BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an assembled view of a slide rail assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric partial view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an inverted view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a latch member of the slide rail assembly of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a connecting member of the slide rail assembly of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a mounting member of the slide rail assembly of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a partially assembled view of a part of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is an assembled view of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a lateral view of a part of the slide rail assembly of FIG. 1 in a first using state;
FIG. 10 is a sketch view showing a relative position between a stop member of the first slide rail and the latch member of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a lateral view of a part of the slide rail assembly of FIG. 1 in a second using state;
FIG. 12 is a sketch view showing a relative position between the stop member and the latch member of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a lateral view of a part of the slide rail assembly of FIG. 1 in a third using state; and
FIG. 14 is a sketch view showing a relative position between the stop member and the latch member of FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in an embodiment of the invention, a latch mechanism is provided for retaining a slide rail assembly which includes a first slide rail 10, and a second slide rail 20. The latch mechanism includes a latch module, a mounting member 50, a first release member 62, a second release member 64, two resilient members 70, a plurality of fasteners such as rivets 80, and 82, and a stop member 14 mounted on the first slide rail 10. In this embodiment, the latch module includes a latch member 30, and a connecting member 40.
The first slide rail 10 has an elongate body. Four mounting holes 12 are defined in one end of the elongate body. The stop member 14 is a generally rectangular piece. Two protrusions 142 extend from two diagonally opposite corners of the stop member 14. Four through holes 144 are defined in the stop member 14. The stop member 14 is mounted to the first slide rail 10 via four rivets 82 extending through the through holes 144 and engaging in the mounting holes 12 of the first slide rail 10.
Referring also to FIG. 3, the second slide rail 20 has an elongate body, and includes a base wall and two sidewalls extending from two sides of the base wall in a longitudinal direction of the second slide rail 20. An L-shaped bent tab 22 extends from the base wall of the second slide rail 20 toward one of the sidewalls of the second slide rail 20. A block 23 is formed on the base wall of the second slide rail 20 in the vicinity of one end of the bent tab 22. Two parallel sliding slots 26 are defined in the base wall of the second slide rail 20 away from the bent tab 22 at a predetermined retaining position of the second slide rail 20 and the first slide rail 10. In this embodiment, the sliding slots 26 are angled with the longitudinal direction of the second slide rail 20, and not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Two pairs of mounting holes 27, 28 are defined in the base wall of the second slide rail 20 beside the sliding slots 26 respectively. A quadrate slot 25 is defined in the base wall of the second slide rail 20 in the vicinity of the mounting holes 28. An arch-like fixed portion 24 is formed on the base wall of the second slide rail 20 adjacent to the quadrate slot 25.
Referring also to FIG. 4, the latch member 30 is a generally rectangular plate. Two sliding portions 32 extend from two opposite ends of the latch member 30 respectively. A gap 33 is defined in each sliding portion 32. A mounting hole 34 is defined in a center of the latch member 30. Two cutouts are defined in the latch member 30 at diagonally opposite corners of the latch member 30. The cutouts include a first stop surface 36 and a second stop surface 38, respectively. A first inclined surface 37 and a second inclined surface 39 are formed at the other two diagonally opposite corners of the latch member 30.
Referring also to FIG. 5, the connecting member 40 includes a generally rectangular main body 42, a first resilient portion 45 and a second resilient portion 44 extending from two opposite ends of the main body 42 respectively, and a mounting portion 46 formed from an end of the first resilient portion 45. A mounting hole 422 is defined in the center of the main body 42. The first and second resilient portion 45, 44 are generally elongated bars and each have a bent section at a middle thereof. A first inclined portion 424 and a second inclined portion 425 are formed at two corners of the main body 42 in the vicinity of the first resilient portion 45. Two mounting holes 462 are defined in the mounting portion 46 along a longitudinal line thereof. Two L-shaped bent tabs 464 are formed at opposite sides of the mounting portion 46.
Referring also to FIG. 6, the mounting member 50 is generally rectangular. A protrusive flat portion 51 is formed from end to end along the longitudinal centerline of the mounting member 50. The flat portion 51 has two mounting holes 52 defined in a middle area thereof, and a channel 53 defined from one end thereof extending to near the nearest hole 52. Two elongate flanges 54 protrude from opposite sides of the mounting member 50 along the elongate direction, respectively. Two grooves 56 are defined in the mounting member 50 between the flat portion 51 and the flanges 54 respectively.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first release member 62 is elongated. The first release member 62 includes an operating end, and a driving end. A mounting piece 621 extends from the operating end of the first release member 62. A button 622 is placed on the mounting piece 621. A cutout is defined in one side of the first release member 62 in the vicinity of the driving end. The cutout has a slanted sidewall configured as a first driving portion 623. A tab 624 extends from the side of the first release member 62 between the cutout and the mounting piece 621.
