Slide rail catch device

Abstract

A slide rail catch device is arranged on a slide rail, which includes an outer rail and an inner rail. The slide rail catch device comprises a base unit and a catch unit. The base unit includes an outer frame fixed to the outer rail, a base adapted to be fixed to the inner rail, and an inner support fixed to the base. The outer frame has an outer connecting portion fixed to the outer rail and an engaging portion extending away from the outer rail from the outer connecting portion. The engaging portion has an upper plate segment and a plurality of engaging segments. The catch unit includes a catch member pivotally arranged on the base and a driving member connected to the catch member and movably accommodated in a moving slot. The catch member has a catching portion capable of being caught on one of the engaging segments. The driving member is capable of driving the catch member to pivot so as to release the catching relationship between the catching portion and the engaging portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a locking device, and more particularly to a slide rail locking device. Background Technology

[0002] An existing slide rail locking device is disposed between the inner and outer rails of a slide rail to prevent the inner rail from sliding out relative to the outer rail. The slide rail is installed in a server rack, the outer rail is installed in the server rack, and the inner rail is connected to a server. The slide rail locking device includes an outer connecting frame fixed to the outer rail and a locking member pivotally mounted on the inner rail and capable of locking onto the outer connecting frame. When the locking member is locked onto the outer connecting frame, it prevents the inner rail from sliding out relative to the outer rail. When the locking relationship between the locking member and the outer connecting frame is released, the inner rail can move relative to the outer rail, thus allowing the server to be removed from the server rack for maintenance. However, in the existing slide rail locking device, after the locking relationship between the locking member and the outer connecting frame is released, the inner rail can be pulled out along with the server, but if the server remains in a movable state, server maintenance becomes difficult and inconvenient, therefore there is room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One object of the present invention is to provide a slide rail locking device that can solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] The slide rail locking device of the present invention is suitable for installation on a slide rail, the slide rail including an outer rail and an inner rail movable relative to the outer rail. The slide rail locking device includes a base unit, including an outer frame for fixing the outer rail, a base for fixing the inner rail, and an inner support fixed to the base. The outer frame has an outer connecting portion for fixing the outer rail and an engaging portion extending from the outer connecting portion away from the outer rail. The engaging portion has an upper plate segment connecting the outer connecting portion and a plurality of portions extending downward from the upper plate segment and spaced apart from the outer connecting portion. The system comprises: a locking section spaced apart from each other, wherein the inner support and the base together define a movable groove; and a locking unit, including a locking member pivotally mounted on the base, and a driving member connected to the locking member and movably accommodated in the movable groove. The locking member has a locking portion capable of locking onto one of the locking sections. The driving member can be driven to move within the movable groove to drive the locking member to pivot, thereby releasing the locking portion from the locking relationship with the locking portion, so that the inner rail, the base, and the inner support can move relative to the outer rail.

[0005] In some embodiments, the latching member further includes a pivot portion pivotally mounted on the base and connected to the latching portion, and a linkage portion connecting the pivot portion and the driving member.

[0006] In some embodiments, the drive member has an operating part and a drive portion connected to the operating part. The drive portion has a bottom wall connected to the operating part, a side wall connected to the bottom wall extending away from the operating part, and a top wall connected to the side wall and spaced apart from the bottom wall. The drive portion defines an engagement groove for receiving the linkage part.

[0007] In some embodiments, the linkage part forms an elongated linkage groove, and the sidewall forms a linkage protrusion that is movably accommodated in the linkage groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, the base has a base plate portion for pivoting the locking member, a guide portion connecting the side of the base plate portion away from the outer rail, and an inner engagement portion connecting the side of the base plate portion adjacent to the outer rail. The base plate portion forms an opening through which the locking member passes to engage with the engagement portion. The guide portion and the inner support together define the movable groove. The inner engagement portion is adapted to fix the inner rail.

[0009] In some embodiments, the inner support has a cover portion that engages with the base plate portion and a movable portion that connects to the cover portion. The cover portion forms a receiving groove for accommodating the latching member. The movable portion includes a base wall and a surrounding wall extending from the base wall toward the guide portion. The surrounding wall forms a communication port communicating with the receiving groove for the linkage portion to pass through. The base wall, the surrounding wall, and the guide portion form the movable groove with the opening facing downward.

[0010] In some embodiments, the guide portion forms a vertically extending guide groove on the surface facing the drive member, and the top wall forms a vertically extending guide block corresponding to and accommodated in the guide groove.

