Patent Publication Number: US-7914093-B2

Title: Automatic position restoring slide rail device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a slide rail device, and more particularly to an automatic position restoring slide rail device having the features of a simple structure, easy-to-manufacture and easy-to-assemble features, and a good operability to meet the cost-effective requirement of its manufacture and application. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Pull cabinets or drawers are used extensively for containing and storing things or tools, and thus slide rails are generally installed on both sides of the cabinets or drawers to facilitate a stable operation of opening or closing operations of pulling, sliding or positioning the cabinets or drawers. To make it easier and more convenient for users to push and close the cabinets or drawers, the slide rails further integrate an automatic position restoring mechanism, such that if a user pushes the cabinet or drawer to an end section, the automatic position storing mechanism will draw the cabinet or drawer backward automatically by a pulling force and secure the cabinet or drawer at a closed position. With reference to  FIG. 1  for an automatic position restoring technology of a conventional slide rail as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M287625, the slide rail comprises: a guide device, a guide slot disposed on a surface of a base, and composed of a linear portion and an arrowhead portion interconnected with a front end of the guide slot; a connecting device, comprising a slide element and a swing element pivotally coupled to the front of the connecting device, at least one guide tenon protruded from the bottom of the slide element and the swing element, and a bar-shaped guide column sheathed to the guide slot, and a hook slot disposed on a side of the swing element; a resilient element, with both ends coupled to the slide element and an object respectively; a hook bolt, including at least one latch gear protruded at a position corresponding to the hook slot of the swing element, for installing the guide device at an internal wall of an object, and installing the hook bolt at an external wall of another object in a corresponding direction, such that when the other object is pulled outward, the resilient element is extended, and if the guide column is in contact with an external edge of the arrowhead portion, the swing element is swung back and attached and fixed to an aslant wall of the arrowhead portion in a downwardly slanting position, such that the hook bolt is released from the latch of the swing element; if the other object is inserted, the latch gear of the hook bolt will be in contact with the internal wall of the hook slot at the swing element of the arrowhead portion and accommodated in the hook slot to release the latch, so that the resilient element is retreated to drive the connecting device and the hook bolt to restore their positions along the linear portion (as described in the patent specification of R.O.C. Pat. No. M287625). Although the aforementioned prior art can achieve the automatic position restoring function of the drawer, the resilient element is connected to the passive slide element, and the shock absorbing device for reducing shocks is also connected and operated actively with the passive slide element, and thus the resilient restoring function is weakened substantially, and the hydraulic cylinder type shock absorbing device is extended/contracted and operated at the passive slide element, and thus the shock absorbing device is worn out and damaged easily, and the shock absorbing device may cause a failure easily, so as to affect the life expectancy of the overall shock absorbing function adversely. Obviously, the foregoing prior art is not a good design. Due to the resilience and the shock absorbing force are the key points of the design of automatic position restoring drawers of this sort, the present technology uses a larger resilience to work with a passive shock absorbing structure to achieve the design, but such prior art is not applicable for the application of this structure, and also requires further improvements. Therefore, it is an important subject for related manufacturers and designers to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional automatic position restoring slide rails. 
     In view of the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct researches and experiments, and finally developed an automatic position restoring slide rail device with a smoother operation, a low cost and a durable feature in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an automatic position restoring slide rail device with smoother and better automatic position restoration, and the operation will not cause a failure easily and the invention comes with an easy-to-assemble feature, so as to improve the manufacturing cost and the cost-effectiveness for better practicability and competitiveness of the product. 
