Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide and rail assembly and method of assembling same, and more particularly, to a slide and rail assembly and method for a server chassis mounted in a rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous incidences where a sliding track assembly is used. For example, a sliding track assembly is used for sliding mechanisms for pull out drawers and shelves. Typically, the sliding track assembly includes a slide assembly mounted to a rail assembly. Typically, the rail assembly is mounted in a case, rack, housing or other framed assembly and the slide assembly is attached to the drawer, shelf or other device. The slide assembly cooperates with the rail assembly and provides the extension mechanism for the drawer or shelf.
Typically, the mounting and installation of the slide and rail assembly requires loose hardware and tools. The assembly of the components with several pieces of loose hardware and tools is time consuming, inefficient and requires a substantial amount of organization. The sliding track assemblies are usually used in pairs—a left side and a right side. Frequently, several pairs of sliding track assemblies are used in a single rack or housing. For example, there are racks used to house servers for computer networks. A single rack may utilize fifteen or more pairs of sliding track assemblies. There are numerous other examples of similar requirements for significant quantities of sliding track assemblies. Thus, it is apparent that a significant amount of time and savings would result by simplifying the assembly of the slide and rail assemblies.
It is also important that the slide assembly securely mount to the rail assembly such that the components do not accidentally disengage each other. Thus, it is desirable that the components lock into each other to prevent accidental disengagement. However, it is also desirable that the slide and rail assemblies can be unlocked and disengaged from each other without tools and with a minimum of difficulty.
There is a need for a sliding track assembly having a slide assembly and a rail assembly that can be assembled together easily and conveniently. It is desirable that the assembly require no loose hardware and tools. The sliding track assembly should be secure and the slide and rail assemblies should lock together. Additionally, it is desirable that the slide and rail assembly be simple to install and require little time for the installation. Further, it is desirable that the slide assembly be easily unlocked and disengaged from the rail assembly, if desired.
The present invention is a sliding track assembly having a slide assembly capable of quickly, easily and securely engaging a rail assembly and a method for assembling the slide and rail assemblies. The assembly of the slide assembly to the rail assembly requires no loose hardware or tools. The slide assembly be easily unlocked and disengaged from the rail assembly, if desired.
The rail assembly includes a spring latch and one or more shoulder standoffs. The slide assembly includes an opening, preferably key-hole shaped, for each shoulder standoff and a latch opening that engages the spring latch.
The method of assembling the slide assembly to the rail assembly is very simple and requires very little time. Furthermore, the slide assembly can also be very easily and quickly removed from the rail assembly, if desired. To install the slide assembly to the rail assembly, the keyhole-shaped openings of the slide assembly are positioned onto the shoulder standoffs and the spring latch depressed by the slide assembly being in contact with the rail assembly. The slide assembly is slid along the keyhole-shaped openings until the latch spring reaches the latch opening and extends into the latch opening. Once in position, the attached slide assembly cannot be removed unless the spring latch is depressed and the slide assembly slid off of the shoulder standoffs.
The objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the drawings which are appended hereto and wherein like numerals indicate like parts and wherein illustrated embodiments of the invention are shown, in which:
The present invention will now be described in greater detail with specific reference to the drawings. The sliding track assembly, generally designated as 10, includes a rail assembly 20 and a slide assembly 60 as shown in
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rail assembly 20 includes a support rail 22 adapted to span between opposing members M of a rack R, stand or other device as shown in
Referring to
As shown in
As indicated above, the overall length of the support rail 22 could be fixed upon installation by various means, including mechanical fasteners, to restrict relative movement between the first and second rail members 24 and 26. However, in the embodiment shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Installation of the rail assembly 20 described above is accomplished by inserting the mounting tab or tabs at one end, for example the first rail member tabs 24c, into the slots S of the rack R. The trigger rear 32c is depressed and the rail assembly 20 compressed longitudinally allowing the catch face 34a to pass below the raised trigger front 32b. The second rail member tabs 26c are then aligned and inserted into the appropriate slots S in the rack R. As the compression spring 28 expands and forces the second rail member 26 to extend, the catch 34 moves relative to the trigger 32 to a point where the catch 34 travels beyond the trigger face 32a, thus permitting the face 32a of the spring-biased trigger 32 to engage the catch face 34a. It is important to understand that when the rail assembly 20 is installed in the rack R, the trigger 32 captures the catch 34 and the faces 32a and 34a are contacting or in close proximity (
Referring to
With reference to
Referring to
As described above, the method of assembling the slide assembly 60 to the rail assembly 20 is very simple and requires very little time. Furthermore, the slide assembly 60 can also be very easily and quickly removed from the rail assembly 20, if desired. To install the slide assembly 60 to the rail assembly 20, the keyhole-shaped openings 62b of the slide member 62 are positioned onto the shoulder standoffs 40. The raised portion 50b of the spring latch mechanism 50 extending through window 20b is depressed by the slide member 62 contacting the rail assembly 20. The slide member 62 is slid along the rail assembly 20 with the shoulder standoffs 40 within the keyhole-shaped openings 62b until the spring latch edge 50d of the raised portion 50b reaches the latch opening 62e and springs into the latch opening 62e. Once in position, the attached slide assembly 60 cannot be removed unless the raised portion 50b of the spring latch mechanism 50 is depressed below the latch opening 62e and the slide member 60 slid off of the shoulder standoffs 40.
It is to be understood that the sliding track assembly 10 has been described as a single assembly. However, it is to be understood that the sliding track assembly 10 typically includes a left sliding track assembly 10 and a right sliding track assembly 10, as illustrated in
Referring to
As discussed above, the rail assembly 20 disclosed one embodiment in which the rail assembly snapped into position with spring-biased rail members 22 and 24.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials, as well as in the details of illustrative construction and assembly, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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