Slide assembly with positioning device

The slide assembly includes a first rail, a second rail, a bearing assembly and an engaging member. The first rail includes an opening located adjacent to an end thereof and a stop face is defined on a wall of the opening. The bearing assembly is located between the first and second rails. The bearing assembly has a bearing retainer which has a first contact portion. The engaging member is connected to the second rail and has a second contact portion and an engaging portion. The second contact portion is located corresponding to the first contact portion. When the second rail is pulled relative to the first rail, the bearing retainer is moved by engagement between the first and second contact portions. When the bearing assembly moves to a desired position, the engaging portion is inserted into the opening and contacts the stop face so that the second rail is engaged with the first rail.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a slide assembly with a positioning device, and more particularly, to a bearing assembly which is moved to a pre-set position by an engaging member when the second rail is pulled out relative to the first rail, and the second rail is engaged with the first rail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional rails are used to the drawers of furniture or the chassis on the computer rack so as to support the slide of the drawer or the chassis. Generally, the bearing assembly includes a plurality of bearings which allow the rails to be easily pulled relative to another. However, when the rails are pulled to a distance, the portions of the rails that are not overlapped to each other cannot retain the bearings therein, so that the conventional bearing assembly has a bearing retainer to retain the bearings. The bearing retainer separates the bearings so that the bearings are not in contact with each other.

The bearing assembly provides the sliding action between the rails and must include a stop base to avoid the bearing assembly from dropping from the rails. Therefore, the rails have a stop base to stop the bearing assembly and the front end of the rails is used to support the inner rail that is pulled out from the outer rail.

As for the minimum distance and the maximum distance between the two rails to be retracted or expanded, the two-section rails and the bearing assembly are free to slide. When retracting the rails, the rails are pushed to the very end and the bearing assembly is always located between the rails. However, when the rails are pulled to the extreme expanding position, the bearing assembly is shifted by the friction of the inner rail so that it may not move to the desired position. In other words, the bearing assembly does not move to the maximum distance with the inner rail, the bearing assembly is stopped by the stop base when it moves to the maximum distance. When the rails are retracted at the status that the bearing assembly does not move to the maximum distance, the bearing assembly will return to its retraction position where the inner rail that not yet reach the desired position will contact the bearings. This makes the movement not smooth as expected. Besides, if the bearing assembly is not moved to the desired position, the connection of exterior equipment to the inner rail is affected.

Furthermore, for the inner rail detachable slide assembly, the inner rail is able to be pulled out from the bearing assembly and separated from the stop base. When the inner rail is to be inserted into the slide assembly and engaged with the bearing assembly from the position where the stop base is located, the bearing assembly has to be in contact with the stop base, such that the inner rail is guided by the stop base to precisely engage with the bearing assembly.

In addition, for the conventional slide assembly, in order to prevent the inner rail from being dropping and retracted when the inner rail is pulled, there is an engaging mechanism located between the inner rail and the stop base. Nevertheless, the engaging mechanism and the movement of the bearing assembly are related to each other. However, under the consideration of reducing manufacturing cost and reducing the number of parts, the above-mentioned mechanism is needed to be improved.

The present invention intends to provide a positioning device that improves the inherent shortcoming which is that the bearing assembly is not moved to the desired position when the inner rail is pulled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a positioning device for a slide assembly, when the second rail is pulled relative to the first rail, the second rail and the bearing assembly are moved relative to the first rail, and the engaging member on the second rail drives the bearing assembly to continuously move to the desired position. The engaging member makes the second rail be engaged with the first rail.

The present invention relates to a slide assembly and comprises a first rail which includes a path defined along the longitudinal direction of the first rail. An opening is located adjacent to an end of the first rail and a stop face is defined on a wall of the opening. A second rail is movably located in the path of the first rail and extendable through the end with the opening. A bearing assembly is located between the first and second rails. The bearing assembly has a bearing retainer which has a first contact portion. A stop base is located between the first and second rails. The stop base is located adjacent to the opening of the first rail and corresponding to the bearing assembly. An engaging member has a fixing portion, a resilient portion, a second contact portion and an engaging portion, wherein the fixing portion is fixed to the second rail. The resilient portion extends longitudinally from the fixing portion and is bent an angle relative to the fixing portion. The second contact portion extends transversely from the fixing portion and is located corresponding to the first contact portion of the bearing retainer. The engaging portion extends from the resilient portion and moves toward the first rail by the resilient portion.

