Detailed Description
As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a slide rail assembly 20 according to the present invention includes a first rail 22 and a second rail 24, and preferably a third rail 26. The second rail 24 is movably mounted between the first rail 22 and the third rail 26. The first rail 22 (e.g., outer rail), the second rail 24 (e.g., middle rail), and the third rail 26 (e.g., inner rail) are longitudinally displaceable relative to one another. When the sliding rail assembly 20 is in a fully extended state, the second rail 24 is in a first extended position E1 relative to the first rail 22, and the third rail 26 is in an open position K relative to the second rail 24. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the X-axis direction is the longitudinal direction (or the length direction or the displacement direction of the sliding rail), the Y-axis direction is the transverse direction (or the lateral direction of the sliding rail), and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction (or the height direction of the sliding rail).
The first rail 22 includes a first wall 28a, a second wall 28b and a longitudinal wall 30 connected between the first wall 28a and the second wall 28b of the first rail 22, the first wall 28a, the second wall 28b and the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22 together define a first channel for receiving the second rail 24. The first rail 22 is provided with a blocking feature 32 (shown in fig. 2). Preferably, the first rail 22 is also arranged with a locating feature 36 and a release feature 38. Wherein the blocking feature 32, the locating feature 36 and the release feature 38 are arranged sequentially from front to back to the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22.
Preferably, the first rail 22 has a front end 22a and a rear end 22b, and the release feature 38 is located adjacent the rear end 22b of the first rail 22.
Preferably, the rail assembly 20 further comprises a predetermined structure 40 disposed on the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22, wherein the predetermined structure 40 comprises the blocking feature 32, a longitudinal portion 42 and a guiding portion 44, wherein the blocking feature 32 is exemplified by, but not limited to, a retaining wall (or a vertical wall), the longitudinal portion 42 is located between the blocking feature 32 and the guiding portion 44, and the guiding portion 44 is exemplified by a slope or an arc.
Preferably, the release feature 38 is, for example, a protrusion protruding laterally (or transversely) with respect to the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22, and the release feature 38 includes a guide section 45, and the guide section 45 is beveled (or curved), but is not limited in implementation.
Preferably, the first rail 22 further includes a first auxiliary portion 46 and a second auxiliary portion 48, and the positioning feature 36 is defined between the first auxiliary portion 46 and the second auxiliary portion 48. The first auxiliary portion 46 and the second auxiliary portion 48 are spaced apart from each other and are symmetrical to each other, the first auxiliary portion 46 and the second auxiliary portion 48 have substantially the same structural configuration, and the first auxiliary portion 46 is illustrated as the first auxiliary portion 46, and the first auxiliary portion 46 is, for example, a protrusion protruding laterally (or transversely) with respect to the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22.
Preferably, the first auxiliary portion 46 and the second auxiliary portion 48 have a first guiding structure 50 and a second guiding structure 52, respectively, and the first guiding structure 50 and the second guiding structure 52 are inclined planes (or cambered surfaces), but the implementation is not limited thereto.
The second rail 24 includes a first wall 54a, a second wall 54b and a longitudinal wall 56 connected between the first wall 54a and the second wall 54b of the second rail 24, the first wall 54a, the second wall 54b and the longitudinal wall 56 of the second rail 24 together defining a second channel for receiving the third rail 26. The second rail 24 has a first side L1 and a second side L2 opposite to each other. The first side L1 is adjacent to the first rail 22, and the second side L2 is adjacent to the third rail 26.
The slide assembly 20 further includes an auxiliary member 57, a blocking member 58, and an operating member 60, and preferably a positioning member 62 and a return elastic member 64. Both the stop 58 and the positioning member 62 are movably mounted to the second rail 24. Here, the stop member 58 and the positioning member 62 are pivoted to the second side L2 of the longitudinal wall 56 of the second rail 24 by a shaft 66, for example, but not limited thereto.
