Slide assembly

Abstract

A slide assembly includes a first rail, a second rail and at least one positioning device. The first rail has a first elongate body. The second rail is longitudinally slidable relative to the first rail and has a second elongate body. At least one of the first elongate body and the second elongate body has an installation hole. The at least one positioning device has a support member and a fixing member. The support member transversely extends through the installation hole so as to be transversely and movably connected to the at least one of the first elongate body and the second elongate body. The fixing member is fixed to a portion of the support member.

Claims

1. A slide assembly comprising: a rail defining a longitudinal direction and having an elongate body, the elongate body having an installation hole, wherein the rail is displaceable in the longitudinal direction; and at least one positioning device having a support member and a fixing member, the support member having a head portion, a body portion, and a neck portion extending therebetween, the neck portion being different in surface contour from the body portion, the neck portion fitted through the installation hole and extending beyond the installation hole in a transverse direction, wherein the fixing member is releasably coupled to the body portion of the support member, and the support member and the fixing member being biased between the rail by a resilient member interfacing between the rail and the neck portion, whereby the support member and the fixing member are transversely displaceable relative to the rail; wherein the neck portion of the support member has a length larger than a depth of the installation hole.

2. The slide assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member is annularly contoured to provide a force to keep the support member at a pre-set position relative to the elongate body.

3. A slide assembly comprising: a first rail having a first elongate body; a second rail being longitudinally slidable in a longitudinal direction relative to the first rail and having a second elongate body, wherein at least one of the first elongate body and the second elongate body has an installation hole; and at least one positioning device having a support member and a fixing member, the support member having a head portion, a body portion, and a neck portion extending therebetween, the neck portion being different in surface contour from the body portion, the neck portion engaging and fitted through the installation hole and extending beyond the installation hole in a transverse direction, wherein the fixing member is releasably coupled to the body portion of the support member, and the support member and the fixing member being biased between either one of the first and second rails by a resilient member interfacing between the first rail or the second rail and the neck portion, whereby the support member and the fixing member are transversely displaceable relative to the first and second rails; wherein the neck portion of the support member has a length larger than a depth of the installation hole.

4. The slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a ball bearing retainer disposed between the first and second rails, wherein the ball bearing retainer has a plurality of ball bearings retained thereby so as to facilitate sliding movement of the second rail relative to the first rail.

5. The slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a third rail, a first ball bearing retainer and a second ball bearing retainer, wherein the third rail is slidably connected between the first and second rails; the first ball bearing retainer is disposed between the first and third rails and has a plurality of first ball bearings retained thereby so as to facilitate sliding movement of the third rail relative to the first rail; and the second ball bearing retainer is disposed between the second and third rails and has a plurality of second ball bearings retained thereby so as to facilitate sliding movement of the second rail relative to the third rail.

6. The slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the resilient member is annularly contoured to provide a force to keep the head portion of the support member at or beyond a pre-set distance from the at least one of the first elongate body and the second elongate body.

7. The slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a connection frame, wherein the connection frame has a slot and at least one latch, and a distal end of the first rail is inserted into the slot of the connection frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a slide assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slide assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the slide assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken along a line A-A in FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a side view of a three-stage slide assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross section view of a slide assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the slide assembly is installed between a cabinet and a drawer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(6) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide assembly of a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first rail 10, a second rail 12, and at least one positioning device 14.

(7) The first rail 10 has a first elongate body 16. The first elongate body 16 has a first wall 18, a second wall 20 opposite to the first wall 18, and a side wall 22. The side wall 22 extends between the first and second walls 18, 20 so that a path 24 is bounded by the first wall 18, the second wall 20 and the side wall 22.

(8) The second rail 12 has a second elongate body 26 which is slidably received in the path 24 of the first rail 10, so that the second rail 12 is longitudinally movable relative to the first rail 10. In detail, the second elongate body 26 has a top wall 28, a bottom wall 30 opposite to the top wall 28, and an intermediate wall 32 extending between the top and bottom walls 28, 30. Preferably, the slide assembly further has a connection frame 36. The connection frame 36 has a slot 38 and at least one latch 40, and a distal end 34 of the first rail 10 is inserted into the slot 38 of the connection frame 36 such that the first rail 10 can be fixed to a cabinet (not shown) by the at least one latch 40 of the connection frame 36.

