This invention relates to drawer slides and, more particularly, to self-closing mechanisms for drawer slides.
The conventional self-closing drawer slide includes a drawer member, an intermediate member, a cabinet member, and a conventional self closing mechanism. The drawer slide facilitates the opening and closing of a drawer in a cabinet. Typically, the drawer slide is mounted between a side of a drawer and a sidewall of a cabinet, with the drawer member affixed to the drawer, and the cabinet member affixed to the cabinet.
The conventional self closing mechanism includes a slide component slidably mounted on the cabinet member of the drawer slide and spring biased in the closing direction of the drawer slide, and an engagement component fixedly mounted on the drawer member of the drawer slide. When the drawer slide is in the closed position, the engagement component is fully engaged with the slide component. As the drawer slide is pulled open, the engagement component pulls the slide component in the opening direction of the drawer slide against the spring force. When the slide component reaches a certain point, it locks into position and releases the engagement component. The slide component remains in the locked position until it is released by the engagement component when the drawer slide is pushed back to a closed position. Once it is released, the spring biased slide component, now back in full engagement with the engagement component, pulls the engagement component in the closing direction of the drawer slide, thereby pulling the drawer slide to a closed position.
The conventional drawer slide has significant drawbacks. To illustrate one drawback, suppose the drawer slide has a width x, and the sidespace within which it is to be mounted (the space between the side of the drawer and the sidewall of the cabinet) is x+y. Ideally, y is 0, but in many cases, y is greater than 0, and the drawer slide does not fit perfectly within the sidespace. For this reason, the conventional drawer slide is designed so that it can be expanded to a maximum width, x+ymax, before it can no longer function properly.
However, as y increases, the distance between the engagement component on the drawer member and the slide component on the cabinet member increases. As a result, once the sidespace reaches a certain width that is less than x+ymax, although the drawer slide remains functional, the self closing mechanism does not because the engagement component can no longer reliably engage with the slide component.
Another drawback of the conventional self closing mechanism is that, when mounted within the cabinet member of a drawer slide, it allows the intermediate member to slam against it. Excessive and/or repeated slamming can damage the self closing mechanism and cause it to malfunction.
Another drawback of the conventional self closing mechanism is that it has a high profile such that, when it is mounted within the cabinet member of a drawer slide, it does not allow the intermediate member and/or the drawer member to slide over it. This results in a decreased sliding length with respect to the drawer and intermediate members.
As shown in
The slider 10 is shown in further detail in
The latch 20 is shown in further detail in
The stationary housing 30 is shown in further detail in
The slider 10 fits over the upper and lower rails 32 and 33 of the stationary housing 30. In addition, slider spring shrouds 12 fit over stationary spring shrouds 31. Two retraction springs (not shown) are connected between the spring posts 19 of the slider 10 and the spring posts 34 of the stationary housing 30, thereby exerting a spring force on the slider 10 in the closing direction. The two retraction springs are situated underneath the slider spring shrouds 12 and the stationary spring shrouds 31.
The damper 40 is situated between the damper supports 35, and includes a piston rod 42, the front end of which is fitted between rod supports 17 and into hole 16.
The latch 20 sits between the slider 10 and the stationary housing 30. More specifically, the upper (or top) portion 22 of the latch 20 is situated in the space between the thin finger 11 and the aperture 14 of the slider 10, and the bottom portion 24 of the latch 20 is situated between the parallel rails 32, 33 of the stationary housing 30. See, e.g.,
As shown in
In operation, the drawer slide 100 begins in a closed position, as shown in
As the drawer to which the drawer member 130 is affixed is pulled out from the cabinet to which the cabinet member 110 is affixed, pin member 150 pulls latch 20 via slot 22a in the opening direction. The pin 150 is slightly off center with respect to the axis of rotation of the latch 20. Thus, pin 150 applies a rotational force (torque) to the latch 20. However, because the lower portion 24 of the latch 20 is positioned between the rails 32 and 33, and the long flat surface 24e of the lower portion 24 lies flat against the first rail 32, the latch 20 is not permitted to rotate. As a result, pin 150 remains within slot 22a and pulls latch 20, as well as slider 10, along the rails 32 and 33.
