Abstract:
A slide mechanism includes first and second rails connected for relative sliding movement with respect to each other. A damper mechanism is secured to one of the rails and can be connected to and disconnected from the other of the rails to provide a damping effect for relative movement of the rails during at least a part of the movement thereof.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present regular application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/459,552 filed on Apr. 1, 2003. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to sliding-type closure mechanisms such as those used on kitchen drawers, sliding racks, desk drawers and other cabinets and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to self-closing sliding closure mechanisms having dampers for controlling the rate of movement in at least one direction.  
         BACKGROUN OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    For closure mechanisms on racks and drawers in kitchen cabinets, storage units, furniture and the like often it is convenient and helpful to utilize spring assists for moving the mechanism in one direction, typically in the closing direction. With spring assists, the mechanism can be made self-closing, requiring only an initial start to unseat it from a secured, opened position. The mechanism can reduce the effort required for closing, even for heavily loaded drawers or racks, and can ensure that the mechanism closes completely. However, an assist having sufficient strength to close automatically a heavily loaded drawer or the like can cause undesirably abrupt movements and rapid closing, with significant impact upon reaching the fully closed position, especially when the drawer or rack is loaded lightly.  
           [0004]    To minimize the undesirable effects of a closing mechanism, it is advantageous to temper, or damp the action of the closing spring or other assist, so that the drawer or the like closes more gently and smoothly. However, it is desirable to deactivate or circumvent the damping mechanism in the opposite direction, that is, when the drawer or rack is being pulled open. Since the opening motion may be done without mechanical assist, and in fact may itself be restrained by the expansion of an extension spring used to assist closing, further damping is not needed and may be undesirable.  
           [0005]    It is also known to structure closing mechanism so that gravity assists closing a drawer or rack, with no additional mechanical assist required. In mechanisms of this type, too, it is desirable to damp the closing movement for smooth, gentle closing.  
           [0006]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide a self-closing slide mechanism that is simple and effective, and that can be provided to be operational in one direction.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention provides an activation arm for the damper of slide mechanisms, which cooperates with the slide mechanism to engage the damper when the slide mechanism is moved in one direction, and to disengage the damper when the slide mechanism is moved in an opposite direction.  
           [0008]    In one aspect thereof, the present invention provides a damped slide mechanism with a first rail and a second rail engaged with each other and allowing sliding movement relative to each other. A damper mechanism is arranged to influence movement of at least of the rails with respect to the other of the rails. The damper mechanism includes a gear damper having a rotor and a gear drivingly connected to the rotor. The rotor has controlled, resisted rotation within the damper. A body has gear teeth drivingly connected to the gear of the damper. The body has an arm extending outwardly therefrom. One of the rails defines a slot for capturing the arm during relative movement of the rails.  
           [0009]    In another aspect thereof, the present invention provides a damper mechanism with a base and a gear damper including a housing secured to the base. A rotor rotatably disposed in the housing extends outwardly therefrom. A gear is drivingly connected to the rotor. A body rotatably disposed on the base has gear teeth drivingly engaging the gear on the rotor. The body includes an arm projecting therefrom and adapted to engage a structure, the relative movement of which is to be damped.  
           [0010]    In still another aspect thereof, the present invention provides a slide mechanism with a stationary rail and a movable rail engaged with the stationary rail for sliding movement relative to the stationary rail. A gear damper is secured to the stationary rail. A body rotatable relative to the stationary rail has gear teeth thereon engaging the gear damper. An arm connected to the body projects toward the movable rail. A slot defined in the movable rail is positioned in the movable rail to engage the arm during at least a portion of a path of relative sliding movement of the movable rail with respect to the stationary rail.  
           [0011]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a damped drawer slide mechanism of the present invention, shown in a closed position;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slide mechanism of FIG. 1, but shown in an opened position;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the damper for the slide mechanism shown in the previous drawings; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the damper shown in FIG. 3. 
     
    
       [0016]    Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of “including”, “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    Referring now more specifically to the drawings and to FIG. 1 in particular, a damped draw slide mechanism  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Drawer slide mechanism  10  includes a stationary rail  12  and a movable rail  14 . A damper mechanism  16  is operatively associated with rails  12  and  14  to provide a measure of control on the relative sliding movement between rails  12  and  14 .  
         [0018]    In the exemplary embodiment shown, damped drawer slide mechanism  10  is particularly suitable for use on a drawer such as in a cabinet or the like, and rails  12  and  14  are designed for attachment to the drawer frame (not shown) and drawer (not shown), respectively. It should be understood that the size and shape of rails of  12  and  14  may vary, depending on the size and capacity of the drawer, shelf, cabinet or the like to which each is attached. The concepts of the present invention work advantageous with a variety of rail and support configurations.  
         [0019]    Those skilled in the art will understand that, in the exemplary embodiment shown, rails  12  and  14  include ramps, channels and the like for containing and directing a plurality of rollers  18  provided on one or both of rails  12  and  14 , one such roller  18  being shown. In this way, rails  12  and  14  mutually interconnect one to the other and allow sliding movement of rails  12  and  14  relative to one another.  
         [0020]    Damper mechanism  16  is attached to stationary rail  12  and is operatively connectable to movable rail  14  to influence the movement of movable rail  14  relative to stationary rail  12 , at least in one direction of movement for movable rail  14 . The manner in which damper mechanism  16  connects to movable rail  14  will be described hereinafter.  
