Abstract:
A slide rail assembly is capable of being attached to a chassis associated with a post extending therefrom. The slide rail assembly includes a slide rail defining a mounting slot for receiving the post, a retaining member having a mounting portion fixed to the slide rail, an intermediate member slidably attached to the slide rail, and a releasing member pivoted connecting to the retaining member. The intermediate member includes a cutout configured to receive the post and be aligned with the mounting slot of the slide rail. The retaining member is capable of keeping the intermediate member from sliding with respect to the slide rail. The releasing member is capable of being pivoted to enable the intermediate member to slide with respect to the slide rail.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to slide rail assemblies, and more particularly to a slide rail assembly including a mounting mechanism and a slide rail capable of being retained to a chassis with the mounting mechanism. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A typical slide rail assembly for a server chassis and a rack includes an outer slide rail mounted to the rack, an inner slide rail mounted to the chassis, and an intermediate slide rail mounted between the outer and inner slide rails. The intermediate slide rail is extendable relative to the outer slide rail, and the inner slide rail is extendable relative to the intermediate slide rail, thus the chassis can be extended a distance out from the rack. Conventionally, the inner rail is secured to a side of the chassis with a plurality of screws. Therefore, a tool such as a screwdriver is needed for installing and detaching the slide rail, and the processes are tedious and time consuming. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but shown from another aspect; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the mounting mechanism of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is another assembled view of the mounting mechanism of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of  FIG. 4  taken along the line V-V; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a lateral view of  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a lateral view of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a mounting mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention is provided for mounting a slide rail  20  to a chassis  10 . The mounting mechanism includes a retaining member  30  coupled to the slide rail  20 , a releasing member  40  rotatably coupled to the retaining member  30 , and an intermediate member  50  slidably attached to the slide rail  20 . 
         [0013]    The chassis  10  includes an anchor member  12  extending from a sidewall thereof. The anchor member  12  is a mushroom-shaped post, and includes a cap  122  and a shank  124  with a diameter smaller than that of the cap  122 . 
         [0014]    The slide rail  20  includes a pair of flanges  21  extending from opposite edges towards the same direction. A mounting slot  22  is defined in the slide rail  20 . The mounting slot  22  includes an accessing portion  222  and a fixing portion  224  communicating with the accessing portion  222 . A plurality of protrusions  27  extends from the slide rail  20 . Two positioning holes  261  and  262  are defined in the slide rail  20  and arranged along a longitudinal direction of the slide rail  20 . The positioning hole  262  is located closer to the mounting slot  22  than to the positioning hole  261 . 
         [0015]    The retaining member  30  is a resilient plate and includes a mounting portion  32  and a locking portion  34  extending from an end of the mounting portion  32 . A plurality of coupling holes  322  is defined in a far end of the mounting portion  32  relative to the locking portion  34 . Two flanges extend from opposite side edges of the locking portion  34  for reinforcing the locking portion  34 . A pivoting portion  344 , which includes a pair of offset hollowed cylinders, is formed on a far end of the locking portion  34  relative to the mounting portion  32 . A notch  347  is defined in the locking portion  34  adjacent to the pivoting portion  344 . The locking portion  34  also includes an interference avoiding hole  342  defined in the middle thereof, and a tab  346  formed thereon between the interference avoiding hole  342  and the notch  347 . 
         [0016]    The releasing member  40  is generally B-shaped, and includes a pivoting shaft  42 , an operating portion  44 , and a resisting portion  46  disposed at opposite sides of the pivoting shaft  42 . The resisting portion  46  includes a resisting pole  464 , and a first arm  462  and a second arm  466  perpendicularly extending from opposite ends of the resisting pole  464 . The second arm  466  connects to the operating portion  44  and is slightly bent, and therefore the operating portion  44 , the pivoting shaft  42  and the resisting portion  46  are un-coplanar. 
         [0017]    The intermediate member  50  is a planar sheet. A substantially V-shaped cutout  52  is defined in the intermediate member  50  near a side edge. The cutout  52  includes a gateway  522  and a receiving portion  524  communicating with the gateway  522 . The intermediate member  50  includes a cone-shaped locating portion  54  protruding therefrom and a retaining hole  56  defined therein. The locating portion  54  and the retaining hole  56  are arranged at opposite sides of the cutout  52 , respectively. A bulge  58  is formed from an edge of the intermediate member  50  near the retaining hole  56 . 