Preferably, the second rail 24 includes at least one hole communicating a first side L1 and a second side L2 of the longitudinal wall 56 of the second rail 24. Here, a first hole H1 and a second hole H2 are taken as an example. Further, the auxiliary member 57 is disposed on the second rail 24 and the auxiliary member 57 is configured to cooperate with the operation member 60, the blocking member 58 comprises a blocking portion 68 penetrating into the first hole H1, the blocking portion 68 facing the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22 and the blocking portion 68 being configured to cooperate with the blocking feature 32 of the first rail 22, and the positioning member 62 comprises a positioning portion 70 penetrating into the second hole H2, the positioning portion 70 facing the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22 and the positioning portion 70 being configured to cooperate with the positioning feature 36 of the first rail 22.
Preferably, the track assembly 20 further includes a predetermined object 72 coupled to the longitudinal wall 56 of the second track 24, and the predetermined object 72 includes a first resilient feature 74 and a second resilient feature 76 for providing resilient force to the stop 58 and the positioning member 62, respectively. The predetermined object 72 is, for example, a spring or a member with elastic capability, and the first elastic feature 74 and the second elastic feature 76 are two arms, but is not limited thereto.
The operating member 60 is movably mounted to the second rail 24, and the operating member 60 is configured to operate one of the stop member 58 and the positioning member 62.
Preferably, the operating member 60 is disposed on the longitudinal wall 56 of the second rail 24, and the operating member 60 includes an operating portion 78, a driving portion 80, and an extending portion 82 connected between the operating portion 78 and the driving portion 80. The second rail 24 has a front end 24a and a rear end 24b. The operating portion 78 is located adjacent to the front end portion 24a of the second rail 24.
Preferably, the operating portion 78 and the driving portion 80 are respectively located adjacent to a front end 82a and a rear end 82b of the extending portion 82.
Preferably, the second rail 24 includes a through hole 81 communicating the first side L1 and the second side L2 of the second rail 24, and the operation portion 78 has a corresponding space 83 corresponding to the through hole 81, and the size of the through hole 81 is slightly larger than the corresponding space 83. The corresponding space 83 may be, for example, for allowing a user to insert his or her finger into the operating portion 78, but is not limited thereto.
Preferably, the driving portion 80 is located adjacent to the stop 58 and the positioning member 62.
Preferably, the second rail 24 and the operating member 60 are configured such that the operating member 60 is longitudinally movable within a limited range relative to the second rail 24, wherein the second rail 24 and the operating member 60 are limited by at least one mounting feature (e.g., the first mounting feature 84a and the second mounting feature 84 b) and at least one connecting feature (e.g., the first connecting feature 86a and the second connecting feature 86 b) in cooperation with each other. Further, the mounting features 84a, 84b and the connecting features 86a, 86b may be mating of a connector (pin or protrusion) with an elongated hole, for example, the connector passing through a portion of the elongated hole for movably mounting the operating member 60 to the longitudinal wall 56 of the second rail 24, and allowing the operating member 60 to move longitudinally only to a limited extent relative to the second rail 24, but is not limited in implementation.
The return elastic member 64 is used for providing a return elastic force to the operation member 60. Here, the two ends of the return elastic member 64 are respectively connected to a first predetermined section 55 of the operating member 60 and a second predetermined section 77 of the second rail 24 (as shown in fig. 1), but the implementation is not limited thereto.
Preferably, the operating member 60 is provided with a detent feature 88 (see fig. 4 for a portion thereof), and the detent feature 88 is provided on the driving portion 80 as an example, but is not limited to practice.
Preferably, the detent feature 88 is, for example, a hook portion, and the detent feature 88 has a guide surface 96, for example, a sloped surface or a curved surface (this portion can be engaged with the portion shown in fig. 4).
