The present invention relates to a slide rail and more particularly to a slide rail assembly with a bracket device.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,980,345 B2 discloses a bracket assembly that includes a first bracket and a second bracket. The first bracket and the second bracket can be displaced with respect to each other. The first bracket is provided with a first feature (e.g., a projection), and the second bracket is provided with a second feature (e.g., an elastic arm). When the first bracket and the second bracket are extended with respect to each other to a predetermined length, the first feature and the second feature abut against each other to set a limit on the relative displacement of (i.e., on the adjustment of distance between) the first bracket and the second bracket, with a view to safety.
While the first bracket and the second bracket disclosed in the afore-cited patent have a blocking function when extended with respect to each other to the predetermined length, the blocking function provides blockage in one direction only. To mount the bracket assembly on a rack, therefore, it is required that a first person stand behind the rack to perform the mounting operation, and that a second person stand in front of the rack to assist in the mounting operation. Only by doing so can the mounting operation be completed. The bracket assembly, therefore, lacks convenience of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,629,460 B1, granted to Chen, et al. discloses a slide rail assembly that can be mounted on a rack by a single person. In practice, however, this slide rail assembly can only be mounted on racks whose depths are within a certain range due to the fact that the rail of the slide rail assembly is configured for extensible/retractable displacement. If the depth of the rack on which the slide rail assembly is to be mounted is outside the aforesaid range (e.g., if the rack depth is too small or too great), the slide rail assembly either cannot be mounted or will have insufficient mounting strength. As user needs vary, it is important to develop a different product from those cited above.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a slide rail assembly having a bracket device.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a slide rail assembly that has a detachable bracket device replaceable by similar bracket devices of different lengths, and that can be mounted on and detached from a rack by a single person.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a slide rail assembly includes a rail member and a first bracket device. The first bracket device can be displaced with respect to the rail member. The first bracket device is provided with a first structure, and the rail member is provided with a second structure. The first structure and the second structure are configured to be blocked by each other when the first bracket device and the rail member are at a predetermined position with respect to each other. One of the first structure and the second structure is an elastic member. When the first structure and the second structure are blocked by each other, and the external force applied to effect relative displacement between the first bracket device and the rail member is less than the force generated by the elastic member, the first bracket device and the rail member are prevented from being displaced with respect to each other in either of a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.
Preferably, the elastic member is configured to be operated so as to stop blocking, and being blocked by, the other of the first structure and the second structure, thereby allowing the first bracket device and the rail member to be displaced with respect to each other in either of the first direction and the second direction.
Preferably, when the elastic member stops blocking, and being blocked by, the other of the first structure and the second structure, the first bracket device can be displaced with respect to the rail member in the first direction in order to be detached from the rail member.
Preferably, the first bracket device has a first length, and the slide rail assembly further includes a second bracket device having a second length different from the first length. The second bracket device is configured to be mounted to the rail member in the second direction after the first bracket device is detached from the rail member.
Preferably, the other of the first structure and the second structure is a space; the elastic member includes a connecting portion, an operating portion, and an elastic portion located between the connecting portion and the operating portion; the connecting portion is connected to one of the first bracket device and the rail member; and the elastic portion includes a first blocking section and a second blocking section. When the first bracket device and the rail member are at the predetermined position with respect to each other, the first blocking section and the second blocking section of the elastic portion of the elastic member correspond to a first wall portion and a second wall portion of the space respectively to prevent the first bracket device and the rail member from being displaced with respect to each other in either of the first direction and the second direction.
Preferably, when the first bracket device and the rail member are at the predetermined position with respect to each other, and the elastic member is operated, the first blocking section and the second blocking section of the elastic portion of the elastic member are stopped from corresponding to the first wall portion and the second wall portion of the space respectively, thereby allowing the first bracket device and the rail member to be displaced with respect to each other in either of the first direction and the second direction.
Preferably, the second blocking section has a guiding feature, and the guiding feature is configured to work with the second wall portion of the space.
