Slide rail with shock absorber

Abstract

To provide a slide rail with shock absorber which operates even when the slide rail is extended or shrunk.SOLUTION: In a slide rail constituted by a first outer member on a fixation side, a second outer member, a first inner member and a second inner member and a bracket integrally connecting the inner members on a movement side, a shock absorber which generates a buffer effect on the extension side is installed in the inner member; a shock absorber which generates a buffer effect on the shrinkage side is installed on the fixation side; an operation piece for compressing the shock absorber is provided on the movement side; and the shock in the time of shrinkage is relieved in the time of extension of the slide rail since the shock absorber is compressed by the operation piece following the extension and shrinkage of the slide rail.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slide rail with a buffer device used in drawers, display shelves, copiers, and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, numerous slide rails equipped with buffer devices have been provided. Among such buffer devices, there are those in which the buffer effect works when the slide rail extends and those in which the buffer effect works when the slide rail contracts. And usually, a buffer such as an air damper or an oil damper is used to reduce the moving speed of the slide rail during sliding. However, the buffer (brake) function of a slide rail equipped with a buffer device generally works only when the slide rail extends or only when it contracts (for example, Patent Document 1). Therefore, a slide rail equipped with a buffer device that operates both when it extends and when it contracts has been desired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a slide rail with a buffer device that operates with a simple structure both when the slide rail extends and when it contracts.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention has configured, as the first means, a slide rail having a first outer member and a second outer member, a first inner member slidably held by a ball on the first outer member, a second inner member slidably held by a ball on the second outer member, a first ball retainer that rotatably holds the ball on the first outer member side, and a second ball retainer that rotatably holds the ball on the second outer member side, wherein the first inner member and the second inner member are integrally formed via a bracket, the inner member is slidable relative to the first outer member, and the second outer member is slidable relative to the inner member, and a cushioning device that generates a cushioning effect when the slide rail is extended and a cushioning device that generates a cushioning effect when the slide rail is retracted are provided, and the cushioning device is configured to mitigate impact in both cases of slide rail extension and retraction. The shock absorber generates a shock absorber effect by being compressed in the sliding direction of the slide rail, and this compression is performed by an operating piece that moves in conjunction with the sliding of the slide rail, with a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when extended provided on the bracket, a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when contracted provided on the first outer member side, and the respective operating pieces that compress each shock absorber provided on the second outer member side. This configuration was adopted.

[0007] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention is the first 2 The means used to construct this was, A slide rail comprising a first outer member and a second outer member, a first inner member slidably held by the first outer member by balls, a second inner member slidably held by the second outer member by balls, a first ball retainer that rotatably holds the balls on the first outer member side, and a second ball retainer that rotatably holds the balls on the second outer member side, wherein the first inner member and the second inner member are integrally formed via a bracket, the inner member is slidable relative to the first outer member, and the second outer member is slidable relative to the inner member, and a shock absorber is provided that generates a shock absorber effect when the slide rail is extended and a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when the slide rail is retracted, and the shock absorbers are configured to mitigate impact in both cases of slide rail extension and retraction. The shock absorber generates a shock absorber effect by being compressed in the sliding direction of the slide rail. This compression is performed when the shock absorber comes into contact with an operating piece as the slide rail slides. The shock absorber is configured such that a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when extended and a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when contracted are provided on the second outer member side, an operating piece that compresses the shock absorber when extended is provided on the bracket, and an operating piece that compresses the shock absorber when contracted is provided on the first outer member side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the first configuration of the present invention, since the actuation pieces for compressing the shock absorber are provided on both the contraction side and the extension side, the damping force of the shock absorber can apply braking and mitigate impact when the slide rail is extended or contracted. Furthermore, since the damping action that generates the damping force of the shock absorber is divided between extension and contraction, the durability of the shock absorber can be improved. Furthermore, a damping device that generates a cushioning effect when extended is provided on the bracket, and a damping device that generates a cushioning effect when contracted is provided on the first outer member side. Each operating piece that compresses each damping device is provided on the second outer member side, which moves from the most contracted to the most extended side of the slide rail. As a result, the second outer member on the moving side provides a cushioning effect both when it is most contracted and most extended. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the damping force of the damping devices can brake and mitigate impact in both the most contracted and most extended states of the slide rail.

