Slide rail assembly

Abstract

A slide rail assembly is able to be mounted on a rack. The slide rail assembly includes a supporting frame, a movable rail, a position limiting member and a locking member. The supporting frame includes a blocking portion. The movable rail is displaceable relative to the supporting frame. The position limiting member is arranged at the movable rail and includes a first position limiting portion. The locking member is arranged at the movable rail. When the movable rail is located at a retracted position with respect to the supporting frame, the locking member is blocked with the blocking portion at a lock state so as to keep the movable rail at the retracted position. When the movable rail is located at the retracted position with respect to the supporting frame and the movable rail take a first lateral force, a first position limiting relationship is formed by the first position limiting part and the rack. The locking member can be operated to separate the blocking portion at the first position limiting relationship.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slide rail, and in particular to a slide rail assembly which can prevent the blocking relationship between two slide rails from losing operability due to external forces through a limiting component. Prior Art

[0002] For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 7,364,244 B2 discloses a system rack for accommodating rack-mounted modules. Figures 5A and 5B of the patent disclose a slide rail assembly comprising a fixed rail, a movable rail, and a latching member. The fixed rail includes a hole; the movable rail is movable relative to the fixed rail; and the latching member, coupled to the movable rail, comprises a leaf spring and a protrusion near the end of the leaf spring. When the movable rail is in a retracted position relative to the fixed rail, the latching member and the hole interpose, locking the rail assembly. This locked state prevents the movable rail from moving (longitudinally) from the retracted position toward an open position. However, when a lateral external force is applied to the movable rail, causing it to be pressed toward the fixed rail, the latch member is squeezed and cannot normally operate from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the movable rail cannot be moved in the opening direction; conversely, when the movable rail is stretched away from the fixed rail, causing the latch member and the hole to no longer block each other, the locked state will be invalidated.

[0003] For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 8,403,432B2 discloses a slide rail assembly comprising a first rail, a second rail, a bracket, a latch, an accessory, and an operating member; the second rail is movable relative to the first rail; the bracket is fixedly connected to the first rail; the latch is fixedly connected to the second rail; the accessory is fixedly connected to the second rail; and the operating member is pivotally connected to a pivotal portion of the accessory; when the second rail is retracted relative to the first rail, a pair of extending wings of the accessory are located within a pair of receiving portions of the bracket, thereby limiting the lateral distance of the second rail relative to the first rail and ensuring stability in the retracted state.

[0004] While the aforementioned patents, particularly US Pat. No. 7,364,244 B2, disclose that the slide rail assembly can be blocked and maintains stability when in its retracted state, they cannot guarantee that the slide rail assembly will remain operable when subjected to external forces such as compression or tension. Therefore, as market demands evolve, developing a variety of slide rail products has become a critical issue. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a slide rail assembly which can maintain operability when subjected to external forces by using a limiting member to ensure the blocking relationship between two slide rails.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a slide rail assembly, suitable for use with a frame, comprises a support frame, a movable rail, a stopper, and a lock. The support frame comprises a stopper; the movable rail is displaceable relative to the support frame; the stopper is arranged on the movable rail and comprises a first stopper; the lock is arranged on the movable rail; when the movable rail is in a retracted position relative to the support frame, the lock and the stopper are in a blocking relationship, thereby maintaining the movable rail in the retracted position; when the movable rail is in the retracted position relative to the support frame and is subjected to a first lateral external force, the first stopper forms a first limiting relationship with the frame, allowing the lock to be operatively disengaged from the blocking relationship.

