U.S. patent application number 10/310878 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-10 for track set.
This patent application is currently assigned to KING SLIDE WORKS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Chen, Ken-Ching, Tseng, I-Ming, Wang, Chun-Chiang.
Application Number | 20040108797 10/310878 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32468130 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040108797 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Ken-Ching ; et
al. |
June 10, 2004 |
Track set
Abstract
An track set includes a pair of positioning members adapted to
be mounted in place on a component, a track member having a pair of
positioning holes defined therein, and a retaining member pivotally
connected to the track member in a location adjacent to one of the
positioning hole. The positioning members have respective enlarged
heads extendable through the positioning holes, but each of the
positioning holes has an additional narrow portion with a width
smaller than the enlarged heads of the positioning members.
Furthermore, the pivoted retaining member has an end adapted to
hold the positioning member motionlessly in the narrow portion and
prevent the track member from moving relative to the component
after the positioning members have been extended into the
positioning holes and then moved into the narrow portions.
Inventors: |
Chen, Ken-Ching; (Kaohsiung
Hsien, TW) ; Tseng, I-Ming; (Kaohsiung Hsien, TW)
; Wang, Chun-Chiang; (Kaohsiung Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE
FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
|
Assignee: |
KING SLIDE WORKS CO., LTD.
Kaohsiung Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
32468130 |
Appl. No.: |
10/310878 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/334.7 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/427 20170101;
A47B 88/43 20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/334.7 |
International
Class: |
A47B 088/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A track set comprising: a positioning member adapted to be
mounted in place on a component, said positioning member having an
enlarged head formed thereon; a track member provided with a
positioning hole having a large portion and a narrow portion
communicating with said large portion, said large portion having a
size allowing said enlarged head of said positioning member to be
extendable through said large portion, said narrow portion having a
width smaller than a diameter of said enlarged head of said
positioning member; a retaining member pivotally connected to said
track member in a location adjacent to one of said positioning
holes by means of a pivot, said retaining member having two ends
movable about said pivot; and wherein one of said ends of said
retaining member can hold said positioning member motionlessly in
said narrow portion of said positioning hole and prevent said track
member from moving relative to said component in a longitudinal
direction after said positioning members have been extended into
said large portions and then moved into said narrow portions of
said positioning holes.
2. The track set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining
member is spring-loaded in such a way that said one of said ends of
said retaining member is normally located near the edge of said
large portion of said positioning hole and can hold said
positioning member motionlessly in said narrow portion of said
positioning hole.
3. The track set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of said
ends of said retaining member is shaped to slop downward.
4. The track set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining
member has a top formed between said ends thereof, and wherein said
top can be brought into contact with a part of said track
member.
5. The track set as claimed in claim 4, wherein said part is a
right-angled upper wall of said track member.
6. The track set as claimed in claim 2, wherein said retaining
member is spring-loaded by means of a wire spring, and wherein said
wire spring has a first end engaged with said retaining member and
a second end engaged with an orifice defined in said track member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a track set and, more
particularly, to a track set in which a track member can be
attached to and removed from a component easily and quickly.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] As shown in FIG. 7, a conventional track set typically
includes a track member 90 having a plurality of positioning holes
91 defined therein. The track member 90 can be attached to a
component 93, such as a side-wall of a drawer or of a piece of
furniture, by means of positioning members 92 that extend through
the holes 91 and screwed into the component 93.
[0005] In this conventional track set, however, the track member 90
is not easily to be attached and removed, since it must taken time
to screw or unscrew the positioning members 92. Furthermore, the
positioning members 92 may not be fastened to the component 92 if
they are repeatedly screwed and unscrewed.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a track
set in which a track member can be attached to and removed from a
component easily and quickly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides an track set including at
least two positioning members adapted to be mounted in place on a
component, a track member having at least two positioning holes
defined therein, and a retaining member pivotally connected to the
track member in a location adjacent to one of the positioning hole.
The positioning members have respective enlarged heads extendable
through the positioning holes of the track member, but each of the
positioning holes has an additional narrow portion with a width
smaller than the enlarged heads of the positioning members.
Furthermore, the pivoted retaining member has an end adapted to
hold the positioning member motionlessly in the narrow portion and
prevent the track member from moving relative to the component
after the positioning members have been extended into the
positioning holes and then moved into the narrow portions.
[0008] Other objects, advantages and novel features of this
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of a track set in accordance with the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional top view of the track set of
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a front view of the track set of FIG. 1, showing a
pair of positioning members extended into positioning holes of a
track member;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a front view of the track set of FIG. 1, showing
the positioning members moving into narrow portions of the
positioning holes, with one end of a pivoted retaining member being
lifted;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional top view of the track set of
FIG. 1, showing the one end of the pivoted retaining member holding
the positioning members motionlessly in the narrow portions of the
positioning holes;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a front view of the track set of FIG. 1, showing
the one end of the pivoted retaining member being lowered and
holding the positioning members motionlessly in the narrow portions
of the positioning holes; and
[0015] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
track set.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] The present invention is now to be described in detail
hereinafter by way of a preferred embodiment in reference to
drawings.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a preferred embodiment
of a track set in accordance with the present invention. The
inventive track set includes a component 1, a track member 2 and a
retaining member 3.