[0010] This invention 2 According to the configuration as a means, Since the damping mechanism has actuators on both the contraction and extension sides, the damping force of the damping mechanism can apply braking force and mitigate impacts when the slide rail is extended or contracted. Furthermore, since the damping action that generates the damping force of the shock absorber is divided between extension and contraction, the durability of the shock absorber can be improved. moreover, A shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when extended and another that generates a shock absorber effect when retracted are provided on the second outer member side, an operating piece that compresses the shock absorber when extended is provided on the bracket, and a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when retracted is provided on the first outer member side. As a result, the shock absorber provides a shock absorber effect when the second outer member on the moving side is fully retracted and fully extended, so that the damping force of the shock absorber can apply the brakes and mitigate the impact in both cases of the slide rail being fully retracted and fully extended, with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Perspective view of the slide rail in the extended position. [Figure 2] Perspective view of the slide rail in its retracted state. [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view of the slide rail [Figure 4] Front view of the slide rail [Figure 5] Side view of the slide rail in its most retracted state. [Figure 6] Side view of the slide rail inner member in its fully extended state. [Figure 7] Side view showing the state in which the shock absorber begins to operate due to the extension actuation piece when the slide rail is extended. [Figure 8] Side view of the slide rail in its fully extended state. [Figure 9] Side view showing the state in which the shock absorber begins to operate due to the contraction actuation piece when the slide rail is retracted. [Figure 10]Side view of the slide rail in the most contracted state of the second embodiment [Figure 11] Side view of the inner member of the slide rail in the most extended state of the second embodiment [Figure 12] Side view of the slide rail in the second embodiment when the buffer device starts to operate by the extension operating piece during extension [Figure 13] Side view of the slide rail in the most extended state of the second embodiment [Figure 14] Side view of the slide rail in the second embodiment when the buffer device starts to operate by the contraction operating piece during contraction

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. For convenience, the left - right direction in FIG. 7, that is, the sliding direction of the slide rail, is taken as the extension direction, the pulling - out direction, the front - rear direction, the up - down direction in FIG. 4 is taken as the height direction, and the left - right direction in FIG. 4 is taken as the horizontal direction for description. And the extension direction of the slide rail is described as the front direction, and the contraction direction of the slide rail is described as the rear direction. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 indicates the slide rail of the present invention. The slide rail 100 includes an upper first outer member 1A, a lower first outer member 1B disposed below the upper first outer member 1A, and a first outer member base material 10 which is a bracket integrally connecting the upper first outer member 1A and the lower first outer member 1B, and the first outer member 1 is constituted. Next, an upper second outer member 2A disposed horizontally spaced from the upper first outer member 1A, a lower second outer member 2B disposed horizontally spaced from the lower first outer member 1B, and a second outer member base material 2C which is a bracket integrally connecting the upper second outer member 2A and the lower second outer member 2B, and the second outer member 2 is constituted.

[0013] The inner member 34 is composed of an upper first inner member 3A that is fitted into the upper first outer member 1A, a lower first inner member 3B that is fitted into the lower first outer member 1B, an upper second inner member 4A that is fitted into the upper second outer member 2A, an upper second inner member 4B that is fitted into the lower second outer member 2B, and an inner bracket 7 that integrally connects the upper first inner member 3A, the lower first inner member 3B, the upper second inner member 4A, and the upper second inner member 4B.

[0014] Furthermore, an upper first ball retainer 5A is provided between the upper first outer member 1A and the upper first inner member 3A, a lower first ball retainer 5B is provided between the lower first outer member 1B and the lower first inner member 3B, an upper second ball retainer 6A is provided between the upper second outer member 2A and the upper second inner member 4A, and a lower second ball retainer 6B is provided between the lower second outer member 2B and the lower second inner member 4B. In addition, multiple balls 500... are rotatably held in each of the upper first ball retainer 5A, the lower first ball retainer 5B, the upper second ball retainer 6A, and the lower second ball retainer 6B.

[0015] Since the upper first to lower second outer members 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B are formed in the same shape, only the upper first outer member 1A will be described in detail. The upper first outer member 1A is formed in a substantially channel shape from upper and lower bent edges 11A, 11A, which have ball guide grooves in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface, formed by bending both short ends of a long, narrow metal plate inward into an arc shape, and a base plate 12A that connects the upper and lower bent edges 11A, 11A. Then, the extension (pull-out) end and the contraction (pull-in) end of the substrate 12A of the upper first outer member 1A are bent in the direction of the inner rail 2, respectively, to form an extension-side movement stopper 13A and a contraction-side movement stopper 14A, which the pull-out end of the upper first ball retainer 5A abuts against. The upper first outer members 1A and 2A, 2B are formed in the same shape, but the upper second outer members 2A, 2B are installed symmetrically with respect to outer member 1A in the sliding direction. Therefore, the stoppers 23A, 24A, 23B, 23B corresponding to the extension-side movement stoppers 13A and 14A have extension-side movement stoppers 23A, 23B formed on the contraction end side and contraction-side movement stoppers 24A, 24B formed on the extension end side.

[0016] As shown in Figure 4, the first outer member base material 10 consists of an upper first outer member 1A and a lower first outer member 1B arranged parallel to each other in the vertical direction, and integrally connected by the first outer member base material 10. The first outer member base material 10 is made of steel plate and is set to a length slightly shorter than the long lengths of the base plates 12A and 12B of the upper first outer member 1A and the lower first outer member 1B. The height of the rectangular plate-shaped connecting base 101 is greater than the height of the upper first outer member 1A and the lower first outer member 1B placed vertically side by side. A contraction-side buffer device holding part 102 is formed protruding downward at a position slightly contracted from the extension-side end of the slide rail at the lower end of the connecting base 101.

