Drawer slide and locking mechanism

• US 9,801,468 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuride International Incorporated (Accuride Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Accuride International Incorporated (Accuride Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashemi, Darush David, Zhou, Xiaoping, Wang, Xiwen
• Primary Examiner(s): ROERSMA, ANDREW MARK
• Application Number:
  US13/787,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 3123195, 3123196, 3123197, 3123198, 312333, 31233444, 31233447, 312215, 312222, 384 21, 70 85, 70 86, 70 87, 70 88, 70275, 70276, 70277, 702787, 70280, 70281, 70282, 109 19, 109 68, 232 1 E, 232 434, 232 44, 220476, 49 68, 292194, 292195, 292197, 292216, 292219, 292220, 292224, 292201
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/40 Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/457 operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/46 operated by mechanically-stored energy, e.g. by springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/463 self-opening
• 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: E05B 47/00 Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means electric permutation locks E05B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/462 for two or more drawers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/5215 sliding
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/12 with latching action devices in which the securing part is formed or merely carried by a spring and moves only by distortion of the spring, e.g. snaps, E05C19/06; tilt-plate latches E05C19/007
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1021 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1028 Sliding catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1077 Cam

Abstract

A drawer slide with lock mechanism has an elongated outer slide member extendably coupled to an inner slide member. A latch arm or pin is fixed to the inner slide member for latching by a lock mechanism fixed to the outer slide member. The lock mechanism uses a latch receiver that rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is in a travel path of the latch arm. A lever arm rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is positionable to block rotation of the latch receiver in a locked position to retain the latch arm. A motor drives a cam to position the lever arm to free the latch receiver from the locked position.

Claims

1. A drawer slide with lock mechanism, comprising:

a first slide member with an elongate web bounded by raceways and a second slide member with an elongate web bounded by bearing raceways, with the first and second slide members extendably coupled by way of bearings in the raceways and with one of the first and second slide members configured for mounting to a drawer;

a latch arm positioned on the first slide member, the latch arm extending from the first slide member towards the elongate web of the second slide member;

a latch receiver rotatably mounted with respect to the second slide member, the latch receiver defining a basin in a travel path of the latch arm, the latch receiver being rotatable from an open position to receive the latch arm and a closed position for retaining the latch arm;

a lever arm bounded between a top end and an opposite end, the lever arm rotatably mounted along its length between the top end and the opposite end with respect to the second slide member, the lever arm rotatable from an unlocking position in which the lever arm is spaced away from the latch receiver to a locking position in which the top end of the lever arm blocks rotation of the latch receiver in at least a first direction in the closed position;

a motor drivably coupled to the lever arm to rotate the lever arm from the locking position to the unlocking position in a second direction out of a travel path of the latch receiver; and

a detent coupled to a base of a housing to hold the latch receiver in the closed position until a sufficient force is applied to move the latch receiver past the detent.

2. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the basin of the latch receiver is defined by two legs of the latch receiver.

3. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the latch receiver, lever arm, and motor is approximately ½

inch.

4. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the latch receiver, lever arm, and motor are within the housing contained in an operating envelope of the first and second slide members.

5. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the motor is rotationally coupled to a cam to push against the lever arm.

6. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a first spring coupled to the lever arm to rotate the lever arm in a direction counter to the second direction.

7. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a second spring coupled to the latch receiver to rotate the latch receiver to the travel path of the latch arm.

8. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 7, wherein the second spring biases the latch receiver against a bumper in the open position.

9. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein the latch receiver abuts against a bumper in the open position.

10. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 9, wherein the bumper is positioned on the second slide member.

11. A drawer slide with lock mechanism, comprising:

a first slide member with an elongate web bounded by raceways and a second slide member with an elongate web bounded by raceways, with the first and second slide members extendably coupled by way of the raceways and with a one of the first and second slide members configured for mounting to a drawer;

a latch arm positioned on the first slide member;

a latch receiver rotatably mounted with respect to the second slide member, the latch receiver defining a basin in a travel path of the latch arm, the latch receiver being rotatable from an open position to receive the latch arm and a closed position for retaining the latch arm;

an elongate lever arm with a length bounded by a top end and an opposite end, the lever arm rotatably mounted along its length between the top end and the opposite end with respect to the second slide member, the lever arm rotatable to a position to block rotation of the latch receiver in at least a first direction, wherein the top end of the lever arm blocks rotation of the latch receiver in at least the first direction in the closed position;

a motor powered via electric wiring drivably coupled to the lever arm to rotate the top end of the lever arm in a second direction away from a position blocking rotation of the latch receiver in at least the first direction; and

a detent coupled to a base of a housing to hold the latch receiver in the closed position until a sufficient force is applied to move the latch receiver past the detent.

12. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 11, wherein the motor is rotationally coupled to a cam to push against the lever arm.

13. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 11, wherein a first spring biases the lever arm against the motor.

14. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 13, further comprising a second spring coupled to the latch receiver to rotate the latch receiver to the travel path of the latch arm.

15. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 11, wherein a tail extends from a side of the latch receiver, the tail having a flat bottom surface approximately parallel to a direction of travel of the drawer slide in the closed position, and the flat bottom surface of the tail contacts the top end of the lever arm in the closed position.

16. The drawer slide of claim 15, wherein the latch receiver is rotatably mounted with respect to the lever arm such that rotation of the latch receiver from the closed position to the open position results in the tail rotated away from the lever arm in the open position.

17. A drawer slide with lock mechanism, comprising:

a first slide member with an elongate web bounded by raceways and a second slide member with an elongate web bounded by raceways, with the first and second slide members extendably coupled by way of the raceways and with a one of the first and second slide members configured for mounting to a drawer;

a latch arm positioned on the first slide member;

a latch receiver rotatably mounted with respect to the second slide member, the latch receiver defining a basin in a travel path of the latch arm, the latch receiver being rotatable from an open position to receive the latch arm and a closed position for retaining the latch arm;

a lever arm rotatably mounted with respect to the second slide member, the lever arm rotatable to a locking position to block rotation of the latch receiver in at least a first direction and rotatable to an unlocking position to unblock rotation of the latch receiver, the lever arm having a top end;

a spring coupled to the lever arm, the top end of the lever arm being pushed out of a travel path of the latch receiver by the latch receiver thereby deflecting the spring when the latch receiver moves from the open position to the closed position;

a reversible motor arranged to rotate a cam in a first direction to a camming position to position the lever arm in the unlocking position, and to rotate the cam in a second direction opposite the first direction to an uncammed position to position the lever arm in the locking position;

a camming stop to resist over rotation of the cam in the camming position;

a uncammed stop to resist over rotation of the cam in the uncammed position;

wherein the latch arm is a pin extending perpendicularly from the elongate web of the first slide member and towards the elongate web of the second slide member; and

a detent coupled to a base of a housing to hold the latch receiver in the closed position until a sufficient force is applied to move the latch receiver past the detent.

18. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 17, wherein the cam is rotated to push against the lever arm.

19. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 17, wherein the spring is coupled to the lever arm to rotate the lever arm against the motor.

20. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 19, wherein another spring is coupled to the latch receiver to rotate the latch receiver to the travel path of the latch arm.

21. The drawer slide with lock mechanism of claim 17, wherein the camming stop and the uncammed stop are both in the form of arms extending from the motor cam.