As the latch 20 reaches the recess 36 in the first rail 32, the stop edge 24d of the latch 20 makes contact with the rear surface 37b of the male component 37, which causes the latch 20 to begin to rotate in a clockwise direction. Because the rotation of the latch 20 is no longer resisted by the first rail 32, the latch 20 continues to rotate, causing the corner 24a to enter into the recess 36, and the triangular indent 24b to mate with the male component 37. In addition, the pin 150 is allowed to escape from the slot 22a and out through aperture 14 of the slider 10. At this point, the drawer and the drawer member 130 are allowed to freely continue to the fully open position.
The lower portion 24 of the latch 20 may be thought of as having two levels. The triangular indent 24b is in the lower level, while the corner 24a is on the upper level. Likewise, the first rail 32 can be thought of as having two levels. The male component 37 is on the lower level, while the recess 36 is in the upper level. This unique configuration allows the latch 20 to rotate when it reaches the recess 36, and the male component 37 to mate with the triangular indent 24b at the same time.
Until it is dislodged, the latch remains in the rotated (i.e., locked) position, with the corner 24a in the recess 36 and the male component 37 mated with the triangular indent 24b. The latch remains in this position because, as shown more clearly in
When the drawer member is pushed back in the closing direction, pin 150 approaches slot 22a of the latch 20. Because the latch remained in the rotated position, the mouth of the slot 22a is substantially aligned with aperture 14 of the slider 10, allowing pin 150 to freely enter slot 22a. After pin 150 has entered the slot 22a of the latch 20, it presses against an interior surface of slot 22a causing the latch 20 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, and the “pinched” portion to withdraw from between the curved wall 18 and the male component 37. Additionally, the corner 24a of the latch 20 is withdrawn from the recess 36 of the stationary housing 30. As shown in
Once the latch is released from the locked position, the triangular indent 24b is no longer engaged with male component 37. Thus, latch 20 can no longer resist the retraction force of the springs, and slider 10 pulls pin member 150 in the closing direction via the latch 20. When damper 40 is present, the piston rod 42 of the damper 40 is connected to the slider 10, such that the closing movement of the slider 10 is dampened by the damper 40. In this way, the self closing mechanism brings the drawer slide 100 to a fully closed position in a smooth, controlled manner.
The rotation, locking, and releasing of the latch 20 may be better understood with reference to
Although the slider 10, the latch 20, and the stationary housing 30 are configured such that the latch 20 is firmly held in place when in the locked position, the latch 20 may on occasion be inadvertently released from the locked position when the drawer slide is still in the open position. Certain embodiments of the present invention incorporate a novel reset feature to remedy this situation. As discussed earlier, the latch 20 has a ramped surface 22c. When the latch 20 is released from the locked position, the ramped surface 22c becomes aligned with the aperture 14 of the slider 10. Also, the curved wall 18 guides the latch 20 so that the top portion 22 thereof abuts the thin finger 11 on the slider 10. To “reset” the mechanism, i.e., to reinsert the pin into the slot 22a of the latch 20 so as to allow the pin to pull the slider to the open position the next time the drawer is pulled in the opening direction, the drawer must be pushed in to the fully closed position. When this happens, the pin 150 presses against the ramped surface 22c, forcing the top portion 22 of the latch 20 against the thin finger 11 on the slider 10 and the bottom portion 24 of the latch 20 against the first wall 32 on the stationary housing 30. The thin finger 11 and the first wall 32 deflect under the force of the latch 20, allowing the latch 20 to move enough to allow the pin 150 to pass over the lip 22d and into the slot 22a.
As will be understood from the above description and associated diagrams, the latch 20 must satisfy two functional requirements: (1) rotate; and (2) remain in the locked position as required. The latch 20 generally satisfies either a pre-load position, as shown, e.g., in
First, as shown in
Once the latch 20 is pulled up and rotated into a locked position, it must be held at that position until released again by the pin 150. As described in more detail hereinbelow, at least three factors contribute to maintaining the latch in the locked position.
