Shock dampening drawer slide

• US 9,681,576 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Heyd, Andrew Rudolph, Schroeder, Christopher Ellis, Keffeler, David Michael, Russell, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doyle, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US14/100,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 31233444-33447, 312333, 384 18- 21
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/40 Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/473 Braking devices, e.g. linear or rotational dampers or friction brakes; Buffers; End stops
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/477 Buffers; End stops
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/57 preventing complete withdrawal of the drawer
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/00 Braking devices, e.g. checks; Stops; Buffers construction of pneumatic or liquid braking devices E05F3/00; braking devices, buffers or end stops on drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture A47B88/473; combined with devices for holding wings open E05C17/00; devices for limiting opening of wings or for holding wings open by a movable member extending between frame and wing E05C17/04
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1421 Drawers for printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/183 support rails therefor

Abstract

A drawer slide system for a chassis is provided. The drawer slide system includes a first slide affixed to a drawer. The drawer slide system allows the drawer to extend from the chassis. The drawer slide system also includes a slide assembly slidingly coupled to the first slide. The slide assembly includes a second slide and a first damped stop assembly, which includes a first stop tray and a first elastomer, arranged within the first stop tray. The first elastomer reduces shock to the chassis when the drawer is fully seated within the chassis.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first slide rigidly affixable to a chassis drawer, the first slide configured to allow the chassis drawer to extend from a chassis;

a slide assembly slidingly coupled to the first slide, comprising;

a second slide; and

a first damped stop assembly, comprising;

a first stop tray, configured to move relative to the second slide when the chassis drawer is either fully extended from the chassis or the chassis drawer is seated in the chassis; and

a first elastomer comprising a first and a third elastomer section arranged within the first stop tray, configured to reduce shock to the chassis when the chassis drawer is fully seated within the chassis by compressing only the first elastomer section, the system further configured to reduce shock to the chassis when the chassis drawer is fully extended from the chassis by compressing only the third elastomer section.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first slide comprises a first hard stop, wherein the first hard stop is configured to prevent the slide assembly from sliding beyond a front edge of the first slide, wherein the front edge of the first slide is longitudinally oriented with a front surface of the chassis drawer.

3. The drawer slide system of claim 2, wherein the first elastomer is configured to compress after the first stop tray makes contact with the first hard stop.

4. The system of claim 2, the first damped stop assembly further comprising:

a first stop cap configured to retain the first elastomer within the first stop tray; and

a first fastener operable to couple the first stop cap to the first stop tray.

5. The system of claim 4, the second slide comprising:

a first slotted hole, wherein the first damped stop assembly is coupled to the first slotted hole by the first fastener, wherein the first damped stop assembly is configured to slide in line with the first slotted hole when the first elastomer compresses or expands.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first elastomer section is arranged within the first stop tray on one side of the first fastener, wherein the third elastomer section is arranged within the first stop tray on an opposite side of the first fastener from the first elastomer section, wherein the first elastomer section is a separate piece of elastomer material from the third elastomer section.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first elastomer is formed from thermoplastic polyurethane material.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a third slide fixable to an inside surface of the chassis, comprising;

a second hard stop, wherein the second hard stop is configured to prevent the slide assembly from sliding beyond a rear edge of the third slide,

wherein the slide assembly is disposed between the first and third slides and slidingly engaged to the first and third slides.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the slide assembly further comprises:

a second damped stop assembly, comprising;

a second stop tray;

a second stop cap;

a second fastener coupling the second stop cap to the second stop tray; and

a second elastomer, arranged within the second stop tray, comprising;

a second elastomer section; and

a fourth elastomer section,

wherein the second stop cap is configured to retain the second elastomer within the second stop tray, wherein the second elastomer section is arranged within the second stop tray on one side of the second fastener, wherein the fourth elastomer section is arranged within the second stop tray on an opposite side of the second fastener from the second elastomer section.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second elastomer section is configured to reduce shock to the chassis when the chassis drawer is fully extended from the chassis and the second damped stop assembly makes contact with the second hard stop.

