IP Library Granted Patent US 7,980,640
Granted Patent B2
US 7,980,640 · App. 12/322,131 · Granted Jul 19, 2011

Auto-return drawer rail

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,980,640
App. No.
12/322,131
Granted
Jul 19, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An auto-returning drawer rail is implemented in furniture having a drawer cavity and a drawer, and the auto-returning drawer rail has a drawer rail assembly, an auto-returning device and a buffering device. The drawer rail assembly is mounted in the drawer cavity and has a rail bracket, an outer track and an inner track. The auto-returning device is mounted in the drawer rail assembly and has a base, a sliding block, a connector and two springs. The base is mounted on the rail bracket. The sliding block is mounted slidably on the base. The connector is connected securely to the sliding block between the rail bracket and the base and has two clasping tabs engaging the base. The buffering device is mounted in the auto-returning device to prevent the drawer from returning too fast and has a damper and a drive shaft being connected to the connector.

Claims (70)

1. A drawer rail being mounted in furniture having a drawer cavity and a drawer, the drawer rail comprising

a drawer rail assembly being adapted to mount in the drawer cavity and having

a rail bracket being adapted to be mounted securely in the drawer cavity and having

a distal end;

a proximal end; and

an internal surface;

an outer track being mounted slidably on the internal surface of the rail bracket and having

an external surface being mounted slidably on the internal surface of the rail bracket; and

an internal surface; and

an inner track being mounted slidably on the internal surface of the outer track, being adapted to mount securely on the drawer and having

a distal end;

a proximal end;

an internal surface;

an external surface;

two engaging blocks being formed on and protruding from the external surface of the inner track near the distal end and facing the internal surface of the outer track; and

a hook being formed on and protruding from the external surface of the inner track near the engaging blocks and having

a hooking hole being formed through the hook; and

an inclined face being formed in the hooking hole near the engaging blocks;

an auto-returning device being mounted on the drawer rail assembly and having

a base being mounted on the internal surface of the rail bracket and having

a front end being mounted on the internal surface of the rail bracket;

a rear end being mounted on the internal surface of the rail bracket near the proximal end and having

an external surface being mounted on the internal surface of the rail bracket;

two outer sides;

a recess being formed through the external surface of the rear end of the base and facing the internal surface of the rail bracket; and

two shoulder mounts being formed respectively on the outer sides of the rear end of the base and each shoulder mount having an open end facing the front end of the base;

two sidewalls being formed on the base between the front end and the rear end parallel each other and each sidewall having an inner side; and

two elongated grooves being respectively formed in the inner sides of the sidewalls;

a sliding block being mounted slidably on the base between the sidewalls and having

two outer sides;

a front end;

a rear end;

a middle;

multiple sliding tabs being formed on and protruding from the outer sides of the sliding block near the rear end and the middle and being mounted slidably in the elongated grooves of the base;

a clasp being formed on the front end of the sliding block, engaging the hooking hole of the hook of the inner track and abutting the inclined face of the hook; and

a mounting recess being formed in the middle of the sliding block between the sliding tabs and facing the internal surface of the rail bracket;

a connector being mounted securely on the sliding block between the rail bracket and the base and having

a middle;

a connecting block being formed on and protruding from the middle of the connector, being mounted securely in the mounting recess of the sliding block; and

a holding frame being formed on and protruding from the connecting block and having two spring mounts protruding out of and abutting the sidewalls of the base and aligning with the shoulder mounts; and

multiple clasping tabs being formed on and protruding from the holding frame between the spring mounts and the connecting block and being mounted in the base and respectively engaging the sidewalls of the base in the elongated grooves; and

two springs being connected to the base and the connector and each spring having

a proximal end being attached securely to a corresponding shoulder mount; and

a distal end being connected to a corresponding spring mount of the holding frame; and

a buffering device being mounted in the auto-returning device between the base and the rail bracket and having

a damper being mounted securely in the recess of the base and having a front end; and

a drive shaft being mounted slidably in the damper, being connected with the connector and having

an inner end extending into the damper from the front end of the damper; and

an outer end extending out of the front end of the damper and being connected to the connector.

2. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

each clasping tab is L-shaped;

the rail bracket has

two mounting holes being formed through the internal surface of the outer track near the distal end; and

an inserting panel being formed on and protruding from the internal surface of the rail bracket; and

the front end of the base has an inserting hole being formed through the front end of the base and being mounted around the inserting panel of the rail bracket; and

the rear end of the base has two mounting blocks being formed on and protruding from the external surface of the rear end near the shoulder mounts, being mounted in the mounting holes in the rail bracket to mount the base securely on the rail bracket.

3. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 2 , wherein

the connecting block has

a rear side facing the rear end of the base; and

a mounting hole being formed in the rear side of the connecting block; and

the outer end of the drive shaft is connected to the mounting hole of the connecting block.

4. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the drawer rail assembly has multiple ball bearing races being mounted in the drawer rail assembly between the outer track and the inner track.

5. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the connecting block has

a rear side facing the rear end of the base; and

a mounting hole being formed in the rear side of the connecting block; and

the outer end of the drive shaft is connected to the mounting hole of the connecting block.

6. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the drawer rail assembly has multiple ball bearing races being mounted in the drawer rail assembly between the outer track and the inner track.

7. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drawer rail assembly has multiple ball bearing races being mounted in the drawer rail assembly between the outer track and the inner track.

8. The drawer rail as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the drawer rail assembly has multiple ball bearing races being mounted in the drawer rail assembly between the outer track and the inner track.

Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 11983258 · Nov 8, 2007
Related Publication 20090140621A1 · Jun 4, 2009