[0018] The component 1 may be a side-wall of a drawer or of a piece
of furniture, with two positioning members 11 mounted on the
side-wall in a place where the track member 2 is intended to be
attached to the component 1. The positioning members 11 can be any
fastenings that each have an enlarged head, such as screws.
[0019] The track member 2, which may be made into various
configurations, is provided with two positioning holes 21, each
having a large portion and a narrow portion communicating with the
large portion. As clearly shown, the large portion has a diameter
larger than a diameter of the enlarged head of the positioning
member 11 but the narrow portion has a width smaller than the
diameter of the enlarged head of the same positioning member
11.
[0020] This allows the positioning members 11 to be easily extended
into the large portions of the positioning holes 21 and moved into
the narrow portions as the result of a longitudinal movement of the
track member 2 relative to the component 1, thereby holding the
track member 2 between the component 1 and the two enlarged heads
of the positioning members 1 and thus preventing the track member 2
from separating from the component 1 in a direction in which the
two positioning members 11 extend from the component 1.
[0021] The retaining member 3 is pivotally connected to the track
member 2 by means of a pivot 33, such as a pin, and has a first end
31 and a second end 32 at respective sides of the pivot 33. The
retaining member 3 is pivotally connected in a location so adjacent
to the large portion of one positioning hole 21 that the first end
31 of the retaining member 3 may be moved upward and downward about
the pivot 33.
[0022] The retaining member 3 is additionally spring-loaded by a
back-moving spring 34, e.g. a torsion spring mounted around the
pivot 33 or, preferably, a curved wire spring which has a first end
engaged with the second end 32 of the retaining member 3 and a
second end engaged with an orifice 22 defined in the track member
2. The retaining member 2 is spring-loaded in such a way that the
first end 31 of the retaining member 3 is normally positioned near
the edge of the large portion of the positioning hole 21 and tends
to move back to the position after the first end 31 is moved away
from the positioning hole 21.
[0023] The retaining member 3 is designed to be turned about the
pivot 33 within a predetermined angular range. In the illustrated
embodiment, the retaining member 3 is formed between its ends 31
and 32 with a top 35 that can be brought into contact with a part
of the track member 2, for example, a right-angled upper wall 23 of
the track member 2, as shown in FIG. 3, while the first end 31 of
the retaining member 3 is shaped to slope downward and can be
brought into contact with the upper wall 23 when the first end 31
is moved far away from the hole 21. This surely limits the turning
of the retaining member 3 within the predetermined angular
range.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the track member 2 can be
attached to the component 1 by extending the positioning members 11
into the large portions of the positioning holes 21 until their
enlarged head pass through the two large portions. At this time,
the first end 31 of the spring-loaded retaining member 3 is still
positioned near the edge of the large portion of one positioning
hole 21.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, the track member 2 is then moved
relative to the component 1 in a longitudinal direction as
designated by an arrow shown in FIG. 4, so that the positioning
members 11 are moved from the large portions of the positioning
holes 21 into the narrow portions. During the meantime, the first
end 31 of the retaining member 3 is moved upward by the enlarged
head of one positioning member 11.
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, as soon as the positioning
members 11 are moved fully into the narrow portions of the
positioning holes 21, the first end 31 of the retaining member 3 is
lowered by the action of the back-moving spring 34 and is engaged
with the enlarged head of one positioning member 11 in a point
about 9 o'clock, thereby holding the positioning members 11
motionlessly in the narrow portions of the positioning hole 21 and
thus preventing the track member 2 from moving in its longitudinal
direction with respect to the component 1.
[0027] Being movable neither in its longitudinal direction due to
the retaining member 3 nor in its lateral direction due to the
enlarged heads of the positioning members 1, the track member 2 is
then fixedly attached to the component 1.
[0028] The track member 2 can be removed from the component 1 by
depressing the second end 32 of the retaining member 3. This forces
the first end 31 of the retaining member 3 to be lifted and
disengaged from the enlarged head of the positioning member 1, as
clearly shown in FIG. 4. As a result, the track member 2 can be
moved relative to the component 1 in its longitudinal direction,
making the positioning members 11 move from the narrow portions 21
back to the large portions of the positioning holes, where the
track member 2 can be easily removed from the component 1.
[0029] From the foregoing, it is apparent that this invention has
the advantage of enabling the track member to be attached to the
component easily and quickly. Furthermore, the track member can be
removed from the component simply by depressing the second end of
the retaining member. This depression disengages the first end of
the retaining member from the positioning member and allows the
track member to moved relative to the component until the
positioning members move back to the large portions of the
positioning holes, where the track member can be removed from the
component. In one word, the inventive track set can be attached to
and removed from the component easily and quickly.
[0030] While the principles of this invention have been disclosed
in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood by
those skilled in the art that these descriptions are not intended
to limit the scope of the invention, and that any modification and
variation without departing the spirit of the invention is intended
to be covered by the scope of this invention defined only by the
appended claims.
* * * * *