Drawer slide assembly

Abstract

A drawer slide assembly includes an upper slide; an inner slide having a buffer unit located therein; at least two upper sliding guides being provided on top and bottom with first sliding bearings to bear against upper inner and lower inner surfaces of the upper slide and upper inner and upper outer surface of the inner slide, and on a lateral wall with second sliding bearings to bear against a lateral inner surface of the upper slide and a lateral upper outer surface of the inner slide, so that the upper slide and the inner slide are mutually slidably assembled to each other; and a mounting plate for holding the assembled upper slide and inner slide to a fixed place. With the sliding bearings so arranged, the drawer slide assembly provides a buffering effect to enable smooth and stable opening and closing of a drawer box.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a drawer slide assembly, and more particularly to a drawer slide assembly that provides a buffering effect and enables smooth and stable opening and closing of a drawer box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, a drawer box has two slides mounted to two lateral outer sides thereof. The two slides are provided with a plurality of rolling elements each, so as to reduce the frictional resistance between the drawer box and the slides, allowing the drawer box to be smoothly and effortlessly opened or closed. While the conventional drawer slides are provided with the rolling elements, they do not include other protective or locating mechanisms to cooperate with the rolling elements. As a result, when the drawer box is not pulled or pushed by a force applied to a central position of the drawer box, the drawer box tends to sidewardly deviate from its sliding path, and the rolling elements tend to vibrate sidewardly and even separate from the slides to adversely increase the frictional resistance between the slides and the drawer box, preventing the drawer box from being smoothly and stably opened or closed. And, while the rolling elements on the drawer slides enable smooth and effortless opening and closing of the drawer box, the drawer box easily slidable on the slides tends to produce a loud collision noise when it is carelessly closed with an overly large force. In a worse condition, the drawer box and/or the rolling elements of the slides would become damaged due to collision when the drawer box is forcefully closed.

It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved drawer slide assembly that provides a buffering effect and enables smooth and stable opening and closing of a drawer box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a drawer slide assembly that enables smooth and stable opening and closing of a drawer box.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drawer slide assembly that provides a buffering effect.

To achieve the above and other objects, the drawer slide assembly according to the present invention includes an upper slide; an inner slide having a buffer unit located therein; at least two upper sliding guides being provided on top and bottom thereof with a plurality of first sliding bearings to bear against upper inner and lower inner surfaces of the upper slide as well as upper inner and upper outer surfaces of the inner slide, and on a lateral wall with a plurality of second sliding bearings to bear against an inner lateral surface of the upper slide and a lateral upper outer surface of the inner slide, so that the upper slide and the inner slide are mutually slidably assembled to each other; and a mounting plate for holding the assembled upper slide and inner slide to a fixed place.

With the sliding bearings so arranged, the drawer slide assembly provides a buffering effect and enables smooth and stable opening and closing of a drawer box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a drawer slide assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled sectional view of the drawer slide assembly of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the drawer slide assembly of the present invention in a drawer opening operation;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the drawer slide assembly of the present invention in a drawer closing operation;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views of FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively; and

FIG. 11 shows a pair of drawer slide assemblies of the present invention mounted to a bottom of a drawer box with the drawer box in a fully opened or drawn out position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 1 that is an exploded perspective view of a drawer slide assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and to FIG. 2 that is an assembled sectional view of FIG. 1. As shown, the drawer slide assembly 10 of the present invention includes an upper slide 11; an inner slide 12 having a buffer unit 16 located therein; at least two upper sliding guides 14; and a mounting plate 17 provided with a plurality of mounting holes 171 for holding the assembled upper slide 11 and inner slide 12 to a fixed place.

The upper slide 11 has an outer end closed with a stopper 113, so as to prevent external dust from invading the upper slide 11 to adversely affect the smooth moving of the upper sliding guides 14 in the upper slide 11.

Each of the upper sliding guides 14 is provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of first sliding bearings 141, such that the first sliding bearings 141 located at the top of the upper sliding guides 14 bear against an upper inner surface of the upper slide 11 and an upper outer surface of the inner slide 12, and the first sliding bearings 141 located at the bottom of the upper sliding guides 14 bear against a lower inner surface of the upper slide 11 and an upper inner surface of the inner slide 12. Each of the upper sliding guides 14 is further provided on a lateral wall with a plurality of second sliding bearings 142, such that the second sliding bearings 142 bear against a lateral inner surface of the upper slide 11 and a lateral upper outer surface of the inner slide 12. With the above arrangements, the upper slide 11 and the inner slide 12 are mutually slidably assembled to each other.

