Slide Rail Locking Assembly for Automatic Bracket Position Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slide rail assemblies face issues where manual operation of the lock mechanism may be impossible, leading to failure in preventing relative displacement of brackets, especially in restricted conditions.
Innovation Solution
A supporting assembly with a locking member and working features that engage at different longitudinal distances to maintain bracket positions, allowing for automatic locking and unlocking to prevent relative displacement, enhancing operational convenience and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a manual lock mechanism is used to prevent relative displacement of brackets, then the brackets can be locked securely, but manual operation becomes impossible in restricted conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is designed to automatically engage with the working features when the first bracket is at predetermined positions, eliminating the need for manual operation. The system self-locks through its own displacement mechanism, allowing reliable locking even in restricted conditions where manual access is impossible.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is pre-configured to automatically engage with the working features at specific positions. The working features are arranged on the second bracket at predetermined locations, so that when the first bracket reaches these positions during displacement, the locking member automatically locks without requiring any manual intervention.
2Ease of operation
If the locking member automatically engages with working features at different positions, then operational convenience is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The working features are segmented into multiple discrete positions arranged on the second bracket. Each working feature corresponds to a specific predetermined position, allowing the locking member to engage at different locations along the longitudinal direction. This segmentation enables multiple locking positions without requiring a complex continuous control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex mechanism to control the locking member's movement, the invention inverts the approach by having the locking member passively engage with the working features through the natural displacement of the first bracket. The working features are fixed on the second bracket, and the locking member automatically interacts with them during the displacement process, simplifying the overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A supporting assembly is provided and includes a first bracket, a second bracket, a locking member, a working feature. The first bracket and the second bracket are displaceable relative to each other along a longitudinal direction. The locking member is movable between a locking state and an unlocking state relative to the first bracket. The working feature is arranged on the second bracket. When the first bracket is located at a predetermined position relative to the second bracket, the locking member in the locking state is configured to engage with the working feature to maintain the first bracket at the predetermined position relative to the second bracket. Besides, a method of mounting the aforementioned supporting assembly on a rack is also provided.