As shown in fig. 3-5, the stop 58 and the positioning member 62 are positioned near the rear end 24b of the second rail 24. The driving portion 80 of the operating member 60 and the extending portion 82 of the operating member 60 are located at two sides of the second rail 24, for example, the driving portion 80 of the operating member 60 may be an additional member located at the second side L2 of the second rail 24 (as shown in fig. 3 and 4), and may be penetrated from the second side L2 of the second rail 24 to the first side L1 of the second rail 24 through a fixing member 97 for fixing the driving portion 80 of the operating member 60 to the rear end 82b of the extending portion 82 of the operating member 60 located at the first side L1 of the second rail 24 (as shown in fig. 5), and the fixing member 97 corresponds to (or penetrates to) a portion of a limiting hole 95 of the second rail 24 (as shown in fig. 4), however, the embodiment of the operating member 60 is not limited thereto. Both the stop 58 and the positioning member 62 are in a first state S1 (shown in fig. 4) relative to the second rail 24. On the other hand, the operating member 60 can be located at a first operating position P1 relative to the second rail 24.
Further, the auxiliary member 57 includes a resilient arm 98 and a predetermined portion 100 disposed on the resilient arm 98, and preferably, the auxiliary member 57 further includes a mounting portion 102 connected to the first side L1 of the second rail 24 (as shown in fig. 5), the resilient arm 98 extends from the mounting portion 102, and the predetermined portion 100 passes from the first side L1 of the second rail 24 to the second side L2 of the second rail 24 through a predetermined hole 104 of the second rail 24 (as shown in fig. 4 and 5), wherein the predetermined portion 100 is used to cooperate with the locking feature 88 of the operating member 60.
Preferably, the predetermined portion 100 has another guiding surface 106 (e.g., a bevel or a curved surface) corresponding to the guiding surface 96 of the detent feature 88.
Preferably, the stop 58 further includes a contact portion 108, and the shaft 66 is positioned between the stop 68 of the stop 58 and the contact portion 108. Wherein the contact portion 108 corresponds to (or contacts) a first drive section 110 (as shown in fig. 4) of the drive portion 80 of the operating member 60, and wherein the first resilient feature 74 provides a resilient force to (the stop portion 68 of) the stop member 58, the stop member 58 being maintained in the first state S1 (as shown in fig. 4) such that the stop portion 68 of the stop member 58 is adjacent to (or facing) the longitudinal wall 30 of (the) the first rail 22.
Preferably, the positioning member 62 further includes a contact section 112, and the shaft 66 is located between the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 and the contact section 112. Wherein the contact section 112 corresponds to (or contacts) a second driving section 114 (as shown in fig. 4) of the driving portion 80 of the operating member 60, wherein the second driving section 114 and the first driving section 110 correspond to each other in position and have substantially the same structural configuration, and the second elastic feature 76 provides elastic force to (the positioning portion 70 of) the positioning member 62, and the positioning member 62 is maintained in the first state S1 (as shown in fig. 4) such that the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 is close to (or faces) the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22.
Preferably, one of the contact portion 108 of the stop 58 and the first driving section 110 of the operating member 60 includes a guiding feature, such as a ramp or a curved surface, to facilitate the driving of the stop 58 by the operating member 60 through the first driving section 110. Similarly, one of the contact section 112 of the positioning member 62 and the second driving section 114 of the operating member 60 includes another guiding feature, such as a ramp or a curved surface, to facilitate driving of the positioning member 62 by the operating member 60 through the second driving section 114.
As shown in fig. 6 to 8, a force F applied by a user to the operating member 60 in an opening direction D1 (as shown in fig. 8) causes the operating member 60 to move relative to the second rail 24 from the first operating position P1 to the opening direction D1 to a second operating position P2, during which the operating member 60 contacts the contact portion 108 of the blocking member 58 via the first driving section 110 of the driving section 80 to move (e.g., laterally or laterally pivot) the blocking member 58 from the first state S1 to a second state S2, such that the blocking portion 68 of the blocking member 58 is moved away from the (longitudinal wall 30) of the first rail 22 (as shown in fig. 7) against the elastic force of the first elastic feature 74, and, on the other hand, the operating member 60 contacts the contact portion 112 of the positioning member 62 via the second driving section 114 of the driving section 80 to move (e.g., laterally or laterally pivot) the positioning member 62 from the first state S1 to a second state S2 (such that the elastic force of the blocking member 58 is moved away from the longitudinal wall 30) (as shown in fig. 7) against the elastic force of the first elastic feature 74.