[0017] The second outer member base material 2C is made of steel plate and is set to a length slightly shorter than the long lengths of the base plates 22A and 22B of the upper second outer member 2A and the lower second outer member 2B, and in the height direction is greater than the height when the upper second outer member 2A and the lower second outer member 2B are stacked in the height direction. The rectangular plate-shaped connecting base 21C has an extension operating piece 22C formed by bending in the direction of the upper and lower bent edges 21A at the contraction side end of the slide rail at the upper end of the connecting base 21C, and a contraction operating piece 23C formed by bending in the direction of the upper and lower bent edges 21A (21B) at the extension side end of the slide rail at the lower end of the connecting base 21C.

[0018] The substrate 22A of the upper second outer member 2A is superimposed on the connecting base 21C of the second outer member base material 2C formed in this manner and fixed detachably with screws. The lower second outer member 2B is positioned below the upper second outer member 2A, parallel to the upper second outer member 2A and with the same length, and similarly the connecting base 21C and substrate 22B are superimposed and fixed detachably with screws. In this state, the contraction-side operating piece 22C is positioned above the upper bent edge 21A near the contraction-side end of the upper second outer member 2A, and the extension-side operating piece 23C is positioned below the lower bent edge 21B near the extension-side end of the lower second outer member 2B.

[0019] Next, we will describe the inner members in detail. Since the upper first to lower second inner members 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B are formed in the same shape, we will only describe the upper first inner member 3A in detail. The upper first inner member 3A is formed to be slightly shorter in the longitudinal direction than the upper first outer member 1A, and is sized to slide freely against the upper first outer member 1A via the balls 500... held by the upper first ball retainer 5A. It is formed by bending both short ends of a thin metal strip outwards into an arc shape, and is formed in a roughly U-shape in cross-section from the upper and lower bent edges 31A, 31A and the base plate 32A, which have ball sliding grooves for the balls 500... in the longitudinal direction of the outer surface. Furthermore, near the contraction end, an extension stopper 33A is provided, which is cut and bent out from the substrate 32A toward the U-shaped substrate 51A of the upper first ball retainer 5A, which will be described later. Although inner members 3A, 4A, and 4B are formed in the same shape, inner members 4A and 4B are installed symmetrically with respect to inner member 3A in the sliding direction. Therefore, stoppers 43A and 43B, which correspond to extension stopper 33A, are formed near the extension end.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the inner bracket 7 has the upper first inner member 3A and the lower first inner member 3B arranged parallel to each other in the vertical direction, and the upper second inner member 4A and the lower second inner member 4B arranged parallel to each other in the vertical direction, and each inner member is integrally connected by the bracket 2. The inner bracket 7 is made of steel plate and is set to approximately the same length as the long length of the upper first inner member 3A. In the height direction, it is a rectangular plate-shaped base portion 71 which is slightly greater than the height when the upper first inner member 3A and the lower first inner member 3B are placed vertically side by side in the height direction. An extension-side buffer device holding portion 72 is formed which protrudes upward at a position slightly contracted from the extension-side end of the slide rail at the upper end of the base portion 71. The extension-side shock absorber holding section 72 is equipped with a shock absorber 8 and an auxiliary shock absorber 9, which will be described later.

[0021] The substrate 32A of the upper first inner member 3A is superimposed and fixed to one side of the base 71 of the inner bracket 7 formed in this manner, and the lower first inner member 3B is positioned below the upper first inner member 3A so as to be parallel to and the same length as the upper first inner member 3A, and the base 71 and substrate 32B are superimposed and fixed together. Then, on the other side of the base 71, as shown in Figure 4, the upper second inner member 4A is fixed back-to-back with the upper first inner member 3A, and the lower second inner member 4B is fixed back-to-back with the lower first inner member 3B.

[0022] Next, we will describe the ball retainers in detail. Since the upper first to lower second ball retainers 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B are formed of the same type, we will only describe the upper first ball retainer 5A in detail. The upper first ball retainer 5A is made of a strip of metal plate and is approximately two-thirds the length of the upper first outer member 1A. It has a U-shaped base plate 51A with a thickness that can be inserted between the base plates 12A and 32A of the upper first outer member 1A and the upper first inner member 3A, and upper and lower protruding edges 52A, 52A that protrude in an L-shape from both the upper and lower ends of the U-shaped base plate 51A and are located between the upper and lower bent edges 11A, 11A, 31A, 31A of the upper first outer member 1A and the upper first inner member 3A. The upper first ball retainer 5A is formed with a roughly U-shaped cross-section and rotatably holds a plurality of balls 500... in the sliding direction of the upper and lower protruding edges 52A, 52A. Near the longitudinal center of the upper first ball retainer 5A, an extension stopper 53A is provided that protrudes from the U-shaped base plate 51A toward the base plate 32A of the upper first inner member 3A. The extension stopper 53A comes into contact with the stopper 54A, which is located approximately at the center of the longitudinal direction of the first inner member 3A, when the slide rail is extended, and acts as an extension-side stopper.

