Bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly

Abstract

A bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly includes a sliding rail set including an outer rail and an inner rail linearly slidably coupled together, an actuator mounted in the inner rail and providing a push member having opposing first push end and second push end, and a position-limiting mechanism mounted in the inner rail and including a first position-limiting member and a second position-limiting member that are pivotally connected to the inner rail and respectively disposed adjacent to the first push end and second push end of the push member and alternatively biasable relative to the inner rail by the actuator. Thus, the bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly has the advantages of simple structure and ease of fabrication and use.

Claims

1. A bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly, comprising: a sliding rail set comprising an outer rail and an inner rail movable in and out of said outer rail, said outer rail comprising a protruded abutment portion located near one end thereof at one lateral side and facing toward said inner rail, said inner rail comprising two upright sidewalls longitudinally extended along two opposite lateral sides thereof; an actuator mounted in said inner rail of said sliding rail set to face toward said outer rail, said actuator comprising a base member, an extension member extended from one end of said base member and a push member protruded from a top surface of said extension member and defining a first push end and an opposing second push end; and a position-limiting mechanism mounted in said inner rail of said sliding rail set to face toward said outer rail, comprising a first position-limiting member, a second position-limiting member and a spring member, said first position-limiting member and said second position-limiting member each comprising a pivot-connection base, a stop block located at one side of said pivot-connection base and a position-limiting block located at an opposite side of said pivot-connection base, the vertical distance between said stop block and said position-limiting block being shorter than the distance between the two said upright sidewalls of said inner rail, the straight line distance between said stop block and said position-limiting block being greater than the distance between the two said upright sidewalls of said inner rail, the said pivot-connection base of said first position-limiting member and the said pivot-connection base of said second position-limiting member being respectively pivotally connected to said inner rail and spaced from each other at a predetermined distance, the distance between the said stop block of said first position-limiting member and the said stop block of said second position-limiting member being shorter than the distance between the said position-limiting block of said first position-limiting member and the said position-limiting of said second position-limiting member, the said position-limiting block of said first position-limiting member and the said position-limiting block of said second position-limiting member respectively facing toward said first push end and said second push end of said actuator, said spring member having two opposite ends thereof respectively connected to the said pivot-connection base of said first position-limiting member and the said pivot-connection base of said second position-limiting member.

2. The bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said pivot-connection bases of said first position-limiting member and said second position-limiting member each define therein a locating hole; said spring member of said position-limiting mechanism comprises an elastically compressible body portion, and two hook portions respectively extended from two opposite ends of said elastically compressible body portion and respectively hooked in the said locating hole of said first position-limiting member and the said locating hole of said second position-limiting member.

3. The bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first position-limiting member and said second position-limiting member each further comprise a step portion connected between the respective said pivot-connection base and the respective said position-limiting block for enabling the two said position-limiting blocks of said first position-limiting member and said second position-limiting member to be supported on said extension member of said actuator.

4. The bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first position-limiting member and second position-limiting member each further comprises a position-limiting notch located on the respective said position-limiting block; said first push end and said second push end of said actuator are respectively positioned in the said position-limiting notches of said first position-limiting member and said second position-limiting member.

5. The bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said stop block of said first position-limiting member and the said stop block of said second position-limiting member each comprise an abutment edge and an opposing guide edge, the said abutment edge of the said stop block of said first position-limiting member being disposed to face toward the said abutment edge of the said stop block of said second position-limiting member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an oblique top elevational view of a bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly in accordance with the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 1 when viewed from another angle.

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly in accordance with the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of Part A of FIG. 3.

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating an action of the assembly procedure of the inner rail and the outer rail.

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the protruded abutment portion entered the first position-limiting member.

(7) FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the actuator pushed the second position-limiting member.

(8) FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the protruded abutment portion moved over the second position-limiting member.

(9) FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the protruded abutment portion pushed the second position-limiting member.

(10) FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the protruded abutment portion entered the second position-limiting member.

(11) FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the actuator pushed the first position-limiting member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(12) Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown. The bi-directional positioning sliding rail assembly comprises a sliding rail set 1, an actuator 2 and a position-limiting mechanism 3.

(13) The sliding rail set 1 comprises an outer rail 11, and an inner rail 12 mounted in the outer rail 11 and movable in and out of the outer rail 11 between an extended position and a received position. The outer rail 11 comprises an protruded abutment portion 111 located near one end thereof at one lateral side to face toward the inner rail 12. The inner rail 12 comprises two upright sidewalls 121 respectively and longitudinally extended along two opposite lateral sides thereof, and a positioning rib 122 located on one surface thereof between the two upright sidewalls 121.

(14) The actuator 2 is mounted in the inner rail 12 of the sliding rail set 1 to face toward the outer rail 11. The actuator 2 comprises a base member 21, an elongated position-limiting hole 211 located on the base member 21, an extension member 22 extended from one end of the base member 21, and a push member 23 protruded from a top surface of the extension member 22 and defining a first push end 231 and an opposing second push end 232. The positioning rib 122 of the sliding rail set 1 is coupled to the elongated position-limiting hole 211, and movable with the actuator 2 between two opposite ends of the elongated position-limiting hole 211 to limit the range of movement of the actuator 2.

