Patent Publication Number: US-8540328-B2

Title: Control mechanism for drawer slide assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly, and more particularly, to a control mechanism for keeping the drawer slide being secured when the drawer slide is in retracted position and for preventing the drawer slide from opening unexpectedly. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,651 to Radke et al. discloses a “Drawer slide with adjustable strike” and includes a strike mechanism  18  adjustably connected to an inner slide member and the strike mechanism includes a strike body  20  and a C-shaped strike arm  22  connected to the strike body. A catch  38  is positioned at an end of the passage of the outer slide member, wherein the C-shaped arm protrudes beyond the periphery of the passage of the inner slide member. The catch includes a protrusion which is located at the passage of the outer slide member so as to be engaged with the C-shaped arm. 
     The disclosure of Radke et al. uses a screw driver to adjust the strike level of the C-shaped arm and the protrusion of the catch to make the C-shaped arm strikes the protrusion of the catch when the inner slide member is retracted relative to the outer slide member, and the C-shaped arm is deformed and extends beyond the protrusion of the catch and contacts the protrusion of the catch. 
     However, the invention of Radke et al. has to use the screw driver for adjustment and this is not convenient for the users. Besides, the C-shaped arm is struck at the same position and this accelerates the C-shaped arm to reach its critical point and reduces the life of use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention intends to provide a control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly without using any tool, and the strike force can be dispersed to increase the life of use. 
     The present invention provides a control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly and improves the shortcomings of the conventional slide assembly. 
     The present invention relates to a control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly, and the slide assembly comprises a first slide member which has a first side and a second side which is located at a distance from the first side. The first side and the second side each have a catch portion. A second slide member is longitudinally and slidably located relative to the first slide member. The second slide member has a first side and a second side which is located at a distance from the first side of the second slide member. The control mechanism comprises a frame fixed to the drawer slide assembly; an adjustment member movably connected to the frame and including a first threaded rod, a second threaded rod located corresponding to the first threaded rod, and an adjustment portion connected to the first and second threaded rods; a first stop member threadedly connected to the first threaded rod of the adjustment member and having a first stop portion; and a second stop member threadedly connected to the second threaded rod of the adjustment member and having a second stop portion; wherein the first and second stop members are moved by rotation of the adjustment member. 
     Preferably, the first stop member has a first threaded hole and the second stop member has a second threaded hole. 
     Preferably, the first stop portion has a first protrusion and the first protrusion has a first contact surface, a first guide surface and a first top which is located between the first contact surface and the first guide surface. 
     Preferably, the second stop portion has a second protrusion and the second protrusion has a second contact surface, a second guide surface and a second top which is located between the second contact surface and the second guide surface. 
     Preferably, the first stop portion has a first protrusion and the first protrusion has a hollow interior which is shaped correspondingly to an outer contour of the first protrusion. 
     Preferably, the second stop portion has a second protrusion and the second protrusion has a hollow interior which is shaped correspondingly to an outer contour of the second protrusion. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly without using any tool, and the strike force can be dispersed to increase the life of use. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the control mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention connected to a drawer slide assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view to show the control mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view to show the control mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view to show the control mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention used to a drawer slide assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross sectional view to show that the control mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention used to the drawer slide assembly, and 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross sectional view to show that the control mechanism in the embodiment of the present invention used to the drawer slide assembly, and the control mechanism is in positioned position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the drawer slide assembly comprises a first slide member  10  and a second slide member  12  which is longitudinally and slidably located relative to the first slide member  10 , and a control mechanism  14 . The first slide member  10  has a first side  16  and a second side  18  which is located at a distance from the first side  16 . The second slide member  12  has a first side  20  and a second side  22  which is located at a distance from the first side  20  of the second slide member  12 . In a preferable embodiment, a third slide member  24  is longitudinally and slidably connected between the first and second slide members  10 ,  12  so that the second slide member  12  is pulled longer relative to the first slide member  10  by the third slide member  24 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show a preferable embodiment of the control mechanism  14  of the present invention. The control mechanism  14  comprises a frame  26 , an adjustment member  28 , a first stop member  30  and a second stop member  32 . 
     The frame  26  includes two separated and curved ribs  34  which are connected between two wings  36 , and each wing  36  has a through hole  38  defined therethrough. Fasteners  40 , such as rivets, extend through the two through holes  38  to fix the frame  26  to the front end of the second slide member  12 . 
