Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Horizontally movable
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-08
2002-02-26
Hansen, James O. (Department: 3636)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Horizontally movable
C312S334470, C312S334110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06350001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sliding track assembly for a drawer and, more particularly, to a durable sliding track assembly, which prevents interference of the parts with one another when moving the drawer in or out of a desk, and has means to support the parts in position.
A regular two-step sliding track assembly for a drawer, as shown in FIGS. from
1
through
3
, is generally comprised of an inner rail
91
, an intermediate rail
92
, and an outer rail
93
. When pulling the drawer outwards, the inner rail
91
is moved with the drawer out of the intermediate rail
92
at the initial stage as shown in
FIG. 2
, and then the intermediate rail
92
is pulled out of the outer rail
93
as shown in FIG.
3
. Because the inner rail
91
bears the whole weight of the load when pulling the drawer out of the desk, the coupling area between the inner rail
91
and the intermediate rail
92
tends to be damaged.
FIGS. from
4
through
9
show another structure of prior art sliding track assembly. According to this design, the inner rail
94
and the intermediate rail
95
commonly bear the weight of the load at the initial stage when pulling the drawer out of the desk. However, when pulling the inner rail
94
outwards, the pressing force of the stop member
97
against one sidewall
941
of the inner rail
94
tends to be overcome by the pulling force employed to the inner rail
94
, thereby causing the inner rail
94
to slip on the intermediate rail
95
. In this case, the intermediate rail
95
cannot be simultaneously moved with the inner rail
94
out of the outer rail
96
. Because the stop member
97
has a fixed end pivoted to the inner rail
94
by a pivot
98
and a downward protruding plate
971
extended from the free end thereof and stopped against a retaining block (not shown) of the outer rail
96
, the stop member
97
tends to be forced to curve upwards upon inward movement of the intermediate rail
95
. Frequently curving the stop member
97
may loosen the stop member
97
. Furthermore, the spring
99
which is installed in the intermediate rail
95
to support the stop member
97
, has only one end
991
stopped against a stop flange
942
of the intermediate rail
95
, it tends to be forced out of position when moving the drawer in or out of the desk.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a sliding track assembly for drawer, which eliminates the drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art designs. According to one aspect of the present invention, the sliding track assembly comprises an outer rail fixedly mounted inside a desk, an intermediate rail carried on a first sliding bearing and moved in and out of the outer rail, an inner rail carried on a second sliding bearing and moved with a drawer in and out of the intermediate rail, a stop member mounted in a sliding slot on the intermediate rail and forced by the spring on the intermediate rail to limit forward movement of the inner rail relative to the intermediate rail, a first sliding bearing coupled between the inner rail and the intermediate rail, a second sliding bearing coupled between the intermediate rail and the outer rail, and a locating plate fixedly fastened to the inner rail at one end to limit forward movement of the inner rail relative to the intermediate rail. According to another aspect of the present invention, the inner rail has a raised portion formed on a front side thereof to contact an upward side flange of the stop member when pulling the drawer out of the desk, keeping the intermediate rail to be moved with the inner rail and the drawer, so that the inner rail and the intermediate rail concomitantly bear the movement of the drawer during the first step. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the intermediate rail, the second sliding bearing, the stop member, the first sliding bearing, and the locating plate are moved in the same direction without causing an interference when pulling the inner rail with the drawer out of the intermediate rail or pushing the drawer back to the inside of the desk. According to still another aspect of the present invention, when pressing the free end of the locating plate, the inner rail is disengaged from a positioning block of the intermediate rail, and the inner rail can then be removed with the drawer from the intermediate rail. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the stop member has a supporting rib bridging the sliding slot of the intermediate rail to positively support the stop member on the intermediate rail against the stop portion of the retaining block of the outer rail. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the intermediate rail has integrated retaining flanges abutting two sides of a curved positioning portion of the spring to hold the spring in place.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4549773 (1985-10-01), Papp et al.
patent: 5551775 (1996-09-01), Parvin
patent: 5757109 (1998-05-01), Parvin
patent: 2707365 (1978-08-01), None
Dynaslide Corporation
Hansen James O.
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
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