Electric Slide Rail

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric slide rail. The electric slide rail includes a track system, a power assembly and a transmission system. The track system includes an upper rail, a middle rail and a lower rail arranged in order from top to bottom, the power assembly is fixed to the lower rail, and the transmission system is fixed to the middle rail. The electric slide rail is configured such that the power assembly supplies power to the transmission system to drive the track system. The electric slide rail uses a brand new power and its transmission system, so that the entire movement process of the slide rail does not require continuous human power output, and can meet the usage needs of different scenarios, increase the degree of intelligence, and effectively improve the user's usage experience.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of slide rails, and in particular to motorized slide rails. [Background technology]

[0002] The slide rail can withstand a large load and reciprocate along the linear rail with only a small force. Taking advantage of the above characteristics, more and more refrigerator products are equipped with slide rail parts, from small internal storage parts (drawers, storage shelves, etc.) to large refrigerator doors.

[0003] The specific process of the conventional synchronous slide rail from the closed state to the open state is generally as follows: The upper rail receives a force and moves along the front direction. Due to the fixed action of the belt of the upper rail, the upper rail moves and at the same time, the belt is driven to move in the same direction as the upper rail. The belt rotates the front and rear timing pulleys correspondingly. The rotation direction is counterclockwise. At the same time, since the belt of the lower rail is fixed and the lower rail is a fixed mounting rail, the middle rail also moves along the same direction as the upper rail correspondingly, and the speed at this time is half that of the upper rail. The synchronous shaft mounted on the rear timing pulley moves the slide rail on the other side to perform synchronous movement. The operating principle of the slide rail from the open state to the closed state is the same as the above operating principle, but the direction is reversed. Since the conventional synchronous slide rail lacks power and its transmission system, it is necessary to continue to provide a pulling force / thrust by human power during the entire process. Otherwise, the guide rail cannot be displaced until it is fully opened or fully closed.

[0004] If the pulling / thrust force by the human power is not continuously provided, the guide rail cannot be displaced to the fully open or fully closed state, which causes a lot of inconvenience to the user in some scenes. For example, when the user needs to open the refrigerator even though he has a lot of things in both hands, the elderly user finds it difficult to continue the pull-out operation when bending down to put things in and take things out of the refrigerator, and the sliding rail cannot be fully opened or closed, which causes a bad user experience. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One objective of the present invention is to realize automatic opening and closing of the slide rail to improve the user's experience.

[0006] A further object of the present invention is to reduce rattle and improve smoothness during movement of the slide rail. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In particular, the present invention provides an electric slide rail, which includes a track system, a power assembly, and a transmission system, the track system including an upper rail, a middle rail, and a lower rail arranged in order from top to bottom, the power assembly being fixed to the lower rail, and the transmission system being fixed to the middle rail, and the electric slide rail is configured such that the power assembly supplies power to cause the transmission system to drive the track system.

[0008] Preferably, the power assembly includes a motor and a power wheel, and the power assembly is configured such that, after energization, the motor starts operating to rotate the power wheel.

[0009] Preferably, the transmission system is a transmission rack, and the transmission rack and the power wheel are meshed.

[0010] Preferably, as the power wheels rotate, the transmission rack is driven and the middle rail moves accordingly.

[0011] Preferably, the electric slide rail further includes a front timing pulley, a rear timing pulley, and a timing belt, the front timing pulley and the rear timing pulley are both fixed to the middle rail, and the timing belt is fixed to the upper rail and the lower rail, respectively, via an upper fixing device and a lower fixing device.

[0012] Preferably, as the middle rail moves, the front timing pulley and the rear timing pulley rotate under the action of the timing belt, and the upper rail is displaced accordingly.

[0013] Preferably, a synchronization shaft is provided in front of each of the two electric slide rails, and both ends of the synchronization shaft are fixed to the center of the rear timing pulley of each of the electric slide rails.

[0014] Preferably, the rear timing pulley of one of the electric slide rails rotates a synchronous shaft, which in turn drives the other electric slide rail to perform synchronous displacement motion.

[0015] Preferably, the power assembly further includes an assist device configured to assist operation of the motor, the assist device including a clutch and a reducer.

