U.S. patent application number 09/863328 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-28 for positioning and push-in arrangement for a track device.
This patent application is currently assigned to King Slide Works Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Chen, Ken-Ching, Lin, Shu-Juan, Tseng, I-Ming, Wang, Chun-Chiang.
Application Number | 20020175605 09/863328 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25340881 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020175605 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Ken-Ching ; et
al. |
November 28, 2002 |
Positioning and push-in arrangement for a track device
Abstract
A track device comprises a first track and a second track
slidably received in the first track. An engaging member is mounted
to an end of the first rack and includes at least one positioning
block. The second track further includes two hooks for engaging
with two ends of a pressing member mounted to the second track. The
pressing member includes a protruded portion that can be pressed.
The pressing member further includes at least one notch defined by
two parallel walls. When the second track is pulled outward along a
longitudinal direction, the notch is engaged with the positioning
block of the engaging member of the first track, thereby providing
a better positioning effect. When the protruded portion of the
pressing member is pressed, the notch is disengaged from the
positioning block, thereby allowing disengagement or engagement of
the second track from or into the first track.
Inventors: |
Chen, Ken-Ching; (Kaohsiung
Hsien, TW) ; Tseng, I-Ming; (Kaohsiung Hsien, TW)
; Lin, Shu-Juan; (Kaohsiung Hsien, TW) ; Wang,
Chun-Chiang; (Kaohsiung Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Bacon & Thomas
625 Slaters Lane - 4th Floor
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
King Slide Works Co., Ltd.
299, Hsuen-An Road, Ho-Hsiang Tsun Lu-Chu Hsiang
Kaohsiung Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
25340881 |
Appl. No.: |
09/863328 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/333 ;
312/334.44 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/487 20170101;
A47B 2210/0032 20130101; A47B 2210/0018 20130101; A47B 2088/4235
20170101; A47B 2210/0059 20130101; A47B 88/493 20170101; A47B 88/57
20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/333 ;
312/334.44 |
International
Class: |
A47B 088/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A track device comprising: a first track including an upper
longitudinal lip and a lower longitudinal lip, the first track
including a first stop on an end thereof, an engaging member being
mounted to another end of the first rack and including at least one
positioning block; and a second track including an upper
longitudinal lip and a lower longitudinal lip that are slidably
received between the upper longitudinal lip and the lower
longitudinal lip of the first track, the second track including a
second stop on an end thereof, the second track further including
two hooks, a pressing member being mounted to the second track and
including two ends engaged with the hooks, respectively, the second
track including a protruded portion that can be pressed, the
pressing member further including at least one notch defined by two
parallel walls; wherein when the second track is pulled outward
along a longitudinal direction, said at least one notch of the
pressing member is engaged with said at least one positioning block
of the engaging member of the first track, and when a relatively
larger force is applied to the second track, said at least one
positioning block is moved across an associated one of the walls of
said at least one notch, thereby allowing the second track to be
telescoped into the first track.
2. The track device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said engaging
member includes two upright walls each having a cylindrical portion
located between an associated one of the upper longitudinal lip and
the lower longitudinal lip of the first track and an associated one
of the upper longitudinal lip and the lower longitudinal lip of the
second track.
3. The track device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first track
includes a resilient abutting portion against which the second stop
of the second track abuts.
4. The track device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least
one notch of the pressing member is located in the protruded
portion.
5. The track device as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the walls
of said at least one notch of the pressing member includes an
inclined face.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a positioning and push-in
arrangement for a track device.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIG. 8 of the drawings illustrates a so-called "three-part"
conventional track device for a drawer. The track device includes
an outer track 91, a middle track 92, and an inner track 93. A
plurality of rolling balls 94 are mounted between the middle track
92 and the inner track 93 to allow easy sliding movement of the
inner track 93 in the middle track 92. In order to allow easy
assembly, the inner track 93 has a claw 95 with a resilient leg 96
and the middle track 92 has a stop 97. The resilient leg 96 can be
pressed to allow a protrusion 951 of the claw 95 to move across a
stop piece 971 of the stop 97, thereby allowing assembly or
detachment between the inner track 93 and the middle track 92.
After the inner track 93 has been engaged in the middle track 92,
the protrusion 951 of the claw 95 is engaged with the stop piece
971 of the stop 97 when the inner track 93 is pulled outward,
thereby preventing disengagement of the inner track 93 from the
middle track 92.
[0005] Applicant's U.S. Patent Application No. ______ filed on Mar.
