting base 36 are disposed on the longitudinal body 32 of the bracket 18, wherein the first connecting base 34 is disposed adjacent to the first wall 28, and the second connecting base 36 is disposed adjacent to the second wall 30. The assembling portion 33 is preferably located between the first connecting base 34 and the second connecting base 36.
The elastic member 20 is configured to urge at least one of the first hook portion 54 of the first arm 22 and the second hook portion 64 of the second arm 24 towards the bracket 18. In one preferred embodiment, the elastic member 20 includes a base plate 42, a first elastic portion 44, and a second elastic portion 46. The base plate 42 is correspondingly fit with the assembling portion 33 of the longitudinal body 32 of the bracket 18 so that the elastic member 20 can be disposed on the longitudinal body 32 of the bracket 18 and located between the first connecting base 34 and the second connecting base 36. The first elastic portion 44 and the second elastic portion 46 are uplifted from two opposite ends of the base plate 42, respectively. Accordingly, a predetermined included angle is formed between the first elastic portion 44 and the longitudinal body 32 of the bracket 18 for allowing the first elastic portion 44 to be pressed down elastically and thereby generate a first elastic force; also, a predetermined included angle is formed between the second elastic portion 46 and the longitudinal body 32 of the bracket 18 for allowing the second elastic portion 46 to be pressed down elastically and thereby generate a second elastic force.
The first arm 22 is movably connected to the bracket 18. Preferably, the first arm 22 is pivotally connected to the first connecting base 34 of the bracket 18 via a connecting element 47 and is rotatable in response to the first elastic force of the first elastic portion 44 of the elastic member 20. Further, the first arm 22 includes a first portion 48 and a second portion 50 opposite to the first portion 48. The first portion 48 of the first arm 22 includes a first contact portion 52 correspondingly abutting against the first elastic portion 44 of the elastic member 20, wherein the first contact portion 52 can be bent to form an L-shape, but is not limited thereto. The second portion 50 of the first arm 22 corresponds in position to the end plate 38 of the bracket 18 and includes a first connecting portion 56, wherein the first hook portion 54 is also disposed on the second portion 50 of the first arm 22 and located close to the first connecting portion 56. The first hook portion 54 of the first arm 22 includes a hook surface 57 and extends in a horizontal direction, while the first connecting portion 56 extends in a vertical direction. It is noted that the second portion 50 of the first arm 22 can be moved toward and away from the endplate 38 of the bracket 18 in response to rotation of the first arm 22.
The second arm 24 is movably connected to the bracket 18. Preferably, the second arm 24 is pivotally connected to the second connecting base 36 of the bracket 18 via the connecting element 47 and is rotatable in response to the second elastic force of the second elastic portion 46 of the elastic member 20. The second arm 24 includes a first portion 58 and a second portion 60 opposite to the first portion 58. The first portion 58 of the second arm 24 includes a second contact portion 62 correspondingly abutting against the second elastic portion 46 of the elastic member 20, wherein the second contact portion 62 is bent to form an L-shape, but is not limited thereto. The second portion 60 of the second arm 24 corresponds in position to the end plate 38 of the bracket 18 and includes a second connecting portion 66, wherein the second hook portion 64 is also disposed on the second portion 60 of the second arm 24 and located close to the second connecting portion 66. The second hook portion 64 of the second arm 24 includes a hook surface 67 and extends in a horizontal direction, while the second connecting portion 66 extends in a vertical direction. It is noted that the second portion 60 of the second arm 24 can be moved toward and away from the end plate 38 of the bracket 18 in response to rotation of the second arm 24.
The inserting member 40 is disposed on the end plate 38 of the bracket 18, wherein the inserting member 40 can be a circular stud, a square stud, or stud formed in other shapes. In other words, the inserting member 40 is not restricted to be formed as the circular stud illustrated in this embodiment.
Preferably, the bracket assembly 10 further comprises an operation member 26. The operation member 26 is assembled to or integrally formed with the first connecting portion 56 of the first arm 22 and the second connecting portion 66 of the second arm 24 and thus extends between the first connecting portion 56 of the first arm 22 and the second connecting portion 66 of the second arm 24. The operation member 26 can be formed into a rod-like shank with a slightly curved operating surface 68, whereby user can simply operate the operation member 26 by fingers to rotate the first arm 22 and the second arm 24, for example, from a first position (as shown in
Referring to
Further, when the operation member 26 is not operated any more (i.e., when the force F is removed from the operating surface 68 of the operation member 26), the accumulated first elastic force and second elastic force are released to allow the first elastic portion 44 and the second elastic portion 46 to push against the first contact portion 52 of the first arm 22 and the second contact portion 62 of the second arm 24, respectively. Therefore, the first arm 22 and the second arm 24 are rotated back and drive the second portion 50 of the first arm 22 and the second portion 60 of the second arm 24 to move toward the end plate 38 of the bracket 18. Namely, the first arm 22 and the second arm 24 are rotated back from the second position (as shown in
Specifically, the bracket assembly 10 is adapted to the rack 14 which includes at least one hole 15, wherein the hole 15 can be formed in a circle, square, or other shapes. That is to say that the hole 15 is not restricted to be formed in a circle as shown in this embodiment.
To assemble the bracket 18 on the rack 14, the user initially operates the operation member 26 (as shown in
Subsequently, referring to
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6773080 | Chen | Aug 2004 | B2 |
7357362 | Yang | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7930812 | Curnalia et al. | Apr 2011 | B2 |
8353494 | Peng et al. | Jan 2013 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20150335156 A1 | Nov 2015 | US |