     To achieve the aforementioned objective, the technical measures taken by the invention comprises: a slide rail device, including a bottom rail and an inner rail slid with respect to the bottom rail; a control device, including a control base and a slide cover, and the control base being fixed to the bottom rail, and including a shock absorbing device and at least one spring, and the shock absorbing device including a dry rubber damping rod, and the spring being connected between the control base and the slide cover, and the control base having a control plate extended from the control base, and the control plate having a concave guide slot, and the rear side of the guide slot having a latch groove disposed on a lateral side of the guide slot and an aslant guide slot disposed on another lateral side of the latch groove, and the slide cover being slidably covered at the control base, and the slide cover having a shock absorbing joint pipe sheathed into a corresponding dry rubber damping rod, and the rear position of the slide cover having a first return slot at a front end and a second return slot at a rear end; a swing element, pivotally coupled into the slide cover, and including a front end with a first actuating block disposed in the first return slot, a rear end with a second actuating block disposed in the second return slot, and an embedding portion disposed at the bottom of the swing element and embedded into the guide slot; a link element, fixed at the inner rail, and a side of the link element having an arc press portion with a concave accommodating portion formed at a rear end of the arc press portion and a push-forward portion formed at the front end of the link element. 
     To make it easy for our examiner to understand the objects, technical characteristics and effects of the present invention, we use preferred embodiments and related drawings for the detailed description of the invention as follows: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is another partial exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a first schematic view of an operation of pulling a structure according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a partial enlarged view of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a second schematic view of an operation of pulling a structure according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a partial enlarged view of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a third schematic view of an operation of pulling a structure of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6A  is a partial enlarged view of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of completing an operation of pulling a structure of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is a partial enlarged view of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a rear-pushing operation of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a second schematic view of a rear-pushing operation of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  for an automatic position restoring slide rail device of the present invention, the automatic position restoring slide rail device comprises a slide rail device  10 , a control device  30 , a swing element  50  and a link element  70 . The slide rail device  10  comprises a bottom rail  21 , a middle rail  22  and inner rail  23 , wherein the bottom rail  21  is fixed onto a cabinet (not shown in the figure), and the bottom rail  21  has a front end head portion  211  with a fixing hole  212  disposed at the front end head portion  211 , and a positioning element  213  disposed at an appropriate position of the bottom rail  21 , and a lateral protruding end  214  protruded separately from both sides of the bottom rail  21  for forming a bottom rail space  215 , and the middle rail  22  is embedded and slid in the bottom rail space  215  of the bottom rail  21 , and the middle rail  22  has a lateral protruding end  221  protruded separately from both sides for forming a middle rail space  222 , and the inner rail  23  is fixed to a drawer or cabinet (not shown in the figure) and embedded and slid in the middle rail space  222  of the middle rail  22 , and the inner rail  23  has a lateral protruding end  231  protruded from both sides of the inner rail  23  in a direction corresponding to the middle rail  22  and a positioning hole  232  and an adjusting hole  233  disposed at appropriate positions of the inner rail  23 . 
     The control device  30  includes a control base  31  and a slide cover  41 , and the control base  31  includes a press plate  311  disposed on both sides of the control base  31  and a distal base portion  32  disposed at a front end of control base  31  and fixed to the front end head portion  211  of the bottom rail  21  through the fixing hole  212  (by screws), such that the control device  30  is fixed into the bottom rail space  215 , and the control base  31  includes a spring  33  disposed separately on both sides of the control base and a shock absorbing device  34  disposed between the springs  33 , and the spring  33  is fixed to an embedded clamp opening  321  of the distal base portion  32  by a retreating portion  331  at its front end, and the rear end of the shock absorbing device  34  includes a dry rubber damping rod  341  fixed onto an axle rod  343  by a C-ring  342 , and the control base  31  includes a control plate  35  extended backward, and the control plate  35  has a concave guide slot  351 , a latch groove  352  disposed at a rear position of the guide slot  35  and a guide slot  353  disposed at a rear end of the latch groove  352 , and both latch groove  352  and aslant guide slot  353  are disposed on both sides of the guide slot  351  respectively, and an abutting groove  354  is disposed at a rear end of the control plate  35 . 