When the operating member 60 is at the second operating position P2, the returning elastic member 64 can accumulate the returning elastic force F' (as shown in fig. 8) in a retracting direction D2 back to the first operating position P1, and the operating member 60 is engaged with the predetermined portion 100 (as shown in fig. 7) of the auxiliary member 57 through the engaging feature 88, so as to keep the operating member 60 at the second operating position P2.
Preferably, when the operating member 60 moves from the first operating position P1 (shown in fig. 4) to the second operating position P2 (shown in fig. 7) in the opening direction D1, the engaging feature 88 can contact the other guiding surface 106 of the predetermined portion 100 through the guiding surface 96, so as to guide the engaging feature 88 of the operating member 60 to a stop 115 (shown in fig. 7) engaged with the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57.
Preferably, when the operating member 60 is at the second operating position P2, the operating member 60 presses the contact portion 108 of the blocking member 58 and the contact portion 112 of the positioning member 62 through the first driving section 110 and the second driving section 114, respectively, so as to maintain the blocking member 58 and the positioning member 62 in the second state S2 (as shown in fig. 7).
As shown in fig. 9, the slide assembly 20 is mounted to a frame 116 with the slide assembly 20 in the fully extended state. The first rail 22 is mounted (fixed) to the frame 116, and the third rail 26 is configured to carry a carrier (not shown) that is displaceable from inside the frame 116 to outside the frame 116 via the third rail 26. The frame 116 has a front end 116a and a rear end 116b. The operating portion 78 extends beyond the front end 116a of the frame 116 by a predetermined longitudinal distance for convenient operation by a user.
As shown in fig. 10, the slide assembly 20 is in the fully extended state. The second rail 24 is at the first extended position E1 relative to the first rail 22, and the third rail 26 is at the open position K relative to the second rail 24. It should be noted that when the second rail 24 is at the first extended position E1 relative to the first rail 22, the sliding rail assembly 20 has a first length J1, such that the front end 26a of the third rail 26 has only a first distance X1 from an object 122 (e.g. a door or an obstacle), and the third rail 26 cannot be detached from the second channel of the second rail 24 in the opening direction D1 due to the first distance X1 being too narrow. Wherein, when the second rail 24 is at the first extended position E1 relative to the first rail 22, the blocking feature 32 can block the blocking portion 68 of the blocking member 58 in the first state S1 to prevent the second rail 24 from being displaced from the first extended position E1 toward the retracting direction D2. On the other hand, the positioning member 62 contacts the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22 through the positioning portion 70. In addition, the operating member 60 is at the first operating position P1, the returning elastic member 64 is in a state that the returning elastic force has not accumulated (this part can be matched with fig. 3 or fig. 5), and the locking feature 88 of the operating member 60 is not yet locked to the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57 (this part can be matched with fig. 4).
As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the user can move the operating member 60 from the first operating position P1 to the second operating position P2 through the operating portion 78 of the operating member 60 applying the force F to the opening direction D1, and can drive the blocking member 58 from the first state S1 (shown in fig. 10) to the second state S2 (shown in fig. 11) through the first driving section 110 of the driving portion 80, such that the blocking feature 32 cannot block the blocking portion 68 of the blocking member 58 in the second state S2, so as to allow the second rail 24 to be displaced from the first extended position E1 to the retracted direction D2 relative to the first rail 22. On the other hand, when the operating member 60 moves from the first operating position P1 to the second operating position P2, the second driving section 114 (the second driving section 114 is not shown in fig. 10 and 11 due to the view angle) of the driving portion 80 contacts the contact section 112 of the positioning member 62, so as to drive the positioning member 62 to switch from the first state S1 (shown in fig. 10) to the second state S2 (shown in fig. 11), so that the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 is lifted by an angle relative to the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22 and is laterally offset from the positioning feature 36. When the blocking member 58 and the positioning member 62 are in the second state S2, the first elastic feature 74 and the second elastic feature 76 are respectively in a state of accumulating elastic force (this part can also be matched with fig. 7). In addition, when the operating member 60 is at the second operating position P2, the returning elastic member 64 is in a state of accumulating the returning elastic force F' (this portion can also be matched with fig. 8), and the operating member 60 is clamped to the stop section 115 of the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57 (this portion can also be matched with fig. 7) through the clamping feature 88, so as to keep the operating member 60 at the second operating position P2 (this portion can also be matched with fig. 8).