[0011] In some embodiments, the engaging portion further includes a lower plate segment connected to the outer connecting portion and located at an interval below the upper plate segment. The upper plate segment, the engaging portion, and the lower plate segment define a slot. The slot has a first groove defined by the engaging portion and the lower plate segment, and a second groove defined by the upper plate segment and the lower plate segment. The first groove communicates with the second groove, and the width of the first groove is smaller than the width of the second groove. The second groove is used to accommodate the locking portion. After the locking portion releases its engagement relationship with the engaging portion, when the inner rail, the base, and the inner support move relative to the outer rail, the locking portion can separate from the outer frame through the first groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the locking unit further includes an elastic element, which is a spring, and the upper surface of the top wall forms a top groove for receiving the elastic element, with one end of the elastic element abutting against the enclosure wall.

[0013] The present invention has at least the following advantages: the locking part of the locking member can be locked onto the locking section, the inner rail can be pulled out only a certain distance and can still be positioned relative to the outer frame, which facilitates the user to maintain the server set on the inner rail. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the slide rail locking device of the present invention, which is disposed on a slide rail;

[0016] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment and the slide rail.

[0017] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment described above;

[0018] Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a rear view of an inner support of a base unit in the embodiment described above;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a rear view of the embodiment, illustrating that a latching part of a latching member of a latching unit latches onto a first engaging segment of an engaging part of an outer frame;

[0021] Figure 7 and Figure 8 This is a rear view of the embodiment, illustrating the process by which the latching part of the latching member is pivoted downward by a driving member to release the latching relationship with the first engaging segment of the engaging part.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a rear view of the embodiment, illustrating that the latching part of the latching member latches onto a second engaging section of the engaging part. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Before the invention is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are represented by the same numbers in the following description.

[0024] See Figure 1 and Figure 2According to one embodiment of the slide rail locking device 10 of the present invention, it is suitable for installation on a slide rail 100, which is installed in a server rack (not shown) and includes an outer rail 101, a middle rail 102 movably installed on the outer rail 101, and an inner rail 103 movably installed on the middle rail 102. The outer rail 101 is fixed to the server rack (not shown), and the inner rail 103 is fixed to a server (not shown). The slide rail locking device 10 includes a base unit 1 and a locking unit 2.

[0025] See Figures 2 to 4 The base unit 1 includes an outer frame 11 for fixing the outer rail 101, a base 12 for fixing the inner rail 103, and an inner support 13 fixed to the base 12. The outer frame 11 has an outer connecting portion 111 for fixing the outer rail 101 and a locking portion 112 extending from the outer connecting portion 111 away from the outer rail 101. The locking portion 112 has an upper plate segment 112a connected to the outer connecting portion 111, a plurality of locking segments extending downward from the upper plate segment 112a and spaced apart from the outer connecting portion 111, and a lower plate segment 112c connected to the outer connecting portion 111 and located spaced below the upper plate segment 112a. The upper plate segment 112a, the engaging segment, and the lower plate segment 112c define a slot 113. The slot 113 has a first groove 113a defined by the engaging segment and the lower plate segment 112c, and a second groove 113b defined by the upper plate segment 112a and the lower plate segment 112c. The first groove 113a communicates with the second groove 113b, and the width of the first groove 113a is smaller than the width of the second groove 113b. In this embodiment, the engaging segments are spaced apart from each other. Specifically, it includes a first engaging segment 112b extending downward from the upper plate segment 112a and spaced from the outer connecting portion 111, and a second engaging segment 112d extending downward from the upper plate segment 112a and spaced from the first engaging segment 112b. However, this is not a limitation. In other embodiments, the number of engaging segments can be increased to three or four as needed, as long as there are multiple segments. In this embodiment, the first engaging section 112b and the lower plate section 112c define the first groove 113a. The upper plate section 112a, the first engaging section 112b, and the lower plate section 112c define the slot 113.

[0026] The base 12 has a base plate portion 121 for pivotally connecting to the locking unit 2, a guide portion 122 connecting the side of the base plate portion 121 away from the outer rail 101, and an inner engaging portion 123 connecting the side of the base plate portion 121 adjacent to the outer rail 101. The base plate portion 121 forms an opening 121a. The guide portion 122 forms a vertically extending guide groove 122a on its surface facing the inner support 13. The inner engaging portion 123 is adapted to fix the inner rail 103.