[0016] Preferably, the displacement amount and linear displacement velocity of the upper rail are twice as large as the displacement amount and linear displacement velocity of the middle rail, respectively. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The electric slide rail of the present invention comprises a track system, a power assembly and a transmission system, the track system includes an upper rail, a middle rail and a lower rail arranged in order from top to bottom, the power assembly is fixed to the lower rail, the transmission system is fixed to the middle rail, and the electric slide rail is configured such that the power assembly supplies power to the transmission system to drive the track system. The brand new power and its transmission system do not require continuous human power output during the entire movement process of the slide rail, which can meet the usage needs of different scenarios, increase the degree of intelligence, and effectively improve the user's usage experience.

[0018] The electric slide rail of the present invention further comprises a front timing pulley, a rear timing pulley and a timing belt, the front timing pulley and the rear timing pulley are both fixed to the middle rail, the timing belt is fixed to the upper rail and the lower rail via an upper fixture and a lower fixture, respectively, and as the middle rail moves, the front timing pulley and the rear timing pulley rotate due to the action of the timing belt, and the upper rail is displaced accordingly. During the movement of the slide rail, the upper rail and the lower rail are displaced simultaneously to reach the stop point, and there is no rattling feeling due to impact.

[0019] Furthermore, in the electric slide rail of this embodiment, the transmission rack is positioned above the middle rail, and the displacement amount of the upper rail is twice that of the middle rail. This position makes it possible to achieve the maximum displacement amount of the entire track system with the minimum length of the transmission rack.

[0020] Based on the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings, those skilled in the art will more clearly understand the above and its objects, advantages and features of the present invention.

[0021] Some specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example and not by way of limitation, with reference to the drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts or portions, and which, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view of an electric slide rail according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] This embodiment provides an electric slide rail. With a completely new power and its transmission system, the entire movement process of the slide rail does not require continuous human power output, and can meet the use needs of different scenarios. FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric slide rail 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric slide rail 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment may generally include a track system 110, a power assembly 120, and a transmission system.

[0024] The track system 110 includes an upper rail 111, a middle rail 112, and a lower rail 113 arranged from top to bottom, a power assembly 120 is fixed to the lower rail 113, and a transmission system is fixed to the middle rail 112. The electric slide rail 100 is configured such that the power assembly 120 supplies power to the transmission system, which drives the track system 110.

[0025] In a specific embodiment, the power assembly 120 may include a motor 121 and a power wheel 122. The power assembly 120 is configured such that the motor 121 starts to operate and rotates the power wheel 122 after being energized. In a preferred embodiment, the power assembly 120 may further include an assist device configured to assist the operation of the motor 121, and the assist device includes a clutch and a reducer.

[0026] The electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment includes a track system 110, a power assembly 120, and a transmission system. The track system 110 includes an upper rail 111, a middle rail 112, and a lower rail 113 arranged in this order from top to bottom, the power assembly 120 is fixed to the lower rail 113, and the transmission system is fixed to the middle rail 112.

[0027] The electric slide rail 100 is configured such that the power assembly 120 supplies power, and the transmission system drives the track system 110. A brand new power and its transmission system eliminate the need for continuous human power output during the entire movement process of the slide rail, and can meet the usage needs of different scenarios.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the transmission system is a transmission rack 130, and the transmission rack 130 is meshed with the power wheel 122. The transmission rack 130 is disposed above the middle rail 112, and the displacement amount and the linear displacement velocity of the upper rail 111 are twice as much as those of the middle rail 112, so that the maximum displacement amount of the entire track system 110 can be realized with the minimum length of the transmission rack 130. By making the length of the transmission rack 130 as short as possible, the cost and the occupied space can be effectively saved.

[0029] It should be noted that when the power wheel 122 rotates, the transmission rack 130 is driven at the same time, and the middle rail 112 moves accordingly. In a preferred embodiment, the motorized slide rail 100 may further include a front timing pulley 141, a rear timing pulley 142, and a timing belt 143. The front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 are both fixed to the middle rail 112, and the timing belt 143 is fixed to the upper rail 111 and the lower rail 113, respectively, via an upper fixture 144 and a lower fixture (not shown because they are covered in the figure).

[0030] Simultaneously with the movement of the middle rail 112, the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 rotate under the action of the timing belt 143, and the upper rail 111 is also displaced accordingly. In one specific embodiment, the electric sliding rail 100 of this embodiment can be applied to an article such as a drawer, and two electric sliding rails 100 are attached to both sides of the bottom of the drawer.