As shown in fig. 12, the operating member 60 is engaged with the stop section 115 of the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57 through the engaging feature 88, so as to maintain the operating member 60 at the second operating position P2, and the returning elastic member 64 is maintained in a state of accumulating the returning elastic force F' toward the retracting direction D2.
As shown in fig. 12 and 13, once the engaging feature 88 is no longer engaged with the predetermined portion 100 (shown in fig. 13) of the auxiliary member 57, the restoring elastic force F' is provided to the operating member 60 through the restoring elastic member 64, so that the operating member 60 can return from the second operating position P2 (shown in fig. 12) to the first operating position P1 (shown in fig. 13). Further, when the second rail 24 is displaced from the first extending position E1 to the retracted position D2 relative to the first rail 22 to a retracted position R, the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 in the second state S2 is lifted relative to the longitudinal wall 30 of the first rail 22 and laterally offset from the positioning feature 36, so that the positioning member 62 can directly pass over the positioning feature 36 of the first rail 22 in the retracted direction D2 (in other words, the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 is not engaged with the positioning feature 36, as shown in fig. 12), and in addition, when the second rail 24 is displaced to a predetermined stroke in the retracted direction D2, the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57 (the guiding surface 106) is in contact with the releasing feature 38 of the first rail 22, and the elastic arm 98 of the auxiliary member 57 can be driven in a predetermined direction U (as shown in fig. 13) accordingly, so as to release the engaging feature 88 of the operating member 60 from the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57 to the retracted position P2 (as shown in fig. 12) in response to the elastic force of the second rail 14 to release the elastic member 60 to the retracted position P2 (the guiding surface 106) of the second rail 14) from the predetermined portion 100 to the retracted position P2 shown in fig. 12. In addition, when the operating member 60 is at the first operating position P1, the blocking member 58 and the positioning member 62 can return to the first state S1 from the second state S2 in response to the first elastic feature 74 and the second elastic feature 76, respectively (as shown in fig. 13, this part may also cooperate with fig. 4).
Preferably, the first rail 22 further includes at least one blocking structure 124, the blocking structure 124 being, for example, a protrusion, but is not limited in implementation. When the second rail 24 is at the retracted position R relative to the first rail 22 (as shown in fig. 13), the blocking structure 124 is configured to block the rear end 24b of the second rail 24, so that the second rail 24 cannot move further in the retraction direction D2. The retracted position R is, for example, a fully retracted position.
As shown in fig. 14 and 15, when the second rail 24 is displaced from the retracted position R to the opening direction D1 to a second extended position E2, the positioning member 62 in the first state S1 can be engaged with the positioning feature 36 (shown in fig. 15) to prevent the second rail 24 from being displaced from the second extended position E2 to the retracted direction D2 or the opening direction D1 relative to the first rail 22.
Further, when the second rail 24 is moved from the retracted position R to the opening direction D1 to the second extended position E2, the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 in the first state S1 contacts the second guiding structure 52 of the second auxiliary portion 48 (as shown in fig. 14), which helps the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 to be guided to the positioning feature 36 until the second rail 24 reaches the second extended position E2, and the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 in the first state S1 is engaged to the positioning feature 36 of the first rail 22, for example, the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 is blocked between the first auxiliary portion 46 and the second auxiliary portion 48, so as to prevent the second rail 24 from being moved from the second extended position E2 to the retracted direction D2 or the opening direction D1 (as shown in fig. 15) relative to the first rail 22.