     The slide cover  41  is slidably covered at the control base  31 , and the slide cover  41  has a spring slot protecting portion  42  and a shock absorbing slot protecting portion  43  disposed on both sides of the slide cover  41  for protecting the spring  33  and the shock absorbing device  34  respectively, and the spring slot protecting portion  42  has a side press  421  on an internal side of the front end and a latch retreating portion  422  at the rear end, and the side press  421  is abutted against the press plate  311  of the control base  31 , such that the slide cover  41  will not fall off when the control base  31  slides, and the latch retreating portion  422  is provided for coupling the retreating portion  331  at the rear end of the spring  33 . In other words, the spring  33  is connected between the control base  31  and the slide cover  41 , and the spring slot protecting portion  42  has a resilient press portion  423  disposed at a rear end of the spring slot protecting portion  42  for producing a resilient shock absorption. The shock absorbing slot protecting portion  43  has a shock absorbing joint pipe  431 , and the shock absorbing joint pipe  431  has a front end protruded from the shock absorbing slot protecting portion  43 , and the shock absorbing joint pipe  431  is sheathed onto the dry rubber damping rod  341  for primarily restricting the resilient shock absorption. The rear of the slide cover  41  has a first return slot  44  disposed at a front end of the slide cover  41  and a second return slot  45  and the first return slot  44  disposed at a rear end of the slide cover  41 . A pivoting hole  46  is disposed between the first return slot  44  and the second return slot  45 , and installed at the front and rear on both sides of the pivoting hole  46 . 
     The swing element  50  is installed in the slide cover  41  of the control device  30 , and the swing element  50  includes a first actuating block  51  and a second actuating block  52  at the front end, and a pivotal rod portion  53  disposed between the first actuating block  51  and the second actuating block  52 , wherein the first actuating block  51  has a first concave press portion  511  at its rear end and a first distal arc portion  512  at its lateral side, and the second actuating block  52  has a second concave press portion  521  at its front end and a second distal arc portion  522  at its lateral side. The swing element  50  has a bar-shaped embedding portion  54  disposed below, and the front and rear ends of the embedding portion  54  have an arc end  541 . When the swing element  50  is assembled, the pivotal rod portion  53  is pivotally coupled to the pivoting hole  46  of the slide cover  41 , such that the first actuating block  51  is inserted and fixed into the first return slot  44 , and the second actuating block  52  is inserted and fixed into the second return slot  45 , and the embedding portion  54  is embedded into the guide slot  351  of the control plate  35 , such that when the swing element  50  slides in the guide slot  351  through the embedding portion, the swing element  50  drives the slide cover  41  to move through the pulling of the first actuating block  51  coupled to the first return slot  44 . 
     The link element  70  is substantially an L-shaped rod having a protruding axle portion  71  at its front end and an arc press portion  72  disposed at a rear end of the protruding axle portion  71 , and the arc press portion  72  forms an angular recession  74  at an internal side and a concave accommodating portion  73  formed at a lateral side, and the link element  70  has an adjusting slot  75  disposed at the rear position corresponding to the adjusting hole  233  of the inner rail  23 . In addition, the front end of the protruding axle portion  71  has a front protrusion  76 , and the front protrusion  76  forms a push-forward portion  761  on a lateral side of the front protrusion  76 . The link element  70  is fixed to the positioning hole  232  of the inner rail  23  through the protruding axle portion  71 , such that the link element  70  and the inner rail  23  are linked integrally, wherein appropriate press elements (not shown in the figure) can be installed at the adjusting hole  233  of the inner rail  23  and the adjusting slot  75  of the link element  70  for controlling the fixing or actuating state of the arc press portion  72 . 