It is noted a plurality of axially extended first slide ways 115 is formed on the upper inner and lower inner surfaces of the upper slide 11, and a plurality of axially extended second slide ways 121 is formed on the upper outer and upper inner surfaces of the inner slide 12 to correspond to the first sliding bearings 141, so as to restrict the first sliding bearings 141 to roll within the first and the second guide ways 115, 121, and ensure that the upper slide 11, the inner slide 12, and the first sliding bearings 141 are maintained in their relative positions to one another without being displaced by external forces. The upper slide 11 is further provided on an upper outer surface with a locating member 114 to enable a stable connection of the upper slide 11 to a drawer box (not shown) to which the drawer slide assembly 10 of the present invention is mounted.

The upper slide 11 and the inner slide 12 are internally provided with a plurality of limiting devices (not shown) for defining a maximum travel by which the upper slide 11 is allowed to outward or inward slide along and relative to the inner slide 12.

For a drawer box that has a relatively large size, the drawer slide assembly 10 with the upper slide 11 and the inner slide 12 in a fully extended position might still be not long enough to support the fully drawn-out large drawer box. In this case, the inner slide 12 is designed to be a sideward opened U-shaped member with an upper wall thereof connected to the upper slide 11 via the first sliding guides 14 and a lower wall connected to a lower slide 13 via at least two lower sliding guides 15. When the upper slide 11 and the inner slide 12 of the drawer slide assembly 10 are fully drawn out from the lower slide 13, the drawer slide assembly 10 may have a total length long enough to support the fully drawn-out large-size drawer box, and is therefore very practical for use.

Each of the lower sliding guides 15 is provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of third sliding bearings 151, such that the third sliding bearings 151 located at the top of the lower sliding guides 15 bear against an upper inner surface of the lower slide 13 and a lower inner surface of the inner slide 12, and the third sliding bearings 151 located at the bottom of the lower sliding guides 15 bear against a lower inner surface of the lower slide 13 and a lower outer surface of the inner slide 12. Each of the lower sliding guides 15 is further provided on a lateral wall with a plurality of fourth sliding bearings 152, such that the fourth sliding bearings 152 bear against a lateral inner surface of the lower slide 13 and a lateral lower outer surface of the inner slide 12. With the above arrangements, the lower slide 13 and the inner slide 12 are mutually slidably assembled to each other.

It is noted a plurality of axially extended third slide ways 122 is formed on the lower outer and lower inner surfaces of the inner slide 12 and a plurality of axially extended fourth slide ways 131 is formed on the upper inner and lower inner surfaces of the lower slide 13 to correspond to the third sliding bearings 151, so as to restrict the third sliding bearings 151 to roll within the third and the fourth guide ways 122, 131, and ensure that the lower slide 13, the inner slide 12, and the third sliding bearings 151 are maintained in their relative positions to one another without being displaced by external forces.

The upper slide 11, the inner slide 12, and the lower slide 13 are internally provided with a plurality of limiting devices (not shown) for defining maximum travels by which the upper slide 11 is allowed to outward or inward slide along and relative to the inner slide 12, and the inner slide 12 is allowed to outward or inward slide along and relative to the lower slide 13.

The buffer unit 16 is fixedly located above the lower slide 13. When the drawer slide assembly 10 is in a fully retracted state, the buffer unit 16 is enclosed in the lying U-shaped inner slide 12. With the buffer unit 16, a force applied by a user to close the drawer box is buffered, protecting the whole drawer slide assembly 10 against damage by an overly large force directed thereto and eliminating collision noise.

The buffer unit 16 includes a base 160 and a buffer element 161. The buffer element 161 may be a fluid cylinder or an air cylinder, and has a piston rod 162 provided at an outer end thereof to freely extend from and retract into the buffer element 161. The base 160 is formed with a slide slot 164, at a terminal of which a retaining slot 165 is provided. A linking member 166 is mounted in the slide slot 164, and is connected to the piston rod 162 via a link rod 167. When the link rod 167 is freely moving along the slide slot 164, the piston rod 162 is brought by the link rod 167 to move at the same time. The base 160 is internally provided with an elastic element 163, an end of which is fixed to a point in the base 160 and the other end of which is connected to the linking member 166.

