Drop-in ball bearing slide assembly
View Patent ↗A non-disconnect drop-in ball bearing slide assembly adapted to support an object, such as a computer server, includes a stationary slide and an intermediate slide slidably connected to the stationary slide with at least one ball bearing interposed between the intermediate slide and the stationary slide. A ball bearing retainer has a top member and a base member, the top and base members extending along a length, with a first plurality of ball bearings extending along the length of the base member, and a second plurality of ball bearings extending along at least a portion of the length of the top member. The non-disconnect drop-in ball bearing assembly also includes a moveable slide extending along a length and having a top rail and a bottom rail. The moveable slide has at least one slot formed on the top rail for receiving a mounting post of an object, such as a server or server mounting arm. The moveable slide is slidably supported within the intermediate slide by the ball bearing retainer, wherein the first plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the bottom rail and the base member and the second plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the top rail and the top member. Access to the at least one slot is unobstructed by the second plurality of ball bearings when the moveable slide is in an extended position outside the stationary slide, thus facilitating the mounting of an object, such as the computer server, to the drop-in ball bearing slide assembly.
1. A non-disconnect drop-in ball bearing slide assembly for supporting an object comprising:
a stationary slide;
an intermediate slide slidably connected to the stationary slide with at least one ball bearing interposed between the intermediate slide and the stationary slide;
a ball bearing retainer having a top member and a base member, the top and base members extending along a length, a first plurality of ball bearings extending along the length of base member, and a second plurality of ball bearings extending along at least a portion of the length of the top member; and
a moveable slide extending along a length and having a top rail and a bottom rail, the moveable slide having at least one slot formed on the top rail for receiving a mounting post of an object, the moveable slide slidably supported within the intermediate slide by the ball bearing retainer, wherein the first plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the bottom rail and the base member and the second plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the top rail and the top member,
wherein one or more of the at least one slots in the moveable slide align with a corresponding aperture in a bearing surface of the intermediate slide when the moveable slide is in a fully-extended position to thereby allow a mounting post to extend through said aperture into the corresponding slot, the ball bearing retainer configured so that the second plurality of ball bearings do not obstruct passage of said mounting post through said aperture into said corresponding slot.
2. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a lock actuatable to retain the mounting post in the slot.
3. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 2 , wherein the lock is a leaf spring.
4. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 2 , wherein the lock is selectively actuatable to allow the withdrawal of the mounting post from the slot.
5. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 4 , wherein the lock is moved into an original biased position as the mounting post is withdrawn from the slot.
6. The drop-in ball bearing assembly of claim 4 , wherein a resilient component mounted to the moveable slide is actuatable to move the lock into a position that facilitates the withdrawal of the mounting post from the slot.
7. The drop-in ball bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of ball bearings extend along a length that is shorter than a length along which the first plurality of ball bearings extend such that the second plurality of ball bearings do not obstruct access to the at least one slot in the movable slide.
8. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 1 , wherein the moveable slide extends completely outside of the stationary slide when the slide assembly is fully extended.
9. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a lead-in guide disposed on the intermediate slide, the lead-in guide configured to substantially inhibit the movable slide from twisting out of engagement with the intermediate slide.
10. A drop-in ball bearing slide assembly for supporting an object comprising:
a stationary slide;
an intermediate slide slidably mounted to the stationary slide;
a ball bearing retainer having a first elongate member, a second elongate member and at least one connecting member between the elongate members, the first and second elongate members extending along a length, a first plurality of ball bearings extending along the length of first member, and a second plurality of ball bearings extending along at least a portion of the length of the second member;
a moveable slide extending along a length and having a top member and a bottom member, the moveable slide having at least one slot for receiving a mounting post of an object, the moveable slide slidably mounted to the intermediate slide by the ball bearing retainer, wherein the first plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the first member and the bottom member and the second plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the second member and the top member; and
a lead-in guide disposed on the intermediate slide, the lead-in guide configured to substantially inhibit the movable slide from twisting out of engagement with the intermediate slide,
wherein one or more of the at least one slots in the moveable slide align with a corresponding aperture in a bearing surface of the intermediate slide when the moveable slide is in a fully-extended position to thereby allow a mounting post to extend through said aperture into the corresponding slot, the ball bearing retainer configured so that the second plurality of ball bearings do not obstruct passage of said mounting post through said aperture into said corresponding slot.
11. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , further comprising means for selectively locking and unlocking the mounting post in the slot of the moveable slide.
12. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , wherein the moveable slide slides within the intermediate slide.
13. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , wherein the moveable slide slides over the intermediate slide.
14. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , wherein access to the at least one slot is unobstructed by the first and second plurality of ball bearings.
15. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , wherein the at least one slot is formed on the top member.
16. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , wherein a third plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the intermediate slide and the stationary slide.
17. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 10 , wherein the stationary slide, intermediate slide and moveable slide, form a compact assembly.
18. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 17 , wherein the width of the assembly is no more than about 1 inch.
19. A drop-in ball bearing slide assembly for supporting an object comprising:
a stationary slide;
an intermediate slide slidably supported within the stationary slide, the intermediate slide having a top rail, a bottom rail, and at least one aperture formed on the top rail of the intermediate slide;
a ball bearing retainer having a first elongate member, a second elongate member and at least one connecting member between the elongate members, the first and second elongate members extending along a length, a first plurality of ball bearings extending along the length of first member, and a second plurality of ball bearings extending along at least a portion of the length of the second member; and
a moveable slide extending along a length and having a first member and a second member, the moveable slide having a first slot and a second slot formed on the first member, each slot configured to receive a corresponding mounting post of an object, the moveable slide slidably supported within the intermediate slide by the ball bearing retainer, wherein the first plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the first member and the top rail and the second plurality of ball bearings are interposed between the second member and the bottom rail,
wherein the first slot is disposed within the intermediate slide when the moveable slide is in an extended position, the first slot aligned with one of the at least one apertures on the intermediate slide.
20. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 19 , wherein access to the first slot is unobstructed by the ball bearing support.
21. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 19 , further comprising a third slot formed on the first member, the third slot disposed within the intermediate slide when the moveable slide is in the extended position, the third slot aligned with another of the at least one apertures.
22. The drop-in ball bearing slide assembly of claim 21 , wherein the first, second and third slots are equidistant from each other.