Patent Publication Number: US-2020281089-A1

Title: Supporting device and slide rail assembly using the same

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to a supporting device and slide rail assemblies using the supporting device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A slide rail assembly in a rack-based server system is usually installed with a bracket at the front as well as at the rear, and mounted to two posts of a rack via the two brackets. As the distance between the two posts may vary with system design or due to other factors, adjustable brackets are required. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a first embodiment of a slide rail assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the slide rail assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a slide rail assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the slide rail assembly of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view along line in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     A first embodiment is provided according to the present disclosure. 
       FIGS. 1 to 2  illustrate a slide rail assembly  100 . 
     The slide rail assembly  100  may include a sliding rail  40  and a supporting device  200 . 
     The supporting device  200  includes a supporting bracket  10  and a sliding bracket  20 . The supporting bracket  10  defines two sliding slots  170  along an extending direction of the supporting bracket  10 . The sliding bracket  20  defines two sliding portions corresponding to the two sliding slots  170 . 
     The sliding bracket  20  is slidably connected to the supporting bracket  10  through the two sliding portions and the two sliding slots  170 . The sliding bracket  20  is mounted to the sliding rail  40 , so that the supporting bracket  10  can slide relative to the sliding rail  40  to adjust the effective length of the slide rail assembly  100 . 
     The sliding bracket  20  may include a sliding plate  210 , each of the two sliding portions can be a flange  230  connected to a side of the sliding plate  210 . Correspondingly, the sliding bracket  20  further includes two first bending portions  220 , each of the flanges  230  is connected to the side of the sliding plate  210  through a corresponding one of the two first bending portions  220 . The flange  230  can be parallel with the sliding plate  210 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the sliding plate  210  defines a locking member  240 , the sliding rail  40  defines a locking hole  430  corresponding to the locking member  240 . The sliding bracket  20  is mounted to the sliding rail  40  through the locking member  240  and the locking hole  430 . 
     In at least one embodiment, each of the supporting bracket  10  and the sliding bracket  20  includes a latching unit. When the supporting bracket  10  slides along the sliding bracket  20  to a predetermined position, the supporting bracket  10  is latched by the latching units. 
     For example, the latching units may include a clamping member  140  defined on the supporting bracket  10  and a clamping groove  260  defined on an end of the sliding bracket  20 . When the supporting bracket  10  slides along the sliding bracket  20  to a predetermined position protruding out of the sliding bracket  20 , the clamping member  140  is clamped by the clamping groove  260 . 
     The latching units may further include a first stopping member  180  and a second stopping member  250 . The first stopping member  180  is defined on an end of the supporting bracket  10 , the second stopping member  250  is defined on the other end of the sliding bracket  20 . When the supporting bracket  10  slides along the sliding bracket  20  to a predetermined position aligning with the sliding bracket  20 , the first stopping member  180  is stopped by the second stopping member  250 . 
     A second embodiment is provided according to the present disclosure. 
       FIGS. 3 to 5  illustrate a slide rail assembly  101 . The sliding bracket  20  and the sliding rail  40  in the second embodiment can be same as the sliding bracket  20  and the sliding rail  40  in the first embodiment. 
     The differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment are as follows: 
     In the second embodiment, the supporting device  200  further includes a connecting bracket  30 . The supporting bracket  10  includes a cover plate  110 , two third bending portions  120 , and two second folding edges  130 . The two third bending portions  120  are connected to opposite sides of the cover plate  110 , and the two second folding edges  130  are respectively connected to the two third bending portions  120 . The two second folding edges  130  are parallel to the cover plate  110 . The two third bending portions  120  and the cover plate  110  form a sliding slot (not labeled). 
     The connecting bracket  30  may include a supporting plate  310 . The supporting plate  310  defines a guiding slot  3101  parallel with the sliding slot. 
     The supporting plate  310  is mounted to the two second folding edges  130 . Two flanges  230  are slidably connected to the sliding slot. The sliding plate  210  is connected to the sliding rail  40  by passing through the guiding slot  3101 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the connecting bracket  30  may further include two third folding edges  320 , the two third folding edges  320  are respectively connected to opposite sides of the supporting plate  310 . The sliding rail  40  may include a rail body  410  and two fourth folding edges  420 , the two fourth folding edges  420  are respectively connected to opposite sides of the rail body  410 . The two fourth folding edges  420  are parallel with the two third folding edges  320 . Each of the two third folding edges  320  is slidably connected to an adjacent one of the two fourth folding edges  420 . 
     Since the sliding rail  40 , the sliding bracket  20 , the connecting bracket  30 , and the supporting bracket  10  of the slide rail assembly  100  are symmetrical about an axis V shown in  FIG. 5 , each half mirrors the other. 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details, including matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.