Sliding rail assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding rail assemblies in servers face issues where the stopper on the intermediate rail blocks the first side portion of the positioning feature, preventing the intermediate rail from being received into the outer rail during server maintenance, leading to interlocking failures and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A sliding rail assembly design featuring a push rod that moves along a concave surface of the intermediate rail to push a first stopper, eliminating the need for a linkage structure between the push rod and stopper, thereby allowing easy release of the locked state and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stopper is provided on the intermediate rail to form a temporary lock with the outer rail, then the locking reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because the stopper blocks the positioning feature and prevents the intermediate rail from being received into the outer rail during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
An operating device is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the stopper. This operating device includes a push rod that can push the stopper along a concave surface to move it from a blocking position to a non-blocking position, allowing the intermediate rail to be received into the outer rail during maintenance while maintaining the locking function during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper is made dynamically controllable through the operating device. The stopper can switch between two states: blocking the positioning feature to provide temporary locking during normal operation, and being pushed away by the operating device to allow the intermediate rail to be received into the outer rail during maintenance. This dynamic control resolves the contradiction between maintaining locking reliability and enabling ease of operation
2Ease of operation
If a linkage structure is provided between the push rod and the first stopper, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The operating device is merged directly with the stopper structure. The push rod of the operating device is positioned to directly contact and push the stopper along the concave surface of the intermediate rail. This direct contact eliminates the need for separate linkage structures, reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The unnecessary linkage structure is extracted/removed from the system. By designing the operating device to directly push the stopper without requiring intermediate linkage mechanisms, the patent simplifies the overall structure, reduces the number of parts, and lowers manufacturing costs while preserving the operational functionality
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
Facilitates easy release of the locked state between the intermediate and outer rails, avoids interlocking failures, and reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating unnecessary linkage structures.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic member is capable of providing an elastic force to the first stopper and the second stopper
Data Source
AI summary
The sliding rail assembly includes an outer rail having a positioning feature, an intermediate rail displaceable relative to the outer rail and having a concave surface facing the positioning feature, a first stopper pivotally connected to the concave surface to correspond to a first side portion of the positioning feature; and an operating device movably connected to the outer rail with a push rod thereof placed in the concave surface and located on one side of the first stopper, so that when the push rod pushes the first stopper along the concave surface, the first stopper is prohibited from blocking the first side portion of the positioning feature.