US20060163983A1

US20060163983A1 - Structure slide track assembly

Info

Publication number: US20060163983A1
Application number: US11/041,298
Authority: US
Inventors: Tsung-Che Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-01-25
Filing date: 2005-01-25
Publication date: 2006-07-27

Abstract

An improved structure slide track assembly comprised of an inner track, it having a check element on its exterior surface and a solid, stepped crown extending from the top of the check element and an outer track that contains a ball bearing channel rail and a center track. The ball bearing channel rail has a reticulated catch slot that is engaged by a spring-based pawl of the center track guide sleeve into a unitary structural entity. When the drawer is installed onto the outer tracks, while the check element stepped crowns at the drawer inner tracks force down press sections on the guide sleeves to disengage the ball bearing channel rails from the center tracks and enable easy sliding with the drawer. As such, the present invention achieves efficient installation and the protection of the ball bearing channel rails to prevent damage due to inappropriate installation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to an improved structure slide track assembly that provides for the efficient installation of desk or cabinet drawers onto outer tracks containing a center track and a ball bearing channel rail as well as the protection of the ball bearing channel rails to prevent damage due to inappropriate installation.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The pull-out type keyboard trays and drawers respectively utilized in computer desks and cabinets are typically comprised of an inner track A installed onto the two sides of a said tray or drawer and an outer track B along two sides for mounting the tray or drawer, the said outer track B containing a ball bearing channel rail C and a center track D (as shown in FIG. 1-A, -B.), with the ball bearing channel rail C situated in the center track D fully capable of sliding freely; as such, when the drawer is installed onto the outer tracks B, the aligned insertion affords interactive movement with the ball bearing channel rail C and the center track D; however, when the inner tracks A at the two sides of the drawer are installed onto the center tracks D and the ball bearing channel rails C in the outer tracks B, since the ball bearing channel rails C are not at the anterior-most extremity of the center tracks D, after the entry of the inner tracks A into the center tracks D, the ball bearing channel rails C separate if the ball bearing channel rails C are improperly aligned, at which time most users only perceive a slight tightness and then proceed to shove forcefully, which subjects the ball bearing channel rails C to an excessive thrusting force that causes bending, damage, and even the dislodging of the ball bearings C1 (as shown in FIG. 1-C).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As a result, the inventor herein developed the present invention which submitted in application for patent rights, wherein:
The primary objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved structure slide track assembly comprised of an inner track that is installed on both the left and right sides of an movable, pullout-type drawer, the inner track having a check element on its exterior surface, the said check element serving as a means of separating the drawer and outer track, and a solid, stepped crown extending from the top of the check element; an outer track that contains a ball bearing channel rail and a center track; a center track having a guide sleeve installed at its anterior-most extremity, with a spring disposed on the guide sleeve as well as a press section and a pawl projecting from the spring; and a ball bearing channel rail at the side of the guide sleeve in the center track having a reticulated catch slot at its anterior-most extremity adjacent to the guide sleeve spring; therefore, the ball bearing channel rail catch slot is engaged and fixed by the pawl of the center track guide sleeve into a unitary structural entity; when the drawer is installed onto the outer tracks, since the ball bearing channel rails and the center tracks are engaged into a unitary structural entities, insertion from the center tracks into the ball bearing channel rails is quite smooth, while the check element stepped crowns at the drawer inner tracks force down the press sections on the guide sleeves to disengage the ball bearing channel rails from the center tracks and enable easy sliding by the drawer, thereby achieving efficient installation and the protection of the ball bearing channel rail to prevent damage due to inappropriate installation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1-A is a drawing of the prior art structure.
FIG. 1-B is an exploded drawing of inner tracks of the prior art.
FIG. 1-C is an orthographic drawing of the prior art structure when assembled.
FIG. 2-A is an isometric drawing of the outer track structure of the invention herein.
