Abstract:
A snap-on sliding track assembly and method including a rail assembly and a slide assembly adapted to be securely mounted to each other without loose hardware and tools. The rail assembly has a latch and a plurality of standoffs. The slide assembly has a latch receptacle adapted to engage the latch and a plurality of standoff openings. The slide assembly includes a standoff opening for each corresponding standoff. The sliding track assembly is assembled by positioning the slide assembly standoff openings onto the standoffs of the rail assembly. The slide assembly is slid relative to the rail assembly to secure the slide assembly to the rail assembly. A lock mechanism is automatically engaged upon the sliding action of the slide assembly relative to the rail assembly.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable.  
         STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0005]    The present invention relates to a slide and rail assembly and method of assembling same, and more particularly, to a slide and rail assembly and method for a server chassis mounted in a rack.  
           [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0007]    There are numerous incidences where a sliding track assembly is used. For example, a sliding track assembly is used for sliding mechanisms for pull out drawers and shelves. Typically, the sliding track assembly includes a slide assembly mounted to a rail assembly. Typically, the rail assembly is mounted in a case, rack, housing or other framed assembly and the slide assembly is attached to the drawer, shelf or other device. The slide assembly cooperates with the rail assembly and provides the extension mechanism for the drawer or shelf.  
           [0008]    Typically, the mounting and installation of the slide and rail assembly requires loose hardware and tools. The assembly of the components with several pieces of loose hardware and tools is time consuming, inefficient and requires a substantial amount of organization. The sliding track assemblies are usually used in pairs—a left side and a right side. Frequently, several pairs of sliding track assemblies are used in a single rack or housing. For example, there are racks used to house servers for computer networks. A single rack may utilize fifteen or more pairs of sliding track assemblies. There are numerous other examples of similar requirements for significant quantities of sliding track assemblies. Thus, it is apparent that a significant amount of time and savings would result by simplifying the assembly of the slide and rail assemblies.  
           [0009]    It is also important that the slide assembly securely mount to the rail assembly such that the components do not accidentally disengage each other. Thus, it is desirable that the components lock into each other to prevent accidental disengagement. However, it is also desirable that the slide and rail assemblies can be unlocked and disengaged from each other without tools and with a minimum of difficulty.  
           [0010]    There is a need for a sliding track assembly having a slide assembly and a rail assembly that can be assembled together easily and conveniently. It is desirable that the assembly require no loose hardware and tools. The sliding track assembly should be secure and the slide and rail assemblies should lock together. Additionally, it is desirable that the slide and rail assembly be simple to install and require little time for the installation. Further, it is desirable that the slide assembly be easily unlocked and disengaged from the rail assembly, if desired.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention is a sliding track assembly having a slide assembly capable of quickly, easily and securely engaging a rail assembly and a method for assembling the slide and rail assemblies. The assembly of the slide assembly to the rail assembly requires no loose hardware or tools. The slide assembly be easily unlocked and disengaged from the rail assembly, if desired.  
           [0012]    The rail assembly includes a spring latch and one or more shoulder standoffs. The slide assembly includes an opening, preferably key-hole shaped, for each shoulder standoff and a latch opening that engages the spring latch.  
           [0013]    The method of assembling the slide assembly to the rail assembly is very simple and requires very little time. Furthermore, the slide assembly can also be very easily and quickly removed from the rail assembly, if desired. To install the slide assembly to the rail assembly, the keyhole-shaped openings of the slide assembly are positioned onto the shoulder standoffs and the spring latch depressed by the slide assembly being in contact with the rail assembly. The slide assembly is slid along the keyhole-shaped openings until the latch spring reaches the latch opening and extends into the latch opening. Once in position, the attached slide assembly cannot be removed unless the spring latch is depressed and the slide assembly slid off of the shoulder standoffs. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the drawings which are appended hereto and wherein like numerals indicate like parts and wherein illustrated embodiments of the invention are shown, in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rail assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the rail assembly of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rail assembly of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a locking mechanism of the rail assembly of FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a slide assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sliding track assembly in the assembled condition with a portion of the slide assembly removed for clarity;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the sliding track assembly installed in a rack; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the sliding track assembly in an assembled condition with a portion of the slide assembly removed for clarity.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    The present invention will now be described in greater detail with specific reference to the drawings. The sliding track assembly, generally designated as  10 , includes a rail assembly  20  and a slide assembly  60  as shown in FIG. 7. The rail and slide assemblies,  20  and  60  respectively, are adapted to quickly and easily attach securely together without the use of tools or other fasteners. Additionally, the assemblies  20  and  60  are adapted to be quickly and easily detached from each other without the use of tools.  