[0023] The slide rail 100 is configured as described above, and the sliding of the inner member 34 in the extension direction relative to the first outer member 1, and the sliding of the second outer member 2 in the extension direction relative to the inner member 34 are as follows. In typical use, the first outer member 1 is installed on a fixed body such as a housing, and the second outer member 2 is installed on a movable body such as a drawer.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the fully retracted state of the slide rail 100 is when the retracted end of the inner member 34 is close to the retracted end of the first outer member 1, and the retracted end of the second outer member 2 is close to the retracted end of the inner member 34. In this embodiment, since the long lengths of the first outer member 1 and the second outer member 2 are set to be the same, the extended ends of the first outer member 1 and the second outer member 2 are approximately aligned in the fully retracted state.

[0025] Next, when the second outer member 2 slides in the extension (pull-out) direction relative to the inner member 34, the upper second ball retainer 6A and the lower second ball retainer 6B, which are fitted to the upper second outer member 2A and lower second outer member 2B of the second outer member 2 respectively by balls 500, move to the extension (pull-out) side by an amount of movement equal to half the amount of movement of the second outer member 2. Eventually, the extension stoppers 61A and 61B of the upper second ball retainer 6A and the lower second ball retainer 6B come into contact with the extension stoppers 43A and 43B of the upper second inner member 4A and the lower second inner member 4B, respectively, and the sliding of the upper second ball retainer 6A and the lower second ball retainer 6B relative to the inner member 34 stops. Then, as the second outer member 2 is pulled out, the contraction ends of the upper second ball retainer 6A and the lower second ball retainer 6B come into contact with the extension-side stoppers 23A and 23B of the upper second outer member 2A and the lower second outer member 2B, respectively, and the sliding of the second outer member 2 relative to the inner member 34 stops.

[0026] Furthermore, as the second outer member 2 is pulled out, the second outer member 2 and the second ball retainer come into contact, and the second ball retainer and the second inner member come into contact. As a result, the inner member 34 slides in the extension direction relative to the first outer member 1, so as to be pushed out by the upper second ball retainer 6A and the lower second ball retainer 6B via the second ball retainer.

[0027] As the inner member 34 slides in the extension direction, the upper first ball retainer 5A and the lower first ball retainer 5B move in the extension (pull-out) direction with a movement amount equal to half the amount of movement of the inner member 34, as described above. Eventually, the extended ends of the upper first ball retainer 5A and the lower first ball retainer 5B come into contact with the extension-movement stoppers 23A and 23B of the upper first outer member 1A and the lower first outer member 1B, and the sliding of the upper first ball retainer 5A and the lower first ball retainer 5B relative to the first outer member 1 stops. Then, as the second outer member 2 is pulled out, the extension stoppers 51A and 51B of the upper first ball retainer 5A and the lower first ball retainer 5B come into contact with the extension stoppers 33A and 33B of the upper first inner member 3A and the lower second inner member 3B, and the sliding of the inner member 34 stops. This state represents the maximum extension of the slide rail 100. Furthermore, the sliding of these outer members, inner members, and ball retainers during extension does not necessarily occur in the order described above. The timing of the sliding may vary slightly depending on the sliding resistance of each component. However, ultimately, the extension stoppers provided on each component will come into contact, and the sliding will stop.

[0028] Moving the slide rail 100 from its fully extended state to its fully retracted state is the opposite of the extension movement described above. During contraction, the sliding motion does not necessarily proceed sequentially in the opposite direction, similar to the sliding motion during extension. The timing of the sliding motion may vary slightly depending on the sliding resistance of each component. However, ultimately, the stoppers provided on each component come into contact during contraction, and the sliding motion stops.

[0029] The above describes the basic configuration of the slide rail 100; next, we will explain the case where a buffer device is included. The maximum extension and contraction of the aforementioned slide rail 100 are restricted by contact with each stopper. However, a shock absorber is installed primarily to prevent loud noises from being generated when contact occurs and to prevent deformation or damage to each stopper. In this embodiment, in addition to the shock absorber, an auxiliary shock absorber is provided to prevent damage to the shock absorber.

[0030] The shock absorber 8 consists of a cylinder 81, a piston rod 82, a contact body attached to the end of the piston rod 82, and a piston inside the cylinder 81. Oil is sealed inside the cylinder 81, and it is an oil damper that utilizes the viscosity of the oil. Damping force is generated by an adjustment valve of the piston connected to the piston rod 82 inside the cylinder 81, and it is a widely known type of damper. In this embodiment, the shock absorber 8 is equipped with a coil spring inside the cylinder 81, which constantly biases the piston rod 82 in a direction that pushes it toward the extension side. Even if the piston rod 82 is compressed by an external force, when the external force is removed, the biasing force causes the piston rod 82 to extend back to its original state. The shock absorber 8 may also use an air cylinder type that utilizes airflow instead of oil, if necessary. In this embodiment, the auxiliary cushioning material 9 uses a compression coil spring. However, depending on the specifications of the item using the slide rail, elastic materials such as rubber, sponge, or synthetic resin pieces may also be used.