The upper slide 11 is provided at one longitudinal side with a first actuator 111. When the drawer box is drawn out, the first actuator 111 on the upper slide 11 correspondingly brings the linking member 166 to move along the slide slot 164, and thereby pulls and extends the elastic element 163, which has an end connected to the linking member 166. At this point, the piston rod 162 is also pulled by the link rod 167 to extend from the buffer element 161 until the linking member 166 is slid into and held in place at the retaining slot 165. On the other hand, when the drawer box is closed, the first actuator 111 on the upper slide 11 would push the linking member 166 out of the retaining slot 165, and a restoring force of the extended elastic element 163 would pull the released linking member 166 and accordingly, the piston rod 162 to their home positions.

The upper slide 11 is further provided at the same longitudinal side with a second actuator 112. When the drawer box is closed, the second actuator 112 correspondingly pushes the piston rod 162 into the buffer element 161 to ensure an increased and balanced force for pulling the piston rod 162 into the buffer element 161. In the present invention, the elastic element 163 is a spring.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 that are perspective views showing the drawer slide assembly 10 of the present invention in a drawer opening operation; and to FIGS. 5 and 6 that are side views of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. As shown, when the upper slide 11 is extended outward, it brings the inner slide 12 to extend outward at the same time. At this point, the first actuator 111 at one side of the upper slide 11 correspondingly brings the linking member 166 to move along the slide slot 164 and thereby pull and extend the elastic element 163. Meanwhile, the link rod 167 of the linking member 166 pulls the piston rod 162 out of the buffer element 161 until the linking member 166 is moved into the retaining slot 165 and held thereto. When the inner slide 12 has been outward extended to a maximum travel defined for it, the upper slide 11 may be further moved outward to a maximum travel defined for it, and the drawer slide assembly 10 of the present invention has been fully drawn out to open the drawer box.

On the other hand, FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing the drawer slide assembly 10 of the present invention in a drawer closing operation; and FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views of FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively. As shown, when a drawer box is closed, the upper slide 11 is retracted at the same. At this point, the inner slide 12 is brought by the upper slide 11 to retract at the same time, and the first actuator 111 on the upper slide 11 is moved toward the linking member 166. When the upper slide 11 is continuously retracted, and the linking member 166 is finally moved out of the retaining slot 165 (see FIG. 1) by the first actuator 111, the restoring force of the extended elastic element 163 pulls the linking member 166 and accordingly, the piston rod 162 to their original positions. When the piston rod 162 is pulled backward by the elastic element 163, the buffer element 161, which may be a fluid or an air cylinder, buffers are tracting speed of the piston rod 162. That is, the piston rod 162 is pulled by the elastic element 163 to gradually retract into the buffer element 161, and the upper slide 11 is also gradually moved backward to locate above the inner and the lower slide 12, 13 to complete smooth retracting of the drawer slide assembly 10 and the smooth closing of the drawer box.

Please refer to FIG. 11 that shows a pair of drawer slide assemblies 10 of the present invention is mounted to a bottom of a drawer box 2, and the drawer box 2 is in a fully opened or drawn out position. The drawer slide assemblies 10 may be otherwise mounted to two lateral outer sides of the drawer box 2. With the sliding bearings 141, 142, 151, 152 on the upper and the lower sliding guiders 14, 15 located between the upper, the inner, and the lower slide 11, 12, 13, the drawer box 2 may be smoothly and stably drawn out. When the drawer box 2 is closed with too much force, and the upper and the inner slide 11, 12 are retracted to quickly move the first actuator 111 to the position to disengage the linking member 166 from the retaining slot 165, the buffer element 161 may still function to buffer the retracting speed of the piston rod 162 and damper the strong force used to close the drawer box 2, so that the piston rod 162 pulled by the elastic element 163 is gradually moved into the buffer element 161, allowing the upper slide 11 and the drawer box 2 to moderately move backward without damaging the whole drawer slide assembly 10 or causing any collision noise.

Claims

1. A drawer slide assembly, comprising:

an upper slide;

an inner slide having a buffer unit located therein;

at least two upper sliding guides being provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of first sliding bearings, and on a lateral wall with a plurality of second sliding bearings, such that the first sliding bearings on the top of the upper sliding guides bear against an upper inner surface of the upper slide and an upper outer surface of the inner slide, the first sliding bearings on the bottom of the upper sliding guides bear against a lower inner surface of the upper slide and an upper inner surface of the inner slide, and the second sliding bearings bear against a lateral inner surface of the upper slide and a lateral upper outer surface of the inner slide, causing the upper slide and the inner slide to mutually slidably assemble to each other; and

a mounting plate for holding the mutually assembled upper and inner slides to a predetermined position.

2. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper slide is formed on the upper inner and lower inner surfaces with a plurality of axially extended first slide ways, and the inner slide is formed on the upper outer and upper inner surfaces with a plurality of axially extended second slide ways to correspond to the first sliding bearings.

3. A drawer slide assembly, comprising:

an upper slide;

an inner slide;

at least two upper sliding guides being provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of first sliding bearings, and on a lateral wall with a plurality of second sliding bearings, such that the first sliding bearings on the top of the upper sliding guides bear against an upper inner surface of the upper slide and an upper outer surface of the inner slide, the first sliding bearings on the bottom of the upper sliding guides bear against a lower inner surface of the upper slide and an upper inner surface of the inner slide, and the second sliding bearings bear against a lateral inner surface of the upper slide and a lateral upper outer surface of the inner slide, causing the upper slide and the inner slide to mutually slidably assemble to each other;

a lower slide having a buffer unit fixedly located thereabove;

at least two lower sliding guides being provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of third sliding bearings, such that the third sliding bearings on the top of the lower sliding guides bear against an upper inner surface of the lower slide and a lower inner surface of the inner slide, and the third sliding bearings on the bottom of the lower sliding guides bear against a lower inner surface of the lower slide and an lower outer surface of the inner slide, causing the lower slide and the inner slide to mutually slidably assemble to each other; and

a mounting plate for holding the mutually assembled upper, lower, and inner slides to a predetermined position.

4. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper slide is formed on the upper inner and lower inner surfaces with a plurality of axially extended first slide ways, and the inner slide is formed on the upper outer and upper inner surfaces with a plurality of axially extended second slide ways to correspond to the first sliding bearings.

5. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inner slide is formed on the lower outer and lower inner surfaces with a plurality of axially extended third slide ways, and the lower slide is formed on the upper inner and lower inner surfaces with a plurality of axially extended fourth slide ways to correspond to the third sliding bearings.

6. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lower sliding guides are provided on a lateral wall with a plurality of fourth sliding bearings, such that the fourth sliding bearings bear against a lateral inner surface of the lower slide and a lateral lower outer surface of the inner slide, causing the lower slide and the inner slide to mutually slidably assemble to each other.

7. A drawer slide assembly, comprising:

an upper slide being provided at one longitudinal side with an actuator;

an inner slide;

at least two upper sliding guides for causing the upper slide and the inner slide to mutually slidably assemble to each other;

a buffer unit being located in the inner slide and including a base and a buffer element; the buffer element having a piston rod provided at an outer end thereof, and the base being formed with a slide slot, at a terminal of which a retaining slot is provided; a linking member being mounted in the slide slot to connect to the piston rod via a link rod, and being controlled by the actuator on the upper slide to move into and out of the retaining slot on the base; and an elastic element being provided in the base with an end fixed to a point in the base and the other end connected to the linking member; and

a mounting plate for holding the mutually assembled upper and inner slides to a predetermined position.

8. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a lower slide, and the lower slide and the inner slide being mutually slidably assembled to each other via at least two lower sliding guides.

9. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the upper sliding guides are provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of first sliding bearings, and on a lateral wall with a plurality of second sliding bearings, such that the first sliding bearings on the top of the upper sliding guides bear against an upper inner surface of the upper slide and an upper outer surface of the inner slide, the first sliding bearings on the bottom of the upper sliding guides bear against a lower inner surface of the upper slide and an upper inner surface of the inner slide, and the second sliding bearings bear against a lateral inner surface of the upper slide and a lateral upper outer surface of the inner slide.

10. The drawer slide assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lower sliding guides are provided on a top and a bottom with a plurality of third sliding bearings, and on a lateral wall with a plurality of fourth sliding bearings, such that the third sliding bearings on the top of the lower sliding guides bear against an upper inner surface of the lower slide and a lower inner surface of the inner slide, the third sliding bearings on the bottom of the lower sliding guides bear against a lower inner surface of the lower slide and a lower outer surface of the inner slide, and the fourth sliding bearings bear against a lateral inner surface of the lower slide and a lateral lower outer surface of the inner slide.