Slide rail assembly and image forming apparatus with the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing slide rail assemblies in image forming apparatuses face difficulties in reassembling the movable rail into the ball retainer after maintenance, due to the ball retainer's free movement relative to the fixed rail, which impairs the smooth sliding operation and makes reassembly challenging.
Innovation Solution
A slide rail assembly that includes a lever member to lock the ball retainer against sliding movement when the movable rail is fully removed, and releases the locking mechanism when the movable rail is engaged, ensuring easy reassembly and maintaining smooth sliding functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the ball retainer is free to move relative to the fixed rail, then the movable rail can be easily inserted and removed, but the ball retainer is often located behind the apparatus body plane making reassembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lever member performs preliminary locking of the ball retainer at a predetermined position on the fixed rail before the reassembly process begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the movable rail is being reassembled, the ball retainer remains at a convenient location rather than moving behind the apparatus body plane
Solution Approach 2:
The lever member automatically locks the ball retainer in place through its elastic deformation and engagement with the locking groove, without requiring additional manual intervention. This self-service locking mechanism simplifies the reassembly process while maintaining the adaptability of the ball retainer
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The lever member facilitates easy reassembly of the movable rail by locking the ball retainer in place during removal and releasing it during engagement, enhancing the operational feeling of smooth sliding and improving user workability, especially for units with large weights like the side surface unit in image forming apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
the lever member is deformable; the lever member elastically deforms so that the pressure receiving portion is pressed against the peripheral portion of the ball retainer
Implementation Method 2
a ball retainer holding a plurality of balls capable of rolling along the guiding portions
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A slide rail assembly includes a fixed rail (5), a movable rail, and a lever member (8) engageable to the fixed rail. In a state where the movable rail is fully removed from the fixed rail, the lever member (8) locks a ball retainer (7) against sliding movement relative to the fixed rail (5). In a state where the movable rail is assembled to the fixed rail, the lever member releases the locking of the ball retainer. The lever member includes a pressure receiving portion (84) projectable through a window portion (74) of the ball retainer (7). During reassembly of the movable rail to the fixed rail, the pressure receiving portion (84) is pressed by a pressing portion of the movable rail, so that the locking of the ball retainer (7) by the lever member (8) is released.