[0031] In one preferred embodiment, a synchronous shaft is provided in front of the two electric slide rails 100, and both ends of the synchronous shaft are fixed to the center of the rear timing pulley 142 of each electric slide rail 100. The rear timing pulley 142 of one electric slide rail 100 rotates the synchronous shaft, which drives the other electric slide rail 100 to perform synchronous displacement motion.

[0032] That is, since the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment has a synchronization system, the electric opening and closing of the slide rail can be realized simply by attaching the power assembly 120 and its transmission system to one side of the electric slide rail 100. In addition, due to the function of the synchronization system, the upper rail 111 and the lower rail 113 are displaced simultaneously during the movement of the electric slide rail 100 to reach the end point, and there is no rattling feeling due to impact.

[0033] By only installing the power assembly 120 and its transmission system on one side of the electric slide rail 100, it is possible to effectively reduce production costs, improve assembly efficiency, and reduce the overall space occupied by the electric slide rail 100. When applied to a closed drawer of a refrigerator, it is possible to avoid occupying a storage container.

[0034] The electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment includes a track system 110, a power assembly 120, and a transmission system, the track system 110 includes an upper rail 111, a middle rail 112, and a lower rail 113 arranged from top to bottom, the power assembly 120 is fixed to the lower rail 113, and the transmission system is fixed to the middle rail 112, and the electric slide rail 100 is configured such that the power assembly 120 supplies power and the transmission system drives the track system 110. With the use of a brand new power and its transmission system, the entire movement process of the slide rail does not require continuous human power output, which can meet the use needs of different scenarios.

[0035] Furthermore, the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment further includes a front timing pulley 141, a rear timing pulley 142, and a timing belt 143, the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 are both fixed to the middle rail 112, and the timing belt 143 is fixed to the upper rail 111 and the lower rail 113 via an upper fixture 144 and a lower fixture, respectively, and the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 rotate due to the action of the timing belt 143 at the same time as the middle rail 112 moves, and the upper rail 111 is also displaced accordingly. During the movement of the slide rail, the upper rail 111 and the lower rail 113 are displaced at the same time to reach the stop point, and there is no rattling feeling of impact.

[0036] Furthermore, in the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment, the transmission rack 130 is positioned above the middle rail 112, and the displacement amount of the upper rail 111 is twice that of the middle rail 112. Therefore, this position makes it possible to realize the maximum displacement amount of the entire track system 110 with the minimum length of the transmission rack 130.

[0037] It should be noted that in some other embodiments, some structures, devices, method steps may be replaced, and even the entire technical solution may be replaced. For example, the power assembly 120 in this embodiment is fixed to the lower rail 113 for the purpose of integrating parts and facilitating subsequent installation. In some other embodiments, the power assembly 120 may also be attached to a fixed surface near the lower rail 113. This allows the transmission gear between the power wheel 122 and the transmission rack 130 to be increased. There may be one or more transmission gears, which can reduce the diameter of the power wheel 122 and improve the power output from the power wheel 122.

[0038] In addition, the transmission rack 130 in this embodiment is fixed on the middle rail 112, while in some other embodiments, the transmission rack 130 may be fixed on the upper rail 111. The transmission rack 130 and the timing belt 143 in this embodiment are located on the same side. In some other embodiments, the position of the transmission rack 130 may be set on the other side of the timing belt 143.

[0039] It should be emphasized that the specific process of the conventional synchronous slide rail from the closed state to the open state is generally as follows: The upper rail receives a force and moves along the front direction. Due to the fixed action of the belt of the upper rail, the upper rail moves and at the same time the belt moves in the same direction as the upper rail. The belt rotates the front and rear timing pulleys correspondingly. The rotation direction is counterclockwise. Meanwhile, since the belt of the lower rail is fixed and the lower rail is a fixed mounting rail, the middle rail also moves along the same direction as the upper rail correspondingly. Its speed is half that of the upper rail. A synchronous shaft is installed on the rear timing pulley. The synchronous shaft moves the slide rail on the other side to perform synchronous motion. The operating principle of the slide rail from the open state to the closed state is the same as the above operating principle, but the direction is reversed. Due to the lack of power and its transmission system in the conventional synchronous slide rail, it is necessary to continue to provide pulling force / thrust by human power during the entire process. Otherwise, the guide rail cannot move until it is fully opened or fully closed.