         [0024]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rail assembly  20  includes a support rail  22  adapted to span between opposing members M of a rack R, stand or other device as shown in FIG. 7. Alternatively, the support rail  22  could be attached to a side member of the rack, stand or other device. It is to be understood that the support rail  22  can be mounted to the rack or stand with mechanical fasteners such as screws or nails. In some instances it may be desirable to be able to adjust the elevation of the rail assemblies  20  in a rack or other device or simply allow installation without the use of tools. Thus, an embodiment of the support rail  22  that is easy and quick to install and requires no tools for installation in a rack R or other device is shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 ,  6  and  7 . It is to be understood that certain of the described features are not required for the present invention, but may be desirable for the required application of the sliding track assembly  10 .  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the support rail  22  of this embodiment comprises cooperating first and second rail members,  24  and  26  respectively. The support rail members  24  and  26  are generally C-shaped in cross-section with the second rail member  26  slightly smaller in height and width than the first rail member  24  so as to allow the second rail member  26  to slide within the first rail member  24 .  
         [0026]    As shown in FIG. 1, the distal ends  24   a  and  26   a  of the rail members  24  and  26 , respectively, include mounting brackets  24   b  and  26   b.  Each mounting bracket  24   b,    26   b  includes one or more mounting tabs  24   c,    26   c,  respectively. The mounting tabs  24   c,    26   c  are adapted to be received in mounting slots S in the rack R (FIG. 7), stand, or other device in which the sliding track assembly  10  is being installed.  
         [0027]    As indicated above, the overall length of the support rail  22  could be fixed upon installation by various means, including mechanical fasteners, to restrict relative movement between the first and second rail members  24  and  26 . However, in the embodiment shown in FIGS.  1 - 3  the first and second rail members  24  and  26  are allowed limited longitudinal movement relative to each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second rail member  26  is shown as having one or more longitudinal elongated slots  26   d.  A fastener  24   d,  such as a screw, having a head larger than the slot height is inserted through the elongated slot  26   d  and fastened to the first rail member  24 , preferably via a threaded connection. The fasteners  24   d  secure the rail members  24  and  26  to each other and allow sliding longitudinal movement limited to the length of the elongated slot  26   d.    
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 1, the rail assembly  20  includes a compression spring  28  positioned between opposing folded tabs  24   f  and  26   e  of the first and second rail members  24  and  26 , respectively, to provide a spring-biased force to extend the rail members  24  and  26  in an outwardly direction along their length. The spring  28  is compressed during the installation of the mounting tabs  24   c,    26   c  in the rack slots S and thus serves to exert an outward force against each of the rail members  24 ,  26  to maintain the mounting tabs  24   c,    26   c  in their respective slots S.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 4 , the rail assembly  20  described above may include a locking mechanism  30  comprised of a trigger  32 , a catch  34  and a spring  36 . FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the locking mechanism  30 . The catch  34  is securely mounted to the inside portion of the second rail member  26  and the trigger  32  is pin or pivotally connected to the first rail member  24  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The catch  34  includes an angled face  34   a  adapted to engage a correspondingly angled trigger face  32   a  at the front  32   b  of the trigger  32  when the rail assembly  20  is installed as explained below. The trigger  32  has a rear  32   c  which extends through a window  24   e  in the first rail member  24 . The trigger spring  36  exerts a spring force to cause the front  32   b  of the trigger  32  to rotate towards the catch  34  and the rear  32   c  of the trigger  32  to extend through the window  24   e.    
         [0030]    Installation of the rail assembly  20  described above is accomplished by inserting the mounting tab or tabs at one end, for example the first rail member tabs  24   c,  into the slots S of the rack R. The trigger rear  32   c  is depressed and the rail assembly  20  compressed longitudinally allowing the catch face  34   a  to pass below the raised trigger front  32   b.  The second rail member tabs  26   c  are then aligned and inserted into the appropriate slots S in the rack R. As the compression spring  28  expands and forces the second rail member  26  to extend, the catch  34  moves relative to the trigger  32  to a point where the catch  34  travels beyond the trigger face  32   a,  thus permitting the face  32   a  of the spring-biased trigger  32  to engage the catch face  34   a.  It is important to understand that when the rail assembly  20  is installed in the rack R, the trigger  32  captures the catch  34  and the faces  32   a  and  34   a  are contacting or in close proximity (FIG. 2) such that none of the tabs  24   c  and  26   c  can be disengaged from the rack slots S unless the trigger rear  32   c  is depressed to allow inward relative movement of the support rail members  22  and  24 .  
         [0031]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the rail assembly  20  includes one or more shoulder standoffs  40  extending beyond a face  20   a  of the rail assembly  20 . The shoulder standoff  40  includes a short shaft  40   a  (FIG. 3), preferably cylindrical, and a head  40   b  (FIGS. 3 and 6). Preferably, the head  40   b  is circular and has a diameter greater than the diameter of the short shaft  40   a.  The short shaft  40   a  extends generally perpendicularly from the rail assembly face  20   a  and the head  40   b  preferably includes a lower flat face that is generally parallel with the rail assembly face  20   a.    
