The present invention relates to a slide rail product, and more specifically, to a slide rail assembly having a push-open mechanism with a protective function.
With advancement of the industrial technology, there are various slide rail products with various functions in the market. For example, some of the slide rail products are slide rail assemblies with push-open mechanisms. When a drawer is mounted on a cabinet by a slide rail assembly with a push-open mechanism and is located at a retracted position relative to the cabinet, there is gap formed between a front panel portion of the drawer and the cabinet for allowing the push-open mechanism to drive the drawer to be opened relative to the cabinet by pushing the drawer relative to the cabinet.
If the drawer is accidentally pulled from the retracted position due to the user's habit or the user's unawareness of the push-open mechanism, a movement of a movable rail of the slide rail assembly attached on the drawer may cause a structural damage and/or a functional failure of the push-open mechanism. Therefore, the push-open mechanism requires a protective function.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,868 B2, it discloses a closing device including an engaging mechanism. The engaging mechanism includes an engaging block, a positioning hook and a pin. The engaging block has an abutting surface and a guiding surface extending from the abutting surface. The positioning hook is connected to the engaging block and has a resilient portion and a stop which extends from the resilient portion. The stop is located adjacent to the abutting surface and away from the guiding surface. The pin is located at a position corresponding to the engaging block and slidably abuts against the abutting surface and the stop of the positioning hook. When a movable rail or a drawer is pulled to be opened, the pin abuts against the stop and the abutting surface, such that the resilient portion is resiliently deformed for allowing the pin to move over the stop to disengage from the abutting surface, which prevents abrasion or damage of the engaging hook, so as to achieve a purpose of protection.
Furthermore, in EP 2272400 B1, it discloses a locking device adapted for a drawer slide. As shown in
However, in order to meet various requirements, it becomes an important topic to provide an improved slide rail assembly.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a slide rail assembly having a push-open mechanism with a protective function.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a slide rail assembly includes a first rail, a second rail, a driving device, a controlling member, an aiding member, a working member and a resilient structure. The second rail is displaceable relative to the first rail along a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction. The driving device includes a resilient member configured to provide a resilient force along the second direction. The controlling member is movably mounted on one of the first rail and the second rail. The controlling member includes a controlling portion. The aiding member is arranged on another one of the first rail and the second rail. The aiding member includes a predetermined path structure. The working member is movable relative to the aiding member. The working member includes a working portion located adjacent to the predetermined path structure. The resilient structure is configured to provide a returning resilient force to the working member for resiliently retaining the working member in a first state. When the second rail is located at a retracted position relative to the first rail, the controlling member and the working portion of the working member in the first state block each other, so as to position the controlling portion of the controlling member at a locking position for maintaining the resilient force provided by the resilient member. When the second rail is pushed by a first force from the retracted position relative to the first rail along the first direction, the aiding member guides the controlling portion of the controlling member to move from the locking position relative to the predetermined path structure, so as to allow the resilient member to drive the second rail to be opened along the second direction by the resilient force. When the second rail is pulled by a second force from the retracted position relative to the first rail along the second direction, the controlling member and the working portion of the working member in the first state abut against each other to generate an acting force for driving the working member to rotate from the first state to a second state, such that the controlling portion of the controlling member is moved from the locking position relative to the predetermined path structure for allowing the second rail to be opened along the second direction. The working member returns to the first state from the second state in response to the returning resilient force provided by the resilient structure.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a slide rail assembly includes a first rail, a second rail, a driving device, a controlling member, an aiding member, a working member and a resilient structure. The second rail is displaceable relative to the first rail along a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction. The driving device includes a resilient member configured to provide a resilient force along the second direction. The controlling member is movably mounted on one of the first rail and the second rail. The controlling member includes a controlling portion. The aiding member is arranged on another one of the first rail and the second rail. The aiding member includes a predetermined path structure. The predetermined path structure includes an entry section and a releasing section communicated with the entry section. The working member is movable relative to the aiding member. The working member includes a working portion located between the entry section and the releasing section. The working portion of the working member includes an abutting section. An offset angle is formed between an extending line passing through the abutting section and a center of the working member and an extending line passing through the center of the working member along the first direction or the second direction. The resilient structure is configured to provide a returning resilient force to the working member for resiliently retaining the working member in a first state. When the second rail is located at a retracted position relative to the first rail, the controlling member and the working portion of the working member in the first state block each other, so as to position the controlling portion of the controlling member at a locking position for maintaining the resilient force provided by the resilient member by a blocking of the controlling portion of the controlling member and the abutting section. When the second rail is pulled from the retracted position relative to the first rail along the second direction, the controlling member and the working portion of the working member in the first state abut against each other to generate an acting force for driving the working member to rotate from the first state to a second state, such that the controlling portion of the controlling member is moved from the locking position relative to the predetermined path structure for allowing the second rail to be opened along the second direction.
