DRAWER SLIDE

Abstract

A drawer slide, having a plurality of slide members is provided. The slide members have a first elongate linear member and a second elongate linear member to slide within a channel defined by an interior surface of the first slide member. The first and second slide members each have a first end portion, a second end portion, and the interior surface defining the first and second channels, respectively. The first slide member is milled from a single piece of material and includes a wall located transversely across the second end portion. Preferably, the interior side edges of the first linear member and the exterior side edges of the immediate linear member further define a first pair of raceways within which a plurality of ball bearings and bearing spacers are alternately disposed to provide a smooth slide motion of the second slide member. The noise damper is a noise-absorbing cushion mounted to the interior surface of the second linear member at the second end portion thereof.

Description

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates in general to a drawer slide, and more particularly, to a multi-member drawer slide with at least one element milled from a single piece of material.

Drawer slides that include multiple, substantially linear, metal slides each sliding within the interior channel of the next successively larger member have been known in the art. By a succession of such metal members, a drawer or an object supported by such members may slide between a first position when the metal members are fully extended from each other and a second position when the metal members are fully retracted. Because of this basic structure of metal slides sliding within the interior channel of the next successively larger member, it is possible for any single metal slide to slide through an end portion of the successively larger member. To this end, past slides have incorporated a pin placed transversely across the interior channel of the largest metal slides. However, repeated impacts of closing the drawer can create metal fatigue in the pin, leading to structural failure of the pin, and the slide breaking by sliding through the rear of the interior channel of the largest member.

The prior art drawer members make certain accommodations to their sliding and suspension function. They may be made of light alloy metals and incorporate relieved areas to reduce weight. The drawer members may be extruded or stamped. The suspension between members may be by ball or roller bearings. A final one of the sliding members which attaches to a drawer, or other object, may be releasable and detachable from the other members so that the drawer may be completely extracted from its sliding suspension within a cabinet. The drawer may be latched in both the extended and retracted positions in a manner prohibiting all movement among and between the members.

To perform the desired functions as described above, the sliding members of the drawer slide are typically made of strong and durable metal material. When the drawer supported by the drawer members slides to the second position, noise and impact are inevitable when the inner ends of the strong metal slides reach the fully retracted position.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A drawer slide including a plurality of slide members and a noise damper is provided. The slide members include at least a first elongate linear member and a second elongate linear member. The first elongate linear member is milled from a single piece of material and includes a first end portion, a second end portion, which includes a wall, and an interior surface defining a first elongate channel extending between the first and second end. The second elongate linear member is configured to slide within the first channel. The second elongate linear member also has a first end, a second end, and an interior surface defining a second elongate channel extending between the first end and the second end thereof. Preferably, the interior side edges of the first elongate linear member and the exterior side edges of the second elongate linear member further define a first pair of raceways within which a plurality of ball bearings and bearing spacers are alternately disposed to provide a smooth slide motion of the second slide member.

The first elongate linear member is perforated with a plurality of holes to reduce the overall weight of the drawer slide. The first elongate linear member also includes at least one mounting hole for mounting the drawer slide to a cabinet or a wall to which a drawer is supported by the drawer slide. The first elongate linear member further includes a solid portion extending partially through a depth of the first channel at the second end thereof to prevent the second elongate linear member from sliding through. Alternately, the first elongate linear member further includes a wall extending completely through a depth of the first channel at the second end thereof to prevent the second elongate linear member from sliding through. The first elongate linear member may include an alignment notch on a first end portion. Preferably, the bearings and bearing spacers are confined by a pair of pins extending from the first end of the first elongate linear member towards the first channel and a pair of pins extending from the second end of the second elongate linear member towards the first channel. Therefore, when the second elongate linear member slides to a fully extended position, the bearings and bearing spacers fit tightly between the first end of the first elongate linear member and the second end of the second elongate linear member.

The second elongate linear member is also perforated with a plurality of holes to reduce the overall weight of the drawer slide. The second elongate linear member may also include an alignment notch on the first end portion. The noise-absorbing cushion is preferably fitted to the second elongate linear member by a pair of rivets and extends beyond the second end of the intermediate linear slide member in one direction, and into the second elongate channel in the other direction.

The drawer slide may further include a third elongate linear member to slide within the second channel. The third linear member also has a first end and a second end, and the exterior side edges of the third linear member and interior side edges of the second elongate linear member define a pair of second bearing raceways for accommodating a plurality of bearings and bearing spacers. The bearings and the bearing spacers are confined by a pair of pins extending into the second channel from the second end of the third elongate linear member and a pair of pins extending into the second channel from the first end of the second elongate linear member.

