BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide devices, and particularly to a slide device with a removable and lockable inner slide member.
2. Prior Art
Slide devices are often mounted into electronic equipment for facilitating replacement or maintenance of inner components of the equipment. The slide devices allow the inner components to be conveniently slid into and out from the electronic devices.
To prevent slide members of a slide device from being accidentally slid out from the slide device and falling down, U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,773 discloses a slide device with a latch mechanism which makes an inner slide member removable and lockable. Referring to FIG. 7, the latch mechanism comprises a latch 80. The latch 80 defines a cutout 82. One end of the latch 80 is pivotally attached to an inner slide member 70. A spring (not shown) is arranged between the latch 80 and the inner slide member 70 to bias the latch 80. The inner slide member 70 is slidable in an intermediate slide member 90. The intermediate member 90 comprises a tab 92 corresponding to the cutout 82 of the latch 80. When the inner slide member 70 is slid into the intermediate slide member 90, the latch 80 is manually pressed, and the spring is compressed. When the inner slide member 70 is slid to a predetermined position, the tab 92 snappingly engages in the cutout 82 of the latch 80 of the inner slide member 70, and the latch 80 returns to its original position under the biasing force of the spring. Thus the inner slide member 70 is securely locked in the predetermined position.
However, the above latch mechanism has several drawbacks. First, a spring member is needed to bias the latch 80, and attachment of the spring in assembly of the latch mechanism is unduly cumbersome and time consuming. In addition, the spring may even drop out from the inner slide member 70 if the latch mechanism is subjected to strong vibration. Second, once the cutout 82 has engagingly received the tab 92, the latch 80 must be manually pushed to overcome the bias force of the spring and release the tab 92 from the cutout, so that the inner slide member 70 can be slid in the intermediate slide member 90 again. This operation is inconvenient. Third, a pair of the slide devices is usually needed to be respectively mounted on opposite sides of an electronic component. Accordingly, a pair of latches 80 having symmetrical configurations is needed. The requirement for two configurations of the latches 80 increases manufacturing costs.
Thus an improved slide device which overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a slide device which allows convenient removal and locking of an inner slide member thereof.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a slide device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an outer slide member, an intermediate slide member, an inner slide membe, and a latch. The intermediate slide member is slidable witin the outer slide member, and includes a stop extending therefrom. The inner slide member is slidable within the intermediate slide member. The latch is attached to the inner slide member, and sandwiched between the intermediate slide member and the inner slide member. An elastic body portion extends from the latch, and includes a first bent section extending slantwise toward the intermediate slide member and a second bent section extending slantwise toward the inner slide member. The first bent section or the second bent section defines an aperture corresponding to the stop of the intermediate slide member. When the inner slide member is slid into and out from the intermediate slide member, the stop of the intermediate slide member rides along the elastic body portion of the latch, and causes the latch to deform toward the inner slide member; and when the stop reaches the aperture of the elastic body portion, it snappingly engages in the aperture to lock the inner slide member to the intermediate slide member.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a slide device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a latch and an inner slide member of the slide device of FIG. 1, showing the latch attached to the inner slide member;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the latch of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic top elevation of an intermediate slide member, the latch and the inner slide member of the slide device of FIG. 1, showing different stages of sliding of the inner slide member relative to the intermediate slide member;
FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an electronic component container slidably attached to a case by a pair of slide devices in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is mounted;
FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a latch of a slide device in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a conventional slide device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a slide device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an inner slide member 20, an intermediate slide member 30, a latch 40 attached to the inner slide member 20, and an outer slide member 50. The inner slide member 20 is slidable within the intermediate slide member 30. The intermediate slide member 30 is slidable within the outer slide member 50.
Referring also to FIG. 2, the inner slide member 20 forms a pair of tabs 24 on a center portion of an inside face thereof. The tabs 24 are parallel to each other, and each tab is oriented transversely to the inner slide member 20. The intermediate slide member 30 forms a stop 34 near an end of an inside face thereof.