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.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “back”, etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. The members of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. Also, if not specified, the term “connect” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct mechanical connection. Thus, if a first device is connected to a second device, that connection may be through a direct mechanical connection, or through an indirect mechanical connection via other devices and connections.
As shown in
The second rail 24 is displaceable relative to the first rail 22 longitudinally. Preferably, the slide rail assembly 20 can further include a third rail 36 movably mounted between the first rail 22 and the second rail 24 and for extending a displacement of the second rail 24 relative to the first rail 22. In practical, the first rail 22 can be mounted or fixed on a cabinet, and the second rail 24 can be configured to support a drawer. Understandably, in another embodiment, the third rail can be omitted.
As shown in
The controlling member 28 is movably mounted on one of the first rail 22 and the second rail 24. In this embodiment, by way of example, the controlling member 28 can be movably mounted on the first rail 22. Specifically, the controlling member 28 can be pivotally connected to the first rail 22 by a shaft 48, such that the controlling member 28 is pivotable relative to the first rail 22. Preferably, as shown in
The controlling member 28 includes a controlling portion 52. In this embodiment, by way of example, the controlling portion 52 can be a protruding portion or a pin. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.
Preferably, the first rail 22 includes a front end portion 54a and a rear end portion 54b, and the controlling member 28 is located adjacent to the front end portion 54a of the first rail 22.
As shown in
The working member 32 is movable relative to the aiding member 30. In this embodiment, by way of example, the working member 32 can be movably mounted on the aiding member 30.
The resilient structure 34 is configured to provide a returning resilient force K to the working member 32 for resiliently retaining the working member 32 in a first state S1 as shown in
Preferably, the aiding member 30 is configured to provide a moving space M for the working member 32. As shown in
The working member 32 includes a working portion 66. Preferably, the working member 32 further includes a main body portion 62 and an extending section 64. The extending section 64 extends from the main body portion 62. The working portion 66 protrudes from a surface 67 of the main body portion 62. As shown in
Preferably, the aiding member 30 is further configured to provide an aiding receiving space Q for receiving the resilient structure 34. The aiding receiving space Q is located adjacent to the moving space M. The resilient structure 34 includes a first predetermined portion 68 and a second predetermined portion 70. As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, as shown in
Preferably, the aiding member 30 further includes a guiding section 78. In this embodiment, by way of example, the guiding section 78 can be an inclined surface or an arc surface. The working portion 66 of the working member 32 further includes an abutting section 80.
Preferably, as shown in
As shown in
Preferably, when the second rail 24 is located at the retracted position R relative to the first rail 22, the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28 and the abutting section 80 of the working portion 66 of the working member 32 in the first state S1 block each other, such that the controlling member 28 and the working portion 66 of the working member 32 in the first state S1 block each other, so as to position the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28 at the locking position L for maintaining the resilient force J provided by the resilient member 38 along the second direction D2 by a blocking of the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28 and the abutting section 80 of the working portion 66 of the working member 32. Furthermore, a locking space X is defined between the guiding section 78 and the abutting section 80 and configured to receive the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28.
Preferably, an offset angle A is formed between an extending line passing through the abutting section 80 and a center 82 of the working member 32, e.g., a center of the main body portion 62 of the working member 32, and an extending line passing through the center 82 of the working member 32 along the first direction D1 or the second direction D2.
As shown in
Preferably, as shown in
Preferably, the aiding member 30 further includes a guiding feature 84. In this embodiment, by way of example, the guiding feature 84 can be an inclined surface or an arc surface. As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, when the second rail 24 is pulled by the second force F2 from the retracted position R relative to the first rail 22 along the second direction D2, the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28 and the working portion 66 of the working member 32 can abut against each other to generate the acting force V for driving the working member 32 to rotate from the first state S1 as shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
From the above, when the second rail 24 is located at the retracted position R relative to the first rail 22, the second rail 24 can be opened normally, i.e., by pushing the second rail 24 in the first direction D1. However, if the second rail 24 is pulled in the second direction D2 inappropriately, the rotating movement of the working member 32 relative to the aiding member 30 from the first state S1 to the second state S2, allows the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28 to move from the locking position L into the releasing section 76b of the predetermined path structure 74, which prevents abrasion or damage of the working portion 66 of the working member 32 and/or the controlling portion 52 of the controlling member 28 due to friction or a collision, so as to achieve a purpose of protection.
In summary, the slide rail assembly 20 includes the following characteristics.
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 |
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112115890 | Apr 2023 | TW | national |