22, 2001 and entitled "TRACK DEVICE WITH SEPARABLE TRACKS"
discloses a track device comprising a first track and a second
track. An engaging member is mounted to an end of the first rack
and includes at least one leg and at least one operative wall. The
first track further includes an upper longitudinal lip and a lower
longitudinal lip. The second track is slidably received in the
first track and guided between the upper longitudinal lip and the
lower longitudinal lip. A pressing block and a resilient member are
mounted to the second track. The pressing block includes a pressing
leg and a shoulder. The pressing leg presses against an end of the
resilient member. The end of the resilient member includes a tappet
plate. Another end of the resilient member includes a pressing
portion.
[0006] The shoulder of the pressing block abuts against the leg of
the first track. When the pressing portion of the resilient member
is pressed, the tappet plate of the resilient member moves the leg
such that the operative wall of the engaging member disengages from
the shoulder of the pressing block, thereby allowing separation of
the second track from the first track.
[0007] The present invention is intended to provide a different
design in this regard.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is the primary object of the present invention to provide
a positioning and push-in arrangement for a track device comprising
a first track and a second track. A better positioning effect is
achieved when the first track and the second track are at their
maximum overall length, thereby preventing undesired telescopic
movement of the second track into the first track. An instant force
is applied to the second track when it is desired to telescope the
second track into the first track.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
positioning and push-in arrangement for a track device comprising a
first track and a second track that can be easily assembled or
detached.
[0010] A track device in accordance with the present invention
comprises a first track and a second track. The first track
includes an upper longitudinal lip and a lower longitudinal lip.
The first track includes a first stop on an end thereof. An
engaging member is mounted to another end of the first rack and
includes at least one positioning block. The second track includes
an upper longitudinal lip and a lower longitudinal lip that are
slidably received between the upper longitudinal lip and the lower
longitudinal lip of the first track. The second track includes a
second stop on an end thereof. The second track further includes
two hooks for engaging with two ends of a pressing member mounted
to the second track. The pressing member includes a protruded
portion that can be pressed. The pressing member further includes
at least one notch defined by two parallel walls. When the second
track is pulled outward along a longitudinal direction, the notch
of the pressing member is engaged with the positioning block of the
engaging member of the first track, thereby providing a better
positioning effect. When the protruded portion of the pressing
member is pressed, the notch is disengaged from the positioning
block, thereby allowing disengagement or engagement of the second
track from or into the first track.
[0011] The engaging member includes two upright walls each having a
cylindrical portion located between an associated one of the upper
longitudinal lip and the lower longitudinal lip of the first track
and an associated one of the upper longitudinal lip and the lower
longitudinal lip of the second track. The first track includes a
resilient abutting portion against which the second stop of the
second track abuts. The notch of the pressing member is located in
the protruded portion. One of the walls of the notch of the
pressing member includes an inclined face.
[0012] Other objects, specific advantages, and novel features of
the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description and preferable embodiments when taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a track device in
accordance with the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a first-track and a
second track of the track device in accordance with the present
invention before engagement.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG.
2.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, wherein the
first track and the second track have a maximum overall length.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG.
4.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, wherein a pressing
member is pressed.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, wherein the second track
is pulled out of the first track.
[0020] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
track device for a drawer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] A preferred embodiment in accordance with the present
invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, a three-part track device in accordance
with the present invention generally includes a first track 1 and a
second track 2. The first track 1 includes an upper longitudinal
lip 11 and a lower longitudinal lip 11 for guiding sliding movement
of the second track 2 in the first track 1. A slide-aiding member
12 is provided between the first track 1 and the second track 2. In
this preferred embodiment, the slide-aiding member 12 extends to
inner surfaces of the upper and lower lips 11 and includes a
plurality of balls 13 to provide a rolling contact between the
first track 1 and the second track 2. A stop 14 is formed on an end
of the first track 1 to prevent disengagement of the second track 2
from the first track 1 after the second track 2 is mounted into the
first track 1.
[0023] An engaging member 15 is mounted to the other end of the
first track 1. In this embodiment, the engaging member 15 includes
two protrusions 151 for engaging with two openings 16 of the first
track 1. If desired, the engaging member 15 can be bonded by
adhesive or rived to the openings 16 of the first track 1. The
engaging member 15 further includes two upright walls 17 each
having a cylindrical portion 171 that abuts against an associated
longitudinal lip 11, 21 of the first track 1 and the second track 2
(FIG. 5). Thus, a smoother sliding motion is provided between the
first track 1 and the second track 2. The engaging member 15
further includes two positioning blocks 18 on a side thereof that
faces away from the protrusions 151. Each positioning block 18 is
adjacent to a respective upright wall 17. The engaging member 15
further includes a resilient abutting portion 19 that extends from
an end thereof.