11. A shock absorbing slide assembly slidingly coupled between a first slide and a third slide, comprising:

a second slide, comprising first and second mounting positions, wherein a slotted hole in longitudinal disposition with the second slide is at each of the first and second mounting positions;

a first damped stop assembly mounted at the first mounting position and coupled to the second slide, comprising;

a first stop tray; and

a first and a third elastomer section, arranged within the first stop tray; and

a second damped stop assembly mounted at the second mounting position and coupled to the second slide, comprising;

a second stop tray; and

a second and a fourth elastomer section, arranged within the second stop tray,

wherein the first damped stop assembly is configured to compress the first elastomer section but not the third elastomer section when the first stop tray makes contact with a first hard stop of the first slide, wherein the first damped stop assembly is configured to compress the third elastomer section but not the first elastomer section when the first stop tray makes contact with a second hard stop of the first slide, wherein the second damped stop assembly is configured to compress the second elastomer section but not the fourth elastomer section when the second stop tray makes contact with a first hard stop of the third slide, wherein the second damped stop assembly is configured to compress the fourth elastomer section but not the second elastomer section when the second stop tray makes contact with a second hard stop of the third slide, wherein the first stop tray encloses the first and third elastomer sections, respectively, wherein the second stop tray encloses the second and fourth elastomer sections, respectively, and wherein the first and second stop trays are configured to move longitudinally along the slotted holes at each of the first and second mounting positions.

12. The shock absorbing slide assembly of claim 11, wherein the first damped stop assembly further comprises:

a first slide stop cap for retaining the first and third elastomer sections within the first stop tray; and

a first fastener coupling the first slide stop cap to the first stop tray, wherein the first and third elastomer sections are arranged on opposite sides of the first fastener, wherein the first fastener is configured to slide along the slotted hole at the first mounting position,

wherein the second damped stop assembly further comprises;

a second slide stop cap for retaining the second and fourth elastomer sections within the second stop tray; and

a second fastener coupling the second slide stop cap to the second stop tray, wherein the second and fourth elastomer sections are arranged on opposite sides of the second fastener, wherein the second fastener is configured to slide along the slotted hole at the second mounting position.

13. The shock absorbing slide assembly of claim 12, wherein when the first damped stop assembly is not in contact with the first hard stop, the first and third elastomer sections are configured to exert pressure on the first fastener to center the first damped stop assembly over the slotted hole at the first mounting position, wherein when the second damped stop assembly is not in contact with the second hard stop, the second and fourth elastomer sections are configured to exert pressure on the second fastener to center the second damped stop assembly over the slotted hole at the second mounting position.

14. The shock absorbing slide assembly of claim 12, wherein each of the elastomer sections are the same size and shape, wherein each of the elastomer sections are formed from the same type of thermoplastic polyurethane material.

15. The shock absorbing slide assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the elastomer sections is formed from a different material than the other elastomer section in the same stop tray.

16. A drawer slide system for a chassis, comprising:

a first slide affixable to a drawer;

a third slide affixable to an inside surface of the chassis; and

a slide assembly disposed between the first and third slides and slidingly engaged to the first and third slides, the slide assembly comprising;

a second slide;

a first damped stop assembly coupled to the second slide, comprising;

a first stop tray; and

first and a third elastomer sections, arranged within the first stop tray, wherein the first elastomer section is a separate piece of elastomer material from the third elastomer section; and

a second damped stop assembly coupled to the second slide, comprising;

a second stop tray; and

second and a fourth elastomer sections, arranged within the second stop tray, wherein the second elastomer section is a separate piece of elastomer material from the fourth elastomer section,

wherein the first and fourth elastomer sections are configured to be compressed when the drawer is fully seated in the chassis, wherein the second and third elastomer sections are configured to be compressed when the drawer is fully extended from the chassis.

17. The drawer slide system of claim 16, wherein the first slide comprises a first hard stop configured to prevent the slide assembly from sliding beyond a front edge of the first slide, wherein the third slide comprises a second hard stop configured to prevent the slide assembly from sliding beyond a rear edge of the third slide, wherein the first hard stop is located at an opposite end of the drawer slide system from the second hard stop.

18. The drawer slide system of claim 17, wherein the first and third slides each comprises a cantilever spring stop to limit the maximum travel of the first and third slides, respectively, relative to the slide assembly, wherein the cantilever spring stops are configured to compress the second and third elastomer sections when the drawer slide system is fully extended, wherein the first and second hard stops are configured to compress the first and fourth elastomer sections when the drawer slide system is fully retracted.

19. The drawer slide system of claim 16, wherein the second slide comprises first and a second slotted holes, wherein the first damped stop assembly is coupled to the first slotted hole by a first fastener, wherein the second damped stop assembly is coupled to the second slotted hole by a second fastener, wherein the first damped stop assembly is configured to slide in line with the first slotted hole when one of the first and third elastomer sections compresses, wherein the second damped stop assembly is configured to slide in line with the second slotted hole when one of the second and fourth elastomer sections compresses.

20. The drawer slide system of claim 19, wherein the first and the third elastomer sections are configured to center the first damped stop assembly over the first slotted hole when the first stop tray is not in contact with either the first hard stop or a cantilever spring stop, wherein the second and the fourth elastomer sections are configured to center the second damped stop assembly over the second slotted hole when the second stop tray is not in contact with either the second hard stop or a cantilever spring stop.