[0031] Two shock absorbers 8 and two auxiliary shock absorbers 9 are provided and installed on the extension-side shock absorber holding portion 72 of the inner bracket 7 and the contraction-side shock absorber holding portion 102 of the first outer member base material 10. The extension-side shock absorber holding portion 72 consists of a shock absorber holding portion 72a, an auxiliary shock absorber contact portion 724, and a vibration-preventing portion 725. The shock absorber holding portion 72a has an upper protruding piece 721 that protrudes upward from the upper end of the base portion 71 for a length slightly longer than the long length of the cylinder 81, an upper holding piece 722 formed by bending the protruding tip of the upper protruding piece 721 in the direction of the upper and lower bent edges 41A of the upper second inner member 4A, and a holding portion 723 formed below the upper holding piece 722, closer to the contraction side, with a gap between it and the upper holding piece 722, and protruding in the same direction. The auxiliary cushioning material contact portion 724 is formed by extending from the upper protruding piece 721 and at a position further away from the upper protruding piece 721, protruding upward from the upper end of the base portion 71 to a height of approximately half that of the upper protruding piece 721, being bent in the same direction as the upper retaining piece 722 from the protruding end, and then being further bent upward from the bent tip. The anti-vibration portion 725 is located on the contraction side of the upper protruding piece 721 and at a position further away from the upper protruding piece 721, protruding upward from the upper end of the base portion 71 to the same height as the upper protruding piece 721, and is formed by bending from the protruding end in the same direction as the upper holding piece 722. Then, between the shock absorber holding portion 72a and the vibration-retaining portion 725, a movement restricting portion 726 is formed, which initially protrudes from the base portion 71 and is bent in the same direction as the upper holding piece 722.

[0032] The contraction-side shock absorber holding portion 102 is formed at the lower part of the first outer member base material 10, symmetrically above and below and front to back with respect to the extension-side shock absorber holding portion 72, and consists of a shock absorber holding portion 102a, an auxiliary shock absorber contact portion 1024, and a vibration-preventing portion 1025. The shock absorber holding portion 102a includes a lower protruding piece 1021 that protrudes downward from the lower end of the connecting base 101 for a length slightly longer than the long length of the cylinder 81, a lower holding piece 1022 formed by bending the protruding tip of the lower protruding piece 1021 in the direction of the upper and lower bent edges 11B of the lower first outer member 1B, and a holding portion 1023 formed below the lower holding piece 1022, closer to the contraction side, with a gap between it and the lower holding piece 1022, and protruding in the same direction. The auxiliary cushioning material contact portion 1024 is formed at a position on the contraction side of the lower protruding piece 1021 and at a distance from the lower protruding piece 1021, protruding downward from the lower end of the connecting base 101 to a height of about half that of the lower protruding piece 1021, and is bent in the same direction as the lower holding piece 1022 from the protruding end, and then bent downward from the bent tip. The anti-vibration portion 1025 is formed by extending it further than the lower protruding piece 1021 and at a position further away from the lower protruding piece 1021, protruding downward from the lower end of the connecting base 101 to the same height as the lower protruding piece 1021, and bending it in the same direction as the lower holding piece 1022 from its protruding end. Then, between the shock absorber holding portion 102a and the vibration-retaining portion 1025, a movement restricting portion 1026 is formed, which initially protrudes from the connecting base 101 and is bent in the same direction as the lower holding piece 1022.

[0033] As described above, the extension-side cushioning device holder 72 and the contraction-side cushioning device holder 102 are formed, and the cushioning device 8 and auxiliary cushioning material 9 are installed in the extension-side cushioning device holder 72 and the contraction-side cushioning device holder 102 as follows. First, with the second outer member base material 2C not yet attached, the auxiliary cushioning material 9 is inserted into the space formed by the upper protruding piece 721, upper holding piece 722, and holding part 723 of the cushioning device holding part 72a, such that the compression direction is the sliding direction of the slide rail 100, and positioned so that the extension side end face contacts the contraction side end face of the auxiliary cushioning material contact part 724.

[0034] Next, the shock absorber 8 is inserted so that the piston rod 82 faces the contraction side, the extension side cylinder end face abuts against the contraction side end face of the auxiliary shock absorber 9, and the contraction side cylinder end face abuts against the extension side end face of the movement restricting part 726. In this state, the shock absorber 8 is arranged such that the piston rod 82 is surrounded by the vibration-preventing portion 725, and the cylinder 81 is in contact with the movement restricting portion 726 on the contraction (piston rod 82) side, so it cannot move in the contraction direction. On the extension side, the cylinder 81 is only in contact with the auxiliary shock absorber 9, so it is mounted to be able to slide in the sliding direction by the amount of the compressibility of the auxiliary shock absorber 9.

[0035] Thus, the shock absorber 8 is located above the upper bent edge 41A, as shown in Figure 4, in the opposite direction to the opposite side of the upper and lower bent edges 41A, 41A of the upper second inner member 4A (the opposite direction to the opposite side of the upper and lower bent edges 21A, 21A of the upper second outer member 2A). The piston rod 82 is mounted so that it extends and retracts parallel to the sliding direction of the slide rail when it is extended in the contracted position, and is installed to generate a damping force when the piston rod 82 extends from this state, thereby creating a shock absorber effect when the slide rail 100 extends.

