Ball sleeve for use in the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly

• US 7,104,692 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KV IP Holdings Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chun-Min Lu
• Inventors: Lu, Chun-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US10/984,793
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 384/49, 384/18, 384/45, 384/43, 384/44
• US Class Current: 384/49
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0035 cages therefor, e.g. for telescopic slides
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/04 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/3843 formed as one-piece cages, i.e. monoblock cages
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/40 for multiple rows of balls

Abstract

A ball sleeve coupled between inner sliding rail and outer sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly is disclosed having four longitudinal rows of openings for accommodating balls, a narrow thin wall portion longitudinally extended on the middle between two distal ends of the top wall thereof through which the user can expand said sleeve body for easy installation of the balls in the openings and easy coupling of the ball sleeve to the inner sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly, and a plurality of recessed bearing portions respectively disposed at two sides of each of opening for supporting the balls in the openings.

Claims

1. A ball sleeve coupled between inner sliding rail and outer sliding rail of a hidden sliding track assembly, comprising a sleeve body, said sleeve body having a substantially η

-shaped cross section and four longitudinal rows of openings respectively arranged in four angles of an inside space thereof, and a plurality of balls respectively mounted in said openings and disposed in contact between respective sliding grooves of said inner sliding rail and respective sliding grooves of said outer sliding rail, wherein said sleeve body has a narrow thin wall portion longitudinally extended on the middle between two distal ends of a top wall thereof through which the user can expand said sleeve body for easy installation of said balls in said openings and easy coupling of said ball sleeve to said inner sliding rail, and a plurality of recessed bearing portions respectively disposed at two sides of each of said openings for supporting said balls in said openings.

2. The ball sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sleeve body has a plurality of slots formed in said narrow thin wall portion.

3. The ball sleeve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recessed bearing portions are smoothly curved inwards to fit the periphery of said balls for enabling said balls to be rotated in the respective openings.