     When the automatic position restoring slide rail device of the invention is assembled, the bottom rail  21  is engaged with the middle rail  22 , and the middle rail  22  is engaged with the inner rail  23  to constitute a state of sliding with each other, wherein the middle rail  22  is pressed and coupled to a resilient press portion  423  of the slide cover  41 . The swing element  50  is movably situated at the guide slot  351  of the control device  30 , so that the second actuating block  52  drops to a lateral concave accommodating portion  73  of the link element  70 , and the second concave press portion  521  of the second actuating block  52  is hooked by the arc press portion  72  of the link element  70  (as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4A ), such that the link element  70  has a link force for pulling the swing element  50 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  4 A,  5  and  5 A, if a drawer or a cabinet is pulled, the inner rail  23  (coupled to the drawer or the cabinet) will be slid backward to drive the link element  70  to move, and the link element  70  continues pulling the second actuating block  52  of the swing element  50  by the arc press portion  72 , so as to drive the swing element  50  to move together, and then uses the swing element  50  to link the slide cover  41 , so that the slide cover  41  is moved with respect to the control base  31  (or the guide slot  351 ). Now, the swing element  50  is restricted by the guide slot  351 , and thus the spring  33  is gradually situated at an extended state. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 6A , if the inner rail  23  and the link element  70  keep moving backward to pull the swing element  50  to the positions of the latch groove  352  and the aslant guide slot  353  of the control plate  35 , the second actuating block  52  of the swing element  50  will be guided and pushed towards another side of the aslant guide slot  353  by the pulling force of the link element  70 . In other words, the swing element  50  will be turned and swung according to the pivotal rod portion  53 , and the first actuating block  51  is swung into the latch groove  352  of the control plate  35 . Since the swing element  50  has a space (the latch groove  352  and the aslant guide slot  353 ) for the swing movement, so that the link element  70  can keep pulling the swing element  50  to separate the second actuating block  52  from the link element  70  (or the arc press portion  72 ). In other words, the link element  70  will pass across the swing element  50 , and the link element  70  is separated from the swing element  50  to move the inner rail  23  and the link element  70  with the operation of pulling the drawer or the cabinet, so as to complete the operating of opening the drawer or the cabinet. The swing element  50  applies a pulling force of the spring  33  to the slide cover  41 , so that a latch is constituted after the first distal arc portion  512  of the first actuating block  51  is embedded into the latch groove  352 , while maintaining the slide cover  41  at a temporary fixed state, and the spring  33  is situated at a final extended state. 
     In the aforementioned operation of pulling the drawer or the cabinet, the inner rail  23  is slid and extended on the middle rail  22 , such that when the slide cover  41  is moved, the middle rail  22  is also pushed by the slide cover  41 , and the inner rail  23  is driven to slide and extend until the drawer or the cabinet is pulled open. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 7 and 7A , when the drawer or the cabinet is pushed and closed, the inner rail  23  and the middle rail  22  are driven by the drawer or the cabinet to move backward, and the link element  70  is moved backward accordingly. When the link element  70  touches the swing element  50 , the link element  70  pushes the first actuating block  51  of the swing element  50  through the push-forward portion  761  to separate the first distal arc portion  512  from the latch groove  352  (as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 ), and the guide slot  351  guides the swing element  50  to restore its position. Since the swing element  50  is released from the latch groove  352 , the resilience of the spring  33  is applied onto the swing element  50  through the slide cover  41 , such that the swing element  50  is linked by the slide cover  41  to move forward quickly. In the meantime, the swing element  50  will be latched and coupled by the second actuating block  52  and the arc press portion  72  of the link element  70 . With the resilience of the spring  33 , the link element  70  will produce a forward pulling force, for moving the inner rail  23  and the drawer or the cabinet backward. When the slide cover  41  is slid to resume its position at the distal base portion  32  of the control base  31 , equilibrium is achieved to complete the function of automatically restoring the position of the drawer or the cabinet. 
     The present invention installs two springs and a shock absorbing device installed in the control device, and the dry rubber damping rod of the shock absorbing device is passively installed into the shock absorbing joint pipe of the shock absorbing slot protecting portion when the slide cover is moved forward and resumed its original position, a damping effect is formed when the dry rubber damping rod is sheathed with the shock absorbing joint pipe, and the resilience of the springs on both sides of the control base restores the shock absorbing device and the shock absorbing slot protecting portion slowly, gently and smoothly. The overall interactive operation of the control plate, the slide cover, the swing element and the link element provides the automatic position restoring function of the drawer or cabinet with a smooth, flexible and better operability, so as to enhance the applicability, practicality and competitiveness of the product. 
     In summation of the description above, the present invention complies with the requirements of patent application and thus is duly filed for patent application. While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.