First, as shown, e.g., in
As is evident from the above description, in embodiments of the invention, two parallel springs are connected symmetrically to both sides of the slider 10, which pushes down the latch 20. With this configuration, the direction of spring force is along the center line of the assembly. Therefore, retention of the latch in (the locked) position is dependent upon the offsets on the latch and the slider, as well as the forces involved, as described hereinabove.
For example, the center of pivot circle 27a on the latch 20 is always along the same line which may be, e.g., 0.030-0.050 inch offset from the center line of the assembly. See X1 in
Since the two springs are mounted symmetrically to opposing sides of the slider 10 and away from the latch 20, all of the components relating to locking/unlocking are on the running track of the latch and along the center line of the assembly. This allows the latching mechanism to be minimized and completely hidden underneath the drawer member 130 (or the drawer member can be extended all the way to the back end of the housing 30). Similarly, the locking mechanism can be completely underneath intermediate member 120 (or the intermediate member can be extended all the way to the front end of the slider). This is advantageous because the drawer can be pulled out further if the cabinet and/or intermediate members are allowed to be extended further.
In certain embodiments, the slider 10 includes impact fingers 13. When the slide is being closed (i.e., when the intermediate member is traveling inwards), it is possible for the intermediate member 120 to ram against the front of the slider 10. The impact fingers 13 may be flexible and may be placed so that they not only restrict the inward travel of the intermediate member 120, but also absorb its impact. This may help prevent the self closing mechanism from becoming damaged or malfunctioning due to excessive and/or repeated jarring.
In embodiments of the invention, the slider 10 also includes guide members 12a, 12b which are symmetrically disposed on the spring shrouds 12 (see, e.g.,
According to certain embodiments, the self closing mechanism may be assembled as a sub-assembly, and may be self-contained before being installed into the slide. The placement and geometry of the stationary spring shrouds 31 on the stationary housing 30 may prevent the springs from being unhooked/detached once connected to the stationary housing 30. The springs may be attached to spring posts or hooks on the slider, or may be melded to the slider. The slider spring shrouds may prevent debris from damaging the springs. The latch 20 may then be inserted into the space between the aperture 14 and the thin finger 11 in the slider 10.
In certain embodiments, the self closing mechanism of the present invention may have a low profile such that when it is installed into a slide, the drawer member 130 and intermediate member 120 can slide over certain components of the self closing mechanism. Specifically, the drawer member 130 can slide over the body portion of the slider 10 and the stationary housing 30, while the intermediate member 120 can slide over the portion of the first and second rails which extends out from the body portion of the stationary housing. Thus, as shown in
In certain embodiments, the bottom of the cabinet member 110 may include cutouts as shown in
An alternative embodiment of the self-closing mechanism is shown in
As shown in
The slider 310 includes spring posts 319a and 319b, which, in contrast to the structure of the slider 10, extend upwards and proximate the rear (or back) end 319c of the slider 310. With this configuration, a first spring 370a is coupled to slider spring post 319a and housing spring post 334a at its respective ends. See, e.g.,
It is noted that, in the diagrams relating to the embodiments described thus far, the two parallel springs are hidden from view. More specifically, the springs are sandwiched between the spring shrouds 31, 331 and the cabinet member 110. Nevertheless, springs of the type shown, for example, in
It is also noted that, rather than an aperture 14, the slider 310 includes an open front portion 314 to allow engagement and disengagement between the latch 320 and the pin 150. In addition, the slider 310 includes a substantially flat wall 318 to provide increased resistance to premature release, and to enhance the latch's ease of rotation when coming out of the locked position. Moreover, although it may, the slider 310 shown in
As shown in
The slider 310 also includes guide members 313a, 313b which are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the slider 310 (see
As has been noted, in certain embodiments, the self-closing mechanisms described herein may not incorporate a damping mechanism. In this case, the closing movement of the slider 10, 310 is not dampened, and thus is allowed to close at full speed. This may reduce the overall size of the self-closing mechanism since the damper supports 35, 335 and a space for the damper within the stationary housing 30, 330 are no longer needed. The reduced size may strengthen the slide 100 as the intermediate member 120, 3120 can slide over a greater proportion of the self closing mechanism. While this non-dampened version of the present self closing mechanism would not prevent a drawer to which the slider is connected to slam against the associated cabinet, this non-dampened version may be appropriate for certain uses, i.e., when used with a drawer carrying light load or a drawer having a separate damping mechanism. On the other hand, non-dampened versions of the self-closing mechanisms described herein may include all of the components and associated structures as described herein, with the only difference being that the damping mechanism is removed from the overall self-closing mechanism.