The second release member 64 is elongated, and includes an operating end and a driving end. The operating end has a button 642 attached thereto. A cutout is defined in one side of the second release member 64 in the vicinity of the driving end. The cutout has a slanted sidewall configured as a second driving portion 644. Two first tabs 646 extend from the one side of the second release member 64 in the vicinity of the driving end. A second tab 648 extends from the side of the second release member 64 in the vicinity of the operating end.
Referring also to FIGS. 7 and 8, in assembly, the first and second release members 62, 64 are oppositely arranged on the base wall of the second slide rail 20, and in the vicinity of the side walls of the second slide rail 20 respectively. The mounting piece 621 of the first release member 62 is received in the quadrate slot 25 of the second slide rail 20, and is fixed by the arch-like fixed portion 24 via an extension tab of the mounting piece 621 inserting into a slot formed between the arch-like fixed portion 24 and the base wall of the second slide rail 20. The second tab 648 of the second release member 64 is arranged under the bent tab 22 of the second slide rail 20. The block 23 of the second slide rail 20 is configured for blocking the second tab 648 to confine the second release member 64.
The latch member 30 is mounted to the connecting member 40 via the rivet 80 extending through the mounting hole 34 of the latch member 30 to engage in the mounting hole 422 of the main body 42 of the connecting member 40. The first and second resilient portions 45, 44 extend outward through the gaps 33 of the latch member 30 respectively. The assembly of the latch member 30 and the connecting member 40 is arranged on the base wall of the second slide rail 20. The sliding portions 32 are inserted into the sliding slots 26 of the second slide rail 20 respectively. The mounting portion 46 of the connecting portion 40 is mounted on the second slide rail 20 via two rivets 82 extending through the mounting holes 462 of the mounting portion 46 and engaging in the mounting holes 27 of the second slide rail 20 respectively. The driving ends of the first and second release members 62, 64 are slidably restrained under the bent tabs 464 of the mounting portion 46 of the connecting member 40.
The resilient members 70 are compressedly received in the grooves 56 of the mounting member 50 respectively. The mounting member 50 is mounted on the second slide rail 20 via the rivets 82 extending through the mounting holes 52 of the mounting member 50 and engaging in the mounting holes 28 of the second slide rail 20 respectively. The distal end of the second resilient portion 44 is restrained in the channel 53 of the mounting member 50. The first and second release members 62, 64 are pressed against the base wall of the second slide rail 20 by the flanges 54 of the mounting member 50 respectively. The tab 624 of the first release member 62 engages with one end of the corresponding resilient member 70. The first tabs 646 of the second release member 64 engage with opposite ends of the other corresponding resilient member 70 respectively.
Referring also to FIG. 9, when pushing the second slide rail 20 to slide into the first slide rail 10, the outer one of the protrusions 142 of the stop member 14 engages with the first inclined surface 37 of the latch member 30 to move the latch member 30 downwardly along the sliding slots 26 of the second slide rail 20 against the first and second resilient portions 45, 44 of the connecting member 40 until the latch member 30 rides over the outer one protrusion 142 of the stop member 14. Then the first and second resilient portions 45, 44 of the connecting member 40 rebound to return the latch member 30 to its original position, thus the latch member 30 is confined between the protrusions 142 of the stop member 14 to avoid the second slide rail 20 moving outward or inward relative to the first slide rail 10, as shown in FIG. 10. The first and second stop surfaces 36, 38 are engagable with the protrusions 142 of the stop member 14 respectively.
Referring also to FIG. 11, in moving the second slide rail 20 further inward relative to the first slide rail 10, pull the second release member 64 outward along the second slide rail 20. The second driving portion 644 of the second release member 64 engages with the second inclined portion 425 of the connecting member 40 to drive the latch member 30 upward along the sliding slots 26 of the second slide rail 20 against the first and second resilient portions 45, 44 of the connecting member 40. The second stop surface 38 of the latch member 30 disengages from the inner protrusion 142 of the stop member 14 which allows the second slide rail 20 to move inward without allowing an outward movement relative to the first slide rail 10, as shown in FIG. 12.
Referring also to FIG. 13, the same principle applies when pulling the first release member 62 outward along the second slide rail 20. The first driving portion 623 of the first release member 62 engages with the first inclined portion 424 of the connecting member 40 to slide the latch member 30 downwardly along the sliding slots 26 of the second slide rail 20 against the first and second resilient portions 45, 44 of the connecting member 40. The first stop surface 36 of the latch member 30 disengages from the outer protrusion 142 of the stop member 14 which allows the second slide rail 20 to move outward without allowing an inward movement relative to the first slide rail 10, as shown in FIG. 14.
When the latch member 30 leaves the protrusions 142 of the stop member 14, releasing the operating ends of the first or second release member 62, 64, the first and second resilient portions 45, 44 of the connecting member 40 rebound to return the latch member 30 to its original position. The resilient members 70 rebound to return the first or second release member 62, 64 to their original position respectively. The protrusions 142 may extend from the first slide rail 10 directly. The latch module including the latch member 30 and the connecting member 40 may be integrally formed.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Patent Application
20080079342