[0007] In general, compared to the conventional technology, the present invention can maintain the operability of the slide rail assembly while the movable rail is in the blocking relationship and subjected to a lateral external force. Simple diagram description

[0008]

[0009] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a slide rail assembly mounted to a rack according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0010] Figure 2 shows an exploded schematic diagram of a support frame and a movable rail of the slide assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a blocking relationship in which the rail assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to the rack to carry a load whose width conforms to the normal width of the rack;

[0012] Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the blocking relationship region A in Figure 3;

[0013] Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the region A in Figure 3 after the blocking relationship receives a pressing force to release the blocking relationship;

[0014] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the movable rail displacing in an opening direction to an open position after the blocking relationship of Figure 3 is released;

[0015] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a limit member of the slide assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 8 shows another perspective schematic diagram of the limit member of the slide assembly of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the blocking relationship of the rail assembly mounted to the rack carrying the load in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the width of the load exceeds the normal width of the rack and is squeezed by a first lateral external force;

[0018] Figure 10 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the blocking relationship A region of Figure 9 squeezed by the first lateral external force;

[0019] Figure 11 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the region A of Figure 9 after the blocking relationship is released after receiving the pressing force after the first lateral external force squeezes the blocking relationship;

[0020] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the blocking relationship of the slide rail assembly mounted to the rack to support the load, wherein the width of the load is smaller than the normal width of the rack and is stretched by a second lateral external force according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG13 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the blocking relationship A region of FIG12 stretched by the second lateral external force; and

[0022] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the slide rail assembly installed on the rack according to another embodiment of the present invention. Implementation Method

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a slide rail assembly 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a support frame 22, a movable rail 24, a stopper 26, and a lock 28. The movable rail 24 and the support frame 22 are longitudinally displaceable relative to each other. Here, the X-axis is the longitudinal direction (or the length of the slide rail), the Y-axis is the transverse direction (or the side direction of the slide rail), and the Z-axis is the vertical direction (or the height direction of the slide rail).

[0024] The support frame 22 is configured with a fixing rail 30 and a bracket 32. The fixing rail 30 has a front end f and a rear end r. The bracket 32 ​​includes a front bracket 32a and a rear bracket 32b. The front bracket 32a and the rear bracket 32b are respectively arranged adjacent to the front end f and the rear end r of the fixing rail 30. The fixing rail 30 can be mounted to a rack 34 through the bracket 32. For example, the front bracket 32a and the rear bracket 32b are respectively mounted to a first column 36a and a second column 36b of the rack 34. The bracket 32 ​​includes a stop 38. The stop 38 can be an opening, and the opening is defined by a plurality of wall segments, but the implementation is not limited thereto. For example, the stop 38 is arranged on the front bracket 32a, and the front bracket 32a is connected (e.g., fixed) to the front end f of the fixing rail 30 and can be regarded as a part of the support frame 22. Since this part is a technical field that can be understood by people with general knowledge in this field, it will not be further elaborated here for the sake of brevity.

[0025] Preferably, the bracket 32 ​​includes at least one mounting member 40 and at least one mounting seat 42. In this embodiment, the bracket 32 ​​is used to mount the support frame 22 on the frame 34. For example, the bracket 32 ​​is removably mounted to the first and second posts 36a, 36b of the frame 34 via the mounting member 40. The frame 34 has connection features that mate with the first and second posts 36a, 36b. The mounting member 40 and the mounting seat 42 can be considered part of the bracket 32. Since this section is within the technical scope that can be understood by those skilled in the art, for the sake of brevity, it will not be further described here.

[0026] The lock member 28 is disposed on the movable rail 24 and includes a locking portion 44 and an operating portion 46. The lock member 28 is connected (e.g., fixedly attached) to the movable rail 24 and can be considered a part of the movable rail 24. In this embodiment, the lock member 28 may be an elastic element (e.g., a spring), but the embodiment is not limited thereto. When the movable rail 24 moves relative to the support frame 22 in a retracted direction D1 to a retracted position P1, the lock member 44 is stopped by the stop member 38 and is in a blocking relationship (as shown in FIG. 4 ), maintaining the movable rail 24 in the retracted position P1 and preventing it from moving in the opening direction D2 to an open position P2 (as shown in FIG. 6 ).