Preferably, the elastic member is provided at a position adjacent to an end portion of the first bracket device.
Preferably, the rail member is further provided with a bracket mechanism. The first bracket device is configured to be mounted on a first post of a rack, and the rail member is configured to be mounted on a second post of the rack via the bracket mechanism.
Preferably, the slide rail assembly further includes at least one movable rail that can be displaced with respect to the rail member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a slide rail assembly includes a rail member and a first bracket device. The first bracket device can be displaced with respect to the rail member between a retracted position and an extended position. The first bracket device is provided with a first structure, and the rail member is provided with a second structure. One of the first structure and the second structure is an elastic member. The first structure and the second structure are configured to be blocked by each other when the first bracket device reaches the extended position after being displaced with respect to the rail member from the retracted position in a first direction. When the first structure and the second structure are blocked by each other, and the external force applied to effect relative displacement between the first bracket device and the rail member is less than the force generated by the elastic member, the first bracket device is prevented from being displaced with respect to the rail member in either of the first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.
Preferably, the elastic member is configured to be operated so as to stop blocking, and being blocked by, the other of the first structure and the second structure, thereby allowing the first bracket device to be displaced with respect to the rail member in either of the first direction and the second direction.
Preferably, when the elastic member stops blocking, and being blocked by, the other of the first structure and the second structure, the first bracket device can be displaced with respect to the rail member in the first direction in order to be detached from the rail member.
Preferably, the first bracket device has a first length, and the slide rail assembly further includes a second bracket device having a second length different from the first length. The second bracket device is configured to be mounted to the rail member in the second direction after the first bracket device is detached from the rail member.
Preferably, the other of the first structure and the second structure is a space; the elastic member includes a connecting portion, an operating portion, and an elastic portion located between the connecting portion and the operating portion; the connecting portion is connected to one of the first bracket device and the rail member; and the elastic portion includes a first blocking section and a second blocking section. When the first bracket device is at the extended position with respect to the rail member, the first blocking section and the second blocking section of the elastic portion of the elastic member correspond to a first wall portion and a second wall portion of the space respectively to prevent the first bracket device from being displaced with respect to the rail member in either of the first direction and the second direction.
Preferably, when the first bracket device is at the extended position with respect to the rail member, and the elastic member is operated, the first blocking section and the second blocking section of the elastic portion of the elastic member are stopped from corresponding to the first wall portion and the second wall portion of the space respectively, thereby allowing the first bracket device to be displaced with respect to the rail member in either of the first direction and the second direction.
Preferably, the second blocking section has a guiding feature, and the guiding feature is configured to work with the second wall portion of the space.
Preferably, the rail member is further provided with a bracket mechanism. The first bracket device is configured to be mounted on a first post of a rack, and the rail member is configured to be mounted on a second post of the rack via the bracket mechanism.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a slide rail assembly includes a rail member and a first bracket device. The rail member has a space, and the space has a first wall portion and a second wall portion. The first bracket device can be displaced with respect to the rail member and is provided with an elastic member. The elastic member includes a first blocking section and a second blocking section. When the first bracket device and the rail member are at an extended position with respect to each other, the first blocking section and the second blocking section of the elastic member correspond to the first wall portion and the second wall portion of the space respectively to prevent the first bracket device and the rail member from being displaced with respect to each other in either of a first direction and a second direction. The elastic member is configured to be operated so as to stop the first blocking section and the second blocking section of the elastic member from corresponding to the first wall portion and the second wall portion of the space respectively, thereby allowing the first bracket device to be displaced with respect to the rail member in the first direction in order to be detached from the rail member.
Preferably, the first bracket device has a first length, and the slide rail assembly further includes a second bracket device having a second length different from the first length. The second bracket device is configured to be mounted to the rail member in the second direction after the first bracket device is detached from the rail member. The first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.