[0027] For reference Figure 5 The inner support 13 has a cover portion 131 that engages with the base plate portion 121 and a movable portion 132 that connects to the cover portion 131. The cover portion 131 is engaged with the base plate portion 121 by three fasteners 14, but is not limited thereto. The cover portion 131 forms a receiving groove 131a. The movable portion 132 includes a base wall 132a and a surrounding wall 132b extending from the base wall 132a toward the guide portion 122. The surrounding wall 132b forms a communication opening 132c that communicates with the receiving groove 131a. The base wall 132a, the surrounding wall 132b, and the guide portion 122 form a downward-opening movable groove 132d.

[0028] The locking unit 2 includes a locking member 21 pivotally mounted on the base plate portion 121 of the base 12, a driving member 22 connected to the locking member 21 and movably accommodated in the movable groove 132d, and an elastic member 23 disposed between the inner support 13 and the driving member 22. The elastic member 23 is a spring with one end abutting against the enclosure wall 132b and the other end abutting against the driving member 22. The locking member 21 can be accommodated in the receiving groove 131a and has a locking portion 211 that can pass through the opening 121a to lock onto the first engaging section 112b of the engaging portion 112 and movably accommodated in the second groove portion 113b, a pivot portion 212 pivotally mounted on the base 12 and connected to the locking portion 211, and a connecting portion 213 connected to the pivot portion 212 and connected to the driving member 22 through the communication port 132c. The linkage portion 213 forms an elongated linkage groove 213a. The pivot portion 212 is pivotally mounted to the base plate portion 121 via a pivot member 24.

[0029] The drive member 22 is generally square columnar in shape and has an operating part 221 and a drive part 222 connected to the operating part 221. The operating part 221 forms an operating surface 221a that protrudes downward in a spherical shape. The drive part 222 has a bottom wall 222a connected to the operating part 221, a side wall 222b connected to the bottom wall 222a and extending away from the operating part 221, and a top wall 222c connected to the side wall 222b and spaced from the bottom wall 222a. The drive part 222 defines a mating groove 223 for receiving the linkage part 213. The bottom wall 222a has an arcuate surface 222a1. The side wall 222b forms a linkage protrusion 222d that is movably received in the linkage groove 213a. The top wall 222c has a guide block 222c1 that extends vertically and is correspondingly accommodated in the guide groove 122a on the surface facing the base 12, and a top groove 222c2 for accommodating the elastic member 23 is formed on the upper surface of the top wall 222c.

[0030] See Figure 1 , Figures 6 to 9 The following is a brief description of the operation of the slide rail locking device 10 of the present invention: When the driving member 22 is not operated, the locking part 211 of the locking member 21 locks against the first locking section 112b of the locking part 112 to prevent the inner rail 103 from sliding out relative to the outer rail 101, as follows. Figure 6 As shown. Next, when an external object (not shown) moves along the length of the slide rail 100 toward the drive member 22 and abuts against the operating surface 221a, because the operating surface 221a protrudes downward in a spherical shape, the external object can abut against the drive member 22 during movement, causing the drive member 22 to be driven to move upward within the movable groove 132d. The linkage protrusion 222d of the drive part 222 moves within the linkage groove 213a to drive the linkage part 213 of the locking member 21 to move upward, thus driving the locking member 21 to pivot counterclockwise, causing the locking part 211 to move downward within the second groove 113b to release the locking relationship with the engaging part 112, as shown. Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown. After the locking part 211 releases its locking relationship with the first engaging section 112b of the engaging part 112, the inner rail 103, the base 12, and the inner support 13 can move relative to the outer rail 101. When the inner rail 103, the base 12, and the inner support 13 move relative to the outer rail 101, the locking part 211 can separate from the outer frame 11 through the first slot 113a, thereby allowing the server (not shown) fixed to the inner rail 103 to be removed from the server rack (not shown) for maintenance. If the user does not wish to remove the server fixed to the inner rail 103... Completely removing the server requires simply moving the locking part 211 to the interval between the first engaging segment 112b and the second engaging segment 112d. The elastic restoring force of the elastic member 23 will push the driving member 22 downward, causing the locking member 21 to pivot clockwise, thus locking the locking part 211 into the second engaging segment 112d. This allows the inner rail 103 and the server to be pulled out only a short distance, while ensuring that the base 12, the inner support 13, the locking member 21, the inner rail 103, and the server remain positioned relative to the outer frame 11. This also allows for convenient maintenance of the server. In other embodiments, if there are more engaging segments, such as a third or fourth segment, the user can decide which segment the locking part 211 should engage based on the desired pulling distance, providing considerable flexibility in use.