The third elongate linear member has an interior surface defining a third channel, in which a fourth elongate linear member is fitted. The fourth elongate linear member has a first end aligned with the first end of the third elongate linear member and a second end between the first and second ends of the third elongate linear member. In one embodiment, the third elongate linear member includes a stopper protruding into the second channel at the second end of the fourth elongate linear member.

A drawer slide comprising an outermost linear member, at least one intermediate slide member, and an innermost linear member is also provided. The outermost linear member is milled from a single piece of material and has a first end, a second end, a wall, and an interior side surface defining a first channel. The wall may extend transversely across the first channel at the second end portion. The intermediate slide member is configured to slide within the first channel and has a first end, a second end, and an interior surface defining a second channel. The first end of the intermediate slide member is aligned with the first end of the first linear member when the second intermediate slide member slides to a fully unextended position. The innermost linear member is configured to slide within the second channel. The innermost linear member has a first end aligned with the first end of the intermediate slide member and a second end between the first and second end of the intermediate member. The drawer slide also includes noise damper mounted to the second end of the intermediate slide member.

The noise damper includes a rubber cushion extending beyond the second end of the intermediate slide member. In the case that the drawer slide comprises a plurality of intermediate slide members, the noise damper includes at least one rubber cushion mounted to the interior surface of the intermediate slide member extends beyond the second end of the intermediate linear slide member in one direction, and into the second elongate channel in the other direction. The interior side edges of the outermost linear member and exterior side edges of the intermediate slide member define a pair of raceways in which a plurality of bearings and bearing spacers are disposed. The bearing spacers are preferably fabricated from noise absorbing plastic material. The outermost linear member further includes a pin extending across the first channel at the second end thereof to prevent the intermediate slide member to slide out of the outermost linear member. To further suppress the noise caused by relative slide motion of the outermost linear member and intermediate slide member, the pin is covered with a noise absorbing sheet.

The present invention further provides a noise damper for reducing noise caused by sliding motions of a drawer slide having a plurality of linear slide members. The noise damper includes a rubber cushion mounted at one end of at least an intermediate one of the linear slide members and extends beyond the end of the intermediate linear slide member in one direction, and into the second elongate channel in the other direction. Thereby, when the intermediate slide member slides towards its immediately adjacent slide member, the noise caused by such slide motion can be effectively suppressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior side of a drawer slide at its fully extended position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the interior side of the drawer slide at its fully extended position;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the first linear member of the drawer slide of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the drawer slide showing the interior side of slide members;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a portion of the drawer slide showing the interior side of the slide members; and

FIG. 5 is a top cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A drawer slide including a plurality of sliding members is provided and shown in FIGS. 1-7. In application, two sets of the sliding members with mirror image orientations will be mounted at two opposing sides (left and right, for example) of the drawer for providing the slide motion of the drawer. It will be appreciated that, although FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a drawer slide including four linear members, the number and length of the slide members may be altered according to the dimension of the specific drawer supported thereby or other specific requirement without departing from the scope of present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drawer slide may include a first, outermost, elongate linear member 10, a second, intermediate, elongate linear member 20, a third, intermediate, elongate linear member 30, and a fourth, innermost, elongate linear member 40. The first linear member 10 may include a first interior channel 11. The first linear member may be formed from a single piece of material, for example, a lightweight metal such as aluminum or titanium. The first linear member 10 may be formed by machining the first linear member from a single piece of material. Alternatively, the first linear member 10 may be formed by forging it from a single piece of material. Or, the first linear member 10 may be cast, or formed by any other method which allows the first linear member to be formed from a single piece of material with sufficient strength for operation. Because the first linear member may be, for example, milled or forged from a single piece of material, it may include fewer weak points created by the connection of various moving and non-moving parts. Thus, when the first elongate linear member 10 is milled from a single piece of material, the first linear member 10 is less subject to being deformed by twisting or bending due to the additional rigidity provided by the milling of the first elongate linear member 10.

The second linear member 20 has a second interior channel 21. The second interior channel 21 may allow the second and third linear members 20 and 30 to slide between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position. The third linear member 30 also includes a third interior channel 31 in which the fourth linear member 40 is located. The second linear member 20, the third linear member 30, and the fourth linear member 40 may be made from extruded material, stamped material, or milled material. The material may be a lightweight metal, for example aluminum.

Each of the first, second, third, and fourth linear members 10, 20, 30, and 40 may be skeletonized. That is, portions of each of the first, second, third, and fourth linear members 10, 20, 30, and 40 may have material cut away or relieved to reduce weight without negatively impacting the strength of the linear member 10, 20, 30 and 40 in operation. As shown in the Figures, the material may be cut away in the shape of a circle. Alternatively, the material may also be cut away in the shape of the square, rectangle, oval, trapezoidal, or any other shape which removes the desired amount of material in the desired location.