         [0032]    With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the slide assembly  60  includes a slide member  62  having a generally flat portion  62   a  with a keyhole-shaped opening  62   b  for each shoulder standoff  40 . It is to be understood that in FIG. 6 a portion of the slide assembly  60  has been removed for purposes of clarity. The opening  62   b  includes a slotted portion  62   c  which expands to an enlarged circular portion  62   d.  The slotted portion  62   c  has a height slightly greater than the short shaft  40   a  and the circular portion  62   d  is slightly greater than the diameter of the head  40   b  of the shoulder standoff  40 . Thus, to mount the slide assembly  60  to the rail assembly  20  the heads  40   b  of the shoulder standoffs  40  are inserted through the enlarged circular portions  62   d  of the slide member  62  and the slide member  62  slid such that the short shafts  40   a  are received in the slotted portion  62   c  and retained therein by the head  40   b  lower face contacting the slide member  62 .  
         [0033]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rail assembly  20  preferably includes a latch mechanism  50  mounted to the rail assembly  20 . The latch mechanism  50  includes a spring plate  50   a  having a raised portion  50   b  which is allowed to extend through a window  20   b  in the rail assembly  20 . Preferably, the spring plate  50   a  is mounted to the rail assembly  20  near a first end  50   c  of the spring plate  50   a.  Referring to FIG. 6, the slide member  62  includes a latch opening  62   e  having an edge portion  62   f  adapted to engage a spring latch edge  50   d  of the raised portion  50   b  to lock the slide assembly  60  to the rail assembly  20 . As shown in FIG. 6, the spring latch edge  50   d  springs through the latch opening  62   e  adjacent the opening edge portion  62   f  upon the shoulder standoffs  40  becoming seated in the slotted portions  62   c  of the keyhole-shaped openings  62   b.    
         [0034]    As described above, the method of assembling the slide assembly  60  to the rail assembly  20  is very simple and requires very little time. Furthermore, the slide assembly  60  can also be very easily and quickly removed from the rail assembly  20 , if desired. To install the slide assembly  60  to the rail assembly  20 , the keyhole-shaped openings  62   b  of the slide member  62  are positioned onto the shoulder standoffs  40 . The raised portion  50   b  of the spring latch mechanism  50  extending through window  20   b  is depressed by the slide member  62  contacting the rail assembly  20 . The slide member  62  is slid along the rail assembly  20  with the shoulder standoffs  40  within the keyhole-shaped openings  62   b  until the spring latch edge  50   d  of the raised portion  50   b  reaches the latch opening  62   e  and springs into the latch opening  62   e.  Once in position, the attached slide assembly  60  cannot be removed unless the raised portion  50   b  of the spring latch mechanism  50  is depressed below the latch opening  62   e  and the slide member  60  slid off of the shoulder standoffs  40 .  
         [0035]    It is to be understood that the sliding track assembly  10  has been described as a single assembly. However, it is to be understood that the sliding track assembly  10  typically includes a left sliding track assembly and right sliding track assembly. Thus, a pair of sliding track assemblies  10  will typically be used together to support a drawer, shelf, tray or other type of housing.  
         [0036]    Referring to FIG. 5, the slide assembly  60  may include one or more additional sliding members referenced as  64  and  66  forming a part of the slide mechanism. It is to be understood that such slide mechanisms are well known and the present invention is not restricted to a particular type. It is noted that the sliding member  66  is shown as having a plurality of keyhole-shaped openings  66   b  which are similar in shape to openings  62   b  in the slide member  62 . The sliding member  66  is also shown as having a latch opening  66   e  similar in shape to the latch opening  62   e.  It is to be understood that a housing (not shown), such as a server chassis, may be mounted between a pair of the sliding members  66  using the plurality of keyhole-shaped openings  66   b  and the latch opening  66   e  in the same manner as described above with respect to the rack assembly  20  and the latch assembly  60 .  
         [0037]    As discussed above, the rail assembly  20  disclosed one embodiment in which the rail assembly snapped into position with spring-biased rail members  22  and  24 . FIG. 8 shows one alternative embodiment of the rail assembly identified as  200 . The rail assembly  200  includes a chassis member  202  adapted to be mounted into the rack R or other housing. The rail assembly  200  includes the shoulder standoffs  40  and the locking mechanism  50  as described above. As shown in FIG. 8, the slide assembly  60  mounts in the same manner as described above.  
         [0038]    The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials, as well as in the details of illustrative construction and assembly, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.