When the second rail is pulled relative to the first rail, the bearing retainer is moved with the second rail by engagement between the first contact portion and the second contact portion. When the second rail moves to a desired position relative to the first rail, the engaging portion of the engaging member contacts the stop face of the first rail.

Preferably, the first rail has a stop wall located adjacent to the opening, so that when the second rail is moved to a desired position relative to the first rail, the second contact portion of the engaging member contacts the stop wall of the first rail.

Preferably, the engaging portion of the engaging member protrudes toward the first rail and includes a contact end and a first inclined guiding portion. The contact end faces the fixing portion and the first inclined guiding portion is located opposite to the contact end. A second inclined guiding portion extends from the contact end and reaches the resilient portion. The stop face of the first rail has a recess which communicates with the opening and the second inclined guiding portion is inserted into the recess.

Preferably, the engaging member has a third inclined guiding portion which extends from the resilient portion and bends toward the second rail.

Preferably, the second rail has a through hole which is located corresponding to the third inclined guiding portion.

Preferably, a pressing member is engaged with the opening of the first rail. The pressing member is pushed to contact the engaging member so as to move the engaging portion away from the stop face of the first rail.

Preferably, the pressing member is connected to the stop base.

Preferably, the pressing member has two wings which contact an inside wall of the opening.

The present invention provides another embodiment of the slide assembly and comprises a first rail including a path defined along the longitudinal direction of the first rail. An opening is located adjacent to an end of the first rail and a stop wall is located adjacent to the opening. A second rail is movably located in the path of the first rail and extendable through the end with the opening. A stop base is located between the first and second rails. The stop base is located adjacent to the opening of the first rail and corresponding to the bearing assembly. A bearing assembly is located between the first and second rails. The bearing assembly has a bearing retainer which has a first contact portion. An engaging member has a fixing portion and a second contact portion, wherein the fixing portion is fixed to the second rail. The second contact portion extends transversely from the fixing portion and is located corresponding to the first contact portion of the bearing retainer. When the second rail is pulled relative to the first rail, the bearing retainer contacts the second contact portion of the engaging member by the first contact portion. When the second rail moves to a desired position, the second contact portion of the engaging member contacts the stop wall of the first rail. The first contact portion of the bearing retainer moves to the stop wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the slide assembly of the present invention comprises a first rail10, a pressing member22, a second rail24, a bearing assembly30, a stop base40and an engaging member42.

The first rail10includes a path12defined along the longitudinal direction of the first rail10and an opening14is located adjacent to an end of the first rail10. A stop face16is defined on a wall of the opening14. The stop face16of the first rail10has a recess18which communicates with the opening14and a stop wall20is located adjacent to the opening14.

The pressing member22is engaged with the opening14of the first rail10.

The second rail24is movably located in the path12of the first rail10and may extend through the end with the opening14. The second rail24has at least one through hole26, and multiple installation holes28are located along the length of the second rail24. The installation holes28are connected with an exterior object such as posts of a chassis (not shown).

The bearing assembly30is located between the first and second rails10,24, and the bearing assembly30has a bearing retainer32which has a first end34a, a second end34b, a first contact portion36and multiple bearings38. The second end34bis located corresponding to the first end34a. The bearings38make the second rail24slide easily relative to the first rail10. Preferably, the bearing retainer32includes multiple equally spaced notches39.

The stop base40is located between the first and second rails10,24, and the stop base40is located adjacent to the opening14of the first rail10and corresponding to the bearing assembly30. When the second rail24is pulled to a pre-set position relative to the first rail10, the bearing retainer32of the bearing assembly30contacts the stop base40.

