Sequential drawer slide

Abstract

A sequential drawer slide is disclosed having rails that extend in a predetermined order, resulting in the weight of the drawer initially carried by multiple slides concurrently to increase the load rating of the assembly and prolong the life cycle of the drawer slide. The sequential actuation of the slide rails as the drawer is withdrawn from the cabinet is achieved by incorporating a catch between the small slide rail and the intermediate slide rail that resists extension of the small slide rail from the intermediate slide rail up to a decoupling force. If the decoupling force is greater than the force required to extend the intermediate slide rail from the large slide rail, then the intermediate slide rail and small slide rail nested therein will extend first, and the small slide rail with extend from the intermediate slide rail only after the intermediate slide rail is fully extended.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates generally to drawer slides, and more particularly to a drawer slide with a sequential opening mechanism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The use of drawer slides for file cabinets are well known. The drawer slides support the shelves or drawers in the cabinet, and extend horizontally to allow the shelves to be accessed external to the cabinet, facilitating both the retrieval and return of documents stored therein. [0003] A typical drawer slide has a plurality of nested or stacked rails that may slide against a set of bearings, especially ball bearings. The bearings are located in raceways longitudinally disposed along the slide rails. In a typical horizontal slide configuration, a first large slide rail is mounted to each inner side wall of the cabinet at the designated location for the shelf. A second, smaller slide rail is rigidly affixed to the drawer such that the drawer extends horizontally and is supported outside the cabi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The present invention provides a sequential extraction of the drawer slide rails that results in the weight of the drawer initially carried by both the combination of the intermediate and small slide rails concurrently, thereby increasing the load rating of the assembly and prolonging the life cycle of the drawer slides. The sequential actuation of the slide rails as the drawer is withdrawn from the cabinet is achieved by incorporating a catch or other impediment between the small slide rail and the intermediate slide rail that resists extension of the small slide rail from the intermediate slide rail up to a separation force J. As long as force J is greater than the force required to extend the intermediate slide rail from the large slide rail, then the intermediate slide rail (and small slide rail nested therein) will extend first, and the small slide rail with extend from the intermediate slide rail only after the intermediate slide rail is fully extended. The catch between the small and intermediate rails can be achieved by an interfering contact between the small and intermediate slides where the frictional forces of the contact resists separation of the two slide rails up to a separation force Jfriction. Alternate catches may be based on the deflection of an interfering member or other force generating mechanisms in additional to the frictional force achieved by the embodiment discussed below.

Problems solved by technology

Placing the entire load on the smallest slide has the effect of shortening the life cycle of the slides and limited the load rating of the drawer itself.

Premature failure or wear of the slides results, necessitating replacement of the slides and can lead to the entire cabinet being scrapped at considerable cost to the user.

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