Each of the first, second, third, and fourth linear members 10, 20, 30, and 40 has a first (outer) end portion and a second (inner) end portion; for example, the first and second end portions 12 and 13 of the first linear member 10, the first and second end portions 22 and 23 of the second linear member 20, the first and second end portions 32 and 33 of the third linear member 30, and the first and second end portions of 42 and 43 of the fourth linear member 40. The first and second end portions 12 and 13 of the first linear member 10 include first and second edges 62 and 63, respectively. The first end portion 12 may further include an alignment notch 100. Likewise, the first and second end portions 22 and 23 of the second linear member 20 also include first and second edges 72 and 73, respectively.

The first end portion 22 of the second linear member 20 may also include a second alignment notch 102, which aligns with the first alignment notch 100 to form a common notch when the first and second linear members 10, 20 are in the fully retracted position. Alternatively, the first end portion 22 of the second linear member 20 may also include an alignment boss 104 which rests inside the first alignment notch 100 when the first and second linear members are in the fully retracted position.

The first and second end portions 32 and 33 of the third linear member 30 includes first and second edges 82 and 83, respectively, and the first and second end portions 42 and 43 of the fourth linear member 40 includes first and second edges 92 and 93, respectively. The first end portion 32 of the third linear member 30 may further include an alignment boss 104 which may rest in the common notch formed by the first alignment notch 100 and second alignment notch 102 when the first, second, and third linear members 10, 20, 30 are in the fully retracted position.

When the first, second and third linear members 10, 20 and 30 are disposed at their extended positions as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first edge 72 of the second linear member 20 extends beyond the first edge 62 of the first linear member 10, and the first edge 82 of the third linear member 30 extends beyond the first edge 72 of the second linear member 20. When the first, second and third linear members 10, 20 and 30 are disposed at their fully retracted positions, the first edges 62, 72 and 82 of the first, second and third linear members 10, 20, and 30 may be aligned and proximate to each other as shown in FIG. 7.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the fourth linear member 40 is fitted within the third channel 31, the relative position of the fourth linear member 40 to the third member 30 remains unchanged. Therefore, the first edge 92 of the fourth linear member 40 is maintained aligned and approximate to the first edge 82 of the third linear member 30, while the second edge 93 of the fourth linear member 40, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, is fixed position between the first and second edges 82 and 83 within the channel 31 of the third linear member 30.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first linear member 10 may include a plurality of countersunk or mounting holes 15 which may be used for mounting the first linear member 10 to the interior wall of a cabinet by mounting screws or bolts in a manner which allows the second linear member 20 to slide through without obstruction within the first channel 11 thereof.

The first linear member 10 may include a wall 17 of the first linear member extending across the first channel 11 at the second end portion 13 thereof. The wall 17 may extend through an entire depth of the first channel 11. Alternatively, the wall 17 may only extend partially of the depth of the first channel 11. The depth of the first channel 11 being defined as width of the interior side edges of the first channel 11. The wall 17 may prevent the second linear member 20 from sliding through the second end portion 13 of the first linear member 10. Because the wall 17 is milled and part of the same piece from which the entirety of the first linear member 10 is milled, the wall 17 may not be dislodged from the impact of the second linear member 20 when the second linear member 20 is moved to the fully retracted position in the way that a separate piece extending across the first channel 11 might be.

The interior side edges of the first channel 11 and the exterior side edges of the second linear member 20 define bearing raceways within which steel ball bearings 50 and bearing spacers 51 (as shown in the exploded view of FIG. 3) may be alternately disposed. The bearings 50 and the bearing spacers 51 may be confined longitudinally by a pair of roll pins 16 extending from the first linear member 10 into the first channel 11 at the first end portion 12 thereof and a pair of roll pins 27 extending from the second linear member 20 into the first channel 11 at the second end portion 23 thereof. Therefore, when the second linear member 20 slides to fully retracted position where the second edge 73 of the second linear member 20 is aligned with the second edge 63 of the first linear member 10, the bearings 50 and the bearing spacers 51 may be free to move within the entire first channel 11.

When the second linear member 20 slides to a fully extended position, the bearings 50 and the bearing spacers 51 may fit tightly within the bearing raceways between the first edge 62 of the first linear member 10 and the second edge 73 of the second linear member 20 as shown in FIG. 2. A pair of spacer pins 18 may also extend from the first linear member 10 into the first channel 11. The spacer pins 18 are interposed between the roll pins 16 and the first edge 62 of the first linear member 10. Preferably, a bearing spacer 51 may be disposed between each roll pin 16 and each spacer pin 18. In this regard, the bearing spacer 51 disposed between the roll pin 16 and the spacer pin 18 may not travel along the bearing raceway. Rather, the bearing spacer 51 is maintained in its position by the roll pin 16 and the spacer pin 18.