[0040] In the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment, a completely new power and its transmission system are designed, which makes it possible to provide continuous power output for the movement of the slide rail, thereby solving the problem of continuously providing manual pulling force / thrust force during the movement process of the conventional slide rail, and can meet the needs of different scenarios by matching different control opening and closing modes, such as buttons, voice, touch, tap, or artificially applying short-term pushing force.

[0041] Anyway, the whole operation process of the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment may be as follows: The motor 121 is energized to start operation and rotate the power wheel 122. At the same time as the power wheel 122 rotates, the transmission rack 130 is driven, and the middle rail 112 moves accordingly. At the same time as the middle rail 112 moves, the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 rotate due to the action of the timing belt 143, and the upper rail 111 is also displaced accordingly. The rear timing pulley 142 of one electric slide rail 100 rotates the synchronous shaft, which drives the other electric slide rail 100 to perform synchronous displacement motion.

[0042] As described above, the electric sliding rail 100 of the present embodiment can be applied to an article such as a drawer, and two electric sliding rails 100 are provided on both sides of the bottom of the drawer. The drawer can also be applied to a refrigerator. A refrigerator may generally include a box body, a door body, and a closed drawer.

[0043] A storage space and a cooling chamber are defined inside the box. The storage space is provided with a plurality of storage regions. The number and structure of the storage spaces may be arranged according to demand. The storage spaces may be arranged as a refrigerated space, a freezer space, a variable temperature space, or a freshness-preserving space according to different uses. Each storage space is divided into a plurality of storage regions by partitions, and items are stored using shelves or drawers. At least one storage space in the refrigerator is provided with a sealed drawer, and the electric slide rail 100 is fixed to both sides of the bottom of the sealed drawer via a slide rail reinforcing iron. In addition, the power assembly 120 and the transmission system only need to be attached to the electric slide rail 100 on one side, and the synchronous displacement movement can be realized even if they are not attached to the other side.

[0044] The door body is provided on the front of the box body so as to operably open and close the storage space. The door body is provided corresponding to the storage space, that is, one or more door bodies are provided corresponding to each storage space. The number of storage spaces and door bodies, and the functions of the storage spaces may be actually selected according to specific circumstances. The door body may be pivotally provided on the front of the box body, or may be opened in a drawer style. The drawer style storage space may be provided with the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the effect is soft during the opening and closing of the drawer, and the noise can also be reduced.

[0045] The evaporator is disposed in the cooling chamber and configured to supply a cooling amount to the storage space. Since the cooling amount supplied from the evaporator to each type of storage space is different, the temperature in each type of storage space is also different. For example, the temperature in the refrigerated space is generally 2°C to 10°C, and preferably 4°C to 7°C. The temperature range in the freezer space is generally -22°C to -14°C. Different types of goods have different optimal storage temperatures, and furthermore, different storage spaces are suitable for storage. For example, fruits and vegetables are suitable for storage in the refrigerated space or freshness-preserving space, while meat is suitable for storage in the freezer space.

[0046] The sealed drawer may include a drawer cylinder and a drawer body. The drawer cylinder has a front opening and is fixed to the inner box of the box. The drawer body is slidably attached within the drawer cylinder, so that it can be operably pulled outward or inserted inward relative to the front opening of the drawer cylinder. It should be noted that the inner box and the drawer cylinder may be integrally molded, or may be molded separately and then attached. The box may further include a case and a heat-insulating layer. The case is provided outside the inner box. The heat-insulating layer is provided between the case and the inner box to insulate heat from outside the refrigerator.

[0047] A specific embodiment will be introduced below. When the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment is attached to a closed drawer of a refrigerator, a command to open the closed drawer is obtained from a user, and based on the command, the motor 121 is energized to start operating and can be controlled to rotate the power wheel 122. At the same time that the power wheel 122 rotates, the transmission rack 130 is driven, and the middle rail 112 moves accordingly. At the same time that the middle rail 112 moves, the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 rotate due to the action of the timing belt 143, and the upper rail 111 also moves accordingly. The rear timing pulley 142 of one electric slide rail 100 rotates a synchronous shaft, and the synchronous shaft drives the other electric slide rail 100 to perform a synchronous displacement motion. In other words, by applying the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to improve the degree of overall intelligence of home appliances such as refrigerators, contribute to the realization of the upgrade of smart home appliances, and greatly improve the user experience.

