Slide rail assembly and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020392990-A1
Application number	US-201916690366-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Dec 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A slide rail assembly includes a first rail, a second rail, a third rail, and a switching member. The second rail can be displaced with respect to the first rail and is provided with a working feature. The third rail can be displaced with respect to the second rail. The switching member is disposed on the third rail and is configured to contact the working feature when the third rail reaches a predetermined retracted position after being displaced from an extended position in a retracting direction, in order for the third rail to displace the second rail to a predetermined position in the retracting direction via the switching member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A slide rail assembly, comprising:
a first rail; a second rail longitudinally displaceable with respect to the first rail, wherein the second rail is provided with a working feature; a third rail longitudinally displaceable with respect to the second rail; and a switching member configured to be operated and thereby switched between a first state and a second state; wherein the second rail is displaceable with respect to the first rail to a first extended position in an opening direction, and the third rail is displaceable with respect to the first rail to a second extended position in the opening direction; wherein by switching the switching member from the first state to the second state and displacing the third rail from the second extended position to a predetermined retracted position in a retracting direction, the switching member is brought into contact with the working feature of the second rail such that the third rail is able to displace the second rail to a predetermined position in the retracting direction, with the second rail displaced simultaneously with the third rail.

2 . The slide rail assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first auxiliary member and a synchronizing mechanism, wherein the first auxiliary member is disposed on the first rail and includes a disengaging portion; the synchronizing mechanism is movably mounted on the second rail; the third rail has a contact feature; the third rail is configured to push the synchronizing mechanism via the contact feature and thereby displace the second rail from the predetermined position in the opening direction, with the second rail displaced simultaneously with the third rail; when the second rail reaches a predetermined location after being displaced by, and simultaneously with, the third rail from the predetermined position in the opening direction, the disengaging portion of the first auxiliary member disengages the synchronizing mechanism from the contact feature; the synchronizing mechanism includes a synchronizing member and a first elastic member for applying an elastic force to the synchronizing member; and the third rail is configured to push the synchronizing member via the contact feature.

3 . The slide rail assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first auxiliary member further includes a position limiting portion; the slide rail assembly further comprises a first engaging mechanism movably mounted on the second rail; once the second rail is displaced to the first extended position, the first engaging mechanism is adjacent to the position limiting portion of the first auxiliary member to prevent the second rail from being displaced from the first extended position in the retracting direction; the first engaging mechanism includes a first engaging member and a second elastic member for applying an elastic force to the first engaging member; and when the second rail is at the first extended position, the first engaging member is adjacent to the position limiting portion of the first auxiliary member in response to the elastic force of the second elastic member.

4 . The slide rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second rail is movably mounted between the first rail and the third rail; the first rail has a front end portion and a rear end portion; the third rail has a front end portion and a rear end portion; the slide rail assembly further comprises a second engaging mechanism movably mounted on the second rail; when the second rail reaches the first extended position after being displaced with respect to the first rail from the predetermined position in the opening direction and the third rail reaches the second extended position after being displaced with respect to the second rail in the opening direction, the rear end portion of the first rail and the front end portion of the third rail define a first length therebetween; and when the second rail reaches the predetermined position after being displaced from the first extended position in the retracting direction, the first length between the rear end portion of the first rail and the front end portion of the third rail is reduced to a second length, and the second rail is kept at the predetermined position with respect to the first rail by the second engaging mechanism.

5 . The slide rail assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a second auxiliary member disposed on the first rail, wherein when the first length between the rear end portion of the first rail and the front end portion of the third rail is reduced to the second length, the second rail is engaged with the second auxiliary member via the second engaging mechanism and is thus prevented from being displaced from the predetermined position in the opening direction; the second engaging mechanism includes a second engaging member and a third elastic member for applying an elastic force to the second engaging member; and when the second rail is at the predetermined position, the second engaging member is engaged with the second auxiliary member in response to the elastic force of the third elastic member.

6 . The slide rail assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a supporting feature disposed on the third rail such that when the third rail is further displaced in the retracting direction, the supporting feature disengages the second engaging member from the second auxiliary member.

7 . The slide rail assembly of claim 1 , wherein the switching member includes a driving portion; the driving portion is offset in position from the working feature of the second rail when the switching member is in the first state; and once the switching member is switched from the first state to the second state, the driving portion is no longer offset in position from the working feature of the second rail such that when the third rail reaches the predetermined retracted position after being displaced from the second extended position in the retracting direction, the driving portion of the switching member contacts the working feature of the second rail.

8 . The slide rail assembly of claim 7 , wherein the switching member includes a main body portion, and there is a positional difference between the main body portion and the driving portion such that the main body portion of the switching member is kept from contact with the working feature of the second rail while the switching member is in the first state.

9 . The slide rail assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first working member mounted on the third rail, wherein the first working member is switchable between a first working state and a second working state with respect to the third rail; the second rail is provided with a blocking portion; when the third rail is at the second extended position and the first working member is in the first working state, the first working member is located at one side of the blocking portion to prevent the third rail from being displaced in the opening direction with respect to the second rail at the first extended position; and once the first working member is operated and thereby switched from the first working state to the second working state, the third rail is allowed to be detached with respect to the second rail in the opening direction.

10 . The slide rail assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a second working member mounted on the third rail, wherein the second working member is switchable between a first working state and a second working state with respect to the third rail; when the third rail is at the second extended position and the second working member is in the first working state, the second working member is located at an opposite side of the blocking portion to prevent the third rail from being displaced in t

Assignees

• King Slide Works Co Ltd
• King Slide Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Ken-Ching
• Yang Shun-Ho
• Weng Tzu-Cheng
• Wang Chun-Chiang

Classifications

• A47B2210/0072

  Coordinating mechanisms for sequential drawer slides, e.g. by cable · CPC title

• A47B2088/4235

  having a latch mechanism coupling or disconnecting a drawer with drawer side slide from the rest of the slide members · CPC title

• A47B88/493

  with rollers, ball bearings, wheels, or the like · CPC title

• A47B2210/0008

  having a roller on an intermediary slide rail between the cabinet rail and the drawer rail · CPC title

• A47B88/49

  with double extensible guides or parts · CPC title