Patent Publication Number: US-7708357-B2

Title: Automatic locking apparatus used in guide rail for drawer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a guide rail for a drawer. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic locking apparatus used in a guide rail for a drawer, in which the automatic locking apparatus can slidably lock the drawer on the guide rail even if a user touches the drawer with little force. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In general, a drawer is installed in a cabinet, a desk, and the like so as to allow a user to store various materials, such as personal things, documents and various office supplies, in the drawer according to applications thereof. Such a drawer slidably moves along a guide rail including fixing sliders attached to both inner side surfaces of a drawer receiving section, and movable sliders attached to both outer side surfaces of the drawer. 
   In detail, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional guide rail  1  includes a fixing slider  10  and a movable slider  20 , in which at least one coupling hole  11  is formed in the fixing slider  10  such that the fixing slider  10  can be coupled with a side surface of a drawer receiving section A (see,  FIG. 2 ) by means of a bolt and a screw, a first stopper  13  is provided at one end of a recess section  12  of the fixing slider  10  so as to limit the movement of the drawer, and a first convey slot  14  having a predetermined depth is formed on outer portions of upper and lower bending sections of the fixing slider  10 , and in which the movable slider  20  has a size sufficient for receiving the fixing slider  10 , second and third stoppers  23  and  24  are provided at both ends of a recess section  22  of the movable slider  20  so as to limit the movement of the drawer, a second convey slot  25  having a predetermined depth, which is corresponding to the first convey slot  14  of the fixing slider  10 , is formed on inner portions of upper and lower bending sections of the movable slider  20 , and a plurality of screw holes  21  are formed at the bottom of the recess section  22  of the movable slider  20  so as to couple the movable slider  20  with the drawer B (see,  FIG. 2 ) while supporting the drawer. 
   In addition, as shown in  FIG. 2 , when the fixing slider  10  is accommodated in the movable slider  20 , the upper and lower bending sections of the fixing slider  10  are spaced apart from the upper and lower bending sections of the movable slider  20  by a predetermined distance, so that a roller bracket  30  equipped with at least one roller  31  can be provided between the fixing slider  10  and the movable slider  20 . 
   In a state in which the guide rail  1  including the fixing slider  10  and the movable slider  20  makes contact with the side of the drawer B and the drawer receiving section A, if the user pulls or pushes the drawer to open or close the drawer, the drawer slidably moves smoothly according to the movement of the roller bracket  30  installed in the first and second convey slots  14  and  25 . 
   That is, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , if the user pulls the drawer in a state in which the drawer has been accommodated in the drawer receiving section A, the roller bracket  30  and the movable slider  20  are slidably moved in the moving direction of the drawer along the first covey slot  14  of the fixing slider  10 . At this time, if the drawer is fully pulled, both end portions of the roller bracket  30  make contact with the first and third stoppers  13  and  24 , so that the movement of the drawer is restricted without separating the movable slider  20  and the roller bracket  30  from the fixing slider  10 . 
   In addition, if the user pushes the drawer to close the drawer, the second stopper  23  makes contact with one end of the fixing slider  10 , so that the movement of the drawer is restricted. 
   However, the drawer having the above structure represents problems when the user pushes or pulls the drawer close or open the drawer, especially, when the user pushes the drawer to close the drawer. That is, if the desk is inclined, the drawer may not be closed, but may be automatically opened due to the tare thereof. 
   In order to solve the above problem, a guide rail equipped with a locking device has been suggested. However, according to the guide rail equipped with the locking device, the user must push the drawer with strong force in order to lock the drawer, so that not only is noise generated, but also the drawer or the guide rail is broken when it is used for a long period of time. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention has been made to solve the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail equipped with an automatic locking apparatus provided at an end portion of a fixing slider and smoothly pulled back as it makes contact with a movable slider so as to receive the movable slider. 