[0024] The second track 2 is mounted into the first track 1 and
slidable between the upper longitudinal lip 11 and the lower
longitudinal lip 11. The second track 2 includes an upper
longitudinal lip 21 and a lower longitudinal lip 21 that correspond
with the upper longitudinal lip 11 and the lower longitudinal lip
11 of the first track 1, respectively. The slide-aiding member 12
and the cylindrical portion 171 of each upright wall 17 is located
between a respective longitudinal lip 11 and its associated
longitudinal lip 21, thereby allowing smoother sliding motion
between the first track 1 and the second track 2.
[0025] A stop 22 is provided on an end of the second track 2. The
stop 22 abuts against the abutting portion 19 on the engaging
member 15 of the first track 1 to thereby stop sliding motion of
the second track 2 relative to the first track 1. The first track 1
and the second track 2 have a relatively smaller overall length in
this case, while the other end of the second track 2 abuts against
the stop 14 on the first track 1.
[0026] A pressing member 23 is mounted to the second track 2. In
this embodiment, the second track 2 includes two longitudinally
spaced hooks 24 for engaging with two ends of the pressing member
23, respectively. The pressing member 23 includes a protruded
portion 29 between two lateral sides thereof to provide certain
compressibility. Namely, the profile of the protruded portion 29 of
the pressing member 23 can be lowered with respect to the plane of
the pressing member 23 engaged on the second track 2. The pressing
member 23 further includes a notch 25 in each of two lateral sides
thereof, each notch 25 being defined by two parallel walls 26 that
extend in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of
the engaging member 23. At least one of the walls 26 includes an
inclined portion 27 on an upper side thereof. The inclined portion
27 may guide the associated positioning block 18 to move across the
upper side of the associated wall 26. When the positioning blocks
18 abut against the inclined portions 27, the protruded portion of
the pressing member 23 is lowered such that the positioning blocks
18 are engaged with the notches 25, respectively. Thus, the first
track 1 and the second track 2 have a reliable positioning effect
therebetween when they are at the maximum overall length. In
addition, when the second track 2 is telescoped into the first
track 1 from the maximum overall length, a relatively large force
must be applied to overcome the force imparted to the walls 26 from
the positioning blocks 18. The positioning blocks 18 move across
the upper sides of the walls 26 and thus allow the second track 2
to be telescoped into the first track 1. The positioning blocks 18
are disengaged with the notches 25 when the protruded portion 29 of
the pressing member 23 is pressed. Namely, the walls 26 of the
notches 25 cannot abut against the positioning blocks 18, and the
pressing member 23 may move across the engaging member 15, thereby
allowing the second track 2 to be separated from the first track
1.
[0027] The first track 1 and the second track 2 in FIGS. 2 and 3
are engaged together, and the overall length of the first track 1
and the second track 2 is smaller. In this case, the protruded
portion 29 of the pressing member 23 extends beyond the surface of
the second track 2 and thus has a higher profile.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, when the second track 2 is moved
relative to the first track 1 to a position that the overall length
of the first track 1 and the second track 2 is the maximum without
causing disengagement of the second track 2 from the first track 1,
the protruded portion 29 of the pressing member 23 is still not
depressed and thus has a higher profile. The positioning blocks 18
of the engaging member 15 are engaged with the notches 25 and thus
provide a reliable positioning effect for the first track 1 and the
second track 2. When telescopic motion of the second track 2
relative to the first track 1 is required, a larger force is
applied. In addition, when the positioning blocks 18 are engaged in
the notches 25 of the pressing member 23, the second track 2 cannot
be pulled outward away from the first track 1, namely, the second
track 2 cannot be disengaged from the first track 1.
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, when disengaging the second
track 2 from the first track 1 or mounting the second track 2 into
the first track 1, the protruded portion 29 of the pressing member
23 on the second track 2 is pressed to disengage the positioning
blocks 18 of the engaging member 15 from the notches 25, thereby
allowing disengagement of the second track 2 from the first track 1
or mounting of the second track 2 into a space between the upper
and lower longitudinal lips 11 of the first track 1.
[0030] According to the above description, when the second track 2
and the first track 1 are at their maximum overall length, the
positioning blocks 18 of the engaging member 15 are engaged with
the notches 25 of the pressing member 23, thereby providing a
better positioning between the first track 1 and the second track
2. In addition, when the second track 2 is required to be
telescoped into the first track 1, a relatively larger instant
force is applied to make the positioning blocks 18 move across the
upper portions of the walls 26. Namely, the second track 2 is
telescoped into the first track 1. Furthermore, by means of
pressing the protruded portion 29 of the pressing member 23, the
positioning blocks 18 of the engaging member 15 are disengaged from
the notches 25 of the pressing member 23, thereby allowing
disengagement or engagement of the second track 2 from or into the
first track 1. The assembly or detachment is easy.
[0031] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its
preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood
that many other possible modifications and variations can be made
without departing from the scope of the invention. It is,
therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such
modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the
invention.
* * * * *