The present invention relates to a fitting assembly, and more particularly, to a fitting assembly applicable to a rack or a cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,314,394B2 discloses a rack system comprising a rack, a first adapter mechanism and a second adapter mechanism. The rack has a first side and a second side. A first width is defined between the first side and the second side. The first adapter mechanism is detachably mounted to the first side of the rack. The second adapter mechanism is detachably mounted to the second side of the rack. A second width is defined between the first adapter mechanism and the second adapter mechanism, and the second width is smaller than the first width. The slide rail assemblies in the patent are configured to be mounted to the rack through the first adapter mechanism and the second adapter mechanism. In other words, the slide rail assemblies are mounted within a space having the second width smaller than the first width through the first adapter mechanism and the second adapter mechanism. A second side plate of an end part of the first adapter mechanism (or the second adapter mechanism) is configured to be engaged between two of a plurality of mounting features of the rack.
However, for different market requirements, it is important to develop various products.
The present invention provides a fitting assembly applicable to a rack.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a fitting assembly is configured to be mounted to a rack comprising a first side frame and a second side frame. A first width is defined between the first side frame and the second side frame. The fitting assembly comprises a first fitting device and a second fitting device. The first fitting device is configured to be mounted to the first side frame of the rack. The second fitting device is configured to be mounted to the second side frame of the rack. A second width defined between the first fitting device and the second fitting device is smaller than the first width. The first fitting device and the second fitting device are configured to mount a first slide rail assembly and a second slide rail assembly to the first side frame and the second side frame respectively. The first fitting device comprises a first end part, a second end part and a main body part connected between the first end part and the second end part, and the main body part is arranged with an engaging structure configured to be engaged to the first side frame of the rack.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a fitting device is configured to be mounted to a rack. The fitting device comprises a first end part, a second end part, a main body part connected between the first end part and the second end part, a locking member, a mounting feature and an operating member. The main body part is arranged with an engaging structure configured be engaged to the rack. The locking member is arranged on the main body part. The mounting feature is arranged on the locking member and configured to lock the engaging structure to the rack, in order to prevent the engaging structure from being disengaged from the rack. The operating member is configured to drive the locking member to move.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a fitting device is configured to be mounted to a rack. The fitting device comprises a front end part, a rear end part, a main body part connected between the front end part and the rear end part, a locking member arranged on the main body part, a mounting feature arranged on the locking member and configured to lock the fitting device to the rack, and an operating member configured to drive the locking member to move, wherein the operating member comprises an operating part adjacent to one of the front end part and the rear end part.
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.
As shown in
The fitting assembly comprises a first fitting device 28 and a second fitting device 30. Structural configuration of the first fitting device 28 is substantially identical to or symmetric to structural configuration of the second fitting device 30, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first fitting device 28 is configured to be mounted to the first side frame 24 of the rack 22, and the second fitting device 30 is configured to be mounted to the second side frame 26 of the rack 22. The manner of mounting the first fitting device 28 to the first side frame 24 is substantially identical to the manner of mounting the second fitting device 30 to the second side frame 26. A second width W2 is defined between the first fitting device 28 and the second fitting device 30, and the second width W2 is smaller than the first width W1.
The first fitting device 28 and the second fitting device 30 are configured to mount a first slide rail assembly 32 and a second slide rail assembly 34 to the first side frame 24 and the second side frame 26 respectively. Structural configuration of the first slide rail assembly 32 is substantially identical to or symmetric to structural configuration of the second slide rail assembly 34. For example, each of the first slide rail assembly 32 and the second slide rail assembly 34 comprises a first rail 36 (outer rail), a second rail 38 (inner rail), and a third rail 40 (middle rail) movably mounted between the first rail 36 and the second rail 38. However, the number of slide rails is not limited in the present invention. Preferably, a carried object 42 (as shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, the main body part 46 has an inner side L1 and an outer side L2 opposite to each other. In the present embodiment, the engaging structure 48 is arranged at the outer side L2 of the main body part 46, and the engaging structure 48 is an insertion structure. The engaging structure 48 has a first section 52a and a second section 52b (as shown in
Preferably, the main body part 46 is further arranged with a locking member 54 and a mounting feature 56 arranged on the locking member 54. The mounting feature 56 is configured to lock the engaging structure 48 to the first side frame 24 of the rack 22, in order to prevent the engaging structure 48 from being disengaged from the first side frame 24 of the rack 22 (as shown in
Preferably, the first wall K1 and the second wall K2 are two opposite walls, such as a rear wall and a front wall of the mounting part 50 (as shown in
Preferably, the locking member 54 comprises a connecting section 60, an operating section 62 and an elastic section 64 connected between the connecting section 60 and the operating section 62 (as shown in
Preferably, a limiting feature 66 (as shown in
Preferably, at least one first connecting feature 68 is arranged adjacent to the first end part 44a, and at least one second connecting feature 70 is arranged adjacent to the second end part 44b.