[0036] Next, we will explain how to install the cushioning device 8, which produces a cushioning effect when compressed. With the first outer member 1 in a state where the inner member 34 is not attached, the auxiliary cushioning material 9 is inserted into the space formed by the lower protruding piece 1021, lower holding piece 1022, and holding portion 1033 of the cushioning device holding portion 102a from the side where the lower first outer member 1B is attached, with the compression direction being the sliding direction of the slide rail 100, and positioned so that the contracted end face is in contact with the extended end face of the auxiliary cushioning material contact portion 1024.

[0037] Next, the shock absorber 8 is inserted so that the piston rod 82 faces the extension side, the extension side end face of the auxiliary shock absorber 9 contacts the contraction side end face of the cylinder, and the contraction side end face of the movement restricting part 736 contacts the end face of the cylinder. In this state, the shock absorber 8 is arranged such that the piston rod 82 is surrounded by the vibration-preventing portion 735, and the cylinder 81 is in contact with the movement restricting portion 1026 on the extension (piston rod 82) side, so it cannot move in the extension direction. On the contraction side, the cylinder 81 is only in contact with the auxiliary shock absorber 9, so it is mounted to be able to slide in the sliding direction by the amount of the compressibility of the auxiliary shock absorber 9.

[0038] Thus, the shock absorber 8 is located in the opposite direction to the opposing sides of the upper and lower bent edges 41B, 41B of the lower first outer member 1B (the opposite direction to the opposing sides of the upper and lower bent edges 11B, 11B of the lower second outer member 2B), that is, below the lower bent edge 11B as shown in Figure 4. The piston rod 82 is mounted so that it extends and retracts parallel to the sliding direction of the slide rail when extended in the extended position, and is installed to generate a damping force when the piston rod 82 is retracted from this state, thereby producing a shock absorber effect when the slide rail 100 is retracted.

[0039] Next, with the slide rail 100 assembled, The lower end of the base portion 71 of the inner bracket 7 protrudes downward from the lower bent edge 11B of the lower first outer member 1B. Therefore, the cylinder 81, which produces a cushioning effect when contracted, is held at the lower end of the base portion 71 so that it does not come off towards the inner bracket 7. Furthermore, the upper end of the connecting base 21C of the second outer member base material C protrudes upward from the upper bent edge 21B of the upper second outer member 2A. Therefore, the cylinder 81, which provides a cushioning effect when extended, is held at the upper end of the connecting base 21C so as not to detach from the second outer member base material C. Furthermore, the upper holding piece 722 and the lower holding piece 1022 are inclined downwards and upwards, respectively, toward the bent tip side, and the cylinder 81 is held at these inclined portions, and the cylinder 81 is held together with the base portion 71 and the protruding portion of the connecting base 21C.

[0040] The method for operating the shock absorbers 8, 8 installed in this manner will now be explained. The cushioning effect is generated during the sliding process of the slide rail 100 when the extension actuation piece 22C or contraction actuation piece 23C formed on the aforementioned connecting base 21C come into contact with the contact body 83, and the actuation piece pushes the piston rod 82 in accordance with the sliding of the slide rail 100, utilizing the damping force of the cushioning device 8. Therefore, the extension actuation piece 22C and the contraction actuation piece 23C are positioned on the extension of the compression and extension trajectories of the piston rod 82 of the shock absorber 8, respectively.

[0041] First, when the second outer member 2 is pulled out from the fully retracted state of the slide rail shown in Figure 5, the second outer member 2 slides toward the extension side together with the inner member 34. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second outer member 2 and the inner member 34 are designed to slide simultaneously by means of a resin temporary fixing member, which is a known technology. Furthermore, when the second outer member 2 is extended, the inner member 34 reaches its maximum extension relative to the first outer member 1, as shown in Figure 6. Next, the second outer member 2 is pulled out relative to the inner member 34, and as shown in Figure 7, the extension operating piece 22C of the connecting base 21C comes into contact with the contact body 83 of the shock absorber 8 held by the shock absorber holding part 72a.

[0042] Then, when the second outer member 2 is extended, the piston rod 82 is pushed into the cylinder 81 by the extension actuation piece 22C, which generates a damping force. As a result, the slide rail extends in a way that allows the brakes to be applied. This not only prevents loud noises from occurring when the slide rail contacts the stopper and prevents deformation or damage to each stopper, but also suppresses the generation of impact force on items attached to the slide rail. Then, while the brakes are applied by the shock absorber 8, the second outer member 2 is in its most extended state relative to the inner member 34, as shown in Figure 8, and the slide rail 100 is also in its most extended state.

[0043] The auxiliary cushioning material 9 is intended to increase the durability of the cushioning device 8. When the slide rail 100 is attached to an item such as a drawer and the slide rail 100 is extended forcefully, the extension actuation piece 22C forcefully presses against the piston rod 82, applying a large impact (pressing force) to the shock absorber 8. This exceeds the capacity of the shock absorber 8, making it impossible to adjust the speed, and placing an excessive load on the shock absorber 8, making it prone to damage. Therefore, when a large impact is applied to the shock absorber 8, since the shock absorber 8 is installed to be movable in the sliding direction, the impact is transmitted through the piston rod 82, causing the cylinder 81 to move in a way that crushes the auxiliary shock absorber 9. The elastic force of the auxiliary shock absorber 9 mitigates the impact force, and while mitigating the impact force, the crushed auxiliary shock absorber 9 returns to its original shape as it transitions to the shock absorber operation.