FIG. 2-B is an isometric drawing of the inner track structure of the invention herein.
FIG. 2-C is an isometric drawing of the structural assembly of the invention herein.
FIG. 3 is an orthographic drawing of the invention herein when assembled.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional drawing of the invention herein when assembled, as viewed from another perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 2-A, FIG. 2-B, and FIG. 2-C, the improved structure slide track assembly of the invention herein is comprised of an inner track 1 that provides for installation on both the left and right sides of a movable, pullout-type drawer, the inner track 1 having a check element 11 on its exterior surface, the said check element 11 functioning as a means of separating the drawer and outer track 2, and a solid, stepped crown 111 extending from the top of the check element 11; an outer track 2 suitably positioned at the inner track 1 inside the drawer that contains a ball bearing channel rail 3 and a center track 4; a center track 4 having a guide sleeve 41 installed at its anterior-most extremity, with a spring 411 disposed on the guide sleeve 41 as well as a press section 412 and a pawl 413 projecting from the spring 411; and a ball bearing channel rail 3 at the side of the guide sleeve 41 in the center track 4 having a reticulated catch slot 31 at its anterior-most extremity adjacent to the guide sleeve 41 spring 411.
Therefore, after the ball bearing channel rail 3 and the center track 4 are assembled to the outer track 2, the ball bearing channel rail 3 is pushed towards the center track 4 such that the ball bearing channel rail 3 catch slot 31 is engaged by the pawl 413 of the center track 4 guide sleeve 41, thereby forming a unitary structural entity (as shown in FIG. 2-C); as a result, when the drawer installed onto the outer tracks 2, since the ball bearing channel rails 3 and the center tracks 4 are engaged into unitary structural entities, the inner tracks 1 are smoothly admitted from the center tracks 4 into the ball bearing channel rails 3 (as shown in FIG. 3), following which the check element 11 stepped crowns 111 force down the press sections 412 on the guide sleeves 41, thereby disengaging the ball bearing channel rails 3 from the center tracks 4 and causing contact with the inner tracks 1 to enable sliding operation (as shown in FIG. 4); conversely, when the drawer and the outer tracks 2 are separated, pulling outward causes the ball bearing channel rail 3 catch slots 31 to become re-engaged and fixed into position by the pawls 413 of the center track 4 guide sleeves 41 such that when the inner tracks I are conjoined again, the operation is efficient and without the occurrence of problems formerly encountered.
As a result, since the ball bearing channel rail 3 and the center track 4 of the invention herein are first assembled into unitary structural entity to serve as a means of guidance such that the drawer installation is efficiently completed and, furthermore, the ball bearing channel rail 3 is protected to prevent damage due to inappropriate installation, the present invention is demonstrably progressive and thus meets the new patent application requirements stipulated by Article 93 of the Patent Law, and is submitted to the Patent Bureau for review and the granting of the commensurate patent rights.

Claims

1. An improved structure slide track assembly comprised of an inner track that provides for installation on both the left and right sides of an active, pullout-type drawer, the said inner track having a check element on its exterior surface, the said check element serving as a means of separating the drawer and outer track, and a solid, stepped crown extending from the top of the said check element; an outer track that contains a ball bearing channel rail and a center track; a center track having a guide sleeve installed at its anterior-most extremity, with a spring disposed on the said guide sleeve as well as a press section and a pawl projecting from the said spring; and a ball bearing channel rail at the side of the said guide sleeve in the said center track having a reticulated catch slot at its anterior-most extremity adjacent to the said guide sleeve spring; therefore, the said ball bearing channel rail catch slot is engaged and fixed by the said pawl of the said center track guide sleeve into a unitary structural entity; when the drawer is installed onto the said outer tracks, since the said ball bearing channel rails and the said center tracks are engaged into unitary structural entities, insertion from the said center tracks into the said ball bearing channel rails is quite smooth, while the said check element stepped crowns at the said inner tracks on the drawer force down the said press sections on the said guide sleeves to disengage the said ball bearing channel rails from the said center tracks and enable easy sliding by the drawer, thereby achieving efficient installation and the protection of the said ball bearing channel rails to prevent damage due to inappropriate installation.