Preferably, the first end part 44a is arranged with a first connecting base 72 substantially perpendicularly bent relative to the main body part 46. For example, the first connecting base 72 is bent relative to the main body part 46 along a direction away from the first side frame 24 of the rack 22 (that is, a direction toward the second side frame 26 of the rack 22). The first connecting feature 68 is arranged on the first connecting base 72. Similarly, the second end part 44b is arranged with a second connecting base 74 substantially perpendicularly bent relative to the main body part 46. For example, the second connecting base 74 is bent relative to the main body part 46 along the direction away from the first side frame 24 of the rack 22 (that is, the direction toward the second side frame 26 of the rack 22). The second connecting feature 70 is arranged on the second connecting base 74.
Preferably, at least one of the first connecting feature 68 and the second connecting feature 70 is a mounting hole. In the present embodiment, the first connecting feature 68 and the second connecting feature 70 are both mounting holes. The mounting holes can be square holes, round holes or screw holes, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
As shown in
Moreover, the manner of detaching the second fitting device 30 from the second side frame 26 is substantially identical to the manner of detaching the first fitting device 28 from the first side frame 24, thus no further illustration is provided for simplicity.
As shown in
Moreover, the manner of mounting the second slide rail assembly 34 to the second fitting device 30 is substantially identical to the manner of mounting the first slide rail assembly 32 to the first fitting device 28, thus no further illustration is provided for simplicity.
Preferably, the main body part 202 has a first end part 202a and a second end part 202b, such as a front end part and a rear end part, and the operating member 204 comprises an operating part 208 adjacent to the first end part 202a, such that it is convenient for a user standing in front of the second fitting device 200 (or the first fitting device) to operate the operating part 208 to drive the locking member 206 to move for unlocking the second fitting device 200. Preferably, the operating part 208 further has a bent section 209 to allow the user to easily apply an operating force J′ from an inner side L1′ of the main body part 202 to pull the operating member 204 to drive the locking member 206 to move.
Preferably, the main body part 202 is formed with a predetermined space M (such as a through hole or a notch) communicating the inner side L1′ and an outer side L2′ of the main body part 202, and the operating member 204 further comprises at least one driving part 210 (for example, the driving part 210 has an inclined surface or an arc surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto) and an extension part 212 connected between the driving part 210 and the operating part 208. The operating part 204 has a predetermined hole 214 adjacent to the predetermined space M of the main body part 202 (for example, the predetermined hole 214 corresponds to the predetermined space M), such that the user can easily apply the operating force J′ to the operating part 208 from the inner side L1′ or the outer side L2′ of the main body part 202 to operate the operating member 204 to move from a first predetermined position P1 (as shown in
Preferably, the second fitting device 200 further comprises a return elastic member 216. The operating member 204 is configured to be held at the first predetermined position P1 in response to a return elastic force of the return elastic member 216.
Preferably, the operating member 204 is longitudinally movable relative to the main body part 202 within a limited range defined by a plurality of pairs of a first limiting structure 218 and a second limiting structure 220. The first limiting structure 218 and the second limiting structure 220 are a combination of a protruded part (such as a connecting pin or a connecting bolt) and an elongated hole. For example, the protruded part is configured to pass through a portion of the elongated hole.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, when the user is going to detach the second fitting device 200 from the second side frame 230 of the rack 228, the user can apply the operating force J′ (as shown in
In addition, once the user stops applying the operating force J′ to the operating member 204, the return elastic force of the return elastic member 216 is configured to drive the operating member 204 to move from the second predetermined position P2 (as shown in
As shown in
Therefore, the fitting assembly according to the embodiments of the present invention has the following technical features:
1. The fitting device (28, 200) can work as an adapter to mount the slide rail assembly (32, 238) to the rack (22, 228) within a space having the second width W2 smaller than the first width W1, in order to meet special requirements of the user or environment.
2. The fitting device (28, 200) can be quickly mounted to or detached from the rack (22, 228) in a tool-free manner through the locking member (54, 206).
3. In the first embodiment, the user can directly operate the locking member 54 to move the mounting feature 56 in order to unlock the engaging structure 48 from the rack 22. In the second embodiment, the user can operate the operating member 204 to drive the locking member 206 to move the mounting feature 224 in order to unlock the engaging structure 222 from the rack 228. Moreover, the operating part 208 of the operating member 204 is adjacent to the first end part 202a (such as the front end part, but the present invention is not limited thereto) of the second fitting device 200. As such, it is convenient for the user standing in front of the second fitting device 200 or the rack 228 to operate the operating part 208 to drive the locking member 206 to move for unlocking the second fitting device 200.
4. In the second embodiment, when the second slide rail assembly is not mounted between the first connecting feature 232 and the second connecting feature 234 of the second fitting device 200, the user can operate the operating member 204 from the inner side L1′ or the outer side L2′ of the main body part 202 of the second fitting device 200 to drive the locking member 206 to move, in order to unlock the second fitting device 200 from the rack 228. When the second slide rail assembly 238 is mounted between the first connecting feature 232 and the second connecting feature 234 of the second fitting device 200, the user can operate the operating member 204 from the outer side L2′ of the main body part 202 of the second fitting device 200 to drive the locking member 206 to move, in order to unlock the second fitting device 200 from the rack 228. According to such configuration, maintenance of the slide rail, the carried object (and/or related equipment) on the slide rail is more convenient and efficient.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
112145265 | Nov 2023 | TW | national |