         [0018]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , in assembly of the mounting apparatus and the slide rail  20 , the intermediate member  50  abuts against the slide rail  20  and is slidably restricted between the two flanges  21 . The locating portion  54  engages with the positioning hole  262  of the slide rail  20 . The gateway  522  of cutout  52  is aligned with the accessing portion  222  of the mounting slot  22 . The shaft  42  of the releasing member  40  passes through the pivoting portion  32  of the retaining member  30 . The protrusions  27  of the slide rail  20  are correspondingly fixed in the coupling holes  34  of the retaining member  30  to attach the mounting portion  32  to the slide rail  20 . The mounting portion  32  and the locking portion  34  of the retaining member  30  respectively abut against the slide rail  20  and the intermediate member  50 . In an initial status shown in  FIG. 3 , the tab  346  just extends into the cutout  52  of the intermediate member  50  and the mounting slot  22  of the slide rail  20 . The operating portion  44  of the releasing member  40  engages with the retaining member  30  and is aligned with the notch  347 . The resisting pole  464  of the releasing member  40  engages with the slide rail  20 . 
         [0019]    Referring also to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , to mount the slide rail  20  to the chassis  10 , the chassis  10  is moved to fit the shank  124  of the anchor member  12  into the mounting slot  22 . The anchor member  12  slides down along the accessing portion  222  of the mounting slot  22 , then slides leftward (shown in  FIG. 6 ) along the fixing portion  224  of the mounting slot  22 . During the movement of the anchor member  12 , the cap  122  of the anchor member  12  engages with the retaining member  30  and urges the locking portion  34  of the retaining member  30  to move away from the slide rail  20 . Then, when the shank  124  of the anchor member  12  slides into the fixing portion  224  of the mounting slot  22 , the cap  122  of the anchor member  12  extends through the interference avoiding hole  342  of the retaining member  30 , the retaining member  30  is restored. At the same time, the shank  124  of the anchor member  12  engages with a left rim of the cutout  52  of the intermediate member  50  to cause the intermediate member  50  to slide leftwards. The locating portion  54  disengages from the positioning hole  262  and slides to engage with the positioning hole  261 . When the retaining member  30  is in a restored situation, the tab  346  of the retaining member  30  extends into the retaining hole  56  to prevent the intermediate member  50  from sliding. Therefore, the shank  124  of the anchor member  12  is retained in the fixing portion  224  of the mounting slot  22 . The slide rail  20  is secured to the chassis  10 . 
         [0020]    To detach the slide rail  20  from the chassis  10 , a finger is extended to the notch  347  to manipulate the operating portion  44  of the releasing member  40  to move away from the retaining member  30 . Therefore, the releasing member  40  is pivoted about the shaft  42  to resist the resisting pole  464  against the slide rail  20 . The locking portion  34  of the retaining member  30  is raised from the slide rail  20 . The tab  346  of the retaining member  30  disengages from the retaining hole  56  of the intermediate member  50 . The releasing member  50  is pivoted until the first arm  462  and the second arm  466  slantingly engage with the end edge of the retaining member  30 . Now, the intermediate member  50  is allowed to slide relative to the slide rail  20 . The chassis  10  is moved to slide the shank  124  of the anchor member  12  rightward (shown in  FIG. 7 ) along the fixing portion  224  of the mounting slot  22 . At the same time, the intermediate member  50  is urged to slide rightward by the shank  124  of the anchor member  12 . The locating portion  54  disengages from the positioning hole  261  and slides to engage with the positioning hole  261 . Then, the shank  124  of the anchor member  12  slides up along the accessing portion  222  of the mounting slot  22  to exit from the mounting slot.  22 . Thus, the slide rail  20  is detached from the chassis  20 . 
         [0021]    After the slide rail  20  is detached from the chassis  10 , the locking portion  34  of the retaining member  30  should be restored. Otherwise, another rail (such as an intermediate slide rail) may interfere with and damage the retaining member  30  when the slide rail  20  slides therein. However, the present embodiment described above can prevent this happens. That is, during the intermediate member  50  sliding rightwards, the bulge  58  engages with the resisting pole  464  of the releasing member  40 . The releasing member  40  is urged to pivot to disengage the first arm  462  and the second arm  466  from the end edge of the retain member  30 , so that the retaining member  30  is restored as long as the slide rail  20  is detached from the chassis  10 . 
         [0022]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.