Drawer slide with front-mounted stop/anti-rebound mechanism

Abstract

An integrated anti-rebound mechanism with stop feature for a rail assembly. Two stop/anti-rebound pieces are individually attached at the forward end of a first rail and a second rail of the rail assembly. The stop/anti-rebound pieces engage one another when the first and second rails are in a closed position to prevent the first and second rails from moving beyond a closed position from an extended position. The stop/anti-rebound pieces also cooperate to resist movement of the first and second rails from a closed position. A third rail may be included in the rail assembly including a stop mechanism and an anti-rebound mechanism. The stop and anti-rebound mechanisms cooperate with on of the stop/anti-rebound pieces of the other rail to prevent the third rail from moving beyond a closed position, and to resist movement of the third rail from a closed position in relation to the other rail.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . An interlocking anti-rebound mechanism for a rail assembly comprising: 
 a first member including a slot and a locking means disposed in said slot;    a first rail attached to said first member;    a second rail slidably received in said first rail;    a third rail including detents, said third rail slidably disposed in relation to said first and second rails; and,    a second member attached to said second rail including a first side and a second side, said first side having an appendage for being received in said locking means, said second side having a resilient clip mechanism for lockably engaging said detents.    
     
     
         2 . A drawer slide assembly comprising: 
 first, second, and third rails slidably interfitted with one another for movement between closed and extended positions, each of said rails including a forward end and a rearward end, all of said forward ends being substantially aligned with one another when said rails are in the closed position;    first and second one-piece stops fixedly secured to the forward ends of said first and second rails, respectively, said first and second stops engaging one another when said first and second rails are in the closed position to prevent said first and second rails from moving beyond the closed position from the extended position, said first and second stops cooperating to provide resistance to said first and second rails being moved out of the closed position; and    said third rail including third stop means for engaging said second stop when said second and third rails are in the closed position to prevent said second and third rails from moving beyond the closed position from the extended position, said third rail further including anti-rebound means for cooperating with said second stop to providing resistance to said second and third rails being moved out of the closed position.    
     
     
         3 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 2   , wherein said first stop includes a resilient protrusion engaging said second stop.  
     
     
         4 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 2   , wherein said first stop is snap fitted into said first rail and said second stop is interfitted into said second rail.  
     
     
         5 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 4   , wherein said second stop is snap fitted into said second rail.  
     
     
         6 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 2   , wherein said third stop means includes a stop member integral with said third rail.  
     
     
         7 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 2   , wherein said third rail includes an integral deformation engaging said second stop.  
     
     
         8 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 2   , wherein said first stop and said second stop are made a polymer.  
     
     
         9 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 2   , wherein said second stop includes a resilient protrusion engaging said first stop.  
     
     
         10 . A drawer slide assembly comprising: 
 an outer rail;    a one-piece stop fixedly secured to said outer rail; and    an inner rail slidably interfitted with said outer rail and movable in closing direction to a retracted position and in an opening direction to an extended position, said inner rail including stop means for engaging said stop when said inner rail is in the closed position to prevent further movement in the closing direction, said inner rail further including anti-rebound means for engaging said one-piece stop when said inner rail is in the closed position to resist movement in the opening direction.    
     
     
         11 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 10   , wherein said one-piece stop snap fits into said outer rail.  
     
     
         12 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 10   , wherein said stop means and said anti-rebound means are located on a single member.  
     
     
         13 . A drawer slide assembly as in    claim 10   , wherein said one piece stop includes a resilient spring finger for engaging said anti-rebound means.