         [0021]    Damper mechanism  16  is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. Damper mechanism  16  includes a base  20 , a rotary gear damper  22 , a spring  24  and a rotatable body referred to herein as an armed gear  26 . Base  20  is configured to hold gear damper  22 , spring  24  and armed gear  26 , and is further adapted for mounting to stationary rail  12 . To position base  20  properly on stationary rail  12 , base  20  is provided with a ledge  28  to rest against a side and edge of rail  12 .  
         [0022]    Gear damper  22  includes a housing  30  having a rotor  32  operatively disposed therein and extending outwardly therefrom. A gear  34  is drivingly connected to rotor  32 . Damper  22  can be a so-called “one-way” damper or a so-called “two-way” damper with rotational resistance provided to rotor  32 . Housing  30  is sealed structure and contains a viscous fluid or other internal structures that provide resistance to rotation of rotor  32  within damper housing  30 . For mounting, housing  30  includes opposed outwardly extending lobes  36  and  38 .  
         [0023]    Base  20  defines a well  40  for receiving damper  22 . Well  40  includes opposed notches  42  and  44  for receiving lobes  36  and  38 , respectively. Thus, when disposed in well  40 , gear damper  22  is fixed in position relative to base  20  in that lobes  36 ,  38  received in notches  42 ,  44  resist rotation of the otherwise generally round housing  30  in otherwise generally round well  40 .  
         [0024]    Spring  24  has a plurality of coils  50  and outwardly extending tails  52  and  54  from opposite end most coils  50 . Base  20  includes an annular channel  56  with an elongated linear channel  58  extending therefrom. Annular channel  56  and linear channel  58  are sized and arranged to receive spring  24  such that tail  52  is received in linear channel  58  and most all of coils  50  are received in annular channel  56 . Tail  54  on the opposite side of coils  50  from tail  52  is held against a surface  60  of base  20 . Alternatively, tail  54  can be installed in a groove (not shown) on the bottom side of gear arm  64 .  
         [0025]    Armed gear  26  includes a gear body  62  and a gear arm  64  projecting radially outwardly from gear body  62 . Annular channel  56  is partly defined by a center pillar  66  having a knob  68  thereon. Gear body  62  defines a hole  70  for sliding onto knob  68  so as to allow relative rotational movement between gear body  62  and knob  68 .  
         [0026]    Gear body  62  defines a series of gear teeth  72  at the periphery thereof. Gear damper  22  and armed gear  26  are positioned on base  20  such that gear  34  of gear damper  22  operatively engages gear teeth  72  of armed gear  26  (FIG. 3).  
         [0027]    Gear arm  64  includes a lip  74  projecting towards surface  60 . Lip  74  slides along surface  60 , or minimally spaced therefrom, as armed gear  26  is rotated. Thus, lip  74  can engage tail  54  on surface  60 . Alternatively, as previously described, gear arm  64  can include a slot or groove in the bottom side thereof to receive the tail  54 .  
         [0028]    With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, damper mechanism  16  is shown affixed to stationary rail  12 , which can be achieved by a variety of means, including but not limited to welding, screws, bolts, adhesive or rivet posts  76  (FIGS. 3 and 4). Gear arm  64  projects toward an edge surface  78  of movable rail  14 . Along surface  78 , movable rail  14  defines a slot  80 , which can engage gear arm  64  when aligned with the distal end thereof. An abutment  82  is provided to limit rotation of armed gear  26  by spring  24 . As can be appreciated, a pin or other structure or arrangement can be used in place of slot  80  for engagement with gear arm  64 . Moreover, the end of the rail  14  could engage the gear arm  64 , or even an associated drawer itself could be adapted to engage the gear arm  64 .  
         [0029]    In operation, as a drawer or the like is pulled open such that movable rail  14  slides relative to stationary rail  12  to an opened position as shown in FIG. 2, gear arm  64  is disengaged from slot  80  to slide along moving surface  78 . From the position shown in FIG. 2, when the drawer is pushed closed, surface  78  slides past gear arm  64  until slot  80  aligns with the distal end of gear arm  64 , which then enters slot  80 . Spring  24  is configured and arranged in damper mechanism  16  to urge rotation of armed gear  26  so that arm  64  thereof is urged into and against slot  80 , to in turn urge movable rail  14  toward the closed position shown in FIG. 1. With teeth  72  of gear body  62  engaged with gear  34  of gear damper  22 , the damping performance of gear damper  22  is thereby imparted to the rotation of armed gear  26 , in opposition to the operation of spring  24  against armed gear  26 . Consequently, the damping effect of gear damper  22  is imparted to the closing movement of movable rail  14 , and the closing force from spring  24  is damped by gear damper  22 .  
         [0030]    As mentioned previously herein, the present invention is capable of various modifications and alterations such that the rails are suited for the structures on which they are applied. Further, in some configurations gravity assist can be used to move movable rail  14  towards the closed position. In such configurations, spring  24  is not required, and the closing force imparted by gravity is damped by the operation of gear damper  22 . It should also be understood that the operation of damper mechanism  16  can be reversed relative to the movement of movable rail  14 , such that damping force is applied as movable rail  14  is moved towards the opened position shown in FIG. 2. This can be particularly useful in self-opening drawers or bins that move automatically towards the open position when a lock or other catch is released. Further, although shown and described herein with damper mechanism  16  mounted on stationary rail  12 , those skilled in the art will readily understand that damper mechanism  16  also can be mounted on movable rail  14 , with slot  80  provided in stationary rail  12 . As yet another alternative, damper mechanism  16  can be operatively connected to the drawer framework or other structure near to the sliding drawer, shelf or the like.  
         [0031]    Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.  
         [0032]    Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.