Patent ID: 7448704

Claim:
A guide rail assembly having a synchronized sliding movement for slidably opening and closing a drawer within an article of furniture, the assembly comprising a support means ( 10 ) for fixing said assembly to the article of furniture; a fixed guide ( 20 ) mounted on said support means; an intermediate pull out rail capable of sliding back and forth relative to said fixed guide; an outer pull out channel ( 40 ) for attachment to the drawer and being capable of sliding back and forth on said intermediate pull out rail relative to said intermediate pull out rail and said fixed guide, and having a protrusion ( 44 ) on the bottom surface of said outer pull out channel, wherein said protrusion projects into a space within said intermediate pull out rail; a synchronizing member ( 50 , 60 ) pivotably mounted on the intermediate rail, the synchronizing member comprising a forwardly-extending first arm ( 51 , 61 ) and a rearwardly-extending second arm ( 52 , 62 ) that extend in generally opposing directions from a central portion ( 53 , 63 ) that contains a pivot point ( 53 a , 63 a ), each said arm terminating in a respective roller ( 51 a , 52 a ; 61 a , 62 a ) that enables the synchronizing member to travel along the upper surface of the fixed guide, and the first arm ( 51 ) including a bend ( 51 b ) to define an elbow, wherein said central portion ( 53 , 63 ) interacts with said protrusion ( 44 ) so as to switch the synchronizing member, during an open or closing action of the assembly, between a first condition in which the elbow of the first arm engages the forward end of the fixed guide and locks the intermediate rail to the fixed guide, and a second condition in which the central portion is engaged by said protrusion to lock the pull out channel to the intermediate rail.