The interior side edges of the second channel 21 and the exterior side edges of the third linear member 30 jointly define bearing raceways in each of which a plurality of bearings 50 and a plurality of bearing spacers 51 may be alternately disposed. The bearings 50 and bearing spacers 51 disposed within the second channel 21 may be confined by a pair of pins 26 extending in to the second channel 21 from the first end 22 of the second linear member 20 and a pair of pins 37 extending into the second channel 21 from the second end 33 of the third linear member 30. Therefore, when the third linear member 30 slides to the fully retracted position where the second end 33 of the third linear member 30 is aligned with the second end 23 of the second linear member 20, the bearings 50 and the bearing spacers 50 may be free to move within the entire second channel 21. When the third linear member 30 slides to a fully extended position, the bearings 50 and the bearing spacers 51 may fit tightly within the bearing raceways between the first edge 72 of the second linear member 20 and the second edge 83 of the third linear member 30 as shown in FIG. 2.

Instead of being slidable within the third channel 31, the fourth linear member 40 may be fitted to the third channel 31 between the first edge 82 of the third member 30 and a stopping member 47 protruding from an interior surface of the third member 30 into the third channel 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the fourth linear member 40 may include an interior linear portion received within the channel 31 and an exterior linear portion extending over the channel 31. Preferably but optionally, the fourth linear member 40 may also include the skeletonization, including relieved areas such as holes 44 perforated therethrough to reduce the overall weight of the drawer slide. In one embodiment, the first, second, and fourth members 10, 20, and 40 may include as many holes 14, 24 and 44 as possible to reduce the overall weight of the drawer slide while the drawer slide is still operative to support a drawer or an object up to 100 pounds.

Referring to FIG. 3, the third linear member 30 may include a cavity 35 in which a latch 36 is installed. Preferably, the cavity 35 may be located at the portion where the third linear member 30 is overlapped with the fourth linear member 40. The latch 36 operates by a spring-loaded wedge which is pin mounted to the third linear member 30. The wedging surface of the spring-loaded wedge is substantially a flat chisel surface, and the cavity 35 is preferably square or rectangle in shape presenting a flat opposing wall to the chisel surface.

As can be most easily seen in FIGS. 2, 2A, 4, and 5, to essentially eliminate the instances of the second linear member 20 sliding through the second end portion 13 of the first linear member 10, the first linear member 10 includes a wall 17. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the second and third linear members 20 and 30 slide to the fully retracted position, the second edges 63, 73 of the second and third linear members 20 and 30 may be brought in direct contact with the wall 17. Depending on the speed with which a user may choose to close the drawer, the second and third linear members may impact the wall 17 with increasing force. The wall 17 may thus be coated with an impact and noise absorbing material to lessen the impact and noise of contact.

Alternately, or in addition, a rubber cushion 28 may be mounted to the second linear member 20 at the second end portion 23 thereof. The rubber cushion 28 may be attached to the second linear member 20 via two rivets 29 extending through the second linear member 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the pins 27 extending towards the channel 11 may also extend towards the rubber cushion 28 through the side edge of the second linear member 20. Preferably, the rubber cushion 28 may extend beyond the second edge 73 of the second linear member 20 in one direction and into the second channel 21 in the other direction. Therefore, when the second linear member 20 slides to the fully retracted position, the rubber cushion 28 may be the first member or object in direct contact with the wall 17 of the first linear member 10. As the rubber cushion 28 is preferably fabricated from resilient material that is configured to temporarily deform upon impact in order to consequently absorb the impact, the mechanical fatigue and noise caused by the contact between the first and second linear members 10 and 20 may be effectively suppressed. Similarly, when the third linear member 30 slides to the fully retracted position, the second edge of the third linear member 83 will be brought in direct contact with the rubber cushion 28 before reaching the pins 27. Thereby, the noise and impact caused by the contact between the second and third linear members 20 and 30 may be suppressed.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A method of manufacturing a drawer slide, the method comprising: milling a first elongate linear member from a single piece of metal, the first elongate linear member having, as a result of the milling, a first end portion including a first edge, a second end portion including a wall, and an interior surface defining a first channel extending between the first end portion and the second end portion, the wall extending transversely across the first channel at the second end portion;providing a second elongate linear member slidably located within the first channel, the second linear member having a first end portion including a first edge, a second end portion including a second edge, and an interior surface defining a second channel extending between the first end portion and the second end portion thereof, wherein interior side edges of the first elongate linear member and exterior side edges of the second elongate linear member further define a first pair of raceways; anddisposing a plurality of ball bearings and bearing spacers alternately within each of the first raceways.

22. A drawer slide manufactured by the method of claim 21.