Control mechanism for drawer slide assembly

Abstract

A control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet rail and a drawer rail is provided. The control mechanism comprises a latch bracket positioned on a portion of a drawer and having a post extending therefrom, a movable latch associated with the cabinet rail and capable of limited linear movement along a portion of the cabinet rail, the movable latch cooperating and engaging with the post of the latch bracket so as to move along with movement of the drawer when engaged with the post, and a damping mechanism for damping movement of the movable latch at least when the drawer is moving from an open position to a closed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drawer slide assembly control mechanism comprising:
 a cabinet rail associated with a cabinet housing and a drawer rail associated with a drawer; and   a control mechanism associated with the drawer, said control mechanism comprising
 a drawer latch bracket having an engagement member extending outwardly therefrom, and 
 a shock-absorbing sub-assembly comprising
 an elongate bracket member associated with said cabinet rail, 
 a movable latch associated with said elongate bracket member and cooperating with said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket so as to move along with movement of said drawer over at least a portion of a length of said drawer rail, and 
 a shock absorber unit associated with said elongate bracket member and cooperating with said movable latch for damping movement of said movable latch at least during a closing stroke of said drawer to reduce noise associated with closing said drawer. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said drawer latch bracket is positioned on at least one of a side surface of said drawer and a bottom surface of said drawer. 
     
     
         3 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , further comprising a stabilizing bracket fixedly attached to said cabinet rail and said elongate bracket member and extending therebetween in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to an extension direction of said cabinet rail. 
     
     
         4 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate bracket member comprises a groove extending in a direction that is substantially parallel with respect to an extension axis of said cabinet rail; and
 wherein said movable latch comprises
 a first portion that resides in and rides along said groove of said elongate bracket member, and 
 a catcher extending outwardly beyond said groove of said elongate bracket member from said first portion in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to said extension axis of said cabinet rail, said catcher having at least one portion for receiving, engaging and retaining at least one portion of said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket to prevent disengagement between said catcher and said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket during the closing stroke of the drawer. 
   
     
     
         5 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said movable latch further comprises a member for engaging said shock absorber within the elongate bracket member. 
     
     
         6 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said movable latch further comprises a member for engaging a drawer return spring within the elongate bracket member. 
     
     
         7 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 6 , wherein when said drawer is closed during a closing stroke, said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket engages said receiving and engaging portion of said catcher, at which point said drawer return spring draws said movable latch in the closing stroke direction, and said shock absorber dampens said closing stroke to provide a smooth and gentle closing action of said drawer. 
     
     
         8 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said elongate bracket member comprises positioning means for determining a mounting location with respect to said cabinet rail and said drawer latch bracket. 
     
     
         9 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 2 , wherein said drawer latch bracket is fixed to a front portion of a side panel of the drawer. 
     
     
         10 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 2 , wherein said drawer latch bracket is fixed to a front portion of a bottom panel of the drawer. 
     
     
         11 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 3 , wherein said stabilizing bracket comprises one or more protrusions having shapes that lockingly engage with corresponding portions of said elongate bracket member and said cabinet rail. 
     
     
         12 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 11 , wherein said stabilizing bracket comprises a plurality of snap-fit tabs that engage with corresponding portions of said elongate bracket member and said cabinet rail. 
     
     
         13 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 11 , wherein said stabilizing bracket comprises at least one snap-fit dowel that engages with a corresponding opening of said elongate bracket member. 
     
     
         14 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one portion of said catcher for receiving and engaging at least one portion of said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket comprises a pocket portion, a lever portion having a lip horizontally opposed to said pocket portion, and a seat portion defined there between. 
     
     
         15 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 1 , wherein said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket comprises a main body portion. 
     
     
         16 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 15 , wherein said main body portion of said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket comprises one or more posts extending outwardly from a surface thereof which engage a pocket portion of said catcher. 
     
     
         17 . The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according to  claim 15 , wherein said main body portion of said engagement member of said drawer latch bracket engages a seat portion of said catcher and is sandwiched between a pocket portion of said catcher and a horizontally opposed lip portion thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A drawer slide assembly control mechanism comprising:
 a cabinet rail associated with a cabinet housing and a drawer rail associated with a drawer; and   a control mechanism associated with the drawer, said control mechanism comprising
 a drawer latch bracket positioned on said drawer, said drawer latch bracket having an engagement tab extending outwardly therefrom, and 
 a shock-absorbing sub-assembly comprising
 an elongate bracket member associated with said cabinet rail and capable of limited linear movement along a portion of said cabinet rail, said elongate bracket member comprising a groove extending in a direction that is substantially parallel with respect to an extension axis of said cabinet rail, 
 a movable latch associated with said elongate bracket member and cooperating with said engagement tab of said drawer latch bracket so as to move along with movement of said drawer over at least a portion of a length of said drawer rail, and 
 a shock absorber unit associated with said elongate bracket member and cooperating with said movable latch for damping movement of said movable latch at least during a closing stroke of said drawer to reduce noise associated with closing said drawer. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . A control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet rail and a drawer rail, said control mechanism comprising:
 a latch bracket being fixedly positioned on a portion of said drawer above or below said drawer rail and said cabinet rail;   a moveable latch associated with said cabinet rail and adapted to engage said latch bracket, said moveable latch being configured to move along with movement of said drawer when in a latched state as engaged with said latch bracket; and   a damping mechanism for damping movement of said movable latch engaged with said latch bracket as said drawer moves from an open position to a closed position to reduce noise associated with closing said drawer.   
     
     
         20 . A control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet rail and a drawer rail, said control mechanism comprising:
 a latch bracket positioned on a portion of a drawer and having a post extending therefrom;   a movable latch associated with said cabinet rail and capable of limited linear movement along a portion of said cabinet rail, said movable latch cooperating and engaging with said post of said latch bracket so as to move along with movement of said drawer when engaged with said post; and   a damping mechanism for damping movement of said movable latch at least when said drawer is moving from an open position to a closed position to reduce noise associated with closing said drawer.