The present invention relates to a self-closing rail system, and more particularly, to a self-closing device that is easily connected to and disengaged from the rail system.
A conventional self-closing device for a rail system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,724 to Domenig, titled “Drawer guide for supporting a movable structure such as a drawer in a furniture article”, and the device discloses a rail system for slidably supporting a movable structure such as a drawer on a furniture article. The device includes a rotatable roller on a guide rail which is substantially horizontally connected to the furniture article and a movable rail which supports the movable structure. The movable rail is able to move relative to the guide rail, wherein the distal end of the guide rail has a tilt surface which is located lower than the horizontal surface so that when the movable rail moves inward to the tilt surface, the movable rail is guided by the tilt surface and retracted in the furniture article.
It is noted that the movable rail has to be retracted until the movable rail moves to the tilt surface of the distal end of the guide rail. The movable rail cannot be automatically guided to be retracted. The distance of the tilt surface usually is limited and the movable rail traveling this short distance cannot have an automatic return function. Besides, the rail system returns the movable rail by the gravity which is deemed to be not sufficient.
The present invention intends to provide a self-closing device for a rail system which can assist the movable rail to automatically return.
The present invention relates to a self-closing rail system and comprises a first rail, a second rail and a self-closing device. The first rail has a first wall, a second wall and a third wall which is connected between the first and second walls. A first channel is defined among the first, second and third walls. The second rail is slidably connected to the first rail. The self-closing device includes an attachment member which is connected to the first rail. The attachment member includes a guide portion which extends longitudinally from the attachment member. The guide portion includes a first guide end and a second guide end opposite to the first guide end. A movable member is movably connected to the guide portion of the attachment member. An elastic member is connected between the attachment member and the movable member such that the elastic member applies a force to the movable member. A fixing member is connected to the second rail and a pin is connected to the fixing member. The movable member is located at the first guide end of the guide portion and the pin is engaged with the movable member when the first and second rails are retracted. The movable member is moved when the second rail moves away from the first rail. The movable member is moved to the second guide end of the guide portion to generate an angular movement when the second rail is moved relative to the first rail to a predetermined position. In this status, the second rail can be freely pulled away from the first rail without restriction of the elastic member. The second rail is contact with the movable member when the second rail is retracted relative to the first rail. The movable member is removed and the force of the elastic member retracts the second rail toward the first rail.
Preferably, the first rail includes a first end and a second end. A first assist member is pivotably connected to the first end of the first rail. The second rail includes a first wall, a second wall and a third wall which is connected between the first and second walls of the second rail. A second channel is defined among the first, second and third walls of the second rail. The second rail has a first end and a second end. The first assist member is rotatably supported by the second channel which is located corresponding to the first channel. A second assist member is pivotably connected to the second end of the second rail and rotatably supported by the first channel of the first rail.
Preferably, the first and second walls on the second end of the first rail respectively have a first tilt surface. The second channel of the second rail has a second tilt surface close to the first end of the second rail. The second tilt surface is located corresponding to the first tilt surface of the first rail.
Preferably, the attachment member includes a first side which is located corresponding to the third wall of the first rail. A first plate extends from the first side of the attachment member and is located corresponding to the second wall of the first rail. The first plate has a first stop wall extends upward from a side thereof. A second plate extends from the first side of the attachment member and is located corresponding to the first wall of the first rail. The second plate has a second stop wall extends downward from a side thereof. A third plate extends from the first side of the attachment member and is connected to the first rail.
Preferably, the first rail includes a first connection portion which is located corresponding to the third plate of the attachment member. The third plate includes a flexible leg corresponding to the first connection portion of the first rail and a first stop is located at a distance from the flexible leg. A second stop extends from the first side of the attachment member. An engaging space is defined among the flexible leg, the first stop and the second stop. The engaging space substantially has the same length as that of the first connection portion of the first rail.
Preferably, the first rail includes a first connection part which is located corresponding to the third plate on the attachment member. The third plate is a protrusion and the first connection part is a hole with which the third plate is engaged.
Preferably, the movable member includes a first support, a second support and a third support. A passage is defined among the first, second and third supports and the guide portion is engaged with the passage.
Preferably, a buffering member is fixed to the attachment member and includes a retractable rod to be contact with the movable member.
Preferably, the first and second walls of the second end of the first rail respectively include a first tilt surface. The second channel of the second rail has a second tilt surface close to the first end of the second rail. The second tilt surface is located corresponding to the first tilt surface of the first rail. The guide portion is located corresponding to the first and second tilt surfaces and includes an angle relative to a horizontal plane.
Preferably, the second rail includes a second connection portion which is a hole and the fixing member includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion. The first fixing portion is connected to the second connection portion of the second rail and the second fixing portion is connected to the second rail.
