(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drawer slide locating system, and more particularly, to one capable of controlling extended status of an inner rail, and locating the inner rail when pulled out and disengaged from the system by means of a locking hook to secure a bearing carrier that holds against the inner rail; and to automatically lead away the bearing carrier when the inner rail is inserted into the system once again to facilitate guiding the retraction of the inner rail.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A slide used for a drawer or similar object is usually comprised of two or three sections of sliding rails to slide on those rails by means of one set or two sets of bearing mounted among those rails. A bearing carrier is provided to contain rollers to roll on the rails for the bearing carrier to movably connect to the sliding rails. Whereas it is necessarily in most cases to remove the drawer or similar object mounted on the slide by the furniture manufacturer or the consumer, the slide is provided with the function of disengaging the drawer or similar object from the slide, either in the configuration of two or three sections, essentially by pulling out the rails connected to the drawer or similar object. To consider the necessity of restoring the drawer or similar object to the slide and maintain the normal mechanism of the product, the bearing carrier providing the connection by sliding must be located at the front end of a fixed rail upon pulling out the rails so to facilitate the rails to be once again inserted into the bearing carrier and further guided into the linear tract of the roller.
The prior art to locate the bearing carrier at the front end of the rails has been taught in Taiwanese Publication Nos. 252316 (please refer to the Background of U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,821), 491054 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,372), 491055, 498730 (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,750 and 6,220,683), M248319 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,945), M268985, and Invention Early Publication No. 200412881 in Taiwan; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,801,166, 4,252,382, 5,466,060, 5,577,821, 5,722,750, 6,145,945, 6,220,683 B1, 6,254,210 B1, 6,296,338 B1, 6,390,575 B1, 6,655,763 B2, 6,715,851 B1, 6,820,954 B2, 6,851,773 B2, and 6,860,574 B2; US Patent Early Publication Nos. US 2002/0089273 A1, US 2005/0017613 A1, and US 2005/0062379 A1; and Japanese Patent Nos. 5-15790 and 2562231 is the prior art that the applicant of the present invention is familiar with.
Furthermore, in the means of the art to control the retraction and separation of the slide, an inner rail of the prior art generally referred in the trade (usually connected to a drawer or similar object) is disposed with a limiting piece while an outer rail (connected to a cabinet or a frame for installation) is provided at its front end a bracket to hold against the limiting piece; or alternatively, a middle rail is connected to the outer rail first before being connected to the inner rail to constitute a three-section slide. In such case, a bracket is disposed at the front end of the middle rail. The pattern featuring the limiting piece and the bracket to hold against each other prevents the inner rail from being disengaged or controls to cause the limiting piece to clear off the bracket to permit retraction and separation of the inner rail. As taught in the prior arts including Taiwan Patent Nos. 252316 (please refer to the Background of U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,821), 278338, 310560, 450055 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,683), 491054 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,372), 502587 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,660), 521603 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,275), and 556521(U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,851).
Whereas the bearing carrier of the prior art as described above is located at the end of the rail and is achieved by being “temporarily” held and locked by elasticity, the elastic structure to execute such holding and locking is vulnerable to be worn by friction and winds up soonest failure or poor function as far as the operation mode of the bearing carrier is concerned.
Furthermore, in the prior art of having the limiting piece and the bracket to hold against each other, once the inner rail is pulled out, there is the absence of a buffer between the limiting piece and the bracket to compromise the silence and operating hand touch of the slide. The possible friction between the middle rail and the outer rail also presents a problem.