[0044] The operation that produces a cushioning effect when the slide rail 100 is retracted is the same as described above. As shown in Figure 9, first, when the second outer member 2 of the slide rail 100 is retracted and slides toward the retraction side, the retraction operating piece 23C of the connecting base 21C comes into contact with the contact body 83 of the cushioning device 8 held by the cushioning device holding part 102a. Then, when the second outer member 2 is contracted, the piston rod 82 is pushed into the cylinder 81 by the contraction actuation piece 23C, which generates a damping force. As a result, the slide rail contracts in a way that allows the brakes to be applied. This not only prevents loud noises from occurring when the slide rail contacts the stopper and prevents deformation or damage to each stopper, but also suppresses the generation of impact force on the items attached to the slide rail.

[0045] Similarly, when a large impact is applied to the shock absorber 8, the auxiliary shock absorber 9 is installed in the shock absorber 8 so as to be movable in the sliding direction. Therefore, the impact is transmitted through the piston rod 82, causing the cylinder 81 to move in a way that crushes the auxiliary shock absorber 9. The elastic force of the auxiliary shock absorber 9 mitigates the impact force, and while mitigating the impact force, the crushed auxiliary shock absorber 9 returns to its original shape and transitions to the shock absorption operation.

[0046] The anti-vibration parts 725 and 1025 prevent the piston rods 82, 82 from bending excessively in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction when they are pushed into the operating piece 22C during extension and the operating piece 23C during contraction, and also have the effect of guarding against unwanted contact with the piston rods 82. Thus, the present invention can generate a cushioning effect during extension and contraction with a simple configuration that only requires brackets to be provided on the outer and inner members. The above is the first embodiment of a slide rail equipped with a cushioning device that produces a cushioning effect during extension and contraction.

[0047] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Since the basic configuration of the slide rail is the same as in the first embodiment, we will explain the parts that differ in configuration. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the extension-side shock absorber holding portion 72 is formed near the contracted end of the second outer member base material 21C, the contracted-side shock absorber holding portion 102 is formed near the extension-side of the second outer member base material 21C, the extension-operated piece 22C is formed on the inner bracket 7, and the contracted-operated piece 23C is formed on the first outer member base material 10. The piston rod 81 of the shock absorber 8 is installed in the extension-side shock absorber holding section 72 so as to protrude on the extension side, and the piston rod 81 of the shock absorber 8 is installed in the contraction-side shock absorber holding section 102 so as to protrude on the contraction side. The extension actuation piece 22C is positioned at the extension-side end of the inner bracket 7 on the extension-side trajectory extension in the compression and extension direction of the piston rod 82 of the shock absorber 8 of the extension-side shock absorber holding portion 72. The contraction-operating piece 23C is positioned at the extension-side end of the first outer member base material 10 on the extension of the trajectory in the compression and extension direction of the piston rod 82 of the shock absorber 8 of the shock absorber holding part 102 on the contraction side shock absorber holding part 102.

[0048] Thus, in the second embodiment, a shock absorber is installed on the second outer member 2 side, and an actuating piece that activates the shock absorber is installed on the inner member 34 and the first outer member 1 side. In the second embodiment of the shock-absorbing slide rail formed in this manner, as the second outer member 2 extends relative to the inner member 34, the contact body 83 of the shock absorber 8 of the extension-side shock absorber holding part 72 comes into contact with the extension-operating piece 22C located at the extension-side end of the inner bracket 7 (Figure 12). As the second outer member 2 extends, the piston rod 82 contracts, generating damping force and applying a brake while the slide rail extends (Figure 13).

[0049] As the second outer member 2 contracts relative to the inner member 34, and then the inner member 34 contracts relative to the first outer member 1, the contact body 83 of the shock absorber 8 of the contraction-side shock absorber holding part 102 comes into contact with the contraction-operating piece 23C of the first outer member 1 (Figure 14). As the second outer member 2 contracts, the piston rod 82 contracts, generating damping force and applying a brake, causing the slide rail to contract. Thus, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a simple configuration is achieved by only providing brackets on the outer member and inner member, which can generate a cushioning effect during extension and contraction.

[0050] As described above, the slide rail with a shock-absorbing device is configured to produce a cushioning effect during extension and contraction. As shown in the first and second embodiments, by installing a set of cushioning devices or actuators that act during extension and contraction on the second outer member 2 side on the moving side, installing a cushioning device or actuator that acts during extension on the inner member 34 side, and installing a cushioning device or actuator that acts during contraction on the first outer member 1 side on the fixed side, a cushioning effect can be created when the slide rail 100 is extended and contracted. For example, if a set of shock-absorbing devices or actuators that act during extension and contraction are installed on the second outer member 2 on the moving side, and a set of shock-absorbing devices or actuators that act during extension and contraction are installed on the inner member 34 side, if the second outer member 2 contracts first relative to the inner member 34, the shock-absorbing effect may not be produced when the slide rail 100 is fully contracted. Therefore, by adopting the configuration of the present invention, a stable cushioning effect can be generated when the slide rail 100 is extended and retracted.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the first outer member, inner member, and second outer member all consist of two members arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. This is an example of attaching a shock absorber to a slide rail designed for heavy objects. Even if the slide rail consists of only one member for each of the first, inner, and second outer members, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be achieved by providing brackets on the second outer member and inner member, installing the shock absorber on the brackets, and installing the actuator on the other bracket. Naturally, you can also increase the number of members to three, four, or more.