Preferably, the movable member includes a reception portion with which the pin is engaged. An elastic portion is located at a first end of the reception portion and an anchoring portion is located at a second end of the reception portion so as to be connected with an end of the elastic member.
Preferably, the attachment member of the self-closing device includes a first hole, a second hole and a protrusion. The third wall of the first rail includes a first protruding plate and a second protruding plate. The first and second protruding plates are engaged with the first and second hole. The third wall of the first rail includes an aperture with which the protrusion is engaged, such that the first and second protruding plates are secured with the first and second holes.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
The first rail 100 has a first wall 102, a second wall 104 and a third wall 106 which is connected between the first and second walls 102, 104. A first channel 108 is defined among the first, second and third walls 102, 104 and 106. The first rail 100 includes a first end 110 and a second end 112 opposite to the first end 110. A first assist member 114 is pivotally connected to the first end 110 of the first rail 100, wherein, as mentioned in the prior art (such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,724), the first and second walls 102, 104 of the second end 112 of the first rail 100 respectively include a first tilt surface 116. In this embodiment, the first assist member 114 is a roller. The first rail 100 further includes a first connection portion 118 and a plurality of holes 120 thereon.
The second rail 200 is slidably connected to the first channel 108 of the first rail 100. The second rail 200 includes a first wall 202, a second wall 204 and a third wall 206 which is connected between the first and second walls 202, 204 of the second rail 200. A second channel 208 is defined among the first, second and third walls 202, 204 and 206 of the second rail 200. The second rail 200 has a first end 210 and a second end 212 opposite to the first end 210. The first assist member 114 is rotatably supported by the second channel 208 which is located corresponding to the first channel 108. A second assist member 214 is pivotably connected to the second end 212 of the second rail 200 and rotatably supported by the first channel 108 of the first rail 100. The second channel 208 of the second rail 200 has a second tilt surface 216 close to the first end 210 of the second rail 200. The second tilt surface 216 is located corresponding to the first tilt surface 116 of the first rail 100, such that the first and second rails 100, 200 are maintained substantially to be horizontal when the second rail 200 is retracted relative to the first rail 100. In this embodiment, the second assist member 214 is a roller. The second rail 200 further includes a second connection portion 218 located on the second wall 204 of the second rail 200 and a plurality of holes 220 thereon.
The fixing member 240 is connected to the second rail 200. Referring to
The pin 260 is connected to the fixing member 240.
The self-closing device 300 is connected to the first rail 100. Referring to
The attachment member 302 is connected to the first rail 100. The attachment member 302 includes a first side 304 which is located corresponding to the third wall 106 of the first rail 100. A guide portion 306 extends longitudinally from the first side 304. The guide portion 306 includes a first guide end 308 and a second guide end 310 opposite to the first guide end 308. The second rail 200 has the second tilt surface 216 on the first end 210 of the second channel 208. The second tilt surface 216 is located corresponding to the first tilt surface 116 of the first rail 100. The guide portion 306 is located corresponding to the first and second tilt surfaces 116, 216 and includes an angle “R” relative to a horizontal plane, as shown in
The movable member 340 is movably connected to the guide portion 306 of the attachment member 302. As shown in
The elastic member 360 is connected between the attachment member 302 and the movable member 340. The elastic member 360 has one end connected to the anchoring portion 354 of the movable member 340, and the other end of the elastic member 360 is connected to the first connection part 330 of the attachment member 302 such that the elastic member 360 applies a force to the movable member 340.
The buffering member 380 is selectively adopted and fixed to the attachment member 302. In this embodiment, the buffering member 380 is connected to the second and third connection parts 332, 334. The buffering member 380 includes a retractable rod 382 which is retractably contact with the movable member 340 so as to buffer the movable member 340.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
When the second rail 200 is retracted toward the direction “F2” relative to the first rail 100, as shown in
When the movable member 340 is moved along with the second rail 200, it returns to the first guide end 308 of the guide portion 306 by the force of the elastic member 360. This allows the second rail 200 to be retracted relative to the first rail 100. The pin 260 moves over the elastic portion 352 and is stopped at the end of the elastic portion 352. The second rail 200 is then able to be pulled relative to the first rail 100 and the movable member 340 is moved along the guide portion 306 of the attachment member 302 with the second rail 200. When the second rail 200 is moved to the predetermined position relative to the first rail 100, the movable member 340 is moved to the second guide end 310 of the guide portion 306 again and generates the angular movement. This removes the pin 260 from the movable member 340 and the movable member 340 is maintained in this status by the force of the elastic member 360. As shown in
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 | Date | Country | Kind |
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097145018 | Nov 2008 | TW | national |