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 to 5 , the technical scope of the slide rail assembly 20 includes a pair of slide rail assemblies 20. These two slide rail assemblies 20 are essentially mounted on opposite sides of the frame 34. For simplicity, only one side of the slide rail assembly 20 is described in this embodiment. When the slide rail assembly 20 is mounted on the frame 34 via the mounting member 40 and the movable rail 24 is in the retracted position P1 relative to the support frame 22, the locking member 28 is stopped by the stopper 38 and is in the blocking position, maintaining the movable rail 24 in the blocking position and preventing it from extending to the open position P2 (as shown in Figure 6 ). When the lock member 28 and the blocking portion 38 are in the blocking relationship, an operating space S is formed between the movable rail 24 and the bracket 32 ​​of the support frame 22. When the operating portion 46 of the lock member 28 receives a pressing force Q, the lock portion 44 of the lock member 28 can be movably disengaged from the blocking portion 38 in the operating space S to release the blocking relationship.

[0028] Among them, a first limiting portion 48 of the limiting member 26 faces the first column 36a of the frame 34, forming a first limiting relationship 50. The first limiting relationship 50 allows the first limiting portion 48 and the first column 36a of the frame 34 to abut against each other to form a stop when the movable rail 24 is subjected to a first lateral external force F1 (for example, squeezing toward the movable rail 24), thereby preventing the movable rail 24 from being squeezed toward the support frame 22, thereby limiting the operating space S or excessively blocking the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 and the blocking portion 38, so that the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 cannot be operated to escape the blocking relationship.

[0029] Preferably, a second limiting portion 52 of the limiting member 26 faces the mounting member 40 of the bracket 32, forming a second limiting relationship 54. The second limiting relationship 54 allows the second limiting portion 52 and the mounting member 40 of the bracket 32 ​​to abut against each other to form a stop when the movable rail 24 is subjected to a second lateral external force F2 (for example, stretching away from the movable rail 24), thereby preventing the movable rail 24 from being stretched away from the support frame 22, thereby enlarging the operating space S, and causing the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 to be not blocked by the blocking portion 38 or insufficiently blocked, thereby breaking away from the blocking relationship.

[0030] Preferably, when the movable rail 24 is in the retracted position P1 relative to the support frame 22, the position of the first limiting portion 48 and the position of the second limiting portion 52 correspond to each other laterally, wherein the position of the mounting member 40 of the bracket 32 ​​is between the position of the first limiting portion 48 and the position of the second limiting portion 52, that is, the first limiting portion 48, the second limiting portion 52 and the mounting member 40 correspond to each other laterally.

[0031] When the frame 34 carries a load (not shown) whose width matches the normal width W of the frame 34 (i.e., the width of the load is equal to W), the movable rail 24 of the slide rail assembly 20 is not subjected to any external force (such as that caused by the first lateral external force F1) or tension (such as that caused by the second lateral external force F2). Therefore, the operating space S is not reduced or expanded, and the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 blocks the blocking portion 38, maintaining the blocking relationship.

[0032] As shown in FIG5 and FIG6, when a user wants to operate the load-on, replacement, or maintenance operation and needs to place the movable rail 24 in the open position P2, the user should first apply the pressing force Q to the operating portion 46 to release the blocking relationship between the locking portion 44 and the blocking portion 38, and then move the movable rail 24 in the opening direction D2, so that the movable rail 24 moves relative to the support frame 22 in the opening direction D2 to the open position P2. The open position P2 is relative to the retracted position P1, and is a relative position that facilitates the user to operate the load-on, replacement, or maintenance operation.

[0033] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the retaining member 26 includes a fixed portion 56 extending in the folding direction D1 and a handle portion 58 extending in the opening direction D2. The fixed portion 56 and the movable rail 24 have matching connection features and are removably attached to each other by means of snapping, plugging, and / or snapping, but this is not limited to this embodiment. Alternatively, the fixed portion 56 may be connected (e.g., fixedly attached) to the movable rail 24 and considered a part of the movable rail 24. The first retaining portion 48 is arranged on a surface 60 of the fixed portion 56. In this embodiment, the first retaining portion 48 is positioned above the surface 60, with the first retaining portion 48 being positioned higher than the surface 60. The first retaining portion 48 may be a rib or a protrusion, but this is not limited to this embodiment.