[0052] In this embodiment, where the first outer member, inner member, and second outer member all consist of two members arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, heavy objects are generally fixed to the moving outer member and the structure is often opened and closed by sliding. In the case of heavy objects, without a shock absorber, the inertial force will cause a collision whether the slide rail is fully extended or fully retracted. This collision force can cause the heavy object to move or shift. Therefore, the slide rail with a shock absorber that is effective in both opening and closing positions, as described in this invention, is suitable for slide rails used for heavy objects. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] As described above, the slide rail of the present invention is not limited to drawer-type storage furniture, but can be used in a wide range of applications, such as grills on kitchen counters, paper trays in photocopiers that slide open and closed for heavy objects, and ATMs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 100 slide rails 1A Upper First Outer Member 11A Upper and lower bent edges 12A circuit board 13A Stopper for extension movement 14A Stopper for movement in the contraction side 1. First Outer Member 1B Lower 1st Outer Member 10. First outer member base material 101 Connecting Base 102 Retraction-side buffer device holding part 102a Shock absorber holder 1021 Lower protruding piece 1022 Lower holding piece 1023 Holding part 1024 Auxiliary cushioning material contact part 1025 Stabilizer 1026 Movement Control Department 2. Second Outer Member 2A Upper Second Outer Member 2B Lower Second Outer Member 2C Second outer member base material 21C Connecting Base 22C Extension actuation piece 23C Contraction Actuator 3A Upper 1st Inner Member 31A Upper and lower bent edges 32A circuit board 33A Extension Stopper 34 Inner Members 3B Lower 1st Inner Member 4A Upper 2nd Inner Member 4B Lower 2nd Inner Member 5A Upper 1st Ball Retainer 51A circuit board 52A Upper and lower protruding edges 53A Extension Stopper 5B Lower 1st Ball Retainer 500 balls 6A Upper 2nd Ball Retainer 6B Lower 2nd Ball Retainer 7 Inner Bracket 71 Base section 72 Extension side shock absorber holding part 72a Shock absorber holding part 721 Upper protruding piece 722 Upper holding piece 723 Holding part 724 Auxiliary cushioning material contact part 725 Stabilizer 726 Movement Control Department 8 Shock absorber 81 cylinders 82 Piston Rod 83 Contact body 9 Auxiliary cushioning material

Claims

1. A slide rail comprising a first outer member and a second outer member, a first inner member slidably held by the first outer member by balls, a second inner member slidably held by the second outer member by balls, a first ball retainer that rotatably holds the balls on the first outer member side, and a second ball retainer that rotatably holds the balls on the second outer member side, wherein the first inner member and the second inner member are integrally formed via a bracket, and the inner member is slidable relative to the first outer member, and the second outer member is slidable relative to the inner member, A slide rail with a shock absorber is provided, comprising a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when the rail is extended and a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when the slide rail is retracted, thereby mitigating impact in both cases of extension and retraction of the slide rail, wherein the shock absorber generates the shock absorber effect by being compressed in the sliding direction of the slide rail, and this compression is performed by an operating piece that moves in conjunction with the sliding of the slide rail, wherein the shock absorber that generates the shock absorber effect when extended is provided on the bracket, the shock absorber that generates the shock absorber effect when retracted is provided on the first outer member side, and the respective operating pieces that compress the respective shock absorbers are provided on the second outer member side.

2. A slide rail comprising a first outer member and a second outer member, a first inner member slidably held by the first outer member by balls, a second inner member slidably held by the second outer member by balls, a first ball retainer that rotatably holds the balls on the first outer member side, and a second ball retainer that rotatably holds the balls on the second outer member side, wherein the first inner member and the second inner member are integrally formed via a bracket, the inner member is slidable relative to the first outer member, and the second outer member is slidable relative to the inner member, wherein a cushioning effect is provided when the slide rail is extended. A slide rail with a shock absorber is provided, comprising a shock absorber that generates shock during extension and a shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when the slide rail is retracted, and the shock absorbers reduce impact in both cases of extension and retraction of the slide rail, the shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect by being compressed in the sliding direction of the slide rail, the compression being performed by the shock absorber coming into contact with an operating piece as the slide rail slides, and the shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when extended and the shock absorber that generates a shock absorber effect when retracted are each provided on the second outer member side, an operating piece that compresses the shock absorber when extended is provided on the bracket, and an operating piece that compresses the shock absorber when retracted is provided on the first outer member side.

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