[0031] It should be noted that the design of the driving member 22, through the linkage protrusion 222d of the driving part 222 moving in the linkage groove 213a to drive the linkage part 213 of the locking member 21 upward, can improve the fit tolerance between the locking member 21 and the driving member 22. Even if the dimensions of the mass-produced locking members 21 are inconsistent, the design of the elongated linkage groove 213a and the linkage protrusion 222d allows the driving member 22 to still drive the linkage part 213 upward, thus pivoting the locking member 21. Furthermore, due to the arcuate surface 222a1 of the bottom wall 222a, the bottom wall 222a will not interfere with the linkage part 213 when moving upward.

[0032] In summary, the slide rail locking device 10 of the present invention can be locked onto one of the locking sections by the locking part 211 of the locking member 21. The inner rail 103 can be pulled out only a certain distance and can still be positioned relative to the outer frame 11, which makes it convenient for the user to maintain a server installed on the inner rail 103. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention can indeed be achieved.

[0033] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A slide rail locking device, suitable for installation on a slide rail, the slide rail comprising an outer rail and an inner rail movable relative to the outer rail, characterized in that: The slide rail locking device includes: The base unit includes an outer frame for fixing the outer rail, a base for fixing the inner rail, and an inner support fixed to the base. The outer frame has an outer connecting portion for fixing the outer rail and a locking portion extending from the outer connecting portion away from the outer rail. The locking portion has an upper plate segment connected to the outer connecting portion and a plurality of locking segments extending downward from the upper plate segment and spaced apart from the outer connecting portion. The locking segments are spaced apart from each other. The inner support and the base together define a movable groove. and The locking unit includes a locking member pivotally mounted on the base and a driving member connected to the locking member and movably accommodated in the movable slot. The locking member has a locking portion capable of locking into one of the engaging sections. The driving member can be driven to move within the movable slot to drive the locking member to pivot, thereby releasing the locking portion from the engaging portion, so that the inner rail, the base, and the inner support can move relative to the outer rail.

2. The slide rail locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The latching component further includes a pivot portion pivotally mounted on the base and connected to the latching part, and a linkage portion connecting the pivot portion and the driving component.

3. The slide rail locking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive member has an operating part and a drive portion connected to the operating part. The drive portion has a bottom wall connected to the operating part, a side wall connected to the bottom wall extending away from the operating part, and a top wall connected to the side wall and spaced apart from the bottom wall. The drive portion defines an engagement groove for receiving the linkage part.

4. The slide rail locking device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The linkage part forms an elongated linkage groove, and the sidewall forms a linkage protrusion that is movably accommodated in the linkage groove.

5. The slide rail locking device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The base has a base plate portion for pivoting the locking member, a guide portion connecting the side of the base plate portion away from the outer rail, and an inner engagement portion connecting the side of the base plate portion adjacent to the outer rail. The base plate portion forms an opening through which the locking member passes to engage with the engagement portion. The guide portion and the inner support together define the movable groove. The inner engagement portion is adapted to fix the inner rail.

6. The slide rail locking device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner support has a cover portion that engages with the base plate portion and a movable portion that connects to the cover portion. The cover portion forms a receiving groove for accommodating the latching member. The movable portion includes a base wall and a surrounding wall extending from the base wall toward the guide portion. The surrounding wall forms a communication port that communicates with the receiving groove for the linkage portion to pass through. The base wall, the surrounding wall, and the guide portion form the movable groove with the opening facing downwards.

7. The slide rail locking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide portion forms a vertically extending guide groove on the surface facing the drive member, and the top wall forms a vertically extending guide block that is accommodated in the guide groove.

8. The slide rail locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The engaging portion also has a lower plate segment connected to the outer connecting portion and located at an interval below the upper plate segment. The upper plate segment, the engaging portion, and the lower plate segment define a slot. The slot has a first groove defined by the engaging portion and the lower plate segment and a second groove defined by the upper plate segment and the lower plate segment. The first groove communicates with the second groove, and the width of the first groove is smaller than the width of the second groove. The second groove is used to accommodate the locking portion. After the locking portion releases its engagement relationship with the engaging portion, when the inner rail, the base, and the inner support move relative to the outer rail, the locking portion can separate from the outer frame through the first groove.

9. The slide rail locking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking unit also includes an elastic element, which is a spring. The upper surface of the top wall forms a top groove for receiving the elastic element, and one end of the elastic element abuts against the enclosure wall.

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