(9) Preferably, referring to FIG. 3, a ball bearing retainer 42 is disposed between the first and second rails 10, 12 and has a plurality of ball bearings 44 retained thereby so as to facilitate sliding movement of the second rail 12 relative to the first rail 10, thus forming a two-stage ball bearing slide assembly.

(10) Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the slide assembly further comprises a third rail 46, a first ball bearing retainer 48 and a second ball bearing retainer 52. The third rail 46 is slidably connected between the first and second rails 10, 12. The first ball bearing retainer 48 is disposed between the first and third rails 10, 46 and has a plurality of first ball bearings 50 retained thereby so as to facilitate sliding movement of the third rail 46 relative to the first rail 10. The second ball bearing retainer 52 is disposed between the second and third rails 12, 46 and has a plurality of second ball bearings 54 retained thereby so as to facilitate sliding movement of the second rail 12 relative to the third rail 46. Therefore, a three-stage ball bearing slide assembly is formed.

(11) Furthermore, at least one of the side wall 22 of the first elongate body 16 of the first rail 10 and the intermediate wall 32 of the second elongate body 26 of the second rail 12 has at least one installation hole 56 defined therein, and at least one of the side wall 22 of the first elongate body 16 of the first rail 10 and the intermediate wall 32 of the second elongate body 26 of the second rail 12 has at least one positioning device 14 disposed thereon. The at least one positioning device 14 has a support member 60 and a fixing member 62. The support member 60 transversely extends through the installation hole 56 so as to be transversely and movably connected to the at least one of the first elongate body 16 and the second elongate body 26, and the fixing member 62 is securely connected to a portion of the support member 60. In detail, the fixing member 62 has a plurality of hook-shaped annular ribs 64 protruding from an outside thereof, and the fixing member 62 and the support member 60 are connected to each other by way of threading, riveting, or any known method.

(12) Specifically, the support member 60 has a head portion 66, a body portion 68, and a neck portion 70 extending between the head portion 66 and the body portion 68. The neck portion 70 of the support member 60 is at least partially fitted within the installation hole 56 and is movable along a depth direction of the installation hole 56. Furthermore, a length S of the neck portion 70 is larger than a depth L of the installation hole 56 such that the support member 60 is allowed to transversely move relative to the at least one of the first elongate body 16 and the second elongate body 26 within a range restricted to the length S of the neck portion 70. It is noted that the positioning device 14 can be selectively disposed on one of the first and second elongate bodies 16, 26 or on both of the first and second elongate bodies 16, 26. The purpose is that the support member 60 is transversely movable relative to the slide assembly.

(13) Preferably, a resilient member 72a, 72b is disposed between the support member 60 and the at least one of the first elongate body 16 and the second elongate body 26 so as to provide a force to keep the support member 60 at a pre-set position. The resilient member 72a, 72b can be a flat spring, a compression spring or other resilient members which can keep the support member 60 at the pre-set position.

(14) FIG. 5 further shows an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the first elongate body 16 of the first rail 10 and the second elongate body 26 of the second rail 12 each have a positioning device 14 disposed thereon. When in use, the fixing member 62 of the positioning device 14 disposed on the first elongate body 16 of the first rail 10 is installed to a cabinet 74, and the fixing member 62 of the positioning device 14 disposed on the second elongate body 26 of the second rail 12 is installed to a drawer 76, such that the slide assembly is installed between the cabinet 74 and the drawer 76. Since the fixing members 62 are securely connected to their respective support members 60 which are allowed to move transversely relative to the first and second elongate bodies 16, 26, when an assembly tolerance d is formed between the cabinet 74 and the drawer 76, the fixing members 62 are able to transversely move together with their respective support members 60 within a range to compensate the assembly tolerance d.

(15) Preferably, the fixing member 62 and the support member 60 are securely connected to form an integral member, which has better structural strength, so as to avoid the fixing member 62 from deformation, broken and dropping from the support member 60 because of quality flaw or over-load. Therefore, the slide assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention compensates the assembly tolerance d and thus facilitate rolling movement of the ball bearings 44 retained by the ball bearing retainer 42.

(16) While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.