[0034] Preferably, the limiting member 26 further includes a wall portion 62 extending substantially perpendicular to the folding direction D1 and a stop portion 64 extending substantially perpendicular to the wall portion 62. The second limiting portion 52 is arranged on the stop portion 64.

[0035] Preferably, the wall portion 62 further includes a through-hole 66, which allows the operating portion 46 to pass through the through-hole 66 to the handle portion 58, so that when the movable rail 24 moves relative to the support frame 22, the user can hold the handle portion 58 and easily operate the operating portion 46.

[0036] As shown in Figures 9 to 11, in this embodiment, when the frame 34 carries a load (not shown) with a first width W1 exceeding the normal width W of the frame 34 (i.e., the first width W1 is greater than W), the movable rail 24 of the slide rail assembly 20 is pressed toward the movable rail 24 by the first lateral external force F1. The first lateral external force F1 can be caused by the first width W1 of the load, human compression, or other reasons, but is not limited in practice. At this time, when the movable rail 24 is pressed toward the support frame 22 by the first lateral external force F1, the first limiting relationship 50 causes the first limiting portion 48 to abut against the first column 36a of the frame 34, forming a stop. The surface 60 and the frame 34 prevent the operating space S from being restricted or the locking portion 44 of the lock member 28 from excessively engaging with the stop portion 38. Therefore, the locking portion 44 of the lock member 28 and the stop portion 38 block and maintain the blocking state. In this embodiment, the surface 60 of the fixing portion 56 and the first column 36a of the frame 34 may abut against each other to form a stopper, but the implementation is not limited thereto.

[0037] Since the operating space S is not restricted or the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 is not excessively engaged with the blocking portion 38, in this case, when the user wishes to operate the load loading, replacement, or maintenance operations, such as placing the movable rail 24 in the open position P2, the user applies the same pressing force Q to the operating portion 46, allowing the locking portion 44 and the blocking portion 38 to disengage from each other. The user then moves the movable rail 24 in the opening direction D2, causing the movable rail 24 to move relative to the support frame 22 in the opening direction D2 to the open position P2, thereby enabling the aforementioned operations to be performed.

[0038] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in this embodiment, when the second width W2 of the load (not shown) supported by the frame 34 is smaller than the normal width W of the frame 34 (i.e., the second width W2 is smaller than W), the movable rail 24 of the slide rail assembly 20 is pulled away from the movable rail 24 by the second lateral external force F2. The second lateral external force F2 can be caused by the second width W2 of the load, human stretching, or other reasons, but is not limited to this embodiment. At this time, when the movable rail 24 is pulled away from the support frame 22 by the second lateral external force F2, the second limiting relationship 54 causes the second limiting portion 52 to abut against the mounting member 40 of the bracket 32, forming a stop. This prevents the operating space S from being enlarged or the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 from disengaging from the blocking portion 38 or from insufficiently blocking each other. Consequently, the locking portion 44 of the locking member 28 and the blocking portion 38 block each other, maintaining the blocking relationship.

[0039] Because the operating space S is not enlarged or the locking portion 44 and the blocking portion 38 of the locking member 28 are not disengaged from each other or are insufficiently blocked, in this case, when the user wishes to perform operations such as loading, replacing, or repairing the load and requiring the movable rail 24 to be in the open position P2, the user applies the same pressing force Q to the operating portion 46 to disengage the locking portion 44 and the blocking portion 38 from their blocking relationship, and then moves the movable rail 24 in the opening direction D2, causing the movable rail 24 to move relative to the support frame 22 in the opening direction D2 to the open position P2, thereby enabling the aforementioned operations (as shown in FIG. 6 ).