   In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an automatic locking apparatus used in a guide rail for a drawer, in which the guide rail includes fixing sliders attached to both inner side surfaces of a drawer receiving section, movable sliders attached to both outer side surfaces of the drawer so as to move along the fixing sliders, and a stopper ring provided at a front surface of an end portion of the movable slider, the automatic locking apparatus being provided at an end portion of the fixing slider so as to incorporate with the stopper ring, the automatic locking apparatus comprising: a fixing plate integrally formed at an upper surface of an end portion of the fixing slider; a body having a mounting member provided at an upper surface of the fixing plate while protruding toward the movable slider, in which the body has a substantially lozenge shape and is formed at a center thereof with a coupling hole so as to be coupled with the mounting member, first and second hinge grooves having semi-cylindrical shapes are formed at first and second end portions of the body, and the second hinge groove is positioned lower than the first hinge groove; an elastic member having a substantially “C” shape, in which first and second hinges are integrally formed at both side ends of the elastic member, and the first hinge is rotatably inserted into the first hinge groove so that the elastic member is rotatably coupled with the body; and a rotating member having a substantially “reverse-L” shape, in which a third hinge having a cylindrical shape corresponding to the second hinge groove is provided at one end of an upper portion of the rotating member, a third hinge groove corresponding to the second hinge is formed at a rear portion of the third hinge, the third hinge is rotatably inserted into the second hinge groove, the second hinge is inserted into the third hinge groove, and a locking recess making contact with the stopper ring is provided at a lower portion of the rotating member. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent with reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventional guide rail for a drawer; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the guide rail shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are views illustrating the operational state of the guide rail shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are an exploded perspective view and an assembled perspective view, respectively, illustrating an automatic locking apparatus used in a guide rail for a drawer according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a movable slider which is locked by means of an automatic locking apparatus; and 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are views illustrating the operational state of an automatic locking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereinafter, an automatic locking apparatus used in a guide rail for a drawer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the present invention provides a guide rail including fixing sliders  10  (only one is shown for illustrative purposes) attached to both inner side surfaces of a drawer receiving section (not shown) and movable sliders  20  (only one is shown for illustrative purposes) attached to both outer side surfaces of a drawer (not shown) and slidably moved while overlapping with the fixing sliders  10 . In addition, the present invention provides an automatic locking apparatus  100  installed at an end portion of the fixing sliders  10  so as to prevent the movable sliders  20  from moving backward. 
   The automatic locking apparatus  100  includes a fixing plate  110 , a body  120 , an elastic member  130 , a rotating member  140 , and a stopper ring  150 . 
   The fixing plate  110  is attached to a rear side of the fixing slider  10 . The fixing plate  110  extends higher than an upper surface of the movable slider  20 . A mounting member  112 , which protrudes toward the movable slider  20 , is integrally formed with an upper end of the fixing plate  110 . 
   The body  120  has a substantially rectangular shape or a lozenge shape and is fixed to a front surface of the fixing plate  110 . That is, the body  120  is formed at front and rear portions thereof with coupling holes  121  so as to be fixedly coupled with the mounting member  112 . First and second hinge grooves  122  and  123  having semi-cylindrical shapes are formed at one end and the other end of the body  120 . Preferably, the second hinge groove  123  is positioned slightly below the first hinge groove  122 . 
   The elastic member  130  has a substantially “C” shape. First and second hinges  131  and  132  having cylindrical shapes are integrally formed at both side ends of the elastic member  130 , respectively. The first hinge  131  is rotatably inserted into the first hinge groove  122  of the body  120 , so that the elastic member  130  is rotatably coupled with the body  120 . 
   The rotating member  140  has a substantially “reverse-L” shape. An upper end portion of the rotating member  140  is inserted between the other side of the body  120  and the other side of the elastic member  130 . Thus, if the rotating member  140  rotatably moves downward, the other side of the elastic member  130  is received in the rotating member  140 , so that the rotating member  140  can be elastically moved. That is, a third hinge  141 , which has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the second hinge groove  123  formed at the other side of the body  120 , is integrally formed with an upper end portion of the rotating member  140 , and the second hinge  132  formed at the other side of the elastic member  130  is rotatably inserted into a third hinge groove  142  formed at an inner portion of the rotating member  140  adjacent to the third hinge  141 . Therefore, the third hinge  141  of the rotating member  140  is rotatably coupled with the second hinge groove  123  of the body  120 , and the second hinge  132  of the elastic member  130  is rotatably coupled with the third hinge groove  142  of the rotating member  140 . In addition, a locking recess  143  is provided at a lower end portion of the rotating member  140 . 
   In addition, a spacer protrusion  124  is integrally formed at an upper portion of the second hinge groove  123  that makes contact with a front portion of the third hinge  141  so as to prevent the third hinge  141  from being fixedly installed in the second hinge groove  123 . Due to the spacer protrusion  124 , the rotating member  140  can return to its initial position even if little force is applied to the rotating member  140 . 