Referring also to FIG. 3, the latch 40 is made of elastic material. The latch 40 comprises, in sequence, a head 42, a neck 44 extending slightly slantwise from the head 42, and a bent elastic body portion 45 extending slantwise from the neck 44. The elastic body portion 45 comprises, in sequence, a first bent section 46, a second bent section 48, and an end section 49. The head 42 is generally planar, and defines a pair of cutouts 43 corresponding to the tabs 24 of the inner slide member 20. A narrowed width of the neck 44 facilitates elastic deformation of the elastic body portion 45. The first bent section 46 extends slantwise from the neck 44 slightly toward the intermediate slide member 30. The second bent section 48 extends slantwise from the first bent section 46 slightly toward the inner slide member 20. The second bent section 48 defines an aperture 47 near the first bent section 46, corresponding to the stop 34 of the intermediate slide member 30. The end section 49 extends from the second bent section 48 toward the inner slide member 20, for being pressed in order to elastically deform the latch 40.
To attach the latch 40 to the inner slide member 20, the head 42 of the latch 40 is placed on the inside face of the inner slide member 20, with the tabs 24 of the inner slide member 20 extending through the cutouts 43 of the latch 40. The tabs 24 are then bent perpendicularly toward each other so that they abut the head 42. Thus the latch 40 is fixedly attached to the inner slide member 20.
Referring to FIG. 4, to attach the inner slide member 20 into the intermediate slide member 30, the inner slide member 20 is oriented so that its inside face generally opposes an inside face of the intermediate slide member 30. The inner slide member 20 is slid into the intermediate slide member 30 along direction M from the end of the intermediate slide member 30 where the stop 34 is located. The stop 34 rides along the first bent section 46 of the latch 40, and causes the latch 40 to deform toward the inner slide member 20. As the stop 34 begins to ride along the second bent section 48, it snappingly engages in the aperture 47. Thus the inner slide member 20 is locked to the intermediate slide member 30 in a predetermined position. To continue sliding the inner slide member 20 into the intermediate slide member 30, the end section 49 of the latch 40 is pressed in order to deform the latch 40 toward the inner slide member 20. The stop 34 is released from the aperture 47, and the inner slide member 20 is free to be slid further.
When the inner slide member 20 is slid out from the intermediate slide member 30 along direction N, the stop 34 rides along the second bent section 48 of the latch 40, and causes the latch 40 to deform toward the inner slide member 20. When the inner slide member 20 reaches the predetermined position, the stop 34 snappingly engages in the aperture 47. Thus the inner slide member 20 is locked in the predetermined position, and is prevented from being accidentally slid completely out from the intermediate slide member 30. To slide the inner slide member 20 completely out from the intermediate slide member 30, the end section 49 of the latch 40 is pressed in order to deform the latch 40 toward the inner slide member 20. The stop 34 is released from the aperture 47, and the inner slide member 20 is free to be slid further.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the combined inner slide member 20 and intermediate slide member 30 is slidably engaged in the outer slide member 50 to form the slide device. A pair of such slide devices is provided. The outer slide members 50 of the slide devices are respectively attached to opposite insides of a case 60 at an opening 62 thereof. The inner slide members 20 of the slide devices are respectively attached to opposite sides of an electronic component container 64. Thus the container 64 is slidable into and out from the case 60 via the opening 62.
Referring to FIG. 6, a latch 40′ in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention is similar to the latch 40 of the slide device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, except for an aperture 47′. The aperture 47′ is defined in a first bent section 46′ of an elastic body portion 45′ of the latch 40′. The elastic body portion 45′ also comprises a second bent section 48′ and an end section 49′. Assembly of the latch 40′ to the inner slide member 20 and operation of the latch 40′ are substantially the same as that described above in relation to the latch 40 of the slide device of the preferred embodiment.
It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
Patent Application
20050029913