As shown in fig. 15 and 16, when the second rail 24 is at the second extended position E2 relative to the first rail 22, the sliding rail assembly 20 has a second length J2 smaller than the first length J1, such that a second distance X2 between the front end 26a of the third rail 26 and the object 122 is greater than the first distance X1, thereby facilitating the third rail 26 to be detached from the second channel of the second rail 24 in the opening direction D1 (as shown in fig. 16).
As shown in fig. 17 and 18, if the second rail 24 is to be displaced from the second extended position E2 to the retracted position R relative to the first rail 22 in the retracting direction D2, or if the second rail 24 is to be displaced from the second extended position E2 to the opening direction D1 relative to the first rail 22 to the first extended position E1, the user can displace the third rail 26 from, for example, the opening position K to the retracting direction D2 until the third rail 26 (for example, the rear end 26b, but not limited to) contacts the contact section 112 of the positioning member 62, as shown in fig. 17), to drive the positioning member 62 such that the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 is no longer in the first state S1, and to disengage the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 from the positioning feature 36 (as shown in fig. 18) to allow the second rail 24 to be displaced from the second extended position E2 to the retracting direction D2 relative to the first rail 22 until the slide rail assembly 20 is in a fully retracted state or the second rail 24 is allowed to be displaced from the second extended position E2 to the first rail 2.
Preferably, the third rail 26 (or a predetermined feature, such as a protrusion, on the third rail 26) contacts the contact portion 108 of the stop 58 such that the stop 68 of the stop 58 is no longer in the first state S1 (as shown in FIG. 18).
As shown in fig. 19 to 20, when the second rail 24 is at the second extended position E2 relative to the first rail 22, in addition to releasing the locking relationship between the second rail 24 and the first rail 22 through the third rail 26 (e.g. fig. 17 and 18), in this embodiment, the user can also directly release the locking relationship between the second rail 24 and the first rail 22 through the operating member 60. Further, when the second rail 24 is at the second extended position E2 relative to the first rail 22, the user can apply the force F to the operating member 60 in the opening direction D1 to move the operating member 60 from the first operating position P1 to the second operating position P2 in the opening direction D1, and the second driving section 114 of the driving portion 80 can drive the positioning member 62 to switch from the first state S1 to the second state S2, so that the positioning portion 70 of the positioning member 62 is released from the positioning feature 36 of the first rail 22 to allow the second rail 24 to be displaced from the second extended position E2 to the closing direction D2 or the opening direction D1 relative to the first rail 22. When the operating member 60 is at the second operating position P2, the operating member 60 is engaged with the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57 through the engaging feature 88, so as to maintain the operating member 60 at the second operating position P2 (see fig. 7).
The slide rail assembly 20 of the present embodiment includes the following features:
1. The operating member 60 is engaged with the predetermined portion 100 of the elastic arm 98 of the auxiliary member 57 by the engaging feature 88 to maintain the operating member 60 at the second operating position P2, and once the engaging feature 88 is no longer engaged with the predetermined portion 100 of the auxiliary member 57, the operating member 60 can be returned from the second operating position P2 to the first operating position P1 by providing the return elastic force F' through the return elastic member 64. In addition, the operation direction of the operation member 60 is the opening direction D1, so that the user can more intuitively operate (pull forward) the operation member 60 through the operation portion 78.
2. The blocking member 58 shares the same shaft 66 with the positioning member 62, and the shaft 66 is disposed in a height direction of the slide rail such that the pivoting direction of the blocking member 58 and the positioning member 62 is transverse (or lateral).
While the application has been described with reference to the present specific embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are for illustration only and that various equivalent changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the application, and therefore, all changes and modifications to the above embodiments shall fall within the scope of the appended claims.