[0040] FIG14 shows another embodiment of a slide rail assembly 200 according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment primarily in its construction method. The previous embodiment employed internal construction, while this embodiment employs external construction. Specifically, the slide rail assembly 200 is mounted to a frame 204 via a mounting member 202. Instead, a mounting seat 206 of the mounting member 202 protrudes outward from the frame 204. In this alternative embodiment, a second limiting portion 210 of a limiting member 208 faces the mounting seat 206 of a front bracket 212a, forming a second limiting relationship 214. This allows the second limiting portion 210 and the mounting seat 206 of the front bracket 212a to abut against each other, forming a stop.

[0041] The technical principle of this part is the same as that of the aforementioned embodiment, the only difference being that the second limiting relationship 214 is formed by the second limiting portion 210 and the mounting seat 206 of the front bracket 212a. For the sake of simplicity, it will not be further described here.

[0042] It can be seen from this that the slide rail assembly 20 of the embodiment of the present invention includes the following features:

[0043] 1. When the movable rail 24 is subjected to the first lateral external force F1, the first limiting portion 48 and the frame 34 abut against each other through the first limiting relationship 50 to form a stop, so that the operating space S is not restricted or the locking portion 44 of the lock member 28 and the blocking portion 38 are not excessively engaged, thereby keeping the lock member 28 in the blocking relationship and still being operable to disengage from the blocking relationship.

[0044] 2. When the movable rail 24 is subjected to the second lateral external force F2, the second limiting portion 52 and the bracket 32 ​​abut against each other through the second limiting relationship 54 to form a stop, so that the operating space S is not enlarged or the locking portion 44 and the blocking portion 38 of the locking member 28 are not separated from each other or are insufficiently blocked, thereby keeping the locking member 28 in the blocking relationship and still being able to be operated out of the blocking relationship.

[0045] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the aforementioned preferred embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be based on the scope of the attached patent application.

[0046] 20,200: Slide rail assembly

[0047] 22: Support frame

[0048] 24:Active track

[0049] 26,208: Limiting parts

[0050] 28: Lock

[0051] 30:Fixed rail

[0052] 32: Bracket

[0053] 32a,212a:Front bracket

[0054] 32b: Rear bracket

[0055] 34,204: Rack

[0056] 36a: First Column

[0057] 36b: Second column

[0058] 38: Block

[0059] 40,202: Mounting parts

[0060] 42,206: Mounting seat

[0061] 44: Lock

[0062] 46: Operation Department

[0063] 48: First limit part

[0064] 50: First limit relationship

[0065] 52,210: Second limit part

[0066] 54,214: Second limit relationship

[0067] 56:Fixed part

[0068] 58: handle

[0069] 60: Surface

[0070] 62: Wall

[0071] 64: Stopper

[0072] 66:Piercing

[0073] f:front-end

[0074] r:backend

[0075] D1: Folding direction

[0076] D2: Opening direction

[0077] F1: First lateral external force

[0078] F2: Second lateral external force

[0079] P1: folded position

[0080] P2: Open position

[0081] Q: Pressing force

[0082] S: Operation space

[0083] W: Normal width

[0084] W1: first width

[0085] W2: Second width

Claims

1. A slide rail assembly, mountable to a rack, comprising: a support frame including a stop portion; a movable rail and the support frame movable relative to each other; a stopper disposed on the movable rail, the stopper including a first stopper portion; and a lock operably disposed on the movable rail; wherein: When the movable rail is in a retracted position relative to the support frame, the lock member and the blocking portion are in a blocking relationship, so that the movable rail is maintained in the retracted position, so as to prevent the movable rail from moving from the retracted position to an open direction relative to the support frame; wherein, when the movable rail is in the retracted position relative to the support frame and the movable rail is subjected to a first lateral external force, the first limiting portion and the frame form a first limiting relationship, so that the lock member can be operably disengaged from the blocking relationship; wherein, the support frame includes a fixed rail and a bracket, and the fixed rail is mounted to the frame through the bracket; the limiting member further includes a second limiting portion; when the movable rail is subjected to a second lateral external force, the second limiting portion and the bracket form a second limiting relationship, so that the lock member can be operably disengaged from the blocking relationship.