Referring to
Preferably, the slide rail assembly 22 further includes at least one movable rail that can be displaced with respect to the rail member 24. Here, the at least one movable rail includes a first movable rail 32 and a second movable rail 34 by way of example. The rail member 24 (e.g., an outer rail), the first movable rail 32 (e.g., a middle rail), and the second movable rail 34 (e.g., an inner rail) constitute a three-section slide rail assembly. The first movable rail 32 is movably mounted between the rail member 24 and the second movable rail 34. The second movable rail 34 is configured to be mounted with an object (not shown) to be carried by the slide rail assembly, so that the object can be pulled out of and retracted into the rack through the second movable rail 34.
As shown in
Preferably, one of the first structure 40 and the second structure 42 is an elastic member 40′, and the other of the first structure 40 and the second structure 42 is a space 42′ (e.g., an opening). Here, by way of example, the first structure 40 is the elastic member 40′, and the second structure 42 is the space 42′. More specifically, the longitudinal wall 38 of the rail member 24 is provided with the space 42′, and the space 42′ has at least one first wall portion 44 and a second wall portion 46 facing the at least one first wall portion 44. The elastic member 40′ includes a connecting portion 48, an operating portion 50, and an elastic portion 52 located between the connecting portion 48 and the operating portion 50. The connecting portion 48 is connected to the first bracket device 26. The elastic portion 52 includes at least one first blocking section 54 and a second blocking section 56 (see
Preferably, the first bracket device 26 includes an extending support frame 58, a bracket 60, and a fastener 62. The extending support frame 58 includes a first portion 64a, a second portion 64b, and a longitudinal portion 66 connected between the first portion 64a and the second portion 64b of the extending support frame 58. Both the first portion 64a and the second portion 64b are bent with respect to the longitudinal portion 66. Here, the first portion 64a and the second portion 64b are substantially perpendicularly connected to the longitudinal portion 66 by way of example only.
Preferably, the first portion 64a and the second portion 64b of the extending support frame 58 have a first bent portion 68 and a second bent portion 70 respectively. The first bent portion 68 is substantially perpendicularly connected to the first portion 64a, and the second bent portion 70 is substantially perpendicularly connected to the second portion 64b.
Preferably, the first portion 64a, the first bent portion 68, the second portion 64b, the second bent portion 70, and the longitudinal portion 66 of the extending support frame 58 jointly define a support frame channel 72, and a portion of the rail member 24 that includes the space 42′ can be inserted into the support frame channel 72 to allow the first bracket device 26 and the rail member 24 to be longitudinally displaced with respect to each other.
Preferably, the connecting portion 48 of the elastic member 40′ is connected (such as, but not limited to, fixedly connected) to the longitudinal portion 66 of the extending support frame 58 of the first bracket device 26, the elastic portion 52 of the elastic member 40′ is in the support frame channel 72, and the operating portion 50 of the elastic member 40′ is outside the support frame channel 72.
Preferably, the extending support frame 58 has two opposite end portions defined respectively as a first end portion 58a and a second end portion 58b, such as but not limited to a rear portion and a front portion. The elastic member 40′ is provided adjacent to the second end portion 58b of the extending support frame 58 so that a user can easily apply a force to the operating portion 50 of the elastic member 40′ in order to operate the elastic portion 52 of the elastic member 40′.
Preferably, the bracket 60 is provided adjacent to the first end portion 58a of the extending support frame 58, and the bracket 60 includes an extension wall 74 and at least one mounting member 76. The extension wall 74 is connected (such as, but not limited to, fixedly connected) to the longitudinal portion 66 of the extending support frame 58 via at least one connecting wall section 78, and most of the extension wall 74 is in the support frame channel 72. The at least one mounting member 76 of the bracket 60 is disposed at one end of the extension wall 74 and is outside the support frame channel 72. The at least one mounting member 76 is configured to be mounted on the first post 30a, or in a mounting hole thereof, to be exact.
