Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Horizontally movable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-05
2001-06-12
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Horizontally movable
C029S505000, 30
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244679
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a method for attaching members to each other, and, more particularly to a method of forming a slide assembly by attaching members to each other using specific points of attachment.
Drawer slides for file drawers and the like are often desirable for use in cabinets and other rack-mounted applications. Such slides permit easy access to the interior of the drawer. The slides maintain the drawer in a horizontal position regardless of how far the drawer is withdrawn from the cabinet.
Drawer slide assemblies are generally constructed of two or more slide members. Sometimes a slide member is formed by shaping a single piece of material, and sometimes the slide member is formed by attaching together several separate pieces of material. One common configuration is a three member vertical drawer slide. In this configuration, there is an intermediate tie member with substantially vertical planar upper and lower sections. Slide member connectors are attached to the upper and lower sections of the intermediate member, and the connectors in turn are slidably coupled to the slide members which support the drawers.
Typically, the slide member connectors are attached to the intermediate member by welding or riveting. Other members may be attached to one another in a similar fashion. This building block approach has been used to produce enhanced features on the slide assemblies, such as increased payload capacity or greater extension. The component members are typically relatively thin elongated metal elements, having longitudinal webs, and the members are generally joined together web to web.
Typically, the members are welded or otherwise attached together in advance of plating or coating in order to reduce the cost of plating. Applying the plating process to a single assembly is usually more economical than applying plating to multiple individual components with each component plated separately before being brought together at the assembly stage. Furthermore, when welding multiple components that have been previously plated, one must address the hazard of emitting toxic fumes and the degradation of aesthetics and appearance.
However, when members are assembled prior to plating or coating, a “bleed out” of chemicals typically occurs after plating. This bleed-out is due to chemically reactive elements being trapped between the attached members during the plating and cleaning process. The close contact between the welded or riveted members is not water tight, so chemicals can enter and temporarily remain in the very small spaces between the members. However, after the lapse of certain time intervals, these chemically reactive elements slowly drain or bleed from their temporary holding places. In flowing over the exposed surfaces of the newly plated assembly, a chemical reaction takes place leaving unsightly smudges and smears. Thus there exists a need for an assembly of individual components, and a method for assembling individual components, such that the assembly may be plated or coated without incurring bleed out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an assembly of components, and a method for assembling and attaching component members, which allows plating chemicals and other liquids to quickly flow from between the attached components after being plated and thus eliminates the unsightly effect of “bleed-out” on exposed surfaces of the components.
The components or members to be attached to each other are prepared prior to attachment by creating one or more protrusions, called embosses, on the surface of at least one of the components to be attached. The emboss is stamped into the first component creating a raised attachment point on the attachment surface of the component. Embosses, generally 0.01″ thick, are placed at spaced intervals along the length of the component. Thereafter, the second component, which is to be attached to the first component, is brought into contact with the embosses and is welded or otherwise attached to the first component at each of the embosses. Because of the raised embosses, a small channel is formed between the component members of the assembly. The assembly is then passed through cleaning and plating baths to produce a uniform, clean finish on all exposed surfaces of the assembly, with the raised embosses allowing such baths to drain more quickly away from between the attached components of the assembly, before leaving the plating cycle, thus preventing bleed out, and effectively masking the locations of the embossments.
A secondary benefit of the invention is that the channel formed by the embosses allows better flow of the plating chemicals between the component members, resulting in more complete plating, and, for example, better rust prevention. The separation of the members also reduces the chance of contact except at the desired weld points, concentrating the weld current flow and improving the strength of the weld connection.
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Mehrabi Seyed Taghi
Robertson Steven Michael
Accuride International Inc.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Cuomo Peter M.
Fisher Michael J.
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