Slide Rail Assembly with Nested Supporting Portions to Reduce Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slide rail assemblies lack structural strength and are unable to accommodate wider-width servers due to increased overall transverse width, which is a disadvantage for mounting purposes.
Innovation Solution
The slide rail assembly incorporates a first rail, a second rail, and a third rail with strategically arranged supporting portions and bent sections, allowing for improved structural support and reduced overall width by enabling the second rail to extend and retract while maintaining stability and accommodating wider servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If U-shaped folded portions are added to the third rail to improve structural strength, then structural strength is improved, but the overall transverse width of the slide rail assembly is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the U-shaped folded portions of the third rail inside the concave structure of the second rail, and the third rail assembly inside the first rail passage. This nested arrangement allows the strengthening features to be contained within the existing transverse width boundaries, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and overall width.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat rail structure to a three-dimensional structure with U-shaped folded portions and concave structures. By utilizing the vertical dimension and creating folded portions that extend upward and inward, the patent achieves structural strengthening without increasing the horizontal transverse width, as the folding occurs within the existing spatial envelope.
2Strength
If the transverse width of the concave structure of the second rail is increased to accommodate U-shaped folded portions, then structural strength is improved, but the slide rail assembly cannot accommodate wider width servers
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped folded portions are nested within the concave structure of the second rail, which itself is nested within the first rail passage. This multi-level nesting allows the strengthening features to occupy space that would otherwise be unused, maintaining compatibility with wider servers while improving structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating U-shaped folded portions only at specific locations where structural strength is needed, rather than uniformly increasing the transverse width throughout. The folded portions are strategically positioned to provide reinforcement while maintaining overall compatibility with server dimensions.
3Reliability
If supporting portions are added to improve structural reliability, then structural reliability is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the supporting portions with the existing rail structures. The first supporting portion is integrated into the first rail, and the second supporting portion is integrated into the second rail, rather than being separate additional components. This merging approach improves structural reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting portions serve multiple functions: they provide structural reinforcement, maintain the geometric relationships between rails, and enable the extended and retracted positions of the second rail. By designing components that perform multiple functions, the patent improves reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A slide rail assembly includes a first rail, a bracket and a second rail. The bracket is arranged on the first rail. The second rail is movable relative to the first rail. The second rail includes a first wall, a second wall and a longitudinal wall connected between the first wall and the second wall of the second rail. A supporting portion is arranged on one of the first rail and the bracket. When the second rail is located at an extended position relative to the first rail, the supporting portion and the first wall of the second rail are able to support each other.