(15) The position-limiting mechanism 3 is mounted in the inner rail 12 of the sliding rail set 1 to face toward the outer rail 11, comprising a first position-limiting member 31, a second position-limiting member 32 and a spring member 33. The first position-limiting member 31 and the second position-limiting member 32 each comprise a pivot-connection base 311 or 321, a stop block 312 or 322 located at one lateral side of the pivot-connection base 311 or 321, and a position-limiting block 313 or 323 located at an opposite lateral side of the pivot-connection base 311 or 321. The vertical distance d1 between the stop block 312 or 322 and the position-limiting block 313 or 323 is shorter than the distance between the two upright sidewalls 121 of the inner rail 12. The straight line distance d2 between the stop block 312 or 322 and the position-limiting block 313 or 323 is greater than the distance between the two upright sidewalls 121 of the inner rail 12. Further, the pivot-connection base 311 of the first position-limiting member 31 and the pivot-connection base 321 of the second position-limiting member 32 are respectively pivotally connected to the inner rail 12 and spaced from each other at a predetermined distance so that the distance between these two stop blocks 312,322 is shorter than the distance between the two position-limiting blocks 313,323, enabling the first position-limiting member 31 and the second position-limiting member 32 to be kept in an oblique manner relative to each other, and thus, the first position-limiting member 31 can only be biased to move the stop block 312 toward the second position-limiting member 32 and, the second position-limiting member 32 can only be biased to move the stop block 322 toward the first position-limiting member 31. Further, the stop blocks 312 and 322 of the first and second position-limiting members 31 and 32 each define an abutment edge 3121 or 3221 and an opposite guide edge 3122 or 3222. The abutment edge 3121 of the first position-limiting members 31 faces toward the abutment edge 3221 of the second position-limiting member 32. Further, the position-limiting blocks 313 and 323 of the first and second position-limiting members 31 and 32 each further defines a position-limiting notch 3131 or 3231. The position-limiting notch 3131 of the first position-limiting member 31 faces toward the position-limiting notch 3231 of the second position-limiting member 32, The first push end 231 and second push end 232 of the actuator 2 are respectively positioned in the position-limiting notch 3131 of the first position-limiting member 31 and the position-limiting notch 3231 of the second position-limiting member 32. Further, the pivot-connection bases 311 and 321 of the first and second position-limiting members 31 and 32 each define a locating hole 3111 or 3211. The spring member 33 of the position-limiting mechanism 3 comprises an elastically compressible body portion 331, and two hook portion 332 respectively extended from two opposite ends of the elastically compressible body portion 331. The two hook portions 332 are respecctively hooked in the locating holes 3111,3211 of the first and second position-limiting members 31 and 32. Further, the first position-limiting member 31 and the second position-limiting member 32 each further comprise a step portion 314,324 connected between the respective pivot-connection base 311 and 321 and the respective position-limiting block 313 or 323, enabling the position-limiting blocks 313 and 323 of the first and second position-limiting members 31 and 32 to be respecctively supported on the surface of the extension member 22 of the actuator 2.

(16) Referring to FIGS. 5-11, we can see that, from FIGS. 5-8, when assembling the outer rail 11 and inner rail 12 of the sliding rail set 1, the protruded abutment portion 111 is moved inwardly toward the first position-limiting member 31 to push the stop block 312 and to further bias the first position-limiting member 31, causing formation of a gap between the stop block 312 and the adjacent upright sidewall 121 for the passing of the protruded abutment portion 111. The design of the guide edge 3122 facilitates the protruded abutment portion 111 biasing the first position-limiting member 31. Due to the one-way biasing limitation of the first position-limiting member 31 and the second position-limiting member 32, the protruded abutment portion 111 is immediately stopped in place when it gets into the gap between the two abutment edges 3121 and 3221. At this time, the user needs to push the actuator 2 to force the second push end 232 against the position-limiting block 323 of the second position-limiting member 32, causing formation of a gap between the stop block 312 of the second position-limiting member 32 and the adjacent upright sidewall 121 for the passing of the protruded abutment portion 111. Once the protruded abutment portion 111 passed over the stop block 312, the outer rail 11 and the inner rail 12 are well assembled. Further, when biasing the first position-limiting member 31 or second position-limiting member 32, the spring member 33 will be stretched to generate an elastic restoring energy for pulling the first position-limiting member 31 or second position-limiting member 32 back to its previous position when the external biasing force is disappeared. Further, the first position-limiting member 31 and the second position-limiting member 32 are respectively kept in position by means of abutment of the respective stop blocks 312 and 322 against one upright sidewall 121. On the contrary, when detaching the outer rail 11 and inner rail 12 of the sliding rail set 1, as illustrated in FIGS. 8-11, force the protruded abutment portion 111 to bias the second position-limiting member 32, causing the actuator 2 to bias the first position-limiting member 31. This operating action is similar to the operating action in assembling the outer rail 11 and the inner rail 12 with an exception of the direction, and therefore, it is not necessary to repeat them.