Nested Slide Rail Assembly for Heavy Rack Chassis Support

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing slide rail assemblies in rack-mounted server systems face challenges in supporting heavier electronic equipment chassis due to increased data usage, requiring enhanced support capacity to ensure secure installation and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A slide rail assembly with a supporting member and a second rail that moves relative to the first rail, featuring a supporting channel and bracketing parts, which provides additional support when the second rail is extended or retracted, ensuring secure mounting on the rack posts and enhanced load support capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the slide rail assembly uses a conventional single-rail structure, then the device complexity is low, but the load support capacity is insufficient for heavier electronic equipment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload support capacityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a nested dual-rail structure where the second rail is positioned inside the first rail, and the supporting member is nested within the first bracket. This nesting arrangement allows the system to achieve enhanced load support capacity through multiple supporting portions while maintaining a compact form factor and avoiding excessive structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The slide rail assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: first rail, second rail, first bracket, second bracket, and supporting member with multiple supporting portions. This segmentation allows each component to contribute specifically to load distribution and support, enabling the system to handle heavier loads while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the second rail is extended outside the rack for maintenance, then the ease of operation improves, but the stability of the slide rail assembly deteriorates due to increased leverage and load on mounting points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidmounting stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting member acts as an intermediary between the first bracket and the second rail. When the second rail is extended outside the rack for maintenance, the supporting member with its multiple supporting portions provides additional intermediate support points that distribute the load and reduce the leverage effect, thereby maintaining mounting stability while allowing full extension for ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The supporting member is designed to be movable relative to the first bracket, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position as the second rail extends or retracts. This dynamic adjustment capability ensures that the supporting member maintains optimal support geometry throughout the range of motion, preserving stability during extension while enabling full operational accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3119171B1Slide rail assembly
Publication Date: 2018.03.14 KING SLIDE WORKS CO LTD
  • EP3119171B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3119171B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3119171B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A slide rail assembly includes a first rail (102, 202), a supporting member (108, 208), and a second rail (110, 210) movably coupled to the first rail (102, 202). The first rail (102, 202) defines a first channel (118). The supporting member (108, 208) includes a pair of supporting portions (140, 240) and a supporting wall (142, 242) that jointly define a supporting channel (144, 244). The second rail (110, 210) corresponds to the first channel (118, 218) and the supporting channel (144, 244). The supporting member (108, 208) is movable relative to the first rail (102, 202) from a first position (P1) to a second position (P2), such that the second rail (110, 210) is supported by the supporting portions (140, 240) of the supporting member (108, 208) in the course of moving relative to the first rail (102, 202).