[0048] The electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment includes a track system 110, a power assembly 120, and a transmission system, the track system 110 includes an upper rail 111, a middle rail 112, and a lower rail 113, which are arranged from top to bottom, the power assembly 120 is fixed to the lower rail 113, and the transmission system is fixed to the middle rail 112, and the electric slide rail 100 is configured such that the power assembly 120 supplies power and the transmission system drives the track system 110. With the use of a brand new power and its transmission system, the entire movement process of the slide rail does not require continuous human power output, which can meet the use needs of different scenarios.

[0049] Furthermore, the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment further includes a front timing pulley 141, a rear timing pulley 142, and a timing belt 143, the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 are both fixed to the middle rail 112, and the timing belt 143 is fixed to the upper rail 111 and the lower rail 113 via an upper fixture 144 and a lower fixture, respectively, and the front timing pulley 141 and the rear timing pulley 142 rotate due to the action of the timing belt 143 at the same time as the middle rail 112 moves, and the upper rail 111 is also displaced accordingly. During the movement of the slide rail, the upper rail 111 and the lower rail 113 are displaced at the same time to reach the stop point, and there is no rattling feeling of impact.

[0050] Furthermore, in the electric slide rail 100 of this embodiment, the transmission rack 130 is positioned above the middle rail 112, and the displacement amount of the upper rail 111 is twice that of the middle rail 112. Therefore, due to this position, the maximum displacement amount of the entire track system 110 can be achieved with the minimum length of the transmission rack 130.

[0051] In describing the present embodiment, it should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", etc. are orientations or positional relationships based on the drawings, and are merely intended to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description, and do not necessarily indicate or hint that such devices or elements have a specific orientation and are configured or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0052] Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "attached", "connected", "connected", "fixed", "coupled", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, unless otherwise clearly limited, they may be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integral. They may be mechanically connected or electrically connected. They may be directly connected, indirectly connected via an intermediate medium, or may be internal communication between two elements or an interactive relationship between two elements. A person skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific situation.

[0053] In the description of the present embodiment, references such as "one embodiment," "several embodiments," "schematic embodiment," "example," "particular example," or "several examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described with reference to the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, general references to the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0054] Although several exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the present invention can still be directly identified or derived based on the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and therefore the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. An electric slide rail, a track system, a power assembly, and a transmission system; The track system includes an upper rail, a middle rail, and a lower rail arranged in this order from top to bottom, The power assembly is fixed to the lower rail, The transmission system is fixed to the middle rail. The motorized slide rail is configured such that the power assembly supplies power to the transmission system, thereby driving the track system; The power assembly includes a motor and a power wheel. The power assembly is configured such that, after energization, the motor starts operating to rotate the power wheel; The transmission system is a transmission rack, and the transmission rack and the power wheel are meshed with each other; The electric slide rail further includes a front timing pulley, a rear timing pulley, and a timing belt, the front timing pulley and the rear timing pulley are both fixed to the middle rail, The timing belt is fixed to the upper rail and the lower rail via an upper fixture and a lower fixture, respectively. The electric slide rail, wherein the transmission rack and the timing belt are located on the same side of the track system.

2. 2. The electric slide rail according to claim 1, wherein when the power wheel rotates, the transmission rack is driven at the same time, and the middle rail moves accordingly.

3. 2. The electric slide rail according to claim 1, wherein the timing belt rotates the front timing pulley and the rear timing pulley simultaneously with the movement of the middle rail, thereby displacing the upper rail.

4. 4. The electric slide rail according to claim 3, wherein a synchronization shaft is provided in front of each of the two electric slide rails, and both ends of the synchronization shaft are fixed to the center of the rear timing pulley of each of the electric slide rails.

5. 5. The electric slide rail according to claim 4, wherein the rear timing pulley of one of the electric slide rails rotates the synchronization shaft, and the synchronization shaft drives the other electric slide rail to perform synchronous displacement motion.

6. the power assembly further includes an assist device configured to assist operation of the motor; The electric slide rail according to claim 1 , wherein the support device includes a clutch and a reducer.

7. 2. The electric slide rail according to claim 1, wherein the displacement amount and the linear displacement velocity of the upper rail are twice as large as the displacement amount and the linear displacement velocity of the middle rail, respectively.

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