The engaging member42has a fixing portion44, a resilient portion46, a second contact portion48and an engaging portion50. The fixing portion44is fixed to the second rail24. The resilient portion46extends longitudinally from the fixing portion44and is bent an angle relative to the fixing portion44. The second contact portion48extends transversely from the fixing portion44and is located corresponding to the first contact portion36of the bearing retainer32. The engaging portion50extends from the resilient portion46and protrudes toward the first rail10. The protruding engaging portion50has a contact end52extending toward the fixing portion44. The engaging portion50moves toward the first rail10by the force of the resilient portion46.

In this embodiment, the engaging member42has a first inclined guiding portion54, a second inclined guiding portion56and a third inclined guiding portion58. The first inclined guiding portion54is located opposite to the contact end52and the second inclined guiding portion56extends from the contact end52and reaches the resilient portion46. The third inclined guiding portion58extends from the resilient portion46and bends toward the second rail24. The through hole26is located corresponding to the third inclined guiding portion58. By the first, second and third inclined guiding portions54,56,58, when the engaging member42slides and contacts the first rail10and about to pass the first end34aof the bearing retainer32or the second end34bof the bearing retainer32, as shown inFIGS. 3 to 5, the first, second and third inclined guiding portions54,56,58can slide over the ends34a,34bof the bearing retainer32. The ends of the engaging member42and the engaging portion50are not stopped by the bearing retainer32, so that the second rail24can be smoothly moved relative to the first rail10.

The pressing member22is preferably connected to the stop base40and located corresponding to the opening14of the first rail10. The pressing member22has two wings60which contact an inside wall of the opening14as shown inFIG. 6. Therefore, the pressing member22can only be moved in one direction relative to the opening14. In this embodiment, when the pressing member22is pressed, it can only move toward the second rail24.

As shown inFIG. 7, when the second rail24is pulled relative to the first rail10, if the bearing retainer32of the bearing assembly30is not moved with the movement of the second rail24relative to the first rail10and is moved to a pre-set position, by the contact between the second contact portion48of the engaging member42and the first contact portion36of the bearing retainer32, the bearing retainer32can be moved with the movement of the second rail24relative to the first rail10and is continuously pulled.

As shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, when the second rail24is further pulled relative to the first rail10and moved to a desired position, the second contact portion48of the engaging member42contacts the stop wall20of the first rail10, so that the second rail24is not drop from the first rail10. In the meanwhile, the first contact portion36of the bearing retainer32is moved by the second contact portion48of the engaging member42so that the first contact portion36of the bearing retainer32is moved to the stop wall20of the first rail10. Besides, the engaging portion50of the engaging member42is released by the force of the resilient portion46so that the contact end52is located corresponding to the stop face16of the first rail10. As shown inFIGS. 8 and 10, when the second contact portion48of the engaging member42contacts the stop wall20of the first rail10, the contact end52of the engaging portion50is located at a small distance from the stop face16to ensure that the contact end52will first move over the stop face16. And the second rail24is retracted a small distance relative to the first rail10, the contact end52of the engaging portion50contacts the stop face16again. Therefore, the second rail24cannot be retracted relative to the first rail10. When the contact end52of the engaging portion50contacts the stop face16, the second inclined guiding portion56extends through the recess18of the first rail10while the contact between the contact end52and the stop face16is not affected.

When releasing the contact end52from the stop face16, as shown inFIG. 11, the user presses the pressing member22by a finger, the pressing member22pushes the engaging portion50of the engaging member42, so that the contact end52of the engaging portion50is disengaged from the stop face16of the first rail10. The third inclined guiding portion58can be inserted into the through hole26of the second rail24to release the engaging member42and the second rail24. The second rail24is able to be retracted into the path12of the first rail10.

It is noted that as shown inFIG. 12, the pre-set position of the bearing retainer32of the bearing assembly30is that when the first contact portion36of the bearing retainer32moves to the stop wall20of the first rail10to let one of the notches39of the bearing retainer32be located corresponding to one of the installation holes28of the second rail24. Therefore, by the contact between the second contact portion48of the engaging member42and the first contact portion36of the bearing retainer32, the bearing retainer32is moved with the second rail24and moved to the above-mentioned pre-set position. Therefore, when mounting members of the exterior object are connected to the installation holes28, the bearing retainer32does not interfere with the installation.