2. The slide rail assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The first limiting portion is arranged on a surface of the limiting member; when the limiting member is arranged on the movable rail and is in the blocking relationship, the surface faces the frame.

3. The slide rail assembly according to claim 2, wherein: There is a step difference between the first limiting portion and the surface. The step difference is based on the surface. The first limiting portion is higher than the surface.

4. The slide rail assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The first lateral external force is an external force pressing toward the movable rail.

5. The slide rail assembly according to claim 1, wherein: When the limiting member is arranged on the movable rail and is in the blocking relationship, the second limiting portion faces the bracket.

6. The slide rail assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The bracket further includes at least one mounting member, through which the fixed rail is mounted to the frame; when the limiting member is arranged on the movable rail and is in the blocking relationship, the second limiting portion faces the mounting member.

7. The slide rail assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The mounting member includes a mounting seat; when the limiting member is arranged on the movable rail and is in the blocking relationship, the second limiting portion faces the mounting seat.

8. The slide rail assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The second lateral external force is an external force that stretches away from the movable rail.

9. A slide rail assembly comprising: a support frame comprising a fixed rail and a bracket, the bracket comprising at least one mounting member and a stopper; a movable rail and the support frame being longitudinally displaceable relative to each other; a limiter disposed on the movable rail, the limiter comprising a first limiter portion and a second limiter portion; and a lock operably disposed on the movable rail; wherein: When the movable rail is in a retracted position relative to the support frame, the lock member and the blocking portion are in a blocking relationship, so that the movable rail is maintained in the retracted position to prevent the movable rail from moving from the retracted position to an open direction relative to the support frame; wherein, when the movable rail is in the retracted position relative to the support frame, the position of the mounting member is between the position of the first limiting portion and the position of the second limiting portion, and the positions of the first limiting portion, the second limiting portion and the mounting member correspond to each other laterally.

10. The slide rail assembly according to claim 9, which can be mounted on a rack, wherein: When the movable rail is in the folded position relative to the support frame and the movable rail is subjected to a first transverse external force, the first limiting portion forms a first limiting relationship with the frame, so that the locking element can be operably separated from the blocking relationship.

11. The slide rail assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The first limiting portion is arranged on a surface of the limiting member; when the limiting member is arranged on the movable rail and is in the blocking relationship, the surface faces the frame.

12. The slide rail assembly according to claim 11, wherein: There is a step difference between the first limiting portion and the surface. The step difference is based on the surface. The first limiting portion is higher than the surface.

13. The slide rail assembly according to claim 12, wherein: When the movable rail is subjected to a second transverse external force, the second limiting portion and the mounting member form a second limiting relationship, so that the locking member can be operably separated from the blocking relationship.

14. The slide rail assembly according to claim 13, wherein: The mounting member includes a mounting seat; when the limiting member is arranged on the movable rail and is in the blocking relationship, the second limiting portion faces the mounting seat.

15. The slide rail assembly according to claim 14, wherein: The limiting component includes a fixing portion extending in a folding direction and a handle portion extending in an opening direction, wherein the folding direction is opposite to the opening direction.

16. The slide rail assembly according to claim 15, wherein: The limiting component further includes a wall portion extending substantially perpendicular to the folding direction and a stopping portion extending substantially perpendicular to the wall portion.

17. The slide rail assembly according to claim 16, wherein: The stopping portion is arranged with the second limiting portion.

18. The slide rail assembly according to claim 16, wherein: The wall portion includes a penetration space, and the penetration space is used for the lock component to penetrate to the handle portion.

19. The slide rail assembly of claim 18, wherein: The fixing portion is detachably connected to the movable rail.

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