     The adjustment member  28  is movably connected to the frame  26  and includes a first threaded rod  42 , a second threaded rod  44  located corresponding to the first threaded rod  42 , and an adjustment portion  46  connected to the first and second threaded rods  42 ,  44 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the adjustment member  28  is movably connected to the frame  26  and the adjustment portion  46  is exposed between the two ribs  34  of the frame  26  so that the user can directly switch the adjustment portion  46  to rotate the adjustment member  28 . 
     The first stop member  30  includes a first threaded hole  48  to which the first threaded rod  42  of the adjustment member  28  is threadedly connected. The first stop member  30  is substantially perpendicular to the first side  20  of the second slide member  12 . The first stop member  30  further includes a first stop portion  50  which is located corresponding to the first side  20  of the second slide member  12 . Furthermore, the first stop portion  50  has a first protrusion  52 . The first protrusion  52  has a first contact surface  54 , a first guide surface  56  and a first top  58  which is located between the first contact surface  54  and the first guide surface  56 . If the first protrusion  52  is a solid member (not shown), a resilient member is preferable, such as rubber. Alternatively, the first stop portion  50  has the first protrusion  52  and the first protrusion  52  has a hollow interior  60  which is shaped correspondingly to an outer contour of the first protrusion  52 , so that the first protrusion  52  can be deformed in the hollow interior  60 . The hollow structure allows the first protrusion  52  to be made by harder resilient material such as plastic, and the first protrusion  52  and the first stop member  30  can be a one-piece member. The resilient material is not restricted the material mentioned above, other resilient material is included in the resilient material mentioned above. 
     The second stop member  32  is arranged similar to that of the first stop member  30  and includes a second threaded hole  62  to which the second threaded rod  44  of the adjustment member  28  is threadedly connected. The second stop member  32  is substantially perpendicular to the second side  22  of the second slide member  12 . The second stop portion  64  has a second protrusion  66 . The second protrusion  66  has a second contact surface  68 , a second guide surface  70  and a second top  72  which is located between the second contact surface  68  and the second guide surface  70 . As the arrangement of the first stop member  30 , in the disclosed embodiment, the second protrusion  66  has a hollow interior  74  which is shaped correspondingly to an outer contour of the second protrusion  66 , so that the second protrusion  66  can be deformed in the hollow interior  74 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first side  16  and the second side  18  of the first slide member  10  each have a catch portion  76 ,  78 . When the second slide member  12  is retracted relative to the first slide member  10 , the first and second stop members  30 ,  32  are respectively located corresponding to the catch portions  76 ,  78  of the first and second sides  16 ,  18  of the first slide member  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when adjusting the control mechanism  14 , the second slide member  12  is pulled out relative to the first slide member  10  to expose the control mechanism  14 . When the adjustment portion  46  of the adjustment member  28  is turned, the first and second threaded rods  42 ,  44  are respectively rotated in the first and second threaded holes  48 ,  62  of the first and second stop members  30 ,  32  so that the first and second stop portions  50 ,  64  are together moved to change the straight distances L 1  and L 2  between the first and second sides  16 ,  18  of the first slide member  10 . Therefore, the force that the first and second stop portions  50 ,  64  are engaged with the catch portions  76 ,  78  of the first and second sides  16 ,  18  of the first slide member  10  is controlled, wherein the smaller the distances of the L 1 , L 2 , the larger the force of the contact between the first and second stop portions  50 ,  64  and the catch portions  76 ,  78 . 
     When the distances L 1 , L 2  of the first and second stop portions  50 ,  64  of the first and second stop members  30 ,  32  relative to the first and second sides  16 ,  18  of the first slide member  10  are adjusted, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the second and third slide members  12 ,  24  are retracted to the first slide member  10 . The first protrusion  52  of the first stop portion  50  and the second protrusion  66  of the second stop portion  64  are engaged with the two catch portions  76 ,  78  of the first and second sides  16 ,  18  of the first slide member  10 . In detail, the first contact surface  54  of the first protrusion  52  contacts the catch portion  76  of the first side  16  of the first slide member  10 , and the second contact surface  68  of the second protrusion  66  contacts the catch portion  78  of the second side  18  of the first slide member  10  to obtain the relative secured positioning feature. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.