Preferably, the extension wall 74 of the bracket 60 includes at least one lug 80, and a shaft 82 extends through the fastener 62 and a portion of a slot 84 (or longitudinal hole) of the at least one lug 80 so that the fastener 62 can be pivoted with respect to the bracket 60 about the shaft 82. As the shaft 82 extends through the fastener 62 and only a portion of the slot 84 of the at least one lug 80, the fastener 62 can also be displaced to a limited extent along the extending direction of the slot 84. In addition, the extension wall 74 is provided with an abutting feature 81 adjacent to the slot 84.
Preferably, the fastener 62 includes at least one fastening portion 83 and a guiding portion 85 adjacent to the fastening portion 83. The guiding portion 85 is, for example, an inclined surface or a curved surface; the present invention has no limitation in this regard. The fastener 62 further includes a guiding section 87 (e.g., an inclined surface) corresponding to the abutting feature 81 so that the fastener 62 can be rotated from a locked position to an unlocked position when the bracket 60 and the fastener 62 are displaced to a limited extent with respect to each other through the slot 84.
Preferably, the first bracket device 26 further includes an auxiliary elastic member 86 for applying an elastic force to the fastener 62. More specifically, the auxiliary elastic member 86 has two ends connected respectively to a first connecting feature 88 of the bracket 60 and a second connecting feature 90 of the fastener 62.
Preferably, the rail member 24 has two opposite sides defined respectively as a first side S1 and a second side S2. The first bracket device 26 and the bracket mechanism 28 are located on the first side S1 while the at least one movable rail (32 and 34) is located on the second side S2. The bracket mechanism 28 includes at least one mounting member 92. The at least one mounting member 92 of the bracket mechanism 28 is configured to be mounted on the second post 30b, or in a mounting hole thereof, to be exact.
As shown in
When the first bracket device 26 and the rail member 24 are at the predetermined position P2 with respect to each other (here, by way of example, it is the first bracket device 26 that is at the predetermined position P2 with respect to the rail member 24), the first structure 40 (e.g., the elastic member 40′) and the second structure 42 (e.g., a wall portion of the space 42′) are blocked by each other to prevent the first bracket device 26 and the rail member 24 from being displaced with respect to each other in either of the first direction D1 and a second direction D2 (see
As shown in
For example, when the first bracket device 26 and the rail member 24 are at the predetermined position P2 with respect to each other (see
Referring to
For example, when the elastic member 40′ no longer blocks, and is no longer blocked by, the first wall portion 44 of the space 42′ (see
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
To mount the slide rail assembly 22 on the rack, a user may stand at a position adjacent to, for example, the second post 30b and begin by mounting the first bracket device 26 on the first post 30a while holding the rail member 24. During the process, the guiding portion 85 of the fastener 62 of the first bracket device 26 is brought into contact with the first post 30a (see
Once the first bracket device 26 is mounted on the first post 30a, referring to
It is worth mentioning that when it is desired to detach the slide rail assembly 22 from the rack, the user may stand at a position adjacent to, for example, the second post 30b and begin by detaching the bracket mechanism 28 from the second post 30b (see
According to the above, the slide rail assembly 22 disclosed in the foregoing embodiment has the following features:
While the present invention has been disclosed through the embodiment described above, it should be understood that the embodiment is not intended to be restrictive of the scope of the invention. The scope of the patent protection sought by the applicant is defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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110137254 | Oct 2021 | TW | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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9572277 | Chen | Feb 2017 | B2 |
9629460 | Chen et al. | Apr 2017 | B1 |
10085561 | Chen | Oct 2018 | B2 |
10194556 | Chen et al. | Jan 2019 | B2 |
10278498 | Chen et al. | May 2019 | B2 |
10980345 | Chen et al. | Apr 2021 | B2 |
20210337695 | Chen et al. | Oct 2021 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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3644695 | Apr 2020 | EP |
3905865 | Nov 2021 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20230107056 A1 | Apr 2023 | US |