   The stopper ring  150  is attached to an end portion of the movable slider  20 . The stopper ring  150  is made from a rubber material having a damping function. An upper portion of the stopper ring  150  makes contact with the locking recess  143  provided at the lower end portion of the rotating member  140 . That is, as shown in  FIG. 7 , when the movable slider  20  moves back, the locking recess  143  is pulled back by means of the stopper ring  150 , so that the rotating member  140  can be rotated. 
   Hereinafter, the operation of the automatic locking apparatus having the above structure will be described. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9  are views illustrating the operational state of the automatic locking apparatus  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
   On the assumption that the fixing sliders  10  are fixedly attached to both inner side surfaces of the drawer receiving section and the movable sliders  20  are fixedly attached to both outer side surfaces of the drawer, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the movable slider  20  moves back along the fixing slider  10  when the drawer is closed. When the drawer is almost closed, the stopper ring  150  of the movable slider  20  makes contact with the locking recess  143  of the rotating member  140 . 
   In this state, if the user continuously pushes the drawer to close the drawer, the rotating member  140  is pivotably rotated. Since the upper end of the rotating member  140  is rotatably coupled with the other end of the body  120 , the rotating member  140  can be easily rotated. However, if the second hinge  132  provided at the other side of the elastic member  130  is fixedly inserted into the third hinge groove  142  of the rotating member  140 , the rotating member  140  cannot be easily rotated. Thus, if the user pushes the drawer by applying force to the drawer, the rotating member  140  may be slowly rotated. In this process, force hanging down the elastic member  130  is generated, so that the rotating member  140  is elastically moved. 
   The above operation is accomplished when the spacer protrusion  124  is not provided at the upper portion of the second hinge groove  123 . According to the present invention, the spacer protrusion  124  is provided at the upper portion of the second hinge groove  123 , so the rotating member  140  can be stopped at a return position thereof by means of the spacer protrusion  124 . In this state, if the stopper ring  150  slightly touches the locking recess  143 , the rotating member  140  is smoothly pulled back beyond the return position. 
   In this manner, if the stopper ring  150  that rotates the rotating member  140  moves beyond the first hinge  131 , the second hinge  132  and the third hinge  141 , the rotating member  140  is completely pulled back due to the elastic force of the elastic member  130 . Herein, the reason of positioning the second hinge groove  123  below the first hinge groove  122  is as follows. If the third hinge groove  142  is positioned above an extension line between the first hinge groove  122  and the second hinge groove  123 , a force that returns the rotating member  140  to its initial position will be generated. In addition, if the third hinge groove  142  is positioned below the extension line between the first hinge groove  122  and the second hinge groove  123 , a force that pulls back the rotating member  140  in the reverse direction will be generated. 
   The above-described automatic locking apparatus  100  can prevent the drawer from moving back due to the tare of the drawer. That is, since the stopper ring  150  is locked with the rotating member  140 , the movable slider  20  cannot be moved back caused by the tare thereof. 
   In contrast, when the user pulls the drawer to open the drawer, the movable slider  20  moves forward so that the stopper ring  150  makes contact with the locking recess  143  of the rotating member  140 . In this state, if the user continuously pulls the drawer by applying force to the drawer, the rotating member  140  is pivotably rotated by means of the stopper ring  150 . At this time, the rotating member  140  may not be easily rotated due to the elastic member  130 . However, if the user pulls the drawer by applying relatively strong force to the drawer, the rotating member  140  is slowly rotated while overcoming the elastic force of the elastic member  130 . In this state, if the third hinge groove  142  of the rotating member  140  is positioned above the extension line between the first and second hinge grooves  122  and  123 , the rotating member  140  returns to its initial position by means of the elastic force of the elastic member  130 . 
   As described above, according to the automatic locking device used in the guide rail for the drawer of the present invention, the drawer may not be opened caused by the tare thereof after the drawer has been closed, if the user does not intentionally pull the drawer with strong force to open the drawer. Accordingly, the drawer can be prevented from being separated from the desk or the cabinet even if vibration or external impact is applied thereto. In addition, the drawer can be prevented from being separated from the desk or the cabinet, even if the desk is inclined or turned over when the user moves the desk. 
   Furthermore, according to the present invention, the rotating member is maintained at the return position thereof by means of the spacer protrusion, so the rotating member can be smoothly rotated or pulled back even if little force is applied thereto. 
   Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is understood that the present invention should not be limited to these exemplary embodiments but various changes and modifications can be made by one ordinary skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present invention as hereinafter claimed.