In embodiments of the invention, the damper 40 may be a linear air damper to reduce the speed of closure and reduce slamming. The damper 40 may have internal mechanisms that allow it to provide damping in only the closing direction, thereby limiting any resistance in the opening direction. In yet other embodiments, the self-closing mechanism may include a fluid type damper.
As shown in
In certain embodiments which incorporate the rotary damper described above, the idle gear 460 may be a compound gear with the larger portion 462 mating with the rotary damper 450 and the smaller portion 464 mating with the rack 439. This configuration allows for more rotation in the rotary damper with the same length of stroke; the increase in rotation is proportional to the ratio between the larger portion and the smaller portion of the compound gear.
In yet other embodiments of the invention, the self-closing mechanism may be a friction type damper. For example, a friction type damper may comprise a sheet metal leaf spring and a rubber liner. When a force is applied to the sub-assembly, the sub-assembly will expand, and will create a friction force between the rubber liner and the stationary housing
As shown in
When the latch 520 is released from the locked position, the sub-assembly (i.e., the leaf spring 580 and the rubber liner 590) is stretched under maximum spring load. At this point, a slight amount of friction exists between the rubber liner 590 and the rails 532, 533, such that the rubber liner/leaf spring sub-assembly will not move immediately once the latch 520 is released. As a result, the latch 520 will move first, thereby exerting load on the sub-assembly. Under this load, the sub-assembly will extend horizontally in x direction, and create more interference between the rubber liner 590 and the rails 532, 533. This additional interference, in turn, generates more friction (i.e., dampening).
When the latch 520 is being pulled up, as it is released, the slider 510 will put a load on the sub-assembly, which results in a momentary friction (dampening) effect. The higher the position of the release point, the higher the friction force will be.
When there is an impact (or slam) at the locked position, the higher force will push down the sub-assembly more, and create more friction (or dampening) force. There is a limit stop in the slider 510 to prevent the sub-assembly from over-stretching and causing the sub-assembly to become stuck. It is noted that, at any time, the sub-assembly will be self-aligned along the center line of the slider by a tab 582 on leaf spring 580 and an alignment pocket 512 on the slider 510. This alignment feature will keep the sub-assembly always aligned along the center line of the main assembly.
In manufacturing, the housing 530, the slider 510, the latch 520, the rubber liner 590, and the leaf spring 580 form a sub-assembly which may be assembled first and then pushed (or assembled) into the cabinet member 110 of the slide sub-assembly. The slide subassembly, in turn, comprises the drawer member 130, the intermediate member 120, the cabinet member 110, as well as additional components.
In an alternative embodiment, a rubber pad may be applied along both (inner) sides of the housing's first and second rails, and the leaf spring may be rigid, i.e., without a rubber liner. In addition, the leaf spring may include a rounded contact end to ensure a smooth contact between the leaf spring and the rubber pad.
While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, rather than a pin-and-slot arrangement, the intermediate member and the latch may engage one another by means of other mating configurations, such as, e.g., a lanced tab on the intermediate member and a mating slot (or other receptacle) on the latch. Similarly, although, in embodiments of the invention, the damper 40 has been described as abutting the back end of the housing, in alternative embodiments, the housing may be open at its back end, with the damper 40 (or other damping mechanism) being secured to the housing via the damper supports and/or other means. The accompanying claims are therefore intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
This application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/959,988, filed Jul. 18, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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